bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Letter to Twitter: A Systematic Review of Communication Media in Negotiation
Authors: Geiger Ingmar
Published: February 2020

With the advent of modern communication media over the last decades, such as email, video conferencing, or instant messaging, a plethora of research has emerged that analyzes the association between communication media and negotiation processes and outcomes. In this paper, the author systematically reviews theoretical vantage points on communication media and negotiation and summarizes empirical findings from the last six decades. Specifically, the author focuses on three different strategic communication theories and four social psychological theoretical perspectives that found traction in negotiation research. Subsequently, empirical evidence on communication media and negotiation is presented, derived from an extensive literature search of relevant peer-reviewed articles. The author analyzes effects of communication media on the negotiation process (descriptive process parameters, economic reference points, negotiation behavior/tactics, individual perceptual and affective process variables) as well as economic (agreement, individual profit, joint profit, dispersion of profits) and socio-emotional (satisfaction, trust, socio-emotional evaluation of the self and the opponent) outcomes. The discussion takes stock of the current state of research and persisting research gaps, before focusing on some recent developments, and proposing future research avenues.
Improving earthquake ground-motion predictions for the North Sea
Authors: Brooks Christopher , Douglas John , Shipton Zoe
Published: February 2020

Estimates of the expected ground motion are essential for the design, assessment and decommissioning of offshore critical infrastructure. The North Sea is an area of moderate seismic hazard that contains many high-value offshore structures (e.g. oil, gas and wind-turbine facilities). The most recent seismic hazard assessment for the North Sea is about 20 years old, before many innovations in ground-motion modelling were developed. In this study, firstly we investigate which ground-motion model from more than a dozen recent models is the most appropriate for this area based on a residual analysis of ground-motion data from onshore seismic stations surrounding the North Sea. The limited data that are available for this area and the poor magnitude and distance coverage are inherent weaknesses of this residual analysis. A recent model developed for Europe and the Middle East is the model that shows the lowest bias and minimal statistical trends with respect to magnitude and distance. Following this, we develop adjustments to this best-performing model to relax the ergodic assumption, i.e. to make the model more site- and path-specific thereby allowing a smaller aleatory variability (sigma) to be used within a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. The use of this adjusted model within seismic hazard assessments for the North Sea should lead to better estimates of the expected ground motion for critical offshore infrastructure sites, although this would require the effects of the geotechnical properties of the seafloor to be accounted for.
Benders decomposition for the mixed no-idle permutation flowshop scheduling problem
Authors: Bektaş Tolga , Hamzadayı Alper , Ruiz Rubén
Published: February 2020

The mixed no-idle flowshop scheduling problem arises in modern industries including integrated circuits, ceramic frit and steel production, among others, and where some machines are not allowed to remain idle between jobs. This paper describes an exact algorithm that uses Benders decomposition with a simple yet effective enhancement mechanism that entails the generation of additional cuts by using a referenced local search to help speed up convergence. Using only a single additional optimality cut at each iteration, and combined with combinatorial cuts, the algorithm can optimally solve instances with up to 500 jobs and 15 machines that are otherwise not within the reach of off-the-shelf optimization software, and can easily surpass ad-hoc existing metaheuristics. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the algorithm described here is the only exact method for solving the mixed no-idle permutation flowshop scheduling problem.
Policy processes sans frontières: interactions in transnational governance of global health
Authors: Jones Catherine M. , Clavier Carole , Potvin Louise
Published: February 2020

National policy on global health (NPGH) arenas are multisectoral governing arrangements for cooperation between health, development, and foreign affairs sectors in government policy for global health governance. To explore the relationship between national and global processes for governing global health, this paper asks: in what forms of interaction between NPGH arenas and global health governance are learning and networking processes present? In a multiple case study of Norwegian and Swiss NPGH arenas, we collected data on intersectoral policy processes from semi-structured interviews with 33 informants in 2014-2015. Adapting Real-Dato’s framework, we analyzed each case separately, producing monographs for comparing NPGH arenas. Analyzing both NPGH arenas for relational structures linking external resources to internal policy arena processes, we found five zones of interactions - including institutions, transgovernmental clubs, and connective forms. These interactions circulate ideas and soften arenas’ boundaries. We argue that NPGH is characteristic of transnational governance of global health.
On the Willingness to Report and the Consequences of Reporting Research Misconduct: The Role of Power Relations
Authors: Horbach Serge P. J. M. , Breit Eric , Halffman Willem , Mamelund Svenn-Erik
Published: February 2020

While attention to research integrity has been growing over the past decades, the processes of signalling and denouncing cases of research misconduct remain largely unstudied. In this article, we develop a theoretically and empirically informed understanding of the causes and consequences of reporting research misconduct in terms of power relations. We study the reporting process based on a multinational survey at eight European universities (N = 1126). Using qualitative data that witnesses of research misconduct or of questionable research practices provided, we aim to examine actors’ rationales for reporting and not reporting misconduct, how they report it and the perceived consequences of reporting. In particular we study how research seniority, the temporality of work appointments, and gender could impact the likelihood of cases being reported and of reporting leading to constructive organisational changes. Our findings suggest that these aspects of power relations play a role in the reporting of research misconduct. Our analysis contributes to a better understanding of research misconduct in an academic context. Specifically, we elucidate the processes that affect researchers’ ability and willingness to report research misconduct, and the likelihood of universities taking action. Based on our findings, we outline specific propositions that future research can test as well as provide recommendations for policy improvement.
In Search of a Unified Theory of Sensory Perception: Possible Links between the Vibrational Mechanism of Olfaction and the Evolution of Language
Authors: Lewis Amelia
Published: February 2020

Here, I outline the idea of a unified hypothesis of sensory perception, developed from the theoretical vibrational mechanism of olfaction, which can be applied across all sensory modalities. I propose that all sensory perception is based upon the detection of mechanical forces at a cellular level, and the subsequent mechanotransduction of the signal via the nervous system. Thus, I argue that the sensory modalities found in the animal kingdom may all be viewed as being mechanoreceptory, rather than being discrete neurophysiological systems which evolved independently of each other. I go on to argue that this idea could potentially explain language evolution, with birdsong being an example of a more simple form of non-Saussurean language that employs ‘frequency-mimicking’ to produce a vocal signal which describes acoustic, chemical and electromagnetic vibrational frequencies detected within in the environment. I also give examples of how this hypothesis could potentially explain phenomena such as vocal mimicry in animals, as well as the human perception of musicality and the occurrence of synaesthesia; a condition found in humans, where the stimulation of one sensory modality results in the stimulation of another. For example, auditory stimuli are detected and are heard as an acoustic signal, as well as being perceived as colour by the visual system.
The Characterization of Pre-insolvency Proceedings in Private International Law
Authors: Mevorach Irit , Walters Adrian
Published: February 2020

The decade since the financial crisis has witnessed a proliferation of various ‘light touch’ financial restructuring techniques in the form of so-called pre-insolvency proceedings. These proceedings inhabit a space on the spectrum of insolvency and restructuring law, somewhere between a pure contractual workout, the domain of contract law, and a formal insolvency or rehabilitation proceeding, the domain of insolvency law. While, to date, international insolvency instruments have tended to define insolvency proceedings quite expansively, discussion of the cross-border implications of pre-insolvency proceedings has barely begun. The question is whether pre-insolvency proceedings should qualify as proceedings related to insolvency for the purpose of private international law characterization. The risk is over-inclusivity of cross-border insolvency law, which, where it is based on universality and unity, might defeat contractual expectations. This article argues, however, that we should be slow to exclude pre-insolvency proceedings from cross-border insolvency law: these proceedings are initiated in the zone of insolvency, their effectiveness depends on a statutory mandate and not purely on private ordering, they interact and intersect with formal proceedings, and can benefit from the unique system developed by cross-border insolvency law. We suggest, though, that modified universalism (the leading norm of cross-border insolvency) and international insolvency instruments, should, and are able to, adjust to the peculiarities of pre-insolvency proceedings to address concerns about inclusivity and accommodate pre-insolvency proceedings adequately.
European Society for Sexual Medicine Position Statement “Assessment and Hormonal Management in Adolescent and Adult Trans People, with Attention for Sexual Function and Satisfaction”
Authors: T'Sjoen Guy , Arcelus Jon , De Vries Annelou L.C. , Fisher Alessandra D. , Nieder Timo O. , Özer Müjde , Motmans Joz
Published: February 2020

Background

There is a general lack of recommendations for and basic information tailored at sexologists and other health-care professionals for when they encounter trans people in their practice.

Aim

We present to clinicians an up-to-date overview of clinical consensus statements on trans health care with attention for sexual function and satisfaction.

Methods

The task force consisted of 7 clinicians experienced in trans health care, selected among European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) scientific committee. The consensus was guided by clinical experience and a review of the available literature and by interactive discussions on trans health, with attention for sexual function and satisfaction where available.

Outcomes

The foci of the study are assessment and hormonal aspects of trans health care.

Results

As the available literature for direct recommendations was limited, most of the literature was used as background or indirect evidence. Clinical consensus statements were developed based on clinical experiences and the available literature. With the multiple barriers to care that many trans people experience, basic care principles still need to be stressed. We recommend that health-care professionals (HCPs) working with trans people recognize the diversity of genders, including male, female, and nonbinary individuals. In addition, HCPs assessing gender diverse children and adolescents should take a developmental approach that acknowledges the difference between prepubescent gender diverse children and pubescent gender diverse adolescents and trans adults. Furthermore, trans people seeking gender-affirming medical interventions should be assessed by HCPs with expertise in trans health care and gender-affirming psychological practice. If masculinization is desired, testosterone therapy with monitoring of serum sex steroid levels and signs of virilization is recommended. Similarly, if feminization is desired, we recommend estrogens and/or antiandrogen therapy with monitoring of serum sex steroid levels and signs of feminization. HCPs should be aware of the influence of hormonal therapy on sexual functioning and satisfaction. We recommend HCPs be aware of potential sexual problems during all surgical phases of treatment.

Clinical Implications

This is an up-to-date ESSM position statement.

Strengths & Limitations

These statements are based on the data that are currently available; however, it is vital to recognize that this is a rapidly changing field and that the literature, particularly in the field of sexual functioning and satisfaction, is limited.

Conclusion

This ESSM position statement provides relevant information and references to existing clinical guidelines with the aim of informing relevant HCPs on best practices when working with transgender people.
Rural Residence and Diagnostic Delay for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Saskatchewan
Authors: Armstrong Melissa Diane , Hansen Gregory , Schellenberg Kerri Lynn
Published: February 2020

Background:

Diagnostic delay in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is common. In a recent Canadian study evaluating provincial differences in care, Saskatchewan had the longest delay at 27 months. Since Saskatchewan has a large rural population, this study sought to determine whether geographically determined access to a neurologist at tertiary centers could be contributing to this lengthy delay.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review of 171 patients seen in the ALS clinic in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was performed. Urban or rural location, distance from nearest tertiary center, and clinically relevant data were collected.

Results:

There was no difference between urban and rural populations for delay in symptom onset to diagnosis. For rural patients, linear regression modeling did not uncover a significant relationship between distance from tertiary center and time to diagnosis. Additionally, there were no differences between urban and rural dwellers either for referral or utilization of feeding tube, noninvasive ventilation, riluzole, or communication devices. Contrary to the previous data showing a 27-month diagnostic delay in Saskatchewan, our study which included a larger provincial population found the mean diagnostic delay was 16.6 months.

Conclusions:

This study did not uncover differences in diagnostic delay or ALS care between urban and rural dwellers. Further study is required to determine reproducibility of results.
Comparative evaluation of the microbicidal activity of low-temperature sterilization technologies to steam sterilization
Authors: Rutala William A. , Gergen Maria F. , Sickbert-Bennett Emily E. , Weber David J.
Published: February 2020

Objective:

To compare the microbicidal activity of low-temperature sterilization technologies (vaporized hydrogen peroxide [VHP], ethylene oxide [ETO], and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma [HPGP]) to steam sterilization in the presence of salt and serum to simulate inadequate precleaning.

Methods:

Test carriers were inoculated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, Mycobacterium terrae, Bacillus atrophaeus spores, Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores, or Clostridiodes difficile spores in the presence of salt and serum and then subjected to 4 sterilization technologies: steam, ETO, VHP and HPGP.

Results:

Steam, ETO, and HPGP sterilization techniques were capable of inactivating the test organisms on stainless steel carriers with a failure rate of 0% (0 of 220), 1.9% (6 of 310), and 1.9% (5 of 270), respectively. The failure rate for VHP was 76.3% (206 of 270).

Conclusion:

Steam sterilization is the most effective and had the largest margin of safety, followed by ETO and HPGP, but VHP showed much less efficacy.
Strengths and difficulties questionnaire-teacher: Investigating its factor structure and utility with culturally and linguistically diverse students
Authors: Khawaja Nigar G. , Dhushyanthakumar Lakshmi
Published: February 2020

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), with its three forms (youth, parent and teacher version), is widely used to assess emotional and behavioural disorders in children and adolescents. The present study examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the teacher version of the scale (SDQ-T) with adolescents from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background. It also explored the impact of demographic factors on the mental health outcomes of CALD adolescents in the school setting as indicated by SDQ-T. Teachers from a Special English language transitional school in Brisbane, Australia completed the SDQ-T for 175 culturally and linguistically diverse adolescents. The exploratory factor analysis indicated a 23-item scale with a four-factor structure: Prosocial Behaviour, Hyperactivity, Emotional Symptoms, and Behavioural Problems. The revised scale had sound internal consistency. Findings indicated that CALD adolescents from refugee backgrounds scored higher on Emotional Symptoms, Conduct and Peer Problems, and SDQ total difficulties. There were no differences on subscale scores based on gender or English language proficiency. SDQ-T emerged as a promising scale that can be used to understand CALD adolescents’ postmigration emotional experiences, risks and protective factors. The implications of the SDQ-T in schools with adolescents from migrant and refugee backgrounds are discussed.
The Identity Prism: How Racial Identification Frames Perceptions of Police Contact, Legitimacy, and Effectiveness
Authors: Rengifo Andres F. , Slocum Lee Ann
Published: February 2020

This article examines the role of racial identity in the configuration of opinions about the police. We argue that racial identity links social context to individual valuations of law enforcement, moderating the association between specific encounters and general views on police legitimacy and effectiveness. These propositions are assessed using data from a sample of 451 Black and Latino/a youth in New York City. Findings lend partial support for the hypothesis that, for youth with a strong racial/ethnic identity, the detrimental consequences of more “coercive” stops and stops seen as disrespectful are amplified for valuations of legitimacy but not of effectiveness. We discuss these findings in the context of emerging work connecting race, law, and procedural justice at the micro- and macrolevels.
The Burgess Shale paleocommunity with new insights from Marble Canyon, British Columbia
Authors: Nanglu Karma , Caron Jean-Bernard , Gaines Robert R.
Published: February 2020

The middle (Wuliuan Stage) Cambrian Burgess Shale is famous for its exceptional preservation of diverse and abundant soft-bodied animals through the “thick” Stephen Formation. However, with the exception of the Walcott Quarry (Fossil Ridge) and the stratigraphically older Tulip Beds (Mount Stephen), which are both in Yoho National Park (British Columbia), quantitative assessments of the Burgess Shale have remained limited. Here we first provide a detailed quantitative overview of the diversity and structure of the Marble Canyon Burgess Shale locality based on 16,438 specimens. Located 40 km southeast of the Walcott Quarry in Kootenay National Park (British Columbia), Marble Canyon represents the youngest site of the “thick” Stephen Formation. We then combine paleoecological data sets from Marble Canyon, Walcott Quarry, Tulip Beds, and Raymond Quarry, which lies approximately 20 m directly above the Walcott Quarry, to yield a combined species abundance data set of 77,179 specimens encompassing 234 species-level taxa. Marble Canyon shows significant temporal changes in both taxonomic and ecological groups, suggesting periods of stasis followed by rapid turnover patterns at local and short temporal scales. At wider geographic and temporal scales, the different Burgess Shale sites occupy distinct areas in multivariate space. Overall, this suggests that the Burgess Shale paleocommunity is far patchier than previously thought and varies at both local and regional scales through the “thick” Stephen Formation. This underscores that our understanding of Cambrian diversity and ecological networks, particularly in early animal ecosystems, remains limited and highly dependent on new discoveries.
Vitamin D levels in relation to low back pain during adolescence
Authors: Al-Taiar Abdullah , Rahman Abdur , Al-Sabah Reem , Shaban Lemia , AlBaloul Anwar H. , Banaee Sean , Akpinar-Elci Muge
Published: February 2020

This study aimed to investigate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level and low back pain (LBP) among adolescents while adjusting for potential confounders pertinent to this age group including the weight of school bags, BMI and physical activity. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 760 randomly selected adolescents in middle schools. Data on LBP and the risk factors for LBP were collected from parents by a self-administered questionnaire and from adolescents by face-to-face interview. Blood samples were tested in an accredited laboratory; and 25(OH)D was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem MS. The lifetime prevalence and the 6-month prevalence of LBP were 32·28 (95 % CI 28·97, 35·73) % and 21·26 (95 % CI 18·40, 24·33) %, respectively. There was no difference in the geometric mean of 25(OH)D between those with and without LBP in the past 6 months (28·50 nmol/l and 30·82 nmol/l, respectively;P= 0·122). There was no association between 25(OH)D and LBP in the univariable or multivariable analysis whether 25(OH)D fitted as a continuous or as a categorical variable. We found no association between vitamin D level and LBP in adolescents in an area with high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. Although it is important to have sufficient vitamin D levels during adolescence for several other health benefits, we concluded that vitamin D is not a major determinant for LBP among adolescents in our setting.
Evaluating the radiation contamination dose around a high dose per pulse intraoperative radiotherapy accelerator: a Monte Carlo study
Authors: Hosseini Aghdam Seyed Rashid , Siavashpour Zahra , Aghamiri Seyed Mahmoud Reza , Mahdavi Saied Rabie , Nafisi Nahid
Published: February 2020

Aim:

In this study, the radiation contamination dose (RCD) for different combinations of electron energy/distance, applicator and radius around the light intraoperative accelerator (LIAC), a high dose per pulse dedicated intraoperative electron radiotherapy machine, has been estimated. Being aware about the amount of RCDs is highly recommended for linear medical electron accelerators.

Methods and methods:

Monte Carlo Nuclear Particles (MCNP) code was used to simulate the LIAC® head and calculate RCDs. Experimental RCDs measurements were also done by Advanced Markus chamber inside a MP3-XS water phantom. Relative differences of simulations and measurements were calculated.

Result:

RCD reduction by distance from the machine follows the inverse-square law, as expected. The RCD was decreased by increasing angle from applicator walls opposed to the electron beam direction. The maximum differences between the simulation and measurement results were lower than 3%.

Conclusions:

The RCD is strongly dependent on electron beam energy, applicator size and distance from the accelerator head. Agreement between the MCNP results and ionometric dosimetry confirms the applicability of this simulation code in modelling the intraoperative electron beam and obtaining the dosimetric parameters. The RCD is a parameter that would restrict working with LIAC in an unshielded operative room.
SHGAPE Presidential Address: Mind the GAPE: Globality and the Rural Midwest
Authors: Hoganson Kristin
Published: February 2020

This essay, originally delivered as the SHGAPE Presidential Address in April 2019, takes as a starting point the fiftieth anniversary of William Appleman Williams'sThe Roots of the Modern American Empire: A Study of the Growth and Shaping of Social Consciousness in a Marketplace Society.It finds that Williams's claims about the agrarian roots of the modern American empire remain an important corrective to imperial denial, including to the stubborn idea of the American heartland as a locus of isolationist impulses, as a place better characterized as endangered by global forces than as a wellspring of power. Broadening out beyond Williams's export-centered analysis, this essay highlights some of the multi-directional links that connected the rural heartland to the wider world in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By turning a seemingly local history inside out, it draws attention to longer histories of settler colonialism, the import side of trade ledgers, transimperial solidarities, and the networks of anticolonial resistance that emerged in land grant colleges. In addition to reframing nationalist mythologies more precisely as white nationalist mythologies, it concludes that there is no going back to the heartland of myth because it never existed in the first place.
GREAT MIGRATION POLITICS
Authors: Grant Keneshia N.
Published: February 2020

The Great Migration fundamentally reshaped Northern electorates. Millions of Black voters, who had been unable to vote in the South, became eligible to vote through their resettlement in the North. In many instances, parties and politicians believed that Black voters were the balance of power in elections. This belief led them to change their approaches and make specific appeals to Black voters in an effort to win their support. Although scholars of American politics have revised the dominant narrative about the development of the Democratic Party on issues related to race, they fail to account for the role of Black voters in contributing to the Party’s change. The goal of this work is to describe how the Great Migration influenced Democratic Party interactions with Black voters in presidential elections from 1948–1960. I argue that increasing competition between the Democratic and Republican Parties, coupled with Black migrants’ location in electorally important states, made Black voters an important target of presidential campaign strategy in the post-war era.
Generation of Turbulence in Kelvin‐Helmholtz Vortices at the Earth's Magnetopause: Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations
Authors: Hasegawa H. , Nakamura T. K. M. , Gershman D. J. , Nariyuki Y. , Viñas A. F.‐ , Giles B. L. , Lavraud B. , Russell C. T. , Khotyaintsev Y. V. , Ergun R. E. , Saito Y.
Published: February 2020

The Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability (KHI) at Earth's magnetopause and associated turbulence are suggested to play a role in the transport of mass and momentum from the solar wind into Earth's magnetosphere. We investigate electromagnetic turbulence observed in Kelvin‐Helmholtz vortices encountered at the dusk flank magnetopause by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft under northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions in order to reveal its generation process, mode properties, and role. A comparison with another MMS event at the dayside magnetopause with reconnection but no KHI signatures under a similar IMF condition indicates that while high‐latitude magnetopause reconnection excites a modest level of turbulence in the dayside low‐latitude boundary layer, the KHI further amplifies the turbulence, leading to magnetic energy spectra with a power law index −5/3 at magnetohydrodynamic scales even in its early nonlinear phase. The mode of the electromagnetic turbulence is analyzed with a single‐spacecraft method based on Ampère's law, developed by Bellan (2016, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JA022827), for estimating wave vectors as a function of spacecraft frame frequency. The results suggest that the turbulence does not consist of propagating normal‐mode waves but is due to interlaced magnetic flux tubes advected by plasma flows in the vortices. The turbulence at sub‐ion scales in the early nonlinear phase of the KHI may not be the cause of the plasma transport across the magnetopause but rather a consequence of three‐dimensional vortex‐induced reconnection, the process that can cause an efficient transport by producing tangled reconnected field lines.
Crustal Composition and Moho Variations of the Central and Eastern United States: Improving Resolution and Geologic Interpretation of EarthScope USArray Seismic Images Using Gravity
Authors: Zhang H. L. , Ravat D. , Lowry A. R.
Published: February 2020

EarthScope's USArray Transportable Array has shortcomings for the purpose of interpreting geologic features of wavelengths less than the Transportable Array station spacing, but these can be overcome by using higher spatial resolution gravity data. In this study, we exploit USArray receiver functions to reduce nonuniqueness in the interpretation of gravity anomalies. We model gravity anomalies from previously derived density variations of sedimentary basins, crustal Vp/Vs variation, Moho variation, and upper mantle density variation derived from body wave imaging informed by surface wave tomography to estimate Vp/Vs. Although average densities and density contrasts for these seismic variations can be derived, the gravity anomalies modeled from them do not explain the entire observed gravity anomaly field in the United States. We use the unmodeled gravity anomalies (residuals) to reconstruct local variations in densities of the crust associated with geologic sources. The approach uses velocity‐density relationships and differs from density computations that assume isostatic compensation. These intracrustal densities identify geologic sources not sampled by and, in some cases, aliased by the USArray station spacing. We show an example of this improvement in the vicinity of the Bloomfield Pluton, north of the bootheel of Missouri, in the central United States.
Ephemeral Ponds: Are They the Dominant Source of Depression‐Focused Groundwater Recharge?
Authors: Bam Edward K. P. , Ireson Andrew M. , van der Kamp Garth , Hendry Jim M.
Published: February 2020

Depression‐focused recharge is a concept proposed to explain groundwater recharge in the prairie regions of North America. Topographic depressions in this hummocky landscape collect blowing snow and snowmelt, and occasional runoff during rainfall events. Wetland ponds that form in these depressions lose water to evaporation and infiltration. Some of this infiltration contributes to groundwater recharge, both to shallow aquifers in the weathered near‐surface, and to underlying confined intertill aquifers. Here we focus on understanding recharge to the confined aquifers, which supply water for farms and rural communities. The isotopic composition of water in these aquifers shows little or no evaporative enrichment and is inconsistent with the average isotopic composition of the ponds. This observation appears to contradict the depression‐focused recharge model. In this field study, we examine the isotopic composition of diverse types of wetland ponds and groundwater at the St. Denis National Wildlife Area, Saskatchewan, Canada. We use hydraulic head data to identify potential recharge and discharge ponds. Water in permanent recharge ponds that do not dry out every year have distinctly different isotopic signatures from the aquifers, suggesting that they cannot be the dominant source of recharge. Water in ephemeral recharge ponds, which are small and dry out quickly, have isotopic signatures identical to those of aquifers. We propose that ephemeral recharge ponds are the dominant source of depression‐focused groundwater recharge in the prairies. We discuss why permanent recharge ponds may not be the main source of groundwater recharge and summarize our findings in a revised conceptual model.
Oral dextrose reduced procedural pain without altering cellular ATP metabolism in preterm neonates: a prospective randomized trial
Authors: Angeles Danilyn M. , Boskovic Danilo S. , Tan John C. , Shih Wendy , Hoch Erin , Forde Dorothy , Phillips Raylene M. , Hopper Andrew , Deming Douglas D. , Goldstein Mitchell , Truong Giang , Febre Aprille , Pegis Priscilla , Lavery Adrian , Kadri Munaf , Banerji Anamika , Mousselli Iman , Farha Vora , Fayard Elba
Published: February 2020

Objective

To examine the effects of 30% oral dextrose on biochemical markers of pain, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) degradation, and oxidative stress in preterm neonates experiencing a clinically required heel lance.

Study design

Utilizing a prospective study design, preterm neonates that met study criteria (n = 169) were randomized to receive either (1) 30% oral dextrose, (2) facilitated tucking, or (3) 30% oral dextrose and facilitated tucking 2 min before heel lance. Plasma markers of ATP degradation (hypoxanthine, uric acid) and oxidative stress (allantoin) were measured before and after the heel lance. Pain was measured using the premature infant pain profile-revised (PIPP-R).

Results

Oral dextrose, administered alone or with facilitated tucking, did not alter plasma markers of ATP utilization and oxidative stress.

Conclusion

A single dose of 30% oral dextrose, given before a clinically required heel lance, decreased signs of pain without increasing ATP utilization and oxidative stress in premature neonates.
Correction: Role of integrin-linked kinase in regulating the protein stability of the MUC1-C oncoprotein in pancreatic cancer cells
Authors: Huang H.-L. , Wu H.-Y. , Chu P.-C. , Lai I.-L. , Huang P.-H. , Kulp S. K. , Pan S.-L. , Teng C.-M. , Chen C.-S.
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Active acetylcholine receptors prevent the atrophy of skeletal muscles and favor reinnervation
Authors: Cisterna Bruno A. , Vargas Aníbal A. , Puebla Carlos , Fernández Paola , Escamilla Rosalba , Lagos Carlos F. , Matus María F. , Vilos Cristian , Cea Luis A. , Barnafi Esteban , Gaete Hugo , Escobar Daniel F. , Cardozo Christopher P. , Sáez Juan C.
Published: February 2020

Denervation of skeletal muscles induces severe muscle atrophy, which is preceded by cellular alterations such as increased plasma membrane permeability, reduced resting membrane potential and accelerated protein catabolism. The factors that induce these changes remain unknown. Conversely, functional recovery following denervation depends on successful reinnervation. Here, we show that activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) by quantal release of acetylcholine (ACh) from motoneurons is sufficient to prevent changes induced by denervation. Using in vitro assays, ACh and non-hydrolysable ACh analogs repressed the expression of connexin43 and connexin45 hemichannels, which promote muscle atrophy. In co-culture studies, connexin43/45 hemichannel knockout or knockdown increased innervation of muscle fibers by dorsal root ganglion neurons. Our results show that ACh released by motoneurons exerts a hitherto unknown function independent of myofiber contraction. nAChRs and connexin hemichannels are potential molecular targets for therapeutic intervention in a variety of pathological conditions with reduced synaptic neuromuscular transmission.
Author Correction: A transgenic approach for controlling Lygus in cotton
Authors: Gowda Anilkumar , Rydel Timothy J. , Wollacott Andrew M. , Brown Robert S. , Akbar Waseem , Clark Thomas L. , Flasinski Stanislaw , Nageotte Jeffrey R. , Read Andrew C. , Shi Xiaohong , Werner Brent J. , Pleau Michael J. , Baum James A.
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Natural rhythms of periodic temporal attention
Authors: Zalta Arnaud , Petkoski Spase , Morillon Benjamin
Published: February 2020

That attention is a fundamentally rhythmic process has recently received abundant empirical evidence. The essence of temporal attention, however, is to flexibly focus in time. Whether this function is constrained by an underlying rhythmic neural mechanism is unknown. In six interrelated experiments, we behaviourally quantify the sampling capacities of periodic temporal attention during auditory or visual perception. We reveal the presence of limited attentional capacities, with an optimal sampling rate of ~1.4 Hz in audition and ~0.7 Hz in vision. Investigating the motor contribution to temporal attention, we show that it scales with motor rhythmic precision, maximal at ~1.7 Hz. Critically, motor modulation is beneficial to auditory but detrimental to visual temporal attention. These results are captured by a computational model of coupled oscillators, that reveals the underlying structural constraints governing the temporal alignment between motor and attention fluctuations.
The genome evolution and low-phosphorus adaptation in white lupin
Authors: Xu Weifeng , Zhang Qian , Yuan Wei , Xu Feiyun , Muhammad Aslam Mehtab , Miao Rui , Li Ying , Wang Qianwen , Li Xing , Zhang Xin , Zhang Kang , Xia Tianyu , Cheng Feng
Published: February 2020

White lupin (Lupinus albus) is a legume crop that develops cluster roots and has high phosphorus (P)-use efficiency (PUE) in low-P soils. Here, we assemble the genome of white lupin and find that it has evolved from a whole-genome triplication (WGT) event. We then decipher its diploid ancestral genome and reconstruct the three sub-genomes. Based on the results, we further reveal the sub-genome dominance and the genic expression of the different sub-genomes varying in relation to their transposable element (TE) density. The PUE genes in white lupin have been expanded through WGT as well as tandem and dispersed duplications. Furthermore, we characterize four main pathways for high PUE, which include carbon fixation, cluster root formation, soil-P remobilization, and cellular-P reuse. Among these, auxin modulation may be important for cluster root formation through involvement of potential genes LaABCG36s and LaABCG37s. These findings provide insights into the genome evolution and low-P adaptation of white lupin.
NMT1 and NMT2 are lysine myristoyltransferases regulating the ARF6 GTPase cycle
Authors: Kosciuk Tatsiana , Price Ian R. , Zhang Xiaoyu , Zhu Chengliang , Johnson Kayla N. , Zhang Shuai , Halaby Steve L. , Komaniecki Garrison P. , Yang Min , DeHart Caroline J. , Thomas Paul M. , Kelleher Neil L. , Fromme J. Christopher , Lin Hening
Published: February 2020

Lysine fatty acylation in mammalian cells was discovered nearly three decades ago, yet the enzymes catalyzing it remain unknown. Unexpectedly, we find that human N-terminal glycine myristoyltransferases (NMT) 1 and 2 can efficiently myristoylate specific lysine residues. They modify ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) on lysine 3 allowing it to remain on membranes during the GTPase cycle. We demonstrate that the NAD+-dependent deacylase SIRT2 removes the myristoyl group, and our evidence suggests that NMT prefers the GTP-bound while SIRT2 prefers the GDP-bound ARF6. This allows the lysine myrisotylation-demyristoylation cycle to couple to and promote the GTPase cycle of ARF6. Our study provides an explanation for the puzzling dissimilarity of ARF6 to other ARFs and suggests the existence of other substrates regulated by this previously unknown function of NMT. Furthermore, we identified a NMT/SIRT2-ARF6 regulatory axis, which may offer new ways to treat human diseases.
Caspase-11 promotes allergic airway inflammation
Authors: Zasłona Zbigniew , Flis Ewelina , Wilk Mieszko M. , Carroll Richard G. , Palsson-McDermott Eva M. , Hughes Mark M. , Diskin Ciana , Banahan Kathy , Ryan Dylan G. , Hooftman Alexander , Misiak Alicja , Kearney Jay , Lochnit Gunter , Bertrams Wilhelm , Greulich Timm , Schmeck Bernd , McElvaney Oliver J. , Mills Kingston H. G. , Lavelle Ed C. , Wygrecka Małgorzata , Creagh Emma M. , O’Neill Luke A. J.
Published: February 2020

Activated caspase-1 and caspase-11 induce inflammatory cell death in a process termed pyroptosis. Here we show that Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) inhibits caspase-11-dependent pyroptosis in murine and human macrophages. PGE2 suppreses caspase-11 expression in murine and human macrophages and in the airways of mice with allergic inflammation. Remarkably, caspase-11-deficient mice are strongly resistant to developing experimental allergic airway inflammation, where PGE2 is known to be protective. Expression of caspase-11 is elevated in the lung of wild type mice with allergic airway inflammation. Blocking PGE2 production with indomethacin enhances, whereas the prostaglandin E1 analog misoprostol inhibits lung caspase-11 expression. Finally, alveolar macrophages from asthma patients exhibit increased expression of caspase-4, a human homologue of caspase-11. Our findings identify PGE2 as a negative regulator of caspase-11-driven pyroptosis and implicate caspase-4/11 as a critical contributor to allergic airway inflammation, with implications for pathophysiology of asthma.
Power and pitfalls of computational methods for inferring clone phylogenies and mutation orders from bulk sequencing data
Authors: Miura Sayaka , Vu Tracy , Deng Jiamin , Buturla Tiffany , Oladeinde Olumide , Choi Jiyeong , Kumar Sudhir
Published: February 2020

Tumors harbor extensive genetic heterogeneity in the form of distinct clone genotypes that arise over time and across different tissues and regions in cancer. Many computational methods produce clone phylogenies from population bulk sequencing data collected from multiple tumor samples from a patient. These clone phylogenies are used to infer mutation order and clone origins during tumor progression, rendering the selection of the appropriate clonal deconvolution method critical. Surprisingly, absolute and relative accuracies of these methods in correctly inferring clone phylogenies are yet to consistently assessed. Therefore, we evaluated the performance of seven computational methods. The accuracy of the reconstructed mutation order and inferred clone groupings varied extensively among methods. All the tested methods showed limited ability to identify ancestral clone sequences present in tumor samples correctly. The presence of copy number alterations, the occurrence of multiple seeding events among tumor sites during metastatic tumor evolution, and extensive intermixture of cancer cells among tumors hindered the detection of clones and the inference of clone phylogenies for all methods tested. Overall, CloneFinder, MACHINA, and LICHeE showed the highest overall accuracy, but none of the methods performed well for all simulated datasets. So, we present guidelines for selecting methods for data analysis.
PSEN1 variants in Korean patients with clinically suspicious early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kim Young-Eun , Cho Hanna , Kim Hee Jin , Na Duk L. , Seo Sang Won , Ki Chang-Seok
Published: February 2020

Pathogenic variants in the PSEN1 gene are known to be the most common cause of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease but there are few data on the frequency and spectrum of PSEN1 variants in Korea. In this study, we investigated PSEN1 variants in a consecutive series of clinically suspicious early-onset familial AD (EOFAD) Korean patients and their clinical characteristics and imaging findings. From January 2007 to December 2013, EOFAD patients with very early onset AD (<50 yr), early onset AD (<60 yr) with two or more relatives with AD, and early onset AD (<60 yr) with one or more first-degree relatives with very early onset AD (<50 yr) were enrolled in this study. Sequence analysis of the PSEN1 gene was performed by Sanger sequencing. Neuroimaging data and conventional brain MRIs and FDG-PET and/or [11C] PiB-PET scans were analyzed in patients with PSEN1 variants. Among the 28 patients with EOFAD, six (21.4%, 6/28) patients had pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in the PSEN1 gene. Two pathogenic variants were p.Glu120Lys and p.Ser170Phe and four likely pathogenic variants were p.Thr119Ile, p.Tyr159Cys, p.Leu282Pro, and p.Ala285Ser. Two patients had variants of unknown significance, p.Tyr389His and p.Tyr389Ser. EOFAD patients with PSEN1 variants showed early AD onset, frequent visuospatial dysfunction, movement disorders, and rapid disease progression. Brain MRIs revealed diffuse cortical atrophy, including parietal lobe atrophy, and/or hippocampal atrophy. FDG-PET scans also revealed significant hypometabolism in the bilateral temporo-parietal regions. Our findings provide insight to better understand the genetic background of Korean EOFAD patients.
Management of Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Preterm Infants In Wales: A Full Audit Cycle of a Quality Improvement Project
Authors: Course Christopher , Chakraborty Mallinath
Published: February 2020

Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) is the commonest diagnosis after premature birth. We aimed to audit clinical practices before and after introduction of a national guideline in Wales on RDS management. Anonymised, prospective data on all infants born at <34 weeks of gestation and cared for at one of the participating neonatal units in Wales were collected in two six-month time periods in 2015 and 2018. A national guideline was introduced in 2016 by the Wales Neonatal Network. Data collection included areas of antenatal management, delivery room stabilisation, invasive and non-invasive respiratory support, surfactant treatment and elements of supportive care. Univariate and multivariate methods were used to compare data between the two epochs. Comparing care before and after introduction of the national guideline, areas of significant improvement include use of targeted tidal volume ventilation, use of caffeine therapy, oxygen therapy post-surfactant and increasing early use of parenteral nutrition. Areas of poorer management included levels of positive end expiratory pressures and timing of introduction of enteral feeds. Little variation was seen between level two and three units, although gestational age was a significant independent variable for several practices, including delayed cord clamping, stabilisation with intubation, early enteral feeding and caffeine administration. A national guideline for management of RDS in Wales has significantly improved practice in several areas. However, despite a large volume of high-quality evidence and robust guidance, there remains a significant variation in some elements of best practice for RDS management. Further work should focus on education and training, especially for elements requiring cross-departmental work.