bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can nutrition education mitigate the impacts of COVID‐19 on dietary quality? Cluster‐randomised controlled trial evidence in Myanmar's Central Dry Zone
Authors: Ragasa Catherine , Lambrecht Isabel , Mahrt Kristi , Zhao Hongdi , Aung Zin Wai , Scott Jessica
Published: August 2021

We evaluate the immediate impact of a nutrition and gender behaviour change communication on dietary quality in rural communities in Myanmar and assess whether the communication helped mitigate the effect of the COVID‐19 crisis on dietary quality. The intervention was designed and implemented as a cluster‐randomised controlled trial in which 15 villages received the intervention and 15 control villages did not. The intervention was implemented from June to October 2020. This paper provides an assessment of the intervention's impact on dietary quality based on the results of two phone surveys conducted in August and October 2020. Immediate impacts of the intervention indicate an improvement in women's dietary diversity scores by half a food group out of 10. At baseline, 44% of women were likely to have consumed inadequately diverse diets; results indicate that 6% (p‐value: 0.003, SE: 0.02) fewer sample women were likely to have consumed inadequately diverse diets. More women in treatment villages consumed pulses, nuts, eggs and Vitamin A‐rich foods daily than in control villages. In response to economic shocks related to COVID‐19, households in the treatment villages were less likely to reduce the quantity of meat and fish consumption than in control villages. The long‐term impacts of the intervention need to be continuously evaluated.
Rapid adaptive radiation in a hillstream cyprinid fish in the East African White Nile River basin
Authors: Levin Boris , Simonov Evgeniy , Franchini Paolo , Mugue Nikolai , Golubtsov Alexander , Meyer Axel
Published: August 2021

Adaptive radiation of freshwater fishes was long thought to be possible only in lacustrine environments. Recently, several studies have shown that riverine and stream environments also provide the ecological opportunity for adaptive radiation. In this study, we report on a riverine adaptive radiation of six ecomorphs of cyprinid hillstream fishes of the genusGarrain a river located in the Ethiopian Highlands in East Africa.Garraare predominantly highly specialized algae‐scrapers with a wide distribution ranging from Southeast Asia to West Africa. However, adaptive phenotypic diversification in mouth type, sucking disc morphology, gut length and body shape have probably been found among these ecomorphs in a single Ethiopian river. Moreover, we found two novel phenotypes ofGarra(“thick‐lipped” and “predatory”) that had not been discovered before in this species‐rich genus (>160 species). Mitochondrial and genome‐wide data suggest monophyletic, intrabasin evolution ofGarraphenotypic diversity with signatures of gene flow from other local populations. Although sympatric ecomorphs are genetically distinct and can be considered to being young species as suggested by genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphism data, mitochondrial DNA was unable to identify any genetic structure suggesting recent and rapid speciation events. Some data suggest a hybrid origin of the novel “thick‐lipped” ecomorph. Here we highlight how, driven by ecological opportunity, an ancestral trophically highly specialized lineage is likely to have rapidly radiated in a riverine environment promoted by the evolution of novel feeding strategies.
Plant‐bacteria associations are phylogenetically structured in the phyllosphere
Authors: Lajoie Geneviève , Kembel Steven W.
Published: August 2021

Determining whether and how global change will lead to novel interactions between hosts and microbes is an important issue in ecology and evolution. Understanding the contribution of host and microbial ecologies and evolutionary histories in driving their contemporary associations is an important step towards addressing this challenge and predicting the fitness consequences of novel associations. Using shotgun metagenomic and amplicon sequencing of bacterial communities from the leaf surfaces (phyllosphere) of trees, we investigated how phylogenetic relatedness among hosts and among their associated bacteria influences the distribution of bacteria among hosts. We also evaluated whether the functional traits of trees and bacteria explained these associations across multiple host species. We show that phylogenetically similar hosts tended to associate with the same bacteria and that phylogenetically similar bacteria tended to associate with the same host species. Phylogenetic interactions between tree and bacterial taxa also explained variation in their associations. The effect of host and symbiont evolutionary histories on bacterial distribution across hosts were observed across phylogenetic scales, but prominently explained variation among higher taxonomic categories of hosts and symbionts. These results suggest that ecological variation arising early in the plant and bacterial phylogenies have been particularly important for driving their contemporary associations. Variation in bacterial functional genes associated with the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids and compounds and with cell motility were notably important in explaining bacterial community turnover among gymnosperm and angiosperm hosts. Overall, our results suggest an influence of host and bacterial traits and evolutionary histories in driving their contemporary associations.
Characterization of TseB: A new actor in cell wall elongation in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Delisle Jordan , Cordier Baptiste , Audebert Stéphane , Pophillat Matthieu , Cluzel Caroline , Espinosa Leon , Grangeasse Christophe , Galinier Anne , Doan Thierry
Published: August 2021

Penicillin‐binding proteins (PBPs) are crucial enzymes of peptidoglycan assembly and targets of β‐lactam antibiotics. However, little is known about their regulation. Recently, membrane proteins were shown to regulate the bifunctional transpeptidases/glycosyltransferases aPBPs in some bacteria. However, up to now, regulators of monofunctional transpeptidases bPBPs have yet to be revealed. Here, we propose that TseB could be such a PBP regulator. This membrane protein was previously found to suppress tetracycline sensitivity of a Bacillus subtilis strain deleted for ezrA, a gene encoding a regulator of septation ring formation. In this study, we show that TseB is required for B. subtilis normal cell shape, tseB mutant cells being shorter and wider than wild‐type cells. We observed that TseB interacts with PBP2A, a monofunctional transpeptidase. While TseB is not required for PBP2A activity, stability, and localization, we show that the overproduction of PBP2A is deleterious in the absence of TseB. In addition, we showed that TseB is necessary not only for efficient cell wall elongation during exponential phase but also during spore outgrowth, as it was also observed for PBP2A. Altogether, our results suggest that TseB is a new member of the elongasome that regulates PBP2A function during cell elongation and spore germination.
Emerging roles for the YAP/TAZ transcriptional regulators in brain tumour pathology and targeting options
Authors: Strepkos Dimitrios , Markouli Mariam , Papavassiliou Kostas A. , Papavassiliou Athanasios G. , Piperi Christina
Published: August 2021

The transcriptional co‐activators Yes‐associated protein 1/transcriptional co‐activator with PDZ‐binding motif (YAP/TAZ) have emerged as significant regulators of a wide variety of cellular and organ functions with impact in early embryonic development, especially during the expansion of the neural progenitor cell pool. YAP/TAZ signalling regulates organ size development, tissue homeostasis, wound healing and angiogenesis by participating in a complex network of various pathways. However, recent evidence suggests an association of these physiologic regulatory effects of YAP/TAZ with pro‐oncogenic activities. Herein, we discuss the physiological functions of YAP/TAZ as well as the extensive network of signalling pathways that control their expression and activity, leading to brain tumour development and progression. Furthermore, we describe current targeting approaches and drug options including direct YAP/TAZ and YAP‐TEA domain transcription factor (TEAD) interaction inhibitors, G‐protein coupled receptors (GPCR) signalling modulators and kinase inhibitors, which may be used to successfully attack YAP/TAZ‐dependent tumours.
Mapping and mining of major genomic regions conferring resistance to Bruchine (Callosobruchus maculatus) in blackgram (Vigna mungo)
Authors: Subramaniyan Ragul , Narayana Manivannan , Krishnamoorthy Iyanar , Natarajan Ganapathy , Gandhi Karthikeyan
Published: August 2021

Storage pest bruchine is a major production limiting factor in blackgram. The present study was employed in a bi‐parental mapping population derived from a cross between susceptible (MDU 1) and resistant (TU68) genotypes. Phenotyping was carried out under an artificial bruchine screening procedure. QTL studies revealed three major QTLs responsible for the total number of adult emergence, percentage of seed damage and developmental time. The validation of identified QTLs was carried out on other mapping populations, namely, VBN 6 × TU 68 and VBN 8 × TU 68 through single marker analysis. It revealed that markers CEDG020 and CEDG302 can be used in the future bruchine resistance breeding programme. Genome mining on the QTL regions harbours several possible candidate genes related to defence response against herbivory insects, namely, serine/threonine protein kinase proteins, zinc finger family proteins, F‐box proteins, leucine‐rich repeats regions and some transcription factors and enzymes. The outcome of this study will be useful for bruchine resistance breeding programme.
Advances in omics technology for improving crop yield and stress resilience
Authors: Singh Roshan Kumar , Sood Priyanka , Prasad Ashish , Prasad Manoj
Published: August 2021

Global climate change has emerged as the utmost environmental threat for agriculture. To maintain a sustainable food supply, climate‐resilient high‐yielding crop plants need to be developed. Over the last decade, understanding the complexity of genotype underlying agronomic traits has prompted the integrated application of various omics tools to address specific biological questions. A multi‐parallel qualitative and quantitative differential analysis of gene transcripts, proteins and metabolites provides a comprehensive picture of the interconnected gene networks and cellular signalling cascade of regulatory and effector proteins. Genetic determinants of adaptation to environmental stress and yield enhancement traits are being determined and introgressed into elite accessions through either molecular breeding or genetic engineering approaches to obtain future crops with improved traits.
Generalized verrucosis in GATA2 deficiency successfully treated with systemic acitretin and trichloroacetic acid
Authors: Antoniali Daniela , Lugão Helena Barbosa , Elias Daniel , Bueno Filho Roberto
Published: August 2021

Generalized verrucosis is a clinical manifestation of human papillomavirus infection. Patients with generalized verrucosis present with over 20 verrucae distributed over various anatomical sites. The disorder occurs in association with several genetic syndromes with immunodeficiency, including GATA2 deficiency. We report a 12‐year‐old boy with GATA2 deficiency and generalized verrucosis that worsened after cyclosporine use following bone marrow transplant. Systemic treatment with acitretin and topical application of trichloroacetic acid, likely along with immune reconstitution, led to complete remission.
Lichen striatus colocalized with a Spitz nevus
Authors: Rauck Corinne , Gudobba Cameron , Treat James R. , Rubin Adam I.
Published: August 2021

A 7‐year‐old healthy girl presented with an 11‐month history of an asymptomatic red, dome‐shaped papule on her right medial elbow and 6‐month history of linearly distributed, few millimeter, flesh‐colored papules extending from and including the red papule. Histopathology demonstrated features of both a Spitz nevus and lichen striatus. The Spitz nevus was removed with a punch biopsy and the lichen striatus subsequently resolved. To our knowledge, co‐localization of a Spitz nevus with lichen striatus has not been previously reported and highlights the potential association between the immunogenicity of Spitz nevi and the development of lichen striatus.
Short anagen syndrome: A case series and algorithm for diagnosis
Authors: Starace Michela , Gurioli Carlotta , Carpanese Miriam Anna , Bruni Francesca , Piraccini Bianca Maria , Patrizi Annalisa , Alessandrini Aurora
Published: August 2021

Background

The short anagen syndrome (SAS) is a rare idiopathic pediatric disorder characterized by the short duration of the anagen phase. SAS mainly affects Caucasian children. Parents complain of their child's inability to grow long hair. Topical minoxidil may be an effective treatment for SAS; however, a slow spontaneous improvement is typical.

Objective

Our aim was to collect data on out cases of SAS and create an algorithm to facilitate diagnosis of SAS.

Methods

A retrospective review of 25 patients with SAS was performed within the Dermatology Department of the University of Bologna. We collected data regarding symptoms, pull test, hair card test, trichoscopy, trichogram, treatments, including biotin and minoxidil, and clinical outcome.

Results

Characteristic findings included parental reporting that the hair had not required a haircut, hair card test showing hairs with conical‐shaped tips, and hair shafts of different diameters, with more 10%‐20% of hair shafts less than 60 μm thick on trichoscopy. Trichogram revealed an increased percentage of telogen hair with normal hair shafts and tapering ends. The mean anagen‐to‐telogen ratio was 66:34 (normal ratio 90:10).

Conclusion

We developed an algorithm to facilitate the diagnosis of this rare hair disease using clinical examination and invasive and non‐invasive testing to differentiate SAS from other forms of pediatric alopecia. In conclusion, the collected data of the therapy showed that biotin alone or in combination with topical minoxidil is an effective treatment for SAS.
A systematic scoping review of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities in pediatric dermatology
Authors: Kuo Alyce , Silverberg Nanette , Fernandez Faith Esteban , Morgan Rebecca , Todd Patricia
Published: August 2021

Background/Objectives

Health disparities encompass a wide range of personal, societal, environmental, and system‐based factors that contribute to inequitable health and health outcomes in vulnerable patient populations. The goal of this work was to scientifically summarize the existing published North American research on disparity as it pertains to pediatric dermatology.

Methods

A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. A medical librarian performed electronic searches from multiple electronic databases from their dates of inception to March 2021. Title and abstracts were reviewed by authors, identifying articles for full review. Data on article characteristics and identified disparities were then extracted and collected in a spreadsheet.

Results

Fifty‐one articles met final inclusion criteria, of which 25 highlighted disparities due to race/ethnicity, 13 highlighted disparities due to socioeconomic (SES), and 13 highlighted disparities due to both race/ethnicity and SES. The most frequent study designs were cross‐sectional or survey, followed by retrospective cohort. Only two were prospective cohort studies. Disparities reported included reduced access to care and medications, increased school absenteeism, reduced knowledge about skin care including sun protection, increased hospitalizations and emergency department visits, and severe and persistent disease in the setting of minority race and poverty, among other indicators.

Conclusions

There are few, scattered research studies addressing disparity in pediatric dermatology. Greater focus will be needed in the future to improve knowledge of sources of disparity and its detrimental effects on the health of children, to rectify the notable disparity under‐reporting of disparity research.
Diversity in pediatric dermatology: A report from the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance and a call to action
Authors: Davies Olivia M. T. , Benjamin Latanya , Gupta Deepti , Huang Jennifer T. , Rehmus Wingfield , Siegel Dawn H. , Siegel Michael P.
Published: August 2021

Background/Objectives

The Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA) connects pediatric dermatologists, trainees, basic scientists, allied health professionals, and patient advocates to improve the lives of children with skin disease through research. As a training pipeline for future pediatric dermatologists and steward of research in the field, PeDRA has a responsibility to examine its history and take actionable steps to diversify its membership, grant recipients, study leads, research priorities, and leadership.

Methods

In 2020, PeDRA formed an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force to address this need. In an effort to assess PeDRA’s past and plan for PeDRA’s future, a review of PeDRA’s membership, leadership, grant awardees, and research topics was conducted.

Results/Conclusions

Results demonstrated gaps in PeDRA’s current operational efforts to diversify the pediatric dermatology workforce and identified areas for improvement. Recommendations are proposed as a call to action for the community.
Comparing the potential reproductive phenology between restored areas and native tropical forest fragments in Southeastern Brazil
Authors: Rother Débora C. , de Sousa Igor L. F. , Gressler Eliana , Liboni Ana P. , Souza Vinícius C. , Rodrigues Ricardo R. , C. Morellato L. Patrícia
Published: August 2021

Plant phenology is rarely considered when selecting species used in restoration actions. However, considering the potential flowering and fruiting phenologies of species is a key point to: (1) evaluate the capacity of restoration actions in reestablishing ecological interactions (pollination and seed dispersal) and ecosystem functions (early germination and plant establishment to reduce soil erosion); (2) determine which species are most suitable to the target site, and (3) identify when and where locally adapted seeds can be harvested and purchased. Here, we evaluate the potential reproductive phenology of species occurring in restored and forest fragments in Southeastern Brazil. We asked whether flowering and fruiting phenological patterns differed among type areas. For such, we compared 14 restored areas and 18 nearby forest fragments and compiled phenological data from the literature for 267 species (84% of species sampled). Despite their low floristic similarity, restored and forest fragments showed close similarity of general potential flowering and fruiting periods year‐round, peaking in the dry‐to‐rainy season. There were only slight differences in seasonality of two out of the eight parameters evaluated. Nonzoochorous species' fruiting was seasonal, while zoochorous species fruiting onset occurred year‐round but was slightly seasonal in forest fragments. Comparing potential phenological patterns between restored and forest fragments using a compilation from secondary sources are unprecedented in Brazil at this scale. Our results highlight that applying phenological information, even from literature, is essential to improve the science and practice of future restoration actions, enhancing the likelihood of successful restoration of ecosystem functions and species interactions.
Objectively measured physical activity and academic performance in school‐aged youth: The UP&DOWN longitudinal study
Authors: Muntaner‐Mas Adrià , Martínez‐Gómez David , Castro‐ Piñero Jose , Fernandez‐Santos Jorge R , Salmon Jo , Veiga Óscar L , Esteban‐Cornejo Irene
Published: August 2021

To examine the longitudinal relationships between objectively measured total volume and specific intensities of physical activity (PA) with academic performance in a large sample of youth aged 6‐18 years. A longitudinal study of 1046 youth (10.04 ± 3.10 years) from Spain was followed over 2 years. PA (volume and intensity) was measured by accelerometry. Academic performance was assessed through grades reported on the transcript at the end of the academic year (Mathematics, Language, an average of these two core subjects, and grade point average [GPA]). Longitudinal relationships between PA and four indicators of academic performance were examined using covariance and regression analyses, adjusted for a variety of confounders. Youth Quartile 2 for PA volume at baseline obtained better scores than those who participated in Quartiles 1 or 4 volumes of PA in GPA 2 years later (p = 0.006). There were generally no longitudinal associations between specific PA intensities and any of the academic performance indicators (all p > 0.170). However, a change in light PA over 2 years was inversely associated with three academic indicators in youth (βrange, ‐.103 to ‐ 090; all P < 040). Findings suggest that participants in Quartile 2 volume of PA had a better GPA in comparison with Quartiles 1 and 4 volumes of PA during youth, but there was no association with changes in PA volume over time. PA intensity was generally unrelated to academic performance during youth. However, there was an inverted u‐shape relationship between light PA changes and GPA.
How does immigration affect welfare support in Korea?
Authors: Kim Kyunghwan
Published: August 2021

This study explored the association between the perceived presence of immigrants and support for social spending in a non‐Western context, particularly Korea, so far relatively under‐researched. Using the Korean General Social Survey data, specifically, it analysed whether and how native Koreans' attitudes toward government spending on (each area of) social security are influenced by the perceived presence of immigrant populations in Korean society, and furthermore, whether the degree and direction of the relationship may depend not only on the type of social benefits, but also on the type of immigration, that is, whether the share of certain groups of immigrants in the population is perceived to be high or low. The results suggest that the association between (perceived) immigration and support for social spending exists in Korea, and its degree and direction differs when the types of social benefits and immigration are considered.
Do Source cues or frames matter? Convincing the public about the veracity of climate science
Authors: Gainous Jason , Payne Rodger A. , Merry Melissa K.
Published: August 2021

Objective

A significant portion ofthe American public does not accept the current overwhelming scientific consensus about the anthropogenic causality of climate change. This issue has been politicized and is now highly partisan. Because the military is the most trusted public institution in the United States, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the government agency with primary oversight of climate policy, we test whether source cues from these entities, as well as threat frames centered on either national security or the economy, influence the willingness of people to believe climate change is human‐caused.

Methods

We conduct a post‐test controlled experiment to test the comparative effects of varying both source cue and frame.

Results

We find that the U.S. Military source cue generally produced a weaker belief that climate change is human‐caused, for both Democrats and Republicans, while the EPA had a more positive influence.

Conclusion

The results suggest the limitations of national security framing and point to the importance of neutral, non‐partisan source cues, especially in appeals directed at Republicans.
Unmasking the American death penalty debate: Race, context, and citizens’ willingness to execute
Authors: Ramirez Mark D.
Published: August 2021

Research on public attitudes toward the death penalty has yet to systematically examine the role of race in the context of offense‐related attributes. This study uses a conjoint experiment randomly exposing a sample of 500 U.S. adults to different pairings of capital offenders to test the role of both offender and offense‐related attributes on beliefs about death penalty deservingness. The results show offense‐related factors play a significant role in who the public deems deserving of the death penalty, while the offender's race matters only for citizens holding prejudicial opinions towards Blacks or Latinos. Instrumental considerations typically outweigh racial considerations in death penalty judgments, although perceptions of those factors might be racialized as well. The results point to a potential disjuncture between the desires of citizens and the implementation of the death penalty.
Fluvial inverse modeling for inferring the timing of Quaternary uplift in the Simbruini range (Central Apennines, Italy)
Authors: Delchiaro Michele , Fioramonti Veronica , Della Seta Marta , Cavinato Gian Paolo , Mattei Massimo
Published: August 2021

The timing of Quaternary uplift evolution of the Simbruini range (Central Apennines, Italy) is poorly known due to the lack of reliable chronological constraints of the post‐orogenic continental clastic units, deposited after the upper Messinian thrust‐top facies, and tectonic events. In this regard, we identified the main geomorphic markers, including several levels of continental units, whose plano‐altimetric projection along the river longitudinal profile has been correlated with the main non‐lithological knickpoints. Furthermore, we inferred the uplift history of the range by applying the inverse modeling of the river longitudinal profiles. Assuming a block uplift model, the drainage network cutting the Simbruini range recorded 2.4 ± 0.5 Ma of tectonic history, characterized by variable base‐level fall rates (corresponding to variable uplift rates).
Trauma and pregnancy
Authors: Tibbott James , Di Carlofelice Matteo , Menon Rashmi , Ciantar Etienne
Published: August 2021

Key Content

Trauma accounts for 10% of annual worldwide deaths, and 6–8% of all pregnancies will experience some form of trauma. Pregnancy is an independent predictor for mortality.

Trauma services in the UK were reorganised in 2012. Since then, the odds of survival from major trauma have increased by 19% compared with 2008.

Trauma has maternal complications (for example, haemorrhage, abruption and disseminated intravascular coagulation) and fetal complications (such as preterm birth, hypoxic brain injury and death).

Clinicians should initiate aggressive fluid resuscitation and strongly consider the possibility of concealed blood loss. Emphasis should be placed on warmed blood products and tranexamic acid.

Trauma imaging should not be delayed for fear of risk to the fetus; we must continue to reinforce the tenet that the mother’s health takes priority over the fetus in all decision making and the mother’s condition should be stable prior to the assessment of fetal wellbeing.

Learning Objectives

To explore the structure of trauma services in the UK.

To understand the principles of trauma management and important considerations in the pregnant patient.

To appreciate the maternal and fetal outcomes associated with trauma.
Environmental benefit gain from exporting: Evidence from Vietnam
Authors: Tran Trang My
Published: August 2021

Large‐scale trade reforms in developing countries over the past decades, while boosting economic growth, have raised concerns about deteriorating environmental quality. This paper examines whether participating in export markets affects a firm's energy and emission intensity. Using Vietnamese manufacturing firm‐level data over the period 2009–2014, this study finds that upon entering into the export markets, firms reduce their energy intensity by 27%. Furthermore, along with this energy efficiency gain, there is a decrease in emission intensity by roughly 31%–32%. Moreover, these reductions persist in subsequent periods. A possible mechanism for this is that strict requirements for product quality from buyers in high‐income regions drive firms to use higher‐quality inputs and/or invest in cleaner technology.
ABO haemolytic disease of the newborn: Improved prediction by novel integration of causative and protective factors in newborn and mother
Authors: Krog Grethe Risum , Lorenzen Henriette , Clausen Frederik Banch , Hansen Anne Todsen , Donneborg Mette Line , Dziegiel Morten Hanefeld
Published: August 2021

Background and Objectives

Prediction of haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN) caused by maternal anti‐A/‐B enables timely therapy, thereby preventing the development of kernicterus spectrum disorder. However, previous efforts to establish accurate prediction methods have been only modestly successful.

Materials and Methods

In a case–control study, we examined 76 samples from mothers and 76 samples from their newborns; 38 with and 38 without haemolysis. The IgG subclass profile of maternal anti‐A and anti‐B was determined by flow cytometry. Samples from newborns were genetically analysed for the A2 subgroup, secretor and FcγRIIa receptor alleles.

Results

Surprisingly, we found a correlation between the newborn secretor allele and haemolysis (p = 0.034). No correlation was found for FcγRIIa alleles. The A2 subgroup was found only in newborns without haemolysis. Unexpectedly, different reaction patterns were found for maternal anti‐A and anti‐B; consequently, the results were treated separately. For the prediction of haemolysis in A‐newborns, the maternal IgG1 subclass determination resulted in an accuracy of 83% at birth. For B‐newborns, an accuracy of 91% was achieved by the maternal IgG2 subclass determination.

Conclusion

We improved the prediction of ABO‐HDFN by characterizing maternal anti‐A and anti‐B by flow cytometry and we presented genetic traits in newborns with correlation to haemolysis. We propose a new understanding of A‐ and B‐substances as immunogens that enhance the maternal immune response and protect the newborn, and we suggest that the development of ABO‐HDFN is different when caused by maternal anti‐A compared to maternal anti‐B.
Harmonic models and Bernoullicity
Authors: Hayes Ben
Published: August 2021

We give many examples of algebraic actions which are factors of Bernoulli shifts. These include certain harmonic models over left-orderable groups of large enough growth, as well as algebraic actions associated to certain lopsided elements in any left-orderable group. For many of our examples, the acting group is amenable so these actions are Bernoulli (and not just a factor of a Bernoulli), but there is no obvious Bernoulli partition.
Neglected wardens: T lymphocyte ryanodine receptors
Authors: Fomina Alla F.
Published: August 2021

Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are intracellular Ca2+ release channels ubiquitously expressed in various cell types. RyRs were extensively studied in striated muscle cells due to their crucial role in muscle contraction. In contrast, the role of RyRs in Ca2+ signalling and functions in non‐excitable cells, such as T lymphocytes, remains poorly understood. Expression of different isoforms of RyRs was shown in primary T cells and T cell lines. In T cells, RyRs co‐localize with the plasmalemmal store‐operated Ca2+ channels of the Orai family and endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ sensing Stim family proteins and are activated by store‐operated Ca2+ entry and pyridine nucleotide metabolites, the intracellular second messengers generated upon stimulation of T cell receptors. Experimental data indicate that together with d‐myo‐inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptors, RyRs regulate intercellular Ca2+ dynamics by controlling Ca2+ concentration within the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum and, consequently, store‐operated Ca2+ entry. Gain‐of‐function mutations, genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of RyRs alters T cell Ca2+ signalling and effector functions. The picture emerging from the collective data shows that RyRs are the essential regulators of T cell Ca2+ signalling and can be potentially used as molecular targets for immunomodulation or T cell‐based diagnostics of the disorders associated with RyRs dysregulation

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Synergistic interaction between sensory inputs and propriospinal signalling underlying quadrupedal locomotion
Authors: Boulain Marie , Khsime Inès , Sourioux Mélissa , Thoby‐Brisson Muriel , Barrière Grégory , Simmers John , Morin Didier , Juvin Laurent
Published: August 2021

Key points

Stimulation of hindlimb afferent fibres can both stabilize and increase the activity of fore‐ and hindlimb motoneurons during fictive locomotion.

The increase in motoneuron activity is at least partially due to the production of doublets of action potentials in a subpopulation of motoneurons.

These results were obtained using an in vitro brainstem/spinal cord preparation of neonatal rat.

Quadrupedal locomotion relies on a dynamic coordination between central pattern generators (CPGs) located in the cervical and lumbar spinal cord, and controlling the fore‐ and hindlimbs, respectively. It is assumed that this CPG interaction is achieved through separate closed‐loop processes involving propriospinal and sensory pathways. However, the functional consequences of a concomitant involvement of these different influences on the degree of coordination between the fore‐ and hindlimb CPGs is still largely unknown. Using an in vitro brainstem/spinal cord preparation of neonatal rat, we found that rhythmic, bilaterally alternating stimulation of hindlimb sensory input pathways elicited coordinated hindlimb and forelimb CPG activity. During pharmacologically induced fictive locomotion, lumbar dorsal root (DR) stimulation entrained and stabilized an ongoing cervico‐lumbar locomotor‐like rhythm and increased the amplitude of both lumbar and cervical ventral root bursting. The increase in cervical burst amplitudes was correlated with the occurrence of doublet action potential firing in a subpopulation of motoneurons, enabling the latter to transition between low and high frequency discharge according to the intensity of DR stimulation. Moreover, our data revealed that propriospinal and sensory pathways act synergistically to strengthen cervico‐lumbar interactions. Indeed, split‐bath experiments showed that fully coordinated cervico‐lumbar fictive locomotion was induced by combining pharmacological stimulation of either the lumbar or cervical CPGs with lumbar DR stimulation. This study thus highlights the powerful interactions between sensory and propriospinal pathways which serve to ensure the coupling of the fore‐ and hindlimb CPGs for effective quadrupedal locomotion.
Análise da utilização de geofísica e biorremediação em problemas de contaminação de solo e água subterânea
Authors: Borges Andrea Ferreira , Barroso Emílio Velloso
Published: August 2021

The paper presents technics which are still not widely used for investigation, monitoring and remediation of contaminated areas, althoug they can replace conventional technics with advantages in many cases.
Diagnóstico técnico-económico e plano de ação para o setor de rochas ornamentais no estado do Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Margueron Claudio , Coelho Cristiane Mendes
Published: August 2021

This article initially undertakes a diagnostic study of the Marble and Granite Industry in Brazil and in Rio de Janeiro State. It shows the main uses for marble and granite and describes the key problems faced by this mining-mineral bencficiation sector in Brazil and Rio de Janeiro: production, institutional, roads and ports infrastructure, low value of exports, Italian Cartel, knowledge of distribution channels, market requirements and technology. It also describes in detail the geographic location, reserves and production of marble and granite in the state of Rio de Janeiro and the export-import situation for Brazil and for Rio de Janeiro State. Finally in its conclusions this article presents an ACTION PLAN for the Marble and Granite Sector of the state of Rio dc Janeiro economy.
A "ingovernabilidade" do Rio de Janeiro: algumas páginas sobre conceitos, fatos e preconceitos
Authors: Souza Marcelo Lopes de
Published: August 2021

Governability is quite ofien used as an "umbrella concept", under which both the capacity of governance (manner in which power is exercised in the management of a territory) and the governability in the strict sense of the word (acceptation of the social and political status quo by the people) are subsumed. The first part of this article underlies the difference between these two concepts The second part examines facts in relation to governance and governability problems in Rio de Janeiro, and discusses some ideologically generated current exaggerations about the governability crisis in this metropolis, as suggested by the experience of the 1980s and 1990s.
Aspectos humanos, geográficos e meteorológicos do nordeste brasileiro
Authors: Buchmann Julio
Published: August 2021

The survival human conditions of life in the Northeast Brazil is very hard. We have a very strong situation of proverty in the semi-arid region and this must be changed.
Interações espaciais no Estado de São Paulo: uma análise comparativa entre dois tipos de redes
Authors: Ramos Teresa Mavignier de Andrade
Published: August 2021

The diffusion of modern technology has changed the world of social relationships, in which interactions were once limited by one's surroundings, a space caracterized above all by physical continuity. Until the last century, the conception of space strongly linked with physical distance of routes has prevailed, imposing local boundaries for the use of space by human action. The experience of circulation in a space built by remote and well connected points, enables social relationships to be established in an environment characterized for the most part by physical discontinuity. This paper analyses the complex and well developed urban network of São Paulo State, considering two components: the interurban bus flows, whose materiality incorporates the cost of physical distance in terms of time; and the telephone flows, which with its instantaneous conection allows the potential interaction among all the cities independently of the physical distance among them.
Making squeezed-coherent states concrete by determining their wavefunction
Authors: Munguía-González E. , Rego S. , Freericks J. K.
Published: August 2021

With the successes of the laser interferometer gravitational-wave observatory, we anticipate increased interest in working with squeezed states in the undergraduate and graduate quantum-mechanics classroom. Because squeezed-coherent states are minimum uncertainty states, their wavefunctions in position and momentum space must be Gaussians. But this result is rarely discussed in treatments of squeezed states in quantum textbooks or quantum optics textbooks. In this work, we show three different ways to construct the wavefunction for squeezed-coherent states: (i) a differential equation-based approach; (ii) an approach that uses an expansion in terms of the simple-harmonic oscillator wavefunctions; and (iii) a fully operator-based approach. We do this to illustrate that the concept of the wavefunction can be introduced no matter what methodology an instructor wishes to use. We hope that working with the wavefunction will help demystify the concept of a squeezed-coherent state.
The Newcomb–Benford law: Scale invariance and a simple Markov process based on it
Authors: Burgos Andrea , Santos Andrés
Published: August 2021

The Newcomb–Benford law, also known as the first-digit law, gives the probability distribution associated with the first digit of a dataset so that, for example, the first significant digit has a probability of 30.1% of being 1 and 4.58% of being 9. This law can be extended to the second and next significant digits. This article presents an introduction to the discovery of the law and its derivation from the scale invariance property as well as some applications and examples. Additionally, a simple model of a Markov process inspired by scale invariance is proposed. Within this model, it is proved that the probability distribution irreversibly converges to the Newcomb–Benford law, in analogy to the irreversible evolution toward equilibrium of physical systems in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.
Antibody acts like short-term malaria vaccine
Authors: Cohen Jon
Published: August 2021

Monoclonal antibodies protected people from infection in a small “challenge” trial
Do chronic infections breed dangerous new variants?
Authors: Kupferschmidt Kai
Published: August 2021

How transmission bottlenecks influence virus evolution
Hierarchical crack buffering triples ductility in eutectic herringbone high-entropy alloys
Authors: Shi Peijian , Li Runguang , Li Yi , Wen Yuebo , Zhong Yunbo , Ren Weili , Shen Zhe , Zheng Tianxiang , Peng Jianchao , Liang Xue , Hu Pengfei , Min Na , Zhang Yong , Ren Yang , Liaw Peter K. , Raabe Dierk , Wang Yan-Dong
Published: August 2021

High-entropy herringbone alloy

Eutectic high-entropy alloys have a dual phase structure that could be useful for optimizing a material’s properties. Shi
et al
. found that directional solidification of an aluminum-iron-cobalt-nickel eutectic high-entropy alloy created a herringbone-patterned microstructure that was extremely resistant to fracture (see the Perspective by An). The structure contained lamellae of hard and soft phases, and the cracks that formed in the hard phase were arrested at the boundary of the soft phase. This, along with stress transfer, allowed a tripling of the maximal elongation while retaining high strength. —BG
Exploring the path of the variable resistance
Authors: Hilgenkamp Hans , Gao Xing
Published: August 2021

Resistive switching studies pave the way to neuromorphic information technologies
Ecology in the age of automation
Authors: Keitt Timothy H. , Abelson Eric S.
Published: August 2021

Technology is revolutionizing the study of organisms in their natural environment
Before the Big Bang became scientific dogma
Flashes of Creation: George Gamow, Fred Hoyle, and the Great Big Bang Debate
Paul Halpern
Basic Books, 2021. 304 pp.
Authors: Mitton Simon
Published: August 2021

A dual biography traces the entangled efforts of a pair of contentious cosmologists
The children's climate crusade
They Knew: The US Federal Government's Fifty-Year Role in Causing the Climate Crisis
James Gustave Speth
MIT Press, 2021. 304 pp.
Authors: Gerrard Michael B.
Published: August 2021

Prepared on behalf of young people seeking climate action, a report outlines the US federal government's failures
Draft Genomic Sequences of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens CBMAI 1301 and Bacillus subtilis CBMAI 1302, Strains with Potential for the Biocontrol of Phytopathogens
Authors: Kitano Isabella Takahashi , Ribeiro Iron Amoreli de Figueiredo , Coelho Vitor Lima , Gonçalves Carlos Alberto Xavier , Aranha Giulia Naranjo , Moutinho Liza Fernandes , Romão-Dumaresq Aline Silva , Bernardo Eduardo Roberto de Almeida
Published: August 2021

Here, we report the draft genomic sequences of
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens
strain CBMAI 1301, isolated from soybean seeds, and
Bacillus subtilis
strain CBMAI 1302, isolated from soil. These strains have potential applications for the biological control of phytopathogens, and the sequencing of these two genomes could greatly benefit soybean cultivation.
Complete Genome Sequence of High Current-Producing Geobacter sulfurreducens Strain YM35, Isolated from River Sediment in Japan
Authors: Fujikawa Takashi , Ogura Yoshitoshi , Hayashi Tetsuya , Inoue Kengo
Published: August 2021

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of
Geobacter sulfurreducens
strain YM35, which was isolated from biofilms formed on an anode in a bioelectrochemical system where river sediment was used as an inoculum. The chromosome is 3,745,223 bp with a G+C content of 60.9%. The chromosome encodes 3,324 protein-coding genes.
Mount Diablo mercury deposits
Authors: Motzer* William E. , Mustart David A.
Published: August 2021

The California Coast Ranges mercury deposits are part of the western North America mercury belt, in which mercury occurs most commonly as red cinnabar (α-HgS), sometimes associated with its high-temperature polymorph, metacinnabar (β-HgS). In the Coast Ranges, ores were deposited from hydrothermal solutions and range in age from Miocene to Holocene. Ore deposition at Mount Diablo generally occurred along active faults and associated extension fractures in the Franciscan complex, most often in serpentinite that had been hydrothermally altered to silica-carbonate rock. The Mount Diablo mine lies ~48 km (~30 miles) northeast of San Francisco in Contra Costa County and is mineralogically unique in California, because metacinnabar, the higher-temperature polymorph of mercury sulfide, is a major primary ore mineral in the deposit, while at all other mercury mines in California, it is quite rare. In addition, hydrothermal activity is so recent that sulfurous gases and methane continued to be released into the mine at least into the 1940s. Historically, long before active large-scale mining began in the 1800s, the Mount Diablo mercury deposits were known to the Indigenous people of the Ohlone tribes, who used the cinnabar in rituals as well as for red pigment to decorate their bodies, and as a prized trade item. The deposit was later rediscovered in 1863 and mined intermittently until 1958. The Mount Diablo mine and adjacent Rhyne (also variously spelled Ryne or Rhine) mine were the sites of most of the mercury operations in the region, and at both mines, mercury ore occurs in structurally controlled lenticular bodies of silica-carbonate rock and serpentinite. The total district production probably exceeded 12,300 flasks (at 76 pounds or ~34.5 kg per flask) at an estimated grade of 2711 g per metric ton. Low-grade ore reserves are believed to still exist, with 17,000 short tons of indicated and inferred ore. Other minor deposits of copper, silver, and gold occur on Mount Diablo, principally in and around Eagle Peak, but mercury is not associated with these deposits.

The most serious environmental problem associated with the mercury mines is the transport of mercury via mine drainage from the Mount Diablo mines to Dunn Creek, a tributary to Marsh Creek, which ultimately drains into Suisun and San Francisco Bay. The concern is that elemental mercury (Hg0) and the mercury ion Hg(II) can be biologically converted to toxic monomethylmercury (MeHg). To combat this problem, a long-term process of mine remediation has been undertaken.