bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fefferman–Stein Inequalities for the Hardy–Littlewood Maximal Function on the Infinite Rooted k-ary Tree
Authors: Ombrosi Sheldy , Rivera-Ríos Israel P , Safe Martín D
Published: August 2020

In this paper, weighted endpoint estimates for the Hardy–Littlewood maximal function on the infinite rooted $k$-ary tree are provided. Motivated by Naor and Tao [ 23], the following Fefferman–Stein estimate $$\begin{align*}& w\left(\left\{ x\in T\,:\,Mf(x)>\lambda\right\} \right)\leq c_{s}\frac{1}{\lambda}\int_{T}|f(x)|M(w^{s})(x)^{\frac{1}{s}}\: \text{d}x\qquad s>1\end{align*}$$is settled, and moreover, it is shown that it is sharp, in the sense that it does not hold in general if $s=1$. Some examples of nontrivial weights such that the weighted weak type $(1,1)$ estimate holds are provided. A strong Fefferman–Stein-type estimate and as a consequence some vector-valued extensions are obtained. In the appendix, a weighted counterpart of the abstract theorem of Soria and Tradacete [ 38] on infinite trees is established.
Bounding Tangencies of Sections on Elliptic Surfaces
Authors: Ulmer Douglas , Urzúa Giancarlo
Published: August 2020

Given an elliptic surface $\mathcal{E}\to \mathcal{C}$ over a field $k$ of characteristic zero equipped with zero section $O$ and another section $P$ of infinite order, we give a simple and explicit upper bound on the number of points where $O$ is tangent to a multiple of $P$.
Safe use of the EHR by medical scribes: a qualitative study
Authors: Ash Joan S , Corby Sky , Mohan Vishnu , Solberg Nicholas , Becton James , Bergstrom Robby , Orwoll Benjamin , Hoekstra Christopher , Gold Jeffrey A
Published: August 2020

Objective

Hiring medical scribes to document in the electronic health record (EHR) on behalf of providers could pose patient safety risks because scribes often have no clinical training. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of scribes on patient safety. This included identification of best practices to assure that scribe use of the EHR is not a patient safety risk.

Materials and Methods

Using a sociotechnical framework and the Rapid Assessment Process, we conducted ethnographic data gathering at 5 purposively selected sites. Data were analyzed using a grounded inductive/hermeneutic approach.

Results

We conducted site visits at 12 clinics and emergency departments within 5 organizations in the US between 2017 and 2019. We did 76 interviews with 81 people and spent 80 person-hours observing scribes working with providers. Interviewees believe and observations indicate that scribes decrease patient safety risks. Analysis of the data yielded 12 themes within a 4-dimension sociotechnical framework. Results about the “technical” dimension indicated that the EHR is not considered overly problematic by either scribes or providers. The “environmental” dimension included the changing scribe industry and need for standards. Within the “personal” dimension, themes included the need for provider diligence and training when using scribes. Finally, the “organizational” dimension highlighted the positive effect scribes have on documentation efficiency, quality, and safety.

Conclusion

Participants perceived risks related to the EHR can be less with scribes. If healthcare organizations and scribe companies follow best practices and if providers as well as scribes receive training, safety can actually improve.
A citizen science initiative for open data and visualization of COVID-19 outbreak in Kerala, India
Authors: Ulahannan Jijo Pulickiyil , Narayanan Nikhil , Thalhath Nishad , Prabhakaran Prem , Chaliyeduth Sreekanth , Suresh Sooraj P , Mohammed Musfir , Rajeevan E , Joseph Sindhu , Balakrishnan Akhil , Uthaman Jeevan , Karingamadathil Manoj , Thomas Sunil Thonikkuzhiyil , Sureshkumar Unnikrishnan , Balan Shabeesh , Vellichirammal Neetha Nanoth ,   the Collective for Open Data Distribution-Keralam (CODD-K) consortium
Published: August 2020

Objective

India reported its first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case in the state of Kerala and an outbreak initiated subsequently. The Department of Health Services, Government of Kerala, initially released daily updates through daily textual bulletins for public awareness to control the spread of the disease. However, these unstructured data limit upstream applications, such as visualization, and analysis, thus demanding refinement to generate open and reusable datasets.

Materials and Methods

Through a citizen science initiative, we leveraged publicly available and crowd-verified data on COVID-19 outbreak in Kerala from the government bulletins and media outlets to generate reusable datasets. This was further visualized as a dashboard through a front-end Web application and a JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) repository, which serves as an application programming interface for the front end.

Results

From the sourced data, we provided real-time analysis, and daily updates of COVID-19 cases in Kerala, through a user-friendly bilingual dashboard (https://covid19kerala.info/) for nonspecialists. To ensure longevity and reusability, the dataset was deposited in an open-access public repository for future analysis. Finally, we provide outbreak trends and demographic characteristics of the individuals affected with COVID-19 in Kerala during the first 138 days of the outbreak.

Discussion

We anticipate that our dataset can form the basis for future studies, supplemented with clinical and epidemiological data from the individuals affected with COVID-19 in Kerala.

Conclusions

We reported a citizen science initiative on the COVID-19 outbreak in Kerala to collect and deposit data in a structured format, which was utilized for visualizing the outbreak trend and describing demographic characteristics of affected individuals.
AMPK differentially alters sulphated glycosaminoglycans under normal and high glucose milieu in proximal tubular cells
Authors: Shrikanth C B , Jagannath Sanjana , Chilkunda Nandini D
Published: August 2020

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are two critical molecular players involved in cellular homeostasis. Both of them are altered due to hyperglycaemia in the kidney, leading to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Here, we have looked into the effect of AMPK modulation on sulphated GAG (sGAG) levels of tubular cells of proximal and distal origin to understand the mechanism of hyperglycaemia-mediated pathogenesis of the diabetic nephropathy. In MDCK cells (distal tubular cell) and NRK-52E (proximal tubular cell), AMPK inhibition resulted in increased sGAG levels under normal glucose conditions characteristically of heparan sulphate class, whereas AMPK activation did not have any effect. High glucose (HG) condition did not alter sGAG levels in MDCK cell despite a decrease in AMPK phosphorylation. Subjecting NRK-52E cells to HG milieu significantly decreased sGAG levels more so of chondroitin/dermatan sulphate, which is significantly prevented when HG is co-treated with AMPK activator. Interestingly, knockdown of AMPK by AMPKα1/α2 siRNA showed increased sGAG levels in NRK-52E. Our results suggest that changes in sGAG level, in particular, as a result of AMPK modulation is differentially regulated and is dependent on cell type as well as its physiological status. Furthermore, activation of AMPK is beneficial in preventing the HG-mediated decrease in sGAGs in proximal tubular cells.
Frivolous and Abuse of Process Claims in Investor–State Arbitration: Can Rules on Cost Allocation Become Solution?
Authors: Polonskaya Ksenia
Published: August 2020

The problem of frivolous and abuse of process claims has gained a significant traction in the deliberations of the UNCITRAL Working Group III. In light of this focus, this article examines existing approaches of the arbitral tribunals to identifying frivolous and abuse of process claims and allocating costs for these types of claims. The article reveals inconsistencies in shifting the costs, and concludes that current rules on cost allocation are unlikely to create ex ante deterrence in filing of such claims.
Ginsenosides regulate adventitious root formation in Panax ginseng via a CLE45–WOX11 regulatory module
Authors: Liu Juan , Chen Tong , Zhang Jie , Li Chen , Xu Yanhong , Zheng Han , Zhou Junhui , Zha Liangping , Jiang Chao , Jin Yan , Nan Tiegui , Yi Jinhao , Sun Peiwen , Yuan Yuan , Huang Luqi
Published: August 2020

Adventitious root branching is vital to plant growth and regeneration, but the regulation of this process remains unclear. We therefore investigated how ginsenosides regulate adventitious root branching in Panax ginseng. Cell proliferation and adventitious root branching were decreased in the presence of ginsenoside Rb1 and a high concentration of ginsenoside Re, but increased when treating with a low concentration of Re. Moreover, the exogenous application of a synthetic dodeca-amino acid peptide that has a CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION-related (CLE) motif corresponding to PgCLE45 retarded root growth in both ginseng and Arabidopsis. The root Re levels and the expression of the DDS, CYP716A47, and CYP716A53 genes that encode enzymes involved in ginsenoside synthesis were decreased in the presence of PgCLE45. The expression profiles of PgWOX and PgCLE genes were determined to further investigate the CLE–WOX signaling pathway. The levels of PgWOX11 transcripts showed an inverse pattern to PgCLE45 transcripts. Using yeast one-hybrid assay, EMSA, and ChIP assay, we showed that PgWOX11 bound to the PgCLE45 promoter, which contained the HD motif. Transient expression assay showed that PgWOX11 induced the expression of PgCLE45 in adventitious roots, while PgCLE45 suppressed the expression of PgWOX11. These results suggest that there is a negative feedback regulation between PgCLE45 and PgWOX11. Taken together, these data show that ginsenosides regulate adventitious root branching via a novel PgCLE45–PgWOX11 regulatory loop, providing a potential mechanism for the regulation of adventitious root branching.
Combat Facial Fractures Sustained During Operation Resolute Support and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan
Authors: Breeze John , Gensheimer William , DuBose Joseph J
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Facial fractures sustained in combat are generally unrepresentative of those commonly experienced in civilian practice. In the US military, acute trauma patient care is guided by the Joint Trauma System Clinical Practice Guidelines but currently none exists for facial trauma.

Materials and methods

All casualties that underwent surgery to facial fractures between January 01, 2016 and September 15, 2019 at a US deployed Military Treatment Facility in Afghanistan were identified using the operating room database. Surgical operative records and outpatient records for local Afghan nationals returning for follow-up were reviewed to determine outcomes.

Results

55 casualties underwent treatment of facial fractures; these were predominantly from explosive devices (27/55, 49%). About 46/55 (84%) were local nationals, of which 32 (70%) were followed up. Length of follow-up ranged between 1 and 25 months. About 36/93 (39%) of all planned procedures developed complications, with the highest being from ORIF mandible (18/23, 78%). About 8/23 (35%) casualties undergoing ORIF mandible developed osteomyelitis, of which 5 developed nonunion. Complications were equally likely to occur in those procedures for “battlefield type” events such as explosive devices and gunshot wounds (31/68, 46%) as those from “civilian type” events such as falls or motor vehicle collisions (5/11, 45%).

Conclusions

Complications Rates from facial fractures were higher than that reported in civilian trauma. This likely reflects factors such as energy deposition, bacterial load, and time to treatment. Load sharing osteosynthesis should be the default modality for fracture fixation. External fixation should be considered in particular for complex high-energy or infected mandible fractures where follow-up is possible.
Why Shifting Our Mindset Matters
Authors: Woo Jason J Y
Published: August 2020

The transformation to health and readiness for individuals and organizations, while structured in common strategies, metrics, and process improvement frameworks used throughout healthcare, will not be achieved or sustained without a shift in mindset.
How the breakout-limited mass in B-star centrifugal magnetospheres controls their circumstellar H α emission
Authors: Owocki Stanley P , Shultz Matt E , ud-Doula Asif , Sundqvist Jon O , Townsend Richard H D , Cranmer Steven R
Published: August 2020

Strongly magnetic B-type stars with moderately rapid rotation form ‘centrifugal magnetospheres’ (CMs) from the magnetic trapping of stellar wind material in a region above the Kepler co-rotation radius. A long-standing question is whether the eventual loss of such trapped material occurs from gradual drift and/or diffusive leakage, or through sporadic ‘centrifugal breakout’ (CBO) events, wherein magnetic tension can no longer contain the built-up mass. We argue here that recent empirical results for Balmer-α emission from such B-star CMs strongly favour the CBO mechanism. Most notably, the fact that the onset of such emission depends mainly on the field strength at the Kepler radius, and is largely independent of the stellar luminosity, strongly disfavours any drift/diffusion process, for which the net mass balance would depend on the luminosity-dependent wind feeding rate. In contrast, we show that in a CBO model, the maximum confined mass in the magnetosphere is independent of this wind feeding rate and has a dependence on field strength and Kepler radius that naturally explains the empirical scalings for the onset of H α emission, its associated equivalent width, and even its line profile shapes. However, the general lack of observed Balmer emission in late-B and A-type stars could still be attributed to a residual level of diffusive or drift leakage that does not allow their much weaker winds to fill their CMs to the breakout level needed for such emission; alternatively, this might result from a transition to a metal–ion wind that lacks the requisite hydrogen.
When Sex Chromosomes Recombine Only in the Heterogametic Sex: Heterochiasmy and Heterogamety inHylaTree Frogs
Authors: Dufresnes Christophe , Brelsford Alan , Baier Felix , Perrin Nicolas
Published: August 2020

Sex chromosomes are classically predicted to stop recombining in the heterogametic sex, thereby enforcing linkage between sex-determining (SD) and sex-antagonistic (SA) genes. With the same rationale, a pre-existing sex asymmetry in recombination is expected to affect the evolution of heterogamety, for example, a low rate of male recombination might favor transitions to XY systems, by generating immediate linkage between SD and SA genes. Furthermore, the accumulation of deleterious mutations on nonrecombining Y chromosomes should favor XY-to-XY transitions (which discard the decayed Y), but disfavor XY-to-ZW transitions (which fix the decayed Y as an autosome). Like many anuran amphibians, Hyla tree frogs have been shown to display drastic heterochiasmy (males only recombine at chromosome tips) and are typically XY, which seems to fit the above expectations. Instead, here we demonstrate that two species, H. sarda and H. savignyi, share a common ZW system since at least 11 Ma. Surprisingly, the typical pattern of restricted male recombination has been maintained since then, despite female heterogamety. Hence, sex chromosomes recombine freely in ZW females, not in ZZ males. This suggests that heterochiasmy does not constrain heterogamety (and vice versa), and that the role of SA genes in the evolution of sex chromosomes might have been overemphasized.
RNA-binding and prion domains: the Yin and Yang of phase separation
Authors: Gotor Nieves Lorenzo , Armaos Alexandros , Calloni Giulia , Torrent Burgas Marc , Vabulas R Martin , De Groot Natalia Sanchez , Tartaglia Gian Gaetano
Published: August 2020

Proteins and RNAs assemble in membrane-less organelles that organize intracellular spaces and regulate biochemical reactions. The ability of proteins and RNAs to form condensates is encoded in their sequences, yet it is unknown which domains drive the phase separation (PS) process and what are their specific roles. Here, we systematically investigated the human and yeast proteomes to find regions promoting condensation. Using advanced computational methods to predict the PS propensity of proteins, we designed a set of experiments to investigate the contributions of Prion-Like Domains (PrLDs) and RNA-binding domains (RBDs). We found that one PrLD is sufficient to drive PS, whereas multiple RBDs are needed to modulate the dynamics of the assemblies. In the case of stress granule protein Pub1 we show that the PrLD promotes sequestration of protein partners and the RBD confers liquid-like behaviour to the condensate. Our work sheds light on the fine interplay between RBDs and PrLD to regulate formation of membrane-less organelles, opening up the avenue for their manipulation.
Adverse gastrointestinal events with sodium polystyrene sulphonate and calcium polystyrene sulphonate use in dialysis patients: a nationwide registry study
Authors: Ferreira João Pedro , Couchoud Cécile , Edet Stéphane , Brunet Philippe , Frimat Luc
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Sodium polystyrene sulphonate (SPS) and calcium polystyrene sulphonate (CPS) are commonly used cation-exchange resins for the treatment and control of hyperkalaemia. However, their use (particularly SPS) has been limited by reports of adverse gastrointestinal (GI) events. The safety of these compounds in patients undergoing dialysis requires larger investigation.

Aims

To study the occurrence of adverse GI events (occlusion, perforation, thrombosis/ischaemia) in the periods of SPS or CPS exposition versus the periods without exposition in dialysis patients.

Methods

Dialysis patients were extracted from the French National Registry and merged with the French hospital discharge database (between 2006 and 2017). For our primary analysis, we used patients who had any claim of SPS use (n = 43 771). Time-varying Cox models, negative binomial regression and pre- versus post-treatment average treatment effects.

Results

The mean age was 66 ± 15 years, 37% were female and 92% were undergoing haemodialysis. Over a 1-year follow-up, patients on periods with SPS (on-SPS) did not present an increased risk of adverse GI events versus the periods without SPS (off-SPS):  incidence rate (IR) (per 1000 person years) = 7.4 (6.4–8.7) versus 9.5 (8.1–11.0); adjusted hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) = 0.81 (0.60–1.09), P = 0.17. Patients exposed to SPS did not experience a higher rate of adverse GI events in the year after SPS initiation versus the year before SPS initiation; P-value for parallel trend = 0.87. Patients on-CPS also did not show an increased risk of adverse GI events versus off-CPS: IR (per 1000 py) = 8.6 (5.1–11.9) versus 7.8 (5.1–11.9); adjusted HR (95% CI) = 0.76 (0.31–1.80), P = 0.52. The rates of adverse GI events in the periods on and off exposure were also similar over a follow-up of 5 years.

Conclusion

Our large, nationwide study shows that the incidence of adverse GI events in patients undergoing dialysis was low and that neither the use of SPS nor CPS was associated with increased GI events risk.
Nutritional interventions for the management of frailty in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Moraes Mariana B de , Avgerinou Christina , Fukushima Fernanda B , Vidal Edison I O
Published: August 2020

Context

Although nutrition is considered an important intervention for the management of frailty, the actual effectiveness of interventions addressing nutrition in frail older people remains unclear.

Objective

The aim for this systematic review was to appraise the evidence regarding the effectiveness of nutritional interventions for the management of frailty in older adults.

Data Extraction

We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature databases were searched from January 2001 to November 2019. Two independent reviewers extracted relevant data. From 2370 initial records, 19 publications presenting data from 17 studies (1564 individuals; follow-up: 7–96 weeks) were included.

Data Analysis

None of the Bayesian random-effects meta-analyses comparing nutritional supplements with placebo regarding mortality, body mass index, weight, frailty status, muscle strength, gait speed, body composition, and cognitive function showed statistically significant differences. The same applies to a single meta-analysis comparing nutritional education with general health advice regarding muscle strength.

Conclusion

Our results suggest, mostly with low to very low degrees of certainty, that nutritional supplements or nutritional education delivered in isolation may not be effective for the management of frailty in older people.

Review registration number

CRD42018111510 (PROSPERO).
Factors influencing treatment outcomes of tuberculosis patients attending health facilities in Galkayo Puntland, Somalia
Authors: Kassim Said Abasse , Cote Andre , Kassim Said Mohamed , Abbas Muhammad , Baig Mirza Muhammad Faran Ashraf , Ahmed Abdiweli Mohamed , Hussein Mahamoud M , Li Xiaobo , Chen Rui
Published: August 2020

Aim

This study evaluated the underlying factors associated with poor tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcomes among patients attending health care facilities in Galkayo, Puntland, Somalia.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted between 2016 and 2017 in three selected TB clinics. Data were collected from 400 TB patients, through medical record review and structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results

Of the 400 TB respondents, 57.3% were new cases, 12.3% had smear-negative TB and 12.5% had extrapulmonary TB. The median age was (35.66 ± 13.16) with majority being male (65.5%). Overall, 85% of patients were successfully treated, 9.7% failed and 5.3% defaulted. Multivariate analysis revealed that patient’s body weight (odds ratio [OR]: 1.078); diabetes (OR: 8.022); family size (OR: 3.851); patients’ delay in diagnosis (OR: 11.946); frequency of receiving anti-TB medication (OR: 9.068); smoker (OR: 5.723); category of patients (retreatment versus new, OR: 5.504; retreatment versus transfer in, OR: 4.957); health facilities (OR: 6.716) and treatment duration (OR: 132.091) were independent factors associated with poor TB outcomes.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the need to improve TB services for vulnerable groups. They also emphasize the need for health system strengthening, public awareness and risk of treatment interruption. This may reduce both patients’ delay in seeking care and TB treatment failure in Galkayo district.
Respiratory Effects of Exposure to Aerosol From the Candidate Modified-Risk Tobacco Product THS 2.2 in an 18-Month Systems Toxicology Study With A/J Mice
Authors: Titz Bjoern , Sewer Alain , Luettich Karsta , Wong Ee Tsin , Guedj Emmanuel , Nury Catherine , Schneider Thomas , Xiang Yang , Trivedi Keyur , Vuillaume Grégory , Leroy Patrice , Büttner Ansgar , Martin Florian , Ivanov Nikolai V , Vanscheeuwijck Patrick , Hoeng Julia , Peitsch Manuel C
Published: August 2020

Smoking cessation is the most effective measure for reducing the risk of smoking-related diseases. However, switching to less harmful products (modified-risk tobacco products [MRTP]) can be an alternative to help reduce the risk for adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke. In an 18-month chronic carcinogenicity/toxicity study in A/J mice (OECD Test Guideline 453), we assessed the aerosol of Tobacco Heating System 2.2 (THS 2.2), a candidate MRTP based on the heat-not-burn principle, compared with 3R4F cigarette smoke (CS). To capture toxicity- and disease-relevant mechanisms, we complemented standard toxicology endpoints with in-depth systems toxicology analyses. In this part of our publication series, we report on integrative assessment of the apical and molecular exposure effects on the respiratory tract (nose, larynx, and lungs). Across the respiratory tract, we found changes in inflammatory response following 3R4F CS exposure (eg, antimicrobial peptide response in the nose), with both shared and distinct oxidative and xenobiotic responses. Compared with 3R4F CS, THS 2.2 aerosol exerted far fewer effects on respiratory tract histology, including adaptive tissue changes in nasal and laryngeal epithelium and inflammation and emphysematous changes in the lungs. Integrative analysis of molecular changes confirmed the substantially lower impact of THS 2.2 aerosol than 3R4F CS on toxicologically and disease-relevant molecular processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress responses, and xenobiotic metabolism. In summary, this work exemplifies how apical and molecular endpoints can be combined effectively for toxicology assessment and further supports findings on the reduced respiratory health risks of THS 2.2 aerosol.
Tracking stimulus representation across a 2-back visual working memory task
Authors: Wan Quan , Cai Ying , Samaha Jason , Postle Bradley R.
Published: August 2020

How does the neural representation of visual working memory content vary with behavioural priority? To address this, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) while subjects performed a continuous-performance 2-back working memory task with oriented-grating stimuli. We tracked the transition of the neural representation of an item (
n
) from its initial encoding, to the status of ‘unprioritized memory item' (UMI), and back to ‘prioritized memory item', with multivariate inverted encoding modelling. Results showed that the representational format was remapped from its initially encoded format into a distinctive ‘opposite' representational format when it became a UMI and then mapped back into its initial format when subsequently prioritized in anticipation of its comparison with item
n
+ 2. Thus, contrary to the default assumption that the activity representing an item in working memory might simply get weaker when it is deprioritized, it may be that a process of
priority-based remapping
helps to protect remembered information when it is not in the focus of attention.
Exploring the time window for causal inference and the multisensory integration of actions and their visual effects
Authors: Debats Nienke B. , Heuer Herbert
Published: August 2020

Successful computer use requires the operator to link the movement of the cursor to that of his or her hand. Previous studies suggest that the brain establishes this perceptual link through multisensory integration, whereby the causality evidence that drives the integration is provided by the correlated hand and cursor movement trajectories. Here, we explored the temporal window during which this causality evidence is effective. We used a basic cursor-control task, in which participants performed out-and-back reaching movements with their hand on a digitizer tablet. A corresponding cursor movement could be shown on a monitor, yet slightly rotated by an angle that varied from trial to trial. Upon completion of the backward movement, participants judged the endpoint of the outward hand or cursor movement. The mutually biased judgements that typically result reflect the integration of the proprioceptive information on hand endpoint with the visual information on cursor endpoint. We here manipulated the time period during which the cursor was visible, thereby selectively providing causality evidence either before or after sensory information regarding the to-be-judged movement endpoint was available. Specifically, the cursor was visible either during the outward or backward hand movement (conditionsOutandBack, respectively). Our data revealed reduced integration in the conditionBackcompared with the conditionOut, suggesting that causality evidence available before the to-be-judged movement endpoint is more powerful than later evidence in determining how strongly the brain integrates the endpoint information. This finding further suggests that sensory integration is not delayed until a judgement is requested.
Higher trait mindfulness is associated with empathy but not with emotion recognition abilities
Authors: Vilaverde Ricardo F. , Correia Ana Isabel , Lima César F.
Published: August 2020

Mindfulness involves an intentional and non-judgemental attention or awareness of present-moment experiences. It can be cultivated by meditation practice or present as an inherent disposition or trait. Higher trait mindfulness has been associated with improved emotional skills, but evidence comes primarily from studies on emotion regulation. It remains unclear whether improvements extend to other aspects of emotional processing, namely the ability to recognize emotions in others. In the current study, 107 participants (
M
age
= 25.48 years) completed a measure of trait mindfulness, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and two emotion recognition tasks. These tasks required participants to categorize emotions in facial expressions and in speech prosody (modulations of the
tone of voice
). They also completed an empathy questionnaire and attention tasks. We found that higher trait mindfulness was associated positively with cognitive empathy, but not with the ability to recognize emotions. In fact, Bayesian analyses provided substantial evidence for the null hypothesis, both for emotion recognition in faces and in speech. Moreover, no associations were observed between mindfulness and attention performance. These findings suggest that the positive effects of trait mindfulness on emotional processing do not extend to emotion recognition abilities.
Suggestions for improving the visualization of magnetic resonance spectroscopy voxels and spectra
Authors: Truong Vuong , Duncan Niall W.
Published: August 2020

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has seen an increase in popularity as a method for studying the human brain. This approach is dependent on voxel localization and spectral quality, knowledge of which are essential for judging the validity and robustness of any analysis. As such, visualization plays a central role in appropriately communicating MRS studies. The quality of data visualization has been shown to be poor in a number of biomedical fields and so we sought to appraise this in MRS papers. To do this, we conducted a survey of the psychiatric single-voxel MRS literature. This revealed a generally low standard, with a significant proportion of papers not providing the voxel location and spectral quality information required to judge their validity or replicate the experiment. Based on this, we then present a series of suggestions for a minimal standard for MRS data visualization. The primary point of these is that both voxel location and MRS spectra be presented from all participants. Participant group membership should be indicated where more than one is included in the experiment (e.g. patients and controls). A set of suggested figure layouts that fulfil these requirements are presented with sample code provided to produce these (github.com/nwd2918/MRS-voxel-plot).
Ethylene glycol assisted three-dimensional floral evolution of BiFeO
3
-based nanostructures with effective magneto-electric response
Authors: Abbas Syed Kumail , Mustafa Ghulam M. , Saleem Murtaza , Sufyan Muhammad , Riaz Saira , Naseem Shahzad , Atiq Shahid
Published: August 2020

Controlled growth of nanostructures plays a vital role in tuning the physical and chemical properties of functional materials for advanced energy and memory storage devices. Herein, we synthesized hierarchical micro-sized flowers, built by the self-assembly of highly crystalline, two-dimensional nanoplates of Co- and Ni-doped BiFeO
3
, using a simple ethylene glycol-mediated solvothermal method. Pure BiFeO
3
attained scattered one-dimensional nanorods-type morphology having diameter nearly 60 nm. Co-doping of Co and Ni at Fe-site in BiFeO
3
does not destabilize the morphology; rather it generates three-dimensional floral patterns of self-assembled nanoplates. Unsaturated polarization loops obtained for BiFeO
3
confirmed the leakage behaviour of these rhombohedrally distorted cubic perovskites. These loops were then used to determine the energy density of the BiFeO
3
perovskites. Enhanced ferromagnetic behaviour with high coercivity and remanence was observed for these nanoplates. A detailed discussion about the origin of ferromagnetic behaviour based on Goodenough–Kanamori's rule is also a part of this paper. Impedance spectroscopy revealed a true Warburg capacitive behaviour of the synthesized nanoplates. High magneto-electric (ME) coefficient of 27 mV cm
−1
Oe
−1
at a bias field of −0.2 Oe was observed which confirmed the existence of ME coupling in these nanoplates.
Evaluating the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions for SARS-CoV-2 on a global scale
Authors: Esra Rachel , Jamieson Lise , Fox Matthew P. , Letswalo Daniel , Ngcobo Nkosinathi , Mngadi Sithabile , Estill Janne , Meyer-Rath Gesine , Keiser Olivia
Published: August 2020

In the absence of a viable pharmaceutical intervention for SARS-CoV-2, governments have implemented a range of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to curb the spread of infection of the virus and the disease caused by the virus, now known as COVID-19. Given the associated social and economic costs, it is critical to enumerate the individual impacts of NPIs to aid in decision-making moving forward. We used globally reported SARS-CoV-2 cases to fit a Bayesian model framework to estimate transmission associated with NPIs in 26 countries and 34 US states. Using a mixed effects model with country level random effects, we compared the relative impact of other NPIs to national-level household confinement measures and evaluated the impact of NPIs on the global trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic over time. We observed heterogeneous impacts of the easing of restrictions and estimated an overall reduction in infection of 23% (95% CI: 18-27%) associated with household confinement, 10% (95% CI: 1-18%) with limits on gatherings, 12% (95% CI: 5-19%) with school closures and 17% (95% CI: 6-28%) with mask policies. We estimated a 12% (95% CI: 9-15%) reduction in transmission associated with NPIs overall. The implementation of NPIs have substantially reduced acceleration of COVID-19. At this early time point, we cannot determine the impact of the easing of restrictions and there is a need for continual assessment of context specific effectiveness of NPIs as more data become available.
A new species ofTravassosinema(Oxyuridomorpha: Travassosinematidae) from an Indian millipede,Trigoniulus corallinus(Gervais)
Authors: Bhakat Somnath
Published: August 2020

Travassosinema bengalensisn. sp. is described from the hind gut of the spirobolid millipede,Trigoniulus corallinus(Gervais) from West Bengal, India. Females of the new species differ from the only known Indian species,T. travassosiRao, 1958 by several characters namely tail length, length of oesophagous, size of egg, extension of umbraculum etc. It is very similar to other three species ofTravassosinema, T. travassosi, T. thyropygiHunt, 1996 andT. claudiaeMorffe & Hasegawa, 2017 as all of them lack lateral alae and body contraction posterior to vulva. ExceptT. claudiae, it differs from all other species from millipedes by longest tail length (60% SL) and differs fromT. claudiaeby shorter oesophagous length and location of vulva.

A new method for presentation of morphometric data (in percentage to standard length) in nematode is suggested.

On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, it is suggested that umbraculum bearing genera,Indiana, Pulchrocephalashould be excluded from the family Travassosinematidae.
Identification of a prostaglandin E2 receptor that regulates mosquito oenocytoid immune cell function in limiting bacteria and parasite infection
Authors: Kwon Hyeogsun , Hall David R. , Smith Ryan C.
Published: August 2020

Lipid-derived signaling molecules known as eicosanoids have integral roles in mediating immune and inflammatory processes across metazoans. This includes the function of prostaglandins and their cognate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to employ their immunological actions. In insects, prostaglandins have been implicated in the regulation of both cellular and humoral immune responses, yet studies have been limited by the absence of a described prostaglandin receptor. Here, we characterize a prostaglandin E2 receptor (AgPGE2R) in the mosquitoAnopheles gambiaeand examine its contributions to innate immunity.AgPGE2R expression is most abundant in circulating hemocytes where it is primarily localized to oenocytoid immune cell populations. Through the administration of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) andAgPGE2R-silencing by RNAi, we demonstrate that PGE2 signaling regulates the expression of a subset of prophenoloxidases (PPOs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). PGE2 priming via theAgPGE2R significantly limited bacterial replication and suppressedPlasmodiumoocyst survival. Additional experiments establish that PGE2 priming increases phenoloxidase (PO) activity through the increased expression ofPPO1andPPO3, which significantly influencePlasmodiumoocyst survival. We also provide evidence that PGE2 priming is concentration-dependent, where high concentrations of PGE2 promote oenocytoid lysis, negating the protective effects of PGE2 priming on anti-Plasmodiumimmunity. Taken together, our results characterize theAgPGE2R and the role of prostaglandin signaling on immune cell function, providing new insights into the role of PGE2 on anti-bacterial and anti-Plasmodiumimmune responses in the mosquito host.
A novel combination of Class-I fumarases and metabolites (α-ketoglutarate and fumarate) signal the DNA damage response inE. coli
Authors: Silas Yardena , Singer Esti , Das Koyeli , Lehming Norbert , Pines Ophry
Published: August 2020

Class-II fumarases (Fumarate Hydratase, FH) are dual targeted enzymes, occurring in the mitochondria and cytosol of all eukaryotes. They are essential components in the DNA damage response (DDR) and more specifically, protecting cells from DNA double strand breaks. Similarly, the Gram-positive BacteriumBacillus subtilisClass-II fumarase, in addition to its role in the TCA cycle, also participates in the DDR.Escherichia coli, harbors three fumarase genes; Class-IfumAandfumBand Class-IIfumC. Notably, Class-I fumarases, show no sequence similarity to Class-II fumarases and are of different evolutionary origin. Strikingly, here we show thatE. colifumarase functions are distributed between Class-I fumarases which participate in the DDR, and the Class-II fumarase which participates in respiration. InE. coli, we discover that the signaling molecule, alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG), has a novel function, complementing DNA damage sensitivity offumnull mutants. Excitingly, we identify theE. coliα-KG dependent DNA repair enzyme AlkB, as the target of this interplay of metabolite signaling. In addition to α-KG, fumarate (fumaric acid) is shown to affect DNA damage repair on two different levels, first by directly inhibiting the DNA damage repair enzyme AlkB demethylase activity, both in vitro and in vivo (countering α-KG). The second is a more global effect on transcription, asfumnull mutants exhibit a decrease in transcription of key DNA damage repair genes. Together these results show evolutionary adaptable metabolic signaling of the DDR, in which fumarases and different metabolites are recruited regardless of the evolutionary enzyme Class preforming the function.

Significance Statement

Class-II fumarases have been shown to participate in cellular respiration and the DNA damage response. Here we show, for the first time, that in the model prokaryote,Escherichia coli, which harbors both Class-I and Class-II fumarases, it is the Class-I fumarases that participate in DNA damage repair by a mechanism which is different than those described for other fumarases. Strikingly, this mechanism employs a novel signaling molecule, alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG), and its target is the DNA damage repair enzyme AlkB. In addition, we show that fumarase precursor metabolites, fumarate and succinate, can inhibit the α-KG-dependent DNA damage repair enzyme, AlkB, both in vitro and in vivo. This study provides a new perspective on the function and evolution of metabolic signaling.
Changes in weak pair-wise correlations during running reshapes network state in the main olfactory bulb
Authors: Chockanathan Udaysankar , Crosier Emily J. W. , Waddle Spencer , Lyman Edward , Gerkin Richard C. , Padmanabhan Krishnan
Published: August 2020

Neural codes for sensory representations are thought to reside in a broader space defined by the patterns of spontaneous activity that occur when stimuli are not being presented. To understand the structure of this spontaneous activity in the olfactory system, we performed high-density recordings of population activity in the main olfactory bulb of awake mice. We found that spontaneous activity patterns of ensembles of mitral and tufted (M/T) cells in the main olfactory bulb changed dramatically during locomotion, including decreases in pairwise correlations between neurons and increases in the entropy of the population. Maximum entropy models of the ensemble activity revealed that pair-wise interactions were better at predicting patterns of activity when the animal was stationary than while running, suggesting that higher order (3rd, 4th order) interactions between neurons shape activity during locomotion. Taken together, we found that locomotion influenced the structure of spontaneous population activity at the earliest stages of olfactory processing, 1 synapse away from the sensory receptors in the nasal epithelium.

New and Noteworthy

The organization and structure of spontaneous population activity in the olfactory system places constraints of how odor information is represented. Using high-density electrophysiological recordings of mitral and tufted cells, we found that running increases the dimensionality of spontaneous activity, implicating higher-order interactions among neurons during locomotion. Behavior thus flexibly alters neuronal activity at the earliest stages of sensory processing.
Cold-adapted live attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine completely protects human ACE2 transgenic mice from SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Seo Sang Heui , Jang Yunyueng
Published: August 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has infected more than 16,000,000 people and has caused the death of more than 650,000 individuals since December 2019. A safe and effective vaccine that can provide herd immunity against SARS-CoV-2 is urgently needed to stop the spread of this virus among humans. Many human viral vaccines are live attenuated forms of viruses that elicit humoral and cellular immunity. Here, we describe the development of a cold-adapted live attenuated vaccine (SARS-CoV-2/human/Korea/CNUHV03-CA22°C/2020) by gradually adapting the growth of SARS-CoV-2 from 37°C to 22°C in Vero cells. This vaccine can be potentially administered to humans through nasal spray. Its single dose was observed to strongly induce the neutralising antibody (>640), cellular immunity, and mucosal IgA antibody in intranasally immunised K18-hACE2 mice, which are very susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV infection. The one-dose vaccinated mice were completely protected from SARS-CoV-2 infection and did not show loss of body weight, death, and the presence of virus in tissues, such as the nasal turbinates, brain, lungs, and kidneys. Taken together, the cold-adapted live attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine developed by us may contribute to saving of human lives from the threat of SARS-CoV-2.
TREND-DB – A Transcriptome-wide Atlas of the Dynamic Landscape of Alternative Polyadenylation
Authors: Marini Federico , Scherzinger Denise , Danckwardt Sven
Published: August 2020

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) profoundly expands the transcriptome complexity. Perturbations of APA can disrupt biological processes, ultimately resulting in devastating disorders. A major challenge in identifying mechanisms and consequences of APA (and its perturbations) lies in the complexity of RNA 3’end processing, involving poorly conserved RNA motifs and multi-component complexes consisting of far more than 50 proteins. This is further complicated in that RNA 3’end maturation is closely linked to transcription, RNA processing, and even epigenetic (histone/DNA/RNA) modifications. Here we present TREND-DB (http://shiny.imbei.uni-mainz.de:3838/trend-db), a resource cataloging the dynamic landscape of APA after depletion of >170 proteins involved in various facets of transcriptional, co- and posttranscriptional gene regulation, epigenetic modifications, and further processes. TREND-DB visualizes the dynamics of transcriptome 3’end diversification (TREND) in a highly interactive manner; it provides a global APA network map and allows interrogating genes affected by specific APA-regulators, and vice versa. It also permits condition-specific functional enrichment analyses of APA-affected genes, which suggest wide biological and clinical relevance across all RNAi conditions. The implementation of the UCSC Genome Browser provides additional customizable layers of gene regulation accounting for individual transcript isoforms (e.g. epigenetics, miRNA binding sites, RNA-binding proteins). TREND-DB thereby fosters disentangling the role of APA for various biological programs, including potential disease mechanisms, and helps to identify their diagnostic and therapeutic potential.
The sensor hub for detecting the developmental characteristics in reading in children on a white vs. coloured background/coloured overlays
Authors: Jakovljević Tamara , Janković Milica , Savić Andrej , Soldatović Ivan , Todorović Petar , Jakulin Tadeja Jere , Papa Gregor , Ković Vanja
Published: August 2020

The study investigated the influence of white vs 12 background and overlay colours on the reading process in school age children. Previous research reported that colours could affect reading skills as an important factor of the emotional and physiological state of the body and that reading is one of the most important processes in the maturation of children. The aim of the study was to assess developmental differences between second and third grade students of elementary school and to evaluate differences in electroencephalography (EEG), ocular, electrodermal activities (EDA) and heart rate variability (HRV). In the experiment, the responses of 24 children (12 second and 12 third grade students) to different background and overlay colours were summarized using EEG, eye tracking, EDA and HRV signals. Our findings showed a decreasing trend with age regarding EEG power bands (Alpha, Beta, Delta, Theta) and lower scores of reading duration and eye-tracking measures in younger children compared to older children. As shown in the results, HRV parameters showed higher scores in 12 background and overlay colours among second than third grade students which is linearly correlated to the level of stress and readable from EDA measures as well. The existing study showed the calming effect on second graders in turquoise and blue background colours. Considering other colours separately for each parameter, we assumed that there are no systematic differences in Reading duration, EEG power band, Eye-tracking and EDA measures.