bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beyond microplastics - investigation on health impacts of submicron and nanoplastic particles after oral uptake in vitro
Authors: Paul Maxi B. , Fahrenson Christoph , Givelet Lucas , Herrmann Tim , Loeschner Katrin , Böhmert Linda , Thünemann Andreas F. , Braeuning Albert , Sieg Holger
Published: June 2022

The continuously increasing use of plastics is supposed to result in a rising exposure of MNPs to humans. Available data on human health risks of microplastics after oral uptake increased immensely in the past years and indicates very likely only low risks after oral consumption. Concerning nanoplastics, uptake, transport and potential adverse effects after oral uptake are less well understood. This study aims to investigate differences between microplastic particles and particles in the submicron- and nanoscaled size derived from food-relevant polymers with a particle size range consistent with higher potential for cellular uptake, fate, and effects when applied to human intestinal and liver cells. This work includes the development of cellular and subcellular detection methods for synthetic polymeric particles in the micro- and nanometer-range, using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Small-Angle X-ray and Dynamic Light Scattering methods, Asymmetric Flow Field Flow Fractionation, octanol-water fractionation, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Polylactic acid (250 nm and 2 μm (polydisperse)), melamine formaldehyde (366 nm) and polymethylmethacrylate (25 nm) were thoroughly characterized. The submicro- and nanoplastic test particles showed an increased uptake and transport quantity through intestinal cells. Both types of particles resulted in observed differences of uptake behavior, most likely influenced by different lipophilicity, which varied between the polymeric test materials. Toxic effects were detected after 24 h only in overload situations for the particles in the submicrometer range. This study provides further evidence for gastrointestinal uptake of submicro- and nanoplastics and points towards differences regarding bioavailability between microplastics and smaller plastic particles that may result following the ingestion of contaminated food and beverages. Furthermore, the results reinforce the importance for studying nanoplastics of different materials of varying size, surface properties, polymer composition and hydrophobicity.
Responding to domestic abuse in an NHS trust
Authors: Greenfield Philippa , McNicholas Shirley , Redzic Emina , Sahota Maneek , Kirchner Vincent
Published: June 2022

Mental health services are recognised to have an important role in responding to domestic abuse, but approach across the UK's National Health Service (NHS) is inconsistent. We describe an example of taking a whole- organisation approach to responding to domestic abuse in one NHS mental health foundation trust.
Time to Cure for Childhood and Young Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Is Independent of Early Risk Factors: Long-Term Follow-Up of the UKALL2003 Trial
Authors: Moorman Anthony V. , Antony Grace , Wade Rachel , Butler Ellie R. , Enshaei Amir , Harrison Christine J. , Moppett John , Hough Rachael , Rowntree Clare , Hancock Jeremy , Goulden Nicholas , Samarasinghe Sujith , Vora Ajay
Published: June 2022

PURPOSE

The aim of the randomized trial, UKALL2003, was to adjust treatment intensity on the basis of minimal residual disease (MRD) stratification for children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. We analyzed the 10-year randomized outcomes and the time for patients to be considered cured (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00222612 ).

METHODS

A total of 3,113 patients were analyzed including 1,054 patients who underwent random assignment (521 MRD low-risk and 533 MRD high-risk patients). Time to cure was defined as the point at which the chance of relapse was < 1%. The median follow-up time was 10.98 (interquartile range, 9.19-13.02) years, and survival rates are quoted at 10 years.

RESULTS

In the low-risk group, the event-free survival was 91.7% (95% CI, 87.4 to 94.6) with one course of delayed intensification versus 93.7% (95% CI, 89.9 to 96.1) with two delayed intensifications (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.38 to 1.40; P = .3). In the high-risk group, the event-free survival was 82.1% (95% CI, 76.9 to 86.2) with standard therapy versus 87.1% (95% CI, 82.4 to 90.6) with augmented therapy (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.44 to 1.06; P = .09). Cytogenetic high-risk patients treated on augmented therapy had a lower relapse risk (22.1%; 95% CI, 15.1 to 31.6) versus standard therapy (52.4%; 95% CI, 28.9 to 80.1; P = .016). The initial risk of relapse differed significantly by sex, age, MRD, and genetics, but the risk of relapse for all subgroups quickly coalesced at around 6 years after diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

Long-term outcomes of the UKALL2003 trial confirm that low-risk patients can safely de-escalate therapy, while intensified therapy benefits patients with high-risk cytogenetics. Regardless of prognosis, the time to cure is similar across risk groups. This will facilitate communication to patients and families who pose the question “When am I/is my child cured?”
Slow Loss
Authors: Nash Jennifer C.
Published: June 2022

This article develops the idea of slow loss as a relationship to time, space, and feeling that Black feminist theory has described in distinctive ways, helping readers to consider both Black female subjectivity and the stakes of Black feminist theory anew. This article travels with the central and undertheorized place of slow loss in the Black feminist theoretical archive at least in part because of a desire to emphasize Black feminist theory's long-standing investment in understanding and describing the subject position of Black woman.
Critical Approaches to the Storytelling Boom
Authors: Mäkelä Maria , Meretoja Hanna
Published: June 2022

The proponents of the contemporary storytelling boom, such as professional business storytellers and self-help coaches, urge individuals, groups, institutions, and corporations alike to find and tell their story. Social media as the predominant narrative environment for contemporary storytellers promotes the instrumentalization and commodification of stories of personal experience. Literary fiction as the primary locus for narrative experimentation finds itself conditioned and challenged by the story logic of social media, but it also possesses unique affordances for a critical engagement with the current celebration of narrative. How should a narrative theorist position oneself vis-à-vis these developments that are currently changing the public notions of what narratives are and what they can do? By drawing from narrative hermeneutics and cognitive and rhetorical narratology, this article outlines a “story-critical” approach to the current storytelling boom and provides examples of how to bring narrative-theoretical findings to bear on public and professional nonacademic storytalk. The article focuses particularly on a critical analysis of storytelling consultancy, provides an overview of antinarrativist approaches and recent criticism of the storytelling boom in narrative studies, analyzes the story logic of social media, discusses the critical potential of contemporary “metanarrative” forms of fiction, and proposes narrative hermeneutics as one possible paradigm for the critical examination of storytelling cultures. It concludes by envisioning future forms of public critical engagement for narrative theorists. Popular notions of narrative tend to celebrate the cognitive and moral benefits of storytelling while downplaying the limits of narrative understanding and popular story formulas; this article thus identifies the dissemination of tools for a critical narrative analysis among various audiences as an important task for narrative scholars.
Co-opting Small Stories on Social Media: A Narrative Analysis of the Directive of Authenticity
Authors: Georgakopoulou Alexandra
Published: June 2022

Small stories research has recently been extended as a paradigm for interrogating the current storytelling boom on social media, which includes the design of stories as specific features on a range of platforms. This algorithmic engineering of stories has led to the hugely popular feature of Stories on Snapchat and Instagram (also Facebook and Weibo). This article offers a methodology for studying such designed stories, underpinned by a technographic, corpus-assisted narrative analysis that tracks media affordances, including platforms’ directives to users for how to tell stories and what stories to tell, discourses about stories as platformed features, and communicative practices. The article specifically focuses on the directive of authenticity in the storytellers’ self-presentation with data from influencers’ Instagram Stories. Authenticity is attestable in the values underlying the design of stories, the affordances offered, and the storytelling practices that these commonly lead to. The article singles out three constituents of authenticity vis-à-vis each of the above: the design of stories as vehicles for “imperfect sharing” and an amateur aesthetic; visual and textual affordances for sharing life-in-the moment; and the deployment of specific genres of small stories that anchor the tellings onto the here and now. These enregister a type of teller who offers a believable account of themselves and their life through affording an eyewitnessing quality to their audiences and access to their everyday.
Lists, Vignettes, Enumerations: Contemporary Life Writing and the Gesture of Refusal toward Narrative
Authors: Rüggemeier Anne
Published: June 2022

Focusing on Maggie Nelson's Bluets (2009) and Han Kang's The White Book (2016), this contribution explores how contemporary life writers critically engage with the causally and temporally bound form of narrative through the use of story-critical forms such as lists, vignettes, and meditations. While scholars of narrative agree that we witness a new dominance of the generic conventions of traditional autobiography—especially its trope of redemption and conversion narratives—among storytellers on digital platforms as well as in advertisement, marketing and political campaigns, the literary genre of autobiography, this article argues, starts to reinvent itself. The life writers Nelson and Kang turn toward the essayistic rather than the affirmative, the enumerative rather than the narrative, and the unity of form rather than the linear and causal cohesion of storytelling. Bluets and The White Book show their authors as deeply involved in imagining alternative acts of literary representation that exceed the scripts and protocols that are usually activated and called up through the story-ing of the self. As Nelson and Kang explore the story-critical affordances of fragmentary literary forms and test the limits of experientiality (sensu Fludernik), they highlight the opaqueness of life and ask for non-subsumptive readings (sensu Meretoja).
Narrative Agency and the Critical Potential of Metanarrative Reading Groups
Authors: Meretoja Hanna , Kinnunen Eevastiina , Kosonen Päivi
Published: June 2022

This article lays out the theoretical-analytic framework of narrative agency, three central dimensions of which are narrative awareness, narrative imagination, and narrative dialogicality, and presents a model of metanarrative reading groups, which aims at amplifying narrative agency. It argues that an important form of self-reflexivity in contemporary literary fiction is metanarrativity—self-aware reflection not only on the narratives’ own narrativity but also on the significance and functions of cultural practices of narrative sense-making. It analyzes how reading together metanarrative fiction, which critically engages with the roles of cultural narrative models in contemporary society, can shape narrative agency—that is, the ability to navigate narrative environments. The article illustrates the metanarrative reading-group model through the analysis of one reading-group session, which focuses on a metanarrative excerpt from Carol Shields's The Stone Diaries. The article suggests that a creative, dialogical space of a metanarrative reading group forms a productive environment for exploring the affordances, limitations, and power of narratives. It argues that working with narrative agency has the potential to help participants gain critical awareness of—and thereby more agentic power over—their narrative environments, and to engage with them in more critical and creative ways.
We Call ThemBandos
Authors: Whitley Sa
Published: June 2022

This article explores the impact of the subprime foreclosure crisis on black transgender women in Baltimore, Maryland, by thinking with Project 42, a series of art installations curated by trans artist Molly Jae Vaughan that memorializes forty-two trans murder victims in the United States. Focusing on the project's memorialization of the late Tyra Trent, a black transgender woman who was murdered in a city-owned vacant property in the Central Park Heights neighborhood, the essay considers the textile design of Project 42’s “memorial garment” for Tyra Trent, which includes a pattern with the abstraction of the Google Earth imaging of the murder location, and black trans dance artist Aísha Noir's performance in the honorary dress as a collaborator with Vaughan for Project 42 installations. What follows is a political reflection at the intersection of black feminism, economic geography, and urban planning that demonstrates how black transfeminist worldmaking invites us to “revitalize” or replace traditional urban planning projects and challenge gendered racial capitalism.
Cardiovascular, Respiratory, and Functional Effects of Home-Based Exercise Training after COVID-19 Hospitalization
Authors: TEIXEIRA DO AMARAL VANESSA , VIANA ARIANE APARECIDA , HEUBEL ALESSANDRO DOMINGUES , LINARES STEPHANIE NOGUEIRA , MARTINELLI BRUNO , WITZLER PEDRO HENRIQUE CAMPRIGHER , ORIKASSA DE OLIVEIRA GUSTAVO YUDI , ZANINI GABRIEL DE SOUZA , BORGHI SILVA AUDREY , MENDES RENATA GONÇALVES , CIOLAC EMMANUEL GOMES
Published: June 2022

Introduction

The present randomized, single-center, and single-blinded clinical trial tested the hypothesis that tele-supervised home-based exercise training (exercise) is an effective strategy for improving cardiovascular, respiratory, and functional capacity parameters in individuals who were hospitalized due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods

Thirty-two individuals (52 ± 10 yr; 17 were female) randomly assigned to exercise (n = 12) or control groups (n = 20) had their anthropometric (weight, body mass index), hemodynamic (brachial and central blood pressure), vascular (arterial stiffness), ventilatory (pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength), and functional parameters (handgrip strength, five-time sit to stand, timed up and go test, and 6-min walking test) assessed at baseline (30–45 d of hospital discharged) and after 12 wk of follow-up.

Results

Both groups similarly increased (P < 0.001) forced vital capacity (absolute and percent of predicted), forced expiratory volume in the first second (absolute and percent of predicted), and handgrip strength during follow-up. However, only the exercise group reduced carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (−2.0 ± 0.6 m·s−1, P = 0.048) and increased (P < 0.05) resting oxygen saturation (1.9% ± 0.6%), mean inspiratory pressure (24.7 ± 7.1 cm H2O), mean expiratory pressure (20.3 ± 5.8 cm H2O), and percent of predicted mean expiratory pressure (14% ± 22%) during follow-up. No significant changes were found in any other variable during follow-up.

Conclusions

Present findings suggest that tele-supervised home-based exercise training can be a potential adjunct therapeutic to rehabilitate individuals who were hospitalized due to COVID-19.
Cystic lymphangioma of the upper limb: Clinical case and literature review
Authors: Diarra Daouda , Mekouar Younes , Salihou Abdoulfatahi , Traore Boubacar , Laoudihy Dalale , Chbani Kamilia , Salam Siham , El Ouzidane Lahcen
Published: June 2022

We report an observation of a macro- and microcystic lymphatic malformation located in the right upper limb. This was a 5-year-old girl with no previous pathological history, followed since the age of 11 months for a congenital subcutaneous, painless and soft swelling of the right upper limb.

Ultrasound of the soft tissue and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allowed the diagnosis of macro- and microcystic lymphatic malformation of the right upper limb.

There is little epidemiological data on cystic lymphatic malformations (CLM). Superficial MLKs are more numerous than deep MLKs; of the superficial MLKs, nearly 75% are located in the head and neck, with an estimated incidence of 1.2 to 2.8 per 1000 births, and in the axillary hollows in 20% of cases. They affect equally males and females and different ethnic backgrounds. Involvement of the upper limb and particularly the arm is very rare.

MRI plays an important role in the diagnosis and assessment of the tumor’s boundaries.

Treatment can be difficult because of the location of the tumor and its extension into the surrounding tissue.
Educating delinquent youths: A qualitative approach to understand the Malaysian story
Authors: Juhary Jowati , Syed Mohamed Ahmad Thamrini Fadzlin , Bakar Erda Wati
Published: June 2022

Background: This paper reports on the first stage of a larger research project on the education of delinquent youths in Malaysia. Specifically, this paper addresses the challenges of educating delinquent youths in the country. As a developing nation, Malaysia faces various issues pertaining social and youth development. The question explored in this study is whether delinquent youths in Malaysia are neglected in terms of systematic and adequate education. In Malaysia, delinquent youths are sent to correctional facilities all around the country, where they are separated from school systems, their families and communities; it can be argued that these youths are deprived of moral support from society. This paper aims to identify the challenges around educating delinquent youths in Malaysia and to recommend potential solutions to these challenges. Methods: The research approaches adopted for this paper included content analysis of printed documents and preliminary informal interviews with the staff at one correctional facility. Content analysis data were gathered from departmental and government documents made public as well as past research on delinquent youths. Meanwhile, a curtesy visit was made to a correctional facility in Kuala Lumpur to obtain preliminary input into the education and training provided at the facility. Results: The authors found that there are three main challenges to sufficiently educating delinquent youths in Malaysia. These include unclear policy on the education of youths at correctional facilities; the lack of frameworks facilitating the education of these youths; and the lack of awareness and understanding on the need for educating these youths, despite their behaviors. Conclusions: The paper ends with two solutions to these challenges and future directions for the education of delinquent youths in Malaysia.
Joint controllers in large research consortia: a funnel model to distinguish controllers in the sense of the GDPR from other partners in the consortium
Authors: Van Veen Evert-Ben , Boeckhout Martin , Schlünder Irene , Boiten Jan Willem , Dias Vasco
Published: June 2022

Large European research consortia in the health sciences face challenges regarding the governance of personal data collected, generated and/or shared during their collective research. A controller in the sense of the GDPR is the entity which decides about purposes and means of the data processing. Case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and Guidelines of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) indicate that all partners in the consortium would be joint controllers. This paper summarises the case law, the Guidelines and literature on joint controllership, gives a brief account of a webinar organised on the issue by Lygature and the MLC Foundation. Participants at the webinar agreed in large majority that it would be extreme if all partners in the consortium would become joint controllers. There was less agreement how to disentangle partners who are controllers of a study from those who are not. In order to disentangle responsibilities, we propose a funnel model with consecutive steps acting as sieves in the funnel. It differentiates between two types of partners: all partners who are involved in shaping the project as a whole versus those specific partners who are more closely involved in a sub-study following from the DoA or the use of the data Platform. If the role of the partner would be comparable to that of an outside advisor, that partner would not be a data controller even though the partner is part of the consortium. We propose further nuances for the disentanglement which takes place in various steps.

Uncertainty about formal controllership under the GDPR can stifle collaboration in consortia due to concerns over (shared) responsibility and liability. Data subjects’ ability to exercise their right can also be affected by this. The funnel model proposes a way out of this conundrum.
Additive Convolution Method for Multi-Criteria Assessment of Management Deci-sions in the Economy
Authors: Polyakov V. , Fomicheva I. , Yudina O.
Published: June 2022

The proposed method is based on an expert assessment of the weights of the compared criteria using additive convolution. The research material allows us to carry out a numerical assessment of various projects with sufficient reliability, to build a scale of their priority. The main criteria for evaluating an investment project are proposed. An example of choosing an innovative project using an additive criterion is considered. An example of constructing a normalized matrix of pairwise comparison of criteria is shown. Conclusions are drawn on the rating scale of projects based on the selected criteria.
Video-assisted superior mediastinal lymphadenectomy for papillary thyroid cancer: a case report
Authors: Zhao J , Zheng X , Gao M , Chi J , Wei S , Yun X
Published: June 2022

Superior mediastinal lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid cancer are uncommon. The clinical characteristics and surgical strategy of superior mediastinal lymph node metastases remain unclear. Superior mediastinal lymphadenectomy can be accomplished either by a transcervical or transsternal approach. Transsternal approach for superior mediastinal lymphadenectomy can cause great damage; transcervical approach sometimes results in inadequate exposure. Here we report our experience of a papillary thyroid cancer patient with superior mediastinal lymph node metastases who underwent video-assisted superior mediastinal lymphadenectomy. A 49-year-old woman diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in left thyroid underwent unilateral lobectomy and ipsilateral central and lateral node dissection in the local hospital 4 years ago. Currently lymph node metastases were found in mediastinum and the right neck, some of which were adjacent to the right innominate vein. Unilateral lobectomy, ipsilateral central and lateral node dissection, and video-assisted superior mediastinal lymphadenectomy were successfully performed by transcervical approach. Subsequently, the patient received thyroxine suppression therapy and adjuvant radioiodine treatment. Video-assisted superior mediastinal lymphadenectomy, providing adequate exposure for a complete superior mediastinal lymphadenectomy, is proved to be safe and feasible.
HoloPhaseNet: fully automated deep-learning-based hologram reconstruction using a conditional generative adversarial model
Authors: Jaferzadeh Keyvan , Fevens Thomas
Published: June 2022

Quantitative phase imaging with off-axis digital holography in a microscopic configuration provides insight into the cells’ intracellular content and morphology. This imaging is conventionally achieved by numerical reconstruction of the recorded hologram, which requires the precise setting of the reconstruction parameters, including reconstruction distance, a proper phase unwrapping algorithm, and component of wave vectors. This paper shows that deep learning can perform the complex light propagation task independent of the reconstruction parameters. We also show that the super-imposed twin-image elimination technique is not required to retrieve the quantitative phase image. The hologram at the single-cell level is fed into a trained image generator (part of a conditional generative adversarial network model), which produces the phase image. Also, the model’s generalization is demonstrated by training it with holograms of size 512×512 pixels, and the resulting quantitative analysis is shown.
Realization of tunable index-near-zero modes in nonreciprocal magneto-optical heterostructures
Authors: Zhou Yun , He Panpan , Xiao Sanshui , Kang Fengwen , Hong Lujun , Shen Yun , Luo Yamei , Xu Jie
Published: June 2022

Epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) metamaterial with the relative permittivity approaching zero has been a hot research topic for decades. The wave in the ENZ region has infinite phase velocity (

v
=
1

/

ε
μ

), but it cannot efficiently travel into the other devices or air due to the impedance mismatch or near-zero group velocity. In this paper, we demonstrate that the tunable index-near-zero (INZ) modes with vanishing wavenumbers (k = 0) and nonzero group velocities (vg ≠ ~0) can be achieved in nonreciprocal magneto-optical systems. The INZ modes have been experimentally demonstrated in the photonic crystals at Dirac point frequencies, and that impedance-matching effect has been observed as well [Nat. Commun. 8, 14871 (2017)10.1038/ncomms14871]. Our theoretical analysis reveals that the INZ modes exhibit tunability when changing the parameters of the one-way (nonreciprocal) waveguides. Moreover, owing to the zero-phase-shift characteristic and decreasing vg of the INZ modes, several perfect optical buffers are proposed in the microwave and terahertz regimes. The theoretical results are further verified by the numerical simulations using the finite element method. Our findings may open new avenues for research in the areas of ultra-strong or -fast nonlinearity, perfect cloaking, high-resolution holographic imaging, and wireless communications.
Direct binary search method for high-resolution holographic image projection
Authors: Yu Song-Tao , Luo An , Jiang Lei , Liu Yi-Fan , Gong Lei , Yuan Zhen-Sheng
Published: June 2022

Complex-amplitude modulation of light fields with a digital micromirror device (DMD) has been widely used in holographic image projection. DMD is a binary-amplitude modulator, and its use for complex field modulation in a 4f configuration requires low-pass filtering. However, the reconstructed fields suffer from low resolution due to the limited bandwidth for the existing methods such as the Lee and superpixel methods. Here, we report a direct binary search (DBS) method to design high-resolution complex-amplitude holograms. The method is able to increase the spatial bandwidth up to twice that of the superpixel method. Numerical simulations and experiments are presented to demonstrate the method, which show that the errors are reduced by about 60% and 40% respectively for the test fields compared to the superpixel method. Furthermore, the measured efficiency of laser light can be improved by a maximum of 60%.
In situ determination of the penetration depth of mirrors in Fabry-Perot refractometers and its influence on assessment of refractivity and pressure
Authors: Silander Isak , Zakrisson Johan , Silva de Oliveira Vinicius , Forssén Clayton , Foltynowicz Aleksandra , Rubin Tom , Zelan Martin , Axner Ove
Published: June 2022

A procedure is presented for in situ determination of the frequency penetration depth of coated mirrors in Fabry-Perot (FP) based refractometers and its influence on the assessment of refractivity and pressure. It is based on assessments of the absolute frequency of the laser and the free spectral range of the cavity. The procedure is demonstrated on an Invar-based FP cavity system with high-reflection mirrors working at 1.55 μm. The influence was assessed with such a low uncertainty that it does not significantly contribute to the uncertainties (k = 2) in the assessment of refractivity (<8 × 10−13) or pressure of nitrogen (<0.3 mPa).
Nonlinear pulse compression to 51-W average power GW-class 35-fs pulses at 2-µm wavelength in a gas-filled multi-pass cell
Authors: Gierschke P. , Grebing C. , Abdelaal M. , Lenski M. , Buldt J. , Wang Z. , Heuermann T. , Mueller M. , Gebhardt M. , Rothhardt J. , Limpert J.
Published: June 2022

We report on the generation of GW-class peak power, 35-fs pulses at 2-µm wavelength with an average power of 51 W at 300-kHz repetition rate. A compact, krypton-filled Herriott-type cavity employing metallic mirrors is used for spectral broadening. This multi-pass compression stage enables the efficient post compression of the pulses emitted by an ultrafast coherently combined thulium-doped fiber laser system. The presented results demonstrate an excellent preservation of the input beam quality in combination with a power transmission as high as 80%. These results show that multi-pass cell based post-compression is an attractive alternative to nonlinear spectral broadening in fibers, which is commonly employed for thulium-doped and other mid-infrared ultrafast laser systems. Particularly, the average power scalability and the potential to achieve few-cycle pulse durations make this scheme highly attractive.
Metastable spiking networks in the replica-mean-field limit
Authors: Yu Luyan , Taillefumier Thibaud O.
Published: June 2022

Characterizing metastable neural dynamics in finite-size spiking networks remains a daunting challenge. We propose to address this challenge in the recently introduced replica-mean-field (RMF) limit. In this limit, networks are made of infinitely many replicas of the finite network of interest, but with randomized interactions across replicas. Such randomization renders certain excitatory networks fully tractable at the cost of neglecting activity correlations, but with explicit dependence on the finite size of the neural constituents. However, metastable dynamics typically unfold in networks with mixed inhibition and excitation. Here, we extend the RMF computational framework to point-process-based neural network models with exponential stochastic intensities, allowing for mixed excitation and inhibition. Within this setting, we show that metastable finite-size networks admit multistable RMF limits, which are fully characterized by stationary firing rates. Technically, these stationary rates are determined as the solutions of a set of delayed differential equations under certain regularity conditions that any physical solutions shall satisfy. We solve this original problem by combining the resolvent formalism and singular-perturbation theory. Importantly, we find that these rates specify probabilistic pseudo-equilibria which accurately capture the neural variability observed in the original finite-size network. We also discuss the emergence of metastability as a stochastic bifurcation, which can be interpreted as a static phase transition in the RMF limits. In turn, we expect to leverage the static picture of RMF limits to infer purely dynamical features of metastable finite-size networks, such as the transition rates between pseudo-equilibria.
Size regulation of multiple organelles competing for a limiting subunit pool
Authors: Banerjee Deb Sankar , Banerjee Shiladitya
Published: June 2022

How cells regulate the size of intracellular structures and organelles is a longstanding question. Recent experiments suggest that size control of intracellular structures is achieved through the depletion of a limiting subunit pool in the cytoplasm. While the limiting pool model ensures organelle-to-cell size scaling, it does not provide a mechanism for robust size control of multiple co-existing structures. Here we develop a generalized theory for size-dependent growth of intracellular structures to demonstrate that robust size control of multiple intracellular structures, competing for a limiting subunit pool, is achieved via a negative feedback between the growth rate and the size of the individual structure. This design principle captures size maintenance of a wide variety of subcellular structures, from cytoskeletal filaments to three-dimensional organelles. We identify the feedback motifs for structure size regulation based on known molecular processes, and compare our theory to existing models of size regulation in biological assemblies. Furthermore, we show that positive feedback between structure size and growth rate can lead to bistable size distribution and spontaneous size selection.
From climate to weather reconstructions
Authors: Brönnimann Stefan
Published: June 2022

Climate reconstructions have contributed tremendously to our understanding of changes in the climate system and will continue to do so. However, in climate science the focus has partly shifted away from past seasonal and annual mean climate towards weather variability and extreme events. Weather events are more directly relevant for climate impacts and they capture the scale at which important processes take place. Weather reconstructions therefore help to better understand atmospheric processes, particularly during extreme events, to assess decadal-to-multidecadal climate variability through the lens of weather changes, and they allow impact modelling of past events. Consequently, attempts are currently undertaken to extend weather data sets far back into the past. In this review I discuss methods of weather reconstructions that are in use today. The methods range from expert analyses to data assimilation, from analog approaches to machine learning. Products range from weather types to four-dimensional fields. The methods complement each other as they are based on different assumptions and are based on different data sets. Weather reconstructions require more meteorological data than climate reconstructions. Additional data rescue efforts are therefore needed.
The HDAC9-associated risk locus promotes coronary artery disease by governing TWIST1
Authors: Ma Lijiang , Bryce Nicole S. , Turner Adam W. , Di Narzo Antonio F. , Rahman Karishma , Xu Yang , Ermel Raili , Sukhavasi Katyayani , d’Escamard Valentina , Chandel Nirupama , V’Gangula Bhargavi , Wolhuter Kathryn , Kadian-Dodov Daniella , Franzen Oscar , Ruusalepp Arno , Hao Ke , Miller Clint L. , Björkegren Johan L. M. , Kovacic Jason C.
Published: June 2022

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the risk of common disorders. However, since the large majority of these risk SNPs reside outside gene-coding regions, GWAS generally provide no information about causal mechanisms regarding the specific gene(s) that are affected or the tissue(s) in which these candidate gene(s) exert their effect. The ‘gold standard’ method for understanding causal genes and their mechanisms of action are laborious basic science studies often involving sophisticated knockin or knockout mouse lines, however, these types of studies are impractical as a high-throughput means to understand the many risk variants that cause complex diseases like coronary artery disease (CAD). As a solution, we developed a streamlined, data-driven informatics pipeline to gain mechanistic insights on complex genetic loci. The pipeline begins by understanding the SNPs in a given locus in terms of their relative location and linkage disequilibrium relationships, and then identifies nearby expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) to determine their relative independence and the likely tissues that mediate their disease-causal effects. The pipeline then seeks to understand associations with other disease-relevant genes, disease sub-phenotypes, potential causality (Mendelian randomization), and the regulatory and functional involvement of these genes in gene regulatory co-expression networks (GRNs). Here, we applied this pipeline to understand a cluster of SNPs associated with CAD within and immediately adjacent to the gene encodingHDAC9. Our pipeline demonstrated, and validated, that this locus is causal for CAD by modulation ofTWIST1expression levels in the arterial wall, and by also governing a GRN related to metabolic function in skeletal muscle. Our results reconciled numerous prior studies, and also provided clear evidence that this locus does not govern HDAC9 expression, structure or function. This pipeline should be considered as a powerful and efficient way to understand GWAS risk loci in a manner that better reflects the highly complex nature of genetic risk associated with common disorders.
Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in four states of Nigeria in October 2020: A population-based household survey
Authors: Audu Rosemary A. , Stafford Kristen A. , Steinhardt Laura , Musa Zaidat A. , Iriemenam Nnaemeka , Ilori Elsie , Blanco Natalia , Mitchell Andrew , Hamada Yohhei , Moloney Mirna , Iwara Emem , Abimiku Alash’le , Ige Fehintola A. , William Nwachukwu E. , Igumbor Ehimario , Ochu Chinwe , Omoare Adesuyi A. , Okunoye Olumide , Greby Stacie M. , Rangaka Molebogeng X. , Copas Andrew , Dalhatu Ibrahim , Abubakar Ibrahim , McCracken Stephen , Alagi Matthias , Mba Nwando , Anthony Ahumibe , Okoye McPaul , Okoi Catherine , Ezechi Oliver C. , Salako Babatunde L. , Ihekweazu Chikwe ,   for the Nigeria SARS-CoV-2 Survey Group
Published: June 2022

The observed epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in sub-Saharan Africa has varied greatly from that in Europe and the United States, with much lower reported incidence. Population-based studies are needed to estimate true cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 to inform public health interventions. This study estimated SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in four selected states in Nigeria in October 2020. We implemented a two-stage cluster sample household survey in four Nigerian states (Enugu, Gombe, Lagos, and Nasarawa) to estimate age-stratified prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. All individuals in sampled households were eligible for interview, blood draw, and nasal/oropharyngeal swab collection. We additionally tested participants for current/recent malaria infection. Seroprevalence estimates were calculated accounting for the complex survey design. Across all four states, 10,629 (96·5%) of 11,015 interviewed individuals provided blood samples. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 25·2% (95% CI 21·8–28·6) in Enugu State, 9·3% (95% CI 7·0–11·5) in Gombe State, 23·3% (95% CI 20·5–26·4) in Lagos State, and 18·0% (95% CI 14·4–21·6) in Nasarawa State. Prevalence of current/recent malaria infection ranged from 2·8% in Lagos to 45·8% in Gombe and was not significantly related to SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence. The prevalence of active SARS-CoV-2 infection in the four states during the survey period was 0·2% (95% CI 0·1–0·4). Approximately eight months after the first reported COVID-19 case in Nigeria, seroprevalence indicated infection levels 194 times higher than the 24,198 officially reported COVID-19 cases across the four states; however, most of the population remained susceptible to COVID-19 in October 2020.
Contribution of genetic factors to high rates of neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia on the Thailand-Myanmar border
Authors: Bancone Germana , Gornsawun Gornpan , Peerawaranun Pimnara , Penpitchaporn Penporn , Paw Moo Kho , Poe Day Day , Win December , Cicelia Naw , Mukaka Mavuto , Archasuksan Laypaw , Thielemans Laurence , Nosten Francois , White Nicholas J. , McGready Rose , Carrara Verena I.
Published: June 2022

Very high unconjugated bilirubin plasma concentrations in neonates (neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia; NH) may cause neurologic damage (kernicterus). Both increased red blood cell turn-over and immaturity of hepatic glucuronidation contribute to neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia. The incidence of NH requiring phototherapy during the first week of life on the Thailand-Myanmar border is high (approximately 25%). On the Thailand-Myanmar border we investigated the contribution of genetic risk factors to high bilirubin levels in the first month of life in 1596 neonates enrolled in a prospective observational birth cohort study. Lower gestational age (<38 weeks), mutations in the genes encoding glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and uridine 5′-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 were identified as the main independent risk factors for NH in the first week, and for prolonged jaundice in the first month of life. Population attributable risks (PAR%) were 61.7% for lower gestational age, 22.9% for hemi or homozygous and 9.9% for heterozygous G6PD deficiency respectively, and 6.3% for UGT1A1*6 homozygosity. In neonates with an estimated gestational age ≥ 38 weeks, G6PD mutations contributed PARs of 38.1% and 23.6% for “early” (≤ 48 hours) and “late” (49–168 hours) NH respectively. For late NH, the PAR for UGT1A1*6 homozygosity was 7.7%. Maternal excess weight was also a significant risk factor for “early” NH while maternal mutations on the beta-globin gene, prolonged rupture of membranes, large haematomas and neonatal sepsis were risk factors for “late” NH. For prolonged jaundice during the first month of life, G6PD mutations and UGT1A1*6 mutation, together with lower gestational age at birth and presence of haematoma were significant risk factors. In this population, genetic factors contribute considerably to the high risk of NH. Diagnostic tools to identify G6PD deficiency at birth would facilitate early recognition of high risk cases.
The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal: The role of personality traits and emotion regulation strategies
Authors: Kluwe-Schiavon Bruno , De Zorzi Lucas , Meireles Joana , Leite Jorge , Sequeira Henrique , Carvalho Sandra
Published: June 2022

Recent evidence suggests that both personality traits (PT) and emotion regulation (ER) strategies play an important role in the way people cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was two folded. First, to longitudinally investigate the psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress levels) taking in consideration PT and ER strategies in 3 different moments: during the first lockdown period (April/20), at the first deconfinement (May/20) and 1-month after the first deconfinement (Jun/20)–Experiment I. Second, to cross-sectionally evaluate the impact of the pandemic in psychological distress and the correlates with PT and ER 6-months after the first deconfinement November/20 to February/21 –Experiment II. A total of 722 volunteers (Experiment I = 180; Experiment II = 542) aged 18 years or older participated in this online survey. The findings from Experiment I show that psychological distress decreased after the lockdown period, however, neuroticism traits predicted higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, while difficulties in ER strategies were identified as a risk factor for depression and stress. For experiment II, neuroticism traits and being infected with COVID-19 were associated to higher levels of symptomatology, while unemployment and the use of emotional suppression strategies to cope with emotional situations were associated to depressive and anxiety symptoms. Although the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak decreased over time in our sample, the current findings suggest that difficulties in emotional regulation and high levels of neuroticism traits might be potential risk factors for psychiatric symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, people with difficulties in ER and neuroticism traits would benefit from psychological interventions that provide personality-appropriate support and promote emotion regulation skills during stressful events, such as the case of the global pandemic.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Ld-08 isolated from Lilium davidii exhibits antifungal and growth-promoting properties
Authors: Khan Mohammad Sayyar , Gao Junlian , Zhang Mingfang , Xue Jing , Zhang Xiuhai
Published: June 2022

A plant growth-promoting and antifungal endophytic bacteria designated as Ld-08 isolated from the bulbs of Lilium davidii was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on phenotypic, microscopic, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Ld-08 exhibited antifungal effects against Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Fusarium fujikuroi. Ld-08 showed the highest growth inhibition, i.e., 83.82±4.76% against B. dothidea followed by 74.12±3.87%, 67.56±3.35%, and 63.67±3.39% against F. fujikuroi, B. cinerea, and F. oxysporum, respectively. The ethyl acetate fraction of Ld-08 revealed the presence of several bioactive secondary metabolites. Prominent compounds were quinolones; 3,9-dimethoxypterocarpan; cascaroside B; dehydroabietylamine; epiandrosterone; nocodazole; oxolinic acid; pyochelin; rhodotulic acid; 9,12-octadecadienoic acid; di-peptides; tri-peptides; ursodiol, and venlafaxine. The strain Ld-08 showed organic acids, ACC deaminase, phosphate solubilization, IAA, and siderophore. The sterilized bulbs of a Lilium variety, inoculated with Ld-08, were further studied for plant growth-promoting traits. The inoculated plants showed improved growth than the control plants. Importantly, some growth parameters such as plant height, leaf length, bulb weight, and root length were significantly (P ≤0.05) increased in the inoculated plants than in the control un-inoculated plants. Further investigations are required to explore the potential of this strain to be used as a plant growth-promoting and biocontrol agent in sustainable agriculture.
The fading impact of lockdowns: A data analysis of the effectiveness of Covid-19 travel restrictions during different pandemic phases
Authors: Smyth Barry
Published: June 2022

As countries struggled with SARS-COV2 outbreaks at the beginning of 2021, many citizens found themselves in yet another period of increasing travel restrictions, if not a strict lockdown. At the same time there was concern that further restrictions would prove to be less effective due to a range of reasons including increasing pandemic fatigue or the lack of appropriate supports. In this study we investigate whether restrictions remained effective as a way to limit non-essential travel in order to curb virus transmission. We do this by analysing adherence during periods of increasing and decreasing restrictions in 125 countries during three different 4-month phases, early (March—June 2020), middle (July—October 2020), and late (November 2020—February 2021) over the course of the first year of the pandemic, and prior to significant population-wide vaccination. We use the strength of the relationship between restriction levels and the level of personal mobility associated with non-essential travel in order to determine the degree of adherence to the restrictions imposed. We show that there is evidence of a significant decrease in adherence to restrictions during the middle and late phases of the pandemic, compared with the early phase. Our analysis further suggests that this decrease in adherence is due to changes in mobility rather than changes in restrictions. We conclude, therefore, that restrictions have become less effective at curbing non-essential travel, which may alter the cost-benefit analysis of restrictions and lockdowns, thus highlighting the need for governments to reconsider large-scale restrictions as a containment strategy in the future, in favour of more focused or flexible mitigation approaches.