bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Percolation of hyperspheres in dimensions 3 to 5: from discrete to continuous
Authors: Brzeski Piotr , Kondrat Grzegorz 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
We study the onset of percolation of overlapping discrete hyperspheres on hypercubic lattices in dimension D = 3, 4, 5. Taking the continuum limit of the thresholds for discrete hyperspheres we obtain the values of percolation thresholds for continuous hyperspheres. In D = 3 we improved the value of the correlation length exponent: ν = 0.8762(7). In D = 4 and 5 we obtained the continuous percolation thresholds of hyperspheres with much better quality than previously known (the uncertainties reduced by the factor of 230 and 10 respectively). We discuss the hypothesis of constant exponent governing the rate of convergence of discrete models to the continuous one for hyperspheres.
Future population exposure to Australian heatwaves
Authors: Nishant Nidhi , Ji Fei , Guo Yuming , Herold Nicholas , Green Donna , Di Virgilio Giovanni , Beyer Kathleen , Riley Matthew L , Perkins-Kirkpatrick Sarah 
Published: May 2022

AbstractHeatwaves are Australia’s deadliest natural hazard. Anthropogenic climate change has increased the intensity, frequency and duration of heatwaves over Australia in the past several decades and these trends are projected to worsen in the future. Despite the strong knowledge of heatwave characteristics and their projected changes, there remains a gap in understanding how the Australian population will be exposed to future heatwaves. This study estimates changes in future exposure to heatwaves over Australia. We find that both for continental Australia and its capital cities, the trends in exposure are not projected to increase, but accelerate in the future. For RCP4.5-SSP2 and RCP8.5-SSP5 scenarios, the mean exposure to heatwaves in Australia is projected to increase by ∼29 and ∼42 times by the end of 21st century. Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide are the major cities where the population is most exposed to future heatwaves, with this exposure projected to increase by 52, 61, and 56 times respectively under the RCP8.5-SSP5 scenario. The results demonstrate that anthropogenic climate change is the key contributor (over 95%) in enhancing future heatwave exposure and population change on its own plays a relatively minor role (less than 5%). The results of this study are crucial for planning where adaptation measures might be necessary to protect large group of vulnerable Australians to future heatwave exposure.
Response of rice phenology to climate warming weakened across China during 1981–2018: did climatic or anthropogenic factors play a role?
Authors: Zhang Liangliang , Zhang Zhao , Zhang Jing , Luo Yuchuan , Tao Fulu 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Climate warming has substantially shifted plant phenology, which alters the length of growing season and consequently affects plant productivity. Recent studies showed a stalled or reversed impact of climate change on vegetation phenology since 1998, as well as an asymmetric warming effect. However, how field crop phenology responded to the recent climate warming and the asymmetric warming remains unknown. In addition, the relative roles of climate change, sowing date and cultivars shifts in the spatiotemporal changes of crop phenology at different regions need to be better understood. Here, using the latest 9,393 phenological records at 249 agro-meteorological stations across China over 1981–2018, we critically investigated the spatiotemporal dynamics of rice phenology and disentangled the effects of different drivers by exploiting the physiological relationship between crop phenology and thermal accumulation. The results showed that length of growing period (GP) increased by 3.24 ± 0.15 days/decade for single rice, 1.90 ± 0.22 days/decade for early rice and 0.47 ± 0.14 days/decade for late rice. Although climate warming during rice GP did not slow down, the trends in rice GP and the correlations between GP and temperature decreased generally from 1981–1999 to 2000–2018. The weakened phenological response to climate change was mainly caused by agronomic managements, especially cultivar shifts. Climate warming shortened GP by 0.84 ± 1.80, 1.23 ± 0.77, and 1.29 ± 1.24 days/decade for single rice, early rice and late rice, respectively. However, cultivar shifts prolonged it respectively by 3.28 ± 3.68, 2.15 ± 2.38, and 2.31 ± 3.36 days/decade, totally offsetting the negative effects of climate warming. Rice responded to daytime and night-time warming differently with night-time temperature affecting GPs more. Our study provided new insights that rice phenology responded to night-time warming more than daytime warming across China however the response to climate warming weakened, and cultivar shifts outweighed climate change in affecting rice phenology.
Evaluation of site-specific methylation of the CMV promoter and its role in CHO cell productivity of a recombinant monoclonal antibody
Authors: Dahodwala Hussain , Amenyah Sophia D , Nicoletti Sarah , Henry Matthew N , Lees-Murdock Diane J , Sharfstein Susan T 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
We previously demonstrated that increased monoclonal antibody productivity in dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)-amplified CHO cells correlates with phosphorylated transcription factor-cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter interactions. In this article, we extend the characterization to include CMV promoter methylation and its influence on NFκB and CREB1 transcription factor binding to the CMV promoter in two families of DHFR-amplified CHO cell lines. CMV promoter methylation was determined using bisulfite sequencing. To overcome Sanger-sequencing limitations due to high CG bias and multiple transgenes copies, pyrosequencing was used to determine the frequency of methylated cytosines in regions proximal to and containing the NFκB and CREB1 transcription-factor consensus binding sites. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed to interrogate transcription factor–DNA interactions. Antibodies to CREB1 and NFκB were used to immunoprecipitate formaldehyde-crosslinked protein-DNA fractions, followed by reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to quantitate the number of copies of CMV-promoter DNA bound to the various transcription factors. The relative unmethylated fraction at the CREB1 and NFκB consensus binding sites determined by pyrosequencing was correlated with transcription factor binding as determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Azacytidine treatment reduced methylation in all treated samples, though not at all methylation sites, while increasing transcription. Distinct promoter methylation patterns arise upon clonal selection in different families of cell lines. In both cell line families, increased methylation was observed upon amplification. In one family, the NFκB binding-site methylation was accompanied by increased CREB1 interaction with the promoter. In the other cell line family, lower methylation frequency at the NFκB consensus binding site was accompanied by more NFκB recruitment to the promoter region.
Assessing the Development of L2 Speaking Skills in Inside-School and Outside-School Settings Through Growth Modelling
Authors: Vandommele Goedele , Van Gorp Koen , Van den Branden Kris , De Maeyer Sven 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
This study investigates the differential effects of a task-based inside-school intervention and an outside-school project intervention on the development of speaking skills of 56 beginner second language (L2)-learners. The study extends previous research by looking at development across multiple occasions instead of two (i.e., a pretest and posttest), and by assessing speaking development by means of a non-intrusive task eliciting an informal conversation, rather than a formal test. To measure students’ development of Dutch speaking skills, syntactic complexity, lexical diversity, accuracy, fluency, and communicative effectiveness were assessed. Multilevel analyses revealed differential effects for both interventions. The task-based intervention inside school led to significant positive development of communicative effectiveness and syntactic complexity measured by length and subordination, but also to more breakdowns in fluency. The outside-school project intervention, however, did not result in any significant speaking development. The findings demonstrate the learning potential of a task-based inside-school intervention for developing various aspects of informal speaking skills, except for fluency. From a methodological perspective, this study illustrates the complexity of test and measure selection when assessing L2 speaking development.
International Prosecutors Acting before National Courts?: The Rome Statute System and the Ultimate Approach to Positive Complementarity
Authors: Wierczyńska Karolina 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
The paper discusses whether it is possible to install an international prosecutor before domestic courts to prosecute international crimes. As the “future of international law is domestic” the paper analyzes the question of possible development of the international criminal justice system, suggesting the ultimate approach to positive complementarity which includes international prosecutors acting before national courts. It begins with analyzing the concept of positive complementarity and its possible interpretations, arguing that there are no compelling policy reasons against reinterpreting the idea in order to allow an international prosecutor to act before national courts. Subsequently it briefly presents the first installments of such institutions and focuses on the challenges connected with providing such a scenario in a future.
Ensemble of opinion dynamics models to understand the role of the undecided about vaccines
Authors: Lenti Jacopo , Ruffo Giancarlo 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
In the last years, vaccines debate has attracted the attention of all the social media, with an outstanding increase during COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. The topic has created at least two opposing factions, pro- and anti-vaccines, that have conflicting and incompatible narratives. However, a not negligible fraction of the population has an unclear position, as many citizens feel confused by the vast amount of information coming from both sides in the online social network. The engagement of the undecided population by the two parties has a key role in the success of the vaccination campaigns. In this article, we present three models used to describe the recruitment of the undecided population by pro-vax and no-vax factions in a three-states context. Starting from real-world data of Facebook pages previously labelled as pro-, anti-vaccines or neutral, we describe and compare three opinion dynamics models that catch different behaviours of the undecided population. The first one is a variation of the SIS model, where undecided position is considered an indifferent position, including users not interested in the discussion. Neutrals can be ‘infected’ by one of the two extreme factions, joining their side, and they ‘recover’ when they lose interest in the debate and go back to neutrality. The second model studied is a Voters model with three parties: neutral pages represent a centrist position. They lean on their original ideas, that are different from both the other parties. The last is the Bilingual model adapted to the vaccination debate: it describes a context where neutral individuals are in agreement with both pro- and anti-vax factions, with a position of compromise between the extremes (‘bilingualism’). If they have a one-sided neighbourhood, the necessity (or the convenience) to agree with both parties comes out, and bi-linguists can become mono-linguists. Our results depicts an agreement between the three models: anti-vax opinion propagates more than pro-vax, thanks to an initial strategic position in the online social network (even if they start with a smaller population). While most of the pro-vaccines nodes are segregated in their own communities, no-vaccines ones are entangled at the core of the network, where the majority of the undecided population is located. In the last section, we propose and compare some policies that could be applied to the network to prevent anti-vax overcome: they lead us to conclude that censoring strategies are not effective, as well as segregating scenarios based on unfollowing decisions, while the addition of links in the network favours the containment of the pro-vax domain, reducing the distance between pro-vaxxers and undecided population.
An antiplatelet response gene expression signature is associated with bleeding
Authors: Friede Kevin A , Myers Rachel A , Gales Jordan , Zhbannikov Ilya , Ortel Thomas L , Shah Svati H , Kraus William E , Ginsburg Geoffrey S , Voora Deepak 
Published: May 2022

Abstract

Aims
Gene expression biosignatures may hold promise to individualize antiplatelet therapy in conjunction with current guidelines and risk scores. The Aspirin Response Signature (ARS) score is comprised of a weighted sum of correlated, pro-thrombotic gene transcripts measured in whole blood. In prior work where volunteers were exposed to aspirin 325 mg daily, higher ARS score was associated with lower platelet function; separately, in a clinical cohort of patients, higher ARS scores were associated with increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. To better understand this apparent paradox, we measured ARS gene expression and score in volunteers to determine aspirin dose–response and ticagrelor relationships with ARS score and separately in patients to assess whether ARS is associated with incident bleeding.

Methods and results
Blood samples were collected from volunteers (N = 188) who were exposed to 4 weeks of daily aspirin 81 mg, daily aspirin 325 mg, and/or twice-daily ticagrelor 90 mg. ARS scores were calculated from whole blood RNA qPCR, and platelet function and protein expression were assessed in platelet-rich plasma. In mixed linear regression models, aspirin 81 mg exposure was not associated with changes in ARS gene expression or score. Aspirin 325 mg exposure resulted in a 6.0% increase in ARS gene expression (P = 7.5 × 10−9 vs. baseline, P = 2.1 × 10−4 vs. aspirin 81 mg) and an increase in expression of platelet proteins corresponding to ARS genes. Ticagrelor exposure resulted in a 30.7% increase in ARS gene expression (P &lt; 1 × 10−10 vs. baseline and each aspirin dose) and ARS score (P = 7.0 × 10−7 vs. baseline, P = 3.6 × 10−6 and 5.59 × 10−4 vs. aspirin 81 and 325 mg, respectively). Increases in ARS gene expression or score were associated with the magnitude of platelet inhibition across agents. To assess the association between ARS scores and incident bleeding, ARS scores were calculated in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization (N = 1421), of whom 25.4% experienced bleeding events over a median 6.2 years of follow-up. In a Cox model adjusting for demographics and baseline antithrombotic medication use, patients with ARS scores above the median had a higher risk of incident bleeding [hazard ratio 1.26 (95% CI 1.01–1.56), P = 0.038].

Conclusions
The ARS is an Antiplatelet Response Signature that increases in response to greater platelet inhibition due to antiplatelet therapy and may represent a homeostatic mechanism to prevent bleeding. ARS scores could inform future strategies to prevent bleeding while maintaining antiplatelet therapy’s benefit of ischaemic cardiovascular event protection.
SKIOME Project: a curated collection of skin microbiome datasets enriched with study-related metadata
Authors: Agostinetto Giulia , Bozzi Davide , Porro Danilo , Casiraghi Maurizio , Labra Massimo , Bruno Antonia 
Published: May 2022

Abstract
Large amounts of data from microbiome-related studies have been (and are currently being) deposited on international public databases. These datasets represent a valuable resource for the microbiome research community and could serve future researchers interested in integrating multiple datasets into powerful meta-analyses. However, this huge amount of data lacks harmonization and it is far from being completely exploited in its full potential to build a foundation that places microbiome research at the nexus of many subdisciplines within and beyond biology. Thus, it urges the need for data accessibility and reusability, according to findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) principles, as supported by National Microbiome Data Collaborative and FAIR Microbiome. To tackle the challenge of accelerating discovery and advances in skin microbiome research, we collected, integrated and organized existing microbiome data resources from human skin 16S rRNA amplicon-sequencing experiments. We generated a comprehensive collection of datasets, enriched in metadata, and organized this information into data frames ready to be integrated into microbiome research projects and advanced post-processing analyses, such as data science applications (e.g. machine learning). Furthermore, we have created a data retrieval and curation framework built on three different stages to maximize the retrieval of datasets and metadata associated with them. Lastly, we highlighted some caveats regarding metadata retrieval and suggested ways to improve future metadata submissions. Overall, our work resulted in a curated skin microbiome datasets collection accompanied by a state-of-the-art analysis of the last 10 years of the skin microbiome field.
Database URL: https://github.com/giuliaago/SKIOMEMetadataRetrieval
Artificial intelligence—electrocardiography to detect atrial fibrillation: trend of probability before and after the first episode
Authors: Christopoulos Georgios , Attia Zachi I , Van Houten Holly K , Yao Xiaoxi , Carter Rickey E , Lopez-Jimenez Francisco , Kapa Suraj , Noseworthy Peter A , Friedman Paul A 
Published: May 2022

Abstract

Aims
Artificial intelligence (AI) enabled electrocardiography (ECG) can detect latent atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with sinus rhythm (SR). However, the change of AI-ECG probability before and after the first AF episode is not well characterized. We sought to characterize the temporal trend of AI-ECG AF probability around the first episode of AF.

Methods and results
We retrospectively studied adults who had at least one ECG in SR prior to an ECG that documented AF. An AI network calculated the AF probability from ECGs during SR (positive defined &gt;8.7%, based on optimal sensitivity and specificity). The AI-ECG probability was reported prior to and after the first episode of AF and stratified by age and CHA2DS2-VASc score. Mixed effect models were used to assess the rate of change between time points. A total of 59 212 patients with 544 330 ECGs prior to AF and 413 486 ECGs after AF were included. The mean time between the first positive AI-ECG and first AF was 5.4 ± 5.7 years. The mean AI-ECG probability was 19.8% 2–5 years prior to AF, 23.6% 1–2 years prior to AF, 34.0% 0–3 months prior to AF, 40.9% 0–3 months after AF, 35.2% 1–2 years after AF, and 42.2% 2–5 years after AF (P &lt; 0.001). The rate of increase prior to AF was higher for age &gt;50 years CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥4.

Conclusion
The AI-ECG probability progressively increases with time prior to the first AF episode, transiently decreases 1–2 years following AF and continues to increase thereafter.
Robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery demonstrates a lower rate of conversion to thoracotomy than video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for complex lobectomies
Authors: Baig Mirza Zain , Razi Syed S , Agyabeng-Dadzie Kojo , Stroever Stephanie , Muslim Zaid , Weber Joanna , Herrera Luis J , Bhora Faiz Y 
Published: May 2022

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Locally advanced lung cancers present a significant challenge to minimally invasive thoracic surgeons. An increasing number of centres have adopted robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgeries for these complex operations. In this study, we compare surgical margins achieved, conversion rates to thoracotomy, perioperative mortality and 30-day readmission rates for robotic and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy for locally advanced lung cancers.

METHODS
Using the National Cancer Database, we identified patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy/radiotherapy, had clinical N1/N2 disease or in the absence of these 2 features had a tumour &gt;5 cm treated with either robotic or VATS lobectomy between 2010 and 2016. Perioperative outcomes and conversion rates were compared between robotic and VATS lobectomy.

RESULTS
A total of 9512 patients met our inclusion criteria with 2123 (22.3%) treated with robotic lobectomy and 7389 (77.7%) treated with VATS lobectomy. Comparable R0 resections, 30- and 90-day mortality and 30-day readmission rates were observed for robotic and VATS lobectomy while a higher rate of conversion to thoracotomy was observed for VATS (aOR = 1.99, 95% confidence interval = 1.65, 2.39, P &lt; 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Our analysis of the National Cancer Database suggests that robotic lobectomy for complex lung resections achieves similar perioperative outcomes and R0 resections as VATS lobectomy with the exception of a lower rate of conversion to thoracotomy.
Characteristics and natural history of early-stage cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis
Authors: Law Steven , Bezard Melanie , Petrie Aviva , Chacko Liza , Cohen Oliver C , Ravichandran Sriram , Ogunbiyi Olabisi , Kharoubi Mounira , Ganeshananthan Sashiananthan , Ganeshananthan Sharmananthan , Gilbertson Janet A , Rowczenio Dorota , Wechalekar Ashutosh , Martinez-Naharro Ana , Lachmann Helen J , Whelan Carol J , Hutt David F , Hawkins Philip N , Damy Thibaud , Fontana Marianna , Gillmore Julian D 
Published: May 2022

Abstract

Aims
Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is increasingly diagnosed at an early stage of the disease natural history, defined as National Amyloidosis Centre (NAC) ATTR Stage I. The natural history of early-stage ATTR-CM remains poorly characterized.

Methods and results
A retrospective multi-centre observational study of 879 patients with ATTR-CM, either wild-type TTR genotype or carrying the p.V142I TTR variant, and NAC ATTR Stage I biomarkers at the time of diagnosis who did not receive disease-modifying therapy for amyloidosis. Disease characteristics at diagnosis that were independently associated with mortality by Cox regression analysis were N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), TTR genotype, and troponin T. Patients were categorized into NAC ATTR Stage Ia, defined as a furosemide equivalent diuretic requirement of &lt;0.75 mg/kg and an NT-proBNP ≤500 ng/L or ≤1000 ng/L in the presence of atrial fibrillation, and NAC ATTR Stage Ib comprising all remaining Stage I patients. Median estimated survival among the 88% NAC ATTR Stage Ib patients was 75 (95% CI 57–93) months compared with &gt;100 months in the 12% with Stage Ia disease [hazard ratio for death 5.06 (95% confidence interval 1.23–20.87); P = 0.025] despite significant cardiovascular morbidity at the time of diagnosis which increased during follow-up, including among patients diagnosed in NAC ATTR Stage Ia. Estimated survival among UK NAC ATTR Stage Ia patients was comparable to UK general population controls (P = 0.297).

Conclusion
Patients with NAC ATTR Stage I ATTR-CM can be further stratified according to NT-proBNP concentration and diuretic requirement at diagnosis. Patients with Stage Ia ATTR-CM have significant cardiovascular morbidity despite good short- and mid-term survival.