bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of interventions to optimise dietary intakes in the first 1000 d of life in Indigenous children: a systematic review
Authors: Onifade Oyepeju , Kocanda Lucy , Schumacher Tracy , Rollo Megan , Rae Kym , Pringle Kirsty G
Published: October 2021

Objective:

Indigenous infants are disproportionately more likely to have negative outcomes compared to non-Indigenous infants with suboptimal nutrition in the first 1000 d playing a major role. This review aimed to systematically assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to optimise dietary intake and/or nutrition-related behaviours among Indigenous infants globally and to identify whether Indigenous populations were involved in the co-design of the intervention.

Design:

Articles published before June 2020 that reported nutrition-related interventions and outcomes for Indigenous infants were identified from a database search. Data extracted included study aims and design, target population, geographical location, the health condition of the participants, intervention characteristics and outcomes. A narrative synthesis consisting of effects and acceptability of the interventions and involvement of participants in the study design were highlighted.

Settings:

Population-based intervention studies that focused on improving dietary intakes and/or nutrition-related behaviours of Indigenous infants in the first 1000 d of life were included in this review.

Results:

Of the 2784 studies identified, three studies met the inclusion criteria. These were conducted among two Indigenous tribes in Guatemala and the USA. Two studies reported the food and nutrient intake of participants with one study showing an improvement in dietary intake of the infants. Only one study reported community participation in the study design, intervention design and implementation, and acceptability of the intervention by the participants.

Conclusion:

Engaging Indigenous communities throughout the entire process of nutrition interventions could have beneficial effects through improved outcomes in the first 1000 d of life.
Development of New Staining Procedures for DiagnosingCryptosporidiumspp. in Fecal Samples by Computerized Image Analysis
Authors: Loiola Saulo Hudson Nery , Galvão Felipe Lemes , Santos Bianca Martins dos , Rosa Stefany Laryssa , Soares Felipe Augusto , Inácio Sandra Valéria , Suzuki Celso Tetsuo Nagase , Sabadini Edvaldo , Bresciani Katia Denise Saraiva , Falcão Alexandre Xavier , Gomes Jancarlo Ferreira
Published: October 2021

Interpretation errors may still represent a limiting factor for diagnosing Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts with the conventional staining techniques. Humans and machines can interact to solve this problem. We developed a new temporary staining protocol associated with a computer program for the diagnosis of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in fecal samples. We established 62 different temporary staining conditions by studying 20 experimental protocols. Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were concentrated using the Three Fecal Test (TF-Test®) technique and confirmed by the Kinyoun method. Next, we built a bank with 299 images containing oocysts. We used segmentation in superpixels to cluster the patches in the images; then, we filtered the objects based on their typical size. Finally, we applied a convolutional neural network as a classifier. The trichrome modified by Melvin and Brooke, at a concentration use of 25%, was the most efficient dye for use in the computerized diagnosis. The algorithms of this new program showed a positive predictive value of 81.3 and 94.1% sensitivity for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. With the combination of the chosen staining protocol and the precision of the computational algorithm, we improved the Ova and Parasite exam (O&P) by contributing in advance toward the automated diagnosis.
TRANSGENDER AND ADOPTION: AN ANALOGY
Authors: Chappell Sophie Grace
Published: October 2021

Maybe we should think of it like this: trans women/men are to women/men as adoptive parents are to parents. There are disanalogies of course, and the morality of adoption is a large issue in itself which I can't do full justice to here. Still, the analogies are, I think, important and instructive.
IRIS MURDOCH ON MORAL VISION
Authors: Cooper Samuel , Lawson-Frost Sasha
Published: October 2021

Iris Murdoch (1919–99) was a philosopher and novelist who wrote extensively on the themes of love, goodness, religion, and morality. In this article, we explore her notion of ‘moral vision’; the idea that morality is not just about how we act and make choices, but how we see the world in a much broader sense.
Resolving Douglass C. North's ‘puzzle’ concerning China's household responsibility system
Authors: Deakin Simon , Meng Gaofeng
Published: October 2021

This paper considers Douglass C. North's ‘puzzle’ concerning China's household responsibility system (HRS) and offers a possible solution. China's HRS, which has evolved over the past four decades to become its dominant form of rural land ownership, has stimulated spectacular economic growth and poverty reduction; however, it is based on a type of ownership which is far removed from the property rights regime which North regarded as essential. Two features of the HRS merit attention. The first is ‘split ownership’: this refers to the allocation of different aspects of ownership, including rights of access, use, management, exclusion and alienation, to a range of individual and collective actors with interests in the land in question. The second is polycentric governance: rules governing land use are derived in part from community-level action and in part from state intervention. We argue that in explaining the functioning of the HRS we need to move beyond the narrow conception of legally enforced private property rights on which North relied. We should instead embrace understandings of ownership as an emergent, diverse and complex institution, of the kind emphasized by A.M. Honoré's legal theory of ownership and Elinor Ostrom's theories of the common-pool resource and polycentric governance.
Weakening of Peridotite Sheared at Hydrothermal Conditions
Authors: Moore Diane E. , Lockner David A.
Published: October 2021

We conducted triaxial friction tests at hydrothermal conditions (25°C–350°C) on gouges of peridotite and its principal mineral constituents olivine and orthopyroxene. Pore‐fluid chemistry was varied by the use of peridotite, granite, or quartzite driving blocks (representing wall rock) housing the gouge layer. Samples sheared at slow rates initially strengthen to a peak value, and then weaken toward a residual strength. The transition is accompanied by a change from velocity‐weakening to velocity‐strengthening behavior marked by a series of small stress drops. The extent of weakening varies with the ultramafic mineralogy and with the chemical environment established by the driving block lithology. The strengths of olivine and olivine‐rich peridotite gouges decrease substantially (to μ ∼ 0.25–0.30), and that of orthopyroxene to a lesser extent, at temperatures ≥200°C when sheared between crustal driving blocks. Less weakening is observed in the peridotite‐block experiments; the minimum strength of the peridotite gouges (μ ∼ 0.5) occurs at 250°C, the temperature at which olivine hydration rates are near their maximum in ultramafic rocks. The strength reductions in all experiments are attributed to solution‐transfer (pressure solution) processes that come to predominate over cataclastic mechanisms during shear. The lower pH of fluids in contact with silica‐saturated crustal rocks enhances the weakening of olivine‐rich gouges. In these short‐duration experiments, secondary phyllosilicate mineral growth was of a limited extent and varied with gouge and wall‐rock mineralogy and with temperature. Over geologic time spans, however, the alteration assemblages will assume an increasingly important role in fault‐zone behavior.
P‐ and S‐Wave Velocities of Exhumed Metasediments From the Alaskan Subduction Zone: Implications for the In Situ Conditions Along the Megathrust
Authors: Miller Peter K. , Saffer Demian M. , Abers Geoffrey A. , Shillington Donna J. , Bécel Anne , Li Jiyao , Bate Charlotte
Published: October 2021

The in situ state and properties of sediments entrained along subduction megathrusts exert key controls on their mechanics and slip behavior. Low seismic velocity and high Vp/Vs are hypothesized to indicate highly elevated fluid pressure, and are invoked as conditions in the source areas of slow earthquakes and tremor. We report on Vp and Vs measurements for exhumed metasediments from Kodiak Island, AK, representative of materials along the modern megathrust. Our data reveal anisotropy of ∼8–28% in Vp and ∼6.5–8% in Vs at effective stresses ranging from ∼1 to 90 MPa, with lower wavespeeds perpendicular to the dominant fabric. The fabric‐normal velocities are sufficiently low to explain observations from regional geophysical surveys and are consistent with rock physics‐based models that incorporate small (<1%) crack porosity. We suggest that low velocity at ∼8–20 km depth along megathrusts may arise simply from the presence of foliated metasediments, without requiring near‐lithostatic fluid pressure.
The Composition of the Lower Oceanic Crust in the Wadi Khafifah Section of the Southern Samail (Oman) Ophiolite
Authors: VanTongeren J. A. , Kelemen P. B. , Garrido C. J. , Godard M. , Hanghoj K. , Braun M. , Pearce J. A.
Published: October 2021

The composition of the intrusive gabbroic lower oceanic crust remains poorly characterized in comparison to the extrusive portion of the oceanic crust, especially for intermediate‐fast spreading mid‐ocean ridges. This is a consequence of limited exposures of extant lower oceanic crust or ophiolites similar to mid‐ocean ridge crust. One of the best analogues for mid‐ocean ridge crust is the southern Samail ophiolite that formed during a period of rapid seafloor spreading above a nascent subduction zone. Here, we focus on the geochemical stratigraphy (whole rock and mineral major and trace element compositions) of the 5,200 m‐thick, lower crustal, Wadi Khafifah section of the Wadin Tayin massif in the southern Samail (Oman) ophiolite. Gabbros from the lowermost 3,700 m of this section (the “lower gabbros”) show no systematic changes in composition with height above the Mantle Transition Zone. In contrast, gabbros from the uppermost 1,500 m (the “upper gabbros”) display marked increases in incompatible trace element concentration with increasing height. Liquids in equilibrium with the lower gabbros have major and trace element compositions that overlap with those measured in the upper gabbros and sheeted dikes. Upper gabbros preserve mineral cores with primitive major element compositions that overlap with the range of lower gabbros; however, upper gabbro whole rock compositions are significantly more enriched in incompatible trace elements relative to the lower gabbros. Our data reveal that the upper gabbros are a composite of accumulated minerals derived from primitive melts and a large fraction of evolved melts derived from the fractionation of the lower gabbros. We propose a new “Full Sheeted Sills” model for the lower oceanic crust in which primitive magmas from the mantle are emplaced throughout the lower crust and crystallized in situ. After diking events, evolved magmas leave the lower gabbros and replenish the upper gabbros, thereby contributing to the higher incompatible trace element budget in the upper gabbros relative to the lower gabbros. Our reconstructed bulk compositions of the lower plutonic crust and the bulk oceanic crust from the Wadi Khafifah section yield a plausible primary mantle‐derived magma composition in equilibrium with depleted mid‐ocean ridge basalts mantle.
Seasonal and Interannual Variability of the Weddell Gyre From a High‐Resolution Global Ocean‐Sea Ice Simulation During 1958–2018
Authors: Neme Julia , England Matthew H. , Hogg Andrew McC.
Published: October 2021

The Weddell Gyre's variability on seasonal and interannual timescales is investigated using an ocean‐sea ice model at three different horizontal resolutions. The model is evaluated against available observations to demonstrate that the highest resolution configuration (0. in the horizontal) best reproduces observed features of the region. The simulations suggest that the gyre is subject to large variability in its circulation that is not captured by summer‐biased or short‐term observations. The Weddell Gyre's seasonal cycle consists of a summer minimum and a winter maximum and accounts for changes that are between one third and a half of its mean transport. On interannual time scales we find that the gyre's strength is correlated with the local Antarctic easterlies and that extreme events of gyre circulation are associated with changes in the characteristics of the warm inflow at the eastern boundary, that in turn drives changes in sea ice concentration.
Topographic Relief Response to Fluvial Incision in the Central Tibetan Plateau: Evidence From Cosmogenic 10Be
Authors: Yang Ye , Cui Li‐Feng , Xu Sheng , Liu Cong‐Qiang , Fabel Derek
Published: October 2021

Fluvial incision, regarded as one of the fundamental geomorphic processes, drives the evolution of mountainous landscapes. The transitional landscape from low‐relief to high‐relief in the central Tibetan Plateau is rapidly evolving as it is influenced by river dynamics, climate change and tectonic uplift. Combining cosmogenic 10Be depth profile dating and topographic analysis, this study provides new constraints on the formation and destruction of low‐relief surfaces in the central Tibetan Plateau. We find that the high‐relief landscape in the Suoqu area (a major tributary of the upper Nu River) shows a rapid fluvial incision rate of 710 ± 70 mm kyr−1 since the late Pleistocene, while the low‐relief topography in the adjacent Xiaqiuqu area presents an order of magnitude lower incision rate of 70 ± 10 mm kyr−1. These results are consistent with the long‐term (multi‐million‐year) exhumation rates derived from low‐temperature thermochronology, suggesting that this region has experienced an evolving incision history. We interpret that the higher relief was caused by enhanced fluvial incision, and the lower relief was slowly developed by sedimentation and relatively steady low exhumation rate. The presence of a knickzone appears to mark the boundary between these differentially incising landscapes, which may be caused by rapid headward retreat and higher river discharge in the Suoqu River. The coincidence of fluvial terraces ages with climate‐driven events, in addition to paleodenudation rates, indicates that the formation of fluvial terraces in the Xiaqiuqu and Suoqu areas might be associated with the quick sedimentation of weathered materials in early warming periods.
Synchronization of Heinrich and Dansgaard‐Oeschger Events Through Ice‐Ocean Interactions
Authors: Mann Logan E. , Robel Alexander A. , Meyer Colin R.
Published: October 2021

The cause of Heinrich events and their relationship with Dansgaard‐Oeschger (DO) events are not fully understood. Previous modeling studies have argued that Heinrich events result from either internal oscillations generated within ice sheets or ocean warming occurring during DO events. In this study, we present a coupled model of ice stream and ocean dynamics to evaluate the behavior of the coupled system with few degrees of freedom and minimal parameterizations. Both components of the model may oscillate independently, with stagnant versus active phases for the ice stream model and strong versus weak Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) phases for the ocean model. The ice sheet and ocean interact through submarine melt at the ice stream grounding line and freshwater flux into the ocean from ice sheet discharge. We show that these two oscillators have a strong tendency to synchronize, even when their interaction is weak, due to the amplification of small perturbations typical in nonlinear oscillators. In synchronized regimes with ocean‐induced melt at the ice stream grounding line, Heinrich events always follow DO events by a constant time lag. We also introduce noise into the ocean system and find that ice‐ocean interactions not only maintain a narrow distribution of timing between Heinrich and DO events, but also regulate DO event periodicity against noise in the climate system. This synchronization persists across a broad range of parameters, indicating that it is a robust explanation for Heinrich events and their timing despite the significant uncertainty associated with past ice sheet conditions.
Effect of esaxerenone on nocturnal blood pressure and natriuretic peptide in different dipping phenotypes
Authors: Kario Kazuomi , Ito Sadayoshi , Itoh Hiroshi , Rakugi Hiromi , Okuda Yasuyuki , Yamakawa Satoru
Published: October 2021

There are limited data on the nighttime blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect of esaxerenone and its effect on N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a predictor of cardiovascular risk, according to different dipping patterns of nocturnal BP. This was a post hoc analysis of a multicenter, open-label, long-term phase 3 study of esaxerenone, a new highly selective mineralocorticoid receptor blocker, in patients with essential hypertension. Patients were classified by dipping pattern (extreme dippers, dippers, non-dippers, risers). Mean changes in BP, changes in dipping pattern, mean NT-proBNP levels, and percentage of patients with normal NT-proBNP levels (<55 pg/mL) at baseline and Weeks 12 and 28 were evaluated. Nighttime systolic BP decreased in all dipping pattern groups at Week 28, with the riser group showing the greatest change (−25.5 mmHg). A significant shift in dipping pattern and riser/non-dipper pattern changes to dipper/extreme dipper pattern were found from baseline to Week 28 (p < 0.0001). The prevalence of the riser pattern decreased from 14.4% to 9.8%, and that of the non-dipper pattern from 44.7% to 39.2%. The decrease in NT-proBNP from baseline to Week 28 was statistically significant in risers, non-dippers, dippers, and extreme dippers (p < 0.001, respectively). At baseline, the proportion of patients with NT-proBNP <55 pg/mL was lowest in risers versus the other dipping pattern types, but after reductions in NT-proBNP in all groups to Week 28, these differences disappeared. Long-term administration of esaxerenone may be a useful treatment option for nocturnal hypertension, especially in patients with a riser pattern.
Ultrafast optical circuit switching for data centers using integrated soliton microcombs
Authors: Raja Arslan Sajid , Lange Sophie , Karpov Maxim , Shi Kai , Fu Xin , Behrendt Raphael , Cletheroe Daniel , Lukashchuk Anton , Haller Istvan , Karinou Fotini , Thomsen Benn , Jozwik Krzysztof , Liu Junqiu , Costa Paolo , Kippenberg Tobias Jan , Ballani Hitesh
Published: October 2021

Due to the slowdown of Moore’s law, it will become increasingly challenging to efficiently scale the network in current data centers utilizing electrical packet switches as data rates grow. Optical circuit switches (OCS) represent an appealing option to overcome this issue by eliminating the need for expensive and power-hungry transceivers and electrical switches in the core of the network. In particular, optical switches based on tunable lasers and arrayed waveguide grating routers are quite promising due to the use of a passive core, which increases fault tolerance and reduces management overhead. Such an OCS-network can offer high bandwidth, low network latency and an energy-efficient and scalable data center network. To support dynamic data center workloads efficiently, however, it is critical to switch between wavelengths at nanosecond (ns) timescales. Here we demonstrate ultrafast OCS based on a microcomb and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). Using a photonic integrated Si3N4 microcomb, sub-ns (<520 ps) switching along with the 25-Gbps non-return-to-zero (NRZ) and 50-Gbps four-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) burst mode data transmission is achieved. Further, we use a photonic integrated circuit comprising an Indium phosphide based SOA array and an arrayed waveguide grating to show sub-ns switching (<900 ps) along with 25-Gbps NRZ burst mode transmission providing a path towards a more scalable and energy-efficient wavelength-switched network for data centers in the post Moore’s Law era.
Compensatory ion transport buffers daily protein rhythms to regulate osmotic balance and cellular physiology
Authors: Stangherlin Alessandra , Watson Joseph L. , Wong David C. S. , Barbiero Silvia , Zeng Aiwei , Seinkmane Estere , Chew Sew Peak , Beale Andrew D. , Hayter Edward A. , Guna Alina , Inglis Alison J. , Putker Marrit , Bartolami Eline , Matile Stefan , Lequeux Nicolas , Pons Thomas , Day Jason , van Ooijen Gerben , Voorhees Rebecca M. , Bechtold David A. , Derivery Emmanuel , Edgar Rachel S. , Newham Peter , O’Neill John S.
Published: October 2021

Between 6–20% of the cellular proteome is under circadian control and tunes mammalian cell function with daily environmental cycles. For cell viability, and to maintain volume within narrow limits, the daily variation in osmotic potential exerted by changes in the soluble proteome must be counterbalanced. The mechanisms and consequences of this osmotic compensation have not been investigated before. In cultured cells and in tissue we find that compensation involves electroneutral active transport of Na+, K+, and Cl− through differential activity of SLC12A family cotransporters. In cardiomyocytes ex vivo and in vivo, compensatory ion fluxes confer daily variation in electrical activity. Perturbation of soluble protein abundance has commensurate effects on ion composition and cellular function across the circadian cycle. Thus, circadian regulation of the proteome impacts ion homeostasis with substantial consequences for the physiology of electrically active cells such as cardiomyocytes.
Space-time crystalline order of a high-critical-temperature superconductor with intrinsic Josephson junctions
Authors: Kleiner Reinhold , Zhou Xianjing , Dorsch Eric , Zhang Xufeng , Koelle Dieter , Jin Dafei
Published: October 2021

We theoretically demonstrate that the high-critical-temperature (high-Tc) superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x(BSCCO) is a natural candidate for the recently envisioned classical space-time crystal. BSCCO intrinsically forms a stack of Josephson junctions. Under a periodic parametric modulation of the Josephson critical current density, the Josephson currents develop coupled space-time crystalline order, breaking the continuous translational symmetry in both space and time. The modulation frequency and amplitude span a (nonequilibrium) phase diagram for a so-defined spatiotemporal order parameter, which displays rigid pattern formation within a particular region of the phase diagram. Based on our calculations using representative material properties, we propose a laser-modulation experiment to realize the predicted space-time crystalline behavior. Our findings bring new insight into the nature of space-time crystals and, more generally, into nonequilibrium driven condensed matter systems.
Biomimetic CO oxidation below −100 °C by a nitrate-containing metal-free microporous system
Authors: Khivantsev Konstantin , Jaegers Nicholas R. , Aleksandrov Hristiyan A. , Kovarik Libor , Derewinski Miroslaw A. , Wang Yong , Vayssilov Georgi N. , Szanyi Janos
Published: October 2021

CO oxidation is of importance both for inorganic and living systems. Transition and precious metals supported on various materials can oxidize CO to CO2. Among them, few systems, such as Au/TiO2, can perform CO oxidation at temperatures as low as −70 °C. Living (an)aerobic organisms perform CO oxidation with nitrate using complex enzymes under ambient temperatures representing an essential pathway for life, which enables respiration in the absence of oxygen and leads to carbonate mineral formation. Herein, we report that CO can be oxidized to CO2by nitrate at −140 °C within an inorganic, nonmetallic zeolitic system. The transformation of NOxand CO species in zeolite as well as the origin of this unique activity is clarified using a joint spectroscopic and computational approach.
Ketamine increases activity of a fronto-striatal projection that regulates compulsive behavior in SAPAP3 knockout mice
Authors: Davis Gwynne L. , Minerva Adelaide R. , Lario Argentina , Simmler Linda D. , Rodriguez Carolyn I. , Gunaydin Lisa A.
Published: October 2021

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions), is associated with dysfunction in fronto-striatal circuits. There are currently no fast-acting pharmacological treatments for OCD. However, recent clinical studies demonstrated that an intravenous infusion of ketamine rapidly reduces OCD symptoms. To probe mechanisms underlying ketamine’s therapeutic effect on OCD-like behaviors, we used the SAPAP3 knockout (KO) mouse model of compulsive grooming. Here we recapitulate the fast-acting therapeutic effect of ketamine on compulsive behavior, and show that ketamine increases activity of dorsomedial prefrontal neurons projecting to the dorsomedial striatum in KO mice. Optogenetically mimicking this increase in fronto-striatal activity reduced compulsive grooming behavior in KO mice. Conversely, inhibiting this circuit in wild-type mice increased grooming. Finally, we demonstrate that ketamine blocks the exacerbation of grooming in KO mice caused by optogenetically inhibiting fronto-striatal activity. These studies demonstrate that ketamine increases activity in a fronto-striatal circuit that causally controls compulsive grooming behavior, suggesting this circuit may be important for ketamine’s therapeutic effects in OCD.
A C. elegans model of C9orf72-associated ALS/FTD uncovers a conserved role for eIF2D in RAN translation
Authors: Sonobe Yoshifumi , Aburas Jihad , Krishnan Gopinath , Fleming Andrew C. , Ghadge Ghanashyam , Islam Priota , Warren Eleanor C. , Gu Yuanzheng , Kankel Mark W. , Brown André E. X. , Kiskinis Evangelos , Gendron Tania F. , Gao Fen-Biao , Roos Raymond P. , Kratsios Paschalis
Published: October 2021

A hexanucleotide repeat expansion GGGGCC in the non-coding region of C9orf72 is the most common cause of inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Toxic dipeptide repeats (DPRs) are synthesized from GGGGCC via repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. Here, we develop C. elegans models that express, either ubiquitously or exclusively in neurons, 75 GGGGCC repeats flanked by intronic C9orf72 sequence. The worms generate DPRs (poly-glycine-alanine [poly-GA], poly-glycine-proline [poly-GP]) and poly-glycine-arginine [poly-GR]), display neurodegeneration, and exhibit locomotor and lifespan defects. Mutation of a non-canonical translation-initiating codon (CUG) upstream of the repeats selectively reduces poly-GA steady-state levels and ameliorates disease, suggesting poly-GA is pathogenic. Importantly, loss-of-function mutations in the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2D (eif-2D/eIF2D) reduce poly-GA and poly-GP levels, and increase lifespan in both C. elegans models. Our in vitro studies in mammalian cells yield similar results. Here, we show a conserved role for eif-2D/eIF2D in DPR expression.
Iron phthalocyanine on Au(111) is a “non-Landau” Fermi liquid
Authors: Žitko R. , Blesio G. G. , Manuel L. O. , Aligia A. A.
Published: October 2021

The paradigm of Landau’s Fermi liquid theory has been challenged with the finding of a strongly interacting Fermi liquid that cannot be adiabatically connected to a non-interacting system. A spin-1 two-channel Kondo impurity with anisotropy D has a quantum phase transition between two topologically different Fermi liquids with a peak (dip) in the Fermi level for D < Dc (D > Dc). Extending this theory to general multi-orbital problems with finite magnetic field, we reinterpret in a unified and consistent fashion several experimental studies of iron phthalocyanine molecules on Au(111) that were previously described in disconnected and conflicting ways. The differential conductance shows a zero-bias dip that widens when the molecule is lifted from the surface (reducing the Kondo couplings) and is transformed continuously into a peak under an applied magnetic field. We reproduce all features and propose an experiment to induce the topological transition.
Elevated serum levels of methylglyoxal are associated with impaired liver function in patients with liver cirrhosis
Authors: Michel Maurice , Hess Cornelius , Kaps Leonard , Kremer Wolfgang M. , Hilscher Max , Galle Peter R. , Moehler Markus , Schattenberg Jörn M. , Wörns Marcus-Alexander , Labenz Christian , Nagel Michael
Published: October 2021

Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a highly reactive dicarbonyl species that forms advanced glycation end products (AGEs). The binding of these AGEs to their receptor (RAGE) causes and sustains severe inflammation. Systemic inflammation is postulated to be a major driver in the progression of liver cirrhosis. However, the role of circulating MGO levels in liver cirrhosis remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the serum levels of two dicarbonyl species, MGO and glyoxal (GO) using tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) and evaluated their association with disease severity. A total of 51 inpatients and outpatients with liver cirrhosis of mixed etiology and different disease stages were included. Elevated MGO levels were seen in an advanced stage of liver cirrhosis (p < 0.001). High MGO levels remained independently associated with impaired liver function, as assessed by the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) (β = 0.448, p = 0.002) and acute decompensation (AD) (β = 0.345, p = 0.005) scores. Furthermore, MGO was positively correlated with markers of systemic inflammation (IL-6, p = 0.004) and the development of ascites (p = 0.013). In contrast, no changes were seen in GO serum levels. Circulating levels of MGO are elevated in advanced stages of liver cirrhosis and are associated with impaired liver function and liver-related parameters.
Assessment of exposure to ionizing radiation in Chernobyl tree frogs (Hyla orientalis)
Authors: Burraco Pablo , Car Clément , Bonzom Jean-Marc , Orizaola Germán
Published: October 2021

Ionizing radiation can damage organic molecules, causing detrimental effects on human and wildlife health. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (1986) represents the largest release of radioactive material to the environment. An accurate estimation of the current exposure to radiation in wildlife, often reduced to ambient dose rate assessments, is crucial to understand the long-term impact of radiation on living organisms. Here, we present an evaluation of the sources and variation of current exposure to radiation in breeding Eastern tree frogs (Hyla orientalis) males living in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Total absorbed dose rates in H. orientalis were highly variable, although generally below widely used thresholds considered harmful for animal health. Internal exposure was the main source of absorbed dose rate (81% on average), with 90Sr being the main contributor (78% of total dose rate, on average). These results highlight the importance of assessing both internal and external exposure levels in order to perform a robust evaluation of the exposure to radiation in wildlife. Further studies incorporating life-history, ecological, and evolutionary traits are needed to fully evaluate the effects that these exposure levels can have in amphibians and other taxa inhabiting radio-contaminated environments.
A study on the therapeutic effects of biplane skin dilator implantation in auricular reconstruction
Authors: Sun Pengfei , Lu Meng , Wang Changchen , Pan Bo
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to compare the therapeutic effects of biplane skin dilator implantation with those of conventional skin dilator implantation in auricular reconstruction. A total of 137 patients with microtia who met the inclusion criteria from January 2020 to April 2021 were retrospectively selected. Sixty-three patients comprised the control group and were implanted with a skin expander using the conventional method. Seventy-four patients comprised the experimental group and were implanted with a skin expander using the biplane method. Non-parametric tests were used to compare the down-moving distance of the skin dilator between the experimental group and the control group. There was a statistically significant difference in the down-moving distance of the skin dilator between the experimental group and the control group (P < 0.05). The chi-square test showed no significant difference in postoperative complications between the experimental group and the control group (P > 0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the satisfaction rate of patients and their families between the experimental group and the control group (P > 0.05). In this study, the treatment effect of biplane skin dilator implantation was better than that of conventional skin dilator implantation.
Desertification of Iran in the early twenty-first century: assessment using climate and vegetation indices
Authors: Eskandari Dameneh Hadi , Gholami Hamid , Telfer Matt W. , Comino Jesús Rodrigo , Collins Adrian L. , Jansen John D.
Published: October 2021

Remote sensing of specific climatic and biogeographical parameters is an effective means of evaluating the large-scale desertification status of drylands affected by negative human impacts. Here, we identify and analyze desertification trends in Iran for the period 2001–2015 via a combination of three indices for vegetation (NPP—net primary production, NDVI—normalized difference vegetation index, LAI—leaf area index) and two climate indices (LST—land surface temperature, P—precipitation). We combine these indices to identify and map areas of Iran that are susceptible to land degradation. We then apply a simple linear regression method, the Mann–Kendall non-parametric test, and the Theil–Sen estimator to identify long-term temporal and spatial trends within the data. Based on desertification map, we find that 68% of Iran shows a high to very high susceptibility to desertification, representing an area of 1.1 million km2(excluding 0.42 million km2classified as unvegetated). Our results highlight the importance of scale in assessments of desertification, and the value of high-resolution data, in particular. Annually, no significant change is evident within any of the five indices, but significant changes (some positive, some negative) become apparent on a seasonal basis. Some observations follow expectations; for instance, NDVI is strongly associated with cooler, wet spring and summer seasons, and milder winters. Others require more explanation; for instance, vegetation appears decoupled from climatic forcing during autumn. Spatially, too, there is much local and regional variation, which is lost when the data are considered only at the largest nationwide scale. We identify a northwest–southeast belt spanning central Iran, which has experienced significant vegetation decline (2001–2015). We tentatively link this belt of land degradation with intensified agriculture in the hinterlands of Iran’s major cities. The spatial and temporal trends identified with the three vegetation and two climate indices afford a cost-effective framework for the prediction and management of future environmental trends in developing regions at risk of desertification.
A millennium-long climate history of erosive storms across the Tiber River Basin, Italy, from 725 to 2019 CE
Authors: Diodato Nazzareno , Ljungqvist Fredrik Charpentier , Bellocchi Gianni
Published: October 2021

Rainfall erosivity drives damaging hydrological events with significant environmental and socio-economic impacts. This study presents the world’s hitherto longest time-series of annual rainfall erosivity (725–2019 CE), one from the Tiber River Basin (TRB), a fluvial valley in central Italy in which the city of Rome is located. A historical perspective of erosive floods in the TRB is provided employing a rainfall erosivity model based on documentary data, calibrated against a sample (1923–1964) of actual measurement data. Estimates show a notable rainfall erosivity, and increasing variability, during the Little Ice Age (here, ~ 1250–1849), especially afterc. 1495. During the sixteenth century, erosive forcing peaked at > 3500 MJ mm hm–2 h–1 yr–1in 1590, with values > 2500 MJ mm hm–2 h–1 yr–1in 1519 and 1566. Rainfall erosivity continued into the Current Warm Period (since ~ 1850), reaching a maximum of ~ 3000 MJ mm hm–2 h–1 yr–1in the 1940s. More recently, erosive forcing has attenuated, though remains critically high (e.g., 2087 and 2008 MJ mm hm–2 h–1 yr–1in 1992 and 2005, respectively). Comparison of the results with sediment production (1934–1973) confirms the model’s ability to predict geomorphological effects in the TRB, and reflects the role of North Atlantic circulation dynamics in central Italian river basins.
The gut microbiota and microbial metabolites are associated with tail biting in pigs
Authors: Verbeek Else , Keeling Linda , Landberg Rikard , Lindberg Jan Erik , Dicksved Johan
Published: October 2021

Tail biting is an abnormal behaviour that causes stress, injury and pain. Given the critical role of the gut-microbiota in the development of behavioural problems in humans and animals, the aim of this study was to determine whether pigs that are biters, victims of tail biting or controls (nine matched sets of pigs) have a different microbiota composition, diversity and microbial metabolite profile. We collected faecal and blood samples from each individual for analysis. The gut microbiota composition was most different between the biter and the control pigs, with a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes in tail biter pigs than the controls. Furthermore, we detected differences in faecal and plasma short chain fatty acids (SCFA) profiles between the biter and victim pigs, suggesting physiological differences even though they are kept in the same pen. Thus, in addition to supporting an association between the gut microbiota and tail biting in pigs, this study also provides the first evidence of an association between tail biting and SCFA. Therefore, further research is needed to confirm these associations, to determine causality and to study how the SCFA profiles of an individual play a role in the development of tail biting behaviour.
Effects of an electric field on sleep quality and life span mediated by ultraviolet (UV)-A/blue light photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME in Drosophila
Authors: Kawasaki Haruhisa , Okano Hideyuki , Nedachi Takaki , Nakagawa-Yagi Yuzo , Hara Akikuni , Ishida Norio
Published: October 2021

Although electric fields (EF) exert beneficial effects on animal wound healing, differentiation, cancers and rheumatoid arthritis, the molecular mechanisms of these effects have remained unclear about a half century. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying EF effects in Drosophila melanogaster as a genetic animal model. Here we show that the sleep quality of wild type (WT) flies was improved by exposure to a 50-Hz (35 kV/m) constant electric field during the day time, but not during the night time. The effect was undetectable in cryptochrome mutant (cryb) flies. Exposure to a 50-Hz electric field under low nutrient conditions elongated the lifespan of male and female WT flies by ~ 18%, but not of several cry mutants and cry RNAi strains. Metabolome analysis indicated that the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content was higher in intact WT than cry gene mutant strains exposed to an electric field. A putative magnetoreceptor protein and UV-A/blue light photoreceptor, CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) is involved in electric field (EF) receptors in animals. The present findings constitute hitherto unknown genetic evidence of a CRY-based system that is electric field sensitive in animals.
Soil organic matter and clay zeta potential influence aggregation of a clayey red soil (Ultisol) under long-term fertilization
Authors: He Yangbo , Yang Mingxuan , Huang Rui , Wang Yao , Ali Waqar
Published: October 2021

The effect of soil organic matter (SOM) on aggregation of variably-charged red soils (Ultisol) through clay zeta potential is not fully understood. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to investigate the SOM effect on the clay zeta potential and soil aggregation after fertilization. Soils under 17 years of fertilization (manure, NPK + straw, NPK, and control (CK) were adjusted by KCl solution to reach varying soil pH and concentration in order to determine clay zeta potential, cations, and aggregate size distribution. The SOM content and C-functional groups by13C-NMR analysis were also determined. Results showed that the negative zeta potential displayed a bell-shaped pattern with increasing concentration of KCl, but displayed different amplitude of variation among treatments. Manure had the highest zeta potential value and its degree of variation in relative to the value at KCl concentration of 0.1 mol L−1(19%), NPK + straw and NPK treatments were similar, and CK was the least. Greater negative zeta potential for manure treatment was attributed to higher SOM content, aromatic-C functional groups, and their greater concentrations of Ca2+and Mg2+than did the CK. As a result, higher SOM and clay zeta potential yielded in less release of amount of soil particles (< 10 μm) (r = − 0.46*) and enhanced water stable macroaggregates for manure instead of NPK + straw. Long-term manure fertilization would be suggested as a conservation practice for red soil due to its increase in soil aggregate stability and negative zeta potential in subtropical climate.
Periodic repolarization dynamics as predictor of risk for sudden cardiac death in chronic heart failure patients
Authors: Palacios Saúl , Cygankiewicz Iwona , Bayés de Luna Antoni , Pueyo Esther , Martínez Juan Pablo
Published: October 2021

The two most common modes of death among chronic heart failure (CHF) patients are sudden cardiac death (SCD) and pump failure death (PFD). Periodic repolarization dynamics (PRD) quantifies low-frequency oscillations in the T wave vector of the electrocardiogram (ECG) and has been postulated to reflect sympathetic modulation of ventricular repolarization. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of PRD to predict SCD and PFD in a population of CHF patients. 20-min high-resolution (1000 Hz) ECG recordings from 569 CHF patients were analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups, $$\hbox {PRD}^+$$

PRD
+

and $$\hbox {PRD}^-$$

PRD
-

, corresponding to PRD values above and below the optimum cutoff point of PRD in the study population. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that SCD risk in the $$\hbox {PRD}^+$$

PRD
+

group was double the risk in the $$\hbox {PRD}^-$$

PRD
-

group [hazard ratio (95% CI) 2.001 (1.127–3.554), $$\hbox {p}<0.05$$

p
<
0.05

]. The combination of PRD with other Holter-based ECG indices, such as turbulence slope (TS) and index of average alternans (IAA), improved SCD prediction by identifying groups of patients at high SCD risk. PFD could be predicted by PRD only when combined with TS [hazard ratio 2.758 (1.572–4.838), $$\hbox {p}<0.001$$

p
<
0.001

]. In conclusion, the combination of PRD with IAA and TS can be used to stratify the risk for SCD and PFD, respectively, in CHF patients.
A benchmarking of human mitochondrial DNA haplogroup classifiers from whole-genome and whole-exome sequence data
Authors: García-Olivares Víctor , Muñoz-Barrera Adrián , Lorenzo-Salazar José M. , Zaragoza-Trello Carlos , Rubio-Rodríguez Luis A. , Díaz-de Usera Ana , Jáspez David , Iñigo-Campos Antonio , González-Montelongo Rafaela , Flores Carlos
Published: October 2021

The mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is of interest for a range of fields including evolutionary, forensic, and medical genetics. Human mitogenomes can be classified into evolutionary related haplogroups that provide ancestral information and pedigree relationships. Because of this and the advent of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology, there is a diversity of bioinformatic tools for haplogroup classification. We present a benchmarking of the 11 most salient tools for human mtDNA classification using empirical whole-genome (WGS) and whole-exome (WES) short-read sequencing data from 36 unrelated donors. We also assessed the best performing tool in third-generation long noisy read WGS data obtained with nanopore technology for a subset of the donors. We found that, for short-read WGS, most of the tools exhibit high accuracy for haplogroup classification irrespective of the input file used for the analysis. However, for short-read WES, Haplocheck and MixEmt were the most accurate tools. Based on the performance shown for WGS and WES, and the accompanying qualitative assessment, Haplocheck stands out as the most complete tool. For third-generation HTS data, we also showed that Haplocheck was able to accurately retrieve mtDNA haplogroups for all samples assessed, although only after following assembly-based approaches (either based on a referenced-based assembly or a hybrid de novo assembly). Taken together, our results provide guidance for researchers to select the most suitable tool to conduct the mtDNA analyses from HTS data.
Dried blood sample analysis by antibody array across the total testing process
Authors: Whittaker Kelly , Mao Ying-Qing , Lin Yongping , Zhang Huihua , Zhu Siwei , Peck Hannah , Huang Ruo-Pan
Published: October 2021

Dried blood samples (DBSs) have many advantages; yet, impediments have limited the clinical utilization of DBSs. We developed a novel volumetric sampling device that collects a precise volume of blood, which overcomes the heterogeneity and hematocrit issues commonly encountered in a traditional DBS card collection as well as allowing for more efficient extraction and processing procedures and thus, more efficient quantitation, by using the entire sample. We also provided a thorough procedure validation using this volumetric DBS collection device with an established quantitative proteomics analysis method, and then analyzed 1000 proteins using this approach in DBSs concomitantly with serum for future consideration of utility in clinical applications. Our data provide a first step in the establishment of a DBS database for the broad application of this sample type for widespread use in clinical proteomic and other analyses applications.