bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self‐Report versus Clinician Examination in Early Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Zolfaghari Sheida , Thomann Alessandra E. , Lewandowski Natalia , Trundell Dylan , Lipsmeier Florian , Pagano Gennaro , Taylor Kirsten I. , Postuma Ronald B.
Published: December 2021

Background

Evaluating the discrepancies between patient‐reported measures and clinician examination has implications for formulating individual treatment regimens.

Objective

This study investigated the association between health outcomes and level of self‐reported motor‐related function impairment relative to clinician‐examined motor signs.

Methods

Recently diagnosed PD patients were evaluated using the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI, N = 420) and the PASADENA phase II clinical trial (N = 316). We calculated the average normalized difference between each participant's part II and III MDS‐UPDRS (Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale) scores. Individuals with score differences <25th or >75th percentiles were labeled as low‐ and high‐self‐reporters, respectively (those between ranges were labeled intermediate‐self‐reporters). We compared a wide range of clinical/biomarker readouts among these three groups, using Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric and Pearson's χ2 tests. Spearman's correlations were tested for associations between MDS‐UPDRS subscales.

Results

In both cohorts, high‐self‐reporters reported the largest impairment/symptom experience for most motor and nonmotor patient‐reported variables. By contrast, these high‐self‐reporters were similar to or less impaired on clinician‐examined and biomarker measures. Patient‐reported nonmotor symptoms on MDS‐UPDRS part IB showed the strongest positive correlation with self‐reported motor‐related impairment (PPMI rs = 0.54, PASADENA rs = 0.52). This correlation was numerically stronger than the part II and clinician‐examined MDS‐UPDRS part III correlation (PPMI rs = 0.38, PASADENA rs = 0.28).

Conclusion

Self‐reported motor‐related impairments reflect not only motor signs/symptoms but also other self‐reported nonmotor measures. This may indicate (1) a direct impact of nonmotor symptoms on motor‐related functioning and/or (2) the existence of general response tendencies in how patients self‐rate symptoms. Our findings suggest further investigation into the suitability of MDS‐UPDRS II to assess motor‐related impairments. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
STRONGkids nutrition screening tool in pediatrics: An analysis of cutoff points in Brazil
Authors: Castro Joice da Silva , Santos Carolina Araújo dos , Rosa Carla de Oliveira Barbosa , Firmino Heloísa Helena , Ribeiro Andréia Queiroz
Published: December 2021

Background

Studies have indicated the Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth (STRONGkids) as a method of pediatric nutrition screening with good validity in the hospital setting. However, we need to analyze whether the cutoff values originally proposed are suitable for use in Brazil.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was performed in patients admitted to the pediatric ward of a public hospital. STRONGkids was used to assess nutrition risk (low risk, 0 points; moderate risk, 1–3 points; and high risk, 4–5 points). The indexes weight/height or body mass index/age were used to indicate acute malnutrition, and length or height/age was used to indicate chronic malnutrition. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed and the areas under the curve were calculated, with respective 95% confidence intervals, to assess the ability of STRONGkids to predict malnutrition and longer hospital stay.

Results

The study included 599 patients, with a median age of 2.6 years. The frequency of nutrition risk (medium or high) was 83.6%. In comparison with anthropometric indexes, STRONGkids was the only scoring system with the discriminatory capacity to identify patients with longer hospital stays. The comparative analysis of the means of hospital stay according to STRONGkids showed that patients with a score equal to 3 behaved similarly to those classified as high nutrition risk (4–5 points).

Conclusions

Considering the best cutoff point to predict prolonged hospitalization, STRONGkids used in Brazil should consider patients with 3 points as having high nutrition risk, as well those scoring 4 and 5.
Effect of tailored, daily feedback with lifestyle self‐monitoring on weight loss: The SMARTER randomized clinical trial
Authors: Burke Lora E. , Sereika Susan M. , Parmanto Bambang , Bizhanova Zhadyra , Kariuki Jacob K. , Cheng Jessica , Beatrice Britney , Loar India , Pulantara I Wayan , Wang Yuhan , Cedillo Maribel , Conroy Molly B
Published: December 2021

Objective

This study aimed to test the efficacy of self‐monitoring and feedback (SM+FB) versus SM without FB (SM) in a behavioral weight‐loss intervention at 6 months.

Methods

This was a randomized clinical trial. Eligibility criteria included the following: ≥18 years of age, BMI ≥ 27 and ≤43, smartphone user, and ability to engage in moderate physical activity. All participants received a 90‐minute 1:1 counseling session, a Fitbit Charge 2, and a digital scale for SM. SM+FB participants were provided access to a customized smartphone application that provided three daily FB messages. The primary outcome was percentage of weight change from 0 to 6 months.

Results

The sample (N = 502) was 45 (SD 14.4) years old, BMI was 33.7 (SD 4.00) kg/m2, 79.5% of participants were female (n = 399), and 84.3% were White (n = 423). At 6 months, there was 85.86% retention and a significant percentage of weight change in both groups (SM+FB: −3.16%, 95% CI: −3.85% to −2.47%, p < 0.0001; SM: −3.20%, 95% CI: −3.86% to −2.54%, p < 0.0001) but no significant between‐group mean difference (−0.04%, 95% CI: −0.99% to 0.91%, p = 0.940). A ≥5% weight loss was achieved by 31.9% of the SM+FB group and 28.3% of the SM group.

Conclusions

There was no significant between‐group difference in weight loss at 6 months.
Multivariate log‐contrast regression with sub‐compositional predictors: Testing the association between preterm infants' gut microbiome and neurobehavioral outcomes
Authors: Liu Xiaokang , Cong Xiaomei , Li Gen , Maas Kendra , Chen Kun
Published: December 2021

To link a clinical outcome with compositional predictors in microbiome analysis, the linear log‐contrast model is a popular choice, and the inference procedure for assessing the significance of each covariate is also available. However, with the existence of multiple potentially interrelated outcomes and the information of the taxonomic hierarchy of bacteria, a multivariate analysis method that considers the group structure of compositional covariates and an accompanying group inference method are still lacking. Motivated by a study for identifying the microbes in the gut microbiome of preterm infants that impact their later neurobehavioral outcomes, we formulate a constrained integrative multi‐view regression. The neurobehavioral scores form multivariate responses, the log‐transformed sub‐compositional microbiome data form multi‐view feature matrices, and a set of linear constraints on their corresponding sub‐coefficient matrices ensures the sub‐compositional nature. We assume all the sub‐coefficient matrices are possible of low‐rank to enable joint selection and inference of sub‐compositions/views. We propose a scaled composite nuclear norm penalization approach for model estimation and develop a hypothesis testing procedure through de‐biasing to assess the significance of different views. Simulation studies confirm the effectiveness of the proposed procedure. We apply the method to the preterm infant study, and the identified microbes are mostly consistent with existing studies and biological understandings.
Restoring Oat Nanoparticles Mediated Brain Memory Function of Mice Fed Alcohol by Sorting Inflammatory Dectin‐1 Complex Into Microglial Exosomes
Authors: Xu Fangyi , Mu Jingyao , Teng Yun , Zhang Xiangcheng , Sundaram Kumaran , Sriwastva Mukesh K. , Kumar Anil , Lei Chao , Zhang Lifeng , Liu Qiaohong M. , Yan Jun , McClain Craig J. , Merchant Michael L. , Zhang Huang‐Ge
Published: December 2021

Microglia modulate pro‐inflammatory and neurotoxic activities. Edible plant‐derived factors improve brain function. Current knowledge of the molecular interactions between edible plant‐derived factors and the microglial cell is limited. Here an alcohol‐induced chronic brain inflammation model is used to identify that the microglial cell is the novel target of oat nanoparticles (oatN). Oral administration of oatN inhibits brain inflammation and improves brain memory function of mice that are fed alcohol. Mechanistically, ethanol activates dectin‐1 mediated inflammatory pathway. OatN is taken up by microglial cells via β‐glucan mediated binding to microglial hippocalcin (HPCA) whereas oatN digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) prevents assess of oatN β‐glucan to dectin‐1. Subsequently endocytosed β‐glucan/HPCA is recruited in an endosomal recycling compartment (ERC) via interaction with Rab11a. This complex then sequesters the dectin‐1 in the ERC in an oatN β‐glucan dependent manner and alters the location of dectin‐1 from Golgi to early endosomes and lysosomes and increases exportation of dectin‐1 into exosomes in an Rab11a dependent manner. Collectively, these cascading actions lead to preventing the activation of the alcoholic induced brain inflammation signing pathway(s). This coordinated assembling of the HPCA/Rab11a/dectin‐1 complex by oral administration of oatN may contribute to the prevention of brain inflammation.
Development of Flexible and Thin Films from Underutilized Indian Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana) Starch
Authors: Gautam Naina , Garg Sangeeta , Yadav Shashikant
Published: December 2021

The present work explores the possibilities of developing finger millet starch (FMS) films with sorbitol (DS) at various concentrations. Therefore, starch is isolated from three diverse underutilized Indian finger millet varieties (VL‐149, VL‐371, and VL‐376). The results reveal that amylose content, moisture content, and ash content of FMS are observed in the range of 31.12 ± 0.37–33.87 ± 0.64%, 8.47 ± 0.75–9.87 ± 0.37%, and 0.33 ± 0.18–0.78 ± 0.91%, respectively. In addition, the solubility and swelling index of the FMS is found to be in the range of 1.5 ± 0.34–1.7 ± 0.11% and 9.98 ± 0.31–11.25 ± 0.64% at 60 °C. This work investigates the effects of varying concentrations (20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) of sorbitol (DS) as a plasticizer on the FMS film's main functional properties, thermal, and structural. The results present that elongation at break‐point is increased while film density, swelling index, water vapor permeability, tensile strength, and solubility are reduced upon the addition of DS. Scanning electron microscope images show that the FMS film surfaces with DS are more homogeneous and continuous without air bubbles than those without DS. Thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry results indicate that the thermal stability of the FMS film improves with DS.
IsSalmonella entericashared between wildlife and cattle in cattle farming areas? An 11‐year retrospective study in Tokachi district, Hokkaido, Japan
Authors: Yamaguchi Emi , Fujii Kei , Kayano Mitsunori , Sakurai Yoshie , Nakatani Atsuko , Sasaki Motoki , Hertl Julia A. , Grohn Yrjo T.
Published: December 2021

Background

Salmonella entericain cattle has long been problematic and suspected to be transmitted by wildlife in Tokachi, Hokkaido, a major cattle farming area in Japan. Understanding the role of wildlife inS. entericatransmission would be helpful for developing control strategies of bovine salmonellosis.

Objectives

We aimed to elucidate the possibility ofS. entericatransmission between sympatric wildlife, including raccoons and crows and cattle, in Tokachi from 2008 to 2018 by analysingS. entericadetection records, and the genetic relatedness of serotypes shared between wildlife and cattle.

Methods

S. entericadetection records were based on the results of a field survey and existing cattle records at relevant organisations, including clinical reports, a monitoring survey and quarantine for introduced calves at growing farms and public calving farms.S. entericawas identified by polymerase chain reaction assay and serotyped by agglutination assay. The detection records were organised chronologically to investigate whether common serotypes in wildlife and cattle were detected in the same year. The isolates corresponding to detection records were assessed for their genetic patterns by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis.

Results

The prevalence ofS. entericain raccoons and crows was 10.7% (17/159) and 5.7% (55/967), respectively. The following serotypes were detected from both wildlife and cattle: Braenderup, Dublin, Infantis, Mbandaka, Montevideo, 4,[5],12:i:‐ and Typhimurium. Genetically similar isolates forS. Braenderup,S. Dublin,S. Montevideo andS. 4,[5],12:i:‐ were detected from both species in the same year.

Conclusions

Our long‐term retrospective observations supported thatS. entericawas shared between wildlife and cattle. Wildlife invasions should be controlled at farms to prevent inter‐species transmission ofS. entericafrom livestock farms.
Duals of Feynman integrals. Part I. Differential equations
Authors: Caron-Huot Simon , Pokraka Andrzej
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We elucidate the vector space (twisted relative cohomology) that is Poincaré dual to the vector space of Feynman integrals (twisted cohomology) in general spacetime dimension. The pairing between these spaces — an algebraic invariant called the intersection number — extracts integral coefficients for a minimal basis, bypassing the generation of integration-by-parts identities. Dual forms turn out to be much simpler than their Feynman counterparts: they are supported on maximal cuts of various sub-topologies (boundaries). Thus, they provide a systematic approach to generalized unitarity, the reconstruction of amplitudes from on-shell data. In this paper, we introduce the idea of dual forms and study their mathematical structures. As an application, we derive compact differential equations satisfied by arbitrary one-loop integrals in non-integer spacetime dimension. A second paper of this series will detail intersection pairings and their use to extract integral coefficients.
A Weyl-Z2 semimetal from holography
Authors: Ji Xuanting , Liu Yan , Sun Ya-Wen , Zhang Yun-Long
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We present effective field theories for the weakly coupled Weyl-Z2 semimetal, as well as the holographic realization for the strongly coupled case. In both cases, the anomalous systems have both the chiral anomaly and the Z2 anomaly and possess topological quantum phase transitions from the Weyl-Z2 semimetal phases to partly or fully topological trivial phases. We find that the topological phase transition is characterized by the anomalous transport parameters, i.e. the anomalous Hall conductivity and the Z2 anomalous Hall conductivity. These two parameters are nonzero at the Weyl-Z2 semimetal phase and vanish at the topologically trivial phases. In the holographic case, the different behavior between the two anomalous transport coefficients is discussed. Our work reveals the novel phase structure of strongly interacting Weyl-Z2 semimetal with two pairs of nodes.
A multi-domain ontology on healthy ageing for the characterization of older adults status and behaviour
Authors: Mastropietro Alfonso , Palumbo Filippo , Orte Silvia , Girolami Michele , Furfari Francesco , Baronti Paolo , Candea Ciprian , Roecke Christina , Tarro Lucia , Sykora Martin , Porcelli Simone , Rizzo Giovanna
Published: December 2021

Ageing is a multi-factorial physiological process and the development of novel IoT systems, tools and devices, specifically targeted to older people, must be based on a holistic framework built on robust scientific knowledge in different health domains. Furthermore, interoperability must be guaranteed using standardized frameworks or approaches. These aspects still largely lack in the specific literature. The main aim of the paper is to develop a new ontology (the NESTORE ontology) to extend the available ontologies provided by universAAL-IoT (uAAL-IoT). The ontology is based on a multidomain healthy ageing holistic model, structuring well-assessed scientific knowledge, specifically targeted to healthy older adults aged between 65 and 75. The tool is intended to support, and standardize heterogeneous data about ageing in compliance with the uAAL-IoT framework. The NESTORE ontology covers all the relevant concepts to represent 3 significant domains of ageing: (1) Physiological Status and Physical Activity Behaviour; (2) Nutrition; and (3) Cognitive and Mental Status and Social Behaviour. In total, 12 sub-ontologies were modelled with more than 60 classes and sub-classes referenced among them by using more than 100 relations and around 20 enumerations. The proposed ontology increases the uAAL collection by 40%. NESTORE ontology provides innovation both in terms of semantic content and technological approach. The thorough use of this ontology can support the development of a decision support system, to promote healthy ageing, with the capacity to do dynamic multi-scale modelling of user-specific data based on the semantic annotations of users’ profile.
Monitoring one-carbon metabolism by mass spectrometry to assess liver function and disease
Authors: Guerrero Laura , Sangro Bruno , Ambao Verónica , Granero José Ignacio , Ramos-Fernández Antonio , Paradela Alberto , Corrales Fernando J.
Published: December 2021

Precision medicine promises to overcome the constraints of the traditional “one-for-all” healthcare approach through a clear understanding of the molecular features of a disease, allowing for innovative and tailored treatments. State-of-the-art proteomics has the potential to accurately explore the human proteome to identify, quantify, and characterize proteins associated with disease progression. There is a pressing need for informative biomarkers to diagnose liver disease early in its course to prevent severe disease for which no efficient treatment is yet available. Here, we propose the concept of a cellular pathway as a functional biomarker, whose monitorization may inform normal and pathological status. We have developed a standardized targeted selected-reaction monitoring assay to detect and quantify 13 enzymes of one-carbon metabolism (1CM). The assay is compliant with Clinical Proteomics Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) guidelines and has been included in the protein quantification assays that can be accessed through the assay portal at the CPTAC web page. To test the feasibility of the assay, we conducted a retrospective, proof-of-concept study on a collection of liver samples from healthy controls and from patients with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our results indicate a significant reconfiguration of 1CM upon HCC development resulting from a process that can already be identified in cirrhosis. Our findings indicate that the systematic and integrated quantification of 1CM enzymes is a promising cell function-based biomarker for patient stratification, although further experiments with larger cohorts are needed to confirm these findings.
Synthetic data use: exploring use cases to optimise data utility
Authors: James Stefanie , Harbron Chris , Branson Janice , Sundler Mimmi
Published: December 2021

Synthetic data is a rapidly evolving field with growing interest from multiple industry stakeholders and European bodies. In particular, the pharmaceutical industry is starting to realise the value of synthetic data which is being utilised more prevalently as a method to optimise data utility and sharing, ultimately as an innovative response to the growing demand for improved privacy. Synthetic data is data generated by simulation, based upon and mirroring properties of an original dataset. Here, with supporting viewpoints from across the pharmaceutical industry, we set out to explore use cases for synthetic data across seven key but relatable areas for optimising data utility for improved data privacy and protection. We also discuss the various methods which can be used to produce a synthetic dataset and availability of metrics to ensure robust quality of generated synthetic datasets. Lastly, we discuss the potential merits, challenges and future direction of synthetic data within the pharmaceutical industry and the considerations for this privacy enhancing technology.
Fuzzy Transforms for Hesitant, Soft or Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets
Authors: Močkoř Jiří
Published: December 2021

Classical F-transform for lattice-valued fuzzy sets can be defined using monadic relation in Zadeh’s monad or, equivalently, as a special semimodule homomorphism. In this paper, we use an analogical approach and by choosing suitable monads and semimodule homomorphisms, we define F-transform for hesitant, intuitionistic or fuzzy soft sets. We prove that these F-transforms naturally extend classical lattice-valued F-transform for lattice-valued fuzzy sets.
Iron Formations as Palaeoenvironmental Archives
Authors: Mänd Kaarel , Robbins Leslie J. , Planavsky Noah J. , Bekker Andrey , Konhauser Kurt O.
Published: December 2021

Ancient iron formations - iron and silica-rich chemical sedimentary rocks that formed throughout the Precambrian eons - provide a significant part of the evidence for the modern scientific understanding of palaeoenvironmental conditions in Archaean (4.0–2.5 billion years ago) and Proterozoic (2.5–0.539 billion years ago) times. Despite controversies regarding their formation mechanisms, iron formations are a testament to the influence of the Precambrian biosphere on early ocean chemistry. As many iron formations are pure chemical sediments that reflect the composition of the waters from which they precipitated, they can also serve as nuanced geochemical archives for the study of ancient marine temperatures, redox states, and elemental cycling, if proper care is taken to understand their sedimentological context.
Cognitive Correlates of Visual and Minor Hallucinations in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Lenka Abhishek , Hegde Shantala , Arumugham Shyam Sundar , Singh Puneet , Yadav Ravi , Pal Pramod K.
Published: December 2021

Introduction:

Psychosis is one of the incapacitating nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although several risk factors that include older age, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, depression, and cognitive dysfunction have been identified, the exact neural correlates remain elusive. As cognitive impairment has a close association with psychosis in PD, it is useful to know the spectrum of cognitive impairment in PD patients with psychosis (PD-P).

Methods:

This cross-sectional study compared various cognitive parameters of PD-P (visual/minor hallucinations) and PD patients with no psychosis (PD-NP). A neuropsychological battery encapsulating several cognitive domains (executive, visuospatial, learning, and memory) was used for the cognitive assessment of 37 PD-P and 51 PD-NP patients who were matched for age, gender, education, and disease duration.

Results:

The two groups were comparable in terms of disease severity and stage. Although the groups had a comparable mean score on Montreal cognitive assessment, the PD-P group performed poorly in tests focused on executive function (color trail test, forward digit span), verbal learning and memory (Rey auditory and verbal learning test), and visuospatial functions (complex figure test, corsi block tapping test). Those with complex visual hallucinations performed poorly in the color trial test (part A) compared to those with minor hallucinations.

Conclusion:

Psychosis is associated with a multidomain cognitive dysfunction in PD. All PD patients should undergo detailed cognitive assessment as cognitive dysfunction may be a marker of psychosis in the future. Additional longitudinal studies are warranted to obtain detailed insights into this issue.
Time out: should vitamin D dosing be based on patient's body mass index (BMI): a prospective controlled study
Authors: Sadat-Ali Mir , AlTabash Khalid W. , Al-Turki Haifa A. , AlMousa Sulaiman A. , AlSayed Hasan N.
Published: December 2021

The recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 2000 IU was found to be insufficient in many patients. The objective of the present study is to find whether the daily dose of vitamin D should be based on BMI. Two hundred and thirty patients with an established vitamin D deficiency (serum level of 25 Hydroxy vitamin D3 (25OHD3) of ≤20 ng/ml) and patients with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 were included in the study. Demographic data, comorbidities and BMI were recorded. Pre-treatment and post-treatment serum 25OHD3, calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were tested at 0-, 3- and 6-month periods. Patients were treated with a standard dose of 50 000 IU of vitamin D weekly and 600/1200 mg of calcium a day. Once their level of 25OHD3 reached ≥30 ng/ml, patients were randomised into two groups. Group A received a standard recommended maintenance dose of 2000 IU daily and Group B patients received 125 IU/kg/m2 of vitamin D3. The data were entered in the database and analysed. The mean age of Group A was 50⋅74 ± 7⋅64 years compared to 52⋅32 ± 7⋅21 years in Group B. In both groups, pre-treatment vitamin D level was ≤15 ng/ml and increased to 34⋅6 ± 2⋅6 and 33⋅7 ± 2⋅4 ng/ml at the end of 3 months treatment with a dose 50 000 IU of vitamin D3 and calcium 600/1200 mg once a day for group A and group B, respectively. At 6 months, patients in Group A 25OHD3 level was 22⋅8 ± 3⋅80 and in Group B was 34⋅0 ± 1⋅85 ng/ml (P < 0⋅001). This preliminary study suggests that obese patients need higher dosage of vitamin D than the recommended dose. It is prudent that the dosage should be based on the BMI to maintain normal levels for a healthy musculoskeletal system.
Assessment of YouTube as an educational tool in teaching thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy
Authors: Chorath K T , Luu N N , Douglas J E , Yver C M , Thakkar P G , Tasche K K , Rajasekaran K
Published: December 2021

Objective

YouTube has become the preferred resource for trainees to learn and prepare for surgical cases. This study evaluated the educational quality of YouTube videos detailing thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy.

Method

YouTube was systematically searched using 11 terms related to thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy. Four independent clinical reviewers assessed the videos using Laparoscopic Surgery Video Educational Guidelines as well as modified Laparoscopic Surgery Video Educational Guidelines subgroup tools.

Results

Sixty-five videos were identified and evaluated. Overall Laparoscopic Surgery Video Educational Guidelines score was 8.58 ± 3.85 (mean subgroup score, 5.67 ± 2.40). Twenty-eight of 65, 25 of 65 and 12 of 65 videos were deemed medium, low and high quality, respectively. Inter-rater reliability was good for both attending surgeons and residents. Presence of audio or visual commentary had a positive correlation with total Laparoscopic Surgery Video Educational Guidelines scores (R2=0.38). Videos produced by otolaryngologists and US-based physicians scored higher on total scores compared to non-otolaryngology and non-US based physicians.

Conclusion

Some YouTube videos on thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy exhibit high educational value. Future efforts should increase the number of high-quality YouTube videos containing both audio and visual commentary or create an online repository of videos for medical students and residents to augment their surgical training.
‘K is for Keeper’: the roles and representations of the English gamekeeper, c. 1880–1914
Authors: Ridgwell Stephen
Published: December 2021

The gamekeeper was an important but controversial presence in the late Victorian and Edwardian countryside. Admired by some for his skills in woodcraft and deep understanding of nature, for others the keeper was much less benign: a destroyer of wildlife; a barrier against wider public access to the land; and the upholder of fiercely contested laws. At a time when debates about the land and its present and future use formed a major part of contemporary political discourse, and when an urbanising society was investing ever more meaning in its idea of the rural, consideration of the keeper takes us beyond the study of field sports towards broader histories of the English countryside and its attendant ruralist culture. Situating the keeper in a dual setting of material production and recreational service provision, the following examines both what he did and was expected to do, and the ways in which this was represented. Not only were keepers active agents in their own representation, eager to project themselves as skilled professionals, they might also elicit support from unusual quarters. As will be seen, keeper representation was as varied as his many roles.
Škoda Arms Exports in the 1930s
Authors: Skřivan Aleš , Burianová Tereza
Published: December 2021

This article discusses the arms exports of Škoda Works (one of Czechoslovakia's largest arms producers and exporters) during the 1930s and evaluates the export situation within the context of total Czechoslovak arms exports. At the beginning of the 1930s, economic crisis negatively affected the production and export of arms. However, the political climate facilitated the brisk recovery of this sector and the resumption of foreign trade in war materials. Škoda Works was successful in foreign markets, particularly in the sale of artillery materials and military vehicles. In addition to economic factors, trade was also influenced by political interests. This is also shown by the examples of arms exports to Romania and Yugoslavia, which were part of the Little Entente.
“First Love Is Exactly Like Revolution”: Intimacy as Political Allegory in Ivan Turgenev's Novella Spring Torrents
Authors: Vdovin Alexey , Uspenskij Pavel
Published: December 2021

This article tackles the allegorical mode of Russian realism using Ivan Turgenev's novella Spring Torrents (1872) and its political implications as a case study. We argue that this deeply intimate story of love and moral fall can be read in the context of the “social imaginary” which, in Turgenev's manner, is wrapped in motives and symbols correlating to “revolutionary” and “reactionary” discourses. The article shows how this projection emerges in the narration without direct political discourse by means of allegory. It is this mode that ties together the intimate and the natural and gives Turgenev's novellas a political dimension, which is obvious in his novels but latent in the novellas, thus opening them up to various sociological interpretations. Employing various theoretical readings of allegory, we explain how allegory is built upon and around the subjectivity of Turgenev's characters, implying concepts such as sexuality and the unconscious that had not yet been coined as such but directly influenced future European fiction.
Mineral and Climatic Controls Over Soil Organic Matter Stability Across the Tibetan Alpine Permafrost Region
Authors: Fang Kai , Chen Leiyi , Qin Shuqi , Zhang Qiwen , Liu Xuning , Chen Pengdong , Yang Yuanhe
Published: December 2021

Permafrost thaw could accelerate microbial decomposition, lead to greenhouse gases emissions into the atmosphere, and thus trigger a positive feedback to climate warming. As a key parameter reflecting the resistance of soil organic matter (SOM) to be decomposed by microorganisms, SOM stability may determine the strength of permafrost carbon (C)‐climate feedback. Adequate understanding of patterns and drivers of SOM stability can thus contribute to predicting permafrost C cycle and its feedback to climate change. However, due to limited observations, it remains unknown whether biochemical selectivity or physico‐chemical protection dominates SOM stability in permafrost regions. By combining large‐scale soil sampling, thermal analysis and random forest model, we quantified SOM stability in the top 10 cm using thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry, and explored its spatial patterns across the Tibetan alpine permafrost region. We then constructed structural equation model to evaluate the relative importance of climatic variables, edaphic properties, substrate quality, and mineral variables in regulating SOM stability over a broad geographic scale. Our results indicated that SOM stability exhibited an increasing tendency from the southeastern to northwestern plateau. The stronger SOM stability was associated with higher mineral‐organic associations and more arid conditions. By contrast, substrate quality had limited effects on SOM stability. Overall, these results provide large‐scale evidence for the physico‐chemical protection hypothesis, highlighting the importance of considering mineral variables in Earth system models to better predict soil C dynamics across permafrost regions.
Predicting Depths of Burst at Denied Access Sites Using Bayesian Data Synthesis
Authors: Duncan Nickolas A. , Piazzoli Marco F. , Deinert Mark R.
Published: December 2021

Anthropogenic radioisotopes are the only definitive signature that a below ground nuclear test has been conducted. The depth at which a test occurs is known to be a critical parameter, affecting not only the migration time for gases to reach the surface but also their subsequent isotopic ratios. Suspected tests typically occur at sites to which the international community has no access, and their suspected location and depth must be computed. Teleseismic methods are typically used for doing this but can have uncertainties larger than a kilometer. Here, we present an alternative approach that uses Bayesian data synthesis to combine information on local topology, geology, the presence of surface deformation, and yield. The method is tested against actual depth of burst data from 36 Soviet tests and 14 in the United States with the mean error to <53 m if the yield can be accurately estimated.
Contrasting Sensitivity of Weathering Proxies to Quaternary Climate and Sea‐Level Fluctuations on the Southern Slope of the South China Sea
Authors: Zhong Yi , Wilson David J. , Liu Jiabo , Wan Shiming , Bao Rui , Liu Jianxing , Zhang Yanan , Wang Xuesong , Liu Yuanhao , Liu Xiaoyu , Zhao Ying , Li Shiying , Liu Qingsong
Published: December 2021

Tropical marginal seas host important sedimentary archives that may be exploited to reveal past changes in continental erosion, chemical weathering, and ocean dynamics. However, these records can be challenging to interpret due to the complex interactions between climate and particulate transport across ocean margins. For the southern South China Sea over the last 90 Kyr, we observe a contrasting temporal relationship between the deposition of clay minerals and magnetic minerals, which were associated with two different hydrodynamic modes. Fine‐grained clay minerals can be carried in suspension by ocean currents, leading to a rapid response to regional climate‐driven inputs. In contrast, changes in magnetic mineralogy were linked to glacial‐interglacial sea level variability, from which we infer a control by bedload transport and resuspension. Overall, this study indicates that the transfer pathways and mechanisms imparted by varying hydrodynamic conditions exert a substantial influence on the distribution of terrigenous material in continental margin sediments.
A Revised Understanding of the Structure of the Venusian Magnetotail From a High‐Altitude Intercept With a Tail Ray by Parker Solar Probe
Authors: Collinson Glyn A. , Ramstad Robin , Frahm Rudy , Wilson Lynn , Xu Shaosui , Whittlesey Phyllis , Brecht Stephen H. , Ledvina Stephen
Published: December 2021

One of the major discoveries of NASA's 1979–1991 Pioneer Venus Orbiter is that the nightside ionosphere becomes filamentary at high altitude, forming comet‐like tail rays. Pioneer Venus Orbiter could not establish how much farther into the wake of Venus tail rays extend, nor understand how they form. Here we present plasma and fields data from the fourth flyby of Venus by NASA's Parker Solar Probe consistent with an intercept with an ionospheric tail ray. The observations unambiguously demonstrate that Venusian Ionotail Rays can extend to at least 7,800 km in altitude. Using the new Parker observations we are able to identify a tail ray encounter within the Venus Express dataset. We thus present a unified picture of the structure of the magnetotail of Venus based on combined Venus Express, Pioneer Venus Orbiter, and Parker observations, and recent hybrid modeling.
Bimodal Alteration of the Oceanic Crust Revealed by Halogen and Noble Gas Systematics in the Oman Ophiolite
Authors: Carter Elliot J. , O’Driscoll Brian , Burgess Ray , Clay Patricia L. , Hepworth James ,   The Oman Drilling Project Science Team
Published: December 2021

Hydrothermal alteration of oceanic crust represents a globally significant geochemical exchange between the crust and oceans, introducing volatile elements into the oceanic lithosphere and removing latent heat from crystallization. The extent to which hydrothermal systems penetrate the lower oceanic crust is debated and is significant for competing models of lower oceanic crust formation. In this study, we apply halogen and noble gas geochemistry in order to better understand the fluid sources and conditions during a hydrothermal alteration in a suite of gabbros sampled from drill cores in the mid‐ (hole GT3A) and lower‐ (hole GT1A) crust of the Oman Ophiolite. Low Br/Cl in mid‐crustal samples is controlled by amphibole formed at relatively high fluid/rock ratios. Lower crustal samples, meanwhile, have Br/Cl ranging from seawater to much higher values (<5 × 10−3). These require alteration at highly variable fluid/rock ratios from ∼1 to <0.01 in the lower crust. Noble gas isotopes also suggest alteration at relatively high and low fluid/rock ratios in the mid‐ and lower‐crust, respectively. Indicators of alteration and proxies for fluid/rock ratios (loss on ignition, Pb/Ce, Br/Cl, 40Ar/36Ar96Ma) vary systematically with distance from major fault zones in the lower crust with the strongest correlation in the least altered minerals. Together with age constraints derived from K‐Ar decay, these data indicate faults were major conduits, supplying seawater to the lower crust roughly contemporaneous with the formation of the ophiolite, and commencing at the magmatic stage. These results suggest that hydrothermal alteration of the lower crust is primarily controlled by major fault structures.
Formation and Transport of the South Atlantic Subtropical Mode Water in Eddy‐Permitting Observations
Authors: Chen Yanxu , Speich Sabrina , Laxenaire Rémi
Published: December 2021

We present in this study a detecting algorithm that enables to identify both the ocean surface mixed layer depth (MLD) and mode water from the Argo profiling data. This algorithm proposes a detection based on the calculation of the first and second derivatives for each temperature (or density) profile. Low gradients reveal segments of water mass homogeneity, while extreme values of second derivatives indicate the precise depths at which the gradients sharply change. Specifically applied to detect the South Atlantic Subtropical Mode Water (SASTMW), this algorithm leads to a redefinition of the three mode water types discussed in Sato and Polito (2014; https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JC009438) as well as new insights into the origins of these water masses and their dynamics. In particular, we point out that only one of the SASTMW varieties originates from the Brazil‐Malvinas Confluence in the western boundary, whereas the other two are related to the Agulhas Leakage that shapes the Indo‐Atlantic water mass exchanges. As both regions of the SASTMW formation are characterized by intense eddy kinetic energy, the role of mesoscale eddies in the SASTMW formation and transport is also investigated by co‐locating Argo profiles with eddies objectively identified from satellite altimetry maps. It suggests that anticyclonic eddies correspond to a larger number and thicker layers of SASTMW than their cyclonic counterparts. In the Cape Basin, where mode waters are found correlated with the main paths of Agulhas Rings, a potential route of subduction is also proposed.
LncTRPM2-AS inhibits TRIM21-mediated TRPM2 ubiquitination and prevents autophagy-induced apoptosis of macrophages in asthma
Authors: Li Xiaoping , Wang Wenwen , Shao Yu , Zhou Ji , Huang Jiaqi , Xu Fei , Gao Xiu , Wu Mengyun , Dong Yongli , Wu Wenyan , Cai Jiamin , Wang Junyao , Ye Yunfei , Chen Zhengrong , Hao Chuangli , Yang Yi , Zhang Jinping
Published: December 2021

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in macrophage development but little is known about their role in asthma. Here, we investigated the role of lncRNA lncTRPM2-AS in asthma and found that lncTRPM2-AS participates in the promotion of macrophage inflammation. Downregulation of lncTRPM2-AS promoted apoptosis and inhibited proliferation and production of cytokines including IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and TGF-β. RNA-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry indicated that the protein TRPM2 interacted with both lncTRPM2-AS and the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM21. LncTRPM2-AS silencing enhanced the interaction between TRIM21 and TRPM2, resulting in elevated levels of ubiquitin-related degradation of TRPM2. Mutation analysis indicated that TRPM2 K1218 is a key site for TRIM21-dependent ubiquitination. Downregulation of lncTRPM2-AS significantly decreased intracellular calcium levels by restraining TRPM2 protein expression, which in turn decreased ROS levels and increased autophagy to promote macrophage apoptosis and reduce cytokine production, together inhibiting macrophage inflammation. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that lncTRPM2-AS blocks the ubiquitination of TRPM2 via TRIM21 and inhibits autophagy-induced apoptosis which may contribute to macrophage inflammation in asthma.
HIF-1α-activated long non-coding RNA KDM4A-AS1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via the miR-411-5p/KPNA2/AKT pathway
Authors: Chen Tianxiang , Liu Runkun , Niu Yongshen , Mo Huanye , Wang Hao , Lu Ye , Wang Liang , Sun Liankang , Wang Yufeng , Tu Kangsheng , Liu Qingguang
Published: December 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer with poor clinical outcomes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are extensively involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of HCC. However, more investigations should be carried out on novel lncRNAs and their effects on HCC. Here we identified a novel lncRNA KDM4A-AS1, which was aberrantly overexpressed in HCC tissues, associated with unfavorable clinical features and poor prognosis of patients. KDM4A-AS1 promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and contributed to HCC growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, KDM4A-AS1 was inversely modulated by miR-411-5p at the post-transcriptional level and facilitated Karyopherin α2 (KPNA2) expression by competitively binding miR-411-5p, thereby activating the AKT pathway. KPNA2 silencing, miR-411-5p overexpression, and AKT inhibitor (MK2206) consistently reversed KDM4A-AS1-enhanced proliferation, mobility, and EMT of HCC cells. KDM4A-AS1 was identified as a novel hypoxia-responsive gene and transactivated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in HCC cells. In turn, KDM4A-AS1 regulated HIF-1α expression through the KPNA2/AKT signaling pathway. Hence, this study revealed a novel hypoxia-responsive lncRNA, KDM4A-AS1, which contributed to HCC growth and metastasis via the KDM4A-AS1/KPNA2/HIF-1α signaling loop. Our findings provide a promising prognostic and therapeutic target for HCC.
Cavitation upon low-speed solid–liquid impact
Authors: Speirs Nathan B. , Langley Kenneth R. , Pan Zhao , Truscott Tadd T. , Thoroddsen Sigurdur T.
Published: December 2021

When a solid object impacts on the surface of a liquid, extremely high pressure develops at the site of contact. Von Karman’s study of this classical physics problem showed that the pressure on the bottom surface of the impacting body approaches infinity for flat impacts. Yet, in contrast to the high pressures found from experience and in previous studies, we show that a flat-bottomed cylinder impacting a pool of liquid can decrease the local pressure sufficiently to cavitate the liquid. Cavitation occurs because the liquid is slightly compressible and impact creates large pressure waves that reflect from the free surface to form negative pressure regions. We find that an impact velocity as low as ~3 m/s suffices to cavitate the liquid and propose a new cavitation number to predict cavitation onset in low-speed solid-liquid impact-scenarios. These findings imply that localized cavitation could occur in impacts such as boat slamming, cliff jumping, and ocean landing of spacecraft.
Nuclear pore protein NUP210 depletion suppresses metastasis through heterochromatin-mediated disruption of tumor cell mechanical response
Authors: Amin Ruhul , Shukla Anjali , Zhu Jacqueline Jufen , Kim Sohyoung , Wang Ping , Tian Simon Zhongyuan , Tran Andy D. , Paul Debasish , Cappell Steven D. , Burkett Sandra , Liu Huaitian , Lee Maxwell P. , Kruhlak Michael J. , Dwyer Jennifer E. , Simpson R. Mark , Hager Gordon L. , Ruan Yijun , Hunter Kent W.
Published: December 2021

Mechanical signals from the extracellular microenvironment have been implicated in tumor and metastatic progression. Here, we identify nucleoporin NUP210 as a metastasis susceptibility gene for human estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer and a cellular mechanosensor. Nup210 depletion suppresses lung metastasis in mouse models of breast cancer. Mechanistically, NUP210 interacts with LINC complex protein SUN2 which connects the nucleus to the cytoskeleton. In addition, the NUP210/SUN2 complex interacts with chromatin via the short isoform of BRD4 and histone H3.1/H3.2 at the nuclear periphery. In Nup210 knockout cells, mechanosensitive genes accumulate H3K27me3 heterochromatin modification, mediated by the polycomb repressive complex 2 and differentially reposition within the nucleus. Transcriptional repression in Nup210 knockout cells results in defective mechanotransduction and focal adhesion necessary for their metastatic capacity. Our study provides an important role of nuclear pore protein in cellular mechanosensation and metastasis.
GPCR voltage dependence controls neuronal plasticity and behavior
Authors: Rozenfeld Eyal , Tauber Merav , Ben-Chaim Yair , Parnas Moshe
Published: December 2021

G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a paramount role in diverse brain functions. Almost 20 years ago, GPCR activity was shown to be regulated by membrane potential in vitro, but whether the voltage dependence of GPCRs contributes to neuronal coding and behavioral output under physiological conditions in vivo has never been demonstrated. Here we show that muscarinic GPCR mediated neuronal potentiation in vivo is voltage dependent. This voltage dependent potentiation is abolished in mutant animals expressing a voltage independent receptor. Depolarization alone, without a muscarinic agonist, results in a nicotinic ionotropic receptor potentiation that is mediated by muscarinic receptor voltage dependency. Finally, muscarinic receptor voltage independence causes a strong behavioral effect of increased odor habituation. Together, this study identifies a physiological role for the voltage dependency of GPCRs by demonstrating crucial involvement of GPCR voltage dependence in neuronal plasticity and behavior. Thus, this study suggests that GPCR voltage dependency plays a role in many diverse neuronal functions including learning and memory.