bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experience Informs Consummatory Choices for Congruent and Incongruent Odor–Taste Mixtures in Rats
Authors: McQueen Kelsey A , Fredericksen Kelly E , Samuelsen Chad L
Published: March 2020

Experience is an essential factor informing food choice. Eating food generates enduring odor–taste associations that link an odor with a taste’s quality and hedonic value (pleasantness/unpleasantness) and creates the perception of a congruent odor–taste combination. Previous human psychophysical experiments demonstrate that experience with odor–taste mixtures shapes perceptual judgments related to the intensity, familiarity, and pleasantness of chemosensory stimuli. However, how these perceptual judgments inform consummatory choice is less clear. Using rats as a model system and a 2-bottle brief-access task, we investigated how experience with palatable and unpalatable odor–taste mixtures influences consummatory choice related to odor–taste congruence and stimulus familiarity. We found that the association between an odor and a taste, not the odor’s identity or its congruence with a taste, informs consummatory choice for odor–taste mixtures. Furthermore, we showed that the association between an odor and a taste, not odor neophobia, informs consummatory choice for odors dissolved in water. Our results provide further evidence that the association between an odor and a taste, after odor–taste mixture experience, is a fundamental feature guiding consummatory choice.
Clinical Evolution of AmpC-Mediated Ceftazidime-Avibactam and Cefiderocol Resistance in Enterobacter cloacae Complex Following Exposure to Cefepime
Authors: Shields Ryan K , Iovleva Alina , Kline Ellen G , Kawai Akito , McElheny Christi L , Doi Yohei
Published: March 2020

We report 2 independent patients from whom carbapenem and ceftazidime-avibactam–resistant Enterobacter cloacae complex strains were identified. The ceftazidime-avibactam resistance was attributed to a 2–amino acid deletion in the R2 loop of AmpC β-lactamase, which concurrently caused resistance to cefepime and reduced susceptibility to cefiderocol, a novel siderophore cephalosporin.
Clinical Outcomes of Drug-resistant Shigellosis Treated With Azithromycin in Bangladesh
Authors: Houpt Eric R , Ferdous Tahsin , Ara Rifat , Ibrahim Momena , Alam Md Masud , Kabir Mamun , Platts-Mills James , Ahmed Tahmeed , Faruque Abu Syed Golam , Taniuchi Mami , Haque Rashidul
Published: March 2020

Background

Azithromycin is frequently used to treat shigellosis; however, clinical outcomes are uncertain.

Methods

We performed an observational cohort study in Bangladesh of patients with invasive diarrhea treated empirically with azithromycin. Susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution and disk diffusion post hoc on all Shigella isolates and clinical response was correlated with in vitro susceptibility.

Results

There were 149 Shigella culture-positive patients in the primary analysis. Infection with Shigella with decreased susceptibility to azithromycin was significantly associated with persistence of diarrhea at day 5 (31% vs 12%; relative risk [RR], 2.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34–5.28), culture positivity at day 5 or 6 (35% vs 5%; RR, 5.26; 95% CI, 1.84–14.85), and a higher rate of overnight hospitalization (58% vs 39%; RR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.06–2.09). Shigella flexneri was more common than Shigella sonnei (58% vs 36%); however, S. sonnei constituted most of the isolates with decreased susceptibility to azithromycin (67%) and most of the multidrug-resistant strains (54%); thus, poor clinical outcomes were associated with S. sonnei. The current epidemiological cutoff for S. flexneri of ≥16 µg/mL to define decreased susceptibility to azithromycin was clinically predictive of poor outcome. Patients with S. sonnei and a low MIC (4 µg/mL) still had elevated rates of persistent diarrhea and culture positivity.

Conclusions

This study documents worse clinical outcomes for S. flexneri with decreased susceptibility to azithromycin, as well as S. sonnei, and supports the utility of susceptibility testing and clinical breakpoints for azithromycin. S. sonnei is an emerging drug-resistant threat.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT03778125.
Assessment of Benefit of Advanced Inflammatory Bowel Disease Training: Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Cushing Kelly C , Adar Tomer , Ciorba Matthew , Ananthakrishnan Ashwin N
Published: March 2020

Background

Advanced inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) fellowships are available for gastroenterologists who wish to increase their expertise in complex IBD. However, little is known about the outcomes of such training. The aims of this study were to assess clinical and academic outcomes following advanced training in IBD.

Methods

We surveyed gastroenterologists who completed advanced IBD fellowships and compared competency and outcomes to gastroenterologists focusing in IBD who completed gastroenterology training alone. Participants completed a survey via REDCap. Continuous variables were compared using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests.

Results

A total of 104 physicians participated in the study. IBD fellowships were completed by 31 physicians (30%), of whom 29 (94%) felt their training was excellent. Management of complicated IBD (84%), research mentoring (74%), and career mentoring (71%) were felt to contribute most highly to professional development. Compared to non-advanced trained physicians, advanced trained physicians expressed higher levels of comfort with management of IBD during pregnancy (P = 0.003), complicated IBD (P = 0.057), and peri-operative IBD (P = 0.057). No significant advantage was detected in academic productivity. Common barriers to participation in IBD fellowships included feeling it was unnecessary (45%) and desire to begin a faculty position (42%).

Conclusions

This study suggests there may be clinical benefit to advanced IBD training. Importantly, this study identified that there are also unique challenges to the assessment of clinical competency in IBD training. Efforts by the IBD community to establish a registry of advanced trainees and improve competency assessments are needed.
Reversing the Tide: Improving the Recruitment of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Clinical Trials in the United States
Authors: Deepak Parakkal
Published: March 2020

While the number of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) clinical trials has been increasing, there is decreasing participation in these trials with under-representation of younger patients and those with milder disease and in community settings. Innovative methods to increase recruitment and participation through the use of social media tools, apps, electronic medical record-based patient finding algorithms, and remote monitoring methods are suggested.
Composite damage zones in the subsurface
Authors: Liao Zonghu , Li Wei , Zou Huayao , Hao Fang , Marfurt Kurt J , Reches Ze'ev
Published: March 2020

The cumulative displacement by multiple slip events along faults may generate composite damage zones (CDZ) of increasing width, and could modify the hydraulic and mechanical properties of the faults. The internal architecture and fracture distribution within CDZs at the subsurface are analysed here by using seismic attributes of variance, curvature and dip-azimuth of the 3-D seismic reflection data from tight sandstone reservoirs in northeast Sichuan, China. The analysed faults intersect the reservoir within a depth range of 2.4–3.0 km. The damage intensity mapping revealed multiple CDZs with thicknesses approaching 1 km along faults ranging 3–15 km in length, and up to 1000 m of cumulative slip. The identification of numerous fault cores and associate damage zones led us to define three classes of CDZs: banded shape, box shape and dome shape. The mechanical strength contrasts and distortion of fault cores suggest potential weakening and strengthening (healing) mechanisms for formation of CDZs that can be extended to faulting processes and earthquake simulations.
One-dimensional deep learning inversion of electromagnetic induction data using convolutional neural network
Authors: Moghadas Davood
Published: March 2020

Conventional geophysical inversion techniques suffer from several limitations including computational cost, nonlinearity, non-uniqueness and dimensionality of the inverse problem. Successful inversion of geophysical data has been a major challenge for decades. Here, a novel approach based on deep learning (DL) inversion via convolutional neural network (CNN) is proposed to instantaneously estimate subsurface electrical conductivity (σ) layering from electromagnetic induction (EMI) data. In this respect, a fully convolutional network was trained on a large synthetic data set generated based on 1-D EMI forward model. The accuracy of the proposed approach was examined using several synthetic scenarios. Moreover, the trained network was used to find subsurface electromagnetic conductivity images (EMCIs) from EMI data measured along two transects from Chicken Creek catchment (Brandenburg, Germany). Dipole–dipole electrical resistivity tomography data were measured as well to obtain reference subsurface σ distributions down to a 6 m depth. The inversely estimated models were juxtaposed and compared with their counterparts obtained from a spatially constrained deterministic algorithm as a standard code. Theoretical simulations demonstrated a well performance of the algorithm even in the presence of noise in data. Moreover, application of the DL inversion for subsurface imaging from Chicken Creek catchment manifested the accuracy and robustness of the proposed approach for EMI inversion. This approach returns subsurface σ distribution directly from EMI data in a single step without any iterations. The proposed strategy simplifies considerably EMI inversion and allows for rapid and accurate estimation of subsurface EMCI from multiconfiguration EMI data.
Vertical Transmission of Gut Microbiome and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Infants Exposed to Antibiotics at Birth
Authors: Li Weizhong , Tapiainen Terhi , Brinkac Lauren , Lorenzi Hernan A , Moncera Kelvin , Tejesvi Mysore V , Salo Jarmo , Nelson Karen E
Published: March 2020

Vertical transmission of maternal microbes is a major route for establishing the gut microbiome in newborns. The impact of perinatal antibiotics on vertical transmission of microbes and antimicrobial resistance is not well understood. Using a metagenomic approach, we analyzed the fecal samples from mothers and vaginally delivered infants from a control group (10 pairs) and a treatment group (10 pairs) receiving perinatal antibiotics. Antibiotic-usage had a significant impact on the main source of inoculum in the gut microbiome of newborns. The control group had significantly more species transmitted from mothers to infants (P = .03) than the antibiotic-treated group. Approximately 72% of the gut microbial population of infants at 3–7 days after birth in the control group was transmitted from their mothers, versus only 25% in the antibiotic-treated group. In conclusion, perinatal antibiotics markedly disturbed vertical transmission and changed the source of gut colonization towards horizontal transfer from the environment to the infants.
Variation in the Relative Isomer Abundance of Synthetic and Biologically Derived Phosphatidylethanols and Its Consequences for Reliable Quantification
Authors: Luginbühl Marc , Young Reuben S E , Stoeth Frederike , Weinmann Wolfgang , Blanksby Stephen J , Gaugler Stefan
Published: March 2020

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in human blood samples is a marker for alcohol usage. Typically, PEth is detected by reversed-phase liquid chromatography coupled with negative ion tandem mass spectrometry, investigating the fatty acyl anions released from the precursor ion upon collision-induced dissociation (CID). It has been established that in other classes of asymmetric glycerophospholipids, the unimolecular fragmentation upon CID is biased depending on the relative position (known as sn-position) of each fatty acyl chain on the glycerol backbone. As such, the use of product ions in selected-reaction-monitoring (SRM) transitions could be prone to variability if more than one regioisomer is present in either the reference materials or the sample. Here, we have investigated the regioisomeric purity of three reference materials supplied by different vendors, labeled as PEth 16:0/18:1. Using CID coupled with ozone-induced dissociation, the regioisomeric purity (% 16:0 at sn-1) was determined to be 76, 80 and 99%. The parallel investigation of the negative ion CID mass spectra of standards revealed differences in product ion ratios for both fatty acyl chain product ions and ketene neutral loss product ions. Furthermore, investigation of the product ion abundances in CID spectra of PEth within authentic blood samples appears to indicate a limited natural variation in isomer populations between samples, with the cannonical, PEth 16:0/18:1 (16:0 at sn-1) predominant in all cases. Different reference material isomer distributions led to variation in fully automated quantification of PEth in 56 authentic dried blood spot (DBS) samples when a single quantifier ion was used. Our results suggest caution in ensuring that the regioisomeric compositions of reference materials are well-matched with those of the authentic blood samples.
Health Insurance Coverage Disruptions and Cancer Care and Outcomes: Systematic Review of Published Research
Authors: Yabroff K Robin , Reeder-Hayes Katherine , Zhao Jingxuan , Halpern Michael T , Lopez Ana Maria , Bernal-Mizrachi Leon , Collier Anderson B , Neuner Joan , Phillips Jonathan , Blackstock William , Patel Manali
Published: March 2020

Background

Lack of health insurance coverage is associated with poor access and receipt of cancer care and survival in the United States. Disruptions in coverage are common among low-income populations, but little is known about associations of disruptions with cancer care, including prevention, screening, and treatment, as well as outcomes of stage at diagnosis and survival.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of studies of health insurance coverage disruptions and cancer care and outcomes published between 1980 and 2019. We used the PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and CINAHL databases and identified 29 observational studies. Study characteristics and key findings were abstracted and synthesized qualitatively.

Results

Studies evaluated associations between coverage disruptions and prevention or screening (31.0%), treatment (13.8%), end-of-life care (10.3%), stage at diagnosis (44.8%), and survival (20.7%). Coverage disruptions ranged from 4.3% to 32.8% of patients age-eligible for breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer screening. Between 22.1% and 59.5% of patients with Medicaid gained coverage only at or after cancer diagnosis. Coverage disruptions were consistently statistically significantly associated with lower receipt of prevention, screening, and treatment. Among patients with cancer, those with Medicaid disruptions were statistically significantly more likely to have advanced stage (odds ratios = 1.2-3.8) and worse survival (hazard ratios = 1.28-2.43) than patients without disruptions.

Conclusions

Health insurance coverage disruptions are common and adversely associated with receipt of cancer care and survival. Improved data infrastructure and quasi-experimental study designs will be important for evaluating the associations of federal and state policies on coverage disruptions and care and outcomes.
Deriving stellar parameters from GALANTE photometry: bias and precision
Authors: Lorenzo-Gutiérrez A , Alfaro E J , Maíz Apellániz J , Barbá R H , Marín-Franch A , Ederoclite A , Cristóbal-Hornillos D , Varela J , Vázquez Ramió H , Cenarro A J , Lennon D J , García-Lario P , Daflon S , Borges Fernandes M
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we analyse how to extract the physical properties from the GALANTE photometry of a stellar sample. We propose a direct comparison between the observational colours (photometric bands normalized to the 515 nm central wavelength) and the synthetic colours derived from different stellar libraries. We use the reduced χ2 as the figure of merit for selecting the best fitting between both colour sets. The synthetic colours of the Next Generation Spectral Library (NGSL) provide a valuable sample for testing the uncertainty and precision of the stellar parameters derived from observational data. Reddening, as an extrinsic stellar physical parameter becomes a crucial variable for accounting for the errors and bias in the derived estimates: the higher the reddenings, the larger the errors and uncertainties in the derived parameters. NGSL colours also enable us to compare different theoretical stellar libraries for the same set of physical parameters, where we see how different catalogues of models can provide very different solutions in a, sometimes, non-linear way. This peculiar behaviour makes us to be cautious with the derived physical parameters obtained from GALANTE photometry without previous detailed knowledge of the theoretical libraries used to this end. In addition, we carry out the experiment of deriving physical stellar parameters from some theoretical libraries, using some other libraries as observational data. In particular, we use the Kurucz and Coelho libraries, as input observational data, to derive stellar parameters from Coelho + TLUSTY and Kurucz + TLUSTY stellar libraries, respectively, for different photometric errors and colour excesses.
Robust sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) nanochannels for high-performance osmotic energy conversion
Authors: Zhao Yuanyuan , Wang Jin , Kong Xiang-Yu , Xin Weiwen , Zhou Teng , Qian Yongchao , Yang Linsen , Pang Jinhui , Jiang Lei , Wen Liping
Published: March 2020

The membrane-based reverse electrodialysis (RED) technique has a fundamental role in harvesting clean and sustainable osmotic energy existing in the salinity gradient. However, the current designs of membranes cannot cope with the high output power density and robustness. Here, we construct a sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) nanochannel membrane with numerous nanochannels for a membrane-based osmotic power generator. The parallel nanochannels with high space charges show excellent cation-selectivity, which could further be improved by adjusting the length and charge density of nanochannels. Based on numerical simulation, the system with space charge shows better conductivity and selectivity than those of a surface-charged nanochannel. The output power density of our proposed membrane-based device reaches up to 5.8 W/m2 by mixing artificial seawater and river water. Additionally, the SPEEK membranes exhibit good mechanical properties, endowing the possibility of creating a high-endurance scale-up membrane-based generator system. We believe that this work provides useful insights into material design and fluid transport for the power generator in osmotic energy conversion.
A systematic review of the influences of food store product placement on dietary-related outcomes
Authors: Shaw Sarah C , Ntani Georgia , Baird Janis , Vogel Christina A
Published: March 2020

Context

Product placement strategies have been used to influence customers’ food purchases in food stores for some time; however, assessment of the evidence that these techniques can limit unhealthy, and promote healthy, food choices has not been completed.

Objective

This systematic review aimed to determine how product placement strategies, availability, and positioning, in physical retail food stores located in high-income countries, influence dietary-related behaviors.

Data Sources

From a search of 9 databases, 38 articles, 17 observational studies, and 22 intervention studies met the study inclusion criteria.

Data Extraction

Two reviewers independently extracted data relating to study design, study population, exposures, outcomes, and key results. Each study was also assessed for risk of bias in relation to the research question.

Data Analysis

Meta-analysis was not possible owing to heterogeneous study designs and outcomes. As recommended by Cochrane, results were synthesized in effect direction plots using a vote-counting technique which recorded the direction of effect and significance level according to the expected relationship for health improvement.

Conclusions

The majority of studies showed that greater availability and more prominent positioning of healthy foods, or reduced availability and less prominent positioning of unhealthy foods, related to better dietary-related behaviors. A large number of results, however, were nonsignificant, which likely reflects the methodological difficulties inherent in this research field. Adequately powered intervention studies that test both the independent and additive effects of availability and positioning strategies are needed.

Systematic Review Registration

PROSPERO registration no. 42016048826
Preclinical cardiac organ damage during statin treatment in patients with inflammatory joint diseases: the RORA-AS statin intervention study
Authors: Os Hanna A , Rollefstad Silvia , Gerdts Eva , Kringeland Ester , Ikdahl Eirik , Semb Anne Grete , Midtbø Helga
Published: March 2020

Objective

Statin treatment has been associated with reduction in blood pressure and arterial stiffness in patients with inflammatory joint diseases (IJD). We tested whether statin treatment also was associated with regression of preclinical cardiac organ damage in IJD patients.

Methods

Echocardiography was performed in 84 IJD patients (52 RA, 20 ankylosing spondylitis, 12 psoriatric arthritis, mean age 61 (9) years, 63% women) without known cardiovascular disease before and after 18 months of rosuvastatin treatment. Preclinical cardiac organ damage was identified by echocardiography as presence of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, LV concentric geometry, increased LV chamber size and/or dilated left atrium.

Results

At baseline, hypertension was present in 63%, and 36% used biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs). Preclinical cardiac organ damage was not influenced by rosuvastatin treatment (44% at baseline vs 50% at follow-up, P = 0.42). In uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses, risk of preclinical cardiac organ damage at follow-up was increased by higher baseline body mass index [odds ratio (OR) 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.5, P = 0.01] and presence of preclinical cardiac organ damage at baseline (OR 6.4, 95% CI: 2.2, 18.5, P = 0.001) and reduced by use of bDMARDs at follow-up (OR 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1, 0.9, P = 0.03).

Conclusion

Rosuvastatin treatment was not associated with a reduction in preclinical cardiac organ damage in IJD patients after 18 months of treatment. However, use of bDMARDS at follow-up was associated with lower risk of preclinical cardiac organ damage at study end, pointing to a possible protective cardiac effect of bDMARDs in IJD patients.

ClinicalTrials.gov

https://clinicaltrials.gov/NCT01389388
Systematic review and phylogeny of the firefly genus Dilychnia (Lampyridae: Lampyrinae), with notes on geographical range
Authors: Vaz Stephanie , Mermudes José Ricardo M , Paiva Paulo C , Da Silveira Luiz Felipe L
Published: March 2020

Dilychnia (Lampyridae: Lampyrinae) is a poorly known Neotropical genus of lampyrid firefly. Descriptions of Dilychnia species were traditionally based on differences in colour pattern, which are usually not reliable for species discrimination. Here, we review and redescribe the genus Dilychnia and its species, after examining the type material of all species, and we present the first phylogenetic analysis for the group, including 70 morphological characters and 15 species. After the proposal of new taxonomic combinations, Dilychnia was recovered as monophyletic with high support. We provide a key to species identification, updated geographical ranges and illustrations of diagnostic features for all species. We transfer Lucidota propinqua and Photinus succensus to Dilychnia and describe the new species Dilychnia dumasi sp. nov. We report, for the first time, that these three taxa are nocturnal and flash with an orange-yellow light. Phenotypic diversity within the genus is most pronounced in characters involved in mate tracking (i.e. antennae, eyes and light organs).
Do 15-month-old infants prefer helpers? A replication of Hamlin
et al
. (2007)
Authors: Schlingloff Laura , Csibra Gergely , Tatone Denis
Published: March 2020

Hamlin
et al
. found in 2007 that preverbal infants displayed a preference for helpers over hinderers. The robustness of this finding and the conditions under which infant sociomoral evaluation can be elicited has since been debated. Here, we conducted a replication of the original study, in which we tested 14- to 16-month-olds using a familiarization procedure with three-dimensional animated video stimuli. Unlike previous replication attempts, ours uniquely benefited from detailed procedural advice by Hamlin. In contrast with the original results, only 16 out of 32 infants (50%) in our study reached for the helper; thus, we were not able to replicate the findings. A possible reason for this failure is that infants' preference for prosocial agents may not be reliably elicited with the procedure and stimuli adopted. Alternatively, the effect size of infants’ preference may be smaller than originally estimated. The study addresses ongoing methodological debates on the replicability of influential findings in infant cognition.
Expanding the mutualistic niche: parallel symbiont turnover along climatic gradients
Authors: Rolshausen Gregor , Hallman Uwe , Grande Francesco Dal , Otte Jürgen , Knudsen Kerry , Schmitt Imke
Published: March 2020

Keystone mutualisms, such as corals, lichens or mycorrhizae, sustain fundamental ecosystem functions. Range dynamics of these symbioses are, however, inherently difficult to predict because host species may switch between different symbiont partners in different environments, thereby altering the range of the mutualism as a functional unit. Biogeographic models of mutualisms thus have to consider both the ecological amplitudes of various symbiont partners and the abiotic conditions that trigger symbiont replacement. To address this challenge, we here investigate ‘symbiont turnover zones'––defined as demarcated regions where symbiont replacement is most likely to occur, as indicated by overlapping abundances of symbiont ecotypes. Mapping the distribution of algal symbionts from two species of lichen-forming fungi along four independent altitudinal gradients, we detected an abrupt and consistent β-diversity turnover suggesting parallel niche partitioning. Modelling contrasting environmental response functions obtained from latitudinal distributions of algal ecotypes consistently predicted a confined altitudinal turnover zone. In all gradients this symbiont turnover zone is characterized by approximately 12°C average annual temperature and approximately 5°C mean temperature of the coldest quarter, marking the transition from Mediterranean to cool temperate bioregions. Integrating the conditions of symbiont turnover into biogeographic models of mutualisms is an important step towards a comprehensive understanding of biodiversity dynamics under ongoing environmental change.
Why do bugs perish? Range size and local vulnerability traits as surrogates of Odonata extinction risk
Authors: Rocha-Ortega Maya , Rodríguez Pilar , Bried Jason , Abbott John , Córdoba-Aguilar Alex
Published: March 2020

Despite claims of an insect decline worldwide, our understanding of extinction risk in insects is incomplete. Using bionomic data of all odonate (603 dragonflies and damselflies) North American species, we assessed (i) regional extinction risk and whether this is related to local extirpation; (ii) whether these two patterns are similar altitudinally and latitudinally; and (iii) the areas of conservation concern. We used geographic range size as a predictor of regional extinction risk and body size, thermal limits and habitat association as predictors of local extirpation. We found that (i) greater regional extinction risk is related to narrow thermal limits, lotic habitat use and large body size (this in damselflies but not dragonflies); (ii) southern species are more climate tolerant but with more limited geographic range size than northern species; and (iii) two priority areas for odonate conservation are the cold temperate to sub-boreal northeastern USA and the transversal neo-volcanic system. Our approach can be used to estimate insect extinction risk as it compensates for the lack of abundance data.
Acoustic coordination by allied male dolphins in a cooperative context
Authors: Moore Bronte L. , Connor Richard C. , Allen Simon J. , Krützen Michael , King Stephanie L.
Published: March 2020

Synchronous displays are hallmarks of many animal societies, ranging from the pulsing flashes of fireflies, to military marching in humans. Such displays are known to facilitate mate attraction or signal relationship quality. Across many taxa, synchronous male displays appear to be driven by competition, while synchronous displays in humans are thought to be unique in that they serve a cooperative function. Indeed, it is well established that human synchrony promotes cooperative endeavours and increases success in joint action tasks. We examine another system in which synchrony is tightly linked to cooperative behaviour. Male bottlenose dolphins form long-lasting, multi-level, cooperative alliances in which they engage in coordinated efforts to coerce single oestrus females. Previous work has revealed the importance of motor synchrony in dolphin alliance behaviour. Here, we demonstrate that allied dolphins also engage in acoustic coordination whereby males will actively match the tempo and, in some cases, synchronize the production of their threat vocalization when coercing females. This finding demonstrates that male dolphins are capable of acoustic coordination in a cooperative context and, moreover, suggests that both motor and acoustic coordination are features of coalitionary behaviour that are not limited to humans.
Acclimation capacity and rate change through life in the zooplankton
Daphnia
Authors: Burton Tim , Lakka Hanna-Kaisa , Einum Sigurd
Published: March 2020

When a change in the environment occurs, organisms can maintain an optimal phenotypic state via plastic, reversible changes to their phenotypes. These adjustments, when occurring within a generation, are described as the process of acclimation. While acclimation has been studied for more than half a century, global environmental change has stimulated renewed interest in quantifying variation in the rate and capacity with which this process occurs, particularly among ectothermic organisms. Yet, despite the likely ecological importance of acclimation capacity and rate, how these traits change throughout life among members of the same species is largely unstudied. Here we investigate these relationships by measuring the acute heat tolerance of the clonally reproducing zooplankter
Daphnia magna
of different size/age and acclimation status. The heat tolerance of individuals completely acclimated to relatively warm (28°C) or cool (17°C) temperatures diverged during development, indicating that older, larger individuals had a greater capacity to increase heat tolerance. However, when cool acclimated individuals were briefly exposed to the warm temperature (i.e. were ‘heat-hardened'), it was younger, smaller animals with less capacity to acclimate that were able to do so more rapidly because they obtained or came closer to obtaining complete acclimation of heat tolerance. Our results illustrate that within a species, individuals can differ substantially in how rapidly and by how much they can respond to environmental change. We urge greater investigation of the intraspecific relationship between acclimation and development along with further consideration of the factors that might contribute to these enigmatic patterns of phenotypic variation.
Devosia ginsengisoli sp. nov., isolated from ginseng cultivation soil
Authors: Quan Xiao-Tian , Siddiqi Muhammad Zubair , Liu Qing-Zhen , Lee Sang-Mi , Im Wan-Taek
Published: March 2020

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile, ivory-coloured and rod-shaped bacterium (designated Gsoil 520T) isolated from ginseng cultivation soil was characterized by using a polyphasic approach to clarify its taxonomic position. Strain Gsoil 520T was observed to grow optimally at 30 °C and pH 7.0 on Reasoner's 2A agar medium. The results of phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, indicated that Gsoil 520T belongs to the genus

Devosia

of the family

Hyphomicrobiaceae

and was most closely related to

Devosia epidermidihirudinis

E84T (98.0 %),

Devosia yakushimensis

Yak96BT (97.7 %),

Devosia neptuniae

J1T (97.7 %) and

Devosia chinhatensis

IPL18T (96.8 %). The complete genome of strain Gsoil 520T is a presumptive circular chromosome of 4 480 314 base pairs having G+C content of 63.7 mol%. A total of 4 354 genes, 4 303 CDS and 43 rRNA genes were assigned a putative function. The major isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. The main polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and two unidentified aminolipids (AL1 and AL3). The predominant fatty acids of strain Gsoil 520T were C18 : 1ω7c 11-methyl, C16 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c/C18 : 1ω6c (summed feature 8) supporting the affiliation of strain Gsoil 520T to the genus

Devosia

. The low values of DNA–DNA hybridization distinguished strain Gsoil 520T from the recognized species of the genus

Devosia

. Thus, the novel isolate represents a novel species of the genus

Devosia

, for which the name Devosia ginsengisoli sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain Gsoil 520T (=KACC 19440T=LMG 30329T).
Chitinophaga vietnamensis sp. nov., a multi-drug resistant bacterium infecting humans
Authors: Tran Thi Le Quyen , Anani Hussein , Trinh Ho Tinh , Pham Thi Phuong Thao , Dang Van Khoa , Ho Viet My , Bui Nguyen Hai Linh , Nguyen Nhu Hung , Raoult Didier , Trinh Thanh Trung , Fournier Pierre Edouard
Published: March 2020

We describe a new multidrug resistant

Chitinophaga

species that was isolated from patients with type 2 diabetes in Vietnam. Strain BD 01T was cultivated in 2017 from a blood sample of a patient suffering from bacteremia. Strain VP 7442 was isolated in 2018 from a pleural fluid sample of a patient who had presented with lung abscess and pleural effusion. Both strains are aerobic, Gram-negative, non-motile and non-spore-forming. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of both strains are 100 % similar and share a highest 16S sequence identity with

Chitinophaga polysaccharea

MRP-15T of 97.42 %. Their predominant fatty acid is iso-C15 : 0 (73.8 % for strain BD 01T and 79.8 % for strain VP 7442). The draft genome sizes of strains BD 01T and VP 7442 are 6 308 408 and 6 308 579 bp, respectively. They are resistant to beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, metronidazole, fosfomycin, vancomycin and macrolides, and exhibit 20 and 18 antimicrobial resistance-related genes, respectively. Using the multiphasic taxonogenomic approach, we propose that strains BD 01T (=CSUR P9622=VTCC 70981) and VP 7442 (=CSUR P9623=VTCC 70982) represent a new species, for which we propose the name Chitinophaga vietnamensis sp. nov. Strain BD 01T was chosen as type strain of C. vietnamensis sp. nov.
The Novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Directly Decimates Human Spleens and Lymph Nodes
Authors: Feng Zeqing , Diao Bo , Wang Rongshuai , Wang Gang , Wang Chenhui , Tan Yingjun , Liu Liang , Wang Changsong , Liu Ying , Liu Yueping , Yuan Zilin , Ren Liang , Wu Yuzhang , Chen Yongwen
Published: March 2020

While lymphocytopenia is a common characteristic of patients infected by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the mechanisms responsible for this depletion are unclear. Through careful inspection of the spleens and lymph nodes (LNs) from six cases with postmortem examinations, we observed that SARS-CoV-2 could directly infect secondary lymphoid organs to induce cell death. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2), the potential receptor of SARS-CoV-2, expresses on tissue-resident CD169+macrophages in spleens and LNs. Immunofluorescent staining confirmed that viral nucleocaspid protein (NP) can be found in ACE2+cells, CD169+macrophages, but not in CD3+T cells or B220+B cells in spleens and LNs. SARS-CoV-2 infection induces severe tissue damage including lymph follicle depletion, splenic nodule atrophy, histiocyte hyperplasia and lymphocyte reductions. Moreover,in situTUNEL staining illustrated that viral infection leads to severe lymphocyte apoptosis, which might be mediated by viral antigens inducing Fas upregulation. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 also triggers macrophages to produce IL-6, a proinflammatory cytokine that directly promotes lymphocyte necrosis. Collectively, these results demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 directly neutralizes human spleens and LNs through infecting tissue-resident CD169+macrophages.
In vivophotopharmacology enabled by multifunctional fibers
Authors: Frank James A. , Antonini Marc-Joseph , Chiang Po-Han , Canales Andres , Konrad David B. , Garwood Indie , Rajic Gabriela , Koehler Florian , Fink Yoel , Anikeeva Polina
Published: March 2020

To reversibly manipulate neural circuits with increased spatial and temporal control, photoswitchable ligands can add an optical switch to a target receptor or signaling cascade. This approach, termed photopharmacology, has been enabling to molecular neuroscience, however, its application to behavioral experiments has been impeded by a lack of integrated hardware capable of delivering both light and compounds to deep brain regions in moving subjects. Here, we devise a hybrid photochemical genetic approach to target neurons using a photoswitchable agonist of capsaicin receptor (TRPV1),red-AzCA-4. Using the thermal drawing process we created multifunctional fibers that can deliver viruses, photoswitchable ligands, and light to deep brain regions in awake, freely moving mice. We implanted our fibers into the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a midbrain hub of the mesolimbic pathway, and used them to deliver a transgene coding for TRPV1. This sensitized excitatory VTA neurons tored-AzCA-4, and allowed us to optically control conditioned place preference using a mammalian ion-channel, thus extending applications of photopharmacology to behavioral experiments. Applied to endogenous receptors, our approach may accelerate studies of molecular mechanisms underlying animal behavior.
Locus of emotion influences psychophysiological reactions to music
Authors: Merrill Julia , Omigie Diana , Wald-Fuhrmann Melanie
Published: March 2020

It is now widely accepted that the perception of emotional expression in music can be vastly different from the feelings evoked by it. However, less understood is how the locus of emotion affects the experience of music, that is how the act of perceiving the emotion in music compares with the act of assessing the emotion induced in the listener by the music. In the current study, we compared these two emotion loci based on the psychophysiological response of 40 participants listening to 32 musical excerpts taken from movie soundtracks. Facial electromyography, skin conductance, respiration and heart rate were continuously measured while participants were required to assess either the emotion expressed by, or the emotion they felt in response to the music. Using linear mixed effects models, we found a higher mean response in psychophysiological measures for the “perceived” than the “felt” task. This result suggested that the focus on one’s self distracts from the music, leading to weaker bodily reactions during the “felt” task. In contrast, paying attention to the expression of the music and consequently to changes in timbre, loudness and harmonic progression enhances bodily reactions. This study has methodological implications for emotion induction research using psychophysiology and the conceptualization of emotion loci. Firstly, different tasks can elicit different psychophysiological responses to the same stimulus and secondly, both tasks elicit bodily responses to music. The latter finding questions the possibility of a listener taking on a purely cognitive mode when evaluating emotion expression.
Analysis of female song provides insight into the evolution of sex differences in a widely studied songbird
Authors: Wilkins Matthew R. , Odom Karan J. , Benedict Lauryn , Safran Rebecca J.
Published: March 2020

Understanding the patterns and processes related to sexual dimorphism and sex differences in diverse animal taxa is a foundational research topic in ecology and evolution. Within the realm of animal communication, studies have traditionally focused on male signals, assuming that female choice and male-male competition have promoted sex differences via elaboration of male traits, but selection on females also has the potential to drive sexual differentiation in signals. Here, we describe female song in barn swallows (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster) for the first time, report rates of female song production, and couple song data with plumage data to explore the relative degree to which sex differences in phenotypic traits are consistent with contemporary selection on males versus females. During previous intensive study of male song over two years, we opportunistically recorded songs for 15 females, with matched phenotypic and fitness data. We randomly selected 15 high-quality samples from our larger male dataset to test whether sex differences in song and plumage are more strongly associated with fledgling success for females or genetic paternity for males. Analyses included 35 potential sexual signals including 22 song parameters and 13 plumage traits. Outcomes indicate that: female songs were used in multiple contexts, restricted primarily to the beginning of the breeding season; song traits showed greater sexual differentiation than visual plumage traits; and trait correlations with reproductive success in females, rather than males, predicted sex-based differences in song and plumage. These results are consistent with phylogenetic studies showing that sex-based phenotypic differences are driven by changes in females, highlighting the potential role of female trait evolution in explaining patterns of sexual differentiation. To achieve a better understanding of sex differences and dimorphism, we require comprehensive studies that measure the same traits in males and females and their fitness consequences.
Evaluating the Sensitivity of Sporadic Pancreatic Cancer to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) Inhibition (Velaparib, Olaparib, AG14361) as Single Agents and as Chemo-sensitizers
Authors: de Soto J. Angel
Published: March 2020

After resection of pancreatic cancer local recurrence occurs in 50%-80% of the cases while metastasis develops 75% of the time. Current, adjuvant therapy often consists of gemcitabine, cisplatin and/or 5-fluorouracil which add a modest increase in median survival by 4-5 months. In this study, we treated human pancreatic cancer cells with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) Inhibitors (AG14361, Veliparib and Olaparib) alone or with gemcitabine, cisplatin or 5 – fluorouracil. Methods: CFPAC-1 and BXPC-3, HPAC human pancreatic cancer cell lines were treated for 72 hours with PARP inhibitors alone or in combination with gemcitabine, cisplatin, or 5 – fluorouracil. Validated MTT assays were used to form dose response curves from which the IC50 values were calculated. Results: The PARP1 IC50 values for CFPAC-1, BXPC-3 and HPAC pancreatic cancer cell lines were AG14361 (14.3 μM, 12.7 μM, 38.3 μM), Veliparib (52.6 μM, 100.9 μM 102.0 μM) and Olaparib (79.5 μM, 184.8 μM, 200.2 μM). The IC50 values of cisplatin, were decreased up to 60 fold in the presence of clinically relevant amounts of PARP inhibitor while 5-flourouracil IC50 values were decreased up to 6000 fold in the presence of clinically relevant amounts of PARP inhibitor. Gemcitabine was inhibited up to 73% by PARP inhibitors. Conclusions: Sporadic human pancreatic cancer cells are sensitive to PARP inhibition. PARP inhibitors significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil while inhibiting gemcitabine. There is little correlation between endogenous PARP activity and the effectiveness of PARP inhibitors.
Comparable behaviour of ring and little fingers due to an artificial reduction in thumb contribution to hold objects
Authors: Rajakumar Banuvathy , SKM Varadhan
Published: March 2020

Background

The human hand plays a crucial role in accomplishing activities of daily living. The contribution of each finger in the human hand is remarkably unique in establishing object stabilization. According to the mechanical advantage hypothesis, the little finger tends to exert a greater normal force than the ring finger during a supination moment production task to stabilize the object. Similarly, during pronation, the index finger produces more normal force when compared with the middle finger. Hence, the central nervous system employs the peripheral fingers for torque generation to establish the equilibrium as they have a mechanical advantage of longer moment arms for normal force. In our study, we tested whether the mechanical advantage hypothesis is supported in a task in which the contribution of thumb was artificially reduced. We also computed the safety margin of the individual fingers and thumb.

Methodology

Fifteen participants used five-finger prismatic precision grip to hold a custom-built handle with a vertical railing on the thumb side. A slider platform was placed on the railing such that the thumb sensor could move either up or down. There were two experimental conditions. In the “Fixed” condition, the slider was mechanically fixed, and hence the thumb sensor could not move. In the “Free” condition, the slider platform on which the thumb sensor was placed could freely move. In both conditions, the instruction was to grasp and hold the handle (and the platform) in static equilibrium. We recorded tangential and normal forces of all the fingers.

Results

The distribution of fingertip forces and moments changed depending on whether the thumb platform was movable (or not). In the free condition, the drop in the tangential force of thumb was counteracted by an increase in the normal force of the ring and little finger. Critically, the normal forces of the ring and little finger were statistically equivalent. The safety margin of the index and middle finger did not show a significant drop in the free condition when compared to fixed condition.

Conclusion

We conclude that our results does not support the mechanical advantage hypothesis at least for the specific mechanical task considered in our study. In the free condition, the normal force of little finger was comparable to the normal force of the ring finger. Also, the safety margin of the thumb and ring finger increased to prevent slipping of the thumb platform and to maintain the handle in static equilibrium during the free condition. However, the rise in the safety margin of the ring finger was not compensated by a drop in the safety margin of the index and middle finger.
Current State and Predicting Future Scenario of COVID-19 Pandemic for Highly Infected Nations
Authors: Patil Nandan L.
Published: March 2020

Since the first report of COVID-19 from Wuhan China, the virus has rapidly spread across the globe now presently reported in 177 countries with positive cases crossing 400 thousand and rising. In the current study, prediction is made for highly infected countries by a simple and novel method using only cumulative positive cases reported. The rate of infection per week (Rw) coefficient delineated three phases for the current COVID-19 pandemic. All the countries under study have passed Phase 1 and are currently in Phase 2 except for South Korea which is in Phase 3. Early detection with rapid and large-scale testing helps in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying in Phase 2 for longer period would lead to increase in COVID-19 positive cases.