bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Certification of Gaussian Boson Sampling via graphs feature vectors and kernels
Authors: Giordani Taira , Mannucci Valerio , Spagnolo Nicolò , Fumero Marco , Rampini Arianna , Rodolà Emanuele , Sciarrino Fabio 
Published: September 2022

Abstract
Gaussian Boson Sampling (GBS) is a non-universal model for quantum computing inspired by the original formulation of the Boson Sampling (BS) problem. Nowadays, it represents a paradigmatic quantum platform to reach the quantum advantage regime in a specific computational model. Indeed, thanks to the implementation in photonics-based processors, the latest GBS experiments have reached a level of complexity where the quantum apparatus has solved the task faster than currently up-to-date classical strategies. In addition, recent studies have identified possible applications beyond the inherent sampling task. In particular, a direct connection between photon counting of a genuine GBS device and the number of perfect matchings in a graph has been established. In this work, we propose to exploit such a connection to benchmark GBS experiments. We interpret the properties of the feature vectors of the graph encoded in the device as a signature of correct sampling from the true input state. Within this framework, two approaches are presented. The first method exploits the distributions of graph feature vectors and classification via neural networks. The second approach investigates the distributions of graph kernels. Our results provide a novel approach to the actual need for tailored algorithms to benchmark large-scale Gaussian Boson Samplers.
Bureaucratic fragmentation by design? the case of payroll management in the democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Moshonas Stylianos , de Herdt Tom , Titeca Kristof , Balungwe Shamavu Paulin 
Published: September 2022

ABSTRACT
This paper examines the sources of bureaucratic fragmentation and coherence in the Democratic Republic of Congo by exploring the connections and tensions between interface bureaucracies and the back-office administration tasked with managing the public payroll system. Building on the ‘real governance’ literature and the notion of ‘infrastructural power’, we analyse the recent history of payroll management in Congo and especially its evolution over the last decades of state implosion and reconstruction so as to gauge the potential of different drivers of state infrastructural power. The return of the state in the first decades of the twenty-first century led to a spectacular and unprecedented growth in the number of civil servants, made possible by a reconstituted state budget and renewed donor engagement. Yet this growth largely reflects increased political competition and further disarticulated the payroll system, increasing its vulnerability to the issue of ghost workers. The case study shows important trade-offs, in processes of post-conflict reconstruction, between the triple objectives of building state infrastructural power, making use of it to improve public service delivery, and its democratization.
Cytokine production by human B cells: role in health and autoimmune disease
Authors: de Gruijter Nina M , Jebson Bethany , Rosser Elizabeth C 
Published: September 2022

AbstractB cells are classically considered solely as antibody-producing cells driving humoral immune responses to foreign antigens in infections and vaccinations as well as self-antigens in pathological settings such as autoimmunity. However, it has now become clear that B cells can also secrete a vast array of cytokines, which influence both pro- and anti-inflammatory immune responses. Indeed, similarly to T cells, there is significant heterogeneity in cytokine-driven responses by B cells, ranging from the production of pro-inflammatory effector cytokines such as IL-6, through to the release of immunosuppressive cytokines such as IL-10. In this review, focusing on human B cells, we summarize the key findings that have revealed that cytokine-producing B cell subsets have critical functions in healthy immune responses and contribute to the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases.
A case report of arrhythmogenic mitral valve disease: still a long way to go
Authors: Cunha Gonçalo J L , Rocha Bruno M L , Carmo Pedro L , Andrade Maria J 
Published: September 2022

Abstract

Background
Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common valvular heart disease and has often been associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). This underlines the pressing need for the establishment of consistent tools for arrhythmic risk prediction.

Case summary
A 73-year-old man with previous diagnosis of MVP was referred to the cardiology outpatient consult for a 1-month history of near-syncope and light-headedness. He had no family history of SCD. Physical examination was unremarkable. Holter monitoring recorded frequent and multiple long episodes of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with controlled ventricular response. Echocardiogram revealed mitral bileaflet billowing, systolic curling, and annular disjunction, as well as increased peak systolic strain dispersion with two-dimensional speckle tracking. Cardiac magnetic resonance disclosed additional tricuspid annular dilatation and disjunction, as non-ischaemic late gadolinium enhancement on the left ventricular basal inferolateral wall. The Heart Team decided to implant a defibrillator as primary prevention for SCD due to arrhythmogenic mitral valve disease (AMVD) with high-risk features. The patient remained asymptomatic over the next 2 years, when he suffered an appropriate shock due to VT at 200 b.p.m.

Discussion
Here, we present a case of a patient with AMVD with classic features of high arrhythmic risk but also with some unusual characteristics such as older age, male gender, and only little pronounced mitral valve billowing, emphasizing the wide heterogeneity and lack of knowledge surrounding this entity.
Standard versus rapid-deployment aortic valve replacement and concomitant myocardial revascularization: 5-year bi-centre clinical outcomes
Authors: Bottio Tomaso , Piperata Antonio , Guariento Alvise , Lorenzoni Giulia , Cavicchiolo Andrea Gualtiero , Gemelli Marco , Pesce Rita , Evangelista Giuseppe , Michelotti Sara , Gastino Elisa , Gregori Dario , Ferrari Enrico , Gerosa Gino 
Published: September 2022

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Clinical outcomes of 2 generations of pericardial bioprostheses in concomitant aortic valve and coronary artery bypass graft surgery were analysed.

METHODS
Patients were recruited from 2 European centres and divided into 2 groups based on the type of aortic bioprosthesis used: Edwards Intuity Elite™ rapid-deployment (RD) bioprostheses or standard Edwards Magna Ease (ME). A propensity score weighting approach was used for data analysis.

RESULTS
A total of 285 patients were included: 144 (50.5%) in the RD group and 141 (49.5%) in the ME group. Thirty-day mortality was 2.8% (RD) and 5% (ME) (P = 0.09). Significantly shorter times of aortic cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass were observed in the RD cohort [94 vs 120 min (P &lt; 0.001); 128 vs 160 min (P &lt; 0.001)]. The RD group was associated with a lower median transvalvular gradient at discharge and follow-up (both P &lt; 0.001). However, 5-year survival was not different, being 93% in RD patients and 91% in the ME group [hazard ratio 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.38–2.09), P = 0.784]. The 5-year cumulative incidence of combined events (including percutaneous coronary interventions, endocarditis, thromboembolic events, rehospitalizations and bleeding) favoured the ME group [16.1% (RD) vs 7.3% (ME)] [hazard ratio 2.38 (95% confidence interval:1.03–5.52), P = 0.043]. However, this turned similar when the Cox model analysis was adjusted for revascularization variables (P = 0.067).

CONCLUSIONS
RD and ME pericardial bioprostheses used in concomitant aortic valve replacement and coronary artery revascularization provide equivalent clinical and haemodynamic 5-year outcomes, despite constant lower transvalvular gradients and shorter surgical operating times observed with RD technology.
MATS: a novel multi-ancestry transcriptome-wide association study to account for heterogeneity in the effects of cis-regulated gene expression on complex traits
Authors: Knutson Katherine A , Pan Wei 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe Transcriptome-Wide Association Study (TWAS) is a widely used approach which integrates gene expression and Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) data to study the role of cis-regulated gene expression (GEx) in complex traits. However, the genetic architecture of GEx varies across populations, and recent findings point to possible ancestral heterogeneity in the effects of GEx on complex traits, which may be amplified in TWAS by modeling GEx as a function of cis-eQTLs. Here, we present a novel extension to TWAS to account for heterogeneity in the effects of cis-regulated GEx which are correlated with ancestry. Our proposed Multi-Ancestry TwaS (MATS) framework jointly analyzes samples from multiple populations and distinguishes between shared, ancestry-specific and/or subject-specific expression-trait associations. As such, MATS amplifies power to detect shared GEx associations over ancestry-stratified TWAS through increased sample sizes, and facilitates the detection of genes with subgroup-specific associations which may be masked by standard TWAS. Our simulations highlight the improved Type-I error conservation and power of MATS compared with competing approaches. Our real data applications to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) case–control genotypes from the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP) and continuous phenotypes from the UK Biobank (UKBB) identify a number of unique gene-trait associations which were not discovered through standard and/or ancestry-stratified TWAS. Ultimately, these findings promote MATS as a powerful method for detecting and estimating significant gene expression effects on complex traits within multi-ancestry cohorts and corroborates the mounting evidence for inter-population heterogeneity in gene–trait associations.
The Metamorphosing Professor: Adapting Teaching to Fulfill the Promise of Biology Education
Authors: García-Ojeda Marcos E , Nishiguchi Michele K 
Published: September 2022

AbstractTeaching students at all levels of education has undergone extensive changes, particularly in the past decade. Our present student population has transformed dramatically in the 21st century due to the changing demographics of the nation, an increasing use of technology both inside and outside the classroom, along with an expectation to have information instantaneously available to peruse and utilize as a source of material. Today’s instructors also need to adapt to these changes by assessing how well students are learning new concepts, as well as how much material students retain for future coursework. Here, we explore the recent history of science education, and the progress that has been made to overcome multiple learning obstacles, particularly relevant to PEERs (persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race) in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). We hope to provide insight into how educators are restructuring the way they design their teaching portfolios to provide better outcomes for the students of today’s educational system.
Socioeconomic position, bronchiolitis and asthma in children: counterfactual disparity measures from a national birth cohort study
Authors: Lewis Kate M , De Stavola Bianca L , Cunningham Steve , Hardelid Pia 
Published: September 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe debated link between severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in early life and asthma has yet to be investigated within a social inequity lens. We estimated the magnitude of socioeconomic disparity in childhood asthma which would remain if no child were admitted to hospital for bronchiolitis, commonly due to RSV, during infancy.MethodsThe cohort, constructed from national administrative health datasets, comprised 83853 children born in Scotland between 1 January 2007 and 31 June 2008. Scottish Index for Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) was used to capture socioeconomic position. Emergency admissions for bronchiolitis before age 1 year were identified from hospital records. Yearly indicators of asthma/wheeze from ages 2 to 9 years were created using dispensing data and hospital admission records.ResultsUsing latent class growth analysis, we identified four trajectories of asthma/wheeze: early-transient (2.2% of the cohort), early-persistent (2.0%), intermediate-onset (1.8%) and no asthma/wheeze (94.0%). The estimated marginal risks of chronic asthma (combining early-persistent and intermediate-onset groups) varied by SIMD, with risk differences for the medium and high deprivation groups, relative to the low deprivation group, of 7.0% (95% confidence interval: 3.7–10.3) and 13.0% (9.6–16.4), respectively. Using counterfactual disparity measures, we estimated that the elimination of bronchiolitis requiring hospital admission could reduce these risk differences by 21.2% (4.9–37.5) and 17.9% (10.4–25.4), respectively.ConclusionsThe majority of disparity in chronic asthma prevalence by deprivation level remains unexplained. Our paper offers a guide to using causal inference methods to study other plausible pathways to inequities in asthma using complex, linked administrative data.
Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations in Children With Severe Malaria Are Associated With Mortality and Worse Long-term Kidney and Cognitive Outcomes
Authors: Conroy Andrea L , Tran Tuan M , Bond Caitlin , Opoka Robert O , Datta Dibyadyuti , Liechty Edward A , Bangirana Paul , Namazzi Ruth , Idro Richard , Cusick Sarah , Ssenkusu John M , John Chandy C 
Published: September 2022

Abstract

Background
Global changes in amino acid levels have been described in severe malaria (SM), but the relationship between amino acids and long-term outcomes in SM has not been evaluated.

Methods
We measured enrollment plasma concentrations of 20 amino acids using high-performance liquid chromatography in 500 Ugandan children aged 18 months to 12 years, including 122 community children and 378 children with SM. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria were used to define acute kidney injury (AKI) at enrollment and chronic kidney disease (CKD) at 1-year follow-up. Cognition was assessed over 2 years of follow-up.

Results
Compared to laboratory-defined, age-specific reference ranges, there were deficiencies in sulfur-containing amino acids (methionine, cysteine) in both community children and children with SM. Among children with SM, global changes in amino acid concentrations were observed in the context of metabolic complications including acidosis and AKI. Increases in threonine, leucine, and valine were associated with in-hospital mortality, while increases in methionine, tyrosine, lysine, and phenylalanine were associated with postdischarge mortality and CKD. Increases in glycine and asparagine were associated with worse attention in children &lt;5 years of age.

Conclusions
Among children with SM, unique amino acid profiles are associated with mortality, CKD, and worse attention.
Loss of outer membrane protein A (OmpA) impairs the survival of Salmonella Typhimurium by inducing membrane damage in the presence of ceftazidime and meropenem
Authors: Chowdhury Atish Roy , Mukherjee Debapriya , Singh Ashish Kumar , Chakravortty Dipshikha 
Published: September 2022

Abstract

Objectives
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is one of the significant non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars that causes gastroenteritis. The rapid development of antimicrobial resistance necessitates studying new antimicrobials and their therapeutic targets in this pathogen. Our study aimed to investigate the role of four prominent outer membrane porins of S. Typhimurium, namely OmpA, OmpC, OmpD and OmpF, in developing resistance against ceftazidime and meropenem.

Methods
The antibiotic-mediated inhibition of bacterial growth was determined by measuring the absorbance and the resazurin assay. DiBAC4 (Bis-(1,3-Dibutylbarbituric Acid)Trimethine Oxonol), 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluoroscein diacetate (DCFDA) and propidium iodide were used to determine the outer membrane depolarization, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and subsequent killing of Salmonella. The expression of oxidative stress-response and efflux pump genes was quantified by quantitative RT–qPCR. HPLC was done to determine the amount of antibiotics that entered the bacteria. The damage to the bacterial outer membrane was studied by confocal and atomic force microscopy. The in vivo efficacy of ceftazidime and meropenem were tested in the C57BL/6 mouse model.

Results
Deleting ompA reduced the survival of Salmonella in the presence of ceftazidime and meropenem. Massive outer membrane depolarization and reduced expression of oxidative stress-response genes in S. Typhimurium ΔompA hampered its growth in the presence of antibiotics. The enhanced uptake of antibiotics and decreased expression of efflux pump genes in S. Typhimurium ΔompA resulted in damage to the bacterial outer membrane. The clearance of the S. Typhimurium ΔompA from C57BL/6 mice with ceftazidime treatment proved the role of OmpA in rendering protection against β-lactam antibiotics.

Conclusions
OmpA protects S. Typhimurium from two broad-spectrum β-lactam antibiotics, ceftazidime and meropenem, by maintaining the stability of the outer membrane.
Synergism of Adjuvants Mixed With Spinetoram for the Management of Bean Flower Thrips,Megalurothrips usitatus(Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Cowpeas
Authors: Tang Liang-De , Guo Ling-Hang , Ali Asad , Desneux Nicolas , Zang Lian-Sheng 
Published: September 2022

AbstractThe bean flower thrips, Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall) is an economically important insect pest of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp in south China. Spinetoram is a newly available commercial active ingredient in the spinosyn mode of action group of insecticides that has been recommended for thrips management in China. In this study, the toxicity and efficacy of spinetoram for controlling M. usitatus were evaluated and compared to six other conventional insecticides. In addition, the synergistic effects of adjuvants (Silwet 806, Silwet 618, AgroSpred 910, and AgroSpred Prime) mixed with spinetoram for thrips control on cowpea were evaluated in both the laboratory and the field. Results of this study showed that spinetoram had higher toxicity and field efficacy of M. usitatus than other tested insecticides. A significant increase in efficacy was observed when spinetoram was applied at a recommended rate of 0.67 ml/L, mixed with Silwets (806 and 618) at the rate of 0.5 ml/L. Reductions of 50% and 40% in thrips infestation in the field over treatments without adjuvants were observed 3- and 7-days posttreatments, respectively. However, no significant reduction of M. usitatus was recorded when spinetoram was mixed with AgroSpreds (910 and Prime). Furthermore, no significant differences were found in thrips infestation between spinetoram sprayed alone at the rate of 0.67 ml/L and a reduced rate of spinetoram (0.45 ml/L) mixed with Silwets (806 and 618). The current research shows that Silwets mixed with spinetoram has a synergistic effect in the management of thrips.
Improved Outcomes for Trauma Patients in a Military Treatment Facility After Initiation of an American College of Surgeons–Verified Trauma Program
Authors: O’Hara Thomas A , Cardarelli Cassandra L , Joel Constance L , Ciampa Maeghan L , Faircloth Ashley A , Faler Byron J 
Published: September 2022

ABSTRACT

Introduction
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2017 indicated the need for a national strategy to improve trauma care among military treatment facilities (MTFs). Part of the proposed strategy to improve trauma outcomes was to convert identified MTFs into verified trauma centers. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) verifies trauma centers through an evaluation process based on available resources at a facility. It has been proven that trauma centers, specifically those verified by the ACS, have improved trauma outcomes. In 2017, we implemented steps to become a level III trauma program, according to the standards for designation by the state and verification through the ACS. The goal of this retrospective review is to evaluate the impact of this implementation with regard to both patient care and the MTF.

Materials and Methods
Data from a single-MTF trauma registry from 2018, at the initiation of the trauma program, to present were reviewed. Outcomes were selected based upon the ACS verification criteria. Specifically, emergency department length of stay (ED LOS), nonsurgical admissions, injury severity score, diversion rates, and time to operating room were reviewed. Statistical analyses were performed using Student’s t-tests. Institutional review board (IRB) approval was not required for this study as it was performed as a quality improvement project using deidentified data.

Results
ED LOS decreased significantly after implementation of the trauma program from an average of 6.43 h in 2018 to 4.73 h in 2019 and 4.6 h in 2020 (P &lt; .04). Nonsurgical admissions decreased significantly from 57.8% in 2018, with rates of &lt;20% in all subsequent years (P &lt; .01). The average injury severity score increased from 5.61 in 2018 to 7.52 in 2020 (P &lt; .01) and 7.27 in 2021 (P &lt; .01). Diversion rates also decreased from &gt;5% in 2018 to 0% in 2021.

Conclusions
The establishment of a trauma program in accordance with the standards of the ACS for verification improved metrics of care for trauma patients at our MTF. This implementation as part of the local trauma system also led to increased injury severity seen by the MTF, which enhances readiness for its providers.
Polarization constraints on the X-ray corona in Seyfert Galaxies: MCG-05-23-16
Authors: Marinucci A , Muleri F , Dovciak M , Bianchi S , Marin F , Matt G , Ursini F , Middei R , Marshall H L , Baldini L , Barnouin T , Rodriguez N Cavero , De Rosa A , Di Gesu L , Harper D , Ingram A , Karas V , Krawczynski H , Madejski G , Panagiotou C , Petrucci P O , Podgorny J , Puccetti S , Tombesi F , Veledina A , Zhang W , Agudo I , Antonelli L A , Bachetti M , Baumgartner W H , Bellazzini R , Bongiorno S D , Bonino R , Brez A , Bucciantini N , Capitanio F , Castellano S , Cavazzuti E , Ciprini S , Costa E , Del Monte E , Di Lalla N , Di Marco A , Donnarumma I , Doroshenko V , Ehlert S R , Enoto T , Evangelista Y , Fabiani S , Ferrazzoli R , Garcia J A , Gunji S , Hayashida K , Heyl J , Iwakiri W , Jorstad S G , Kitaguchi T , Kolodziejczak J J , La Monaca F , Latronico L , Liodakis I , Maldera S , Manfreda A , Marscher A P , Mitsuishi I , Mizuno T , Ng C-Y , O’Dell S L , Omodei N , Oppedisano C , Papitto A , Pavlov G G , Peirson A L , Perri M , Pesce-Rollins M , Pilia M , Possenti A , Poutanen J , Ramsey B D , Rankin J , Ratheesh A , Romani R W , Sgrš C , Slane P , Soffitta P , Spandre G , Tamagawa T , Tavecchio F , Taverna R , Tawara Y , Tennant A F , Thomas N E , Trois A , Tsygankov S S , Turolla R , Vink J , Weisskopf M C , Wu K , Xie F , Zane S 
Published: September 2022

ABSTRACT
We report on the first observation of a radio-quiet active galactic nucleus (AGN) in polarized X-rays: the Seyfert 1.9 galaxy MCG-05-23-16. This source was pointed at with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) starting on 2022 May 14 for a net observing time of 486 ks, simultaneously with XMM-Newton (58 ks) and NuSTAR (83 ks). A polarization degree Π smaller than 4.7 per cent (at the 99 per cent confidence level) is derived in the 2–8 keV energy range, where emission is dominated by the primary component ascribed to the hot corona. The broad-band spectrum, inferred from a simultaneous fit to the IXPE, NuSTAR, and XMM-Newton data, is well reproduced by a power law with photon index Γ = 1.85 ± 0.01 and a high-energy cutoff EC = 120 ± 15 keV. A comparison with Monte Carlo simulations shows that a lamp-post and a conical geometry of the corona are consistent with the observed upper limit, a slab geometry is allowed only if the inclination angle of the system is less than 50°.