bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preconception paternal/maternal BMI and risk of small/large for gestational age infant in over 4·7 million Chinese women aged 20–49 years: a population-based cohort study in China
Authors: Guo Tonglei , Yang Ying , Jia Jiajing , Deng Yuzhi , Wang Yuanyuan , Zhang Ya , Zhang Hongguang , He Yuan , Zhao Jun , Peng Zuoqi , Wang Qiaomei , Shen Haiping , Zhang Yiping , Yan Donghai , Ma Xu
Published: February 2022

Evidence of couples’ BMI and its influence on birth weight is limited and contradictory. Therefore, this study aims to assess the association between couple’s preconception BMI and the risk of small for gestational age (SGA)/large for gestational age (LGA) infant, among over 4·7 million couples in a retrospective cohort study based on the National Free Pre-pregnancy Checkups Project between 1 December 2013 and 30 November 2016 in China. Among the live births, 256 718 (5·44 %) SGA events and 506 495 (10·73 %) LGA events were documented, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, underweight men had significantly higher risk (OR 1·17 (95 % CI 1·15, 1·19)) of SGA infants compared with men with normal BMI, while a significant and increased risk of LGA infants was obtained for overweight and obese men (OR 1·08 (95 % CI 1·06, 1·09); OR 1·19 (95 % CI 1·17, 1·20)), respectively. The restricted cubic spline result revealed a non-linear decreasing dose–response relationship of paternal BMI (less than 22·64) with SGA. Meanwhile, a non-linear increasing dose–response relationship of paternal BMI (more than 22·92) with LGA infants was observed. Moreover, similar results about the association between maternal preconception BMI and SGA/LGA infants were obtained. Abnormal preconception BMI in either women or men were associated with increased risk of SGA/LGA infants, respectively. Overall, couple’s abnormal weight before pregnancy may be an important preventable risk factor for SGA/LGA infants.
From Kisstory to Megxile
Authors: Balteiro Isabel
Published: February 2022

While the year 2020 will undoubtedly be remembered for the sudden and unexpected worldwide expansion of COVID–19, which has threatened humans globally, the year 2021 is being marked by news related to the fight, vaccination and immunization against the coronavirus. However, in both years some, comparatively secondary, developments took place which were also relevant at other areas of interest. This is the case with the events surrounding the British Royal Family, especially after the interview with Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, by the renowned US journalist and TV presenter, Oprah Winfrey, on 7 March 2021. The interview took place following the couple's decision in 2020 to step down from their duties as senior members of the Royal Family. Both this decision and the interview, which contained uncomfortable allegations against the Royal Family, have had a clear and widespread impact on the media at different levels. Thus, the British tabloids have played a very important role in Harry and Meghan's story.
Review Essay: Surgeons at the Bar: From the Crime Scene to the Courtroom
Authors: Eigen Joel Peter
Published: February 2022

How did English and Welsh medical practitioners enter the common-law courtroom as expert witnesses, and how can one assess their influence on crime-scene investigations and courtroom testimony? Witnesses offering specialist opinions were hardly novel in the eighteenth-century London courtroom, but their participation grew at such a pace that, by the early 1900s, they had become regular participants in police investigation and criminal trials. Even as their presence grew, their evolution was not a singular event: defense lawyers, judges, and juries were experiencing qualitative changes in their roles in the adjudication of crime just as prison surgeons, asylum superintendents, and hospital medical officers entered the witness box. It is the singular achievement of this important study that Katherine D. Watson has isolated critical moments in the growth of medicine's role while embedding the practitioners’ rise within the shifting dynamics of criminal prosecution in early modern England.
Outbreak of COVID-19 among children and young adults in a cancer centre daycare unit
Authors: Yun Ki Wook , Kim Ye Kyung , Song Eun Sun , An Hong Yul , Hong Kyung Taek , Choi Jung Yoon , Kang Hyoung Jin , Chung Seung Min , Park In Kyung , Lee Hyo Yeon , Kim Nam Joong , Choi Eun Hwa
Published: February 2022

Nosocomial transmission of COVID-19 among immunocompromised hosts can have a serious impact on COVID-19 severity, underlying disease progression and SARS-CoV-2 transmission to other patients and healthcare workers within hospitals. We experienced a nosocomial outbreak of COVID-19 in the setting of a daycare unit for paediatric and young adult cancer patients. Between 9 and 18 November 2020, 473 individuals (181 patients, 247 caregivers/siblings and 45 staff members) were exposed to the index case, who was a nursing staff. Among them, three patients and four caregivers were infected. Two 5-year-old cancer patients with COVID-19 were not severely ill, but a 25-year-old cancer patient showed prolonged shedding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA for at least 12 weeks, which probably infected his mother at home approximately 7–8 weeks after the initial diagnosis. Except for this case, no secondary transmission was observed from the confirmed cases in either the hospital or the community. To conclude, in the day care setting of immunocompromised children and young adults, the rate of in-hospital transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was 1.6% when applying the stringent policy of infection prevention and control, including universal mask application and rapid and extensive contact investigation. Severely immunocompromised children/young adults with COVID-19 would have to be carefully managed after the mandatory isolation period while keeping the possibility of prolonged shedding of live virus in mind.
Buried Scripture and the Interpretation of Ritual
Authors: Thumas Jonathan
Published: February 2022

Inference to religion and ritual does not require scripture. Since the early twentieth century, archaeologists have identified hundreds of deposits containing Buddhist scriptures, images and ritual objects throughout the Japanese archipelago, the majority dating to the late Heian period (794–1185 ce). Previous research suggests that scripture was the central feature of these deposits. This article argues that these deposits resulted from a range of highly variable contexts of religious and social practice, not limited to a focus on scripture. I survey early excavations and interpretations of sutra burial and then turn to two main case studies. These examples show that these deposits were complex assemblages that implicated diverse religious meanings, time frames and social actors. Scripture deposits can demonstrate how religious ritual illuminates, underwrites and interweaves variant scales of agency, time and social practice.
Duration of untreated autism in rural America: emerging public health crisis
Authors: Gupta Mayank , Gupta Nihit , Moll Jeffrey
Published: February 2022

The rural areas have been at the receiving end amidst mental health disparity across the USA. There is a serious and concerning divide among ones with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) living in underserved areas as compared to urban residents. With the higher than ever prevalence of ASD as per the recent reports of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; there is a need for a closer look at the prevailing issues. The trends are reflecting marked underdiagnosis, late diagnosis, lack of evidence-based diagnostic measures and interventions. These factors interplay in worsening the mental health crisis and there is an urgent need for corrective measures to address these highly modifiable problems.
Dissociating Statistically Determined Normal Cognitive Abilities and Mild Cognitive Impairment Subtypes with DCTclock
Authors: Matusz Emily F. , Price Catherine C. , Lamar Melissa , Swenson Rod , Au Rhoda , Emrani Sheina , Wasserman Victor , Libon David J. , Thompson Louisa I.
Published: February 2022

Objective:

To determine whether the DCTclock can detect differences across groups of patients seen in the memory clinic for suspected dementia.

Method:

Patients (n= 123) were classified into the following groups: cognitively normal (CN), subtle cognitive impairment (SbCI), amnestic cognitive impairment (aMCI), and mixed/dysexecutive cognitive impairment (mx/dysMCI). Nine outcome variables included a combined command/copy total score and four command and four copy indices measuring drawing efficiency, simple/complex motor operations, information processing speed, and spatial reasoning.

Results:

Total combined command/copy score distinguished between groups in all comparisons with medium to large effects. The mx/dysMCI group had the lowest total combined command/copy scores out of all groups. The mx/dysMCI group scored lower than the CN group on all command indices (p < .050, all analyses); and lower than the SbCI group on drawing efficiency (p = .011). The aMCI group scored lower than the CN group on spatial reasoning (p = .019). Smaller effect sizes were obtained for the four copy indices.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that DCTclock command/copy parameters can dissociate CN, SbCI, and MCI subtypes. The larger effect sizes for command clock indices suggest these metrics are sensitive in detecting early cognitive decline. Additional research with a larger sample is warranted.
Understanding children’s perspectives of the influences on their dietary behaviours
Authors: Chan Mei Jun , Tay Gabrielle Wann Nii , Kembhavi Gayatri , Lim Jubilee , Rebello Salome A , Ng Hazyl , Lin Congren , Wang May C , Müller-Riemenschneider Falk , Chong Mary Foong-Fong
Published: February 2022

Objective:

This study aimed to examine the intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental and macrosystem influences on dietary behaviours among primary school children in Singapore.

Design:

A qualitative interpretive approach was used in this study. Focus group discussions guided by the socio-ecological model (sem), of which transcripts were analysed deductively using the sem and inductively using thematic analysis to identify themes at each sem level.

Setting:

Two co-educational public primary schools in Singapore.

Participants:

A total of 48 children (n 26 girls) took part in the semi-structured focus group discussions. Their mean age was 10·8 years (sd = 0·9, range 9–12 years), and the majority of the children were Chinese (n 36), along with some Indians (n 8) and Malays (n 4).

Results:

Children’s knowledge of healthy eating did not necessarily translate into healthy dietary practices and concern for health was a low priority. Instead, food and taste preferences were pivotal influences in their food choices. Parents had a large influence on children with regards to their accessibility to food, their attitudes and values towards food. Parental food restriction led to some children eating in secrecy. Peer influence was not frequently reported by children. Competitions in school incentivised children to consume fruits and vegetables, but reinforcements from teachers were inconsistent. The proximity of fast-food chains in the neighbourhood provided children easy access to less healthy foods. Health advertisements on social media rather than posters worked better in drawing children’s attention.

Conclusions:

Findings highlighted important factors that should be considered in future nutrition interventions targeting children.
DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR
Authors: Rogers Christopher
Published: February 2022

There is much research on race and schooling focused on punitive discipline, but little attention is paid to how teachers and administrators use minor policies to coerce students to “willingly” adopt hegemonic ideologies, particularly the ones that correspond to Whiteness. In this work, Whiteness is conceptualized as a social concept in which forms of knowledge, skills, and behavioral traits are cultivated for the sake of maintaining White supremacy as the dominant ideology in the social organization of structures and people. My work explores how teachers and administrators use school dress code policies, specifically the policies regarding hairstyles, to indoctrinate Black students into Whiteness. I argue that schools are sites intended to racialize Black students into White society. I argue that dress codes that regulate hairstyles are a form of White hegemony. I ground my work in Antonio Gramsci and John Gaventa’s theoretical views of hegemony to conceptualize how administrators and teachers invoke forms of domination and coercion to force Black students to transform their appearance for the sake of upholding White ideals of professionalism. I offer a critical race conceptual model that articulates how power is enacted upon Black students to further a White aesthetic. The conceptual model highlights how teachers and administrators assign racialized social meanings to different hairstyles and unconsciously or consciously reinforce the idea that Black hairstyles hinder Black students’ performance in the classroom and reduce their future employment opportunities. Contemporary examples of Black students’ experiences in school are cases that validate this model. I argue that dress code policies about hair that incur minor infractions are destructive to Black students’ sense of identity and reinforce Whiteness as the normative frame of civil society.
“I'd Rather [Sound] Blue”: Listening to Agency, Hybridity, and Intersectionality in the Vocal Recordings of Fanny Brice and Barbra Streisand
Authors: Cooper Samantha M.
Published: February 2022

This article locates intersectionality, agency, and hybridity within the singing voices of Fanny Brice and Barbra Streisand by comparing recordings of “I'd Rather Be Blue,” “Second Hand Rose,” and “My Man” from the surviving Vitaphone reels of Brice'sMy Man(1928) with the audio from the Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) of Streisand'sFunny Girl(1968). Brice and Streisand's virtuosic stylized vocal performances communicate particular classed, gendered, geographic, and racialized identities for audience consumption. This project aims to restore the sonic and aural to a body of scholarship on these performers that heretofore has focused primarily on the physical and visual. An untapped inroad for analysis lies in the sonic space between these two women, one of whom attempts to posthumously portray the other. By practicing close listening on these recordings and taking seriously the Jewish right to hybrid musical expression within and beyond the United States in the twentieth century, we can move past the essentializing discourses of the US racial binary to which Jews pose a definitional challenge, and open up further avenues for thinking about Jewish sonic difference generationally and contextually.
28 GHz compact dipole antenna array integrated in fan-out eWLB package
Authors: Aziz Imran , Wu Dapeng , Öjefors Erik , Hanning Johanna , Dancila Dragos
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we present a 28 GHz antenna array in package which covers the n257 and n258 frequency bands designated for 5G applications. The dipole antenna array is placed on one of the two re-distribution layers in the fan-out eWLB (embedded Wafer Level Ball Grid Array) package. For TX and RX, separate but identical antenna arrays are placed on each side of the die. The paper presents a novel horn-shaped heatsink which not only dissipates the heat, but also improves the radiation performance. The four-elements dipole array has the impedance bandwidth of almost 6 GHz (24–30 GHz) and shows a maximum realized gain of 9.5 dBi. Beam-steering in ± 35 deg is achieved in the azimuth plane (H-plane) by providing different phases to the dipoles through the chip. The measurements nicely agree with the simulation results.
The Apparent Respiratory Quotient of Soils and Tree Stems and the Processes That Control It
Authors: Hilman Boaz , Weiner Tal , Haran Tom , Masiello Caroline A. , Gao Xiaodong , Angert Alon
Published: February 2022

The CO2/O2 fluxes ratio (apparent respiration quotient [ARQ]) measured in soils and plants contains valuable information about the respiratory‐substrate stoichiometry and biotic and abiotic non‐respiratory processes. We investigated ARQ variability by measurements in soil pore space air, and in headspace air from incubations of bulk‐soil and tree stem tissues (both fresh and 24‐hr stored tissues) in 10 measurement campaigns over 15 months in a Mediterranean oak forest. Mean (range) ARQ values were: soil air, 0.76 (0.60–0.92); bulk soil, 0.75 (0.53–0.90); fresh stem tissues, 0.39 (0.19–0.70); and stored stem tissues, 0.68 (0.42–1.08). The variability in tree stems was assumed to be controlled by CO2 re‐fixation that lowered ARQ from 1.0, the value expected for carbohydrate respiration in plants. We estimate that the values of the stored tissues represent better stem metabolism since the fresh‐tissue results contained a signal of wound‐response O2 uptake that further lowered ARQ. The mean bulk‐soil ARQ (0.75) was considerably lower than expected by soil organic matter (SOM) stoichiometry (0.95). This lower value might represent the stoichiometry of the SOM sub‐pool that supports respiration, and/or oxidative depolymerization that increases O2 fluxes. Abiotic O2 uptake was demonstrated to reduce bulk‐soil ARQ down to 0.37 and consume Fe2+, but estimated to have small effect under typical respiration rates. Soil‐air ARQ was usually higher than bulk‐soil ARQ and lower than root ARQ (which, when measured, ranged from 0.73 to 0.96), demonstrating the potential of ARQ to partition the autotrophic and heterotrophic sources of soil respiration. The limitations of this partitioning method are discussed.
Real-world patient characteristics associated with survival of 2 years or more after radium-223 treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (EPIX study)
Authors: George Daniel J. , Agarwal Neeraj , Sartor Oliver , Sternberg Cora N. , Tombal Bertrand , Saad Fred , Miller Kurt , Constantinovici Niculae , Guo Helen , Reeves John , Jiao XiaoLong , Sandström Per , Verholen Frank , Higano Celestia S. , Shore Neal
Published: February 2022

Background

The real-world EPIX study was conducted to gather information about the characteristics of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who survived ≥2 years after treatment with the alpha-emitter radium-223.

Methods

This retrospective study of electronic health records in the US Flatiron database (NCT04516161) included patients with mCRPC treated with radium-223 between January 2013 and June 2019. Median overall survival (OS) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response (≥50% reduction) from start of radium-223 treatment were the primary and secondary endpoints, respectively. Patient characteristics were compared between those who survived ≥2 years versus <2 years, including a subgroup who survived <6 months.

Results

In the 1180 patients identified, median OS was 12.9 months (95% CI: 12.1–13.7), and 13% of patients with data at 6 months had a PSA response. The survival groups included 775 patients (65.7%) who survived <2 years (including 264 (22.4%) who survived <6 months) and 185 patients (15.7%) who survived ≥2 years; 220 patients (18.6%) had incomplete follow-up data and were censored. On multivariate analysis, age >75 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 2–4, visceral metastases, prior symptomatic skeletal events (SSEs), and prior chemotherapy were independently prognostic of reduced OS. For patients with survival ≥2 years versus <2 years, median age was 71 versus 75 years, 4% versus 14% had ECOG PS 2–4, 4% versus 10% had visceral metastases, 38% versus 44% had prior SSEs, and 16% versus 32% had prior chemotherapy.

Conclusions

In this study of men with mCRPC treated in real-world clinical practice, median OS was consistent with that seen in the phase 3 ALSYMPCA trial. Patients who survived ≥2 years after the start of radium-223 were younger and had better ECOG PS, lower disease burden, and less use of prior chemotherapy than those who survived <2 years.
Future perspectives of uveal melanoma blood based biomarkers
Authors: Beasley Aaron B. , Chen Fred K. , Isaacs Timothy W. , Gray Elin S.
Published: February 2022

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy affecting adults. Despite successful local treatment of the primary tumour, metastatic disease develops in up to 50% of patients. Metastatic UM carries a particularly poor prognosis, with no effective therapeutic option available to date. Genetic studies of UM have demonstrated that cytogenetic features, including gene expression, somatic copy number alterations and specific gene mutations can allow more accurate assessment of metastatic risk. Pre-emptive therapies to avert metastasis are being tested in clinical trials in patients with high-risk UM. However, current prognostic methods require an intraocular tumour biopsy, which is a highly invasive procedure carrying a risk of vision-threatening complications and is limited by sampling variability. Recently, a new diagnostic concept known as “liquid biopsy” has emerged, heralding a substantial potential for minimally invasive genetic characterisation of tumours. Here, we examine the current evidence supporting the potential of blood circulating tumour cells (CTCs), circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), microRNA (miRNA) and exosomes as biomarkers for UM. In particular, we discuss the potential of these biomarkers to aid clinical decision making throughout the management of UM patients.
Temporal artery biopsy: time for a rethink on training?
Authors: Osei Georgia , Rainsbury Paul , Morris Daniel , Haridas Anjana
Published: February 2022

Background

Temporal artery biopsy (TAB) is often performed by ophthalmology trainees without direct supervision. The traditional model of ‘see one, do one, teach one’ still prevails in most units. Whilst it is generally a safe procedure, damage to the temporal branch of the facial nerve has been reported when harvesting the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery.

Methods

A survey of trainees from Wessex, Wales, London and Severn deaneries was performed to look at current training techniques, anatomical knowledge and practice.

Results

38 trainees responded to the survey, with complete responses from 28 participants. Formal teaching of the anatomical considerations in TAB was not reported by any trainee, with informal teaching being standard practice. Whilst 61% of respondents reported having learnt about the anatomical ‘danger zone’ for facial nerve damage, 97% of trainees chose an incision that fell within this zone when given a choice between potential incision sites.

Conclusion

TAB remains a largely trainee-taught, trainee-performed procedure. Most trainees are not aware of how to avoid the risk of damage to the temporal branch of the facial nerve. We suggest harvesting the parietal branch of the temporal artery via an incision outside the anatomical ‘danger zone’. In our experience, this is an easily taught technique that minimises the potential risk of damage to the frontal branch of the facial nerve.
Anionic character of the conduction band of sodium chloride
Authors: Leon Christopher C. , Grewal Abhishek , Kuhnke Klaus , Kern Klaus , Gunnarsson Olle
Published: February 2022

The alkali halides are ionic compounds. Each alkali atom donates an electron to a halogen atom, leading to ions with full shells. The valence band is mainly located on halogen atoms, while, in a traditional picture, the conduction band is mainly located on alkali atoms. Scanning tunnelling microscopy of NaCl at 4 K actually shows that the conduction band is located on Cl− because the strong Madelung potential reverses the order of the Na+ 3s and Cl− 4s levels. We verify this reversal is true for both atomically thin and bulk NaCl, and discuss implications for II-VI and I-VII compounds.
Effect of biannual azithromycin distribution on antibody responses to malaria, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens in Niger
Authors: Arzika Ahmed M. , Maliki Ramatou , Goodhew E. Brook , Rogier Eric , Priest Jeffrey W. , Lebas Elodie , O’Brien Kieran S. , Le Victoria , Oldenburg Catherine E. , Doan Thuy , Porco Travis C. , Keenan Jeremy D. , Lietman Thomas M. , Martin Diana L. , Arnold Benjamin F. ,   MORDOR-Niger Study Group
Published: February 2022

The MORDOR trial in Niger, Malawi, and Tanzania found that biannual mass distribution of azithromycin to children younger than 5 years led to a 13.5% reduction in all-cause mortality (NCT02048007). To help elucidate the mechanism for mortality reduction, we report IgG responses to 11 malaria, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens using a multiplex bead assay in pre-specified substudy of 30 communities in the rural Niger placebo-controlled trial over a three-year period (n = 5642 blood specimens,n = 3814 children ages 1–59 months). Mass azithromycin reducesCampylobacterspp. force of infection by 29% (hazard ratio = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.89;P = 0.004) but serological measures show no significant differences between groups for other pathogens against a backdrop of high transmission. Results align with a recent microbiome study in the communities. Given significant sequelae ofCampylobacterinfection among preschool aged children, our results support an important mechanism through which biannual mass distribution of azithromycin likely reduces mortality in Niger.
Acoustically manipulating internal structure of disk-in-sphere endoskeletal droplets
Authors: Shakya Gazendra , Yang Tao , Gao Yu , Fajrial Apresio K. , Li Baowen , Ruzzene Massimo , Borden Mark A. , Ding Xiaoyun
Published: February 2022

Manipulation of micro/nano particles has been well studied and demonstrated by optical, electromagnetic, and acoustic approaches, or their combinations. Manipulation of internal structure of droplet/particle is rarely explored and remains challenging due to its complicated nature. Here we demonstrated the manipulation of internal structure of disk-in-sphere endoskeletal droplets using acoustic wave. We developed a model to investigate the physical mechanisms behind this interesting phenomenon. Theoretical analysis of the acoustic interactions indicated that these assembly dynamics arise from a balance of the primary and secondary radiation forces. Additionally, the disk orientation was found to change with acoustic driving frequency, which allowed on-demand, reversible adjustment of the disk orientations with respect to the substrate. This dynamic behavior leads to unique reversible arrangements of the endoskeletal droplets and their internal architecture, which may provide an avenue for directed assembly of novel hierarchical colloidal architectures and intracellular organelles or intra-organoid structures.
Rad52 mediates class-switch DNA recombination to IgD
Authors: Xu Yijiang , Zhou Hang , Post Ginell , Zan Hong , Casali Paolo
Published: February 2022

In B cells, IgD is expressed together with IgM through alternative splicing of primaryVHDJH-Cμ-s-m-Cδ-s-mRNAs, and also through IgD class switch DNA recombination (CSR) via double-strand DNA breaks (DSB) and synapse of Sμ with σδ. How such DSBs are resolved is still unknown, despite our previous report showing that Rad52 effects the ‘short-range’ microhomology-mediated synapsis of intra-Sμ region DSBs. Here we find that induction of IgD CSR downregulates Zfp318, and promotes Rad52 phosphorylation and recruitment to Sμ and σδ, thereby leading to alternative end-joining (A-EJ)-mediated Sμ-σδrecombination with extensive microhomologies,VHDJH-Cδstranscription and sustained IgD secretion. Rad52 ablation in mouseRad52−/−B cells aborts IgD CSR in vitro and in vivo and dampens the specific IgD antibody response to OVA. Rad52 knockdown in human B cells also abrogates IgD CSR. Finally, Rad52 phosphorylation is associated with high levels of IgD CSR and anti-nuclear IgD autoantibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and in lupus-prone mice. Our findings thus show that Rad52 mediates IgD CSR through microhomology-mediated A-EJ in concert with Zfp318 downregulation.
Nontrivial nanostructure, stress relaxation mechanisms, and crystallography for pressure-induced Si-I → Si-II phase transformation
Authors: Chen Hao , Levitas Valery I. , Popov Dmitry , Velisavljevic Nenad
Published: February 2022

Crystallographic theory based on energy minimization suggests austenite-twinned martensite interfaces with specific orientation, which are confirmed experimentally for various materials. Pressure-induced phase transformation (PT) from semiconducting Si-I to metallic Si-II, due to very large and anisotropic transformation strain, may challenge this theory. Here, unexpected nanostructure evolution during Si-I → Si-II PT is revealed by combining molecular dynamics (MD), crystallographic theory, generalized for strained crystals, and in situ real-time Laue X-ray diffraction (XRD). Twinned Si-II, consisting of two martensitic variants, and unexpected nanobands, consisting of alternating strongly deformed and rotated residual Si-I and third variant of Si-II, form$$\{111\}$${111}interface with Si-I and produce almost self-accommodated nanostructure despite the large transformation volumetric strain of$$-0.237$$−0.237. The interfacial bands arrest the$$\{111\}$${111}interfaces, leading to repeating nucleation-growth-arrest process and to growth by propagating$$\{110\}$${110}interface, which (as well as$$\{111\}$${111}interface) do not appear in traditional crystallographic theory.
A hemimetabolous wing development suggests the wing origin from lateral tergum of a wingless ancestor
Authors: Ohde Takahiro , Mito Taro , Niimi Teruyuki
Published: February 2022

The origin and evolution of the novel insect wing remain enigmatic after a century-long discussion. The mechanism of wing development in hemimetabolous insects, in which the first functional wings evolved, is key to understand where and how insect wings evolutionarily originate. This study explored the developmental origin and the postembryonic dramatic growth of wings in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. We find that the lateral tergal margin, which is homologous between apterygote and pterygote insects, comprises a growth organizer to expand the body wall to form adult wing blades in Gryllus. We also find that Wnt, Fat-Dachsous, and Hippo pathways are involved in the disproportional growth of Gryllus wings. These data provide insights into where and how insect wings originate. Wings evolved from the pre-existing lateral terga of a wingless insect ancestor, and the reactivation or redeployment of Wnt/Fat-Dachsous/Hippo-mediated feed-forward circuit might have expanded the lateral terga.
Nuclear genome of Bulinus truncatus, an intermediate host of the carcinogenic human blood fluke Schistosoma haematobium
Authors: Young Neil D. , Stroehlein Andreas J. , Wang Tao , Korhonen Pasi K. , Mentink-Kane Margaret , Stothard J. Russell , Rollinson David , Gasser Robin B.
Published: February 2022

Some snails act as intermediate hosts (vectors) for parasitic flatworms (flukes) that cause neglected tropical diseases, such as schistosomiases.Schistosoma haematobiumis a blood fluke that causes urogenital schistosomiasis and induces bladder cancer and increased risk of HIV infection. Understanding the molecular biology of the snail and its relationship with the parasite could guide development of an intervention approach that interrupts transmission. Here, we define the genome for a key intermediate host ofS. haematobium—calledBulinus truncatus—and explore protein groups inferred to play an integral role in the snail’s biology and its relationship with the schistosome parasite.Bu. truncatusshared many orthologous protein groups withBiomphalaria glabrata—the key snail vector forS. mansoniwhich causes hepatointestinal schistosomiasis in people. Conspicuous were expansions in signalling and membrane trafficking proteins, peptidases and their inhibitors as well as gene families linked to immune response regulation, such as a large repertoire of lectin-like molecules. This work provides a sound basis for further studies of snail-parasite interactions in the search for targets to block schistosomiasis transmission.
Sex-specific disease modifiers in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy
Authors: Shakeshaft Amy , Panjwani Naim , Collingwood Amber , Crudgington Holly , Hall Anna , Andrade Danielle M. , Beier Christoph P. , Fong Choong Yi , Gardella Elena , Gesche Joanna , Greenberg David A. , Hamandi Khalid , Koht Jeanette , Lim Kheng Seang , Møller Rikke S. , Ng Ching Ching , Orsini Alessandro , Rees Mark I. , Rubboli Guido , Selmer Kaja K. , Striano Pasquale , Syvertsen Marte , Thomas Rhys H. , Zarubova Jana , Richardson Mark P. , Strug Lisa J. , Pal Deb K.
Published: February 2022

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is a common idiopathic generalised epilepsy with variable seizure prognosis and sex differences in disease presentation. Here, we investigate the combined epidemiology of sex, seizure types and precipitants, and their influence on prognosis in JME, through cross-sectional data collected by The Biology of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (BIOJUME) consortium. 765 individuals met strict inclusion criteria for JME (female:male, 1.8:1). 59% of females and 50% of males reported triggered seizures, and in females only, this was associated with experiencing absence seizures (OR = 2.0, p < 0.001). Absence seizures significantly predicted drug resistance in both males (OR = 3.0, p = 0.001) and females (OR = 3.0, p < 0.001) in univariate analysis. In multivariable analysis in females, catamenial seizures (OR = 14.7, p = 0.001), absence seizures (OR = 6.0, p < 0.001) and stress-precipitated seizures (OR = 5.3, p = 0.02) were associated with drug resistance, while a photoparoxysmal response predicted seizure freedom (OR = 0.47, p = 0.03). Females with both absence seizures and stress-related precipitants constitute the prognostic subgroup in JME with the highest prevalence of drug resistance (49%) compared to females with neither (15%) and males (29%), highlighting the unmet need for effective, targeted interventions for this subgroup. We propose a new prognostic stratification for JME and suggest a role for circuit-based risk of seizure control as an avenue for further investigation.
Sustainable biopolymer soil stabilization in saline rich, arid conditions: a ‘micro to macro’ approach
Authors: Armistead Samuel J. , Smith Colin C. , Staniland Sarah S.
Published: February 2022

Water scarcity in semi-arid/arid regions is driving the use of salt water in mining operations. A consequence of this shift, is the potentially unheeded effect upon Mine Tailing (MT) management. With existing stabilization/solidification methodologies exhibiting vulnerability to MT toxicity and salinity effects, it is essential to explore the scope for more environmentally durable sustainable alternatives under these conditions. Within this study we investigate the effects of salinity (NaCl, 0–2.5 M) and temperatures associated with arid regions (25 °C, 40 °C), on Locust Bean Gum (LB) biopolymer stabilization of MT exemplar and sand (control) soil systems. A cross-disciplinary ‘micro to macro’ pipeline is employed, from a Membrane Enabled Bio-mineral Affinity Screen (MEBAS), to Mineral Binding Characterisation (MBC), leading finally to Geotechnical Verification (GV). As predicted by higher Fe2O3 LB binding affinity in saline in the MEBAS studies, LB with 1.25 M NaCl, results in the greatest soil strength in the MT exemplar after 7 days of curing at 40 °C. Under these most challenging conditions for other soil strengthening systems, an overall UCS peak of 5033 kPa is achieved. MBC shows the critical and direct relationship between Fe2O3-LB in saltwater to be ‘high-affinity’ at the molecular level and ‘high-strength’ achieved at the geotechnical level. This is attributed to biopolymer binding group’s increased availability, with their ‘salting-in’ as NaCl concentrations rises to 1.25 M and then ‘salting-out’ at higher concentrations. This study highlights the potential of biopolymers as robust, sustainable, soil stabilization additives in challenging environments.
Half of germline pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants found on panel tests do not fulfil NHS testing criteria
Authors: Andoni Tala , Wiggins Jennifer , Robinson Rachel , Charlton Ruth , Sandberg Michael , Eeles Rosalind
Published: February 2022

Genetic testing for cancer predisposition has been curtailed by the cost of sequencing, and testing has been restricted by eligibility criteria. As the cost of sequencing decreases, the question of expanding multi-gene cancer panels to a broader population arises. We evaluated how many additional actionable genetic variants are returned by unrestricted panel testing in the private sector compared to those which would be returned by adhering to current NHS eligibility criteria. We reviewed 152 patients referred for multi-gene cancer panels in the private sector between 2014 and 2016. Genetic counselling and disclosure of all results was standard of care provided by the Consultant. Every panel conducted was compared to current eligibility criteria. A germline pathogenic / likely pathogenic variant (P/LP), in a gene relevant to the personal or family history of cancer, was detected in 15 patients (detection rate of 10%). 46.7% of those found to have the P/LP variants (7 of 15), or 4.6% of the entire set (7 of 152), did not fulfil NHS eligibility criteria. 46.7% of P/LP variants in this study would have been missed by national testing guidelines, all of which were actionable. However, patients who do not fulfil eligibility criteria have a higher Variant of Uncertain Significance (VUS) burden. We demonstrated that the current England NHS threshold for genetic testing is missing pathogenic variants which would alter management in 4.6%, nearly 1 in 20 individuals. However, the clinical service burden that would ensue is a detection of VUS of 34%.
How low working memory demands and reduced anticipatory attentional gating contribute to impaired inhibition during acute alcohol intoxication
Authors: Stock Ann-Kathrin , Yu Shijing , Ghin Filippo , Beste Christian
Published: February 2022

High-dose alcohol intoxication is commonly associated with impaired inhibition, but the boundary conditions, as well as associated neurocognitive/neuroanatomical changes have remained rather unclear. This study was motivated by the counterintuitive finding that high-dose alcohol intoxication compromises response inhibition performance when working memory demands were low, but not when they were high. To investigate whether this is more likely to be caused by deficits in cognitive control processes or in attentional processes, we examined event-related (de)synchronization processes in theta and alpha-band activity and performed beamforming analyses on the EEG data of previously published behavioral findings. This yielded two possible explanations: There may be a selective decrease of working memory engagement in case of relatively low demand, which boosts response automatization, ultimately putting more strain on the remaining inhibitory resources. Alternatively, there may be a decrease in proactive preparatory and anticipatory attentional gating processes in case of relatively low demand, hindering attentional sampling of upcoming stimuli. Crucially, both of these interrelated mechanisms reflect differential alcohol effects after the actual motor inhibition process and therefore tend to be processes that serve to anticipate future response inhibition affordances. This provides new insights into how high-dose alcohol intoxication can impair inhibitory control.
Towards dielectric relaxation at a single molecule scale
Authors: Stetsovych Vitalii , Feigl Simon , Vranik Radovan , Wit Bareld , Rauls Eva , Nejedlý Jindřich , Šámal Michal , Starý Ivo , Müllegger Stefan
Published: February 2022

Dielectric relaxation lies at the heart of well-established techniques of dielectric spectroscopy essential to diverse fields of research and technology. We report an experimental route for increasing the sensitivity of dielectric spectroscopy ultimately towards the scale of a single molecule. We use the method of radio frequency scanning tunneling microscopy to excite a single molecule junction based on a polar substituted helicene molecule by an electric field oscillating at 2–5 GHz. We detect the dielectric relaxation of the single molecule junction indirectly via its effect of power dissipation, which causes lateral displacement. From our data we determine a corresponding relaxation time of about 300 ps—consistent with literature values of similar helicene derivatives obtained by conventional methods of dielectric spectroscopy.
Using ZnCo2O4 nanoparticles as the hole transport layer to improve long term stability of perovskite solar cells
Authors: Jheng Bo-Rong , Chiu Pei-Ting , Yang Sheng-Hsiung , Tong Yung-Liang
Published: February 2022

Inorganic metal oxides with the merits of high carrier transport capability, low cost and superior chemical stability have largely served as the hole transport layer (HTL) in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in recent years. Among them, ternary metal oxides have gradually attracted attention because of the wide tenability of the two inequivalent cations in the lattice sites that offer interesting physicochemical properties. In this work, ZnCo2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by a chemical precipitation method and served as the HTL in inverted PSCs. The device based on the ZnCo2O4 NPs HTL showed better efficiency of 12.31% and negligible hysteresis compared with the one using PEDOT:PSS film as the HTL. Moreover, the device sustained 85% of its initial efficiency after 240 h storage under a halogen lamps matrix exposure with an illumination intensity of 1000 W/m2, providing a powerful strategy to design long term stable PSCs for future production.
Identifying the complexity of the holographic structures in strong field ionization
Authors: Taoutioui Abdelmalek , Tőkési Károly
Published: February 2022

We present numerical investigations of the strong-field attosecond photoelectron holography by analyzing the holographic interference structures in the two-dimensional photoelectron momentum distribution (PMD) in hydrogen atom target induced by a strong infrared laser pulse. The PMDs are calculated by solving the full-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation. The effect of the number of optical cycles on the PMD is considered and analyzed. We show how the complex interference patterns are formed from a single-cycle pulse to multi-cycle pulses. Furthermore, snapshots of the PMD during the time evolution are presented for a single-cycle pulse in order to track the formation of the so-called fish-bone like holographic structure. The spider- and fan-like holographic structures are also identified and investigated. We found that the fan-like structure could only be identified clearly for pulses with three or more optical cycles and its symmetry depends closely on the number of optical cycles. In addition, we found that the intensity and wavelength of the laser pulse affect the density of interference fringes in the holographic patterns. We show that the longer the wavelength, the more the holographic structures are confined to the polarization axis.
The stability of multidimensional subclinical apathy during a pandemic and its relations to psycho-behavioral factors
Authors: Lafond-Brina Giulia , Bonnefond Anne
Published: February 2022

Apathy is a clinical symptom prevalent in many neuropsychiatric pathologies. Subclinical apathy is found in 35% of the general population. Despite high prevalence and negative consequences, underlying mechanisms are poorly understood, perhaps because the concept of apathy is one-dimensional. The current investigation aims to address the incidence of multidimensional apathetic trait in three distinct forms in a student population, to specify its determinants and to evaluate its stability during a global pandemic. Two online surveys, conducted 1 year apart on two separate cohorts of university students, with qualitative measures and validated scales. The final analysis included, respectively, 2789 and 1678 students. The three forms of apathetic trait were present, with the same debilitating consequences as apathetic symptom but independent determinants. Executive apathy was predicted by depressive symptoms, emotional apathy by motivational deficit and initiative apathy comprised a mixed executive-emotional form and a pure deficit of action initiation. The three forms of subclinical apathy remained similar in the context of increased depressive symptoms due to a global pandemic. This study confirmed the presence and independence of three forms of subclinical apathy in healthy students, which remained similar even in the light of increased depressive scores. These results shed light on cognitive and neuronal mechanisms underlying multidimensional apathy, allowing new, targeted treatments.
In-situ x-ray fluorescence imaging of the endogenous iodine distribution in murine thyroids
Authors: Körnig Christian , Staufer Theresa , Schmutzler Oliver , Bedke Tanja , Machicote Andres , Liu Beibei , Liu Yang , Gargioni Elisabetta , Feliu Neus , Parak Wolfgang J. , Huber Samuel , Grüner Florian
Published: February 2022

X-ray fluorescence imaging (XFI) is a non-invasive detection method of small quantities of elements, which can be excited to emit fluorescence x-ray photons upon irradiation with an incident x-ray beam. In particular, it can be used to measure nanoparticle uptake in cells and tissue, thus making it a versatile medical imaging modality. However, due to substantially increased multiple Compton scattering background in the measured x-ray spectra, its sensitivity severely decreases for thicker objects, so far limiting its applicability for tracking very small quantities under in-vivo conditions. Reducing the detection limit would enable the ability to track labeled cells, promising new insights into immune response and pharmacokinetics. We present a synchrotron-based approach for reducing the minimal detectable marker concentration by demonstrating the feasibility of XFI for measuring the yet inaccessible distribution of the endogenous iodine in murine thyroids under in-vivo conform conditions. This result can be used as a reference case for the design of future preclinical XFI applications as mentioned above.
Maternal anthropometric variables and clinical factors shape neonatal microbiome
Authors: Farinella Riccardo , Rizzato Cosmeri , Bottai Daria , Bedini Alice , Gemignani Federica , Landi Stefano , Peduzzi Giulia , Rosati Sara , Lupetti Antonella , Cuttano Armando , Moscuzza Francesca , Tuoni Cristina , Filippi Luca , Ciantelli Massimiliano , Tavanti Arianna , Campa Daniele
Published: February 2022

Recent studies indicate the existence of a complex microbiome in the meconium of newborns that plays a key role in regulating many host health-related conditions. However, a high variability between studies has been observed so far. In the present study, the meconium microbiome composition and the predicted microbial metabolic pathways were analysed in a consecutive cohort of 96 full-term newborns. The effect of maternal epidemiological variables on meconium diversity was analysed using regression analysis and PERMANOVA. Meconium microbiome composition mainly included Proteobacteria (30.95%), Bacteroidetes (23.17%) and Firmicutes (17.13%), while for predicted metabolic pathways, the most abundant genes belonged to the class “metabolism”. We observed a significant effect of maternal Rh factor on Shannon and Inverse Simpson indexes (p = 0.045 and p = 0.049 respectively) and a significant effect of delivery mode and maternal antibiotic exposure on Jaccard and Bray–Curtis dissimilarities (p = 0.001 and 0.002 respectively), while gestational age was associated with observed richness and Shannon indexes (p = 0.018 and 0.037 respectively), and Jaccard and Bray–Curtis dissimilarities (p = 0.014 and 0.013 respectively). The association involving maternal Rh phenotype suggests a role for host genetics in shaping meconium microbiome prior to the exposition to the most well-known environmental variables, which will influence microbiome maturation in the newborn.