bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predatory activity of nematophagus fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in infective larvae after gastrointestinal transit: biological control in pasture areas and in vitro
Authors: Baiak Barbara Haline Buss , Gasparina Jennifer Mayara , Ianke Letícia , de Sousa Karolini Tenffen , Deniz Matheus , Pereira Leticia Macedo , Araújo Jackson Victor , da Rocha Raquel Abdallah , Dittrich João Ricardo
Published: June 2021

Biological control is a strategy to decrease parasitic populations, and the action takes place through natural antagonists in the environment. We studied the predatory activity of the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in infective larvae (L3) of gastrointestinal nematodes after gastrointestinal transit. Ten heifers were divided into two groups: treated (animals received pellets containing fungus) and control (animals received pellets without fungus). Twelve hours after administration, faeces samples were collected for in vitro efficacy tests. The animals then remained for 7 h in the experimental pasture area. At the end of this period, 20 faecal pads (ten treated and ten control) were selected at random. Pasture, faecal pad and soil collections occurred with an interval of 7 days, totalling four assessments. In vitro activity demonstrated that fungi effectively preyed on L3, achieving a reduction percentage of 88%. In the faecal pad of the pasture area, there was a difference (P < 0.05) between collections 3 and 4 for both groups; in the treated group a reduction of 65% was obtained, while in the control group there was an increase of 217% in the number of L3. The recovery of L3 in the soil and in the pasture was similar in both groups. There was no influence (P = 0.87) of the passage time on the fungus predatory activity. Duddingtonia flagrans demonstrated the ability to survive gastrointestinal transit in the animals, reducing the number of L3 in the faeces, indicating that this biological control has great potential in the control of worm infections.
Description of a new species Coomansus batxatensis (Mononchida, Mononchidae) from Vietnam, with an updated key to species
Authors: Vu T.T.T.
Published: June 2021

Coomansus batxatensis sp. nov., recorded from Vietnam, is described and illustrated and its phylogenetic relationship within the Mononchida is analysed. The molecular data (18S and 28S ribosomal DNA) are provided for the new species. The new species is characterized by small body size (body length, L = 0.7–0.9 mm); buccal cavity sub-rectangular in shape, flattened at base, 21–24 × 12–13 μm or 1.9 (1.7–2.0) times as long as wide; posterior position of dorsal tooth apex (59–63% from the base of buccal cavity); pars refringens vaginae with faint and small (2.5 × 1.7 μm) teardrop-shaped pieces, short pars distalis vaginae; and males with short spicules (50–51.5 μm) with rounded head and conical blade part. The new species is close to Coomansus parvus but differs from it by the smaller buccal cavity size, more posterior position of the dorsal tooth apex, longer tail and presence of males. An updated identification key to Coomansus species and a compendium of all the species known are presented.
The circumstances in which recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurs after surgery for benign thyroid disease: a retrospective study of 1026 patients
Authors: Lenay-Pinon D , Biet-Hornstein A , Strunski V , Page C
Published: June 2021

Objective

To evaluate the circumstances in which recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurs after thyroid surgery.

Methods

This study assessed 1026 patients who underwent surgery for benign thyroid disease over a seven-year period in a retrospective, single-centre study.

Results

With a total of 1835 recurrent laryngeal nerves at risk, there were 38 cases (2.07 per cent) of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and 8 (0.44 per cent) of permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. No explanation was found for 10 of the 46 cases of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Among the 38 other cases, the probable causes included poor identification of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during surgery, involuntary resection of the nerve and several other factors.

Conclusion

Apart from accidental resection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery, the causes of post-operative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy are often unclear and likely multifactorial. Poor identification of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during surgery is still the main cause of post-operative recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, even when intra-operative neuromonitoring is used.
Childhood loneliness as a specific risk factor for adult psychiatric disorders
Authors: Xerxa Yllza , Rescorla Leslie A. , Shanahan Lilly , Tiemeier Henning , Copeland William E.
Published: June 2021

Background

Loneliness is a major risk factor for both psychological disturbance and poor health outcomes in adults. This study aimed to assess whether childhood loneliness is associated with a long-term disruption in mental health that extends into adulthood.

Methods

This study is based on the longitudinal, community-representative Great Smoky Mountains Study of 1420 participants. Participants were assessed with the structured Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment interview up to eight times in childhood (ages 9–16; 6674 observations; 1993–2000) for childhood loneliness, associated psychiatric comorbidities and childhood adversities. Participants were followed up four times in adulthood (ages 19, 21, 25, and 30; 4556 observations of 1334 participants; 1999–2015) with the structured Young Adult Psychiatric Assessment Interview for psychiatric anxiety, depression, and substance use outcomes.

Results

Both self and parent-reported childhood loneliness were associated with adult self-reported anxiety and depressive outcomes. The associations remained significant when childhood adversities and psychiatric comorbidities were accounted for. There was no evidence for an association of childhood loneliness with adult substance use disorders. More associations were found between childhood loneliness and adult psychiatric symptoms than with adult diagnostic status.

Conclusion

Childhood loneliness is associated with anxiety and depressive disorders in young adults, suggesting that loneliness – even in childhood – might have long-term costs in terms of mental health. This study underscores the importance of intervening early to prevent loneliness and its sequelae over time.
Performance evaluation of a special 6-

P

US type parallel manipulator
Authors: Liu Xiaochu , Cai Yunfei , Liu Weitian , Zhang Linlong , Hu Chengxin
Published: June 2021

In this paper, a special 6-PUS parallel manipulator (PM) is utilized as a shaking table. Unlike the existing results about 6-PUS PMs, we make the actuator direction collinear with the linkage direction at neutral position. With respect to the application background, a further analysis of the special PM is carried out from the perspective of motion/force transmissibility, natural frequency and acceleration capability. Specially, the complete dynamics model is established based on the Kane method. Then, generalized transmission indices based on the screw theory are utilized to reflect its motion ability, and a model of natural frequency is proposed with the axial stiffness of linkages considered. Finally, the effect of the angle between the actuator direction and the linkage directionαon various performances is analyzed, and other results are included to illustrate its feasibility and usability.
Rural poverty in Poland between the wars
Authors: Kalinowski Sławomir , Wyduba Weronika
Published: June 2021

Poverty is the consequence of not having sufficient income to sustain lives and ways of life. While there are many papers addressing poverty in today’s Poland, no comprehensive study was done to explain and describe rural poverty also in a historical aspect. Therefore, this article attempts to synthetically identify the patterns and particularities of rural poverty in Poland between the wars, and to present the multifaceted and diverse nature of Polish poverty in the initial years of national independence. The authors’ main objective is to indicate the changes in the scope of Polish poverty and to describe the adaptive mechanisms and the discomfort involved in the depreciation of needs. Before independence, the situation varied across the Polish territory. The relatively worst socio-economic conditions were experienced in Galicia due to absence of non-agricultural activities. The population of Prussian rural areas found themselves in a more advantageous situation because of industrial development and working outside agriculture. The situation of peasants was exacerbated by the destructive and resource-draining First World War, whereas rural misery was made even worse by the combination of unemployment and underdevelopment of the country. In the Second Polish Republic, the situation of the rural population did not improve even though the country made great progress at that time. Note that rural poverty varied across employee groups, with cultural and lifestyle differences, limited competences and passive attitudes playing an important role.
Monochromatic paths and cycles in 2-edge-coloured graphs with large minimum degree
Authors: Balogh József , Kostochka Alexandr , Lavrov Mikhail , Liu Xujun
Published: June 2021

A graph G arrows a graph H if in every 2-edge-colouring of G there exists a monochromatic copy of H. Schelp had the idea that if the complete graph
$K_n$
arrows a small graph H, then every ‘dense’ subgraph of
$K_n$
also arrows H, and he outlined some problems in this direction. Our main result is in this spirit. We prove that for every sufficiently large n, if
$n = 3t+r$
where
$r \in \{0,1,2\}$
and G is an n-vertex graph with
$\delta(G) \ge (3n-1)/4$
, then for every 2-edge-colouring of G, either there are cycles of every length
$\{3, 4, 5, \dots, 2t+r\}$
of the same colour, or there are cycles of every even length
$\{4, 6, 8, \dots, 2t+2\}$
of the samecolour.

Our result is tight in the sense that no longer cycles (of length
$>2t+r$
) can be guaranteed and the minimum degree condition cannot be reduced. It also implies the conjecture of Schelp that for every sufficiently large n, every
$(3t-1)$
-vertex graph G with minimum degree larger than
$3|V(G)|/4$
arrows the path
$P_{2n}$
with 2n vertices. Moreover, it implies for sufficiently large n the conjecture by Benevides, Łuczak, Scott, Skokan and White that for
$n=3t+r$
where
$r \in \{0,1,2\}$
and every n-vertex graph G with
$\delta(G) \ge 3n/4$
, in each 2-edge-colouring of G there exists a monochromatic cycle of length at least
$2t+r$
.
Correlations between peripheral levels of inflammatory mediators and frontolimbic structures in bipolar disorder: an exploratory analysis
Authors: Mohite Satyajit , Salem Haitham , Cordeiro Thiago , Tannous Jonika , Mwangi Benson , Selvaraj Sudhakar , Soares Jair C. , Sanches Marsal , Teixeira Antonio L.
Published: June 2021

Background

Altered peripheral immune/inflammatory system and brain volumetric changes have been implicated in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). This study aimed to evaluate how peripheral levels of cytokines are related to volumetric brain changes in euthymic patients with BD.

Methods

Euthymic patients with BD (n = 21) and healthy controls (n = 22) were enrolled in this exploratory study. Blood samples were collected on the same day of clinical assessment and neuroimaging. Cytokines were measured through cytometric bead array method. Neuroimaging data were acquired using a sagittal three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging T1-weighted fast field echo sequence and was processed using FreeSurfer.

Results

Compared to controls, BD patients had significantly lower volumes in the cingulate, medial-orbitofrontal (MOF) and parahippocampal regions. We found a negative correlation between right MOF volume and interferon-gamma levels (β = −0.431, P = .049) and a positive correlation between interleukin-10 levels and left posterior cingulate volume (β = 0.457, P = .048).

Conclusion

Our results support the involvement of inflammatory pathways in structural brain changes in BD.
The impact of COVID-19 on the care of people living with noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: an online survey of physicians and pharmacists in nine countries
Authors: Bullen Chris , McCormack Jessica , Calder Amanda , Parag Varsha , Subramaniam Kannan , Majumdar Anurita , Huang Pai-Hui , Devi Ratna , El Bizri Luna , Goodyear-Smith Felicity
Published: June 2021

Background:

The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare worldwide. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where people may have limited access to affordable quality care, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to have a particularly adverse impact on the health and healthcare of individuals with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). A World Health Organization survey found that disruption of delivery of healthcare for NCDs was more significant in LMICs than in high-income countries. However, the study did not elicit insights into the day-to-day impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare by front-line healthcare workers (FLHCWs).

Aim:

To gain insights directly from FLHCWs working in countries with a high NCD burden, and thereby identify opportunities to improve the provision of healthcare during the current pandemic and in future healthcare emergencies.

Methods:

We recruited selected frontline healthcare workers (general practitioners, pharmacists, and other medical specialists) from nine countries to complete an online survey (n = 1347). Survey questions focused on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on clinical practice and NCDs; barriers to clinical care during the pandemic; and innovative responses to the many challenges presented by the pandemic.

Findings:

The majority of FLHCWs responding to our survey reported that their care of patients had been impacted both adversely and positively by the public health measures imposed. Most FLHCs (95%) reported a deterioration in the mental health of their patients.

Conclusions:

Continuity of care for NCDs as part of pandemic preparedness is needed so that chronic conditions are not exacerbated by public health measures and the direct impacts of the pandemic.
Energy Budget Constraints on the Time History of Aerosol Forcing and Climate Sensitivity
Authors: Smith C. J. , Harris G. R. , Palmer M. D. , Bellouin N. , Collins W. , Myhre G. , Schulz M. , Golaz J.‐C. , Ringer M. , Storelvmo T. , Forster P. M.
Published: June 2021

An observationally constrained time series of historical aerosol effective radiative forcing (ERF) from 1750 to 2019 is developed in this study. We find that the time history of aerosol ERFs diagnosed in CMIP6 models exhibits considerable variation and explore how the time history of aerosol forcing influences the probability distributions of present‐day aerosol forcing and emergent metrics such as climate sensitivity. Using a simple energy balance model, trained on CMIP6 climate models and constrained by observed near‐surface warming and ocean heat uptake, we derive estimates for the historical aerosol forcing. We find 2005–2014 mean aerosol ERF to be −1.1 (−1.8 to −0.5) W m−2relative to 1750. Assuming recently published historical emissions from fossil fuel and industrial sectors and biomass burning emissions from SSP2‐4.5, aerosol ERF in 2019 is −0.9 (−1.5 to −0.4) W m−2. There is a modest recovery in aerosol forcing (+0.025 W m−2 decade−1) between 1980 and 2014. This analysis also gives a 5%–95% range of equilibrium climate sensitivity of 1.8°C –5.1°C (best estimate 3.1°C) with a transient climate response of 1.2°C –2.6°C (best estimate 1.8°C).
Hyporheic Exchange in a Straight Pool‐Riffle Stream With Floodplain
Authors: Huang Peng , Chui Ting Fong May
Published: June 2021

Hyporheic exchange (HE) is the exchange between surface water, including suspended and dissolved matter, and pore water in the sediment surrounding a stream. It is essential to physicochemical and biological processes in both the stream and the surrounding sediment. This study systematically investigated the effects of the stream characteristics (i.e., stream discharge, bedform amplitude and wavelength, stream bed slope and groundwater flow) on the characteristics of HE (i.e., flowrate, scale, and residence time) in a straight pool‐riffle stream with floodplain using laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. The HE in the stream bank and streambed and its controlling factors were evaluated using numerical models. The results show that the HE flowrate and volume in the stream banks (i.e., in the floodplain) and streambed are significant and comparable at a high discharge. The discharge, bedform amplitude and bed slope directly affect the flow state in the pool, and the flow state determines the patterns of the effects of these three factors on the HE flowrate. The HE flowrate shows a linear relationship with discharge and bed slope when the surface flow in the pool remains subcritical. If the flow state in the pool changes from subcritical to supercritical conditions as discharge or bed slope increase, the HE flowrate becomes non‐monotonic with discharge and it first increases and then decreases with increasing bed slope. The flowrate, scale, and flux‐weighted mean residence time of HE linearly increase with bedform wavelength and exponentially decrease with both gaining and losing groundwater flow, independent of discharge.
On the Persistent Poloidal Alfven Waves
Authors: Choi Jiwon , Lee Dong‐Hun
Published: June 2021

Standing poloidal Alfven waves, radial oscillations with ultralow frequency of 5–20 mHz, are excited by wave‐particle interaction in the magnetosphere. It has been a question over several decades why poloidal oscillations often persist and are not quickly converted into toroidal waves even when there is no corresponding particle source. By adopting magnetohydrodynamic simulations in the dipole model, we first show that long‐lasting poloidal waves are available if the local Alfven frequency gradient becomes negligible. Assuming that initial poloidal modes are excited by driving particles, we investigate two loss mechanisms into either toroidal modes or compressional modes. Both mechanisms enable us to derive two necessary conditions for the existence of persistent poloidal modes. It is found that these conditions are very consistent with statistical feature of observations. Our results will be useful in identifying the persistent poloidal mode in terms of the corresponding particle energy and wavenumbers.
A Redox‐Based Model for Carbonate Platform Drowning and Ocean Anoxic Events
Authors: Smith B. P. , Kerans C. , Fischer W. W.
Published: June 2021

The deposition of marine carbonate rocks is influenced by climate and seawater chemistry. Carbonate platforms usually keep pace with subsidence and sea level rise but “platform drowning” occurs when carbonate sedimentation slows or when siliciclastics replace carbonates. Identifying specific mechanism(s) behind platform drowning is critical for understanding global environmental changes such as Ocean Anoxic Events (OAEs). We developed a model for OAEs which couples ocean basin redox processes to rates of carbonate sedimentation. Well‐oxygenated oceans have steep gradients in saturation state such that deep‐ocean dissolution is balanced by carbonate “overproduction” in shallow water. Through anaerobic metabolisms, deep‐ocean anoxia reduces both dissolution and overproduction, leading to slower accumulation rates in shallow‐water environments. This quasi‐steady state response links carbonate sedimentation with longer timescales associated with redox changes. Redox‐based drowning may have acted alongside other mechanisms to create spatially diverse patterns of platform drowning during Mesozoic OAEs and other Phanerozoic hyperthermal events.
Multipoint Density Measurements of Geocoronal Pickup Ions
Authors: Gomez R. G. , Fuselier S. A. , Sokół J. M. , Burch J. L. , Malaspina D. M. , Trattner K. J. , Gonzalez C. A. , Mukherjee J. , Strangeway R. J.
Published: June 2021

Observations of the plasma environment outside of the Earth's magnetosphere by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission Hot Plasma Composition Analyzers (MMS‐HPCAs) allow density measurements of geocoronal hydrogen pickup ions (PUIs). A study of this environment from December 4, 2019 to December 6, 2019, part of a single orbital period of the MMS spacecraft, revealed an inverse square dependence on PUI density. This dependence corresponds well with an inverse‐cube dependence on the neutral hydrogen density within the geocorona.
Geological Effects on the Scaling Relationships of Groundwater Contributions in Forested Watersheds
Authors: Iwasaki Kenta , Nagasaka Yu , Nagasaka Akiko
Published: June 2021

The scaling relationships of groundwater contributions have been examined in previous studies, but whether these findings are site‐specific or applicable to other watersheds remains unclear. Here, we illustrate how scaling relationships differ between watersheds with different geology. We investigated the spatial distributions of the specific discharge (discharge per unit drainage area) and chemical compositions of stream and spring water during baseflow periods in three Cretaceous to Eocene sedimentary watersheds and three Neogene volcanic watersheds in the Ishikari River basin, Japan. End‐member mixing analysis was used to separate stream water into shallow and deep groundwater. The specific discharge of stream water only significantly increased with drainage area for two of the volcanic study sites. Conversely, the ratio of deep groundwater to stream water only significantly increased with drainage area for two of the sedimentary study sites. The specific discharge of deep groundwater increased with area in both volcanic and sedimentary sites, but the specific discharge of shallow groundwater only increased with area for the volcanic sites. These findings indicate that the shallow groundwater flow played a crucial role in making geology‐dependent differences in scaling relationships. The geological effects on shallow groundwater flow were likely characterized by the spatial distribution of highly permeable bedrock layer. This geological control provides a useful framework for generalizing knowledge about the scaling relationships of groundwater contributions.
Blending the Evaporation Precipitation Ratio With the Complementary Principle Function for the Prediction of Evaporation
Authors: Zhang Lu , Brutsaert Wilfried
Published: June 2021

One class of descriptions of landscape evaporation is based on the principle that actual evaporation E and atmospheric evaporative demand exhibit complementary behavior. A feature of some recent implementations of this approach is the need for the estimation of a free parameter, usually by calibration. In a different class of representations of landscape evaporation, several functional forms have been proposed in the past for the dependency of the mean annual evaporation precipitation ratio (E/P) on the mean annual aridity index —the Schreiber‐Oldekop hypothesis, also known as the Budyko framework. While there is no general agreement in the literature on the optimal formulation of the “maximum possible evaporation” the functional forms of appear to be quite insensitive to its exact nature. This observation allows to be equated with the atmospheric evaporative demand and this immediately leads to a blending of the mean annual evaporation precipitation ratio (E/P) with the complementary evaporation principle, and the prediction of its unknown free parameter. As this free parameter is found to be relatively insensitive to time scale, the complementary functions become not only calibration‐free at the mean annual time scale, but also applicable even at daily time scales. The results are shown to be applicable worldwide with experimental data from 524 catchment water balance set‐ups and 156 high quality eddy covariance flux stations. The present approach offers a practical tool for the prediction of daily evaporation using only routine meteorological inputs including air temperature, humidity, wind speed, net radiation, and long‐term average precipitation.
Chromatin-directed proteomics-identified network of endogenous androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Launonen Kaisa-Mari , Paakinaho Ville , Sigismondo Gianluca , Malinen Marjo , Sironen Reijo , Hartikainen Jaana M. , Laakso Hanna , Visakorpi Tapio , Krijgsveld Jeroen , Niskanen Einari A. , Palvimo Jorma J.
Published: June 2021

Treatment of prostate cancer confronts resistance to androgen receptor (AR)-targeted therapies. AR-associated coregulators and chromatin proteins hold a great potential for novel therapy targets. Here, we employed a powerful chromatin-directed proteomics approach termed ChIP-SICAP to uncover the composition of chromatin protein network, the chromatome, around endogenous AR in castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. In addition to several expected AR coregulators, the chromatome contained many nuclear proteins not previously associated with the AR. In the context of androgen signaling in CRPC cells, we further investigated the role of a known AR-associated protein, a chromatin remodeler SMARCA4 and that of SIM2, a transcription factor without a previous association with AR. To understand their role in chromatin accessibility and AR target gene expression, we integrated data from ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, ATAC-seq and functional experiments. Despite the wide co-occurrence of SMARCA4 and AR on chromatin, depletion of SMARCA4 influenced chromatin accessibility and expression of a restricted set of AR target genes, especially those involved in cell morphogenetic changes in epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The depletion also inhibited the CRPC cell growth, validating SMARCA4’s functional role in CRPC cells. Although silencing of SIM2 reduced chromatin accessibility similarly, it affected the expression of a much larger group of androgen-regulated genes, including those involved in cellular responses to external stimuli and steroid hormone stimulus. The silencing also reduced proliferation of CRPC cells and tumor size in chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay, further emphasizing the importance of SIM2 in CRPC cells and pointing to the functional relevance of this potential prostate cancer biomarker in CRPC cells. Overall, the chromatome of AR identified in this work is an important resource for the field focusing on this important drug target.
Mammographic microcalcifications and risk of breast cancer
Authors: Azam Shadi , Eriksson Mikael , Sjölander Arvid , Gabrielson Marike , Hellgren Roxanna , Czene Kamila , Hall Per
Published: June 2021

Background

Mammographic microcalcifications are considered early signs of breast cancer (BC). We examined the association between microcalcification clusters and the risk of overall and subtype-specific BC. Furthermore, we studied how mammographic density (MD) influences the association between microcalcification clusters and BC risk.

Methods

We used a prospective cohort (n = 53,273) of Swedish women with comprehensive information on BC risk factors and mammograms. The total number of microcalcification clusters and MD were measured using a computer-aided detection system and the STRATUS method, respectively. Cox regressions and logistic regressions were used to analyse the data.

Results

Overall, 676 women were diagnosed with BC. Women with ≥3 microcalcification clusters had a hazard ratio [HR] of 2.17 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.57–3.01) compared to women with no clusters. The estimated risk was more pronounced in premenopausal women (HR = 2.93; 95% CI = 1.67–5.16). For postmenopausal women, microcalcification clusters and MD had a similar influence on BC risk. No interaction was observed between microcalcification clusters and MD. Microcalcification clusters were significantly associated with in situ breast cancer (odds ratio: 2.03; 95% CI = 1.13–3.63).

Conclusions

Microcalcification clusters are an independent risk factor for BC, with a higher estimated risk in premenopausal women. In postmenopausal women, microcalcification clusters have a similar association with BC as baseline MD.
Gasdermin D in peripheral nerves: the pyroptotic microenvironment inhibits nerve regeneration
Authors: Tao Ye , Wang Fang , Xu Zhaohui , Lu Xianfu , Yang Yanqing , Wu Jing , Yao Changyu , Yi Fangzheng , Li Jiajia , Huang Zhigang , Liu Yehai
Published: June 2021

Wallerian degeneration (WD) involves the recruitment of macrophages for debris clearance and nerve regeneration, and the cause of the foamy macrophages that are frequently observed in peripheral transection injuries is unknown. Recent studies indicated that these foamy cells are generated by gasdermin D (GSDMD) via membrane perforation. However, whether these foamy cells are pyroptotic macrophages and whether their cell death elicits immunogenicity in peripheral nerve regeneration (PNR) remain unknown. Therefore, we used GSDMD-deficient mice and mice with deficiencies in other canonical inflammasomes to establish a C57BL/6 J mouse model of sciatic nerve transection and microanastomosis (SNTM) and evaluate the role of GSDMD-executed pyroptosis in PNR. In our study, the GSDMD−/− mice with SNTM showed a significantly diminished number of foamy cells, better axon regeneration, and a favorable functional recovery, whereas irregular axons or gaps in the fibers were found in the wild-type (WT) mice with SNTM. Furthermore, GSDMD activation in the SNTM model was dependent on the NLRP3 inflammasome and caspase-1 activation, and GSDMD-executed pyroptosis resulted in a proinflammatory environment that polarized monocytes/macrophages toward the M1 (detrimental) but not the M2 (beneficial) phenotype. In contrast, depletion of GSDMD reversed the proinflammatory microenvironment and facilitated M2 polarization. Our results suggested that inhibition of GSDMD may be a potential treatment option to promote PNR.
Stem cell-based therapy for hirschsprung disease, do we have the guts to treat?
Authors: Alhawaj Ali Fouad
Published: June 2021

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a congenital anomaly of the colon that results from failure of enteric nervous system formation, leading to a constricted dysfunctional segment of the colon with variable lengths, and necessitating surgical intervention. The underlying pathophysiology includes a defect in neural crest cells migration, proliferation and differentiation, which are partially explained by identified genetic and epigenetic alterations. Despite the high success rate of the curative surgeries, they are associated with significant adverse outcomes such as enterocolitis, fecal soiling, and chronic constipation. In addition, some patients suffer from extensive lethal variants of the disease, all of which justify the need for an alternative cure. During the last 5 years, there has been considerable progress in HSCR stem cell-based therapy research. However, many major issues remain unsolved. This review will provide concise background information on HSCR, outline the future approaches of stem cell-based HSCR therapy, review recent key publications, discuss technical and ethical challenges the field faces prior to clinical translation, and tackle such challenges by proposing solutions and evaluating existing approaches to progress further.
Laser-excited elastic guided waves reveal the complex mechanics of nanoporous silicon
Authors: Thelen Marc , Bochud Nicolas , Brinker Manuel , Prada Claire , Huber Patrick
Published: June 2021

Nanoporosity in silicon leads to completely new functionalities of this mainstream semiconductor. A difficult to assess mechanics has however significantly limited its application in fields ranging from nanofluidics and biosensorics to drug delivery, energy storage and photonics. Here, we present a study on laser-excited elastic guided waves detected contactless and non-destructively in dry and liquid-infused single-crystalline porous silicon. These experiments reveal that the self-organised formation of 100 billions of parallel nanopores per square centimetre cross section results in a nearly isotropic elasticity perpendicular to the pore axes and an 80% effective stiffness reduction, altogether leading to significant deviations from the cubic anisotropy observed in bulk silicon. Our thorough assessment of the wafer-scale mechanics of nanoporous silicon provides the base for predictive applications in robust on-chip devices and evidences that recent breakthroughs in laser ultrasonics open up entirely new frontiers for in-situ, non-destructive mechanical characterisation of dry and liquid-functionalised porous materials.
Children’s exploratory play tracks the discriminability of hypotheses
Authors: Siegel Max H. , Magid Rachel W. , Pelz Madeline , Tenenbaum Joshua B. , Schulz Laura E.
Published: June 2021

Effective curiosity-driven learning requires recognizing that the value of evidence for testing hypotheses depends on what other hypotheses are under consideration. Do we intuitively represent the discriminability of hypotheses? Here we show children alternative hypotheses for the contents of a box and then shake the box (or allow children to shake it themselves) so they can hear the sound of the contents. We find that children are able to compare the evidence they hear with imagined evidence they do not hear but might have heard under alternative hypotheses. Children (N = 160; mean: 5 years and 4 months) prefer easier discriminations (Experiments 1-3) and explore longer given harder ones (Experiments 4-7). Across 16 contrasts, children’s exploration time quantitatively tracks the discriminability of heard evidence from an unheard alternative. The results are consistent with the idea that children have an “intuitive psychophysics”: children represent their own perceptual abilities and explore longer when hypotheses are harder to distinguish.
Design of metastable oxychalcogenide phases by topochemical (de)intercalation of sulfur in La2O2S2
Authors: Sasaki Shunsuke , Caldes Maria Teresa , Guillot-Deudon Catherine , Braems Isabelle , Steciuk Gwladys , Palatinus Lukáš , Gautron Eric , Frapper Gilles , Janod Etienne , Corraze Benoît , Jobic Stéphane , Cario Laurent
Published: June 2021

Designing and synthesising new metastable compounds is a major challenge of today’s material science. While exploration of metastable oxides has seen decades-long advancement thanks to the topochemical deintercalation of oxygen as recently spotlighted with the discovery of nickelate superconductor, such unique synthetic pathway has not yet been found for chalcogenide compounds. Here we combine an original soft chemistry approach, structure prediction calculations and advanced electron microscopy techniques to demonstrate the topochemical deintercalation/reintercalation of sulfur in a layered oxychalcogenide leading to the design of novel metastable phases. We demonstrate that La2O2S2 may react with monovalent metals to produce sulfur-deintercalated metastable phases La2O2S1.5 and oA-La2O2S whose lamellar structures were predicted thanks to an evolutionary structure-prediction algorithm. This study paves the way to unexplored topochemistry of mobile chalcogen anions.
Source sector and fuel contributions to ambient PM2.5 and attributable mortality across multiple spatial scales
Authors: McDuffie Erin E. , Martin Randall V. , Spadaro Joseph V. , Burnett Richard , Smith Steven J. , O’Rourke Patrick , Hammer Melanie S. , van Donkelaar Aaron , Bindle Liam , Shah Viral , Jaeglé Lyatt , Luo Gan , Yu Fangqun , Adeniran Jamiu A. , Lin Jintai , Brauer Michael
Published: June 2021

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the world’s leading environmental health risk factor. Reducing the PM2.5 disease burden requires specific strategies that target dominant sources across multiple spatial scales. We provide a contemporary and comprehensive evaluation of sector- and fuel-specific contributions to this disease burden across 21 regions, 204 countries, and 200 sub-national areas by integrating 24 global atmospheric chemistry-transport model sensitivity simulations, high-resolution satellite-derived PM2.5 exposure estimates, and disease-specific concentration response relationships. Globally, 1.05 (95% Confidence Interval: 0.74–1.36) million deaths were avoidable in 2017 by eliminating fossil-fuel combustion (27.3% of the total PM2.5 burden), with coal contributing to over half. Other dominant global sources included residential (0.74 [0.52–0.95] million deaths; 19.2%), industrial (0.45 [0.32–0.58] million deaths; 11.7%), and energy (0.39 [0.28–0.51] million deaths; 10.2%) sectors. Our results show that regions with large anthropogenic contributions generally had the highest attributable deaths, suggesting substantial health benefits from replacing traditional energy sources.
Role of meteorological factors in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States
Authors: Ma Yiqun , Pei Sen , Shaman Jeffrey , Dubrow Robert , Chen Kai
Published: June 2021

Improved understanding of the effects of meteorological conditions on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent for COVID-19 disease, is needed. Here, we estimate the relationship between air temperature, specific humidity, and ultraviolet radiation and SARS-CoV-2 transmission in 2669 U.S. counties with abundant reported cases from March 15 to December 31, 2020. Specifically, we quantify the associations of daily mean temperature, specific humidity, and ultraviolet radiation with daily estimates of the SARS-CoV-2 reproduction number (Rt) and calculate the fraction of Rt attributable to these meteorological conditions. Lower air temperature (within the 20–40 °C range), lower specific humidity, and lower ultraviolet radiation were significantly associated with increased Rt. The fraction of Rt attributable to temperature, specific humidity, and ultraviolet radiation were 3.73% (95% empirical confidence interval [eCI]: 3.66–3.76%), 9.35% (95% eCI: 9.27–9.39%), and 4.44% (95% eCI: 4.38–4.47%), respectively. In total, 17.5% of Rt was attributable to meteorological factors. The fractions attributable to meteorological factors generally were higher in northern counties than in southern counties. Our findings indicate that cold and dry weather and low levels of ultraviolet radiation are moderately associated with increased SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility, with humidity playing the largest role.
The insulo-opercular cortex encodes food-specific content under controlled and naturalistic conditions
Authors: Huang Yuhao , Kakusa Bina W. , Feng Austin , Gattas Sandra , Shivacharan Rajat S. , Lee Eric B. , Parker Jonathon J. , Kuijper Fiene M. , Barbosa Daniel A. N. , Keller Corey J. , Bohon Cara , Mikhail Abanoub , Halpern Casey H.
Published: June 2021

The insulo-opercular network functions critically not only in encoding taste, but also in guiding behavior based on anticipated food availability. However, there remains no direct measurement of insulo-opercular activity when humans anticipate taste. Here, we collect direct, intracranial recordings during a food task that elicits anticipatory and consummatory taste responses, and during ad libitum consumption of meals. While cue-specific high-frequency broadband (70–170 Hz) activity predominant in the left posterior insula is selective for taste-neutral cues, sparse cue-specific regions in the anterior insula are selective for palatable cues. Latency analysis reveals this insular activity is preceded by non-discriminatory activity in the frontal operculum. During ad libitum meal consumption, time-locked high-frequency broadband activity at the time of food intake discriminates food types and is associated with cue-specific activity during the task. These findings reveal spatiotemporally-specific activity in the human insulo-opercular cortex that underlies anticipatory evaluation of food across both controlled and naturalistic settings.
Materials information and mechanical response of TRIP/TWIP Ti alloys
Authors: Zhao Guohua , Li Xiaoqing , Petrinic Nik
Published: June 2021

Materials innovation calls for an integrated framework combining physics-based modelling and data-driven informatics. A dislocation-based constitutive model accounting for both transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) and twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) was built to interpret the mechanical characteristics of metastable titanium alloys. Particular attention was placed on quantitatively understanding the composition-sensitive phase stability and its influence on the underlying deformation mechanism. For this purpose, a pseudoelastic force balance incorporating thermodynamics and micromechanics was applied to calculate the energy landscapes of β → α″ martensitic transformation, {332}〈113〉 twinning and dislocation slip. Extensive material data were probed, computed and fed to the model. Our results revealed that TRIP and TWIP may operate simultaneously because of the presence of a noticeably overlapped energy domain, and confirmed {332}〈113〉 twinning is an energetically favourable deformation mechanism. The model validation further unveiled that the activation of β → α″ transition remarkably enhances the strain-hardening and plasticity, even though the dynamically formed α″ volume fraction is much less than that of deformation twinning. Our work suggests that the synchronised physical metallurgy and data-driven strategy allows to identify the compositional scenarios for developing high-performance engineering alloys.
First-year students’ math anxiety predicts STEM avoidance and underperformance throughout university, independently of math ability
Authors: Daker Richard J. , Gattas Sylvia U. , Sokolowski H. Moriah , Green Adam E. , Lyons Ian M.
Published: June 2021

Math anxiety is widely considered a potential barrier to success in STEM. Current thinking holds that math anxiety is directly linked to avoidance of and underperformance in STEM domains. However, past evidence supporting these claims is limited in important ways. Perhaps most crucially, it is possible that math anxiety predicts STEM outcomes merely as a proxy for poor math skills. Here, we tested the link between math anxiety and subsequent STEM outcomes by measuring math anxiety, math ability, and several covariates in 183 first-semester university students. We then tracked students’ STEM avoidance and achievement through four years at university via official academic transcripts. Results showed that math anxiety predicted both a reduction in how many STEM courses students took and, separately (i.e., controlling for one another), lower STEM grades. Crucially, these associations held after controlling for math ability (and other covariates). That math anxiety predicts math-related academic achievement independently of Math Ability suggests that, contrary to current thinking, math anxiety’s effects on academic performance likely operate via mechanisms other than negatively affecting math ability. Beyond this, we show evidence that math anxiety can account for associations between math ability and STEM outcomes, suggesting that past links between math ability and real-world outcomes may, in fact, be at least partially explainable by attitudes toward math. These findings provide clear impetus for developing and testing interventions that target math anxiety specifically and suggest that focusing on math ability without additional attention to math anxiety may fail to optimally boost STEM outcomes.
Genomic insights into diverse bacterial taxa that degrade extracellular DNA in marine sediments
Authors: Wasmund Kenneth , Pelikan Claus , Schintlmeister Arno , Wagner Michael , Watzka Margarete , Richter Andreas , Bhatnagar Srijak , Noel Amy , Hubert Casey R. J. , Rattei Thomas , Hofmann Thilo , Hausmann Bela , Herbold Craig W. , Loy Alexander
Published: June 2021

Extracellular DNA is a major macromolecule in global element cycles, and is a particularly crucial phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon source for microorganisms in the seafloor. Nevertheless, the identities, ecophysiology and genetic features of DNA-foraging microorganisms in marine sediments are largely unknown. Here, we combined microcosm experiments, DNA stable isotope probing (SIP), single-cell SIP using nano-scale secondary isotope mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and genome-centric metagenomics to study microbial catabolism of DNA and its subcomponents in marine sediments.13C-DNA added to sediment microcosms was largely degraded within 10 d and mineralized to13CO2. SIP probing of DNA revealed diverse ‘CandidatusIzemoplasma’,Lutibacter,Shewanellaand Fusibacteraceae incorporated DNA-derived13C-carbon. NanoSIMS confirmed incorporation of13C into individual bacterial cells of Fusibacteraceae sorted from microcosms. Genomes of the13C-labelled taxa all encoded enzymatic repertoires for catabolism of DNA or subcomponents of DNA. Comparative genomics indicated that diverse ‘CandidatusIzemoplasmatales’ (former Tenericutes) are exceptional because they encode multiple (up to five) predicted extracellular nucleases and are probably specialized DNA-degraders. Analyses of additional sediment metagenomes revealed extracellular nuclease genes are prevalent among Bacteroidota at diverse sites. Together, our results reveal the identities and functional properties of microorganisms that may contribute to the key ecosystem function of degrading and recycling DNA in the seabed.
Attenuated strain of CVB3 with a mutation in the CAR-interacting region protects against both myocarditis and pancreatitis
Authors: Lasrado Ninaad , Gangaplara Arunakumar , Massilamany Chandirasegaran , Arumugam Rajkumar , Shelbourn Allison , Rasquinha Mahima T. , Basavalingappa Rakesh H. , Delhon Gustavo , Xiang Shi-Hua , Pattnaik Asit K. , Steffen David , Reddy Jay
Published: June 2021

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), is commonly implicated in myocarditis, which can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy, in addition to causing acute pancreatitis and meningitis. Yet, no vaccines are currently available to prevent this infection. Here, we describe the derivation of a live attenuated vaccine virus, termed mutant (Mt) 10, encoding a single amino acid substitution H790A within the viral protein 1, that prevents CVB3 infection in mice and protects from both myocarditis and pancreatitis in challenge studies. We noted that animals vaccinated with Mt 10 developed virus-neutralizing antibodies, predominantly containing IgG2a and IgG2b, and to a lesser extent IgG3 and IgG1. Furthermore, by using major histocompatibility complex class II dextramers and tetramers, we demonstrated that Mt 10 induces antigen-specific T cell responses that preferentially produce interferon-γ. Finally, neither vaccine recipients nor those challenged with the wild-type virus revealed evidence of autoimmunity or cardiac injury as determined by T cell response to cardiac myosin and measurement of circulating cardiac troponin I levels, respectively. Together, our data suggest that Mt 10 is a vaccine candidate that prevents CVB3 infection through the induction of neutralizing antibodies and antigen-specific T cell responses, the two critical components needed for complete protection against virus infections in vaccine studies.