bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anwar Shaikh and the classical theory of interest: a critical note
Authors: Toporowski Jan
Published: June 2019

The Note examines the theory of interest put forward in Shaikh’s recent book Capitalism, Competition, Conflict, Crises which presents the classic Ricardian theory of interest, in which the rate of interest is determined by the industrial rate of profit, as the basis for the book’s analysis of banking and credit. The Note argues that the classic theory of Anwar Shaikh holds true only under special assumptions, namely when money is a produced commodity, and credit is external to the system of capitalist production. However, in the modern capitalist economy, credit is endogenous to the system of production and distribution. In this more general case, debt and interest have the function of redistributing income, but are unrelated to the rate of profit from production.
1979 and all that: a 40-year reassessment of Margaret Thatcher’s legacy on her own terms
Authors: Albertson Kevin , Stepney Paul
Published: June 2019

Economics are the method: The object is to change the soul (Thatcher, 1981)

There is a growing disaffection with mainstream politics in the world’s liberal democracies. In particular, the UK has become an increasingly divided nation; as evidenced by, for example, increasing inequality, an emphasis on individualism, the so-called North/South divide and the polarised debate about the UK’s leaving the European Union. Many leading UK politicians claim their inheritance of the “Thatcher legacy” to legitimate their proposed policies, yet it is not clear what is that legacy. Thatcher’s policies, instituted in the 1980s and broadly pursued by subsequent governments, changed the economic and social outlook of the UK. Criticism of her record is taken to indicate one is a left-wing ideologue. Our contribution in the following is that we judge Thatcher’s policies by no standards other than her own. Utilising a holistic approach, we consider whether neo-liberal policies facilitated or undermined the UK’s achieving Thatcher’s stated moral outcomes: the growth of democratic capitalism and the strengthening of the moral economy. We demonstrate, in contrast to contemporary narratives of her “saving the country”, the neo-liberal economic experiment has failed to deliver, even on Thatcher’s own terms. This analysis has contemporary domestic and global implications as generally Thatcherite policies continue to be applied in the UK and in other nations around the world.
Influence of Gesture and Linguistic Experience on Sign Perception
Authors: Gimeno-Martínez Marc , Costa Albert , Baus Cristina
Published: June 2019

In the past years, there has been a significant increase in the number of people learning sign languages. For hearing second language (L2) signers, acquiring a sign language involves acquiring a new language in a different modality. Exploring how L2 sign perception is accomplished and how newly learned categories are created is the aim of the present study. In particular, we investigated handshape perception by means of two tasks, identification and discrimination. In two experiments, we compared groups of hearing L2 signers and groups with different knowledge of sign language. Experiment 1 explored three groups of children—hearing L2 signers, deaf signers, and hearing nonsigners. All groups obtained similar results in both identification and discrimination tasks regardless of sign language experience. In Experiment 2, two groups of adults—Catalan sign language learners (LSC) and nonsigners—perceived handshapes that could be permissible (either as a sign or as a gesture) or not. Both groups obtained similar results in both tasks and performed significantly different perceiving handshapes depending on their permissibility. The results obtained here suggest that sign language experience is not a determinant factor in handshape perception and support other hypotheses considering gesture experience.
Size Matters: How Over-Investments Relax Liquidity Constraints in Relational Contracts
Authors: Englmaier Florian , Fahn Matthias
Published: June 2019

The corporate finance literature documents that managers tend to over-invest in their companies. A number of theoretical contributions have aimed at explaining this stylised fact and most have focused on a fundamental agency problem between shareholders and managers. This article shows that over-investments are not necessarily the (negative) consequence of agency problems between shareholders and managers but instead might be a second-best optimal response to address problems of limited commitment and limited liquidity. If a firm has to rely on relational contracts to motivate its workforce and if it faces a volatile environment, then investments into general, non-relationship-specific capital can increase the efficiency of a firm’s labour relations.
The lipid droplet protein Pgc1 controls the subcellular distribution of phosphatidylglycerol
Authors: Kubalová Dominika , Káňovičová Paulína , Veselá Petra , Awadová Thuraya , Džugasová Vladimíra , Daum Günther , Malínský Jan , Balážová Mária
Published: June 2019

The biosynthesis of yeast phosphatidylglycerol (PG) takes place in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Outside mitochondria, the abundance of PG is low. Here, we present evidence that the subcellular distribution of PG is maintained by the locally controlled enzymatic activity of the PG-specific phospholipase, Pgc1. A fluorescently labeled Pgc1 protein accumulates on the surface of lipid droplets (LD). We show, however, that LD are not only dispensable for Pgc1-mediated PG degradation, but do not even host any phospholipase activity of Pgc1. Our in vitro assays document the capability of LD-accumulated Pgc1 to degrade PG upon entry to the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and even of artificial phospholipid vesicles. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis confirms the continuous exchange of GFP-Pgc1 within the individual LD in situ, suggesting that a steady-state equilibrium exists between LD and membranes to regulate the immediate phospholipase activity of Pgc1. In this model, LD serve as a storage place and shelter Pgc1, preventing its untimely degradation, while both phospholipase activity and degradation of the enzyme occur in the membranes.
NMR and molecular modeling reveal specificity of the interactions between CXCL14 and glycosaminoglycans
Authors: Penk Anja , Baumann Lars , Huster Daniel , Samsonov Sergey A
Published: June 2019

CXCL14, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 14, is a novel highly conserved chemokine with unique features. Despite exhibiting the typical chemokine fold, it has a very short N-terminus of just two amino acid residues responsible for chemokine receptor activation. CXCL14 actively participates in homeostatic immune surveillance of skin and mucosae, is linked to metabolic disorders and fibrotic lung diseases and possesses strong anti-angiogenic properties in early tumor development. In this work, we investigated the interaction of CXCL14 with various glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, microscale thermophoresis, analytical heparin (HE) affinity chromatography and in silico approaches to understand the molecular basis of GAG-binding. We observed different GAG-binding modes specific for the GAG type used in the study. In particular, the CXCL14 epitope for HE suggests a binding pose distinguishable from the ones of the other GAGs investigated (hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate-A/C, −D, dermatan sulfate). This observation is also supported by computational methods that included molecular docking, molecular dynamics and free energy calculations. Based on our results, we suggest that distinct GAG sulfation patterns confer specificity beyond simple electrostatic interactions usually considered to represent the driving forces in protein–GAG interactions. The CXCL14–GAG system represents a promising approach to investigate the specificity of GAG–protein interactions, which represents an important topic for developing the rational approaches to novel strategies in regenerative medicine.
On the Standard Poisson Structure and a Frobenius Splitting of the Basic Affine Space
Authors: Peng Jun , Yu Shizhuo
Published: June 2019

The goal of this paper is to construct a Frobenius splitting on $G/U$ via the Poisson geometry of $(G/U,\pi _{{{\scriptscriptstyle G}}/{{\scriptscriptstyle U}}})$, where $G$ is a simply connected semi-simple algebraic group defined over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p> 3$, $U$ is the uniradical of a Borel subgroup of $G$, and $\pi _{{{\scriptscriptstyle G}}/{{\scriptscriptstyle U}}}$ is the standard Poisson structure on $G/U$. We first study the Poisson geometry of $(G/U,\pi _{{{\scriptscriptstyle G}}/{{\scriptscriptstyle U}}})$. Then we develop a general theory for Frobenius splittings on $\mathbb{T}$-Poisson varieties, where $\mathbb{T}$ is an algebraic torus. In particular, we prove that compatibly split subvarieties of Frobenius splittings constructed in this way must be $\mathbb{T}$-Poisson subvarieties. Lastly, we apply our general theory to construct a Frobenius splitting on $G/U$.
Enhancing efficiency in a cardiac investigations department by increasing remote patient monitoring
Authors: Ryan Paul , McGrath Caitriona , Lawrie Iain , Fitzsimons Caoimhe , O’Shea Jack , De BrÚn Aoife
Published: June 2019

Objective

Remote monitoring (RM) of patients with cardiac rhythm management devices enables healthcare teams to effectively and efficiently monitor patients with heart problems without the requirement in-person patient visits. RM has been associated with safer and higher quality care but was not being used to its full potential in this setting. Cardiac rhythm management had observed an average implant rate of 295 devices per year over the past 13 years, resulting in a five-fold growth in patient follow-up in clinics. This increased demand was becoming unmanageable, with impacts on care quality. This study aimed to enhance the enrolment of eligible patients to RM.

Design

A pre-post design.

Setting

A 600-bed city centre teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland.

Participants

Hospital staff and patients eligible for RM.

Interventions

Lean Six Sigma methods were used to develop patient education materials on RM and the clinic area was redesigned to enable RM enrolment and monitoring.

Main outcomes measures

Number of unscheduled attendances to clinic and RM enrolment.

Results

At baseline, the clinic was processing 102 RM follow-up checks with 140 unscheduled attendances on average per month. Following implementation, RM enrolment increased to 335 RM follow-up checks (194% increase), with 41 unscheduled attendances on average per month (70% decrease). These results were sustained one-year post-implementation.

Conclusions

These process changes have streamlined workflow by reducing the number of unscheduled attendances to clinic and increased the use of RM among the eligible patient population. This has meant safer, more timely responses to cardiac events and enhanced care quality.
Species distribution and antifungal susceptibility of invasive Candida isolates from Canadian hospitals: results of the CANWARD 2011–16 study
Authors: Fuller Jeff , Dingle Tanis C , Bull Amy , Shokoples Sandy , Laverdière Michel , Baxter Melanie R , Adam Heather J , Karlowsky James A , Zhanel George G ,   Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA) and CANWARD, Zhanel George G , Hoban Daryl J , Adam Heather J , Baxter Melanie R , Nichol Kimberly A , Lagacé-Wiens Philippe R S , Walkty Andrew , Karlowsky James A , Blondeau J , Slinger R , Davidson R , Zhanel G , Hoban D , Delport J , Ellis C , Laverdière M , Loo V , Poutanen S , Fuller J , Roscoe D , Desjardins M , Matukas L , Goyette M , Lee C , Carignan A , Bergevin M , Pelletier R
Published: June 2019

Objectives

Understanding the epidemiology of invasive Candida infections is essential to patient management decisions and antifungal stewardship practices. This study characterized the species distribution and antifungal susceptibilities of prospectively collected isolates of Candida species causing bloodstream infections (BSIs) in patients admitted to tertiary care hospitals located in 14 cities across 8 of the 10 Canadian provinces between 2011 and 2016.

Methods

Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution using CLSI methods, breakpoints and epidemiological cut-off values. DNA sequencing of fks loci was performed on all echinocandin-non-susceptible isolates.

Results

Candida albicans (49.6%), Candida glabrata (20.8%) and Candida parapsilosis complex (12.0%) were the most common species out of 1882 isolates associated with BSIs. Candida tropicalis (5.2%), Candida krusei (4.3%), Candida dubliniensis (4.1%), Candida lusitaniae (1.4%) and Candida guilliermondii (1.1%) were less frequently isolated. Between 2011 and 2016, the proportion of C. albicans significantly decreased from 60.9% to 42.1% (P < 0.0001) while that of C. glabrata significantly increased from 16.4% to 22.4% (P = 0.023). C. albicans (n = 934), C. glabrata (n = 392) and C. parapsilosis complex (n = 225) exhibited 0.6%, 1.0% and 4.9% resistance to fluconazole and 0.1%, 2.5% and 0% resistance to micafungin, respectively. Mutations in fks hot-spot regions were confirmed in all nine micafungin non-susceptible C. glabrata.

Conclusions

Antifungal resistance in contemporary isolates of Candida causing BSIs in Canada is uncommon. However, the proportion of C. glabrata isolates has increased and echinocandin resistance in this species has emerged. Ongoing surveillance of local hospital epidemiology and appropriate antifungal stewardship practices are necessary to preserve the utility of available antifungal agents.
How long will treatment guidelines for TB continue to overlook variability in drug exposure?
Authors: Muliaditan Morris , Della Pasqua Oscar
Published: June 2019

Background

Despite wide clinical acceptance, the use of weight-banded dosing regimens for the treatment of TB in adults has been defined on an empirical basis. The potential impact of known covariate factors on exposure to different drugs has not been taken into account.

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of demographic factors on the exposure to standard of care drugs after weight-banded dosing, as currently recommended by TB treatment guidelines. In addition, we aim to identify alternative dosing regimens that ensure comparable systemic exposure across the overall patient population.

Methods

Clinical trial simulations were performed to assess the differences in systemic exposure in a cohort of virtual patients. Secondary pharmacokinetic parameters were used to evaluate the adequacy of each regimen along with the percentage of patients achieving predefined thresholds.

Results

Our results show that patients weighing less than 40 kg are underexposed relative to patients with higher body weight. The opposite trend was observed following a crude weight band-based dosing regimen with 50 kg as the cut-off point. Simulations indicate that a fixed-dose regimen based on three (<40 kg), four (40–70 kg) or five (>70 kg) tablets of 150 mg rifampicin, 75 mg isoniazid, 400 mg pyrazinamide and 275 mg ethambutol reduces variability in exposure, increasing the overall probability of favourable long-term outcome across the population.

Conclusions

These findings suggest the need to revisit current guidelines for the dose of standard of care drugs for TB treatment in adults. The proposed fixed-dose regimen should be considered in future clinical trials.
Airports, access and local economic performance: evidence from China
Authors: Gibbons Stephen , Wu Wenjie
Published: June 2019

In this article, we study the effect of airports on local economic performance that arises from better access to domestic markets in the context of China’s recent airport network expansion. We measure access through the changes in network closeness centrality implied by the contraction in potential journey times between counties within China. Our key finding is that better access—primarily due to landside distance reductions to airports—increased manufacturing productivity. The analysis is carried out on a panel of counties built from micro data on industrial firms, administrative records and census data. To mitigate endogeneity issues, we focus on a subsample of ‘incidentally’ affected counties, whose location midway between existing and new airports implies that they were neither explicitly targeted for development nor directly affected by airport operations.
South Africa’s Journey from Socialism to Human Rights: The True Confessions of an Errant Socialist
Authors: Heywood Mark
Published: June 2019

This article explores the possibilities and pitfalls of various methods of human rights advocacy in post-apartheid South Africa. It does so through following the personal journey of the author, first as a socialist in the anti-apartheid movement and later as a leading human rights activist in some of the most successful civil society organizations to emerge in the post-apartheid period. The journey begins in the pre-constitutional period in 1994 (the year South Africa had its first democratic election) and continues through to 2019. It examines the evolution of human rights practice, particularly in relation to access to treatment for HIV/AIDS and the realization of socioeconomic rights to health care services and basic education. It measures its achievements against the discourse of socialists, particularly their critique of using law, the courts and human rights in the quest for equality. It shows how South Africa has a long tradition of human rights activism that stretches back to the colonial and apartheid periods. However, making human rights justiciable in South Africa’s 1996 Constitution was a game-changer that has enabled tangible victories to be achieved through a combination of litigation and social mobilization. Despite this the author believes that this period of advance may now be reaching its limits and he argues that human rights practice now needs a much deeper consideration of its command over matters of economy and private (corporate) power if it is to retain its credibility in twenty-first century struggles for equality and social justice. The article ends with some suggestions about how this can be done.
Genetic architecture of leaf photosynthesis in rice revealed by different types of reciprocal mapping populations
Authors: Adachi Shunsuke , Yamamoto Toshio , Nakae Toru , Yamashita Masahiro , Uchida Masaki , Karimata Ryoji , Ichihara Naoto , Soda Kazuya , Ochiai Takayuki , Ao Risako , Otsuka Chikako , Nakano Ruri , Takai Toshiyuki , Ikka Takashi , Kondo Katsuhiko , Ueda Tadamasa , Ookawa Taiichiro , Hirasawa Tadashi
Published: June 2019

Several reliable QTLs for leaf photosynthesis were detected using reciprocal mapping populations derived from japonica and indica rice varieties with different photosynthetic capacities.
The fungal sesquiterpenoid pyrenophoric acid B uses the plant ABA biosynthetic pathway to inhibit seed germination
Authors: Lozano-Juste Jorge , Masi Marco , Cimmino Alessio , Clement Suzette , Fernández Maria A , Antoni Regina , Meyer Susan , Rodriguez Pedro L , Evidente Antonio
Published: June 2019

Pyrenophoric acid (P-Acid), P-Acid B, and P-Acid C are three phytotoxic sesquiterpenoids produced by the ascomycete seed pathogen Pyrenophora semeniperda, a fungus proposed as a mycoherbicide for biocontrol of cheatgrass, an extremely invasive weed. When tested in cheatgrass bioassays, these metabolites were able to delay seed germination, with P-Acid B being the most active compound. Here, we have investigated the cross-kingdom activity of P-Acid B and its mode of action, and found that it activates the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway in order to inhibit seedling establishment. P-Acid B inhibits seedling establishment in wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana, while several mutants affected in the early perception as well as in downstream ABA signaling components were insensitive to the fungal compound. However, in spite of structural similarities between ABA and P-Acid B, the latter is not able to activate the PYR/PYL family of ABA receptors. Instead, we have found that P-Acid B uses the ABA biosynthesis pathway at the level of alcohol dehydrogenase ABA2 to reduce seedling establishment. We propose that the fungus P. semeniperda manipulates plant ABA biosynthesis as a strategy to reduce seed germination, increasing its ability to cause seed mortality and thereby increase its fitness through higher reproductive success.
The bHLH family member ZmPTF1 regulates drought tolerance in maize by promoting root development and abscisic acid synthesis
Authors: Li Zhaoxia , Liu Can , Zhang Ying , Wang Baomei , Ran Qijun , Zhang Juren
Published: June 2019

ZmPTF1 regulates drought tolerance in maize by promoting root development and ABA synthesis, by binding to the G-box in the promoter and activating the expression of NCEDs, CBF4, NAC081, and NAC30.
Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase-hydrolase30 negatively affects salt tolerance in Arabidopsis
Authors: Yan Jingwei , Huang Yun , He Huan , Han Tong , Di Pengcheng , Sechet Julien , Fang Lin , Liang Yan , Scheller Henrik Vibe , Mortimer Jenny C , Ni Lan , Jiang Mingyi , Hou Xilin , Zhang Aying
Published: June 2019

Plants have evolved various strategies to sense and respond to saline environments, which severely reduce plant growth and limit agricultural productivity. Alteration to the cell wall is one strategy that helps plants adapt to salt stress. However, the physiological mechanism of how the cell wall components respond to salt stress is not fully understood. Here, we show that expression of XTH30, encoding xyloglucan endotransglucosylase-hydrolase30, is strongly up-regulated in response to salt stress in Arabidopsis. Loss-of-function of XTH30 leads to increased salt tolerance and overexpression of XTH30 results in salt hypersensitivity. XTH30 is located in the plasma membrane and is highly expressed in the root, flower, stem, and etiolated hypocotyl. The NaCl-induced increase in xyloglucan (XyG)-derived oligosaccharide (XLFG) of the wild type is partly blocked in xth30 mutants. Loss-of-function of XTH30 slows down the decrease of crystalline cellulose content and the depolymerization of microtubules caused by salt stress. Moreover, lower Na+ accumulation in shoot and lower H2O2 content are found in xth30 mutants in response to salt stress. Taken together, these results indicate that XTH30 modulates XyG side chains, altered abundance of XLFG, cellulose synthesis, and cortical microtubule stability, and negatively affecting salt tolerance.
Interpreting the distributions of FRB observables
Authors: Connor Liam
Published: June 2019

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are short-duration radio transients of unknown origin. Thus far, they have been blindly detected at millisecond time-scales with dispersion measures (DMs) between 110 and 2600 pc cm−3. However, the observed pulse width, DM, and even brightness distributions depend strongly on the time and frequency resolution of the detection instrument. Spectral and temporal resolution also significantly affect FRB detection rates, similar to beam size and system-equivalent flux density. I discuss the interplay between underlying FRB properties and instrumental response, and provide a generic formalism for calculating the observed distributions of parameters given an intrinsic FRB distribution, focusing on pulse width and DM. I argue that if there exist many FRBs of duration <<1 ms (as with giant pulses from Galactic pulsars) or events with high DM, they are being missed due to the deleterious effects of smearing. I outline how to optimize the spectral and temporal resolution for FRB surveys that are throughput-limited. I also investigate how such effects may have been imprinted on the distributions of FRBs at real telescopes, like the different observed DMs at ASKAP and Parkes. Finally, I discuss the impact of intrinsic correlations between FRB parameters on detection statistics.
ASKAP detection of periodic and elliptically polarized radio pulses from UV Ceti
Authors: Zic Andrew , Stewart Adam , Lenc Emil , Murphy Tara , Lynch Christene , Kaplan David L , Hotan Aidan , Anderson Craig , Bunton John D , Chippendale Aaron , Mader Stacy , Phillips Chris
Published: June 2019

Active M dwarfs are known to produce bursty radio emission, and multiwavelength studies have shown that solar-like magnetic activity occurs in these stars. However, coherent bursts from active M dwarfs have often been difficult to interpret in the solar activity paradigm. We present Australian Square Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) observations of UV Ceti at a central frequency of 888 MHz. We detect several periodic, coherent pulses occurring over a time-scale consistent with the rotational period of UV Ceti. The properties of the pulsed emission show that they originate from the electron cyclotron maser instability, in a cavity at least 7 orders of magnitude less dense than the mean coronal density at the estimated source altitude. These results confirm that auroral activity can occur in active M dwarfs, suggesting that these stars mark the beginning of the transition from solar-like to auroral magnetospheric behaviour. These results demonstrate the capabilities of ASKAP for detecting polarized, coherent bursts from active stars and other systems.
AGN-driven quenching of satellite galaxies
Authors: Dashyan Gohar , Choi Ena , Somerville Rachel S , Naab Thorsten , Quirk Amanda C N , Hirschmann Michaela , Ostriker Jeremiah P
Published: June 2019

We explore the effect of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback from central galaxies on their satellites by comparing two sets of cosmological zoom-in runs of 27 haloes with masses ranging from 1012 to 1013.4$\rm {M}_{\odot}$ at z = 0, with (wAGN) and without (noAGN) AGN feedback. Both simulations include stellar feedback from multiple processes, including powerful winds from supernovae, stellar winds from young massive stars, AGB stars, radiative heating within Strömgren spheres and photoelectric heating. Our wAGN model is identical to the noAGN model except that it also includes a model for black hole seeding and accretion, as well as AGN feedback via high-velocity broad absorption line winds and Compton/photoionization heating. We show that the inclusion of AGN feedback from the central galaxy significantly affects the star formation history and the gas content of the satellite galaxies. AGN feedback starts to affect the gas content and the star formation of the satellites as early as z = 2. The mean gas-rich fraction of satellites at z = 0 decreases from 15 per cent in the noAGN simulation to 5 per cent in the wAGN simulation. The difference between the two sets extends as far out as five times the virial radius of the central galaxy at z = 1. We investigate the quenching mechanism by studying the physical conditions in the surroundings of pairs of satellites matched across the wAGN and noAGN simulations and find an increase in the temperature and relative velocity of the intergalactic gas.
Fundamental differences in the radio properties of red and blue quasars: evolution strongly favoured over orientation
Authors: Klindt L , Alexander D M , Rosario D J , Lusso E , Fotopoulou S
Published: June 2019

A minority of the optically selected quasar population are red at optical wavelengths due to the presence of dust along the line of sight. A key focus of many red quasar studies is to understand their relationship with the overall quasar population: are they blue quasars observed at a (slight) inclination angle or do they represent a transitional phase in the evolution of quasars? Identifying fundamental differences between red and blue quasars is key to discriminate between these two paradigms. To robustly explore this, we have uniformly selected quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with mid-infrared counterparts, carefully controlling for luminosity and redshift effects. We take a novel approach to distinguish between colour-selected quasars in the redshift range of 0.2 < z < 2.4 by constructing redshift-sensitive g* − i* colour cuts. From cross-matching this sample to the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-centimeters (FIRST) survey, we have found a factor ≈ 3 larger fraction of radio-detected red quasars with respect to that of blue quasars. Through a visual inspection of the FIRST images and an assessment of the radio luminosities (rest-frame ${L_{\rm 1.4\, GHz}}$ and ${L_{\rm 1.4\, GHz}}/{L_{\rm 6\mu m}}$), we find that the radio-detection excess for red quasars is primarily due to compact and radio-faint systems (around the radio-quiet – radio-loud threshold). We show that our results rule out orientation as the origin for the differences between red and blue quasars and argue that they provide broad agreement with an evolutionary model.
The Random Transiter – EPIC 249706694/HD 139139
Authors: Rappaport S , Vanderburg A , Kristiansen M H , Omohundro M R , Schwengeler H M , Terentev I A , Dai F , Masuda K , Jacobs T L , LaCourse D , Latham D W , Bieryla A , Hedges C L , Dittmann J , Barentsen G , Cochran W , Endl M , Jenkins J M , Mann A
Published: June 2019

We have identified a star, EPIC 249706694 (HD 139139), that was observed during K2 Campaign 15 with the Kepler extended mission that appears to exhibit 28 transit-like events over the course of the 87-d observation. The unusual aspect of these dips, all but two of which have depths of 200 ± 80 ppm, is that they exhibit no periodicity, and their arrival times could just as well have been produced by a random number generator. We show that no more than four of the events can be part of a periodic sequence. We have done a number of data quality tests to ascertain that these dips are of astrophysical origin, and while we cannot be absolutely certain that this is so, they have all the hallmarks of astrophysical variability on one of two possible host stars (a likely bound pair) in the photometric aperture. We explore a number of ideas for the origin of these dips, including actual planet transits due to multiple or dust emitting planets, anomalously large TTVs, S- and P-type transits in binary systems, a collection of dust-emitting asteroids, ‘dipper-star’ activity, and short-lived starspots. All transit scenarios that we have been able to conjure up appear to fail, while the intrinsic stellar variability hypothesis would be novel and untested.
Impact of Weak Lensing Mass Calibration on eROSITA Galaxy Cluster Cosmological Studies – a Forecast
Authors: Grandis S , Mohr J J , Dietrich J P , Bocquet S , Saro A , Klein M , Paulus M , Capasso R
Published: June 2019

We forecast the impact of weak lensing (WL) cluster mass calibration on the cosmological constraints from the X-ray selected galaxy cluster counts in the upcoming eROSITA survey. We employ a prototype cosmology pipeline to analyze mock cluster catalogs. Each cluster is sampled from the mass function in a fiducial cosmology and given an eROSITA count rate and redshift, where count rates are modeled using the eROSITA effective area, a typical exposure time, Poisson noise and the scatter and form of the observed X-ray luminosity– and temperature–mass–redshift relations. A subset of clusters have mock shear profiles to mimic either those from DES and HSC or from the future Euclid and LSST surveys. Using a count rate selection, we generate a baseline cluster cosmology catalog that contains 13k clusters over 14,892 deg2 of extragalactic sky. Low mass groups are excluded using raised count rate thresholds at low redshift. Forecast parameter uncertainties for ΩM, σ8 and w are 0.023 (0.016; 0.014), 0.017 (0.012; 0.010), and 0.085 (0.074; 0.071), respectively, when adopting DES+HSC WL (Euclid; LSST), while marginalizing over the sum of the neutrino masses. A degeneracy between the distance–redshift relation and the parameters of the observable–mass scaling relation limits the impact of the WL calibration on the w constraints, but with BAO measurements from DESI an improved determination of w to 0.043 becomes possible. With Planck CMB priors, ΩM (σ8) can be determined to 0.005 (0.007), and the summed neutrino mass limited to ∑mν < 0.241 eV (at 95%). If systematics on the group mass scale can be controlled, the eROSITA group and cluster sample with 43k objects and LSST WL could constrain ΩM and σ8 to 0.007 and w to 0.050.
The quantity of dark matter in early-type galaxies and its relation to the environment
Authors: Nigoche-Netro A , Ramos-Larios G , Lagos P , de la Fuente E , Ruelas-Mayorga A , Mendez-Abreu J , Kemp S N , Diaz R J
Published: June 2019

We study the behaviour of the dynamical and stellar mass inside the effective radius of early-type galaxies (ETGs) as a function of environment considering Newtonian dynamics, different surface-brightness profiles, different initial mass functions (IMF), and different redshift ranges. We use several samples of ETGs – ranging from 19 000 to 98 000 objects – from the ninth data release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We assume that any difference between the dynamical and stellar mass is due to dark matter and/or a non-universal IMF. The main results, considering samples in the redshift range 0.0024 ≤ z ≤ 0.35, are as follows: (i) the amount of dark matter inside ETGs depends on the environment; (ii) ETGs in low-density environments span a wider dark matter range than ETGs in dense environments; (iii) the amount of dark matter inside ETGs in the most dense environments will be less than approximately 55–75 per cent of the dynamical mass; (iv) the accurate value of this upper limit depends on the impact of the IMF on the stellar mass estimation; (v) in the case of an ETG sample which is approximately complete for log(MVirial/MSun) > 10.5 and in the redshift range 0.04 ≤ z ≤ 0.08, we find that the amount of dark matter in the most dense environments will be less than approximately 60–65 per cent of the dynamical mass.
Mapping of scaffold/matrix attachment regions in human genome: a data mining exercise
Authors: Narwade Nitin , Patel Sonal , Alam Aftab , Chattopadhyay Samit , Mittal Smriti , Kulkarni Abhijeet
Published: June 2019

Scaffold/matrix attachment regions (S/MARs) are DNA elements that serve to compartmentalize the chromatin into structural and functional domains. These elements are involved in control of gene expression which governs the phenotype and also plays role in disease biology. Therefore, genome-wide understanding of these elements holds great therapeutic promise. Several attempts have been made toward identification of S/MARs in genomes of various organisms including human. However, a comprehensive genome-wide map of human S/MARs is yet not available. Toward this objective, ChIP-Seq data of 14 S/MAR binding proteins were analyzed and the binding site coordinates of these proteins were used to prepare a non-redundant S/MAR dataset of human genome. Along with co-ordinate (location) details of S/MARs, the dataset also revealed details of S/MAR features, namely, length, inter-SMAR length (the chromatin loop size), nucleotide repeats, motif abundance, chromosomal distribution and genomic context. S/MARs identified in present study and their subsequent analysis also suggests that these elements act as hotspots for integration of retroviruses. Therefore, these data will help toward better understanding of genome functioning and designing effective anti-viral therapeutics. In order to facilitate user friendly browsing and retrieval of the data obtained in present study, a web interface, MARome (http://bioinfo.net.in/MARome), has been developed.
Role of Era in assembly and homeostasis of the ribosomal small subunit
Authors: Razi Aida , Davis Joseph H , Hao Yumeng , Jahagirdar Dushyant , Thurlow Brett , Basu Kaustuv , Jain Nikhil , Gomez-Blanco Josue , Britton Robert A , Vargas Javier , Guarné Alba , Woodson Sarah A , Williamson James R , Ortega Joaquin
Published: June 2019

Assembly factors provide speed and directionality to the maturation process of the 30S subunit in bacteria. To gain a more precise understanding of how these proteins mediate 30S maturation, it is important to expand on studies of 30S assembly intermediates purified from bacterial strains lacking particular maturation factors. To reveal the role of the essential protein Era in the assembly of the 30S ribosomal subunit, we analyzed assembly intermediates that accumulated in Era-depleted Escherichia coli cells using quantitative mass spectrometry, high resolution cryo-electron microscopy and in-cell footprinting. Our combined approach allowed for visualization of the small subunit as it assembled and revealed that with the exception of key helices in the platform domain, all other 16S rRNA domains fold even in the absence of Era. Notably, the maturing particles did not stall while waiting for the platform domain to mature and instead re-routed their folding pathway to enable concerted maturation of other structural motifs spanning multiple rRNA domains. We also found that binding of Era to the mature 30S subunit destabilized helix 44 and the decoding center preventing binding of YjeQ, another assembly factor. This work establishes Era’s role in ribosome assembly and suggests new roles in maintaining ribosome homeostasis.
Impact of the “Stoptober” Smoking Cessation Campaign in England From 2012 to 2017: A Quasiexperimental Repeat Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Kuipers Mirte A G , West Robert , Beard Emma V , Brown Jamie
Published: June 2019

Introduction

Since 2012, England has an annual “Stoptober” campaign for collective smoking cessation. Our aim was to assess (1) overall impact of the Stoptober campaign on quit attempts over its first 6 years, (2) consistency of impact over the campaign years, and (3) the role of the campaign budget.

Methods

We used data of 51 399 adult smokers and ex-smokers in 132 repeat cross-sectional monthly surveys in England, 2007–2017. In a quasiexperimental design, adjusted logistic regression analyses compared past-month quit attempt rate between (1) October and other months in the year, between 2007–2011 and 2012–2017; (2) October and other months, across years 2012–2017; and (3) October and other months, between high-budget (2012–2015) and low-budget Stoptober campaigns (2016–2017). Bayes factors (BF) differentiated insensitive data and absence of an effect.

Results

(1) In 2012–2017, quit attempts were more prevalent in October versus other months (odds ratio [OR]: 1.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00 to 1.53), whereas similar in 2007–2011 (OR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.76 to 1.18; BF = 0.2); data were somewhat insensitive but supported this difference (OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.75; BF = 2.1). (2) In 2012–2017, quit attempt prevalence ranged from 3.1% to 8.5% in October and 5.0% to 7.3% in other months. The difference between October and other months was large in 2012 (absolute unadjusted difference of 3.3%; OR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.23 to 2.98) and 2015 (3.1%; OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.14 to 2.95), but small in 2013–2014 and 2016–2017 (0.36 < BF < 1.02). (3) Data were somewhat insensitive but supported interaction with campaign budget (OR: 1.50, 95% CI: 0.92 to 2.44; BF = 2.2).

Discussion

In 2012–2017, there appears to have been an increase in past-month quit attempts during October in England. The increase was inconsistent across Stoptober campaigns and appears to have been greater when the campaign budget was higher.

Implications

Over the first 6 years of Stoptober campaigns, there appears to have been an overall increase in past-month quit attempts during October in England, and the data imply that a sufficiently high budget contributes to greater impact of the Stoptober campaign. These findings encourage the further spread of the Stoptober campaign to other countries. Future research should clarify how increased quit attempts as a consequence of Stoptober translate into quit success and which of Stoptober’s ingredients were most important in increasing quit attempts, especially among vulnerable groups.
Robot-Assisted Insular Depth Electrode Implantation Through Oblique Trajectories: 3-Dimensional Anatomical Nuances, Technique, Accuracy, and Safety
Authors: Bottan Juan S , Rubino Pablo A , Lau Jonathan C , MacDougall Keith W , Parrent Andrew G , Burneo Jorge G , Steven David A
Published: June 2019

BACKGROUND

The insula is a deep cortical structure that has renewed interest in epilepsy investigation. Invasive EEG recordings of this region have been challenging. Robot-assisted stereotactic electroencephalography has improved feasibility and safety of such procedures.

OBJECTIVE

To describe technical nuances of three-dimensional (3D) oblique trajectories for insular robot-assisted depth electrode implantation.

METHODS

Fifty patients who underwent robot-assisted depth electrode implantation between June 2017 and December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Insular electrodes were implanted through oblique, orthogonal, or parasagittal trajectories. Type of trajectories, accuracy, number of contacts within insular cortex, imaging, and complication rates were analyzed. Cadaveric and computerized tomography/magnetic resonance imaging 3D reconstructions were used to visualize insular anatomy and the technical implications of oblique trajectories.

RESULTS

Forty-one patients (98 insular electrodes) were included. Thirty (73.2%) patients had unilateral insular coverage. Average insular electrodes per patient was 2.4. The mean number of contacts was 7.1 (SD ± 2.91) for all trajectories and 8.3 (SD ± 1.51) for oblique insular trajectories. The most frequently used was the oblique trajectory (85 electrodes). Mean entry point error was 1.5 mm (0.2-2.8) and target error was 2.4 mm (0.8-4.0), 2.0 mm (1.1-2.9) for anterior oblique and 2.8 mm (0.8-4.9) for posterior oblique trajectories. There were no complications related to insular electrodes.

CONCLUSION

Oblique trajectories are the preferred method for insular investigation at our institution, maximizing the number of contacts within insular cortex without traversing through sulci or major CSF fissures. Robot-assisted procedures are safe and efficient. 3D understanding of the insula's unique anatomical features can help the surgeon to improve targeting of this structure.
Effects of Mental Health Disorders on Nursing Home Residents’ Nine-Month Pain Trajectories
Authors: Brennan Penny L , SooHoo Sonya
Published: June 2019

Objective

To determine the key classes of nursing home residents’ nine-month pain trajectories, the influence of residents’ mental health disorders on membership in these classes, and nine-month health-related outcomes associated with pain trajectory class membership.

Methods

Four times over a nine-month period, the MDS 3.0 resident assessment instrument was used to record the demographic characteristics, mental health disorder diagnoses, pain characteristics, and health and functioning outcomes of 2,539 Department of Veterans Affairs Community Living Center (VA CLC) residents. Growth mixture modeling was used to estimate the key classes of residents’ nine-month pain trajectories, the influence of residents’ mental health disorders on their pain trajectory class membership, and the associations of class membership with residents’ health and functioning outcomes at nine-month follow-up.

Results

Four-class solutions best described nursing home residents’ nine-month trajectories of pain frequency, severity, and interference. Residents with dementia and severe mental illness diagnoses were less likely, and those with depressive disorder, PTSD, and substance use disorder diagnoses more likely, to belong to adverse nine-month pain trajectory classes. Membership in adverse pain frequency and pain severity trajectory classes, and in trajectory classes characterized by initially high but steeply declining pain interference, portended more depressive symptoms but better cognitive and physical functioning at nine-month follow-up.

Conclusions

Nursing home residents’ mental health disorder diagnoses help predict their subsequent pain frequency, severity, and interference trajectories. This may be clinically useful information for improving pain assessment and treatment approaches for nursing home residents.
Current and future advances in genetic testing in systemic autoinflammatory diseases
Authors: Schnappauf Oskar , Aksentijevich Ivona
Published: June 2019

Systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) are a group of inflammatory disorders caused by dysregulation in the innate immune system that leads to enhanced immune responses. The clinical diagnosis of SAIDs can be difficult since individually these are rare diseases with considerable phenotypic overlap. Most SAIDs have a strong genetic background, but environmental and epigenetic influences can modulate the clinical phenotype. Molecular diagnosis has become essential for confirmation of clinical diagnosis. To date there are over 30 genes and a variety of modes of inheritance that have been associated with monogenic SAIDs. Mutations in the same gene can lead to very distinct phenotypes and can have different inheritance patterns. In addition, somatic mutations have been reported in several of these conditions. New genetic testing methods and databases are being developed to facilitate the molecular diagnosis of SAIDs, which is of major importance for treatment, prognosis and genetic counselling. The aim of this review is to summarize the latest advances in genetic testing for SAIDs and discuss potential obstacles that might arise during the molecular diagnosis of SAIDs.
Clinical characteristics of rheumatic syndromes associated with checkpoint inhibitors therapy
Authors: Kostine Marie , Truchetet Marie-Elise , Schaeverbeke Thierry
Published: June 2019

Compared with conventional cancer therapies, the spectrum of toxicities observed with checkpoint inhibitors is unique and can affect any organ system. Arthralgia and myalgia were by far the most commonly reported rheumatic immune-related adverse events in clinical trials, and there is now a growing number of case series and reports describing clinical features of de novo rheumatic immune-related adverse events, which will be the focus of this review. Some patients develop genuine classic rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, but a number of rheumatic immune-related adverse events mimic rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases with atypical features, mainly polymyalgia rheumatica, rheumatoid arthritis and myositis, as well as several systemic conditions, including sicca syndrome, vasculitis, sarcoidosis, systemic sclerosis and lupus.