bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Endomysial fibrosis, rather than overall connective tissue content, is the main determinant of conduction disturbances in human atrial fibrillation
Authors: Maesen Bart , Verheule Sander , Zeemering Stef , La Meir Mark , Nijs Jan , Lumeij Stijn , Lau Dennis H , Granier Mathieu , Crijns Harry Jgm , Maessen Jos G , Dhein Stefan , Schotten Ulrich 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Aims
Although in persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) a complex AF substrate characterized by a high incidence of conduction block has been reported, relatively little is known about AF complexity in paroxysmal AF (pAF). Also, the relative contribution of various aspects of structural alterations to conduction disturbances is not clear. In particular, the contribution of endomysial fibrosis to conduction disturbances during progression of AF has not been studied yet.

Methods and results
During cardiac surgery, epicardial high-density mapping was performed in patients with acutely induced (aAF, n = 11), pAF (n = 12), and longstanding persistent AF (persAF, n = 9) on the right atrial (RA) wall, the posterior left atrial wall (pLA) and the LA appendage (LAA). In RA appendages, overall and endomysial (myocyte-to-myocyte distances) fibrosis and connexin 43 (Cx43) distribution were quantified. Unipolar AF electrogram analysis showed a more complex pattern with a larger number of narrower waves, more breakthroughs and a higher fractionation index (FI) in persAF compared with aAF and pAF, with no differences between aAF and pAF. The FI was consistently higher at the pLA compared with the RA. Structurally, Cx43 lateralization increased with AF progression (aAF = 7.5 ± 8.9%, pAF = 24.7 ± 11.1%, persAF = 35.1 ± 11.4%, P &lt; 0.001). Endomysial but not overall fibrosis correlated with AF complexity (r = 0.57, P = 0.001; r = 0.23, P = 0.20; respectively).

Conclusions
Atrial fibrillation complexity is highly variable in patients with pAF, but not significantly higher than in patients with acutely induced AF, while in patients with persistent AF complexity is higher. Among the structural alterations studied, endomysial fibrosis, but not overall fibrosis, is the strongest determinant of AF complexity.
The occurrence and consequences of violence against healthcare workers in Turkey: before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Özdamar Ünal Gülin , İşcan Gökçe , Ünal Onur 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Background
Before and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) were victims of workplace violence (WPV). There are no reliable statistics on the occurrence and consequences of WPV against HCWs in Turkey throughout the pandemic period.

Objective
We investigated the rates of WPV against HCWs in Turkey in the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, variables associated with WPV, and the relationship between these variables and job satisfaction and burnout.

Methods
A structured online questionnaire was disseminated through social media channels to HCWs in various healthcare settings. All the respondents also completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Job Satisfaction Scale. Based on the data obtained, we determined the frequency, causes, and consequences of WPV against HCWs before and during the pandemic.

Results
There were 701 completed questionnaires. 68.2% of participants were female, and 65.6% of them were doctors. The rate of WPV was 54.1% and 24.3% before and during the pandemic, respectively. Verbal abuse was the most common kind of WPV. Female HCWs were more likely to be physically assaulted than their male counterparts, especially those working in COVID-19 units. The majority of HCWs who were exposed to the violence at least once did not report WPV. HCWs exposed to WPV during the pandemic reported more emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and a lower perceived level of personal achievement.

Conclusion
HCWs were exposed to significant levels of violence both before and during the pandemic. Preventing WPV against HCWs and removing barriers to reporting abuse is crucial.
Douglas-fir Tree Mortality Caused by the Douglas-fir Beetle in Thinned and Unthinned Stands in Montana, USA
Authors: Sturdevant Nancy , Haavik Laurel , Negrón José F 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Bark beetles are casual agents of tree mortality, often affecting landscapes with diverse topography. The Douglas-fir beetle (Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins) (DFB) uses Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco), as its primary host. Populations often increase following disturbances such as defoliation, fires, or blowdowns and then transition into live healthy trees. Mitigating tree mortality where high mortality levels are incompatible with land manager objectives is of relevance. In this study, we compared mortality levels in eighteen thinned and twelve unthinned pure Douglas-fir stands in the Helena National Forest in Montana. Managed stands were thinned during the summers of 2014 and 2015 and tree mortality evaluated in 2017 and 2018. Douglas-fir beetle populations were at endemic levels in the study area, as represented by low observed tree mortality. Even under endemic populations, 3.6% of Douglas-firs &gt; 12 in diameter at breast height (dbh) were killed in unthinned stands compared to 1.6% in thinned stands. Basal area of trees killed in unthinned stands was 5.4 (± 2.4) ft2/ac compared with 0.5 (± 0.3) ft2/ac in thinned stands. Although insect pressure was low, this study indicates that vegetation management could be a tool to mitigate DFB-caused tree mortality. Additional studies conducted under higher insect populations are needed.
Study Implications: Douglas-fir beetle (DFB) can cause extensive mortality of Douglas-fir, particularly in dense stands of large-diameter trees with a high percentage of hosts. Vegetation management through silvicultural thinnings has been proposed as a long-term strategy to mitigate tree mortality from bark beetles. In this study, we compared tree mortality caused by DFB in thinned and unthinned Douglas-fir stands. Douglas-fir beetle populations were at low levels post-thinning and mortality levels were limited. Regardless, we observed increased mortality in denser, unthinned stands compared with thinned stands with lower tree density, suggesting that stand density reductions may mitigate DFB-caused tree mortality.
Not Just How Much, But How Many: Overall and Domain-Specific Activity Variety and Cognitive Functioning in Adulthood
Authors: Jeon Sangha , Lee Soomi , Charles Susan T 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Objectives
Active lifestyles are related to higher levels of cognitive functioning. Fewer studies have examined the importance of engaging in different activities (activity variety) for cognitive functioning. Moreover, it is unclear whether activity variety in specific domains (i.e., cognitive, physical, or social) is important for cognitive health. The current study examined whether overall activity variety as well as variety in specific domains relate to cognitive functioning.

Methods
In Waves 2 and 3 of the Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, 3,337 adults reported their activity engagement and completed a cognitive battery. For longitudinal analyses, 2,049 participants were classified into 4 groups based on their rank ordering of activity variety across 9 years (remained high, increased, decreased, or remained low).

Results
Cross-sectional analyses revealed that overall activity variety was related to higher cognitive functioning over and above activity frequency; physical and social activity variety each contributed significantly and uniquely to this association. Longitudinal analyses revealed that those with consistently low overall activity variety at both waves had lower cognitive functioning at Wave 3 than those with high activity variety at either wave, after adjusting for cognitive functioning at Wave 2. Those with consistently high or increasing social activity variety had higher cognitive functioning at Wave 3 than participants with low activity variety at both waves.

Discussion
Findings suggest that activity variety, particularly in the social domain, is related to concurrent and future cognitive function across adulthood.
Triku: a feature selection method based on nearest neighbors for single-cell data
Authors: M Ascensión Alex , Ibáñez-Solé Olga , Inza Iñaki , Izeta Ander , Araúzo-Bravo Marcos J 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Background
Feature selection is a relevant step in the analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing datasets. Most of the current feature selection methods are based on general univariate descriptors of the data such as the dispersion or the percentage of zeros. Despite the use of correction methods, the generality of these feature selection methods biases the genes selected towards highly expressed genes, instead of the genes defining the cell populations of the dataset.

Results
Triku is a feature selection method that favors genes defining the main cell populations. It does so by selecting genes expressed by groups of cells that are close in the k-nearest neighbor graph. The expression of these genes is higher than the expected expression if the k-cells were chosen at random. Triku efficiently recovers cell populations present in artificial and biological benchmarking datasets, based on adjusted Rand index, normalized mutual information, supervised classification, and silhouette coefficient measurements. Additionally, gene sets selected by triku are more likely to be related to relevant Gene Ontology terms and contain fewer ribosomal and mitochondrial genes.

Conclusion
Triku is developed in Python 3 and is available at https://github.com/alexmascension/triku.
Coseismic and early post-seismic deformations due to the 2019 earthquake sequence in Ridgecrest, California
Authors: He Kefeng , Xu Caijun , Wen Yangmao 
Published: March 2022

SUMMARYThe 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence in the Mojave Desert that ruptured a complex orthogonal conjugate fault system offers a rare opportunity to probe the mechanics of the intraplate lithosphere of the central eastern California shear zone (ECSZ). We used space geodetic data to investigate the coseismic and post-seismic deformations attributable to this earthquake sequence. A triangular dislocation inversion scheme was used to derive the coseismic and post-seismic slip distributions on five non-planar faults in a homogeneous elastic crust. A wide range of viscoelastic relaxation models with varying upper mantle viscosities were also tested to constrain the rheological structure. The inferred coseismic slip exhibited a pronounced (approximately 60 per cent) shallow slip deficit (SSD), only a small proportion of which was recovered by early aseismic afterslip. Inversions of GPS and InSAR data suggest that the near-field post-seismic transient was dominated by afterslip at depths of 3–8 km. Viscosity modelling yielded a robust lower bound of approximately 8.0 × 1017 Pa s on the viscosity of the upper mantle. Both the GPS observations and the modelled viscosity at each individual station showed a lateral heterogeneous relaxation process on both northeast and southwest ECSZ. The effective viscosity of the mantle asthenosphere to the northeast was inferred to be approximately two times lower than that to the southwest, which is consistent with the pattern expected for regional heat flow. A comparison among the static coseismically induced Coulomb stress changes, the cumulative distribution of aftershocks and the afterslip distribution suggests that aftershocks and shallow afterslip could be responses to coseismically induced stresses, but the aftershock and afterslip distribution are poorly correlated. We argue that the pronounced SSD and lack of shallow afterslip during the Ridgecrest earthquake sequence are indicative of an immature fault. Furthermore, we suggest similar rheological structures for the southern and central ECSZ and infer a relatively low effective viscosity for the mantle to the northeast because of its high heat flow. We also propose that the afterslip may illuminate the rate-strengthening regions that mostly slip aseismically, but the aftershocks may illuminate fluid-saturated areas near ruptures.
Highly heterogeneous upper-mantle structure in Fennoscandia from finite-frequency P-body-wave tomography
Authors: Bulut N , Thybo H , Maupin V 
Published: March 2022

SUMMARY
We present a P-wave velocity model of the upper mantle, obtained from finite-frequency body-wave tomography, to analyse the relationship between deep and surface structures in Fennoscandia, one of the most studied cratons on the Earth. The large array aperture of 2000 km × 800 km allows us to image the velocity structure to 800 km depth at very high resolution. The velocity structure provides background for understanding the mechanisms responsible for the enigmatic and strongly debated high topography in the Scandinavian mountain range far from any plate boundary. Our model shows exceptionally strong velocity anomalies with changes by up to 6 per cent on a 200 km scale. We propose that a strong negative velocity anomaly down to 200 km depth along all of Norway provides isostatic support to the enigmatic topography, as we observe a linear correlation between hypsometry and uppermost mantle velocity anomalies to 150 km depth in central Fennoscandia. The model reveals a low-velocity anomaly below the mountains underlain by positive velocity anomalies, which we explain by preserved original Svecofennian and Archaean mantle below the Caledonian/Sveconorwegian deformed parts of Fennoscandia. Strong positive velocity anomalies to around 200 km depth around the southern Bothnian Bay and the Baltic Sea may be associated with pristine lithosphere of the present central and southern Fennoscandian craton that has been protected from modification since its formation. However, the Archaean domain in the north and the marginal parts of the Svecofennian domains appear to have experienced strong modification of the upper mantle. A pronounced north-dipping positive velocity anomaly in the southern Baltic Sea extends below Moho. It coincides in location and dip with a similar north-dipping structure in the crust and uppermost mantle to 80 km depth observed from high-resolution, controlled source seismic data. We interpret this feature as the image of a Palaeoproterozoic boundary that has been preserved for 1.8 Gy in the lithosphere.
Complexity and Dissonance: Islamic Law States and the International Order
Authors: Powell Emilia Justyna 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIt is safe to say that much of international law—the bedrock of the international order—has been shaped by the Western legal doctrine. How does the Islamic legal tradition relate to international law? What are Islamic law states’ (ILS) stance toward the global order and international relations? This article offers a fresh perspective of similarities and differences between international law and Islamic law. ILS’ patterns of commitments to a number of international treaties and institutions reveal a nuanced picture of these states’ position in the contemporary global order. I bring together the English-language-dominated field of international relations and the Arabic-language literature on global order and Islamic law. I trace Islam's contributions to international law and argue that international law and Islamic law share more similarities than they are given credit for. However, the inherent diversity of Islamic law and the lack of an authoritative body of Islamic international law muddle effects of historical cross-fertilization between Islamic law and international law. In reality, ILS’ position in the global order is not about a fundamental clash of values. A much more intricate picture emerges. In an important way, this paper sketches an emerging research agenda for understanding ILS’ position in the modern global order.
The Primacy of Form over Color: On the Discussion of Primary and Secondary Qualities in Herder’s Pygmalion
Authors: Hodne Lasse 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
A key question in the art debate in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was whether color should be used for sculpture. Recent archaeological research had shown that the sculpture in ancient Greece was polychrome, but skepticism about applying paint to one’s own work was widespread among modern sculptors. Some scholars explain this reluctance as a consequence of racial prejudice: the Greek athlete was an image of white Europeans. This article will try to show that a re-reading of Johann Gottfried Herder’s book on sculpture can give us a different and more probable explanation. Herder shared Roger de Piles’s view that the essence of sculpture was form, while color was most characteristic of painting. What set Herder apart from his predecessor, however, was his attempt to give the theory a scientific rationale. He found this in contemporary accounts of visually impaired persons’ relationship to the sensory world and not least in empiricist philosophy’s distinction between primary and secondary sensory properties.
CertificateChain: decentralized healthcare training certificate management system using blockchain and smart contracts
Authors: Tellew Jeffrey , Kuo Tsung-Ting 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

Objective
Managing training certificates is an important issue in research that can lead to serious issues if not addressed properly. For institutions that currently do not have a dedicated management system for these training certificates, a central database is the most typical solution. However, such a system suffers from several risks, such as a single-point-of-failure.

Materials and Methods
To address this issue, we developed and evaluated CertificateChain, a decentralized training certificate management system by using peer-to-peer blockchain and automated smart contracts. We developed an efficient certificate dividing-and-merging algorithm to overcome the transaction size limit on blockchain.

Results
We performed experiments on the system to evaluate its performance, then created a web app and tested the system in a real-world scenario. CertificateChain scaled linearly in terms of time compared with the total number of certificates added and could be quickly queried for existing data stored on-chain.

Discussion
CertificateChain was able to store and retrieve the training certificates on the blockchain network, with limitations including a comparative analysis of other systems, evaluation of different consensus protocols, examining certificates off-chain, a thorough comparison with a centralized system, and the extension to the main public Ethereum network.

Conclusion
We believe that these results indicate that blockchain technology could be a viable decentralized alternative to traditional databases in this use case. Our software is publicly available at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6257094.
Inorganic phosphate self-sufficient whole-cell biocatalysts containing two co-expressed phosphorylases facilitate cellobiose production
Authors: Wang Lei , Zheng Peng , Hu Meirong , Tao Yong 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Cellobiose, a natural disaccharide, attracts extensive attention as a potential functional food/feed additive. In this study, we present an inorganic phosphate (Pi) self-sufficient biotransformation system to produce cellobiose by co-expressing sucrose phosphorylase (SP) and cellobiose phosphorylase (CBP). The Bifidobacterium adolescentis SP (BASP) and Cellvibrio gilvus CBP (CGCBP) were co-expressed in Escherichia coli. Escherichia coli cells containing BASP and CGCBP were used as whole-cell catalysts to convert sucrose and glucose to cellobiose. The effects of reaction pH, temperature, Pi concentration, and substrate concentration were investigated. In the optimum biotransformation conditions, 800 mM cellobiose was produced from 1.0 M sucrose, 1.0 M glucose, and 50 mM Pi, within 12 hr. The by-product fructose and residual substrate (sucrose and glucose) were efficiently removed by treatment with yeast, to help purify the product cellobiose. The wider applicability of this Pi self-sufficiency strategy was demonstrated in the production of laminaribiose by co-expressing SP and laminaribiose phosphorylase. This study suggests that the Pi self-sufficiency strategy through co-expressing two phosphorylases has the advantage of great flexibility for enhanced production of cellobiose (or laminaribiose).
A case of double appendix and cecum in an infant – case report
Authors: Habib Murad , Burki Sadia Asmat , Chaudhary Muhammad Amjad 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
The duplication of the cecum and appendix is a rare congenital anomaly found incidentally on exploration for another indication. We present here a case of a female child at 18 months of life, who was a diagnosed case of anorectal malformation with a persistent cloaca and at the time of the surgery, duplication of the appendix and cecum was found. Both the appendices were attached to the cecum with a separate base. Thus, appendectomies and a sigmoid divided colostomy were performed.
Early warning of precessing neutron-star black hole binary mergers with the near-future gravitational-wave detectors
Authors: Tsutsui T , Nishizawa A , Morisaki S 
Published: March 2022

ABSTRACTSince gravitational and electromagnetic waves from a compact binary coalescence carry independent information about the source, the joint observation is important for understanding the physical mechanisms of the emissions. Rapid detection and source localization of a gravitational wave signal are crucial for the joint observation to be successful. For a signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio, it is even possible to detect it before the merger, which is called early warning. In this article, we estimate the performances of the early warning for neutron-star black hole binaries, considering the precession effect of a binary orbit, with the near-future detectors such as A+, AdV+, KAGRA+ , and Voyager. We find that a gravitational wave source can be localized in $100 \, \rm {deg^2}$ on the sky before ∼10–$40 \, \rm {s}$ of time to merger once per year.
New LZ and PW(Z) relations of RR Lyrae stars calibrated withGaiaEDR3 parallaxes
Authors: Garofalo A , Delgado H E , Sarro L M , Clementini G , Muraveva T , Marconi M , Ripepi V 
Published: March 2022

ABSTRACTWe present new luminosity–metallicity (LZ; $M_{V}\!-\!\rm [Fe/H]$ and $M_{G}\!-\!\rm [Fe/H]$) relations and, for the first time, empirical, Gaia three-band (G, GBP, GRP) period-Wesenheit-metallicity (PWZ) relations of RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) derived using a hierarchical Bayesian approach and new accurate parallaxes published for these variables in the Gaia Early Data Release 3 (EDR3). In a previous study, we obtained Bayesian hierarchically derived LZ relations from a sample of about four hundred Milky Way field RRLs with G-band light curves and trigonometric parallaxes published in the Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2), using V mean magnitudes, metallicities, absorptions, and pulsation periods available in the literature. We now extend that study in two directions. First, we update our previous results using trigonometric parallaxes from Gaia EDR3 and incorporate the Bayesian analysis of a first empirical PWZ relation derived using those field RRLs with G, GBP and GRP time-series photometry available in Gaia DR2. Secondly, we use Bayesian inference to derive LZ relations and empirical PW Gaia three-band relations from 385 RRLs belonging to 15 Milky Way globular clusters (GC) with literature-compiled spectroscopic metallicities ranging from −0.36 to −2.39 dex and prior distances extending from 2.2 to 41.2 kpc. From the samples of RRLs analysed in this paper we infer a mean Gaia EDR3 zero-point offset of −0.028 mas with median values ranging from −0.033 (LZ and PWZ models for field stars) to −0.024 mas (LZ model in the V band for GC RRLs).