关键词： Retrograde Rayleigh wave   Prograde Rayleigh wave   Propagation azimuth   Three-component signals   Automatic  

摘要： Extraction of Rayleigh waves from earthquake signals has become an important topic in civil engineering and seismology. In this study, we propose an automatic filtering procedure to extract retrograde and prograde Rayleigh waves and their propagation azimuths from the earthquake signals, separately. In this method, the users do not need to specify an initial filtering limits. The proposed procedure has been first verified with synthetic signals. We show that the points where new retrograde and prograde elliptical motions appear in the signals can be easily distinguished by using the proposed method. Since the Rayleigh waves contents in real signals may change in different earthquakes, this method in comparison with previous methods will be more realistic in extracting Rayleigh from real signals. The proposed method is used to extract the retrograde and prograde Rayleigh waves from recorded earthquakes in Garner Valley Downhole Array. Recorded signals in 6 levels of earth depth have been studied in this work, at 0 m, 6 m, 15 m, 22 m, 50 m and 150 m. We find that the share of prograde Rayleigh waves become more than the share of retrograde waves in deeper levels.

关键词： Complementary and alternative medicine   Complementary therapies   Cross-sectional survey   Evidence-based practice   Barriers   Conduct of research   Application of research   Capacity   Culture   Access   Competency   Incentive   Time   Values   Complex system   Bias  

摘要： Introduction: Despite the growing international popularity and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), the uptake of evidence-based practice (EBP) in CAM has been slow. This cross-sectional survey aimed to further our understanding of the factors impacting EBP uptake in CAM. Methods: The 32-item oBSTACLES instrument was administered online using the SurveyMonkeyTMplatform. The survey evaluated barriers to both the conduct and application of research among CAM practitioners and researchers, from multiple CAM disciplines across Australia and New Zealand. Participants were recruited via practice-based research networks, professional associations, CAM educational institutions, CAM research centres, pertinent product manufacturers and social media platforms. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Six hundred and eighty-two CAM stakeholders responded to the survey. Barrier items were divided into two interlinked constructs, "capacity" and "culture". Capacity related to issues regarding access, competency, bias, incentives, and time, whereas culture related to values and complex systems. Under capacity, the greatest proportion of participants (>70 %) agreed that access was a barrier to the conduct and application of research, including lack of funding, institutional support, research training and collaborations. In terms of culture, the majority of participants (>60 %) agreed that values were a barrier to research conduct and application, including limited undergraduate research opportunities and diverse views of evidence. Conclusion: Findings from this research suggest a multitude of barriers negatively impact the conduct and application of research in CAM. Insights gained from this research will be instrumental in developing actionable strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of these barriers to improve research engagement in CAM.

关键词： Augmentative and alternative communication   Phonological awareness   Decoding   Reading   Systematic review  

摘要： The acquisition of reading skills is vital for all individuals given the ubiquitous influence of reading on academic outcomes and quality of life. Individuals with complex communication needs, requiring the supports of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), are often excluded from learning phonological approaches to literacy. Most literacy approaches require verbal production of speech sounds-which is particularly difficult for individuals with complex communication needs. However, despite challenges with spoken production of sounds, research has reported positive outcomes in participation in phonological interventions when they are adapted to meet the needs of individuals who use AAC. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of foundational reading interventions (specifically phonological awareness skills, letter-sound correspondences, and decoding interventions) designed to meet the needs of individuals who use AAC. Results indicate that large and very large effects are observed with adapted phonological interventions for individuals who use AAC. These results are consistent across ages, diagnoses, most interventionists, and phonological skills (e.g., decoding, letter-sounds, sound blending). Future research shifting away from very controlled settings with the researcher (to small and large group instruction, instruction by common service providers like teachers, or other types of instruction) may be particularly valuable to support access to, and implementation of, foundational reading interventions for individuals with complex communication needs who require AAC.

关键词： DNA methylation   drought stress   gene regulation   maize  

摘要： DNA methylation is important for plant growth, development, and stress response. To understand DNA methylation dynamics in maize roots under water stress (WS), we reanalyzed DNA methylation sequencing data to profile DNA methylation and the gene expression landscape of two inbred lines with different drought sensitivities, as well as two of their derived recombination inbred lines (RILs). Combined with genotyping-by-sequencing, we found that the inheritance pattern of DNA methylation between RILs and parental lines was sequence-dependent. Increased DNA methylation levels were observed under WS and the methylome of drought-tolerant inbred lines were much more stable than that of the drought-sensitive inbred lines. Distinctive differentially methylated genes were found among diverse genetic backgrounds, suggesting that inbred lines with different drought sensitivities may have responded to stress in varying ways. Gene body DNA methylation showed a negative correlation with gene expression but a positive correlation with exon splicing events. Furthermore, a positive correlation of a varying extent was observed between small interfering RNA (siRNA) and DNA methylation, which at different genic regions. The response of siRNAs under WS was consistent with the differential DNA methylation. Taken together, our data can be useful in deciphering the roles of DNA methylation in plant drought-tolerance variations and in emphasizing its function in alternative splicing.

关键词： Water retention curve   Soil water characteristic curve   Pore size distribution   Arya and Paris   ACAP  

摘要： Arya and Paris developed a model in 1981 to predict the water retention curve of a soil from the grain size distribution and the porosity. This model was very convenient due to the simplicity of the input parameters, and because experimental measures are expensive and with no lack of uncertainties. The model was based on very simple equations but the need to discretize the grain size distribution restricted its usability. A new model is presented, preserving the physical meaning but solving this dependency and other issues and allowing a continuous expression that was not possible with the original model. The new model is very convenient and practical as expressions are easy to implement, and its predictions depend on only one parameter for which some recommended values are also included. Limitations and uncertainties of the model are also discussed.

摘要： BACKGROUND Intra-operative muscle relaxation is often required in orthopaedic surgery and the hand train-of-four (TOF) test is usually used for its quantification. However, even though full muscle relaxation is claimed by anaesthesiologists based on a TOF count of zero, surgeons observe residual muscle activity. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to assess if hand or foot TOF adequately represents intra-operative muscle relaxation compared with multiple motor evoked potentials. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING A single-centre study performed between February 2016 and December 2018 at the Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. PATIENTS Twenty patients scheduled for elective lumbar spinal fusion were prospectively enrolled in this study after giving written informed consent. INTERVENTIONS To assess neuromuscular blockade (NMB) with the intermediate duration nondepolarising neuromuscular blocking agent rocuronium, hand TOF (adductor pollicis) and foot TOF (flexor hallucis brevis) monitoring, and muscle motor evoked potentials (MMEPs) from the upper and lower extremities were assessed prior to surgery under general anaesthesia. Following baseline measurements, muscle relaxation was performed with rocuronium until the spinal surgeon observed sufficient relaxation for surgical intervention. At this timepoint, NMB was assessed by TOF and MMEP. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was to determine the different effect of rocuronium on muscle relaxation comparing hand and foot TOF with the paraspinal musculature assessed by MMEP. RESULTS Hand TOF was more resistant to NMB and had a shorter recovery time than foot TOF. When comparing MMEPs, muscle relaxation occurred first in the hip abductors, and the paraspinal and deltoid muscles. The most resistant muscle to NMB was the abductor digiti minimi. Direct comparison showed that repetitive MMEPs simultaneously recorded from various muscles at the upper and lower extremities and from paraspinal mu

关键词： Dendrochronology   tree ring   time series   natural records   principal components analysis  

摘要： In this article, we establish a new approach for removing natural growth trends from tree-ring samples, also called detrending. We demonstrate this approach using Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart) Barroso trees. Nondestructive samples were collected in General Carneiro city, located in the Brazilian southern region (Parana state). To remove natural tree growth trends, principal components analysis (PCA) was applied on the tree-ring series as a new detrending method. From this, we obtained the tree-ring indices by reconstructing the tree-ring series without the first principal component (PC), which we expect to represent the natural growth trend. The performance of this PCA method was then compared to other detrending methods commonly used in dendrochronology, such as the cubic spline method, negative exponential or linear regression curve, and the regional curve standardization method. A comparison of these methods showed that the PCA detrending method can be used as an alternative to traditional methods since (1) it preserves the low-frequency variance in the 566-year chronology and (2) represents an automatic way to remove the natural growth trends of all individual measurement series at the same time. Moreover, when implemented using the alternating least squares (ALS) method, the PCA can deal with tree-ring series of different lengths.

关键词： Prdm1   Blimp1   Bcl6   Gene expression   Cis-element   Reporter assay   Medaka  

摘要： Bcl6 and Prdm1 (Blimp1) are a pair of transcriptional factors that repressing each other in mammals. Prdm1 represses the expression of bcl6 by binding a cis-element of the bcl6 gene in mammals. The homologs of Bcl6 and Prdm1 have been identified in teleost fish. However, whether these two factors regulate each other in the same way in fish like that in mammals is not clear. In this study, the regulation of bcl6aa by Prdm1 was investigated in medaka. The mRNA of bcl6aa has three variants (bcl6aaX1-X3) at the 5 '-end by alternative splicing detected by RT-PCR. The three variants can be detected in adult tissues and developing embryos of medaka. Prdm1a and prdm1b are expressed in the tissues and embryos where and when bcl6aa is expressed. The expression of prdm1a was high while the expression of bcl6aa was low, and vice versa, detected in the spleen after stimulation with LPS or polyI:C. In vitro reporter assay indicated that bcl6aa could be directly repressed by both Prdm1a and Prdm1b in a dosage-dependent manner. After mutation of the key base, G, of all predicted binding sites in the core promoter region of bcl6aa, the repression by Prdm1a and/or Prdm1b disappeared. The binding site of Prdm1 in the bcl6aa gene is GAAAA(T/G). These results indicate that both Prdm1a and Prdm1b directly repress the expression of bcl6aa by binding their binding sites where the 5 '-G is critical in medaka fish.

关键词： clinical microbiology   teaching   engagement   online   in-person  

摘要： The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has had significant impacts upon higher education teaching. Clinical microbiology teaching is primarily focused on a combination of practical skill development and didactic delivery of content. In the pandemic, the absence of in-person teaching has led to educators adapting in-person content for online platforms and delivery. This commentary covers alternative innovative and engaging teaching approaches to deliver clinical microbiology content during the COVID-19 *** teaching of clinical microbiology during COVID-19 pandemic to engage students.

关键词： 5-HT   IBS   IBS-C   serotonin transporter  

摘要： Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gut-brain disorder in which symptoms are shaped by serotonin acting centrally and peripherally. The serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 has been implicated in IBS pathophysiology, but the underlying genetic mechanisms remain unclear. We sequenced the alternative P2 promoter driving intestinal SLC6A4 expression and identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were associated with IBS in a discovery sample. Identified SNPs built different haplotypes, and the tagging SNP rs2020938 seems to associate with constipation-predominant IBS (IBS-C) in females. rs2020938 validation was performed in 1978 additional IBS patients and 6,038 controls from eight countries. Meta-analysis on data from 2,175 IBS patients and 6,128 controls confirmed the association with female IBS-C. Expression analyses revealed that the P2 promoter drives SLC6A4 expression primarily in the small intestine. Gene reporter assays showed a functional impact of SNPs in the P2 region. In silico analysis of the polymorphic promoter indicated differential expression regulation. Further follow-up revealed that the major allele of the tagging SNP rs2020938 correlates with differential SLC6A4 expression in the jejunum and with stool consistency, indicating functional relevance. Our data consolidate rs2020938 as a functional SNP associated with IBS-C risk in females, underlining the relevance of SLC6A4 in IBS pathogenesis.