bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Construals of iconicity: experimental approaches to form–meaning resemblances in language
Authors: DINGEMANSE MARK , PERLMAN MARCUS , PERNISS PAMELA
Published: March 2020

abstract

While speculations on form–meaning resemblances in language go back millennia, the experimental study of iconicity is only about a century old. Here we take stock of experimental work on iconicity and present a double special issue with a diverse set of new contributions. We contextualise the work by introducing a typology of approaches to iconicity in language. Some approaches construe iconicity as a discrete property that is either present or absent; others treat it as involving semiotic relationships that come in kinds; and yet others see it as a gradient substance that comes in degrees. We show the benefits and limitations that come with each of these construals and stress the importance of developing accounts that can fluently switch between them. With operationalisations of iconicity that are well defined yet flexible enough to deal with differences in tasks, modalities, and levels of analysis, experimental research on iconicity is well equipped to contribute to a comprehensive science of language.
Reasoning as a mathematical habit of mind
Authors: Askew Mike
Published: March 2020

In this paper I look at different aspects of mathematical reasoning, and argue that we need to make sure students of all ages engage in a range of mathematical reasoning, particularly given the evidence that teaching for reasoning is a powerful complement to teaching that is more focused on skills and procedures.
Biomarkers of fitness and welfare in dairy cattle: healthy productivity
Authors: Zachut Maya , Šperanda Marcela , de Almeida André M. , Gabai Gianfranco , Mobasheri Ali , Hernández-Castellano Lorenzo E.
Published: March 2020

Milk production intensification has led to several unwanted aspects, such as sustainability issues and environmental pollution. Among these, increased milk outputs that have been achieved over the last 70 years have led to several health and pathophysiological conditions in high yielding dairy animals, including metabolic diseases that were uncommon in the past. Increased occurrence of diverse metabolic diseases in cattle and other domestic animals is a key feature of domestication that not only affects the animals' health and productivity, but also may have important and adverse health impacts on human consumers through the elevated use of drugs and antibiotics. These aspects will influence economical and ethical aspects in the near future. Therefore, finding and establishing proper biomarkers for early detection of metabolic diseases is of great interest. In the present review, recent work on the discovery of fitness, stress and welfare biomarkers in dairy cows is presented, focusing in particular on possible biomarkers of energy balance and oxidative stress in plasma and milk, and biomarkers of production-related diseases and decreased fertility.
New perspectives on Nephridiacanthus major (Acanthocephala: Oligacanthorhynchidae) collected from hedgehogs in Iran
Authors: Amin O.M. , Sharifdini M. , Heckmann R.A. , Zarean M.
Published: March 2020

We describe morphological features not previously reported for this old acanthocephalan Nephridiacanthus major (Bremser, 1811 in Westrumb, 1821) Golvan, 1962 first described over 200 years ago. Our specimens were collected from long-eared hedgehog Hemiechinus auritus (Gmelin, 1770) (Erinaceidae) in Iran. We compare the morphometrics of our material with others previously reported from the same host in Iran, Russia, central Asia and Europe. Our specimens had markedly smaller proboscides, proboscis hooks and lemnisci than those reported from Russia and central Asia, but comparable measurements of other structures with specimens previously described from other collections. We document our new observations with scanning electron microscopy features not previously demonstrable by other observers and provide a chemical analysis of proboscis hooks using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis for the first time. The molecular profile of this acanthocephalan, based on 18S rDNA and cox1 genes, was generated for the first time. The phylogenetic analysis showed that N. major is placed in a clade of the family Oligacanthorhynchidae, well separated from the families Moniliformidae and Gigantorhynchidae.
Coblation versus cold dissection in paediatric tonsillectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ahmad M U , Wardak A N , Hampton T , Siddiqui M R S , Street I
Published: March 2020

Background

Cold dissection is the most commonly used tonsillectomy technique, with low post-operative haemorrhage rates. Coblation is an alternative technique that may cause less pain, but could have higher post-operative haemorrhage rates.

Objective

This study evaluated the peri-operative outcomes in paediatric tonsillectomy patients by comparing coblation and cold dissection techniques.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted of all comparative studies of paediatric coblation and cold dissection tonsillectomy, up to December 2018. Any studies with adults were excluded. Outcomes such as pain, operative time, and intra-operative, primary and secondary haemorrhages were recorded.

Results

Seven studies contributed to the summative outcome. Coblation tonsillectomy appeared to result in less pain, less intra-operative blood loss (p < 0.01) and a shorter operative time (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the two groups for post-operative haemorrhage (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

The coblation tonsillectomy technique may offer better peri-operative outcomes when compared to cold dissection, and should therefore be offered in paediatric cases, before cold dissection tonsillectomy.
Rough-toothed dolphins (Cetartiodactyla: Delphinidae) habitat use in coastal urban waters of the South-western Atlantic
Authors: Lodi Liliane , Maricato Guilherme
Published: March 2020

Rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) are regularly present in continental shelf areas of the South-western Atlantic. However, there is little information on the natural history and ecology of these delphinids. This study evaluated the occurrence, habitat use and individual movements of the species in coastal waters off Rio de Janeiro, south-eastern Brazil. Data were obtained from boat surveys between August 2011 and May 2018, during which rough-toothed dolphins were sighted in 21 distinct events, predominantly in autumn and winter. The mean group size was 29 individuals. Rough-toothed dolphins were usually recorded 130 to 2300 m from the coast, between 7.6 and 28 m depths. In total, 115 individuals were catalogued through dorsal fin marks and 61 (53%) were resighted between one (47.5%) and four (9.8%) occasions. The interval between resightings ranged from seven to 2087 days (mean = 268). Agglomerative hierarchical clustering indicated 30 individuals (49.2%) in low degree, 12 (19.7%) in medium degree and 19 (31.1%) in high degree of site fidelity. Dolphins showed a higher frequency of low degree of habitat use, despite the presence of multiyear recaptures, which may be related to the prevalence of dolphin occurrence in autumn and winter, a large home range and/or the abundance and distribution of food resources. Dedicated surveys and regional collaboration are needed to evaluate the home range and population status of this species for their effective conservation. Our findings enhanced knowledge of this little studied species facing increasing anthropogenic threats in coastal waters off Rio de Janeiro.
‘Acting upon our Religion’: Muslim women's movements and the remodelling of Islamic practice in India
Authors: JONES JUSTIN
Published: March 2020

In the last 15 years, India has witnessed the expression of a variety of new non-conformist religious practices performed by Muslim women. A range of vibrant campaigns has been pioneered by Muslim women's associations, asserting women's claims to hold and lead congregational prayers, enter and manage mosques, visit shrines, officiate Muslim marriages, and issueshari‘ah-based legal decisions. This article explores the twin questions of why these experimental remodellings of women's Islamic observance and leadership have been so pronounced in the Indian context compared with much of the Islamic world, and furthermore, why Muslim women's rights activists have put such confessional matters at the centre of their work. Exploring a series of specific female-led assertions of religious agency centring upon mosques,shari‘ahcouncils, and a Sufi shrine, the article argues that India's variant of ‘secularism’, which has normalized the state's non-intervention in religious institutions and laws, has given women the freedom to embark upon overhauls of Islamic conventions denied to their counterparts elsewhere. Simultaneously, this same framework for handling religious questions has historically given intra-community and clerical voices particular influence in regulating Muslim community affairs and family laws, compelling activists to seek women's empowerment in individual and local community contexts to further their objectives, including through the assertion of experimental forms of religious conduct.
Experimentally induced and real-world anxiety have no demonstrable effect on goal-directed behaviour
Authors: Gillan C. M. , Vaghi M. M. , Hezemans F. H. , van Ghesel Grothe S. , Dafflon J. , Brühl A. B. , Savulich G. , Robbins T. W.
Published: March 2020

Background

Goal-directed control guides optimal decision-making and it is an important cognitive faculty that protects against developing habits. Previous studies have found some evidence of goal-directed deficits when healthy individuals are stressed, and in psychiatric conditions characterised by compulsive behaviours and anxiety. Here, we tested if goal-directed control is affected by state anxiety, which might explain the former results.

Methods

We carried out a causal test of this hypothesis in two experiments (between-subject N = 88; within-subject N = 50) that used the inhalation of hypercapnic gas (7.5% CO2) to induce an acute state of anxiety in healthy volunteers. In a third experiment (N = 1413), we used a correlational design to test if real-life anxiety-provoking events (panic attacks, stressful events) are associated with impaired goal-directed control.

Results

In the former two causal experiments, we induced a profoundly anxious state, both physiologically and psychologically, but this did not affect goal-directed performance. In the third, correlational, study, we found no evidence for an association between goal-directed control, panic attacks or stressful life eventsover and above variance accounted for by trait differences in compulsivity.

Conclusions

In sum, three complementary experiments found no evidence that anxiety impairs goal-directed control in human subjects.
Motor abnormalities and basal ganglia in first-episode psychosis (FEP)
Authors: Cuesta Manuel J. , Lecumberri Pablo , Moreno-Izco Lucia , López-Ilundain Jose M. , Ribeiro María , Cabada Teresa , Lorente-Omeñaca Ruth , de Erausquin Gabriel , García-Martí Gracian , Sanjuan Julio , Sánchez-Torres Ana M. , Gómez Marisol , Peralta Victor
Published: March 2020

Background

Motor abnormalities (MAs) are the primary manifestations of schizophrenia. However, the extent to which MAs are related to alterations of subcortical structures remains understudied.

Methods

We aimed to investigate the associations of MAs and basal ganglia abnormalities in first-episode psychosis (FEP) and healthy controls. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 48 right-handed FEP and 23 age-, gender-, handedness-, and educational attainment-matched controls, to obtain basal ganglia shape analysis, diffusion tensor imaging techniques (fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity), and relaxometry (R2*) to estimate iron load. A comprehensive motor battery was applied including the assessment of parkinsonism, catatonic signs, and neurological soft signs (NSS). A fully automated model-based segmentation algorithm on 1.5T MRI anatomical images and accurate corregistration of diffusion and T2* volumes and R2* was used.

Results

FEP patients showed significant local atrophic changes in left globus pallidus nucleus regarding controls. Hypertrophic changes in left-side caudate were associated with higher scores in sensory integration, and in right accumbens with tremor subscale. FEP patients showed lower fractional anisotropy measures than controls but no significant differences regarding mean diffusivity and iron load of basal ganglia. However, iron load in left basal ganglia and right accumbens correlated significantly with higher extrapyramidal and motor coordination signs in FEP patients.

Conclusions

Taken together, iron load in left basal ganglia may have a role in the emergence of extrapyramidal signs and NSS of FEP patients and in consequence in the pathophysiology of psychosis.
Retirement timing in Italy: rising age and the advantages of a stable working career
Authors: Trentini Marco
Published: March 2020

This article looks at how retirement timing is changing in Italy. A first aim is descriptive and it is to identify recent trends in retirement age, following the pension reform. Then the focus is on factors which may favour or hinder the extension of the working career of older workers. They are studied by looking at the reasons for retirement, introducing the distinction between voluntary and involuntary retirement, and some predictors of retirement. Some of them relate to the work history of individuals, in particular the stability/instability of careers due to episodes of unemployment. The level of education and gender, two variables that may affect the employability of older workers, have also been considered. The study is based on a longitudinal analysis (Kaplan–Meier survival estimates of transition to retirement and binomial logit discrete-time model for the analysis of retirement predictors) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) Job Episodes Panel data. They refer to a sample of 1,999 individuals born between 1911 and 1959. Although the various pension reforms initiated in Italy in the 1990s have not yet been fully implemented, retirement age is rising, even in the case of involuntary retirement. Regarding work history, the advantages of a working career with a small number of unemployment episodes emerge from the study.
Junks to Mare Clausum: China-Maluku Connections in the Spice Wars, 1607–1622
Authors: Xu Guanmian
Published: March 2020

Much more globally entangled than many global historians used to think, the so-called Spice Wars were not only a story of European expansion and Southeast Asian interaction, but had an inextricable northern link leading all the way to China. From the capture of a Chinese junk serving the Spaniards in Ternate by Cornelis Matelief in 1607, to the completion of the first manuscript of the incense compendium (Xiangsheng) by Zhou Jiazhou in Jiangnan in 1618, and eventually to the proposal of the strange monopoly policy by Jan Pieterszoon Coen to the Heeren XVII (Gentlemen Seventeen) in the Dutch Republic in 1622, these seemingly irrelevant events are in fact the fragments of an untold global history of cloves which was not westward bound to the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and Europe, but northward linked with the East Asian world via the Manila route.
Angiotensin II for the treatment of distributive shock in the intensive care unit: A US cost-effectiveness analysis
Authors: Busse Laurence W. , Nicholson Gina , Nordyke Robert J. , Lee Cho-Han , Zeng Feng , Albertson Timothy E.
Published: March 2020

Background

Patients with distributive shock who are unresponsive to traditional vasopressors are commonly considered to have severe distributive shock and are at high mortality risk. Here, we assess the cost-effectiveness of adding angiotensin II to the standard of care (SOC) for severe distributive shock in the US critical care setting from a US payer perspective.

Methods

Short-term mortality outcomes were based on 28-day survival rates from the ATHOS-3 study. Long-term outcomes were extrapolated to lifetime survival using individually estimated life expectancies for survivors. Resource use and adverse event costs were drawn from the published literature. Health outcomes evaluated were lives saved, life-years gained, and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained using utility estimates for the US adult population weighted for sepsis mortality. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses assessed uncertainty around results. We analyzed patients with severe distributive shock from the ATHOS-3 clinical trial.

Results

The addition of angiotensin II to the SOC saved .08 lives at Day 28 compared to SOC alone. The cost per life saved was estimated to be $108,884. The addition of angiotensin II to the SOC was projected to result in a gain of .96 life-years and .66 QALYs. This resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $12,843 per QALY. The probability of angiotensin II being cost-effective at a threshold of $50,000 per QALY was 86 percent.

Conclusions

For treatment of severe distributive shock, angiotensin II is cost-effective at acceptable thresholds.
ON INTERVAL AND INSTANT AVAILABILITY OF THE SYSTEM
Authors: Mi Jie
Published: March 2020

This article considers the interval availability and instant availability of the k-system. A certain relationship between the two types of availability is established. Some lower and upper bounds to interval availability are derived. It also provides a couple of conditions under which the availability of two systems can be compared. Several examples are given to show the complexity of comparisons of availability.
Enteric pathogens associated with gastroenteritis among children under 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Oppong T. B. , Yang H. , Amponsem-Boateng C. , Kyere E. K. D , Abdulai T. , Duan G. , Opolot G.
Published: March 2020

Gastroenteritis remains a serious health condition among children under 5 years especially in Africa. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the aetiologic pathogens of gastroenteritis in the region. We did a systematic search for articles with original data on the aetiology of gastroenteritis and acute diarrhoea among children younger than 5 years. Pooled results were extracted and analysed in STATA version 12.0 using random-effects for statistical test for homogeneity following the guidelines provided in the Cochrane Collaboration and Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Overall, viruses accounted for 50.2% of the cases followed by bacteria with 31.6% of the cases. Parasites accounted for 12.1% of the case. Rotavirus was the most common cause of acute diarrhoea in all regions resulting in 29.2% of the cases followed by E. coli (15.6%) of diarrhoeal cases and Adenovirus (10.8%). The most prevalent parasite detected was Giardia lamblia (7.3%). Acute diarrhoea remains rampant with Rotavirus still being the major pathogen responsible for the disease in children less than 5 years old despite the introduction of vaccine. It is recommended that the vaccine should be promoted much more widely in the region.
Early-life programming of adipose tissue
Authors: Moreno-Mendez Ericka , Quintero-Fabian Saray , Fernandez-Mejia Cristina , Lazo-de-la-Vega-Monroy Maria-Luisa
Published: March 2020

Worldwide obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in children and adolescents, with the consequent emergence of co-morbidities. Moreover, the maternal environment during pregnancy plays an important role in obesity, contributing to transgenerational transmission of the same and metabolic dysfunction. White adipose tissue represents a prime target of metabolic programming induced by maternal milieu. In this article, we review adipose tissue physiology and development, as well as maternal influences during the perinatal period that may lead to obesity in early postnatal life and adulthood. First, we describe the adipose tissue cell composition, distribution and hormonal action, together with the evidence of hormonal factors participating in fetal/postnatal programming. Subsequently, we describe the critical periods of adipose tissue development and the relationship of gestational and early postnatal life with healthy fetal adipose tissue expansion. Furthermore, we discuss the evidence showing that adipose tissue is an important target for nutritional, hormonal and epigenetic signals to modulate fetal growth. Finally, we describe nutritional, hormonal, epigenetic and microbiome changes observed in maternal obesity, and whether their disruption alters fetal growth and adiposity. The presented evidence supports the developmental origins of health and disease concept, which proposes that the homeostatic system is affected during gestational and postnatal development, impeding the ability to regulate body weight after birth, thereby resulting in adult obesity. Consequently, we anticipate that promoting a healthy early-life programming of adipose tissue and increasing the knowledge of the mechanisms by which maternal factors affect the health of future generations may offer novel strategies for explaining and addressing worldwide health problems such as obesity.
The association between toddlerhood empathy deficits and antisocial personality disorder symptoms and psychopathy in adulthood
Authors: Rhee Soo Hyun , Woodward Kerri , Corley Robin P. , du Pont Alta , Friedman Naomi P. , Hewitt John K. , Hink Laura K. , Robinson JoAnn , Zahn-Waxler Carolyn
Published: March 2020

The present study examined empathy deficits in toddlerhood (age 14 to 36 months) as predictors of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) symptoms and psychopathy measured by the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy scale (Levenson, Kiehl, & Fitzpatrick, 1995) in adulthood (age 23 years) in 956 individuals from the Colorado Longitudinal Twin Study. Consistent with the hypothesis that antisocial behavior is associated with “active” rather than “passive” empathy deficits, early disregard for others, not lack of concern for others, predicted later ASPD symptoms. Early disregard for others was also significantly associated with factor 1 of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, which includes items assessing interpersonal and affective deficits, but not with factor 2, which includes items assessing impulsivity and poor behavioral control. The association between early disregard for others and psychopathy factor 2 was near zero after controlling for the shared variance between psychopathy factors 1 and 2. These results suggest that there is a propensity toward adulthood ASPD symptoms and psychopathy factor 1 that can be assessed early in development, which may help identify individuals most at risk for stable antisocial outcomes.
The ‘Northwest Essex Anglo-Saxon Ring’, Falconry and Pagan–Christian Discursive Space
Authors: Wallis Robert J.
Published: March 2020

A unique gold finger ring, dated stylistically toc.ad580–650, was discovered by metal-detecting in Essex in 2011. The ‘northwest Essex Anglo-Saxon ring’ is highly decorated with Style II art and shows a distinctive juxtaposition of ‘pagan’ and ‘Christian’ imagery including birds of prey and an anthropomorphic figure holding a long cross in the right hand, a raptor in the left. In this article, I consider the possibility that the object provides further evidence that falconry was practised in early Anglo-Saxon England. I begin by examining the finger ring itself and the imagery upon it, situating this within an Anglo-Saxon and broader Continental context. I then explore the possible social context of the ring, focusing on the ‘ideology of predation’ within which falconry, as a high-status hunting pursuit, may have been performed. Evaluating the hybrid ‘pagan’ and ‘Christian’ elements of the imagery, I suggest that falconry, and the ring itself as a high-status and possibly royal object, may have played important roles in the dynamics of pagan–Christian ‘discursive space’.
The Ethos of Science and the Perception of the Polish System of Financing Science
Authors: Feldy Marzena , Kowalczyk Barbara
Published: March 2020

The reforms of the Polish system of science emphasise the importance of research and the international activity of Polish scientists. Optimal allocation of funds, taking into account the needs of researchers, is one of the current key objectives of research policy in Poland. The aim of this article is to discover values that Polish researchers identify with as well as defining their approach to the current system of research financing in Poland. The results presented here come from a nationwide study implemented at the turn of 2016. In total, we surveyed 800 randomly selected researchers. The interviewees had at least a PhD degree and were employed in Polish research institutions. The results of the study confirm that the researchers who identify with different ethoses of science have varied approaches to the Polish system of research financing. The scientists who take the least favourable view of the system are those who identify with the academic tradition. Compared with the scientists with deeply-rooted academic values, those in favour of a post-academic ethos more appreciate the available funding opportunities as well as the features of competition-based research funding. They also more often claim that the rules of financing research institutions in Poland have a positive impact on the development of science.
Versatile Homebuilt Gas Feed and Analysis System for Operando TEM of Catalysts at Work
Authors: Plodinec Milivoj , Nerl Hannah C. , Farra Ramzi , Willinger Marc G. , Stotz Eugen , Schlögl Robert , Lunkenbein Thomas
Published: March 2020

Understanding how catalysts work during chemical reactions is crucial when developing efficient catalytic materials. The dynamic processes involved are extremely sensitive to changes in pressure, gas environment and temperature. Hence, there is a need for spatially resolved operando techniques to investigate catalysts under working conditions and over time. The use of dedicated operando techniques with added detection of catalytic conversion presents a unique opportunity to study the mechanisms underlying the catalytic reactions systematically. Herein, we report on the detailed setup and technical capabilities of a modular, homebuilt gas feed system directly coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometer, which allows for operando transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of heterogeneous catalysts. The setup is compatible with conventional, commercially available gas cell TEM holders, making it widely accessible and reproducible by the community. In addition, the operando functionality of the setup was tested using CO oxidation over Pt nanoparticles.
Adapting meaning-centered psychotherapy for World Trade Center responders
Authors: Masterson-Duva Melissa , Haugen Peter , Werth Aditi , Foster Alyce , Chassman Emily , Roberts Kailey , DePierro Jonathan , Morales-Miller Massielle , Lowe Sandra , Pessin Hayley , Lichtenthal Wendy , Breitbart William
Published: March 2020

Objective

To date, nearly 10,000 World Trade Center (WTC) responders have been diagnosed with at least one type of WTC-related cancer, and over 70 types of cancer have been related to WTC occupational exposure. Due to the observed latency period for malignancies, the WTC Health Program anticipates increases in rates of new cancer diagnoses. Given the growing number of cancer diagnoses in this population, there is an urgent need to develop a novel intervention to address the psychosocial needs of WTC responders with cancer. Meaning-centered psychotherapy (MCP) is a structured psychotherapeutic intervention originally developed to help patients with advanced cancer find and sustain meaning in life despite illness-related limitations. Existential distress and loss of meaning are critical and understudied elements of psychological health that have been widely overlooked among WTC responders with cancer.

Method

We have adapted MCP for WTC responders (MCP-WTC) for the treatment of WTC responders who have been diagnosed with WTC-certified cancers. MCP-WTC aims to target the complex crisis in meaning faced by those responders who responded to the 9/11 attacks and subsequently were diagnosed with cancer as a result of their service.

Results

We describe the adaptation of MCP-WTC and the application of this intervention to meet the unique needs of those exposed to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11), participated in the rescue, recovery, and clean-up effort at Ground Zero, and were diagnosed with WTC-related cancer. We highlight the novel aspects of this intervention which have been designed to facilitate meaning-making in the context of the patient's response to 9/11 and subsequent diagnosis of cancer.

Significance of results

This work provides a rationale for MCP-WTC and the potential for this intervention to improve the quality of life of WTC responders and help these patients navigate life after 9/11 and cancer.
Planetary Sensor Models Interoperability Using the Community Sensor Model Specification
Authors: Laura J. R. , Mapel J. , Hare T.
Published: March 2020

This paper presents the photogrammetric foundations upon which the Community Sensor Model specification depends, describes common coordinate system and reference frame transformations that support conversion between image sensor (charge‐coupled device) coordinates to some arbitrary body coordinate, and describes the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Community Sensor Model implementation (https://github.com/USGS-Astrogeology/usgscsm). We present a new image support data specification that provides the position, pointing, timing, and metadata information necessary to properly locate a pixel or observations location on a body and describe a system architecture designed to explicitly identify the responsibilities of software components within a larger pipeline or analytical environment. This paper concludes with a set of experiments that illustrate positional and pointing error in the sensor location and the impact on the computed surface location.
Debates: Does Information Theory Provide a New Paradigm for Earth Science? Sharper Predictions Using Occam's Digital Razor
Authors: Weijs Steven. V. , Ruddell Benjamin. L.
Published: March 2020

Occam's Razor is a bedrock principle of science philosophy, stating that the simplest hypothesis (or model) is preferred, at any given level of model predictive performance. A modern restatement often attributed to Einstein explains, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Using principles from (algorithmic) information theory, both model descriptive performance and model complexity can be quantified in bits. This quantification yields a Pareto‐style trade‐off between model complexity (length of the model program in bits) and model performance (information loss in bits, or the missing information, needed to describe the original observations). Model complexity and performance can be collapsed to one single measure of lossless model size, which, when minimized, leads to optimal model complexity versus loss trade‐off for generalization and prediction. Our view puts both simple data‐driven and complex physical‐process‐based models on a continuum, in the sense that both describe patterns in observed data in compressed form, with different degrees of generality, model complexity, and descriptive performance. Information theory‐based assessment of compression performance with fair and meaningful accounting for model complexity will enable us to best compare and combine the strengths of physics knowledge and data‐driven modeling for a given problem, given the availability of data.

“Suppose we draw a set of points on paper in a totally random manner. I am saying it is possible to find a geometric line whose notation is constant and uniform, following a certain law, that will pass through all points, and in the same order they were drawn.”
“But if that law is strongly composed, the thing that conforms to it should be seen as irregular”Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, 1686: Discours de métaphysique V, VI (from French)
Subsurface Source Zone Characterization and Uncertainty Quantification Using Discriminative Random Fields
Authors: Arshadi Masoud , De Paolis Kaluza M. Clara , Miller Eric L. , Abriola Linda M.
Published: March 2020

A novel statistical approach is developed and implemented for the stochastic reconstruction of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source zone realizations and the quantification of source zone metrics and associated uncertainty. The approach employs discriminative random field (DRF) models, to simulate the spatial distributions and relationships among source zone properties (i.e., permeability, NAPL saturation, and aqueous concentration distributions) consistent with commonly collected field data. Application of DRF models requires a limited number of full‐scale simulations to train the model parameters. Monte Carlo sampling methods based on these trained models then provide an efficient method to generate contaminant mass realizations conditioned on measured boreholes, bypassing the need to run computationally intensive, partial differential equation‐based simulations of physical flow and transport. Postprocessing of these realizations yields approximations of uncertainty to inform further sampling for characterization and remediation. The reconstructed contaminant mass realizations provide sufficient information for calculating averaged characterization metrics, such as total contaminant mass and pool fraction, used to predict source zone longevity, mass recovery behavior, and remedial performance. The model performance is evaluated through comparisons of these predicted source zone metrics with those obtained from the “true” mass distributions generated with validated flow and transport models. These comparisons clearly demonstrate that stochastic application of a DRF model can reconstruct realistic saturation and concentration fields, conditioned to borehole data at different times. The present study should be viewed as the first step in generating a three‐dimensional characterization tool that can be applied over a wide range of conditions observed at contaminated sites.
Comparison of Data‐Driven Techniques to Reconstruct (1992–2002) and Predict (2017–2018) GRACE‐Like Gridded Total Water Storage Changes Using Climate Inputs
Authors: Li Fupeng , Kusche Jürgen , Rietbroek Roelof , Wang Zhengtao , Forootan Ehsan , Schulze Kerstin , Lück Christina
Published: March 2020

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission ended its operation in October 2017, and the GRACE Follow‐On mission was launched only in May 2018, leading to approximately 1 year of data gap. Given that GRACE‐type observations are exclusively providing direct estimates of total water storage change (TWSC), it would be very important to bridge the gap between these two missions. Furthermore, for many climate‐related applications, it is also desirable to reconstruct TWSC prior to the GRACE period. In this study, we aim at comparing different data‐driven methods and identifying the more robust alternatives for predicting GRACE‐like gridded TWSC during the gap and reconstructing them to 1992 using climate inputs. To this end, we first develop a methodological framework to compare different methods such as the multiple linear regression (MLR), artificial neural network (ANN), and autoregressive exogenous (ARX) approaches. Second, metrics are developed to measure the robustness of the predictions. Finally, gridded TWSC within 26 regions are predicted and reconstructed using the identified methods. Test computations suggest that the correlation of predicted TWSC maps with observed ones is more than 0.3 higher than TWSC simulated by hydrological models, at the grid scale of 1° resolution. Furthermore, the reconstructed TWSC correctly reproduce the El Nino‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signals. In general, while MLR does not perform best in the training process, it is more robust and could thus be a viable approach both for filling the GRACE gap and for reconstructing long‐period TWSC fields globally when combined with statistical decomposition techniques.
Correction: Rivastigmine modifies the α-secretase pathway and potentially early Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Ray Balmiki , Maloney Bryan , Sambamurti Kumar , Karnati Hanuma K. , Nelson Peter T. , Greig Nigel H. , Lahiri Debomoy K.
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Advanced biomaterials for cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Yang Fan , Shi Kun , Jia Yan-peng , Hao Ying , Peng Jin-rong , Qian Zhi-yong
Published: March 2020

Immunotherapy, as a powerful strategy for cancer treatment, has achieved tremendous efficacy in clinical trials. Despite these advancements, there is much to do in terms of enhancing therapeutic benefits and decreasing the side effects of cancer immunotherapy. Advanced nanobiomaterials, including liposomes, polymers, and silica, play a vital role in the codelivery of drugs and immunomodulators. These nanobiomaterial-based delivery systems could effectively promote antitumor immune responses and simultaneously reduce toxic adverse effects. Furthermore, nanobiomaterials may also combine with each other or with traditional drugs via different mechanisms, thus giving rise to more accurate and efficient tumor treatment. Here, an overview of the latest advancement in these nanobiomaterials used for cancer immunotherapy is given, describing outstanding systems, including lipid-based nanoparticles, polymer-based scaffolds or micelles, inorganic nanosystems, and others.
Screening and function discussion of a hereditary renal tubular acidosis family pathogenic gene
Authors: Chen Li , Wang Han-Lu , Zhu Yao-Bin , Jin Zhao , Huang Jian-Bin , Lin Xin-Fu , Luo Jie-Wei , Fang Zhu-Ting
Published: March 2020

Hereditary distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) is a rare disease of H+ excretion defect of α-intercalated cells in renal collecting duct, caused by decreased V-ATPase function due to mutations in the ATP6V1B1 or ATP6V0A4 genes. In the present study, a genetic family with 5 members of the complete dRTA phenotype were found with distal tubule H+ secretion disorder, hypokalemia, osteoporosis, and kidney stones. A variant NM_020632.2:c.1631C > T (p.Ser544Leu) in exon 16 on an ATP6V0A4 gene associated with dRTA was detected by next generation sequencing target region capture technique and verified by Sanger sequencing, which suggested that except for one of the patients who did not receive the test, the other four patients all carried the p.S544L heterozygote. In transfected HEK293T cells, cells carrying p.S544L-mut showed early weaker ATPase activity and a slower Phi recovery rate after rapid acidification. By immunofluorescence localization, it was observed that the expression level of p.S544L-mut on the cell membrane increased and the distribution was uneven. Co-immunoprecipitation showed the a4 subunit of ATP6V0A4/p.S544L-mut could not bind to the B1 subunit, which might affect the correct assembly of V-ATPase. The present study of dRTA family suggests that the p.S544L variant may be inherited in a dominant manner.
Chlorzoxazone, a small molecule drug, augments immunosuppressive capacity of mesenchymal stem cells via modulation of FOXO3 phosphorylation
Authors: Deng Luchan , Li Hongling , Su Xiaodong , Zhang Yingjie , Xu Haoying , Fan Linyuan , Fan Junfen , Han Qin , Bai Xueyuan , Zhao Robert Chunhua
Published: March 2020

Nowadays, immune diseases are a large burden in healthcare. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have prominent ability in immunomodulation and have been applicated on treating many immune-related diseases. However, the clinical outcomes can be disparate and sometimes completely counterproductive beyond explanation of cell heterogeneity. The theory of immunomodulation plasticity in MSCs has then emerged to explain that MSCs can be induced into proinflammatory MSC1 or anti-inflammatory MSC2 responding to different immune environment. It would be safer and more efficient if we could induce MSCs into a certain immune phenotype, in most cases MSC2, prior to medical treatment. In this study, we screened and identified a classical FDA-approved drug, chlorzoxazone (CZ). Unlike traditional method induced by IFN-γ, CZ can induce MSC into MSC2 phenotype and enhance the immunosuppressive capacity without elevation of immunogenicity of MSCs. CZ-treated MSCs can better inhibit T cells activation and proliferation, promote expression of IDO and other immune mediators in vitro, and alleviate inflammatory infiltration and tissue damage in acute kidney injury rat model more effectively. Moreover, we discovered that CZ modulates phosphorylation of transcriptional factor forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) independent of classical AKT or ERK signaling pathways, to promote expression of downstream immune-related genes, therefore contributing to augmentation of MSCs immunosuppressive capacity. Our study established a novel and effective approach to induce MSC2, which is ready for clinical application.
2-Aminoethoxydiphenylborate (2-APB) inhibits release of phosphatidylserine-exposing extracellular vesicles from platelets
Authors: Wei Hao , Davies Jessica E. , Harper Matthew T.
Published: March 2020

Activated, procoagulant platelets shed phosphatidylserine (PS)-exposing extracellular vesicles (EVs) from their surface in a Ca2+- and calpain-dependent manner. These PS-exposing EVs are prothrombotic and proinflammatory and are found at elevated levels in many cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. How PS-exposing EVs are shed is not fully understood. A clearer understanding of this process may aid the development of drugs to selectively block their release. In this study we report that 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate (2-APB) significantly inhibits the release of PS-exposing EVs from platelets stimulated with the Ca2+ ionophore, A23187, or the pore-forming toxin, streptolysin-O. Two analogues of 2-APB, diphenylboronic anhydride (DPBA) and 3-(diphenylphosphino)-1-propylamine (DP3A), inhibited PS-exposing EV release with similar potency. Although 2-APB and DPBA weakly inhibited platelet PS exposure and calpain activity, this was not seen with DP3A despite inhibiting PS-exposing EV release. These data suggest that there is a further target of 2-APB, independent of cytosolic Ca2+ signalling, PS exposure and calpain activity, that is required for PS-exposing EV release. DP3A is likely to inhibit the same target, without these other effects. Identifying the target of 2-APB, DPBA and DP3A may provide a new way to inhibit PS-exposing EV release from activated platelets and inhibit their contribution to thrombosis and inflammation.
Intermolecular cascaded π-conjugation channels for electron delivery powering CO2 photoreduction
Authors: Wang Shengyao , Hai Xiao , Ding Xing , Jin Shangbin , Xiang Yonggang , Wang Pei , Jiang Bo , Ichihara Fumihiko , Oshikiri Mitsutake , Meng Xianguang , Li Yunxiang , Matsuda Wakana , Ma Jun , Seki Shu , Wang Xuepeng , Huang Hao , Wada Yoshiki , Chen Hao , Ye Jinhua
Published: March 2020

Photoreduction of CO2 to fuels offers a promising strategy for managing the global carbon balance using renewable solar energy. But the decisive process of oriented photogenerated electron delivery presents a considerable challenge. Here, we report the construction of intermolecular cascaded π-conjugation channels for powering CO2 photoreduction by modifying both intramolecular and intermolecular conjugation of conjugated polymers (CPs). This coordination of dual conjugation is firstly proved by theoretical calculations and transient spectroscopies, showcasing alkynyl-removed CPs blocking the delocalization of electrons and in turn delivering the localized electrons through the intermolecular cascaded channels to active sites. Therefore, the optimized CPs (N-CP-D) exhibiting CO evolution activity of 2247 μmol g−1 h−1 and revealing a remarkable enhancement of 138-times compared to unmodified CPs (N-CP-A).
Regulation of the linear ubiquitination of STAT1 controls antiviral interferon signaling
Authors: Zuo Yibo , Feng Qian , Jin Lincong , Huang Fan , Miao Ying , Liu Jin , Xu Ying , Chen Xiangjie , Zhang Hongguang , Guo Tingting , Yuan Yukang , Zhang Liting , Wang Jun , Zheng Hui
Published: March 2020

Linear ubiquitination is a critical regulator of inflammatory signaling pathways. However, linearly ubiquitinated substrates and the biological significance of linear ubiquitination is incompletely understood. Here, we show that STAT1 has linear ubiquitination at Lys511 and Lys652 residues in intact cells, which inhibits STAT1 binding to the type-I interferon receptor IFNAR2, thereby restricting STAT1 activation and resulting in type-I interferon signaling homeostasis. Linear ubiquitination of STAT1 is removed rapidly by OTULIN upon type-I interferon stimulation, which facilitates activation of interferon-STAT1 signaling. Furthermore, viruses induce HOIP expression through the NF-κB pathway, which in turn increases linear ubiquitination of STAT1 and thereby inhibits interferon antiviral response. Consequently, HOIL-1L heterozygous mice have active STAT1 signaling and enhanced responses to type-I interferons. These findings demonstrate a linear ubiquitination-mediated switch between homeostasis and activation of type-I interferon signaling, and suggest potential strategies for clinical antiviral therapy.
Sex and APOE ε4 genotype modify the Alzheimer’s disease serum metabolome
Authors: Arnold Matthias , Nho Kwangsik , Kueider-Paisley Alexandra , Massaro Tyler , Huynh Kevin , Brauner Barbara , MahmoudianDehkordi Siamak , Louie Gregory , Moseley M. Arthur , Thompson J. Will , John-Williams Lisa St , Tenenbaum Jessica D. , Blach Colette , Chang Rui , Brinton Roberta D. , Baillie Rebecca , Han Xianlin , Trojanowski John Q. , Shaw Leslie M. , Martins Ralph , Weiner Michael W. , Trushina Eugenia , Toledo Jon B. , Meikle Peter J. , Bennett David A. , Krumsiek Jan , Doraiswamy P. Murali , Saykin Andrew J. , Kaddurah-Daouk Rima , Kastenmüller Gabi
Published: March 2020

Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can, in part, be considered a metabolic disease. Besides age, female sex and APOE ε4 genotype represent strong risk factors for AD that also give rise to large metabolic differences. We systematically investigated group-specific metabolic alterations by conducting stratified association analyses of 139 serum metabolites in 1,517 individuals from the AD Neuroimaging Initiative with AD biomarkers. We observed substantial sex differences in effects of 15 metabolites with partially overlapping differences for APOE ε4 status groups. Several group-specific metabolic alterations were not observed in unstratified analyses using sex and APOE ε4 as covariates. Combined stratification revealed further subgroup-specific metabolic effects limited to APOE ε4+ females. The observed metabolic alterations suggest that females experience greater impairment of mitochondrial energy production than males. Dissecting metabolic heterogeneity in AD pathogenesis can therefore enable grading the biomedical relevance for specific pathways within specific subgroups, guiding the way to personalized medicine.