bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Containment of COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers: The role of surveillance, early detection, and outbreak management
Authors: Wee Liang En , Sim Xiang Ying Jean , Conceicao Edwin Philip , Aung May Kyawt , Goh Jia Qing , Yeo Dennis Wu Ting , Gan Wee Hoe , Chua Ying Ying , Wijaya Limin , Tan Thuan Tong , Tan Ban Hock , Ling Moi Lin , Venkatachalam Indumathi
Published: May 2020

Objective:

Staff surveillance is crucial during the containment phase of a pandemic to help reduce potential healthcare-associated transmission and sustain good staff morale. During an outbreak of SARS-COV-2 with community transmission, our institution used an integrated strategy for early detection and containment of COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers (HCWs).

Methods:

Our strategy comprised 3 key components: (1) enforcing reporting of HCWs with acute respiratory illness (ARI) to our institution’s staff clinic for monitoring; (2) conducting ongoing syndromic surveillance to obtain early warning of potential clusters of COVID-19; and (3) outbreak investigation and management.

Results:

Over a 16-week surveillance period, we detected 14 cases of COVID-19 among HCWs with ARI symptoms. Two of the cases were linked epidemiologically and thus constituted a COVID-19 cluster with intrahospital HCW–HCW transmission; we also detected 1 family cluster and 2 clusters among HCWs who shared accommodation. No transmission to HCWs or patients was detected after containment measures were instituted. Early detection minimized the number of HCWs requiring quarantine, hence preserving continuity of service during an ongoing pandemic.

Conclusions:

An integrated surveillance strategy, outbreak management, and encouraging individual responsibility were successful in early detection of clusters of COVID-19 among HCWs. With ongoing local transmission, vigilance must be maintained for intrahospital spread in nonclinical areas where social mingling of HCWs occurs. Because most individuals with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, addressing presenteeism is crucial to minimize potential staff and patient exposure.
Ontogenetic analysis of Anisian (Middle Triassic) ptychitid ammonoids from Nevada, USA
Authors: Bischof Eva A. , Lehmann Jens
Published: May 2020

Ptychitesis among the most widely distributed ammonoid genera of the Triassic and is namesake of a family and superfamily. However, representatives of the genus mostly show low-level phenotypic disparity. Furthermore, a large number of taxa are based on only a few poorly preserved specimens, creating challenges to determine ptychitid taxonomy. Consequently, a novel approach is needed to improve ptychitid diversity studies. Here, we investigatePtychitesspp. from the middle and late Anisian of Nevada. The species recorded includePtychites embreein. sp., which is distinguished by an average conch diameter that is much smaller and shows a more evolute coiling than most of its relatives. The new species ranges from theGymnotoceras mimetusto theGymnotoceras rotelliformiszones, which makes it the longest-ranging species of the genus. For the first time, the ontogenetic development ofPtychiteswas obtained from cross sections where possible. Cross-sectioning highlights unique ontogenetic trajectories in ptychitids. This demonstrates that, despite showing little phenotypic disparity,Ptychiteswas highly ontogenetically differentiated, and thus the high taxonomic diversity at the species level is justified for the species investigated.

UUID:http://zoobank.org/5abe2487-8a00-4b48-adc7-ec7db7a097f7
Vocational counseling for Australian spinal cord injury inpatients – Defining vocational role expectations and behavior
Authors: Johnston Deborah , Middleton James W. , Murphy Gregory , Cameron Ian
Published: May 2020

A novel inpatient vocational counseling service (named “In-Voc”) was developed and evaluated in three Australian spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation hospitals, aiming to improve vocational outcomes after SCI. The program provided a trained Vocational Counseling Coordinator who worked alongside the allied health team, medical, and nursing staff at each hospital. The Coordinators were interviewed to examine the role expectations and role behaviors associated with the introduction of their novel, vocationally focused, occupational role. The Coordinators’ descriptions of their role behavior were very similar to those defined by rehabilitation counselors in North America. They reported the novel role to be a productive and satisfying one. Encouragingly, the In-Voc program was associated with significantly higher post-injury employment outcomes.
SimSpin—Constructing mock IFS kinematic data cubes
Authors: Harborne Katherine E. , Power Chris , Robotham Aaron S. G.
Published: May 2020

We presentSimSpin, a new, public, software framework for generating integral field spectroscopy (IFS) data cubes fromN-body/hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies, which can be compared directly with observational datasets.SimSpinprovides a consistent method for studying a galaxy’s stellar component. It can be used to explore how observationally inferred measurements of kinematics, such as the spin parameter$\lambda_R$, are impacted by the effects of, for example, inclination, seeing conditions, distance.SimSpinis written in R and has been designed to be highly modular, flexible, and extensible. It is already being used by the astrophysics community to generate IFS-like cubes and FITS files for direct comparison of simulations to observations. In this paper, we explain the conceptual framework ofSimSpin; how it is implemented in R; and we demonstrateSimSpin’s current capabilities, providing as an example a brief investigation of how numerical resolution affects how reliably we can recover the intrinsic stellar kinematics of a simulated galaxy.
Helminths associated withNorops fuscoauratus(Squamata, Dactyloidae) in highland marshes of the Brazilian semi-arid
Authors: dos Santos Mesquita J.M. , de Oliveira S.S. , Perez R. , Ávila R.W.
Published: May 2020

Helminthological studies may contribute with valuable information on host biology and conservation. Herein, we provide new data on helminths infecting the lizardNorops fuscoauratus, testing one of the factors considered most important in parasitic ecology: host size. We analysed 25 specimens ofN. fuscoauratusfrom three highland marshes in the Brazilian semi-arid. Eight taxa of helminths belonging to Nematoda, Trematoda and Acanthocephala were found.Physalopterasp. showed the higher prevalence (40%), with a mean intensity of infection of 3.3 ± 1.46 (1–16) and mean abundance 1.32 ± 0.65 (0–16).Norops fuscoauratusrepresents four new host records for the helminthsCyrtosomumsp.,Pharyngodon travassosi,Strongyloidessp. andCentrorhynchussp. There is no relationship of host body size (P= 0.79) and mass (P= 0.50) with parasite richness. In addition, the present study contributes to the knowledge of the parasitic fauna ofN. fuscoauratusand the Neotropical region.
Study of intrinsic rotation by the Gyrokinetic Electromagnetic Numerical Experiment code in the Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak
Authors: Wang Duoqin , Yan Wei , Chen Zhongyong , Ye Xin , Li Wei , Yin Zhiyang , Hu Jie , Bai Wei , Zhong Yu ,   J-TEXT Team
Published: May 2020

The core toroidal plasma intrinsic rotation has been studied by experiments and simulations in the Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak (J-TEXT). The direction of core intrinsic rotation in the J-TEXT plasma is counter-current. As the plasma density ramps up, the rotation velocity increases in the counter-current direction. By comparing four different electron densities, linear local gyrokinetic simulations have been performed by the Gyrokinetic Electromagnetic Numerical Experiment code for the first time on J-TEXT. It is found that the most dominant turbulence is the ion temperature gradient at

$0.2a$

, where

$a$

is the minor radius of the plasma and this is unchanged during the plasma density ramp up. By scanning the radial wave vectors, it is found that the residual stress term reverses from negative to positive when the plasma density exceeds a certain threshold. The pinch term is larger than the residual stress term at all four electron densities, which means that the pinch term is always dominant in the core of a J-TEXT plasma.
Collisional effects on resonant particles in quasilinear theory
Authors: Catto Peter J.
Published: May 2020

A careful examination of the effects of collisions on resonant wave–particle interactions leads to an alternate interpretation and deeper understanding of the quasilinear operator originally formulated by Kennel & Engelmann (Phys. Fluids, vol. 9, 1966, pp. 2377–2388) for collisionless, magnetized plasmas, and widely used to model radio frequency heating and current drive. The resonant and nearly resonant particles are particularly sensitive to collisions that scatter them out of and into resonance, as for Landau damping as shown by Johnston (Phys. Fluids, vol. 14, 1971, pp. 2719–2726) and Auerbach (Phys. Fluids, vol. 20, 1977, pp. 1836–1844). As a result, the resonant particle–wave interactions occur in the centre of a narrow collisional boundary when the collision frequency

$\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$

is very small compared to the wave frequency

$\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}$

. The diffusive nature of the pitch angle scattering combined with the wave–particle resonance condition enhances the collision frequency by

$(\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D708})^{2/3}\gg 1$

, resulting in an effective resonant particle collisional interaction time of

$\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{\text{int}}\sim (\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D714})^{2/3}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}\ll 1/\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$

. A collisional boundary layer analysis generalizes the standard quasilinear operator to a form that is fully consistent with Kennel–Englemann, but allows replacing the delta function appearing in the diffusivity with a simple integral (having the appropriate delta function limit) retaining the new physics associated with the narrow boundary layer, while preserving the entropy production principle. The limitations of the collisional boundary layer treatment are also estimated, and indicate that substantial departures from Maxwellian are not permitted.
Omega-3 index in 2018/19
Authors: von Schacky Clemens
Published: May 2020

The omega-3 index, the percentage of EPA plus DHA in erythrocytes (measured by standardised analysis), represents a human body's status in EPA and DHA. An omega-3 index is measured in many laboratories around the world; however, even small differences in analytical methods entail large differences in results. Nevertheless, results are frequently related to the target range of 8–11 %, defined for the original and scientifically validated method (HS-Omega-3 Index®), raising ethical issues, and calling for standardisation. No human subject has an omega-3 index <2 %, indicating a vital minimum. Thus, the absence of EPA and DHA cannot be tested against presence. Moreover, clinical events correlate with levels, less with the dose of EPA and DHA, and the bioavailability of EPA and DHA varies inter-individually. Therefore, the effects of EPA and DHA are difficult to demonstrate using typical drug trial methods. Recent epidemiologic data further support the relevance of the omega-3 index in the cardiovascular field, since total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction or stroke, or blood pressure all correlate inversely with the omega-3 index. The omega-3 index directly correlates with complex brain functions. Compiling recent data supports the target range for the omega-3 index of 8–11 % in pregnancy. Many other potential applications have emerged. Some, but not all health issues mentioned have already been demonstrated to be improved by increasing intake of EPA and DHA. Increasing the omega-3 index into the target range of 8–11 % with individualised doses of toxin-free sources for EPA and DHA is tolerable and safe.
Psychological distress among health professional students during the COVID-19 outbreak
Authors: Li Yuchen , Wang Yue , Jiang Jingwen , Valdimarsdóttir Unnur A. , Fall Katja , Fang Fang , Song Huan , Lu Donghao , Zhang Wei
Published: May 2020

Background

Due to the drastic surge of COVID-19 patients, many countries are considering or already graduating health professional students early to aid professional resources. We aimed to assess outbreak-related psychological distress and symptoms of acute stress reaction (ASR) in health professional students and to characterize individuals with potential need for interventions.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1442 health professional students at Sichuan University, China. At baseline (October 2019), participants were assessed for childhood adversity, stressful life events, internet addiction, and family functioning. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined associations of the above exposures with subsequent psychological distress and ASR in response to the outbreak.

Results

Three hundred and eighty-four (26.63%) participants demonstrated clinically significant psychological distress, while 160 (11.10%) met the criterion for a probable ASR. Individuals who scored high on both childhood adversity and stressful life event experiences during the past year were at increased risks of both distress (ORs 2.00–2.66) and probable ASR (ORs 2.23–3.10), respectively. Moreover, internet addiction was associated with elevated risks of distress (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.60–2.64) and probable ASR (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.50–3.10). By contrast, good family functioning was associated with decreased risks of distress (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.33–0.55) and probable ASR (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.33–0.69). All associations were independent of baseline psychological distress.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that COVID-19 related psychological distress and high symptoms burden of ASR are common among health professional students. Extended family and professional support should be considered for vulnerable individuals during these unprecedented times.
Grounded procedures: A proximate mechanism for the psychology of cleansing and other physical actions
Authors: Lee Spike W. S. , Schwarz Norbert
Published: May 2020

Experimental work has revealed causal links between physical cleansing and various psychological variables. Empirically, how robust are they? Theoretically, how do they operate? Major prevailing accounts focus on morality or disgust, capturing a subset of cleansing effects, but cannot easily handle cleansing effects in non-moral, non-disgusting contexts. Building on grounded views on cognitive processes and known properties of mental procedures, we proposegrounded proceduresof separation as a proximate mechanism underlying cleansing effects. This account differs from prevailing accounts in terms of explanatory kind, interpretive parsimony, and predictive scope. Its unique and falsifiable predictions have received empirical support: Cleansing attenuates or eliminates otherwise observed influences of prior events (1) across domains and (2) across valences. (3) Cleansing manipulations produce stronger effects the more strongly they engage sensorimotor capacities. (4) Reversing the causal arrow, motivation for cleansing is triggered more readily by negative than positive entities. (5) Conceptually similar effects extend to other physical actions of separation. On the flipside, grounded procedures ofconnectionare also observed. Together, separation and connection organize prior findings relevant to multiple perspectives (e.g., conceptual metaphor, sympathetic magic) and open up new questions. Their predictions are more generalizable than the specific mappings in conceptual metaphors, but more fine-grained than the broad assumptions of grounded cognition. This intermediate level of analysis sheds light on the interplay between mental and physical processes.
Comprehension of English plural-singular marking by Mandarin-L1, early L2-immersion learners
Authors: Rusk Brian V. , Paradis Johanne , Järvikivi Juhani
Published: May 2020

Previous research has established that early second language (L2) learners in classroom immersion may not ultimately produce all L2 morphosyntactic features as first language (L1) speakers of the language do, whereas L2 comprehension outcomes are reported to be less divergent from those of L1 speakers. However, immersion learners’ L2 comprehension is typically assessed using tasks of holistic understanding, and therefore, little is known about fine-grained comprehension of specific morphosyntactic constructions. To address this, the present study examined online comprehension of English plural–singular marking by Mandarin-speaking, English-immersion learners in Taiwan. This semantically transparent feature differs from the L1 grammar and is a notable area of difficulty for Mandarin-speaking L2-English learners. The present study assesses middle school-aged immersion learners’ comprehension using a visual-world eye-tracking task combined with a picture decision task, comparing results to age-matched English-monolingual controls. After more than 8 years of L2 exposure, the immersion participants showed similarities and differences to monolinguals in plural–singular marking comprehension as measured by eye-tracking, and were less accurate in their interpretations on the picture decision task. This study shows that comprehension differences for a semantically transparent morphosyntactic construction can be apparent even after many years for learners who started immersion at an early age.
Investigation of a salmonellosis outbreak linked to French toast sandwich with the use of surveillance camera, Taiwan, 2018
Authors: Chueh Yu-Neng , Du Tsai-Hsia , Lee Chao-Jung , Liao Ying-Shu , Chiou Chien-Shun , Chang Jui-Chen , Lin Chiao-Wen , Lee Tsuey-Fong , Su Chia-Ping
Published: May 2020

Salmonellais a leading cause of foodborne outbreaks in Taiwan. On 27 April 2018, a salmonellosis outbreak among customers of a restaurant was reported to the Taiwan CDC. We investigated the outbreak to identify infection sources and prevent further transmission. We interviewed ill customers and their dining companions. We conducted a case-control study to identify foods associated with the illness. Case-patients were those who had diarrhoea within 72 h after eating at the restaurant during 16–27 April 2018. Specimens, food samples and environmental samples were collected and tested for enteric pathogens.Salmonellaisolates were analysed with pulse-field gel electrophoresis and whole-genome sequencing. We inspected the restaurant sanitation and reviewed kitchen surveillance camera recordings. We identified 47 case-patients, including one decedent. Compared with 44 controls, case-patients were more likely to have had a French toast sandwich (OR: 102.4; 95% CI: 18.7–952.3).SalmonellaEnteritidis isolates from 16 case-patients shared an indistinguishable genotype. Camera recordings revealed eggshell contamination, long holding time at room temperature and use of leftovers during implicated food preparation. Recommendations for restaurant egg-containing food preparation are to use pasteurised egg products and ensure a high enough cooking temperature and long enough cooking time to preventSalmonellacontamination.
Lexical diffusion in the making: the lengthening of Middle English /a/ during the eighteenth century and across the diasystem of English
Authors: TRAPATEAU NICOLAS
Published: May 2020

A long /aː/ in pre-fricative and pre-nasal contexts in words such asfast,answerorafteris one of the most distinctive phonological features of British RP and, to a certain extent, of Southern Hemisphere varieties of English (Trudgill 2010). The lengthening of /a/ has been particularly gaining ground from the eighteenth century onwards (Beal 1999; Jones 2006). The pronouncing dictionaries published between the eighteenth century and the present day allow us to trace its lexical diffusion (Labov 1994) across the whole lexicon. Drawing on the statistics of the ARCHER corpus, the lexical sets of the ECEP database, the full electronic edition of Walker's dictionary (1791), Wells’Longman Pronunciation Dictionary(2008) and theMacquarie Dictionary(2015), this article examines the role played by the phonetic environment, word frequency, phonetic analogy and isolated lead words likedraughtormasterin the spread of the lengthening of /a/. The results show that word frequency per se has no clear effect on /a/ lengthening in either pre-fricative or pre-nasal environments in eighteenth-century sources. The article also offers a possible relative chronology of the spread of that phenomenon to each phonetic environment within thebathset.
Fromquicktoquick-to-infinitival: on what is lexeme specific across paradigmatic and syntagmatic distributions
Authors: SCHÄFER MARTIN
Published: May 2020

Adjectives are paradigmatically versatile: they combine with many different items in the same syntactic configuration. They are also syntagmatically versatile: they occur in many different syntactic configurations. Given this versatility, how and to what extent can lexeme-specific preferences and features of the adjectives be identified? With the adjectivequickas its starting point, this article answers this question by using corpus data, contrasting the behavior ofquickwith that of its semantic neighbors. Case study 1 investigatesquick's attributive usage. It is shown thatquickin its default usage combines with eventive heads, and that there are clear differences in combinatorial preferences across its semantic neighbors. Case study 2 investigates thequick-to-infinitivalconstruction. Here, direct combination with eventive heads is impossible. It behaves differently from otheradj-to-infinitivalconstructions as well as the competingquicklyconstructions. Comparison of the availability of this construction forquick's semantic neighbors, and linking this to the results of study 1, shows a clear connection between paradigmatic and syntagmatic distributions.
Diet-related greenhouse gas emissions and major food contributors among Japanese adults: comparison of different calculation methods
Authors: Sugimoto Minami , Murakami Kentaro , Asakura Keiko , Masayasu Shizuko , Sasaki Satoshi
Published: May 2020

Objective:

To develop a greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) database for Japanese foods using three different approaches, compare the results of estimated diet-related GHGE and determine major food contributors among Japanese adults.

Design:

Cross-sectional. Three GHGE databases were developed: (1) a literature-based method including a literature review of life cycle assessment studies of Japanese foods and (2) production- and (3) consumption-based input–output tables (IOT)-applied methods using the Japanese IOT. All databases were linked to the Japanese food composition table and food consumption data. Diet-related GHGE was estimated based on each database and the 4-d dietary record data. Diet-related GHGE were compared in both total and food group level between the databases.

Setting:

Japan.

Participants:

392 healthy adults aged 20–69 years.

Results:

The mean diet-related GHGE significantly differed according to the calculation methods: 4145 g CO2-equivalent (CO2-eq)/d by the literature-based method, 4031 g CO2-eq/d by the production-based method and 7392 g CO2-eq/d by the consumption-based IOT-applied methods. It significantly differed in food group level as well. Spearman’s correlation coefficients between three methods ranged from 0·82 to 0·86. Irrespective of the methods, the top contributor to GHGE was meat (19·7–28·8 %) followed by fish and seafood (13·8–18·3 %).

Conclusions:

Although the identified major food contributors to GHGE were comparable between the three methods, the estimated GHGE values significantly differed by calculation methods. This finding suggested that caution must be taken when interpreting the estimated diet-related GHGE values obtained using the different calculation methods of GHGE.
Boosting Answer Set Optimization with Weighted Comparator Networks
Authors: BOMANSON JORI , JANHUNEN TOMI
Published: May 2020

Answer set programming (ASP) is a paradigm for modeling knowledge-intensive domains and solving challenging reasoning problems. In ASP solving, a typical strategy is to preprocess problem instances by rewriting complex rules into simpler ones. Normalization is a rewriting process that removes extended rule types altogether in favor of normal rules. Recently, such techniques led to optimization rewriting in ASP, where the goal is to boost answer set optimization by refactoring the optimization criteria of interest. In this paper, we present a novel, general, and effective technique for optimization rewriting based on comparator networks which are specific kinds of circuits for reordering the elements of vectors. The idea is to connect an ASP encoding of a comparator network to the literals being optimized and to redistribute the weights of these literals over the structure of the network. The encoding captures information about the weight of an answer set in auxiliary atoms in a structured way that is proven to yield exponential improvements during branch-and-bound optimization on an infinite family of example programs. The used comparator network can be tuned freely, for example, to find the best size for a given benchmark class. Experiments show accelerated optimization performance on several benchmark problems.
Printing Piano Pedagogy: Experimental Psychology and Marie Jaëll's Theory of Touch
Authors: Weinstein-Reiman Michael
Published: May 2020

In her 1899 pedagogy manual Touch: Piano Instruction on the Basis of Physiology, the composer and pianist Marie Jaëll (1846–1925) describes pianistic touch as a ‘polyphony of sensations’, a synthesis of vibrations that is both physical and psychical. This article examines Jaëll's recourse to nineteenth-century experimental science, specifically experimental psychology, to develop a theory of pianistic touch. Touch, Jaëll contends, necessitates a pianist's attention to haptic and aural impulses in an elusive, ‘simultaneous and successive’ process that collates the pianist's tangible sensation of the keyboard and the ineffable mental impressions conjured by sound. This braided sense of musical touch can be cultivated in performers and transmitted to listeners. Jaëll makes this assertion using a novel kind of visual evidence: fingerprints. Fingerprinting her students before and after the execution of selected piano études and treating the prints as diagnostic documents, Jaëll posits that isolating and attending to minute variations in touch is akin to attuning to the aesthetic content of a musical work. Jaëll crystallized her methodology in a vibrant collaboration with Charles Féré (1852–1907), a criminologist and one-time student of Jean-Martin Charcot. More broadly, Jaëll's treatise is a striking exponent of the era's ‘graphical method’, pioneered by Étienne-Jules Marey, which sought to supplant scientific rhetoric with ‘objective’ truth, depicted as machine-generated wave forms. The ethos that motivated the creation of such representations, propagated by an array of influential scientists including Ernst Heinrich Weber and Hermann von Helmholtz, underscores a tendency to intertwine physiology and psychology in an enterprise that quantified sensation as a fact of mechanistic causes. Jaëll's emphasis on attention – how thought modifies touch and sound – sets her theory apart from experimental psychology's more determinist premises. In Jaëll's experimental apparatus, fingerprints are not objective; rather, they index the variable haptic and sonic sensations experienced by the pianist. As a nascent theory of embodied cognition, Jaëll's pedagogy bespeaks a fluid relationship between mind and body at the dawn of the twentieth century.
Public Emotions and Variations of Violence: Evidence from Colombia
Authors: Hunt Stacey L.
Published: May 2020

In 2010 Colombia experienced an unexpected surge in acid attacks against women, and from 2010–2014, it had more acid attacks per capita than any other country in the world. No other form of violent crime in the country demonstrated such a spike. What explains this unusual variation in violence? I argue that this unique pattern of violence was made sensible by the 2005–2011 nation-building campaignColombia Is Passionthat redefined the enduring violence plaguing the country as men’s misunderstood passion for beautiful women. By valorizing violence toward women and making women’s membership in the nation contingent upon their beauty, the campaign created an affective economy under which acid attacks became both intelligible and effective in producing social death and national ostracization. In this paper, I have denaturalized violence against women and suggest that political scientists might do more to explain important variations of violence outside of armed conflict. Finally, I demonstrate the explanatory power of interpretive studies of political culture, national identity, and public emotion in structuring the meaning and patterns of violence.
Disrupting Boundaries between Traditional and Transnational Islam: Pious Women's Engagement with Islamic Authority in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Authors: Mesarič Andreja
Published: May 2020

The contemporary Islamic landscape in Bosnia-Herzegovina is often depicted as marked by fault lines between different Muslim groups, many of which are described as products of foreign intervention. This paper argues that this image does not reflect the multiplicity of Islamic discourses and practices, and the many ways that Bosnian Muslims engage with, promote, and resist them on the ground. It explores how pious Muslim women can move between different approaches to Islam over time, engage with a range of Islamic actors simultaneously, and draw on their teachings selectively or situationally without necessarily claiming group membership. By engaging with a range of actors making competing claims to authority, women contribute to both the pluralization of Islamic authority and the continued relevance of authoritative actors. The paper argues that paying attention to pious women's practices allows us to challenge crude characterizations of the transformations of Islam in Bosnia and question the narrative of distinct Muslim groups at odds with each other.
Carbohydrate, phytohormone, and associated transcriptome changes during storage root formation in alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides)
Authors: Yin Junliang , Tian Jie , Li Gang , Zhu Yongxing , Zhou Xiaokang , He Yang , Nie Peiyao , Su Yanmeng , Zhong Qiwen , Chen Zhongyi
Published: May 2020

The storage root of alligatorweed [Alternanthera philoxeroides(Mart.) Griseb.] growing in terrestrial habitats is an important metamorphic organ for its propagation, overwintering, and spread. However, the regulatory mechanism adventitious root expansion to form storage roots is still unclear. To reveal the changes accompanying the root-swelling process, we quantified sugar, soluble protein, and phytohormone content in adventitious and storage roots. Results demonstrated that sucrose, fructose, and soluble protein increased in storage roots, whereas abscisic acid (ABA), indoleacetic acid (IAA), brassinosteroid (BR), gibberellin, jasmonic acid, and cytokinin (trans-zeatin [tZ] and isopentenyladenine [iP] and the corresponding ribosidestZR and iPR).tZ-type (tZR andtZ) content decreased, suggesting the involvement of sugars and hormones in the formation of storage roots. To further reveal the molecular basis ofA.philoxeroides’s ability to form storage roots and provide candidate genes for molecular function analyses, we assembled a de novo transcriptome ofA.philoxeroidesbased on four sets of RNA-sequencing data. According to functional annotation and expression profiling, 42 unigenes involved in sucrose synthesis and hydrolysis were identified, in addition to 70, 58, and 78 unigenes in ABA, BR, and IAA signal transduction, respectively. The quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed 21 unigenes involved in sugar metabolism and hormone signal transduction were differentially expressed during the formation of storage roots. These results revealed metabolic changes during the formation of storage roots and provide candidate genes involved in sugar and phytohormone metabolism inA. philoxeroides.
Designing a Successful Neurofeedback Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Friedrich Elisabeth V. C.
Published: May 2020

Abstract. The goal of this article was to highlight important issues that have to be considered when designing an electroencephalography (EEG)-based neurofeedback training for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and to provide practical advice for a successful implementation. Autism is a heterogeneous and complex disorder, which leads to a broad and varied profile of symptoms as well as to huge individual differences between the affected children. This is why the neurofeedback training protocol has to be individually designed based on the specific symptoms as well as in consideration of the existing theories about aberrant brain activity, and why it then needs to be evaluated empirically. Furthermore, neurofeedback training has to be optimized individually regarding the specific control signal, feedback and practical implementations in order to lead to the desired improvements.
Community Citizen Science for Risk Management of a Spontaneously Combusting Coal‐Mine Waste Heap in Ban Chaung, Dawei District, Myanmar
Authors: Phenrat Tanapon
Published: May 2020

Since 2015, a large heap of improperly disposed coal‐mine waste in Ban Chaung, Dawei district, Myanmar, has repeatedly spontaneously combusted, affecting an indigenous community. Recently, the regional Myanmar government has compelled the mine to properly manage the mine waste heap, but there is no opportunity for affected villagers to participate. This study empowers the affected villagers to make risk management decisions via a community citizen science approach. First, field investigations were performed with the affected community to identify hot spots at the waste heap releasing gaseous pollutants that may exceed acceptable levels. Next, existing monitoring data previously collected by the community were interpreted as clear evidence of past poor waste management. Information about suppression of existing fire and mine waste storage options was presented to the community for them to make an informed decision about the most appropriate corrective action that should be taken by the mine. The mining company chose to use surface sealing for both suppression of existing fire and on‐site storage of the mine waste but did not install any long‐term monitoring system. Nevertheless, the community's choice was surface sealing with preventive monitoring together with emergency response, which is the more scientifically appropriate option. This outcome of a science‐based risk management decision by the community will be forwarded to the regional government for enforcement. This process of community citizen science is in line with the normative rationale of public participation, which is meant to influence decisions, elevate democratic capacity, and empower marginalized individuals and communities.
Hydrochemical Characteristics Jointly Determine the Transport and Cycling of Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus in an Arid Chinese Wetland
Authors: Liu Bing , Zhao Wenzhi , Wen Zijuan , Yang Yuting , Chang Xuexiang , Zhu Zhaocen , Si Rui
Published: May 2020

Salt accumulation gradually changes the cycling of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) and may even transform sinks into sources in arid wetlands. However, it's not clear how hydrochemical characteristics affect the wetland's source or sink function or how they affect C, N, and P cycling in arid regions. To clarify these relationships, we conducted field measurement in arid northern China. We simulated the variations of hydrochemical characteristics and the storage and stoichiometry of C, N, and P using the process‐based DeNitrification‐DeComposition (DNDC) and Hydrus‐1D models. The meteorological and hydrological processes had obvious characteristics of seasonal and interannual changes. The measured evapotranspiration averaged 660.23 and 587.94 mm year−1 in the saltmarsh and riparian wetlands, respectively. The soil showed a clear trend with higher SO42−, Na+, Ca2+, and Cl− fractions in comparison with lower Mg2+, K+, and HCO3− fractions, with the major ion and nutrient concentrations gradually decreasing with increasing depth in the soil. The major ion types had characteristics of Na+‐Ca2+‐SO42−‐Cl− in the saltmarsh wetland and riparian wetland. The storage of total C, N, and P were 372.72 ± 66.52 t C/hm2, 10.92 ± 2.59 t N/hm2, and 17.55 ± 1.54 t P/hm2 in the saltmarsh wetland versus 119.72 ± 27.88 t C/hm2, 4.38 ± 1.24 t N/hm2, and 13.17 ± 1.46 t P/hm2 in the riparian wetland. Therefore, wetland salinization in our study led to increased soil C, N, and P contents and storage and thereby enhanced the sink function of the wetlands.
Reply to Comment on “Active Crustal Deformation in the Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt as Evidenced by Historical Earthquakes During the Last 450 Years” by G. Suárez et al.
Authors: Suárez Gerardo , Caballero‐Jiménez Gema V. , Novelo‐Casanova David A.
Published: May 2020

Key Points

The magnitude and epicentral locations important historical earthquakes are determined inverting the macroseismic data

The TMVB is under active tectonic deformation and moderate‐sized earthquakes occur on several mapped active faults

Earthquakes have occurred on the TMVB in areas where no mapped faults exist
Genomic analysis of diet composition finds novel loci and associations with health and lifestyle
Authors: Meddens S. Fleur W. , de Vlaming Ronald , Bowers Peter , Burik Casper A. P. , Linnér Richard Karlsson , Lee Chanwook , Okbay Aysu , Turley Patrick , Rietveld Cornelius A. , Fontana Mark Alan , Ghanbari Mohsen , Imamura Fumiaki , McMahon George , van der Most Peter J. , Voortman Trudy , Wade Kaitlin H. , Anderson Emma L. , Braun Kim V. E. , Emmett Pauline M. , Esko Tonũ , Gonzalez Juan R. , Kiefte-de Jong Jessica C. , Langenberg Claudia , Luan Jian’an , Muka Taulant , Ring Susan , Rivadeneira Fernando , Snieder Harold , van Rooij Frank J. A. , Wolffenbuttel Bruce H. R. ,   23andMe Research Team,   EPIC- InterAct Consortium,   Lifelines Cohort Study, Smith George Davey , Franco Oscar H. , Forouhi Nita G. , Ikram M. Arfan , Uitterlinden Andre G. , van Vliet-Ostaptchouk Jana V. , Wareham Nick J. , Cesarini David , Harden K. Paige , Lee James J. , Benjamin Daniel J. , Chow Carson C. , Koellinger Philipp D.
Published: May 2020

We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of relative intake from the macronutrients fat, protein, carbohydrates, and sugar in over 235,000 individuals of European ancestries. We identified 21 unique, approximately independent lead SNPs. Fourteen lead SNPs are uniquely associated with one macronutrient at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10−8), while five of the 21 lead SNPs reach suggestive significance (P < 1 × 10−5) for at least one other macronutrient. While the phenotypes are genetically correlated, each phenotype carries a partially unique genetic architecture. Relative protein intake exhibits the strongest relationships with poor health, including positive genetic associations with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (rg ≈ 0.15–0.5). In contrast, relative carbohydrate and sugar intake have negative genetic correlations with waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, and neighborhood deprivation (|rg| ≈ 0.1–0.3) and positive genetic correlations with physical activity (rg ≈ 0.1 and 0.2). Relative fat intake has no consistent pattern of genetic correlations with poor health but has a negative genetic correlation with educational attainment (rg ≈−0.1). Although our analyses do not allow us to draw causal conclusions, we find no evidence of negative health consequences associated with relative carbohydrate, sugar, or fat intake. However, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that relative protein intake plays a role in the etiology of metabolic dysfunction.
The circular RNA circMAST1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and migration by sponging miR-1299 and regulating CTNND1 expression
Authors: Yu Xiufeng , Sheng Ping , Sun Jing , Zhao Xijuang , Zhang Junting , Li Yiying , Zhang YiMeng , Zhang Wenxiu , Wang Jianqi , Liu Kunpeng , Zhu Daling , Jiang Hongchi
Published: May 2020

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with a loop structure; however, their functions remain largely unknown. Growing evidence suggests that circRNAs play a pivotal role in the progression of malignant diseases. However, the expression profiles and function of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. We investigated the expression of microtubule-associated serine/threonine kinase 1 (MAST1) circRNA (circMAST1) in HCC and healthy tissues using bioinformatics, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Luciferase reporter assays were performed to assess the interaction between circMAST1 and miR-1299. Proliferation assays, colony formation assays, flow cytometry, transwell assays, and western blotting were also performed. A mouse xenograft model was also used to determine the effect of circMAST1 on HCC growth in vivo. CircMAST1 was upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines; silencing via small interfering RNA inhibited migration, invasion, and proliferation of HCC cell lines in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, the expression of circMAST1 was positively correlated with catenin delta-1 (CTNND1) and negatively correlated with microRNA (miR)-1299 in HCC clinical samples. Importantly, circMAST1 sponged miR-1299 to stabilize the expression of CTNND1 and promoted tumorigenic features in HCC cell lines. We found that circMAST1 may serve as a novel biomarker for HCC. Moreover, circMAST1 elicits HCC progression by sponging miRNA-1299 and stabilizing CTNND1. Our data provide potential options for therapeutic targets in patients with HCC.
Cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in organotypic cochlear cultures occurs independent of gap junctional intercellular communication
Authors: Abitbol Julia , Beach Rianne , Barr Kevin , Esseltine Jessica , Allman Brian , Laird Dale
Published: May 2020

Cisplatin is a very effective chemotherapeutic, but severe and permanent hearing loss remains a prevalent side effect. The processes underpinning cisplatin-induced ototoxicity are not well understood. Gap junction channels composed of connexin (Cx) subunits allow for the passage of small molecules and ions between contacting neighboring cells. These specialized channels have been postulated to enhance cisplatin-induced cell death by spreading “death signals” throughout the supporting cells of the organ of Corti. This study sought to investigate the role of Cx43 in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity using organotypic cochlear cultures from control and two Cx43-mutant mouse strains harboring either a moderate (Cx43I130T/+) or severe (Cx43G60S/+) reduction of Cx43 function. Cochlear cultures from Cx43-mutant mice with a severe reduction in Cx43-based gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) had an enhanced number of hair cells that were positive for cleaved caspase 3, a marker of active apoptosis, after cisplatin treatment. In cisplatin-treated organotypic cochlear cultures, there was a decrease in the co-localization of Cx26 and Cx30 compared with untreated cultures, suggesting that cisplatin causes reorganization of connexin composition in supporting cells. Both Cx26 and Cx30 protein expression as well as GJIC were decreased in organotypic cochlear cultures treated with the gap-junction blocker carbenoxolone. When cisplatin and carbenoxolone were co-administered, there were no differences in hair cell loss compared with cisplatin treatment alone. Using cisplatin-treated control and Cx43-ablated organ of Corti derived HEI-OC1 mouse cells, we found that greatly reducing GJIC led to preferential induction of an ER stress pathway. Taken together, this study strongly suggests that inhibition of GJIC in organ of Corti cells does not lead to differential susceptibility to cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. Although cisplatin causes the same degree of cell death in gap junction competent and incompetent cochlear cells, the engagement of the mitochondrial dysregulation and ER stress differs.
Fecal microbiota transplant rescues mice from human pathogen mediated sepsis by restoring systemic immunity
Authors: Kim Sangman M. , DeFazio Jennifer R. , Hyoju Sanjiv K. , Sangani Kishan , Keskey Robert , Krezalek Monika A. , Khodarev Nikolai N. , Sangwan Naseer , Christley Scott , Harris Katharine G. , Malik Ankit , Zaborin Alexander , Bouziat Romain , Ranoa Diana R. , Wiegerinck Mara , Ernest Jordan D. , Shakhsheer Baddr A. , Fleming Irma D. , Weichselbaum Ralph R. , Antonopoulos Dionysios A. , Gilbert Jack A. , Barreiro Luis B. , Zaborina Olga , Jabri Bana , Alverdy John C.
Published: May 2020

Death due to sepsis remains a persistent threat to critically ill patients confined to the intensive care unit and is characterized by colonization with multi-drug-resistant healthcare-associated pathogens. Here we report that sepsis in mice caused by a defined four-member pathogen community isolated from a patient with lethal sepsis is associated with the systemic suppression of key elements of the host transcriptome required for pathogen clearance and decreased butyrate expression. More specifically, these pathogens directly suppress interferon regulatory factor 3. Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) reverses the course of otherwise lethal sepsis by enhancing pathogen clearance via the restoration of host immunity in an interferon regulatory factor 3-dependent manner. This protective effect is linked to the expansion of butyrate-producing Bacteroidetes. Taken together these results suggest that fecal microbiota transplantation may be a treatment option in sepsis associated with immunosuppression.
Prominent radiative contributions from multiply-excited states in laser-produced tin plasma for nanolithography
Authors: Torretti F. , Sheil J. , Schupp R. , Basko M. M. , Bayraktar M. , Meijer R. A. , Witte S. , Ubachs W. , Hoekstra R. , Versolato O. O. , Neukirch A. J. , Colgan J.
Published: May 2020

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is currently entering high-volume manufacturing to enable the continued miniaturization of semiconductor devices. The required EUV light, at 13.5 nm wavelength, is produced in a hot and dense laser-driven tin plasma. The atomic origins of this light are demonstrably poorly understood. Here we calculate detailed tin opacity spectra using the Los Alamos atomic physics suite ATOMIC and validate these calculations with experimental comparisons. Our key finding is that EUV light largely originates from transitions between multiply-excited states, and not from the singly-excited states decaying to the ground state as is the current paradigm. Moreover, we find that transitions between these multiply-excited states also contribute in the same narrow window around 13.5 nm as those originating from singly-excited states, and this striking property holds over a wide range of charge states. We thus reveal the doubly magic behavior of tin and the origins of the EUV light.
Size and surface charge characterization of nanoparticles with a salt gradient
Authors: Rasmussen Martin K. , Pedersen Jonas N. , Marie Rodolphe
Published: May 2020

Exosomes are nanometer-sized lipid vesicles present in liquid biopsies and used as biomarkers for several diseases including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and central nervous system diseases. Purification and subsequent size and surface characterization are essential to exosome-based diagnostics. Sample purification is, however, time consuming and potentially damaging, and no current method gives the size and zeta potential from a single measurement. Here, we concentrate exosomes from a dilute solution and measure their size and zeta potential in a one-step measurement with a salt gradient in a capillary channel. The salt gradient causes oppositely directed particle and fluid transport that trap particles. Within minutes, the particle concentration increases more than two orders of magnitude. A fit to the spatial distribution of a single or an ensemble of exosomes returns both their size and surface charge. Our method is applicable for other types of nanoparticles. The capillary is fabricated in a low-cost polymer device.