bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maternal mental health symptoms are positively associated with child dietary diversity and meal frequency but not nutritional status in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Emerson Jillian A , Caulfield Laura E , Musafiri Kishimata Espoir , Nzanzu Jean-Pierre , Doocy Shannon
Published: April 2020

Objective:

The objective was to examine the association between symptoms of maternal mental health problems and child diet and nutritional status in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Design:

Maternal depression and anxiety symptoms were measured by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25), and post-traumatic stress was measured by the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ). Participants were classified as having high psychological distress if their mean item score was in the upper quartile of both measures. Dependent variables included child dietary diversity, meal frequency, height-for-age z score (HAZ), weight-for-age z score (WAZ), weight-for-height z score (WHZ), stunting and underweight. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted.

Setting:

The study was nested in a larger quasi-experimental study evaluating Jenga Jamaa II, a food and nutrition assistance project in Uvira and Fizi territories.

Participants:

In total, 812 mother–child pairs participated. Children ranged from 2·6 to 5·6 years of age.

Results:

HSCL-25 (ß: 0·18, P < 0·05) and HTQ (ß: 0·19, P < 0·05) were statistically significantly associated with higher dietary diversity scores, and all maternal mental health measures were associated with higher meal frequency (HSCL-25: ß: 0·13, P = 0·001; HTQ: ß: 0·12, P = 0·001; high distress: ß: 0·15, P < 0·05) and consumption of at least three meals/snacks per day (HSCL-25: OR: 2·06, HTQ: OR: 1·93, high distress: OR: 2·68, P < 0·001 for all). No significant associations were found with HAZ, WAZ, WHZ, stunting or underweight indicators.

Conclusions:

More severe symptoms of maternal mental health problems were positively associated with child diet, but not anthropometry indicators. More research is needed to understand the role of maternal mental health in child feeding practices in food insecure and resource-poor settings.
Body iron and lead status in early childhood and its effects on development and cognition: a longitudinal study from urban Vellore
Authors: Koshy Beena , Srinivasan Manikandan , Zachariah Susan Mary , Karthikeyan Arun S , Roshan Reeba , Bose Anuradha , Mohan Venkata Raghava , John Sushil , Ramanujam Karthikeyan , Muliyil Jayaprakash , Kang Gagandeep
Published: April 2020

Objective:

Early childhood factors can have persisting effects on development and cognition in children. We propose to explore the trends of Fe deficiency and Pb toxicity in early childhood and their association with child development at 2 years of age and cognition at 5 years.

Design:

Longitudinal birth cohort study.

Setting:

Urban slum, Vellore, India.

Participants:

Children enrolled at birth were followed up regularly in the first 2 years with developmental and cognitive assessments at 2 and 5 years of age, respectively.

Results:

The birth cohort enrolled 251 children with 228 children followed up at 2 years and 212 at 5 years of age. Fe deficiency (ID) was highest at 15 months of age and improved subsequently at 24 months. Blood Pb levels (BLL) remained high at all age groups with an increasing trend with age; 97 % at 36 months having high BLL. Persistent high mean BLL at 15 and 24 months had negative association with both cognition and expressive language raw scores of 24 months, while high mean BLL at 15, 24 and 36 months had no significant association with any of the domains of cognition at 5 years of age. Early childhood cumulative body Fe status at 7, 15 and 24 months did not show any association with child development at 2 years, but was associated with verbal, performance and processing speed components of cognition at 5 years.

Conclusions:

Optimising body Fe status and limiting Pb exposure in early childhood can augment child development and school entry cognition.
Deciphering the Complex Mineralogy of River Sand Deposits through Clustering and Quantification of Hyperspectral X-Ray Maps
Authors: Torpy Aaron , Wilson Nicholas C. , MacRae Colin M. , Pownceby Mark I. , Biswas Pradip K. , Rahman Md Aminur , Zaman Mohammad N.
Published: April 2020

Alluvial mineral sands rank among the most complex subjects for mineral characterization due to the diverse range of minerals present in the sediments, which may collectively contain a daunting number of elements (>20) in major or minor concentrations (>1 wt%). To comprehensively characterize the phase abundance and chemistry of these complex mineral specimens, a method was developed using hyperspectral x-ray and cathodoluminescence mapping in an electron probe microanalyser (EPMA), coupled with automated cluster analysis and quantitative analysis of clustered x-ray spectra. This method proved successful in identifying and quantifying over 40 phases from mineral sand specimens, including unexpected phases with low modal abundance (<0.1%). The standard-based quantification method measured compositions in agreement with expected stoichiometry, with elemental detection limits in the range of <10–1,000 ppm, depending on phase abundance, and proved reliable even for challenging mineral species, such as the multi-rare earth element (REE) bearing mineral xenotime [(Y,REE)PO4] for which 24 elements were analyzed, including 12 overlapped REEs. The mineral identification procedure was also capable of characterizing mineral groups that exhibit significant compositional variability due to the substitution of multiple elements, such as garnets (Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, Cr), pyroxenes (Mg, Ca, Fe), and amphiboles (Na, Mg, Ca, Fe, Al).
When Religious Voting Becomes Volatile: The Case of Jewish Voters in Britain
Authors: Barclay Andrew
Published: April 2020

The political preferences of Britain's Jewish community, as well as the factors which underpin them, have been historically under-researched. This paper addresses this both empirically and conceptually. The study complements emerging evidence by showing that British Jews overwhelmingly support the Conservatives, but also employs longitudinal data for the first time to show that this association has strengthened sharply over recent election cycles. These findings highlight how existing theories of the effects of religious belonging on voting struggle to explain religious groups with volatile partisan preferences, such as British Jews. The paper therefore makes the case that the mechanism of party support should be understood differently in such cases. To this end, the findings presented here are consistent with the notion that security for Jews acts as a group utility heuristic, which leads voters to reward parties on the basis of how they are judged in prioritising security for Jews.
Opportunistic Constant Target Matching—A New Method for Satellite Intercalibration
Authors: Buehler Stefan A. , Prange Marc , Mrziglod John , John Viju O. , Burgdorf Martin , Lemke Oliver
Published: April 2020

Opportunistic constant target matching is a new method for satellite intercalibration. It solves a long‐standing issue with the traditional simultaneous nadir overpass (SNO) method, namely, that it typically provides only data points with cold brightness temperatures for humidity sounding instruments on sun‐synchronous satellites. In the new method, a geostationary infrared sensor (SEVIRI) is used to select constant target matches for two different microwave sensors (MHS on NOAA 18 and Metop A). We discuss the main assumptions and limitations of the method and explore its statistical properties with a simple Monte Carlo simulation. The method was tested in a simple case study with real observations for this combination of satellites for MHS Channel 3 at 183 ± 1 GHz, the upper tropospheric humidity channel. For the studied 3‐month test period, real observations are found to behave consistently with the simulations, increasing our confidence that the method can be a valuable tool for intercalibration efforts. For the selected case study, the new method confirms that the bias between NOAA 18 and Metop A MHS Channel 3 is very small, with absolute value below 0.05 K.
Reverse Fountain and the Nighttime Enhancement in the Ionospheric Electron Density Over the Equatorial Region: A Case Study
Authors: Yadav Sneha , Choudhary R. K. , Kumari Jyoti , Sunda Surendra , Shreedevi P. R. , Pant Tarun. K.
Published: April 2020

This paper focuses on the linkage between reverse fountain effect and anomalous enhancement in the nighttime electron density over the equatorial ionosphere often referred as the ionospheric nighttime enhancement (INE). The Global Positioning System (GPS)‐derived total electron content (TEC) measurements over two Indian equatorial stations and ionosonde measurements are used to investigate the occurrence characteristics and mechanism of the premidnight and postmidnight INE events. The high‐resolution spatiotemporal two‐dimensional (2D) TEC maps generated by using satellite‐based augmentation system are used to visualize the reverse fountain effect. These TEC maps are found to be effective in envisaging the motion of equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) in nighttime ionosphere and its impact on the distribution of electron density over the equatorial region. Salient features of this case study illustrate that, accompanying enhancements in the nighttime TEC, there exist decrease in the F2 layer height, prevalence of downward vertical plasma drift, and dramatic increase in the F2 region electron density. The 2D‐TEC maps reveal the persistence of well‐developed EIA until late evening hours and its gradual shift toward equator during the events of postmidnight INEs. It is found out that the premidnight INE is not invariably linked to the prereversal enhancement of the zonal electric field and could be associated with the redistribution of electron density caused by the reverse fountain effect. The present observations indicate that although the westward electric field serves as a prime driver, the INEs over the equatorial regions are associated with plasma motions caused by the retreating anomaly.
The Influence of Surface Stress Fluctuation on Saltation Sand Transport Around Threshold
Authors: Zheng Xiaojing , Jin Ting , Wang Ping
Published: April 2020

Multiscale wind velocity fluctuation and complex inertial response of sand saltation to wind variations give rise to intermittent and nonuniform sand transport, which greatly challenges the prediction of transport rate under wind conditions around saltation threshold. In this paper, three‐dimensional sand saltation within simulation domain of wind tunnel scale is modeled based on large eddy simulation of turbulent wind. Special attention is paid to the prediction of surface shear stress and consequently aerodynamic entrainment. When the wall stress model considering the influence of large‐scale turbulent structures was employed in case of relatively small resistance level for calculating particle aerodynamic entrainment, the model results predict sand transport below the impact threshold. The sand transport rate in this regime increases exponentially with mean wall stress, in contrast to the standard power law‐like behavior above the impact threshold. Aerodynamic entrainment and strong transport events lag behind high‐speed fluids sweep on a large scale even in wind tunnel, but the spatiotemporal variability of small‐scale sand transport is still unclear and quite complex due to transport inertia.
Laboratory Experiments of Bank Collapse: The Role of Bank Height and Near‐Bank Water Depth
Authors: Zhao Kun , Gong Zheng , Zhang Kaili , Wang Keyu , Jin Chuang , Zhou Zeng , Xu Fan , Coco Giovanni
Published: April 2020

We set up a laboratory experiment to reproduce flow‐induced bank erosion and bank collapse and to study the role of bank height (Hb) and near‐bank water depth (Hw) on bank stability. Five laboratory experiments were conducted in a plexiglass‐walled soil tank, using silt collected from natural tidal channel banks (D50 = 75 μm). During each experiment, the bank was subject to a steady and uniform flow. We measured the variations in total soil stress, pore water pressure (when negative, called matric suction), and water content inside the bank and flow velocity and suspended‐sediment concentration upstream and downstream of the bank. Results show that the experiments can reproduce four failure types commonly observed in nature including toppling, tensile and shear failures, and erosion and failure driven by loss of matric suction. The patterns of bank failure can be related to Hb/Hw. For large Hb/Hw (> = 2), we observe a cantilever‐shape bank profile. For small Hb/Hw (<2), we first observe cracks on the bank top, followed by shear failures along a vertical or inclined surface separating the cantilever block up from the bank top. When accounting for our results in the context of previous experimental studies, we find a transition point characterized by a maximum normalized bank retreat rate. For toppling failures, we also find a positive correlation between the ratio Hb/Hw and the geometrical contribution to bank retreat from bank collapse (Cbc). Our research quantifies the role of Hb/Hw on bank collapse, bank retreat rate, and the overall Cbc.
Enhanced Lateral Exchange of Carbon and Nitrogen in a Coastal Wetland With InvasiveSpartina alterniflora
Authors: Gao Yu , Peng Rong‐Hao , Ouyang Zu‐Tao , Shao Chang‐Liang , Chen Ji‐Quan , Zhang Ting‐Ting , Guo Hai‐Qiang , Tang Jian‐Wu , Zhao Feng , Zhuang Ping , Zhao Bin
Published: April 2020

Lateral movements of materials and energy in coastal wetlands, due mainly to tidal activities, have been recognized as key processes in understanding the biogeochemical cycles of ecosystems. However, our understanding of the roles of lateral movement in shaping ecosystem functions remains limited. Here we quantified the effects of lateral sediment transport on total carbon (C, inorganic + organic) and nitrogen (N) pools in plants and soils in two dominant wetland types: invasiveSpartina alterniflora(Spartina) marshes and nativePhragmites australis(Phragmites) marshes in coastal Shanghai of the Yangtze Estuary. We found that the accreted sediments across the water‐marsh gradients caused by lateral movement resulted in contrasting C and N contents between the two communities. The sediment load and C and N pools in the plants and soils of theSpartinamarshes were significantly higher than those in the adjacentPhragmitesmarshes. The shifts in species composition and community structure not only altered the C and N balance but also enhanced the ecosystem net primary productivity. Our findings highlight the importance of lateral transport in altering ecosystem structure afterSpartinainvasion. The ecosystem C and N pools were significantly higher in the invaded ecosystems than in the native community. Our study also reveals that the plant density and structures can alter tidal hydrodynamics and the lateral transportations of sediments, which in turn influence ecosystem C and N cycle. The C accumulation processes of the native and invaded marshes were further complicated by the contrasting productivities of the ecosystems.
The Distribution of Aerosols and Their Impacts on Chlorophyll‐a Distribution in the South China Sea
Authors: Shen Chunyan , Zhao Hui , Chen Fajin , Xiao Hongwei
Published: April 2020

The distribution of aerosols and their impacts on chlorophyll‐a (Chl‐a) distribution were studied in the South China Sea (SCS). Seventeen years of aerosol optical depth (AOD) data, Chl‐a concentration data, wind speed (WS), and sea surface temperature (SST) from satellite observations were employed along with 2 years of in situ aerosol total suspended particulates (TSP), total nitrogen, NO3−, and NH4+ data in this study. The results showed that under the influence of the Asian monsoon, the AOD values were higher during the winter (>0.12) and lower during the summer (<0.09). Higher aerosol levels were strongly associated with stronger wind conditions (r = 0.70 [AOD vs. WS]; r = 0.67 [TSP vs. WS]). This study also revealed that Chl‐a concentrations were strongly modulated by aerosol deposition in SCS. Multiple correlation analyses between monthly Chl‐a and environmental conditions (i.e., AOD, SST, and WS) in the SCS showed that the Chl‐a were highly correlated with AOD (r = 0.31) and WS (r = 0.47). The higher partial correlation coefficients of Chl‐a with AOD and WS suggested that WS played the most important role, followed by AOD. Aerosol deposition was therefore a main factor besides wind that determined the availability of nutrients at the surface ocean in the SCS, modulating the distribution of Chl‐a. The contribution of nutrients (i.e., NO3− and NH4+) from aerosol dry and wet deposition to new production in the SCS accounted for approximately 10.32% to 28.87%.
Miocene Evolution of North Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature
Authors: Super James R. , Thomas Ellen , Pagani Mark , Huber Matthew , O'Brien Charlotte L. , Hull Pincelli M.
Published: April 2020

We reconstruct sea surface temperatures (SSTs) at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 608 (42.836°N, 23.087°), north of the Azores Front, and Ocean Drilling Program Site 982 (57.516°N, 15.866°), under the North Atlantic Current, in order to track Miocene (23.1–5.3 Ma) development of North Atlantic surface waters. Mean annual SSTs from TEX86and UK′37proxy estimates at both sites were 10–15 °C higher than modern through the Miocene Climatic Optimum (17–14.5 Ma). During the global cooling of the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (~14.5–12.5 Ma), SSTs at midlatitude Site 608 cooled by ~6 °C, whereas high‐latitude Site 982 cooled by only ~2 °C, resulting in an ~4 Myr collapse of the SST gradient between the two sites. This regional pattern is inconsistent with an increased latitudinal surface temperature gradient, as generally associated with global cooling episodes linked to decreasingpCO2levels. Instead, the pattern is best explained by enhanced ocean heat transport into the high‐latitude North Atlantic superimposed on the global cooling trend, probably due to enhanced Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and/or a stronger North Atlantic Current. During global late Miocene cooling (~8–7 Ma), surface waters cooled by ~6 °C at Site 982 while minimal change occurred at Site 608, reestablishing the North Atlantic SST gradient. The collapse and reemergence of the SST gradient between the middle‐ and high‐latitude North Atlantic suggests that interaction between changes in regional ocean circulation and the global response to changes in greenhouse gas concentration was important in Miocene climate evolution.
The Impact of Astronomical Forcing on Surface and Thermocline Variability Within the Western Pacific Warm Pool Over the Past 160 kyr
Authors: Hollstein M. , Mohtadi M. , Kienast M. , Rosenthal Y. , Groeneveld J. , Oppo D. W. , Southon J. R. , Lückge A.
Published: April 2020

The Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP) constitutes an important component within the global climate system by providing an enormous amount of heat and moisture to the global atmosphere. Nevertheless, past variability of oceanography and climate across the WPWP is still debated. Here, we compile newly generated and published surface and thermocline temperature and seawater stable oxygen isotope (δ18OSW) records from the WPWP north and south of the equator to monitor its variability, particularly in response to astronomical forcing, over the last glacial‐interglacial cycle. We find a coherent first‐order variability in all records from the northern and southern WPWP sites over the past 160 kyr indicating a relatively stable WPWP spatial structure. The second‐order variability is modulated by regionally varying influences. Precipitation varied uniformly across the WPWP marine realm. Thermocline records illustrate the influence of both northern and southern Pacific waters on the WPWP. Differences between the thermocline temperature records are attributed to the differing effect of obliquity on the thermocline water masses influencing the individual sites. Precession exerts an influence on the thermocline at both northern and southern WPWP sites. Variations in thermocline conditions in the precession band are attributed to a combination of modifications in the thermocline source waters, changes in the regional atmospheric circulation and the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation regime.
Improvement of IRI Global TEC Maps by Deep Learning Based on Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks
Authors: Ji Eun‐Young , Moon Yong‐Jae , Park Eunsu
Published: April 2020

In this study, we make a model, which is called DeepIRI, to generate improved International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) total electron content (TEC) maps by deep learning based on conditional Generative Adversarial Networks. For this we consider 48,901 pairs of IRI TEC maps and International Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) Service (IGS) TEC maps from 2001 to 2011 for training the model. We evaluate the model by comparing IGS TEC maps and DeepIRI TEC ones from 2013 to 2017. The DeepIRI TEC maps that our model generated are much more consistent with the corresponding IGS TEC maps than the IRI TEC ones. Especially, ionospheric peak structures are successfully generated in DeepIRI TEC maps while they are not in IRI‐2016 ones. From the average differences between IRI and IGS TEC maps, our model greatly improved the IRI TEC at low‐latitude region around the equatorial anomaly. These results show that our model can improve the global TEC prediction ability of the IRI‐2016. Our study suggests a sufficient possibility to generate DeepIRI global TEC maps in near real time if IRI is generated in time. Our approach can be applied to make improved versions of empirical models if more realistic observations are available with a time delay.
The Fifth Stage in Water Management: Policy Lessons for Water Governance
Authors: Loch A. , Adamson D. , Dumbrell N. P.
Published: April 2020

Effective management of water resources is a critical policy issue globally. Using a framework developed by Turton, and a common set of characteristics describing key stages of water demand, we examine the effectiveness of isolated technical (e.g., irrigation upgrades) and allocative (e.g., buyback) efficiency for reducing water demand to sustainable levels. We base our analysis on Australia's water reform context which offers an advanced example of applying these levers to achieve allocative and technical efficiency. The study is motivated by appreciation of the benefits from increased policy flexibility and adaptability in response to the following: potential transformations toward inflexible production systems; uncertainty associated with impacts of climate change on future water reliability; and the need for increased possible future equity between uses/users (productive/consumptive, environmental, cultural). Our results highlight that a balance between technical and allocative efficiency mechanisms is necessary, as neither is sufficient in isolation, when seeking to reduce total water use. This approach also enables a clearer representation of uncertainty in future policy choices in many global settings with respect to water demand reduction.
Spatiotemporal Variations of Satellite Microwave Emissivity Difference Vegetation Index in China Under Clear and Cloudy Skies
Authors: Li Rui , Wang Yipu , Hu Jiheng , Wang Yu , Min Qilong , Bergeron Yves , Valeria Osvaldo , Gao Zongting , Liu Jinjun , Fu Yuyun
Published: April 2020

In this study, we used data from multiple sensors onboard NASA Aqua satellite to conduct a 10‐year (2002–2011) remote sensing of microwave emissivity difference vegetation index (EDVI) over China. We investigated the spatial and temporal variations of EDVI in tropical and subtropical evergreen forest, deciduous forest, rice and wheat farmlands, grassland, and montane vegetation regions. The average of China's EDVI is positive in dense vegetation regions and negative in sparse vegetation regions, depending on the proportion of bare soil and open water. In all selected studying regions, the seasonal variation of EDVI follows the trend of vegetation phenology, even in regions with large proportion of open water. EDVI is positively correlated to the greenness of vegetation (normalized difference vegetation index [NDVI]) with certain phase difference in their seasonal cycle. In autumn, EDVI begins to decline earlier and faster than NDVI. In tropical rainforest, EDVI also starts to increase earlier than NDVI in spring. The large‐scale spatial distribution of EDVI under clear sky and cloudy sky is similar. In montane vegetation regions, EDVI under heavy clouds (90% fraction) conditions is significantly greater than that under clear sky (10% fraction), indicating a possible cloud induced enhancement of vegetation water content. In forests and croplands in the plains, such effect is not remarkable.
High-temperature infrared camouflage with efficient thermal management
Authors: Zhu Huanzheng , Li Qiang , Zheng Chunqi , Hong Yu , Xu Ziquan , Wang Han , Shen Weidong , Kaur Sandeep , Ghosh Pintu , Qiu Min
Published: April 2020

High-temperature infrared (IR) camouflage is crucial to the effective concealment of high-temperature objects but remains a challenging issue, as the thermal radiation of an object is proportional to the fourth power of temperature (T4). Here, we experimentally demonstrate high-temperature IR camouflage with efficient thermal management. By combining a silica aerogel for thermal insulation and a Ge/ZnS multilayer wavelength-selective emitter for simultaneous radiative cooling (high emittance in the 5–8 μm non-atmospheric window) and IR camouflage (low emittance in the 8–14 μm atmospheric window), the surface temperature of an object is reduced from 873 to 410 K. The IR camouflage is demonstrated by indoor/outdoor (with/without earthshine) radiation temperatures of 310/248 K for an object at 873/623 K and a 78% reduction in with-earthshine lock-on range. This scheme may introduce opportunities for high-temperature thermal management and infrared signal processing.
Reducing endogenous insulin is linked with protection against hepatic steatosis in mice
Authors: Akheruzzaman Md , Hegde Vijay , Shin Andrew C. , Dhurandhar Nikhil V.
Published: April 2020

Background

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are closely associated with hepatic steatosis (HS), which if untreated can advance to serious liver conditions. Since insulin promotes hepatic lipogenesis, reducing hyperinsulinemia may help in treating HS. E4orf1 is an adenovirus-derived protein that improves glucose clearance independent of insulin, lowers insulin amount required for glucose disposal, and reduces HS. As a next step, we evaluated the mechanism for E4orf1-induced reduction in HS and tested that E4orf1 does not induce hypoglycemia, an important attribute for its application as a potential anti-diabetic agent.

Methods

C57Bl/6J mice that transgenically express E4orf1 in adipose tissue (E4orf-Tg) and wild-type (WT) mice received a chow diet for 6 weeks, followed by a high-fat (HF) diet for additional 10 weeks. Body composition, blood glucose, and serum insulin levels upon glucose load were measured at 0, 6, 7, and 16 weeks. Serum free fatty acid (FFA), triglyceride (TG), and hepatic TG were measured at study termination. We compared histology and the mRNA/protein markers of hepatic and adipose tissue lipid metabolism between the two groups of mice.

Results

On chow diet, both groups remained normoglycemic, but E4orf1 expression reduced insulin response. On HF diet, glycemic control in WT deteriorated, whereas E4orf1 significantly enhanced glycemic control, lowered insulin response, reduced hepatic triglycerides, and serum FFA. Overall, a comparison of hepatic mRNA and/or protein expression suggested that E4orf1 expression significantly decreased de novo lipogenesis (DNL) and intracellular lipid transport and increased fat oxidation and TG export. Adipose tissue mRNA and protein markers suggested that E4orf1 expression lowered DNL and increased lipolysis.

Conclusion

Considering that E4orf1 is not secreted in circulation, we postulate that reduced endogenous insulin in E4orf1 mice indirectly contributes to reduce HS by altering hepatic lipid metabolism, including lipogenesis. This study underscores the possibility of indirectly impacting HS by manipulating adipose tissue metabolism.
Nuclear factor IX promotes glioblastoma development through transcriptional activation of Ezrin
Authors: Liu Zhuohao , Ge Ruixiang , Zhou Jiayi , Yang Xinzhi , Cheng Kenneth King-yip , Tao Jingli , Wu Dinglan , Mao Jie
Published: April 2020

Enhanced migration is pivotal for the malignant development of glioblastoma (GBM), but the underlying molecular mechanism that modulates the migration of the GBM cells remains obscure. Here we show that nuclear factor IX (NFIX) is significantly upregulated in human GBM lesions compared with normal or low-grade gliomas. NFIX deficiency impairs the migration of GBM cells and inhibits the tumor growth in the hippocampus of immunodeficient nude mice. Mechanistically, NFIX silencing suppresses the expression of Ezrin, a protein that crosslinks actin cytoskeleton and plasma membrane, which is also positively correlated with GBM malignancy. NFIX depletion induced migration inhibition of GBM cells can be rescued by the replenishment of Ezrin. Furthermore, we identify a NFIX response element (RE) between −840 and −825 bp in the promoter region of the Ezrin gene. Altogether, our findings show, for the first time that NFIX can transcriptionally upregulate the expression of Ezrin and contribute to the enhanced migration of GBM cells, suggesting that NFIX is a potential target for GBM therapy.
WIP1 promotes cancer stem cell properties by inhibiting p38 MAPK in NSCLC
Authors: Deng Kaiyuan , Liu Liang , Tan Xiaoming , Zhang Zhen , Li Jianjun , Ou Yang , Wang Xin , Yang Shuang , Xiang Rong , Sun Peiqing
Published: April 2020

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small population of stem cell-like cancer cells that can initiate tumors in vivo, and are the major source of cancer initiation, relapse, and drug resistance. We previously reported that the p38 MAPK, through its downstream effectors MK2 and HSP27, suppressed CSC properties by downregulating the expression of transcription factors that mediate stemness in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, and that despite unaltered total expression of total p38 proteins, the levels of activated p38 were reduced in NSCLC tissues. However, the mechanism underlying the reduced levels of activated p38 in NSCLC is unknown. In this study, we identified WIP1, a p38 phosphatase frequently overexpressed in cancer, as a suppressor of p38 in a pathway that regulates CSC properties in NSCLC. Increased WIP1 expression correlated with reduced levels of activated p38, and with increased levels of a CSC marker in NSCLC tissues. Further investigation revealed that WIP1 promoted stemness-related protein expression and CSC properties by inhibiting p38 activity in NSCLC cells. WIP1 inhibitors are currently under development as anticancer drugs based on their ability to reactivate p53. We found that a WIP1 inhibitor suppressed stemness-related protein expression and CSC properties by activating p38 in NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. These studies have identified the WIP1–p38–MK2–HSP27 cascade as a novel signaling pathway that, when altered, promotes CSC properties in NSCLC development, and have defined novel mechanisms underlying the oncogenic activity of WIP1 and the anticancer efficacy of WIP1 inhibitors.
Sustained RNA virome diversity in Antarctic penguins and their ticks
Authors: Wille Michelle , Harvey Erin , Shi Mang , Gonzalez-Acuña Daniel , Holmes Edward C , Hurt Aeron C
Published: April 2020

Despite its isolation and extreme climate, Antarctica is home to diverse fauna and associated microorganisms. It has been proposed that the most iconic Antarctic animal, the penguin, experiences low pathogen pressure, accounting for their disease susceptibility in foreign environments. There is, however, a limited understanding of virome diversity in Antarctic species, the extent of in situ virus evolution, or how it relates to that in other geographic regions. To assess whether penguins have limited microbial diversity we determined the RNA viromes of three species of penguins and their ticks sampled on the Antarctic peninsula. Using total RNA sequencing we identified 107 viral species, comprising likely penguin associated viruses (n = 13), penguin diet and microbiome associated viruses (n = 82), and tick viruses (n = 8), two of which may have the potential to infect penguins. Notably, the level of virome diversity revealed in penguins is comparable to that seen in Australian waterbirds, including many of the same viral families. These data run counter to the idea that penguins are subject to lower pathogen pressure. The repeated detection of specific viruses in Antarctic penguins also suggests that rather than being simply spill-over hosts, these animals may act as key virus reservoirs.
Correction: Selective colonization ability of human fecal microbes in different mouse gut environments
Authors: Zhou Wei , Chow Kin-hoe , Fleming Elizabeth , Oh Julia
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Correction: The potential role of the HCN1 ion channel and BDNF-mTOR signaling pathways and synaptic transmission in the alleviation of PTSD
Authors: Ni Lianghui , Xu Yanling , Dong Sixuan , Kong Yujia , Wang Hong , Lu Guohua , Wang Yanyu , Li Qi , Li Changjiang , Du Zhongde , Sun Hongwei , Sun Lin
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
A validated composite organ and hematologic response model for early assessment of treatment outcomes in light chain amyloidosis
Authors: Sidana Surbhi , Milani Paolo , Binder Moritz , Basset Marco , Tandon Nidhi , Foli Andrea , Dispenzieri Angela , Gertz Morie A. , Hayman Suzanne R. , Buadi Francis K. , Lacy Martha Q. , Kapoor Prashant , Leung Nelson , Rajkumar S. Vincent , Merlini Giampaolo , Palladini Giovanni , Kumar Shaji K.
Published: April 2020

Newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis patients were evaluated to develop a model for early assessment of treatment benefit at 6 months, integrating both hematologic (HR) and organ response (OR) assessment (testing cohort, Mayo:n = 473; validation cohort, Pavia:n = 575). Multiple OR were assessed as follows: All OR (AOR): response in all organs, mixed OR (MOR): response in some organs, no OR (NOR)]. AOR rates at 6 months improved with deepening HR; complete response (CR; 38%, 35%), very good partial response (VGPR; 30%, 26%), and partial response (PR; 16%, 21%), respectively. A composite HR/OR (CHOR) model was developed using incremental scoring based on hazard ratios with scores of 0–3 for HR (0—CR, 1—VGPR, 2—PR, 3—no response) and 0–2 for OR (0—AOR, 1—MOR, 2—NOR). Patients could be divided into two distinct CHOR groups (scores 0–3 and 4–5), with median OS in group 1 and group 2: Not reached vs. 34 months,p < 0.001 [Mayo] and 87 vs. 23 months,p < 0.001 [Pavia]. In conclusion, we developed a model that can assess multiple organs concurrently, and integrate both HR and OR assessments to determine early clinical benefit with treatment, which may be used as a surrogate end-point in trials and to compare outcomes with different therapies.
The association between unexpected weight loss and cancer diagnosis in primary care: a matched cohort analysis of 65,000 presentations
Authors: Nicholson Brian D. , Hamilton Willie , Koshiaris Constantinos , Oke Jason L. , Hobbs F. D. Richard , Aveyard Paul
Published: April 2020

Background

We aimed to understand the time period of cancer diagnosis and the cancer types detected in primary care patients with unexpected weight loss (UWL) to inform cancer guidelines.

Methods

This retrospective matched cohort study used cancer registry linked electronic health records from the UK’s Clinical Practice Research Datalink from between 2000 and 2014. Univariable and multivariable time-to-event analyses examined the association between UWL, and all cancers combined, cancer site and stage.

Results

In all, 63,973 patients had UWL recorded, of whom 1375 (2.2%) were diagnosed with cancer within 2 years (days-to-diagnosis: mean 181; median 80). Men with UWL (HR 3.28 (2.88–3.73)) and women (1.87 (1.68–2.08)) were more likely than comparators to be diagnosed with cancer within 3 months. The association was greatest in men aged ≥50 years and women ≥70 years. The commonest cancers were pancreas, cancer of unknown primary, gastro-oesophageal, lymphoma, hepatobiliary, lung, bowel and renal-tract. The majority were late-stage, but there was some evidence of association with stage II and stage III cancers. In the 3–24 months after presenting with UWL, cancer diagnosis was less likely than in comparators.

Conclusion

UWL recorded in primary care is associated with a broad range of cancer sites of early and late-stage.
MOB2 suppresses GBM cell migration and invasion via regulation of FAK/Akt and cAMP/PKA signaling
Authors: Jiang Ke , Yao Gang , Hu Lulu , Yan Yumei , Liu Jia , Shi Ji , Chang Youwei , Zhang Ye , Liang Dapeng , Shen Dachuan , Zhang Guirong , Meng Songshu , Piao Haozhe
Published: April 2020

Mps one binder 2 (MOB2) regulates the NDR kinase family, however, whether and how it is implicated in cancer remain unknown. Here we show that MOB2 functions as a tumor suppressor in glioblastoma (GBM). Analysis of MOB2 expression in glioma patient specimens and bioinformatic analyses of public datasets revealed that MOB2 was downregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in GBM. Ectopic MOB2 expression suppressed, while depletion of MOB2 enhanced, the malignant phenotypes of GBM cells, such as clonogenic growth, anoikis resistance, and formation of focal adhesions, migration, and invasion. Moreover, depletion of MOB2 increased, while overexpression of MOB2 decreased, GBM cell metastasis in a chick chorioallantoic membrane model. Overexpression of MOB2-mediated antitumor effects were further confirmed in mouse xenograft models. Mechanistically, MOB2 negatively regulated the FAK/Akt pathway involving integrin. Notably, MOB2 interacted with and promoted PKA signaling in a cAMP-dependent manner. Furthermore, the cAMP activator Forskolin increased, while the PKA inhibitor H89 decreased, MOB2 expression in GBM cells. Functionally, MOB2 contributed to the cAMP/PKA signaling-regulated inactivation of FAK/Akt pathway and inhibition of GBM cell migration and invasion. Collectively, these findings suggest a role of MOB2 as a tumor suppressor in GBM via regulation of FAK/Akt signaling. Additionally, we uncover MOB2 as a novel regulator in cAMP/PKA signaling. Given that small compounds targeting FAK and cAMP pathway have been tested in clinical trials, we suggest that interference with MOB2 expression and function may support a theoretical and therapeutic basis for applications of these compounds.
Recent trends in vision impairment certifications in England and Wales
Authors: Rahman Farzana , Zekite Antra , Bunce Catey , Jayaram Hari , Flanagan Declan
Published: April 2020

Background

The Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) provides essential data for preventable sight loss indicators as part of the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) published annually by the Department of Health. Trends in CVI certification rates can provide information on the effectiveness of current services and treatments and may be used to guide allocation of resources, and is the only such indicator within ophthalmology. This study aimed to compare recent trends in new vision impairment certifications in 2017/18 against prior baseline data in England and document trends in new certifications in Wales.

Methods

PHOF data from 2010/11 and 2017/18 were examined with respect to preventable sight loss indicators: age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (Indicator E12a), glaucoma (Indicator E12b), diabetic eye disease (Indicator E12c) as well as the total numbers of certifications (Indicator E12d).

Results

In 2017/18, the rate of new CVI certifications was 41 per 100,000 population which has reduced from 43/100,000 in 2010/11 in England. Certifications for AMD reduced from 132/100,000 in 2010/11 to 107/100,000 in 2017–18. Certifications for glaucoma have remained stable at 13/100,000 in 2017/8. Certifications for diabetic eye disease have declined from 4/100,000 in 2010/11 to 3/ 100,000 in 2017/18. The number of vision impaired individuals that each Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has to support varies from 8 to 82 per 100,000 population.

Conclusions

There has been a significant decrease in the rate of all CVI certifications particularly from AMD and diabetic retinopathy. However, maintaining this will require changes in the way care is delivered as the elderly population, which is at greatest risk of preventable sight loss, is projected to increase by 50% over the next 20 years. Inherited retinal diseases are now the leading cause of sight loss in the working age population. CVI data demonstrate the need for CCGs to tailor their investment in ophthalmic services to the needs of their specific patient populations. It is important that all ophthalmologists continue to provide accurate CVI data in order to help support the future equitable allocation of adequate resources to reduce avoidable vision loss.
Large spatial extension of the zero-energy Yu–Shiba–Rusinov state in a magnetic field
Authors: Scherübl Zoltán , Fülöp Gergő , Moca Cătălin Paşcu , Gramich Jörg , Baumgartner Andreas , Makk Péter , Elalaily Tosson , Schönenberger Christian , Nygård Jesper , Zaránd Gergely , Csonka Szabolcs
Published: April 2020

Various promising qubit concepts have been put forward recently based on engineered superconductor subgap states like Andreev bound states, Majorana zero modes or the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (Shiba) states. The coupling of these subgap states via a superconductor strongly depends on their spatial extension and is an essential next step for future quantum technologies. Here we investigate the spatial extension of a Shiba state in a semiconductor quantum dot coupled to a superconductor. With detailed transport measurements and numerical renormalization group calculations we find a remarkable more than 50 nm extension of the zero energy Shiba state, much larger than the one observed in very recent scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. Moreover, we demonstrate that its spatial extension increases substantially in a magnetic field.
Minimum epistasis interpolation for sequence-function relationships
Authors: Zhou Juannan , McCandlish David M.
Published: April 2020

Massively parallel phenotyping assays have provided unprecedented insight into how multiple mutations combine to determine biological function. While such assays can measure phenotypes for thousands to millions of genotypes in a single experiment, in practice these measurements are not exhaustive, so that there is a need for techniques to impute values for genotypes whose phenotypes have not been directly assayed. Here, we present an imputation method based on inferring the least epistatic possible sequence-function relationship compatible with the data. In particular, we infer the reconstruction where mutational effects change as little as possible across adjacent genetic backgrounds. The resulting models can capture complex higher-order genetic interactions near the data, but approach additivity where data is sparse or absent. We apply the method to high-throughput transcription factor binding assays and use it to explore a fitness landscape for protein G.
Reactivation of Myc transcription in the mouse heart unlocks its proliferative capacity
Authors: Bywater Megan J. , Burkhart Deborah L. , Straube Jasmin , Sabò Arianna , Pendino Vera , Hudson James E. , Quaife-Ryan Gregory A. , Porrello Enzo R. , Rae James , Parton Robert G. , Kress Theresia R. , Amati Bruno , Littlewood Trevor D. , Evan Gerard I. , Wilson Catherine H.
Published: April 2020

It is unclear why some tissues are refractory to the mitogenic effects of the oncogene Myc. Here we show that Myc activation induces rapid transcriptional responses followed by proliferation in some, but not all, organs. Despite such disparities in proliferative response, Myc is bound to DNA at open elements in responsive (liver) and non-responsive (heart) tissues, but fails to induce a robust transcriptional and proliferative response in the heart. Using heart as an exemplar of a non-responsive tissue, we show that Myc-driven transcription is re-engaged in mature cardiomyocytes by elevating levels of the positive transcription elongation factor (P-TEFb), instating a large proliferative response. Hence, P-TEFb activity is a key limiting determinant of whether the heart is permissive for Myc transcriptional activation. These data provide a greater understanding of how Myc transcriptional activity is determined and indicate modification of P-TEFb levels could be utilised to drive regeneration of adult cardiomyocytes for the treatment of heart myopathies.
Nanosecond-time-scale delayed fluorescence molecule for deep-blue OLEDs with small efficiency rolloff
Authors: Kim Jong Uk , Park In Seob , Chan Chin-Yiu , Tanaka Masaki , Tsuchiya Youichi , Nakanotani Hajime , Adachi Chihaya
Published: April 2020

Aromatic organic deep-blue emitters that exhibit thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) can harvest all excitons in electrically generated singlets and triplets as light emission. However, blue TADF emitters generally have long exciton lifetimes, leading to severe efficiency decrease, i.e., rolloff, at high current density and luminance by exciton annihilations in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Here, we report a deep-blue TADF emitter employing simple molecular design, in which an activation energy as well as spin–orbit coupling between excited states with different spin multiplicities, were simultaneously controlled. An extremely fast exciton lifetime of 750 ns was realized in a donor–acceptor-type molecular structure without heavy metal elements. An OLED utilizing this TADF emitter displayed deep-blue electroluminescence (EL) with CIE chromaticity coordinates of (0.14, 0.18) and a high maximum EL quantum efficiency of 20.7%. Further, the high maximum efficiency were retained to be 20.2% and 17.4% even at high luminance.
Full activation pattern mapping by simultaneous deep brain stimulation and fMRI with graphene fiber electrodes
Authors: Zhao Siyuan , Li Gen , Tong Chuanjun , Chen Wenjing , Wang Puxin , Dai Jiankun , Fu Xuefeng , Xu Zheng , Liu Xiaojun , Lu Linlin , Liang Zhifeng , Duan Xiaojie
Published: April 2020

Simultaneous deep brain stimulation (DBS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) constitutes a powerful tool for elucidating brain functional connectivity, and exploring neuromodulatory mechanisms of DBS therapies. Previous DBS-fMRI studies could not provide full activation pattern maps due to poor MRI compatibility of the DBS electrodes, which caused obstruction of large brain areas on MRI scans. Here, we fabricate graphene fiber (GF) electrodes with high charge-injection-capacity and little-to-no MRI artifact at 9.4T. DBS-fMRI with GF electrodes at the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in Parkinsonian rats reveal robust blood-oxygenation-level-dependent responses along the basal ganglia-thalamocortical network in a frequency-dependent manner, with responses from some regions not previously detectable. This full map indicates that STN-DBS modulates both motor and non-motor pathways, possibly through orthodromic and antidromic signal propagation. With the capability for full, unbiased activation pattern mapping, DBS-fMRI using GF electrodes can provide important insights into DBS therapeutic mechanisms in various neurological disorders.