bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oral Vaccination Protects Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in a Syrian Hamster Challenge Model
Authors: Johnson Susan , Martinez Clarissa I , Tedjakusuma Sarah N , Peinovich Nadine , Dora Emery G , Birch Sharla M , Kajon Adriana E , Werts Adam D , Tucker Sean N
Published: November 2021

Background

Vaccines that are shelf stable and easy to administer are crucial to improve vaccine access and reduce severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission around the world.

Methods

In this study, we demonstrate that an oral, adenovirus-based vaccine candidate protects against SARS-CoV-2 in a Syrian hamster challenge model.

Results

Hamsters administered 2 doses of VXA-CoV2-1 showed a reduction in weight loss and lung pathology and had completely eliminated infectious virus 5 days postchallenge. Oral immunization induced antispike immunoglobulin G, and neutralizing antibodies were induced upon oral immunization with the sera, demonstrating neutralizing activity.

Conclusions

Overall, these data demonstrate the ability of oral vaccine candidate VXA-CoV2-1 to provide protection against SARS-CoV-2 disease.
Qur’anic Literacy as Women’s Empowerment: Cultivating Interpretive Authority at the Women’s Mosque of America
Authors: Ali Tazeen M
Published: November 2021

This study shows how the Women’s Mosque of America, an emergent women-only mosque in Los Angeles, is a useful locus to engage contemporary global debates about Islamic authority. In these debates, scholars of religion have not yet attended to the recent appearance of women-led mosques in the West, thereby overlooking American Muslim women as legitimate mediators of the Islamic tradition. This article takes seriously American Muslim women’s interventions in authority and analyzes the Women’s Mosque of America as a discursive space that arises from the genre of American Muslim feminist exegesis, which treats the Qur’an as an essentially gender-egalitarian text. Using a lived religions approach, I draw on a close reading of its inaugural sermon and ethnographic interviews with congregants to argue that the Women’s Mosque of America challenges hegemonic understandings of Islamic authority by advocating for English translations of the Qur’an and lay Muslims’ right to interpret scripture.
In vitro activity of a novel aminomethylcycline antibacterial (KBP-7072), a third-generation tetracycline, against clinical isolates with molecularly characterized tetracycline resistance mechanisms
Authors: Pfaller Michael A , Li Li , Liu Qingmei , Zhang Jay , Huband Michael D , Lindley Jill M , Mendes Rodrigo E
Published: November 2021

Objectives

This study evaluated the in vitro activity of KBP-7072 against 413 contemporary surveillance isolates, including subsets with known tetracycline resistance genes.

Materials

In total, 105 Klebsiella pneumoniae (51 tetracycline resistant), 103 Escherichia coli (52 tetracycline resistant), 103 Staphylococcus aureus (51 tetracycline resistant) and 102 Streptococcus pneumoniae (51 tetracycline resistant) isolates were included. These isolates were tested by broth microdilution using fresh media. CLSI/EUCAST breakpoints were applied, except for tigecycline and omadacycline, which used FDA criteria.

Results

KBP-7072 (MIC50, 0.06 mg/L), tigecycline (MIC50, 0.12 and 0.25 mg/L) and omadacycline (MIC50, 0.12 and 0.5 mg/L) showed similar MIC50s for tetracycline-susceptible and -resistant S. aureus. Other tetracycline comparators had their MIC50 increased 64- to 256-fold by tet. For S. pneumoniae, KBP-7072 (MIC50/90, ≤0.015/0.03 mg/L) showed the lowest MICs, which remained unchanged for tetracycline-susceptible or -resistant isolates [mostly tet(M)]. Similar MICs were observed for omadacycline (MIC50/90, 0.03–0.06/0.06 mg/L) and tigecycline (MIC50/90, 0.03/0.03 mg/L) in the S. pneumoniae population. Tetracycline-susceptible and -resistant E. coli [94.2% tet(A)/tet(B)], KBP-7072 (MIC90, 0.25 and 1 mg/L, respectively) and tigecycline (MIC90, 0.25 and 0.5 mg/L) showed similar MIC90s. KBP-7072 (MIC50/90, 0.25/0.5 mg/L) and tigecycline (MIC50/90, 0.5/0.5 mg/L) had the lowest MIC for tetracycline-susceptible K. pneumoniae. The MIC for KBP-7072 (MIC50/90, 1/4 mg/L) and tigecycline (MIC50/90, 1/2 mg/L) increased 2- to 8-fold for tetracycline-resistant K. pneumoniae, which mostly produced Tet(A).

Conclusions

KBP-7072 activity was minimally affected by the presence of acquired tetracycline genes.
Multimerization of small G-protein H-Ras induced by chemical modification at hyper variable region with caged compound
Authors: Nahar Rufiat , Iwata Seigo , Morita Daiki , Tahara Yuhei , Sugimoto Yasunobu , Miyata Makoto , Maruta Shinsaku
Published: November 2021

The lipid-anchored small G protein Ras is a central regulator of cellular signal transduction processes, thereby functioning as a molecular switch. Ras forms a nanocluster on the plasma membrane by modifying lipids in the hypervariable region (HVR) at the C-terminus to exhibit physiological functions. In this study, we demonstrated that chemical modification of cysteine residues in HVR with caged compounds (instead of lipidation) induces multimerization of H-Ras. The sulfhydryl-reactive caged compound, 2-nitrobenzyl bromide, was stoichiometrically incorporated into the cysteine residue of HVR and induced the formation of the Ras multimer. Light irradiation induced the elimination of the 2-nitrobenzyl group, resulting in the conversion of the multimer to a monomer. Size-exclusion chromatography coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography and small-angle x-ray scattering analysis revealed that H-Ras forms a pentamer. Electron microscopic observation of the multimer showed a circular ring shape, which is consistent with the structure estimated from x-ray scattering. The shape of the multimer may reflect the physiological state of Ras. It was suggested that the multimerization and monomerization of H-Ras were controlled by modification with a caged compound in HVR under light irradiation.
A Target Site Mutation Associated With Diamide Insecticide Resistance in the Diamondback Moth Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) is Widespread in South Georgia and Florida Populations
Authors: Dunn Thomas P ‘Sam’ , Champagne Donald E , Riley David G , Smith Hugh , Bennett John E
Published: November 2021

Laboratory colonies of diamondback moth (DBM) larvae were established from larvae collected from four sites in Georgia and Florida where diamide, specifically chlorantraniliprole, insecticide resistance was recently documented. Based on dose–response experiments, these colonies exhibited 109- to 4,298-fold resistance to chlorantraniliprole, compared to a commercially available susceptible control colony. Colonies exhibited 50- to 107-fold resistance to another diamide, cyantraniliprole, based on similar dose–response experiments. All colonies were screened for the presence of four known mutations in the ryanodine receptor (RyR), the target of diamide insecticides, previously associated with resistance in Asian DBM populations. One mutation, G4946E, was identified in colonies from all four field sites, but not the susceptible control colony. Three additional RyR target site mutations, E1338D, Q4594L, and I4790M, were not identified in any of the screened samples. The estimated allele frequency of the G4946E mutation in these colonies ranged from 32 to 90%. These data are consistent with recently reported chlorantraniliprole control failures in Georgia and Florida. It is likely that the G4946E mutation is currently an important contributing factor to chlorantraniliprole resistance in Georgia and Florida DBM populations.
Essential Oil ofRosmarinus officinalisEcotypes and Their Major Compounds: Insecticidal and Histological Assessment AgainstDrosophila suzukiiand Their Impact on a Nontarget Parasitoid
Authors: Trombin de Souza Michele , Trombin de Souza Mireli , Bernardi Daniel , Oliveira Daiana da Costa , Morais Maíra Chagas , de Melo Douglas José , Richardi Vinicius Sobrinho , Zarbin Paulo Henrique Gorgatti , Zawadneak Maria Aparecida Cassilha
Published: November 2021

Essential oils (EOs) produced by plants in the Lamiaceae family may provide new insecticidal molecules. Novel control compounds are needed to control Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), a severe economic invasive pest of thin-skinned fruit crops. Thus, we characterized the main compounds of EOs from three rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis ecotypes (ECOs) and evaluated their toxicity to D. suzukii adults, deterrence of oviposition behavior, and histological alterations in larvae. Additionally, we analyzed the lethal and sublethal effect on the pupal parasitoid Trichopria anastrephae. The main compounds identified in the R. officinalis ECOs were α-pinene, camphor and 1,8-cineole. In bioassays via topical application or ingestion, ECOs and their major compounds showed high toxicity on D. suzukii adults and a lower concentration could kill 50% and 90% of flies compared to spinetoram. The dry residues of a-pinene, 1,8-cineole, and camphor provided a repellent effect by reducing D. suzukii oviposition by ~47% compared to untreated fruit. Histological sections of 3rd instar larval D. suzukii posttreatment revealed damage to the fat body, Malpighian tubules, brain, salivary gland, and midgut, which contributed to high larval and pupal mortality. Survival and parasitism by adult T. anastrephae were not affected. Thus, R. officinalis EO and their compounds have potential for developing novel insecticides to manage D. suzukii.
Systemic Climate Change Litigation, Standing Rules and the Aarhus Convention: A Purposive Approach
Authors: Kelleher Orla
Published: November 2021

This article explores whether an exceptional approach to standing rules is needed to square the gatekeeping function of the courts of states/international organisations that are signatories to the Aarhus Convention with the complexity and urgency of the climate crisis. The central claim is that standing rules do not necessarily need to be reconstructed to resolve this conflict. Rather, what European states and the European Union need to do is take their procedural human rights obligations under the Aarhus Convention seriously.
The Ugandan Human Rights (Enforcement) Act of 2019: Addressing Some of the Likely Challenges to its Implementation
Authors: Mujuzi Jamil Ddamulira
Published: November 2021

Article 50(4) of the Constitution provides that ‘Parliament shall make laws for the enforcement of the rights and freedoms under this Chapter [the Bill of Rights].’ In January 2019, the Ugandan Parliament passed the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act to give effect to Article 50(4) of the Constitution. The Act was assented to by the president in March 2019. This Act has the potential to revolutionize the protection of human rights in many ways such as holding public officials accountable for human rights violations; compensating victims of human rights violations; criminalizing the violation of human rights; and requiring courts to nullify trials if a non-derogable right of the accused has been violated. It also stipulates the time within which a victim of a human rights violation has to institute a claim for compensation. Cases have started to emerge from the High Court on some of these issues. The purpose of this article is to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the relevant provisions of this Act, on the issues above, and suggest ways in which the Act can be interpreted by courts to better protect human rights in Uganda. Weakness of the Act include: failure to define some of the offences which means that people will not be prosecuted for violating some non-derogable rights; the fact that the sentence provided for in the Act is not applicable to juristic persons means that they will not be punished for violating human rights; the Act does not address the issue of costs and the danger of excluding evidence which was not obtained through violating a non-derogable. The Act would have to be amended to address these shortcomings.
Toward a Humanistic Discourse: Approaches to Gaining Public Support for Taiwanese Comfort Women
Authors: Kang Shu-Hua
Published: November 2021

The socio-political context of Taiwan has long impeded the full recognition of surviving Comfort Women and the issues they face. This paper examines the public discourses with which activists have engaged to gain public support for survivors in such a challenging environment. Besides the dominant discourses centred on nationalism and women’s human rights, there is also a ‘humanistic discourse’ that has been undertheorized. This article discusses how activists in Taiwan initiated a humanistic public discourse that emphasizes the individual human characteristics of Comfort Women survivors, resisting the collective image reinforced by other narratives. By reflecting on the author’s professional experience of arts-based social activism in this field, the paper offers new perspectives on Comfort Women discourses and the implications for human rights practice.
Reflecting on the Genocide Convention in its Eighth Decade
Authors: Adanan Amina
Published: November 2021

9 December 2018 marked the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Genocide Convention by the United Nations General Assembly. Article 6 of the Convention explicitly grants adjudicatory jurisdiction to the territorial state and to an international penal tribunal. Yet, the textual content of the Article has not prevented other types of extraterritorial jurisdiction from applying to the crime, such as universal criminal jurisdiction. This article analyses the development of universal jurisdiction over the crime of genocide, and proposes that the main advancements occurred as a result of a number of key events in the 20th century. Providing a review of state practice and opinio juris, the article analyses how universal jurisdiction applies to genocide and outlines its scope.
Multimodal Assessment of Medication Adherence Among Youth With Migraine: An Ancillary Study of the CHAMP Trial
Authors: Reidy Brooke L , Powers Scott W , Coffey Christopher S , Chamberlin Leigh A , Ecklund Dixie J , Klingner Elizabeth A , Yankey Jon W , Korbee Leslie L , Porter Linda L , Peugh James , Kabbouche Marielle A , Kacperski Joanne , Hershey Andrew D ,   for the CHAMP Investigators
Published: November 2021

Objective

Examine preventive medication adherence among youth with migraine.

Methods

Adherence (self-report, pill count, and blood serum drug levels) was assessed as an ancillary study that utilized data from 328 CHAMP Study participants (ages 8–17). CHAMP was a multisite trial of preventive medications. Participants completed a prospective headache diary during a six-month active treatment period during which youth took amitriptyline, topiramate, or placebo pill twice daily. Self-reported medication adherence was collected via daily diary. At monthly study visits, pill count measures were captured. At trial month 3 (trial midpoint) and 6 (end of active trial), blood serum drug levels were obtained. Self-report and pill count adherence percentages were calculated for the active trial period, at each monthly study visit, and in the days prior to participants’ mid-trial blood draw. Percentages of nonzero drug levels were calculated to assess blood serum drug level data. Adherence measures were compared and assessed in context of several sociodemographic factors. Multiple regression analyses investigated medication adherence as a predictor of headache outcomes.

Results

Self-report and pill count adherence rates were high (over 90%) and sustained over the course of the trial period. Serum drug level adherence rates were somewhat lower and decreased significantly (from 84% to 76%) across the trial period [t (198) = 3.23, p = .001]. Adherence measures did not predict headache days at trial end; trial midpoint serum drug levels predicted headache-related disability.

Conclusions

Youth with migraine can demonstrate and sustain relatively high levels of medication adherence over the course of a clinical trial.
The Antibiotic Likelihood Index: A New Measure of Antimicrobial Stewardship for Pediatric Primary Care Based on Reason for Visit
Authors: Vernacchio Louis , Herigon Joshua C , Hatoun Jonathan , Patane Laura Burckett , Correa Emily Trudell
Published: November 2021

Background

Quality metrics for antibiotic prescribing by pediatricians are limited. We sought to define a novel measure that assesses clinicians’ overall antibiotic prescribing.

Methods

Using electronic health record (EHR) data from 2018 to 2019 for children 3 months to 17 years of age from 53 practices within a large pediatric network, we grouped encounters into Reason for Visit categories using the classification system of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and analyzed the proportion of encounters with an antibiotic prescription. Categories were sorted according to the attributable proportion of encounters with an antibiotic prescribed. The proposed metric—the Antibiotic Likelihood Index (ALI)—was defined as the proportion of encounters with an antibiotic prescribed among categories that accounted for >80% of all encounters with an antibiotic prescribed. The ALI was calculated for the entire network and for individual prescribers, and the distribution among prescribers was described.

Results

Six Reason for Visit categories—cough, ear complaints, fever, sore throat, rash, and congestion/upper respiratory infection—accounted for 82.4% of all antibiotics prescribed. Among the 222 682 encounters for the top 6 categories combined, 67 368 (30.3%) had an antibiotic prescribed, defined as the ALI for the entire sample. The index among individual prescribers ranged from 7.5% to 57.2% (interquartile range 24.3% to 34.9%). The correlation for individual prescribers between 2018 and 2019 was high (R2 = 0.80).

Conclusions

The ALI, a proposed new metric of pediatric antibiotic prescribing, can be readily calculated from EHR data and captures the range of antibiotic prescribing among pediatricians for common clinical scenarios.
Nicaraven mitigates radiation-induced lung injury by downregulating the NF-κB and TGF-β/Smad pathways to suppress the inflammatory response
Authors: Xu Yong , Zhai Da , Goto Shinji , Zhang Xu , Jingu Keiichi , Li Tao-Sheng
Published: November 2021

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is commonly observed in patients receiving radiotherapy, and clinical prevention and treatment remain difficult. We investigated the effect and mechanism of nicaraven for mitigating RILI. C57BL/6 N mice (12-week-old) were treated daily with 6 Gy X-ray thoracic radiation for 5 days in sequences (cumulative dose of 30 Gy), and nicaraven (50 mg/kg) or placebo was injected intraperitoneally in 10 min after each radiation exposure. Mice were sacrificed and lung tissues were collected for experimental assessments at the next day (acute phase) or 100 days (chronic phase) after the last radiation exposure. Of the acute phase, immunohistochemical analysis of lung tissues showed that radiation significantly induced DNA damage of the lung cells, increased the number of Sca-1+ stem cells, and induced the recruitment of CD11c+, F4/80+ and CD206+ inflammatory cells. However, all these changes in the irradiated lungs were effectively mitigated by nicaraven administration. Western blot analysis showed that nicaraven administration effectively attenuated the radiation-induced upregulation of NF-κB, TGF-β, and pSmad2 in lungs. Of the chronic phase, nicaraven administration effectively attenuated the radiation-induced enhancement of α-SMA expression and collagen deposition in lungs. In conclusion we find that nicaraven can effectively mitigate RILI by downregulating NF-κB and TGF-β/pSmad2 pathways to suppress the inflammatory response in the irradiated lungs.
DNA strand break induction of aqueous plasmid DNA exposed to 30 MeV protons at ultra-high dose rate
Authors: Ohsawa Daisuke , Hiroyama Yota , Kobayashi Alisa , Kusumoto Tamon , Kitamura Hisashi , Hojo Satoru , Kodaira Satoshi , Konishi Teruaki
Published: November 2021

Radiation cancer therapy with ultra-high dose rate exposure, so called FLASH radiotherapy, appears to reduce normal tissue damage without compromising tumor response. The aim of this study was to clarify whether FLASH exposure of proton beam would be effective in reducing the DNA strand break induction. We applied a simple model system, pBR322 plasmid DNA in aqueous 1 × TE solution, where DNA single strand breaks (SSBs) and double strand breaks (DSBs) can be precisely quantified by gel electrophoresis. Plasmid DNA were exposed to 27.5 MeV protons in the conventional dose rate of 0.05 Gy/s (CONV) and ultra-high dose rate of 40 Gy/s (FLASH). With both dose rate, the kinetics of the SSB and DSB induction were proportional to absorbed dose. The SSB induction of FLASH was significantly less than CONV, which were 8.79 ± 0.14 (10−3 SSB per Gy per molecule) and 10.8 ± 0.68 (10−3 SSB per Gy per molecule), respectively. The DSB induction of FLASH was also slightly less than CONV, but difference was not significant. Altogether, 27.5 MeV proton beam at 40 Gy/s reduced SSB and not DSB, thus its effect may not be significant in reducing lethal DNA damage that become apparent in acute radiation effect.
Omental infarction present with right upper quadrant pain, case report
Authors: Aolayan Khulud , Obaid Ghassan , Fadel Khaled , Alotaibi Abdulrahman M
Published: November 2021

Omental infarction is a rare cause of pain and must be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen. It arises in any quadrant that contains omentum when a compromised blood supply takes place. We report a morbid obese 45-year-old male with Diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and coronavirus-disease-related pneumonia 2 months prior to his emergency presentation with acute epigastric and right upper quadrant pain. The patient was investigated by computed tomography (CT), and the provisional diagnosis was biliary colic from gallbladder stone. The patient’s pain was severe and not compatible with biliary colic. Diagnostic laparoscopy approached and an incidental finding of omental necrotic area. Excision of the infarcted omentum in addition to cholecystectomy was done. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful, and he was discharged home after 2 days. In our case, the CT image did not discover mental changes that may help us to make a preoperative diagnosis.
Zinc deficiency responses: bridging the gap between Arabidopsis and dicotyledonous crops
Authors: Thiébaut Noémie , Hanikenne Marc
Published: November 2021

Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a widespread phenomenon in agricultural soils worldwide and has a major impact on crop yield and quality, and hence on human nutrition and health. Although dicotyledonous crops represent >30% of human plant-based nutrition, relatively few efforts have been dedicated to the investigation of Zn deficiency response mechanisms in dicotyledonous, in contrast to monocotyledonous crops, such as rice or barley. Here, we describe the Zn requirement and impact of Zn deficiency in several economically important dicotyledonous crops, Phaseolus vulgaris, Glycine max, Brassica oleracea, and Solanum lycopersicum. We briefly review our current knowledge of the Zn deficiency response in Arabidopsis and outline how this knowledge is translated in dicotyledonous crops. We highlight commonalities and differences between dicotyledonous species (and with monocotyledonous species) regarding the function and regulation of Zn transporters and chelators, as well as the Zn-sensing mechanisms and the role of hormones in the Zn deficiency response. Moreover, we show how the Zn homeostatic network intimately interacts with other nutrients, such as iron or phosphate. Finally, we outline how variation in Zn deficiency tolerance and Zn use efficiency among cultivars of dicotyledonous species can be leveraged for the design of Zn biofortification strategies.
Hospital and Laboratory Practice in an Integrated Medical System for HIV Infection Prevention Interventions at a Veteran Affairs Medical Center
Authors: Petersen Jeffrey M , Jhala Darshana N
Published: November 2021

Objective

The impact of sexually transmitted infection (STI) results on prompting clinicians to consider pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) indication is sparse in the literature, particularly for veterans.

Methods

A retrospective search from June 2018 to February 2020 was performed to identify all patients who were HIV-negative at a regional Veteran Affairs Medical Center with a positive STI test result and review the medical chart of these patients.

Results

We identified 220 veterans who were HIV-negative with a positive STI test result. Of these 220 veterans, 51 unique patients were identified by the clinicians. In a provider-initiated discussion, PrEP was discussed with all 51 patients. In the end, 27 of these 51 patients started PrEP after discussion with their clinical providers.

Conclusion

Prior positive STI results successfully helped identify patients who may benefit from PrEP. Quality assurance studies on clinician reactions to test result reporting, particularly regarding highly effective preventive therapies, are important.
Social Scientists Operating in the Law: A Case Study of Family Assessment Experts in the Australian Family Law System
Authors: Rathus Zoe
Published: November 2021

Although the role of social science research in the family law system has been the subject of scholarly research for some time, less attention has been paid to how operating within the legal system might influence the work of social science and related expert witnesses who perform in that space. This article reports on interviews with family report writers, social science or similar expert witnesses, who provide assessments for the Australian family courts in contested cases about post-separation children’s arrangements. It explores the impact of the law, or how those professionals perceive the law is applied, and the complexity of the family law system on these expert witnesses, particularly when working with families with allegations of domestic and family violence. The study shows that the participants are deeply acculturated to the legal system. They know how to speak its language and are aware of the different audiences they speak to including the court, the lawyers and the parents. Although an understanding of the legal context is essential for expert witnesses, the study suggests that the legal system, and their experience of it, may influence their assessment framework, affect their recommendations, and consequently impact parenting orders. Although this article investigates the situation in Australia, the results raise questions for similar family law jurisdictions which rely on family assessment reports.
How narrow is the M87* ring? I. The choice of closure likelihood function
Authors: Lockhart Will , Gralla Samuel E
Published: November 2021

Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations of the core of the galaxy M87 suggest an observational appearance dominated by a ring of approximately 40 $\mu$as in diameter. The thickness of the ring is less certain: imaging efforts constrained it to be less than half the diameter (consistent with an imaging resolution of 20 $\mu$as), while visibility-domain modelling suggested a variety of fractional widths, including as low as $10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ on some days. The fractional width is very interesting as it has the potential to discriminate between different astrophysical scenarios for the source; in fact, the 10–$20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ range is so narrow as to be in tension with theoretical expectations. In the first of a series of papers on the width of the observed ring, we reproduce a subset of EHT visibility-domain modelling results and we explore whether alternative data analysis methods might favour thicker rings. We point out that the closure phase (and closure amplitude) likelihood function is not independent of residual station gain amplitudes, even at high signal-to-noise, and explore two approximations of practical interest: one standard in the field (and employed by the EHT collaboration), and a new one that we propose. Analysing the public data, we find that the new likelihood approximation prefers somewhat thicker rings, more in line with theoretical expectations. Further analysis is needed, however, to determine which approximation is better for the EHT data.
Unveiling the internal structure of the Hercules supercluster
Authors: Monteiro-Oliveira R , Morell D F , Sampaio V M , Ribeiro A L B , de Carvalho R R
Published: November 2021

We have investigated the structure of the Hercules supercluster (SCL160) based on data originally extracted from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-DR7). We have traced the mass distribution in the field through the numerical density, weighted by the r′ luminosity of the galaxies, and classified objects based on their spatial position and redshift. This has allowed us to address not only the kinematics of the supercluster as a whole, but also the internal kinematics of each cluster, which had not been explored further before. We have confirmed that the Hercules supercluster is composed of the galaxy clusters A2147, A2151, and A2152. A2151 consists of five subclusters, A2147 two, and A2152 at least two. They form the heart of the Hercules supercluster. We also have found two other gravitationally bound clusters, therefore increasing the known members of the supercluster. We have estimated a total mass of 2.1 ± 0.2 × 1015 M⊙ for the Hercules supercluster. To determine the dynamical masses in this work, we have resorted to the M200−σ scaling relation and the caustic technique. Comparing both methods with simulated data of bimodal merging clusters, we found that the caustic, as well as the σ-based masses, is biased through the merger age, showing a boost just after pericentric passage. This is not in line with the principle of the caustic method, which affirms it does not depend on the cluster dynamical state.
Do AGN triggering mechanisms vary with radio power? – II. The importance of mergers as a function of radio power and optical luminosity
Authors: Pierce J C S , Tadhunter C N , Gordon Y , Ramos Almeida C , Ellison S L , O’Dea C , Grimmett L , Makrygianni L , Bessiere P S , Doña Girón P
Published: November 2021

Investigation of the triggering mechanisms of radio active galactic nuclei (radio AGN) is important for improving our general understanding of galaxy evolution. In the first paper in this series, detailed morphological analysis of high-excitation radio galaxies (HERGs) with intermediate radio powers suggested that the importance of triggering via galaxy mergers and interactions increases strongly with AGN radio power and weakly with optical emission-line luminosity. Here, we use an online classification interface to expand our morphological analysis to a much larger sample of 155 active galaxies (3CR radio galaxies, radio-intermediate HERGs, and Type 2 quasars) that covers a broad range in both 1.4 GHz radio power and [O iii] λ5007 emission-line luminosity. All active galaxy samples are found to exhibit excesses in their rates of morphological disturbance relative to 378 stellar-mass- and redshift-matched non-active control galaxies classified randomly and blindly alongside them. These excesses are highest for the 3CR HERGs (4.7σ) and Type 2 quasar hosts (3.9σ), supporting the idea that galaxy mergers provide the dominant triggering mechanism for these subgroups. When the full active galaxy sample is considered, there is clear evidence to suggest that the enhancement in the rate of disturbance relative to the controls increases strongly with [O iii] λ5007 emission-line luminosity but not with 1.4 GHz radio power. Evidence that the dominant AGN host types change from early-type galaxies at high radio powers to late-type galaxies at low radio powers is also found, suggesting that triggering by secular, disc-based processes holds more importance for lower-power radio AGN.
Torus-stable zone above starspots
Authors: Sun (孙旭东) Xudong , Török Tibor , DeRosa Marc L
Published: November 2021

Whilst intense solar flares are almost always accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), reports on stellar CMEs are rare, despite the frequent detection of stellar ‘super flares’. The torus instability of magnetic flux ropes is believed to be one of the main driving mechanisms of solar CMEs. Suppression of the torus instability, due to a confining background coronal magnetic field that decreases sufficiently slowly with height, may contribute to the lack of stellar CME detection. Here, we use the solar magnetic field as a template to estimate the vertical extent of this ‘torus-stable zone’ (TSZ) above a stellar active region. For an idealized potential field model comprising the fields of a local bipole (mimicking a pair of starspots) and a global dipole, we show that the upper bound of the TSZ increases with the bipole size, the dipole strength, and the source surface radius where the coronal field becomes radial. The boundaries of the TSZ depend on the interplay between the spots’ and the dipole’s magnetic fields, which provide the local- and global-scale confinement, respectively. They range from about half the bipole size to a significant fraction of the stellar radius. For smaller spots and an intermediate dipole field, a secondary TSZ arises at a higher altitude, which may increase the likelihood of ‘failed eruptions’. Our results suggest that the low apparent CME occurrence rate on cool stars is, at least partially, due to the presence of extended TSZs.
Single frequency CMB B-mode inference with realistic foregrounds from a single training image
Authors: Jeffrey Niall , Boulanger François , Wandelt Benjamin D , Regaldo-Saint Blancard Bruno , Allys Erwan , Levrier François
Published: November 2021

With a single training image and using wavelet phase harmonic augmentation, we present polarized Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) foreground marginalization in a high-dimensional likelihood-free (Bayesian) framework. We demonstrate robust foreground removal using only a single frequency of simulated data for a BICEP-like sky patch. Using Moment Networks, we estimate the pixel-level posterior probability for the underlying {E, B} signal and validate the statistical model with a quantile-type test using the estimated marginal posterior moments. The Moment Networks use a hierarchy of U-Net convolutional neural networks. This work validates such an approach in the most difficult limiting case: pixel-level, noise-free, highly non-Gaussian dust foregrounds with a single training image at a single frequency. For a real CMB experiment, a small number of representative sky patches would provide the training data required for full cosmological inference. These results enable robust likelihood-free, simulation-based parameter, and model inference for primordial B-mode detection using observed CMB polarization data.
Modeling Sequence-Space Exploration and Emergence of Epistatic Signals in Protein Evolution
Authors: Bisardi Matteo , Rodriguez-Rivas Juan , Zamponi Francesco , Weigt Martin
Published: November 2021

During their evolution, proteins explore sequence space via an interplay between random mutations and phenotypic selection. Here, we build upon recent progress in reconstructing data-driven fitness landscapes for families of homologous proteins, to propose stochastic models of experimental protein evolution. These models predict quantitatively important features of experimentally evolved sequence libraries, like fitness distributions and position-specific mutational spectra. They also allow us to efficiently simulate sequence libraries for a vast array of combinations of experimental parameters like sequence divergence, selection strength, and library size. We showcase the potential of the approach in reanalyzing two recent experiments to determine protein structure from signals of epistasis emerging in experimental sequence libraries. To be detectable, these signals require sufficiently large and sufficiently diverged libraries. Our modeling framework offers a quantitative explanation for different outcomes of recently published experiments. Furthermore, we can forecast the outcome of time- and resource-intensive evolution experiments, opening thereby a way to computationally optimize experimental protocols.
A distinct complex of PRP19-related and trypanosomatid-specific proteins is required for pre-mRNA splicing in trypanosomes
Authors: Srivastava Ankita , Ambrósio Daniela L , Tasak Monika , Gosavi Ujwala , Günzl Arthur
Published: November 2021

The pre-mRNA splicing factor PRP19 is recruited into the spliceosome after forming the PRP19/CDC5L complex in humans and the Nineteen complex in yeast. Additionally, ‘PRP19-related’ proteins enter the spliceosome individually or in pre-assemblies that differ in these systems. The protistan family Trypanosomatidae, which harbors parasites such as Trypanosoma brucei, diverged early during evolution from opisthokonts. While introns are rare in these organisms, spliced leader trans splicing is an obligatory step in mRNA maturation. So far, ∼70 proteins have been identified as homologs of human and yeast splicing factors. Moreover, few proteins of unknown function have recurrently co-purified with splicing proteins. Here we silenced the gene of one of these proteins, termed PRC5, and found it to be essential for cell viability and pre-mRNA splicing. Purification of PRC5 combined with sucrose gradient sedimentation revealed a complex of PRC5 with a second trypanosomatid-specific protein, PRC3, and PRP19-related proteins SYF1, SYF3 and ISY1, which we named PRP19-related complex (PRC). Importantly, PRC and the previously described PRP19 complex are distinct from each other because PRC, unlike PRP19, co-precipitates U4 snRNA, which indicates that PRC enters the spliceosome prior to PRP19 and uncovers a unique pre-organization of these proteins in trypanosomes.
Volumetric measurements are preferred in the evaluation of mutant IDH inhibition in non-enhancing diffuse gliomas: Evidence from a phase I trial of ivosidenib
Authors: Ellingson Benjamin M , Kim Grace Hyun J , Brown Matt , Lee Jihey , Salamon Noriko , Steelman Lori , Hassan Islam , Pandya Shuchi S , Chun Saewon , Linetsky Michael , Yoo Bryan , Wen Patrick Y , Mellinghoff Ingo K , Goldin Jonathan , Cloughesy Timothy F
Published: November 2021

Background

Since IDH-mutant (mIDH) low-grade gliomas (LGGs) progress slowly and have a relatively long survival, there is a significant need for earlier measurements of clinical benefit. Guidance using the LGG RANO criteria recommends serial bidirectional (2D) measurements on a single slice; however, questions remain as to whether volumetric (3D) measurements are better, since they would allow for more accurate measurements in irregular shaped lesions and allow readers to better assess areas of subtle change.

Methods

Twenty-one (out of 24) non-enhancing, recurrent mIDH1 LGGs were enrolled in a phase I, multicenter, open-label study of oral ivosidenib (NCT02073994), and with imaging pre- and post-treatment as part of this exploratory ad hoc analysis. 2D and 3D measurements on T2-weighted FLAIR images were centrally evaluated at an imaging contract research organization using a paired read and forced adjudication paradigm. The effects of 2D vs 3D measurements on progression-free survival (PFS), growth rate measurement variability, and reader concordance and adjudication rates were quantified.

Results

3D volumetric measurements showed significantly longer estimated PFS (P = .0181), more stable (P = .0063) and considerably slower measures of tumor growth rate (P = .0037), the highest inter-reader agreement (weighted kappa = 0.7057), and significantly lower reader discordance rates (P = .0002) with 2D LGG RANO.

Conclusion

3D volumetric measurements are better for determining response assessment in LGGs due to more stable measures of tumor growth rates (ie, less “yo-yo-ing” of measurements over time), highest inter-reader agreement, and lowest reader discordance rates. Continued evaluation in future studies is warranted to determine whether these measurements reflect clinical benefit.
Anthropogenic emission is the main contributor to the rise of atmospheric methane during 1993–2017
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Poulter Benjamin , Knox Sara , Stavert Ann , McNicol Gavin , Fluet-Chouinard Etienne , Feinberg Aryeh , Zhao Yuanhong , Bousquet Philippe , Canadell Josep G , Ganesan Anita , Hugelius Gustaf , Hurtt George , Jackson Robert B , Patra Prabir K , Saunois Marielle , Höglund-Isaksson Lena , Huang Chunlin , Chatterjee Abhishek , Li Xin
Published: November 2021

Atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations have shown a puzzling resumption in growth since 2007 following a period of stabilization from 2000 to 2006. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed to explain the temporal variations in CH4 growth, and attribute the rise of atmospheric CH4 either to increases in emissions from fossil fuel activities, agriculture and natural wetlands, or to a decrease in the atmospheric chemical sink. Here, we use a comprehensive ensemble of CH4 source estimates and isotopic δ13C-CH4 source signature data to show that the resumption of CH4 growth is most likely due to increased anthropogenic emissions. Our emission scenarios that have the fewest biases with respect to isotopic composition suggest that the agriculture, landfill and waste sectors were responsible for 53 ± 13% of the renewed growth over the period 2007–2017 compared to 2000–2006; industrial fossil fuel sources explained an additional 34 ± 24%, and wetland sources contributed the least at 13 ± 9%. The hypothesis that a large increase in emissions from natural wetlands drove the decrease in atmospheric δ13C-CH4 values cannot be reconciled with current process-based wetland CH4 models. This finding suggests the need for increased wetland measurements to better understand the contemporary and future role of wetlands in the rise of atmospheric methane and climate feedback. Our findings highlight the predominant role of anthropogenic activities in driving the growth of atmospheric CH4 concentrations.
An Analysis of Inpatient Tobacco Use Treatment Transition to Telehealth
Authors: Shoenbill Kimberly A , Newcomer Eiman , Valcourt-Hall Celeslie , Baca-Atlas Michael H , Smith Caleb A , Goldstein Adam O
Published: November 2021

Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many tobacco users increased their tobacco use, and calls to quitlines decreased. Among inpatients, the pandemic also necessitated a rapid transition of intensive tobacco use counseling to telehealth counseling. No data exist comparing the outcomes of telehealth inpatient counseling with in-person (pre-telehealth) counseling.

Aims and Methods

We examined inpatient data from a large tobacco treatment program (TTP) during two comparable time periods 04/01/2019–09/30/2019 (pre-telehealth) and 04/01/2020–09/30/2020 (telehealth). The pre-telehealth and telehealth populations were compared using Pearson’s chi-square test for homogeneity on each populations’ patient, visit, and medication acceptance characteristics. Reach to “current tobacco users” was analyzed using TTP flowsheet and electronic health record (EHR) data in relation to aggregate EHR data in the data warehouse.

Results

Mean monthly tobacco treatment inpatient counseling and outreach visits increased 38.9% in the telehealth period (M = 376, SD = 36.7) compared with the pre-telehealth period (M = 271, SD = 50.0) (t(10) = 3.8, p = .004). Reach significantly increased from 32.8% to 65.9% among all “current tobacco users” admitted, including 31.8% to 66.6% in races at higher risk for COVID-19 severe disease. Pearson’s chi-square tests for homogeneity showed significant differences in the pre-telehealth and telehealth population distributions for age, visit type, ethnicity, and medication acceptance.

Conclusions

This study offers the first understanding of characteristics of patients, visits, and medication acceptances in pre-telehealth and telehealth tobacco use treatment for inpatient populations. Larger reach and counseling were identified in the telehealth population. This study’s findings on inpatient tobacco use treatment can inform future reach and engagement of large numbers of patients who use tobacco products.

Implications

This study provides the first analysis of inpatient tobacco use treatment transition to telehealth delivery of care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The transition resulted in increases in reach and cessation counseling. These findings can inform efforts to improve reach, engagement, and research on telehealth delivery of inpatient tobacco use treatment.
What Factors are Associated With Waterpipe Smoking Cessation? A Secondary Data Analysis
Authors: Shtaiwi Ahmad , Siddiqui Faraz , Kanaan Mona , Siddiqi Kamran
Published: November 2021

Introduction

Waterpipe smoking is gaining popularity and becoming a major global public health concern. An understanding of factors that predict waterpipe smoking cessation is necessary for targeting tobacco control efforts.

Methods

This is a secondary data analysis of a randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of varenicline against placebo in helping waterpipe smokers to quit. A total of 510 adult daily waterpipe smokers were recruited to the trial in 2016. Logistic regression models were applied to assess factors (i.e., demographic, environmental, behavioral, and physiological) associated with primary outcome (waterpipe smoking cessation) and secondary outcomes (waterpipe cessation alongside abstinence from cigarette and short-term and long-term waterpipe smoking cessation). Cessation was defined as 7-day point prevalence abstinence from smoking reported at 5,12, and/or 25 weeks follow-ups.

Results

Over a period of six months, 189 (39.2%) participants abstained from waterpipe smoking for at least one week. Being male (adjusted odds ratio (aOR):2.99 (95%CI:1.47–6.08)), dual smoker (waterpipe and cigarettes) (aOR:2.98 (95%CI:1.87–4.74)), more withdrawal symptoms measured by the Mood and Physical Symptoms Scale (aOR:1.08 (95%CI:1.02–1.13)), less nicotine dependency measured by Lebanon Waterpipe Dependency Scale (aOR:0.90 (95%CI:0.85–0.96)), having a history of quit attempt (aOR:2.14 (95%CI:1.16–3.96)), smoking restriction in the house (aOR:2.69 (95%CI:1.01–7.14)), and not sharing waterpipe with others (aOR:2.72 (95%CI:1.31–5.66)) predicted waterpipe smoking cessation.

Conclusions

In addition to nicotine dependency, social factors such as home restrictions on smoking, and not sharing waterpipe were identified as predictors of waterpipe smoking cessation. To help waterpipe smokers quit, social environment may be just as or even more important than well-known physical and psychological factors.

Implications

A range of factors, predominantly social factors play a significant role in facilitating or deterring waterpipe smokers from quitting smoking. Our findings suggest that interventions that focus on social as well as physical/psychological factors may encourage waterpipe smokers in achieving abstinence.