bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Italo Calvino's Animals
Authors: Iovino Serenella
Published: August 2021

The words 'Anthropocene animals' conjure pictures of dead albatrosses' bodies filled with plastic fragments, polar bears adrift on melting ice sheets, solitary elephants in the savannah. Suspended between the impersonal nature of the Great Extinction and the singularity of exotic individuals, these creatures appear remote, disconnected from us. But animals in the Anthropocene are not simply 'out there.' Threatening and threatened, they populate cities and countryside, often trapped in industrial farms, zoos, labs. Among them, there are humans, too. Italo Calvino's Animals explores Anthropocene animals through the visionary eyes of a classic modern author. In Calvino's stories, ants, cats, chickens, rabbits, gorillas, and other critters emerge as complex subjects and inhabitants of a world under siege. Beside them, another figure appears in the mirror: that of an anthropos without a capital A, epitome of subaltern humans with their challenges and inequalities, a companion species on the difficult path of co-evolution.
One name to rule them all:Belinurus trilobitoides(Buckland, ) is senior synonym to fourteen named species
Authors: Lamsdell James C.
Published: August 2021

One of the oldest fossil horseshoe crabs figured in the literature isEntomolithus lunatusMartin, 1809, a Carboniferous species included in hisPetrificata Derbiensia. While the species has generally been included within the genusBelinurusBronn, 1839, it was recently used as the type species of the new genusParabelinurusLamsdell, 2020. However, recent investigation as to the appropriate authority forBelinurus(see Lamsdell and Clapham, 2021) revealed that all the names inPetrificata Derbiensiawere suppressed in Opinion 231 of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1954) for being consistently nonbinomial under Article 11.4 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1999). Despite the validation of several species names for anthozoans, brachiopods, and cephalopods described inPetrificata Derbiensiain subsequent rulings (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1956a, b),Belinurus lunatushas not been the subject of any subsequent Commission ruling or opinion, and so its use inPetrificata Derbiensiaremains suppressed. TheBelinurus lunatusspecies name was used in several subsequent publications during the 1800s, none of which made the name available under ICZN article 11.5; Parkinson (1811) is also suppressed for being nonbinomial, while Woodward (1830), Buckland (1837), Bronn (1839), and Baily (1859) refer to the species only as a synonym ofBelinurus trilobitoides(Buckland, 1837) through citation to the suppressedPretificata Derbiensia. The first author to makeBelinurus lunatusan available name was Baldwin (1905), who used the name in reference to a new figured specimen from Sparth Bottoms, Rochdale, UK, but again as an explicit junior synonym ofBelinurus trilobitoides(Buckland, 1837). Therefore, it was not until Eller (1938) treatedB. lunatusas a distinct species fromB. trilobitoidesthatB. lunatusbecame an available name as per ICZN Article 11.6.1 under the authorship of Baldwin (1905) following ICZN Article 50.7.
A Vertiginous Experience: Historical Ethics and Practice in the Age of Trump
Authors: Middleton Simon
Published: August 2021

This essay considers Christopher Tomlins’ thoughts—as expressed in his In the Matter of Nat Turner: A Speculative History—on historical ethics and practice in the context of recent and ongoing controversies concerning the history of race and slavery in the American past. Tomlins endeavors to recover as much as he can relating to Nat Turner and his mentalité at the time of the infamous 1831 rebellion. He also promises a self-conscious engagement with the creation of history as an intellectual practice, and invites readers to reflect on their standpoint in the histories they create. For Tomlins this practice means a close reading of Turner’s “confession” through the work of social theorists, an approach that will likely prove controversial for some readers. For those who stay with him, however, Tomlins provides a bravura demonstration of historical methodology with implications for current debates and divisions within the wider field.
“Hearing Nat Turner”: Within the 1831 Slave Rebellion
Authors: Brewer Holly
Published: August 2021

In this chef d’oeuvre, Tomlins offers a heuristic for how to extract the words, ideas, and actions of Nat Turner, the Black, enslaved man who led the most important slave rebellion in American history. Tomlins makes such an effort from within a cluster of different kinds of sources, each one a small window on the past, none of which Turner personally wrote. How to see beyond these particularly distorted glass windows on the past is not obvious. Tomlins’s In the Matter of Nat Turner provides a key not only to Turner, and to his powerful sense of how to fracture the fragile legitimacy of the southern slaveholding elite, but also a metaphysics of interpretive strategy that can serve as a theoretical model.
Longitudinal changes in within-salience network functional connectivity mediate the relationship between childhood abuse and neglect, and mental health during adolescence
Authors: Rakesh Divyangana , Allen Nicholas B. , Whittle Sarah
Published: August 2021

Background

Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of childhood maltreatment is vital given consistent links with poor mental health. Dimensional models of adversity purport that different types of adversity likely have distinct neurobiological consequences. Adolescence is a key developmental period, during which deviations from normative neurodevelopment may have particular relevance for mental health. However, longitudinal work examining links between different forms of maltreatment, neurodevelopment, and mental health is limited.

Methods

In the present study, we explored associations between abuse, neglect, and longitudinal development of within-network functional connectivity of the salience (SN), default mode (DMN), and executive control network in 142 community residing adolescents. Resting-state fMRI data were acquired at age 16 (T1;M= 16.46 years,s.d.= 0.52, 66F) and 19 (T2; mean follow-up period: 2.35 years). Mental health data were also collected at T1 and T2. Childhood maltreatment history was assessed prior to T1.

Results

Abuse and neglect were both found to be associated with increases in within-SN functional connectivity from age 16 to 19. Further, there were sex differences in the association between neglect and changes in within-DMN connectivity. Finally, increases in within-SN connectivity were found to mediate the association between abuse/neglect and lower problematic substance use and higher depressive symptoms at age 19.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that childhood maltreatment is associated with altered neurodevelopmental trajectories, and that changes in salience processing may be linked with risk and resilience for the development of depression and substance use problems during adolescence, respectively. Further work is needed to understand the distinct neurodevelopmental and mental health outcomes of abuse and neglect.
Asymptomatic cardiac tumour with premature ventricular contraction in an athlete: case report
Authors: Eriş Deniz , Paç Feyza Ayşenur
Published: August 2021

Cardiac fibromas are the second most common benign primary tumour of the heart in the children; the clinical features include chest pain, arrhythmia, low cardiac output due to outflow tract obstruction, and sudden cardiac death. Sports are associated with an increased risk for sudden death in athletes who are affected by cardiovascular conditions predisposing to life-threatening arrhythmias. We present a case report of 10-year-old asymptomatic boy who was referred to the paediatric cardiology department by his general practitioner for cardiac examination before participation in competitive sports. The electrocardiogram showed premature ventricular contractions originated from inferior of left ventricle. A mass was detected by 2D transthoracic echocardiography, and it was found to be compatible with fibroma on MRI. In some cases, cardiac tumours are asymptomatic as in our patient. Electrocardiogram abnormalities require detailed cardiac imaging with echocardiogram, and if necessary CT/MRI. In this article, we emphasise that detailed cardiac examination of individuals before participating in competitive sports is vital.
Orthography affects L1 and L2 speech perception but not production in early bilinguals
Authors: Stoehr Antje , Martin Clara D.
Published: August 2021

Orthography plays a crucial role in L2 learning, which generally relies on both oral and written input. We examine whether incongruencies between L1 and L2 grapheme-phoneme correspondences influence bilingual speech perception and production, even when both languages have been acquired in early childhood before reading acquisition. Spanish–Basque and Basque–Spanish early bilinguals performed an auditory lexical decision task including Basque pseudowords created by replacing Basque /s̻/ with Spanish /θ/. These distinct phonemes take the same orthographic form, . Participants also completed reading-aloud tasks in Basque and Spanish to test whether speech sounds with the same orthographic form were produced similarly in the two languages. Results for both groups showed orthography had strong effects on speech perception but no effects on speech production. Taken together, these findings suggest that orthography plays a crucial role in the speech system of early bilinguals but does not automatically lead to non-native production.
The association between household food insecurity and obesity in Mexico: a cross-sectional study of ENSANUT MC 2016
Authors: Ponce-Alcala Rosa Elena , Ramirez-Garcia Luna Jose Luis , Shamah-Levy Teresa , Melgar-Quiñonez Hugo
Published: August 2021

Objective:

To examine the association between household food insecurity and overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity in Mexican adults.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Setting:

We analysed data from the Mexican Halfway National Health and Nutrition Survey 2016, a nationally representative survey that accounted for rural and urban areas in four regions of Mexico: North, Centre, Mexico City and South.

Participants:

Adults from 20 to 59 years old (n 5456, which represents 45 804 210 individuals at the national level).

Results:

70·8 % of the Mexican adults had some degree of household food insecurity. This situation showed larger proportions (P < 0·05) among indigenous people, those living in a rural area, in the Southern region or the lowest socio-economic quintiles. The prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity was higher in female adults (P < 0·001), with the highest proportions occurring among those experiencing severe household food insecurity. Among women, mean BMI and waist circumference were higher as household food insecurity levels increased (P < 0·001). According to multivariate logistic regression models, severe household food insecurity showed to be positively associated with obesity (OR: 2·36; P = 0·001) in Mexican adult females.

Conclusions:

Our findings confirm the association between household food insecurity and obesity among Mexican women. Given the socio-demographic characteristics of the food-insecure population, it is alarming that prevailing socio-economic inequalities in the country might also be contributing to the likelihood of obesity. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain and bolster surveillance systems to track both problems and implement adequate policies and interventions.
A compact ultra-wideband square and circular slot ground plane planar antenna with a modified circular patch
Authors: Golait Manohar , Varun Yadav Manish , Patil Balasaheb H. , Baudha Sudeep , Bramhane Lokesh Kumar
Published: August 2021

A compact ultra-wideband (UWB) square and circular slot ground plane planar antenna with a modified circular patch for UWB communication is presented. This antenna has a low reflection coefficient and high gain in the range of 8.94 GHz, starting from 2.85 to 11.79 GHz. The proposed antenna demonstrates UWB behavior with electrically small dimensions of 0.18 λ0×0.14 λ0×0.015 λ0 (λ0 is the free-space wavelength at 2.85 GHz). The fractional bandwidth of the antenna is 122.1%, with stable radiations. The antenna's maximum gain stands at 2.79 dBi, and the antenna's peak efficiency stands at 72%, respectively. It is lightweight, compact, and easy to manufacture. Hence, it can be used for the complete range of UWB applications and covers Wi-Max/WLAN/ X-Band and Ku-Band.
Efficiency of the sublingual route in treating B12 deficiency in infants
Authors: Varkal Muhammet Ali , Karabocuoglu Metin
Published: August 2021

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of the sublingual route for the treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency in infants. Background: Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in children. In breastfed infants, the main reason is maternal B12 deficiency. Parenteral administration is commonly prescribed. However, patient compliance is not satisfactory due to repeated painful parenteral applications. It is also known that the oral route is efficient in high doses. In recent years, the sublingual route has been tried. This route stands out due to its easy applicability and low cost. However, there are few efficacy studies in infants for the sublingual route. Materials and methods: The study included 49 infants aged 6–12 months. All infants with marginal or deficient B12 levels (<300 pg/mL) were incidentally detected and treated with sublingual methylcobalamin. Each dose was 1000 μg and administered once a day in the first week, every other day in the second week, twice a week in the third week, and once a week in the last week. Serum vitamin B12 levels were measured before and after the treatment. Paired Sample T-Test was used to compare variables. Results: All infants had normal physical development and had no hematological or neurological issues. It was learned from the parents that the infants tolerated treatment well, and no side effects related to the treatment, such as vomiting or rash, were observed. Before and after the treatment, the mean vitamin B12 levels were 199±57 pg/mL and 684±336 pg/ml, respectively. The difference between the means was statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: According to the study, it seems possible to treat vitamin B12 deficiency via a sublingual route in infants. In addition, methylcobalamin can be an alternative to the commonly used cyanocobalamin.
Somatosensory Deviance Detection ERPs and Their Relationship to Analogous Auditory ERPs and Interoceptive Accuracy
Authors: Kangas Elina S. , Vuoriainen Elisa , Li Xueqiao , Lyyra Pessi , Astikainen Piia
Published: August 2021

Abstract. Automatic deviance detection has been widely explored in terms of mismatch responses (mismatch negativity or mismatch response) and P3a components of event-related potentials (ERPs) under a predictive coding framework; however, the somatosensory mismatch response has been investigated less often regarding the different types of changes than its auditory counterpart. It is not known whether the deviance detection responses from different modalities correlate, reflecting a general prediction error mechanism of the central nervous system. Furthermore, interoceptive functions have been associated with predictive coding theory, but whether interoceptive accuracy correlates with deviance detection brain responses has rarely been investigated. Here, we measured ERPs to changes in somatosensory stimuli’s location and intensity and in sound intensity in healthy adults ( n = 34). Interoceptive accuracy was measured with a heartbeat discrimination task, where participants indicated whether their heartbeats were simultaneous or non-simultaneous with sound stimuli. We found a mismatch response and a P3a response to somatosensory location and auditory intensity changes, but for somatosensory intensity changes, only a P3a response was found. Unexpectedly, there were neither correlations between the somatosensory location deviance and intensity deviance brain responses nor between auditory and somatosensory brain responses. In addition, the brain responses did not correlate with interoceptive accuracy. The results suggest that although deviance detection in the auditory and somatosensory modalities are likely based on similar neural mechanisms at a cellular level, their ERP indexes do not indicate a linear association in sensitivity for deviance detection between the modalities. Furthermore, although sensory deviance detection and interoceptive detection are both associated with predictive coding functions, under these experimental settings, functional relationships were not observed. These results should be taken into account in the future development of theories related to human sensory functions and in extensions of the predictive coding theory in particular.
Magnetic Constraints on Off‐Axis Seamount Volcanism in the Easternmost Segment of the Australian‐Antarctic Ridge
Authors: Choi Hakkyum , Kim Seung‐Sep , Park Sung‐Hyun
Published: August 2021

The Australian‐Antarctic Ridge (AAR) is an intermediate‐spreading rate system located between the Southeast Indian Ridge and Macquarie Triple Junction of the Australian‐Antarctic‐Pacific plates. KR1 is the easternmost and longest AAR segment and exhibits unique axial morphology and various volcanic structures. We identified three asymmetric seamount chains positioned parallel to the seafloor spreading direction, which were indicative of prevalent off‐axis volcanism in the vicinity of segment KR1. Two‐dimensional magnetic modeling was used to predict the magnetization polarity of the seamounts, as well as to constrain their formation time and duration. The magnetic modeling revealed that the majority of the examined seamounts were formed over a period of less than ∼600 kyrs. The seamount formation primarily occurred during two distinct volcanic pulses from 0.16–1.14 to 1.58–2.69 Ma. A temporal gap of 200–650 kyrs between the formation time of the seamounts and seafloor was estimated for certain seamounts that were formed much later than their underlying seafloor and at a distance of 10–20 km from the KR1 axis. Typically, such off‐axis seamount activity is related to axial mantle convection caused by excessive magma supply near the ridge crest. Considering the scale of off‐axis volcanism and thickening lithosphere ∼20 km away from the axis with intermediate‐spreading rates, small‐scale upwelling made feasible by the fertile mantle heterogeneity is proposed as the mechanism for the seamount formations at off‐axis distances, and the geochemically enriched compositions of the seamounts support this alternative explanation.
High‐Frequency Fluctuations in Antarctic Bottom Water Transport Driven by Southern Ocean Winds
Authors: Stewart Andrew L. , Chi Xiaoyang , Solodoch Aviv , Hogg Andrew McC.
Published: August 2021

Northward flow of Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) across the Southern Ocean comprises a key component of the global overturning circulation. Yet AABW transport remains poorly constrained by observations and state estimates, and there is presently no means of directly monitoring any component of the Southern Ocean overturning. However, AABW flow is dynamically linked to Southern Ocean surface circulation via the zonal momentum balance, offering potential routes to indirect monitoring of the transport. Exploiting this dynamical link, this study shows that wind stress (WS) fluctuations drive large AABW transport fluctuations on time scales shorter than 2 years, which comprise almost all of the transport variance. This connection occurs due to differing time scales on which topographic and interfacial form stresses respond to wind variability, likely associated with differences in barotropic versus baroclinic Rossby wave propagation. These findings imply that AABW transport variability can largely be reconstructed from the surface WS alone.
Surface Expression and Apparent Timing of Subglacial Lake Oscillations Controlled by Viscous Ice Flow
Authors: Stubblefield A. G. , Creyts T. T. , Kingslake J. , Siegfried M. R. , Spiegelman M.
Published: August 2021

Subglacial lakes are bodies of water that form at the base of ice sheets and glaciers. Ice‐surface elevation above these lakes responds to water volume changes, providing one of few ways to monitor subglacial hydrological systems. Here, we use numerical models to compare surface elevation‐derived estimates of subglacial‐lake length, water‐volume change, and highstand or lowstand timing with their true values. Because ice flow influences the surface expression of lake‐volume change, the correspondence between these estimates and their true values depends strongly on ice thickness, volume‐change rate, and basal drag coefficient. For many realistic combinations of these factors, viscous relaxation of the ice‐sheet surface can render lake volume‐changes unobservable with altimetry. Our results highlight the need for new estimation methods that account for the effects of ice flow, as well as improvements to current resolution limitations that render some events unobservable with altimetry.
Oceanic Circulation Drives the Deepest and Longest Marine Heatwaves in the East Australian Current System
Authors: Elzahaby Youstina , Schaeffer Amandine , Roughan Moninya , Delaux Sébastien
Published: August 2021

Although the impacts of marine heatwaves (MHWs) can extend well below the ocean surface, little is known about how oceanic and atmospheric forcings control their vertical structure. Here, we relate the MHW drivers to their sub‐surface characteristics in different dynamical regimes including the East Australia Current. We detect MHWs in the depth‐dependent surface mixed layer over 30‐years and use a heat budget to identify the dominant mechanisms driving them. We show that MHWs in the Western Boundary Current (WBC) jet are predominantly driven by air‐sea heatflux whilst in the WBC extension, MHWs are advection‐driven. The deepest and longest MHWs are advection‐driven and are more prevalent in autumn and winter. Surface (latent) flux‐driven MHWs are shallower and occur predominantly in summer. Demonstrating how MHW characteristics are linked to their drivers facilitates their prediction through driver diagnosis, especially below the surface where observations are sparse and ecological impact is high.
Global Maps of Solar Wind Electron Modification by Electrostatic Waves Above the Lunar Day Side: Kaguya Observations
Authors: Harada Yuki , Kasahara Yoshiya , Nishino Masaki N. , Kurita Satoshi , Saito Yoshifumi , Yokota Shoichiro , Kumamoto Atsushi , Takahashi Futoshi , Shimizu Hisayoshi
Published: August 2021

The Moon drives observable perturbations in the upstream solar wind in a similar manner to the terrestrial foreshock. Recent observations suggested that lunar dayside electrostatic waves can arise from two different driving mechanisms, both involving reflected particles from lunar crustal magnetic fields. However, their association with the global distribution of lunar magnetic anomalies have not been fully characterized. Here we exploit polar orbiting Kaguya to generate first global maps of electrostatic waves and solar wind electron modification above the day side of the Moon. The maps clearly demonstrate that the two signatures are correlated with lunar crustal magnetic fields. Additionally, we observe different characteristics of electron modification for different interplanetary magnetic field orientations. The lunar crustal magnetic fields cause a wide range of reflected electron and ion intensities, thereby serving as a test bed to investigate the relative roles of reflected particles on wave excitation and particle heating.
Interpretation of Volume and Flux Changes of the Laurichard Rock Glacier Between 1952 and 2019, French Alps
Authors: Cusicanqui Diego , Rabatel Antoine , Vincent Christian , Bodin Xavier , Thibert Emmanuel , Francou Bernard
Published: August 2021

Rock glaciers are creeping bodies of ice and rock that account for an important part of the mountain cryosphere. In this study, we investigated long‐term changes of the Laurichard rock glacier (French Alps), to understand how this rock glacier is responding to climate change. Using feature‐tracking and photogrammetric measurements between 1952 and 2019, we quantified changes in thickness, flow velocities and from which we derived the ice/rock flux of the rock glacier at a decadal time scale. This is the first time that emergence velocity and surface mass balance changes have been reconstructed for a rock glacier. Our results reveal a very small surface mass balance ranging from −0.1 m a−1 to +0.05 m a−1, reflecting the role of debris in damping the melt rate of the underlying ice. Surprisingly, we found a more negative surface mass balance in the upper part than in the lower part of the rock glacier during the 1952–1971 cold period, likely due to a reduction in rock and snow mass accumulation. Our study shows that thickness changes are mainly driven by changes in surface mass balance except during the most recent period in the lower part of the rock glacier, which was also influenced by a compressive flow related to a protrusion that prevented the rock glacier from advancing. We conclude that the period 1994–2019 witnessed a marked acceleration in rock glacier flow, in agreement with the observations of other rock glaciers in the European Alps. This strong increase in surface speed is likely a consequence of changes in the basal conditions.
On the Regionality of Moist Kelvin Waves and the MJO: The Critical Role of the Background Zonal Flow
Authors: Tulich S. N. , Kiladis G. N.
Published: August 2021

A global model with superparameterized physics is used to shed light on the observed regionality of convectively coupled Kelvin waves and the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO). A series of aquaplanet simulations over zonally uniform sea‐surface temperatures is performed, in which the axisymmetric structure of the background zonal flow is altered through nudging, while maintaining a quasi‐fixed rainfall climatology. Results show that nudging at the equator to match profiles typical of the Indo‐Pacific or eastern Pacific sectors yields eastward‐moving tropical rain spectra typical of those sectors. Two different mechanistic pathways are identified as being responsible for this mean‐flow dependence, in addition to Doppler shifting effects. The first is through shifts of the Rossby wave critical line in the subtropical upper troposphere that affect the lateral forcing of Kelvin‐mode circulations at the equator by eastward and equatorward‐propagating eddies impinging on the tropics from higher latitudes. The second is through changes in the strength of the mean cyclonic shear in the lower tropical troposphere that affect the degree to which intraseasonal fluctuations in Kelvin‐mode zonal winds modulate the activity of higher‐frequency equatorial Rossby‐type eddies. In cases where the mean low‐level cyclonic shear is enhanced, the strength of this modulation, referred to as “shear‐induced eddy modulation” or SIEM, is also seen to be enhanced, such that MJO‐like modes of variability are rendered either unstable or near neutral, depending on the strength of the shear.
Understanding Top‐of‐Atmosphere Flux Bias in the AeroCom Phase III Models: A Clear‐Sky Perspective
Authors: Su Wenying , Liang Lusheng , Myhre Gunnar , Thorsen Tyler J. , Loeb Norman G. , Schuster Gregory L. , Ginoux Paul , Paulot Fabien , Neubauer David , Checa‐Garcia Ramiro , Matsui Hitoshi , Tsigaridis Kostas , Skeie Ragnhild B. , Takemura Toshihiko , Bauer Susanne E. , Schulz Michael
Published: August 2021

Biases in aerosol optical depths (AOD) and land surface albedos in the AeroCom models are manifested in the top‐of‐atmosphere (TOA) clear‐sky reflected shortwave (SW) fluxes. Biases in the SW fluxes from AeroCom models are quantitatively related to biases in AOD and land surface albedo by using their radiative kernels. Over ocean, AOD contributes about 25% to the S–N mean SW flux bias for the multi‐model mean (MMM) result. Over land, AOD and land surface albedo contribute about 40% and 30%, respectively, to the S–N mean SW flux bias for the MMM result. Furthermore, the spatial patterns of the SW flux biases derived from the radiative kernels are very similar to those between models and CERES observation, with the correlation coefficient of 0.6 over ocean and 0.76 over land for MMM using data of 2010. Satellite data used in this evaluation are derived independently from each other, consistencies in their bias patterns when compared with model simulations suggest that these patterns are robust. This highlights the importance of evaluating related variables in a synergistic manner to provide an unambiguous assessment of the models, as results from single parameter assessments are often confounded by measurement uncertainty. Model biases in land surface albedos can and must be corrected to accurately calculate TOA flux. We also compare the AOD trend from three models with the observation‐based counterpart. These models reproduce all notable trends in AOD except the decreasing trend over eastern China and the adjacent oceanic regions due to limitations in the emission data set.
Reelin depletion alleviates multiple myeloma bone disease by promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting osteolysis
Authors: Dou Aixia , Zhang Ying , Wang Yongjing , Liu Xiaoli , Guo Yanan
Published: August 2021

Extracellular matrix glycoprotein Reelin is associated with tumor metastasis and prognosis in various malignancies. However, its effects on multiple myeloma (MM) are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the regulatory effects of Reelin on MM and its underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Lentivirus plasmid containing short hairpin RNA targeting Reelin (LV3-Reln) was transfected into SP2/0 cells to knockdown Reelin expression. Flow cytometry assay analyzed cell cycle and apoptosis while Transwell assay evaluated invasiveness. BALB/c mice were inoculated with LV3-Reln-transfected SP2/0 cells to establish MM model. Primary myeloma cells and osteoblasts/osteoclast were isolated from tumor tissue and limb long bones respectively. ELISA examined serum biomarkers and immunohistochemistry detected immunoglobulin light chain expression. Morphological changes and osteoclast/osteoblast differentiation were observed by histological staining. mRNA and proteins expression were determined by qPCR and WB. In vitro studies showed that Reelin depletion regulated osteolysis and osteogenesis balance, cell cycle, invasiveness, and apoptosis in SP2/0 cells. In LV3-Reln mice, tumor growth and invasiveness were suppressed, meanwhile, reduced osteoclast activation and enhanced osteoblast activity were observed. Reelin knockdown alleviated extramedullary morbidity and inhibited spleen immune cell apoptosis by down-regulating CDK5, IL-10, and Cyto-C expression. Furthermore, reduced Reelin expression restrained osteoclast differentiation while promoted osteogenesis in the bone of LV3-Reln mice. This was further supported by down-regulation of osteolytic specific mRNAs and proteins (Trap, Mmp9, Ctsk, Clcn7) and up-regulation of osteogenic specific ones (COL-1, Runx2, β-Catenin). Reelin exerted important impacts on myeloma development through rebalancing osteolysis and osteogenesis, thus might be a potential therapeutic target for MM.
Global spread of Salmonella Enteritidis via centralized sourcing and international trade of poultry breeding stocks
Authors: Li Shaoting , He Yingshu , Mann David Ames , Deng Xiangyu
Published: August 2021

A pandemic of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis emerged in the 1980s due to contaminated poultry products. How Salmonella Enteritidis rapidly swept through continents remains a historical puzzle as the pathogen continues to cause outbreaks and poultry supply becomes globalized. We hypothesize that international trade of infected breeding stocks causes global spread of the pathogen. By integrating over 30,000 Salmonella Enteritidis genomes from 98 countries during 1949–2020 and international trade of live poultry from the 1980s to the late 2010s, we present multifaceted evidence that converges on a high likelihood, global scale, and extended protraction of Salmonella Enteritidis dissemination via centralized sourcing and international trade of breeding stocks. We discovered recent, genetically near-identical isolates from domestically raised poultry in North and South America. We obtained phylodynamic characteristics of global Salmonella Enteritidis populations that lend spatiotemporal support for its dispersal from centralized origins during the pandemic. We identified concordant patterns of international trade of breeding stocks and quantitatively established a driving role of the trade in the geographic dispersal of Salmonella Enteritidis, suggesting that the centralized origins were infected breeding stocks. Here we demonstrate the value of integrative and hypothesis-driven data mining in unravelling otherwise difficult-to-probe pathogen dissemination from hidden origins.
Predicting base editing outcomes with an attention-based deep learning algorithm trained on high-throughput target library screens
Authors: Marquart Kim F. , Allam Ahmed , Janjuha Sharan , Sintsova Anna , Villiger Lukas , Frey Nina , Krauthammer Michael , Schwank Gerald
Published: August 2021

Base editors are chimeric ribonucleoprotein complexes consisting of a DNA-targeting CRISPR-Cas module and a single-stranded DNA deaminase. They enable transition of C•G into T•A base pairs and vice versa on genomic DNA. While base editors have great potential as genome editing tools for basic research and gene therapy, their application has been hampered by a broad variation in editing efficiencies on different genomic loci. Here we perform an extensive analysis of adenine- and cytosine base editors on a library of 28,294 lentivirally integrated genetic sequences and establish BE-DICT, an attention-based deep learning algorithm capable of predicting base editing outcomes with high accuracy. BE-DICT is a versatile tool that in principle can be trained on any novel base editor variant, facilitating the application of base editing for research and therapy.
T cell receptor recognition of hybrid insulin peptides bound to HLA-DQ8
Authors: Tran Mai T. , Faridi Pouya , Lim Jia Jia , Ting Yi Tian , Onwukwe Goodluck , Bhattacharjee Pushpak , Jones Claerwen M. , Tresoldi Eleonora , Cameron Fergus J. , La Gruta Nicole L. , Purcell Anthony W. , Mannering Stuart I. , Rossjohn Jamie , Reid Hugh H.
Published: August 2021

HLA-DQ8, a genetic risk factor in type I diabetes (T1D), presents hybrid insulin peptides (HIPs) to autoreactive CD4+ T cells. The abundance of spliced peptides binding to HLA-DQ8 and how they are subsequently recognised by the autoreactive T cell repertoire is unknown. Here we report, the HIP (GQVELGGGNAVEVLK), derived from splicing of insulin and islet amyloid polypeptides, generates a preferred peptide-binding motif for HLA-DQ8. HLA-DQ8-HIP tetramer+ T cells from the peripheral blood of a T1D patient are characterised by repeated TRBV5 usage, which matches the TCR bias of CD4+ T cells reactive to the HIP peptide isolated from the pancreatic islets of a patient with T1D. The crystal structure of three TRBV5+ TCR-HLA-DQ8-HIP complexes shows that the TRBV5-encoded TCR β-chain forms a common landing pad on the HLA-DQ8 molecule. The N- and C-termini of the HIP is recognised predominantly by the TCR α-chain and TCR β-chain, respectively, in all three TCR ternary complexes. Accordingly, TRBV5 + TCR recognition of HIP peptides might occur via a ‘polarised’ mechanism, whereby each chain within the αβTCR heterodimer recognises distinct origins of the spliced peptide presented by HLA-DQ8.
Opposing roles for striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons in dorsolateral striatum in consolidating new instrumental actions
Authors: Smith Alexander C. W. , Jonkman Sietse , Difeliceantonio Alexandra G. , O’Connor Richard M. , Ghoshal Soham , Romano Michael F. , Everitt Barry J. , Kenny Paul J.
Published: August 2021

Comparatively little is known about how new instrumental actions are encoded in the brain. Using whole-brain c-Fos mapping, we show that neural activity is increased in the anterior dorsolateral striatum (aDLS) of mice that successfully learn a new lever-press response to earn food rewards. Post-learning chemogenetic inhibition of aDLS disrupts consolidation of the new instrumental response. Similarly, post-learning infusion of the protein synthesis inhibitor anisomycin into the aDLS disrupts consolidation of the new response. Activity of D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) increases and D2-MSNs activity decreases in the aDLS during consolidation. Chemogenetic inhibition of D1-MSNs in aDLS disrupts the consolidation process whereas D2-MSN inhibition strengthens consolidation but blocks the expression of previously learned habit-like responses. These findings suggest that D1-MSNs in the aDLS encode new instrumental actions whereas D2-MSNs oppose this new learning and instead promote expression of habitual actions.
Sympathetic cooling of a trapped proton mediated by an LC circuit
Authors: Bohman M. , Grunhofer V. , Smorra C. , Wiesinger M. , Will C. , Borchert M. J. , Devlin J. A. , Erlewein S. , Fleck M. , Gavranovic S. , Harrington J. , Latacz B. , Mooser A. , Popper D. , Wursten E. , Blaum K. , Matsuda Y. , Ospelkaus C. , Quint W. , Walz J. , Ulmer S. ,   BASE Collaboration
Published: August 2021

Efficient cooling of trapped charged particles is essential to many fundamental physics experiments1,2, to high-precision metrology3,4 and to quantum technology5,6. Until now, sympathetic cooling has required close-range Coulomb interactions7,8, but there has been a sustained desire to bring laser-cooling techniques to particles in macroscopically separated traps5,9,10, extending quantum control techniques to previously inaccessible particles such as highly charged ions, molecular ions and antimatter. Here we demonstrate sympathetic cooling of a single proton using laser-cooled Be+ ions in spatially separated Penning traps. The traps are connected by a superconducting LC circuit that enables energy exchange over a distance of 9 cm. We also demonstrate the cooling of a resonant mode of a macroscopic LC circuit with laser-cooled ions and sympathetic cooling of an individually trapped proton, reaching temperatures far below the environmental temperature. Notably, as this technique uses only image–current interactions, it can be easily applied to an experiment with antiprotons1, facilitating improved precision in matter–antimatter comparisons11 and dark matter searches12,13.
EEG microstate in obstructive sleep apnea patients
Authors: Xiong Xin , Ren Yuyan , Gao Shenghan , Luo Jianhua , Liao Jiangli , Wang Chunwu , Yi Sanli , Liu Ruixiang , Xiang Yan , He Jianfeng
Published: August 2021

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep respiratory disease. Previous studies have found that the wakefulness electroencephalogram (EEG) of OSA patients has changed, such as increased EEG power. However, whether the microstates reflecting the transient state of the brain is abnormal is unclear during obstructive hypopnea (OH). We investigated the microstates of sleep EEG in 100 OSA patients. Then correlation analysis was carried out between microstate parameters and EEG markers of sleep disturbance, such as power spectrum, sample entropy and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA). OSA_OH patients showed that the microstate C increased presence and the microstate D decreased presence compared to OSA_withoutOH patients and controls. The fifth microstate E appeared during N1-OH, but the probability of other microstates transferring to microstate E was small. According to the correlation analysis, OSA_OH patients in N1-OH showed that the microstate D was positively correlated with delta power, and negatively correlated with beta and alpha power; the transition probability of the microstate B → C and E → C was positively correlated with alpha power. In other sleep stages, the microstate parameters were not correlated with power, sample entropy and FDA. We might interpret that the abnormal transition of brain active areas of OSA patients in N1-OH stage leads to abnormal microstates, which might be related to the change of alpha activity in the cortex.
Individual and population dietary specialization decline in fin whales during a period of ecosystem shift
Authors: Jory Cabrol , Lesage Véronique , Leclerc Alexandra , Giard Janie , Iverson Sara , Bérubé Martine , Michaud Robert , Nozais Christian
Published: August 2021

This study sought to estimate the effect of an anthropogenic and climate-driven change in prey availability on the degree of individual and population specialization of a large marine predator, the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). We examined skin biopsies from 99 fin whales sampled in the St. Lawrence Estuary (Canada) over a nine year period (1998–2006) during which environmental change was documented. We analyzed stable isotope ratios in skin and fatty acid signatures in blubber samples of whales, as well as in seven potential prey species, and diet was quantitatively assessed using Bayesian isotopic models. An abrupt change in fin whale dietary niche coincided with a decrease in biomass of their predominant prey, Arctic krill (Thysanoessaspp.). This dietary niche widening toward generalist diets occurred in nearly 60% of sampled individuals. The fin whale population, typically composed of specialists of either krill or lipid-rich pelagic fishes, shifted toward one composed either of krill specialists or true generalists feeding on various zooplankton and fish prey. This change likely reduced intraspecific competition. In the context of the current “Atlantification” of northern water masses, our findings emphasize the importance of considering individual-specific foraging tactics and not only population or group average responses when assessing population resilience or when implementing conservation measures.
Comparative transcriptomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infected cell model systems reveals differential innate immune responses
Authors: Sun Guihua , Cui Qi , Garcia Gustavo , Wang Cheng , Zhang Mingzi , Arumugaswami Vaithilingaraja , Riggs Arthur D. , Shi Yanhong
Published: August 2021

The transcriptome of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells that reflects the interplay between host and virus has provided valuable insights into mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease progression. In this study, we show that SARS-CoV-2 can establish a robust infection in HEK293T cells that overexpress human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) without triggering significant host immune response. Instead, endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response-related pathways are predominantly activated. By comparing our data with published transcriptome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in other cell lines, we found that the expression level of hACE2 directly correlates with the viral load in infected cells but not with the scale of immune responses. Only cells that express high level of endogenous hACE2 exhibit an extensive immune attack even with a low viral load. Therefore, the infection route may be critical for the extent of the immune response, thus the severity of COVID-19 disease status.
Investigation of major amino acid residues of anti-norfloxacin monoclonal antibodies responsible for binding with fluoroquinolones
Authors: Boonserm Patamalai , Puthong Songchan , Wichai Thanaporn , Noitang Sajee , Khunrae Pongsak , Sooksai Sarintip , Komolpis Kittinan
Published: August 2021

It is important to understand the amino acid residues that govern the properties of the binding between antibodies and ligands. We studied the binding of two anti-norfloxacins, anti-nor 132 and anti-nor 155, and the fluoroquinolones norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin. Binding cross-reactivities tested by an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay indicated that anti-nor 132 (22–100%) had a broader range of cross-reactivity than anti-nor 155 (62–100%). These cross-reactivities correlated with variations in the numbers of interacting amino acid residues and their positions. Molecular docking was employed to investigate the molecular interactions between the fluoroquinolones and the monoclonal antibodies. Homology models of the heavy chain and light chain variable regions of each mAb 3D structure were docked with the fluoroquinolones targeting the crucial part of the complementarity-determining regions. The fluoroquinolone binding site of anti-nor 155 was a region of the HCDR3 and LCDR3 loops in which hydrogen bonds were formed with TYR (H:35), ASN (H:101), LYS (H:106), ASN (L:92), and ASN (L:93). These regions were further away in anti-nor 132 and could not contact the fluoroquinolones. Another binding region consisting of HIS (L:38) and ASP (H:100) was found for norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin, whereas only ASP (H:100) was found for ofloxacin.
Simulation of gas sensing mechanism of porous metal oxide semiconductor sensor based on finite element analysis
Authors: Li Songlin , Zhang Min , Wang Hai
Published: August 2021

In recent years, finite element analysis is increasingly adopted to simulate the mechanism of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) resistive gas sensors. In this article, the chemical reaction engineering module in the COMSOL Multiphysics tool is used to describe the dynamic equilibrium process of oxygen ions in the sensor. The boundary conditions of temperature transfer, conductivity model, and mass transfer are applied to simulate the convection, diffusion, and penetration processes. The response of the sensor at different temperatures (445 K–521 K) and different target gas concentrations (1–500 ppm) is simulated. In this paper, the dynamic model of oxygen ions is used creatively as a bridge between gas concentration and sensor response instead of the traditional direct parameter fitting method. The simulated result of the surface oxygen ion control and permeability control model of the MOS gas sensor shows a good agreement with the real sensor. For explaining the principle of metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors simulations has been performed on COMSOL Multiphysics software. The proposed method in this paper is based on the underlying transfer logic of the sensor signal, it is expected to predict the sensor signal and assist the sensor design.
Novel metabolomic profile of subjects with non-classic apparent mineralocorticoid excess
Authors: Tapia-Castillo Alejandra , Carvajal Cristian A. , López-Cortés Xaviera , Vecchiola Andrea , Fardella Carlos E.
Published: August 2021

Nonclassic apparent mineralocorticoid excess (NC-AME) is proposed as a novel clinical condition with a mild phenotypic spectrum that ranges from normotension to severe hypertension. This condition is mainly characterized by a high serum cortisol to cortisone ratio (F/E) and concomitant low cortisone (E), however further metabolic changes in NC-AME have not been studied. A cross-sectional study was performed in a primary-care cohort of 396 Chilean subjects, which were classified in two groups: NC-AME (n = 28) and healthy controls (n = 27). A discovery study based in untargeted metabolomics assay in serum samples from both groups was performed by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Global metabolomic variations were assayed by principal component analysis and further compared by orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). NC-AME subjects exhibited higher values of blood pressure, fractional excretion of potassium, and lower plasma renin activity and urinary sodium to potassium ratio. Metabolomic analyses showed 36 differentially regulated metabolites between NC-AME and control subjects. A ROC curve analyses identified eight metabolites with high discriminatory capacity between NC-AME and control subjects. Moreover, gamma-l-glutamyl-l-methionine sulfoxide and 5-sulfoxymethylfurfural, exhibited significant association with cortisone, which are potential biomarkers of NC-AME, however further assays should elucidate its biological role in setup and progression of this phenotype.