bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Cleft Orthognathic and Nasal Reconstruction on Perceived Social Traits
Authors: Posnick Jeffrey C. , Susarla Srinivas M. , Kinard Brian E.
Published: November 2019

Background:

The investigators hypothesized that a layperson’s social perceptions of an adolescent cleft lip and palate (CL/P) patient are more favorable after orthognathic surgery and definitive nasal reconstruction.

Methods:

The investigators implemented a survey comparing layperson’s perception of specific social traits before and >6 months after jaw and nasal reconstruction in CL/P adolescent subjects by viewing standardized facial photographs. The sample was composed of 10 consecutive subjects treated by 1 surgeon from birth through completion of their staged reconstruction. The outcome variable was changed in 6 perceived personality, 6 emotional expression traits, and 7 perceptions of likelihood of positive interpersonal experiences. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed (P < 0.05).

Results:

Five hundred respondents (raters) completed the survey. The respondents were 58% male with 53% age 25–34. After cleft reconstruction, study subjects were perceived to be significantly more dominant, trustworthy, friendly, intelligent, attractive, and less threatening (P < 0.05). They were also perceived as happier and less angry, surprised, sad, afraid, or disgusted than before surgery (P < 0.05). The subjects were also perceived to be more likely to have positive interpersonal experiences (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

We confirmed that laypeople consistently report positive changes in adolescent CL/P subject’s perceived social traits after bimaxillary and chin orthognathic surgery followed by definitive nasal reconstruction.
Proptosis in a Patient With Known Graft Versus Host Disease
Authors: Tan Licia , Hwang William , Looi Audrey
Published: November 2019

A retrospective review of the medical reports of a patient who was undergoing treatment for graft versus host disease following bone marrow transplant for acute myeloid leukemia was conducted. The patient presented with persistent ocular irritation and injection. For an unclear period of time, he developed proptosis and binocular diplopia with limitation of extraocular motility insidiously. MRI revealed gross enlargement of extraocular muscles and bone marrow aspiration trephine confirmed relapse of leukemia. He then underwent chemotherapy with marked improvement of proptosis and extraocular motility. This case report highlights the importance of the eye care provider’s careful assessment of patients with a history of malignancy. The presence of ocular irritation must not distract from the detection of other signs. Proptosis and extraocular motility limitation are rarely associated with graft versus host disease. The presence of these signs warrants orbital imaging to rule out recurrence of the primary malignancy.

This case report highlights how proptosis and extraocular motility limitation seen in a patient with graft versus host disease may point to recurrence of the primary malignancy.
Surgical Management of a Recurrent Odontogenic Keratocyst With Orbital and Temporal Fossa Invasion
Authors: Brookes Carolyn C.D. , Harris Gerald J.
Published: November 2019

Odontogenic keratocyst is a benign locally aggressive odontogenic cyst with a high recurrence rate. This report presents an unusual case of a recurrent odontogenic keratocyst with zygomatic bone involvement and orbital and temporal extension resulting in globe compression. Odontogenic keratocyst is reviewed, and surgical management of the cyst is discussed.

The authors present a case of a recurrent odontogenic keratocyst involving the zygoma with orbital and temporal invasion; aggressive surgical resection and reconstruction was required.
Autoimmunity as a continuum in primary immunodeficiency
Authors: Walter Jolan E. , Ayala Irmel A. , Milojevic Diana
Published: November 2019

Purpose of review

Primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDs) are no longer defined by infections alone. First clinical sign or sequelae of PID may include autoimmunity, such as cytopenias, arthritis or enteropathy. This review addresses the latest in multidisciplinary approaches for expanding clinical phenotypes of PIDs with autoimmunity, including new presentations of known entities and novel gene defects. We also discuss diagnostic tools for identifying the distinct changes in immune cells subsets and autoantibodies, mechanistic understanding of the process, and targeted treatment and indications for hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT).

Recent findings

In the past years, increased awareness and use of genetic screening, confirmatory functional studies and immunological biomarkers opened the door for early recognition of PIDs among patients with autoimmunity. Large cohort studies detail the clinical spectrum and treatment outcome of PIDs with autoimmunity with specific immune genes (e.g., CTLA4, LRBA, PI3Kδ, NFKB1, RAG). The benefit of early recognition is initiation of targeted therapies with precise re-balancing of the dysregulated immune pathways (e.g., biologicals) or definitive therapy (e.g., HSCT).

Clinical presentation of patients with PID and autoimmunity is highly variable and requires in-depth diagnostics and precision medicine approaches.
Human diseases caused by impaired signal transducer and activator of transcription and Janus kinase signaling
Authors: Chaimowitz Natalia S. , Forbes Lisa R.
Published: November 2019

Purpose of review

The Janus kinase (JAK) and signal transducer of activation (STAT) pathway plays a key role in the immune system. It is employed by diverse cytokines, interferons, growth factors and related molecules. Mutations in JAK/STAT pathway have been implicated in human disease. Here we review JAK/STAT biology and diseases associated with mutations in this pathway.

Recent findings

Over the past 10 years, many mutations in JAK/STAT pathway has been discovered. These disorders have provided insights to human immunology.

In this review, we summarize the biology of each STAT and JAK as well as discuss the human disease that results from somatic or germline mutations to include typical presentation, immunological parameters and treatment.
Twenty-Year Experience of a Single Referral Center on Pediatric Familial Mediterranean Fever
Authors: Kisla Ekinci Rabia Miray , Balci Sibel , Dogruel Dilek , Altintas Derya Ufuk , Yilmaz Mustafa
Published: November 2019

Background/Objective

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most common autoinflammatory disease and is characterized by recurrent fever and serositis episodes. We aimed to share our 20-year FMF experience, clarify a phenotype-genotype correlation, and compare the characteristics and outcomes of pediatric FMF patients over the last 2 decades in this study.

Methods

This medical record review study included 714 pediatric FMF patients (340 females, 374 males), diagnosed by Tel Hashomer diagnostic criteria between January 2009 and January 2019 and followed up in our department. Demographic and disease characteristics, obtained from medical records of the patients, were compared between patients with M694V homozygosity and other genotypes and showed whether they were diagnosed before (n = 137) or after January 2010 (n = 577). χ
2, Student t, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare categorical and continuous variables between these groups.

Results

The most common symptoms were abdominal pain (92%), fever (89.5%), and arthralgia (64.5%). Mean ages at symptom onset and diagnosis were 5.16 ± 3.73 and 7.71 ± 3.87 years, respectively. M694V homozygosity was recorded in 111 patients (15.5%). Fever, arthralgia, arthritis, myalgia, erysipela-like erythema, colchicine resistance, and subclinical inflammation were more frequent, and mean disease severity score was higher in patients with M694V homozygosity. Fever, chest pain, and proteinuria were statistically more frequent in patients diagnosed before January 2010. Although M694V homozygosity rate was similar, patients diagnosed in the last decade had lower mean disease severity score.

Conclusions

With this study, we speculate that although genotype and delay in diagnosis were similar, patients diagnosed in the last decade have a milder disease severity.
Incidental Detection of a Giant Fecaloma on 18F-FDG PET/CT
Authors: Plouznikoff Nicolas
Published: November 2019

Fecal retention can be exacerbated in older patients, bedridden patients, as well as those receiving opioids analgesics or anticholinergic medications. It can lead to impaction, which can have serious consequences, sometimes even requiring surgical intervention. We describe herein the incidental detection of a giant hypometabolic fecaloma on PET/CT with 18F-FDG during the initial staging of a patient with osteosarcoma using opioids for pain management.
Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy in a Patient With Primary Hepatic Angiosarcoma
Authors: Zhang Jun , Dong Mengjie , Yi Zhanxiong , Yu Congcong
Published: November 2019

Primary hepatic angiosarcoma was diagnosed in a 59-year-old woman who presented an arthralgia of limbs and dry cough for 6 weeks. Physical examination revealed digital clubbing. A 99mTc-MDP bone scintigraphy showed diffusely increased uptake along the cortical margins of long bones, suggesting hypertrophic osteoarthropathy.
Resuscitation Fluids in Septic Shock: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Li Binghu , Zhao Hongliang , Zhang Jie , Yan Qingguang , Li Tao , Liu Liangming
Published: November 2019

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of various resuscitation fluids in septic shock by adopting a network meta-analysis (NMA). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing resuscitation fluids in septic shock were carried out by retrieving electronic databases. NMAs of 28-day mortality, 90-day mortality, incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), and the need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) were conducted using the STATA 15.0 software. Probability-based ranking and surface under cumulative ranking (SUCRA) were performed to identify the optimal resuscitation fluid. Inconsistencies were evaluated by node-splitting analysis and a loop-specific approach. Furthermore, publication bias was analyzed by funnel plots. A total of 13 RCTs were enrolled in the analysis. The NMA results revealed that no significant differences were detected in the outcomes of 28-day mortality and 90-day mortality among various resuscitation fluids. The SUCRAs (the first indicates the best) of 28-day mortality showed that the hypertonic sodium chloride/hydroxyethyl starch 40 solution ranked the highest (93.8%), followed by the balanced solution (BS) (69.6%), and albumin (61.9%). On the other hand, the SUCRAs of 90-day mortality revealed that gelatin (GEL) ranked the highest (75.1%), followed by BS (55.1%), and NS (52.4%). The NMA results of AKI demonstrated that high-molecular-weight hydroxyethyl starch (H-HES) was associated with increased risk of AKI in comparison with GEL, BS, and L-HES. The SUCRAs of AKI showed that GEL ranked the highest (74.4%), followed by NS (64.9%), and BS (58.3%). In addition, the NMA results of RRT revealed that H-HES was associated with an increased need for RRT in comparison with BS and NS, and L-HES was associated with increased need of RRT in comparison with BS. The SUCRAs of RRT revealed that NS ranked the highest (91.6%), followed by BS (74.4%) and L-HES (36.1%). No significant inconsistencies were shown by the node-splitting analysis and no publication bias was demonstrated in the funnel plots. In conclusion, BS was determined as the preferred resuscitation fluid for septic shock. Moreover, the use of GEL requires further evaluation. H-HES was associated with a significant risk of AKI and RRT, whereas L-HES with an increased need for RRT compared with BS. Thus, both resuscitation fluids should be avoided for septic shock.
Shock, Not Blood Pressure or Shock Index, Determines the Need for Thoracic Damage Control Following Penetrating Trauma
Authors: Deane Molly , Galvagno Samuel M. , Moran Benjamin , Stein Deborah M. , Scalea Thomas M. , O’Connor James V.
Published: November 2019

Background:

Damage control laparotomy has increased survival for critically injured patient with penetrating abdominal trauma. There has been a slower adoption of a damage control strategy for thoracic trauma despite the considerable mortality associated with emergent thoracotomy for patients in profound shock. We postulated admission physiology, not blood pressure or shock index, would identify patients who would benefit from thoracic damage control.

Study Design:

Retrospective trauma registry review from 2002 to 2017 at a busy, urban trauma center. Three hundred one patients with penetrating thoracic trauma operated on within 6 h of admission were identified. Of those 66 (21.9%) required thoracic damage control and comprise the study population.

Results:

Compared with the non-damage control group, the 66 damage control patients had significantly higher Injury Severity Score, chest Abbreviated Injury Scale, lactate and base deficit, and lower pH and temperature. In addition, the damage control thoracic surgery group had significantly more gunshot wounds, transfusions, concomitant laparotomies, vasoactive infusions, and shorter time to the operating room. Notably, however, there were no significant differences in admission systolic blood pressure or shock index between the groups. Once normal physiology was restored, chest closure was performed 1.7 (0.7) days after the index operation. Mortality for thoracic damage was 15.2%, significantly higher than the 4.3% in the non-damage control group. Over two-thirds of damage control deaths occurred prior to chest closure.

Conclusions:

Mortality in this series of severely injured, profoundly physiologically altered patients undergoing thoracic damage control is substantially lower than previously reported. Rather than relying on blood pressure and shock index, early recognition of shock identifies patients in whom thoracic damage control is beneficial.
Frustration and fidelity in influenza genome assembly
Authors: Farheen Nida , Thattai Mukund
Published: November 2019

The genome of the influenza virus consists of eight distinct single-stranded RNA segments, each encoding proteins essential for the viral life cycle. When the virus infects a host cell, these segments must be replicated and packaged into new budding virions. The viral genome is assembled with remarkably high fidelity: experiments reveal that most virions contain precisely one copy of each of the eight RNA segments. Cell-biological studies suggest that genome assembly is mediated by specific reversible and irreversible interactions between the RNA segments and their associated proteins. However, the precise inter-segment interaction network remains unresolved. Here, we computationally predict that tree-like irreversible interaction networks guarantee high-fidelity genome assembly, while cyclic interaction networks lead to futile or frustrated off-pathway products. We test our prediction against multiple experimental datasets. We find that tree-like networks capture the nearest-neighbour statistics of RNA segments in packaged virions, as observed by electron tomography. Just eight tree-like networks (of a possible 262 144) optimally capture both the nearest-neighbour data and independently measured RNA–RNA binding and co-localization propensities. These eight do not include the previously proposed hub-and-spoke and linear networks. Rather, each predicted network combines hub-like and linear features, consistent with evolutionary models of interaction gain and loss.
Finite element and deformation analyses predict pattern of bone failure in loaded zebrafish spines
Authors: Newham Elis , Kague Erika , Aggleton Jessye A. , Fernee Christianne , Brown Kate Robson , Hammond Chrissy L.
Published: November 2019

The spine is the central skeletal support structure in vertebrates consisting of repeated units of bone, the vertebrae, separated by intervertebral discs (IVDs) that enable the movement of the spine. Spinal pathologies such as idiopathic back pain, vertebral compression fractures and IVD failure affect millions of people worldwide. Animal models can help us to understand the disease process, and zebrafish are increasingly used as they are highly genetically tractable, their spines are axially loaded like humans, and they show similar pathologies to humans during ageing. However, biomechanical models for the zebrafish are largely lacking. Here, we describe the results of loading intact zebrafish spinal motion segments on a material testing stage within a micro-computed tomography machine. We show that vertebrae and their arches show predictable patterns of deformation prior to their ultimate failure, in a pattern dependent on their position within the segment. We further show using geometric morphometrics which regions of the vertebra deform the most during loading, and that finite-element models of the trunk subjected reflect the real patterns of deformation and strain seen during loading and can therefore be used as a predictive model for biomechanical performance.
Modelling microbial communities using biochemical resource allocation analysis
Authors: Sharma Suraj , Steuer Ralf
Published: November 2019

To understand the functioning and dynamics of microbial communities is a fundamental challenge in current biology. To tackle this challenge, the construction of computational models of interacting microbes is an indispensable tool. There is, however, a large chasm between ecologically motivated descriptions of microbial growth used in many current ecosystems simulations, and detailed metabolic pathway and genome-based descriptions developed in the context of systems and synthetic biology. Here, we seek to demonstrate how resource allocation models of microbial growth offer the potential to advance ecosystem simulations and their parametrization. In particular, recent work on quantitative resource allocation allow us to formulate mechanistic models of microbial growth that are physiologically meaningful while remaining computationally tractable. These models go beyond Michaelis–Menten and Monod-type growth models, and are capable of accounting for emergent properties that underlie the remarkable plasticity of microbial growth. We outline the utility and advantages of using biochemical resource allocation models by considering a coarse-grained model of cyanobacterial growth and demonstrate how the model allows us to address specific questions of relevance for the simulation of marine microbial ecosystems, including the physiological acclimation of protein expression to different environments, the description of co-limitation by several nutrients and the differential use of alternative nutrient sources, as well as the description of metabolic diversity based on our increasing knowledge about quantitative cell physiology.
Effects of coal's initial macro-cracks on rockburst tendency of rock–coal composite samples
Authors: Chen Shaojie , Yin Dawei , Liu Huimin , Chen Bing , Jiang Ning
Published: November 2019

In the present study, uniaxial compression tests were conducted on sandstone–coal composite samples to investigate the effects of original macro-cracks in coal on the rockburst tendency. First, the energy dissipation theory was used to derive the elastic energy attenuation index of composite samples during uniaxial loading. Then, based on the test results obtained, the rockburst tendency of composite samples was evaluated and analysed using the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic energy attenuation index. The results show that the original macro-cracks in coal deteriorated the rockburst tendency of composite samples. The original horizontal cracks had the lowest effect on the rockburst tendency, whereas the vertical penetrating cracks through the coal centre (parallel to the loading direction) displayed the greatest effect. The mechanism by which these macro-cracks weakened the rockburst tendency involved two steps: (i) changing the physical properties and energy accumulation conditions of composite samples and (ii) increasing the energy dissipation of composite samples during uniaxial loading. These aspects are important to understand the rockburst hazards induced by the structural instability and failure of the composite system of coal seam and roof rock during deep coal mining.
A lattice Boltzmann model for the open channel flows described by the Saint-Venant equations
Authors: Yang Zhonghua , Bai Fengpeng , Xiang Ke
Published: November 2019

A new lattice Boltzmann method to simulate open channel flows with complex geometry described by a conservative form of Saint-Venant equations is developed. The Saint-Venant equations include an original treatment of the momentum equation source term. Concrete hydrostatic pressure thrust expressions are provided for rectangular, trapezoidal and irregular cross-section shapes. A D1Q3 lattice arrangement is adopted. External forces, such as bed friction and the static term, are discretized with a centred scheme. Bounce back and imposed boundary conditions are considered. To verify the proposed model, four cases are carried out: tidal flow over a regular bed in a rectangular cross-section, steady flow in a channel with horizontal and vertical contractions, steady flow over a bump in a trapezoidal channel and steady flow in a non-prismatic channel with friction. Results indicate that the proposed scheme is simple and can provide accurate predictions for open channel flows.
How did a duplicated gene copy evolve into arestorer-of-fertilitygene in a plant? The case ofOma1
Authors: Arakawa Takumi , Sugaya Hajime , Katsuyama Takaya , Honma Yujiro , Matsui Katsunori , Matsuhira Hiroaki , Kuroda Yosuke , Kitazaki Kazuyoshi , Kubo Tomohiko
Published: November 2019

Restorer-of-fertility(Rf) is a suppressor of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), a mitochondrion-encoded trait that has been reported in many plant species. The occurrence of CMS is considered to be independent in each lineage; hence, the question of howRfevolved was raised. Sugar beetRfresemblesOma1, a gene for quality control of the mitochondrial inner membrane.Oma1homologues comprise a small gene family in the sugar beet genome, unlike Arabidopsis and other eukaryotes. The sugar beet sequence that best matched ArabidopsisatOma1was namedbvOma1; sugar beetRf(RF1-Oma1) was another member. During anther development,atOma1mRNA was detected from the tetrad to the microspore stages, whereasbvOma1mRNA was detected at the microspore stage andRF1-Oma1mRNA was detected during the meiosis and tetrad stages. A transgenic study revealed that, whereasRF1-Oma1can bind to a CMS-specific protein and alter the higher-order structure of the CMS-specific protein complex, neitherbvOma1noratOma1show such activity. We favour the hypothesis that an ancestralOma1gene duplicated to form a small gene family, and that one of the copies evolved and acquired a novel expression pattern and protein function as anRf, i.e.RF1-Oma1evolved via neofunctionalization.
Testing predictability of disease outbreaks with a simple model of pathogen biogeography
Authors: Dallas Tad A. , Carlson Colin J. , Poisot Timothée
Published: November 2019

Predicting disease emergence and outbreak events is a critical task for public health professionals and epidemiologists. Advances in global disease surveillance are increasingly generating datasets that are worth more than their component parts for prediction-oriented work. Here, we use a trait-free approach which leverages information on the global community of human infectious diseases to predict the biogeography of pathogens through time. Our approach takes pairwise dissimilarities between countries’ pathogen communities and pathogens’ geographical distributions and uses these to predict country–pathogen associations. We compare the success rates of our model for predicting pathogen outbreak, emergence and re-emergence potential as a function of time (e.g. number of years between training and prediction), pathogen type (e.g. virus) and transmission mode (e.g. vector-borne). With only these simple predictors, our model successfully predicts basic network structure up to a decade into the future. We find that while outbreak and re-emergence potential are especially well captured by our simple model, prediction of emergence events remains more elusive, and sudden global emergences like an influenza pandemic are beyond the predictive capacity of the model. However, these stochastic pandemic events are unlikely to be predictable from such coarse data. Together, our model is able to use the information on the existing country–pathogen network to predict pathogen outbreaks fairly well, suggesting the importance in considering information on co-occurring pathogens in a more global view even to estimate outbreak events in a single location or for a single pathogen.
Synthesis of cross-linked poly(acrylic acid) nanogels in an aqueous environment using precipitation polymerization: unusually high volume change
Authors: Mackiewicz Marcin , Stojek Zbigniew , Karbarz Marcin
Published: November 2019

For the first time, by using precipitation polymerization in an aqueous solution, a cross-linked poly(acrylic acid)—(pAA) nanogel was synthesized. pAA was synthesized and cross-linked with
N
,
N
′-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) at 70°C in an acidified environment (pH 2) and containing 0.7 M NaCl using potassium persulfate as the initiator. Ionized pAA was soluble in water. The use of sodium chloride at low pH caused a decrease in the solubility of pAA and led to its precipitation and formation of cross-linked pAA nanogel. By using electron microscopies and light scattering techniques, the morphology, pH sensitivity and zeta potential of the obtained p(AA-BIS) nanogel were evaluated. The polymerization in an aqueous environment resulted in a very big swelling/shrinking coefficient (of approx. 4000) in response to pH and exhibited an unusually high negative zeta potential (of approx. −130 mV). These properties make the nanogel a very interesting sorbent and a construction material.
Fully automated image-based estimation of postural point-features in children with cerebral palsy using deep learning
Authors: Cunningham Ryan , Sánchez María B. , Butler Penelope B. , Southgate Matthew J. , Loram Ian D.
Published: November 2019

The aim of this study was to provide automated identification of postural point-features required to estimate the location and orientation of the head, multi-segmented trunk and arms from videos of the clinical test ‘Segmental Assessment of Trunk Control’ (SATCo). Three expert operators manually annotated 13 point-features in every fourth image of 177 short (5–10 s) videos (25 Hz) of 12 children with cerebral palsy (aged: 4.52 ± 2.4 years), participating in SATCo testing. Linear interpolation for the remaining images resulted in 30 825 annotated images. Convolutional neural networks were trained with cross-validation, giving held-out test results for all children. The point-features were estimated with error 4.4 ± 3.8 pixels at approximately 100 images per second. Truncal segment angles (head, neck and six thoraco-lumbar–pelvic segments) were estimated with error 6.4 ± 2.8°, allowing accurate classification (
F
1
> 80%) of deviation from a reference posture at thresholds up to 3°, 3° and 2°, respectively. Contact between arm point-features (elbow and wrist) and supporting surface was classified at
F
1
= 80.5%. This study demonstrates, for the first time, technical feasibility to automate the identification of (i) a sitting segmental posture including individual trunk segments, (ii) changes away from that posture, and (iii) support from the upper limb, required for the clinical SATCo.
Freshwater hydrozoan blooms alter activity and behaviour of territorial cichlids in Lake Tanganyika
Authors: Bose Aneesh P. H. , Zimmermann Holger , Sefc Kristina M.
Published: November 2019

Blooms of gelatinous zooplankton can represent dramatic environmental perturbations for aquatic ecosystems. Yet, we still know little about how blooms impact fitness-related behaviours of fish caught within their areas of effect, especially for freshwater systems. Here, we documented the behavioural impacts of freshwater hydrozoan (
Limnocnida tanganjicae
) blooms on a territorial cichlid (
Variabilichromis moorii
), as well as on the wider community of cichlids in a shallow-water rocky habitat of Lake Tanganyika. Compared with non-bloom conditions,
V. moorii
individuals in the midst of blooms reduced their swimming and territory defence activities (each by approx. 50%) but not their foraging or affiliative behaviours. Despite this reduction in activity,
V. moorii
could not entirely avoid being stung and preferred to remain closer to the rocky substrata as opposed to the more open demersal zone. Many other fishes similarly hid among the benthic substrata, changing the composition of the fish community in the demersal zone during bloom conditions. Reductions in activity could have multiple fitness-related implications for individual fish. Establishing the consequences of these behavioural changes is important for understanding the effects of gelatinous zooplankton blooms in freshwater systems.
Deoxydehydration of vicinal diols by homogeneous catalysts: a mechanistic overview
Authors: DeNike Kayla A. , Kilyanek Stefan M.
Published: November 2019

Deoxydehydration (DODH) is an important reaction for the upconversion of biomass-derived polyols to commodity chemicals such as alkenes and dienes. DODH can be performed by a variety of early metal-oxo catalysts incorporating Re, Mo and V. The varying reduction methods used in the DODH catalytic cycle impact the product distribution, reaction mechanism and the overall yield of the reaction. This review surveys the reduction methods commonly used in homogeneous DODH catalyst systems and their impacts on yield and reaction conditions.
Extensions and solutions for nonlinear diffusion equations and random walks
Authors: Lenzi E. K. , Lenzi M. K. , Ribeiro H. V. , Evangelista L. R.
Published: November 2019

We investigate a connection between random walks and nonlinear diffusion equations within the framework proposed by Einstein to explain the Brownian motion. We show here how to properly modify that framework in order to handle different physical scenarios. We obtain solutions for nonlinear diffusion equations that emerge from the random walk approach and analyse possible connections with a generalized thermostatistics formalism. Finally, we conclude that fractal and fractional derivatives may emerge in the context of nonlinear diffusion equations, depending on the choice of distribution functions related to the spreading of systems.
Gliding motions of a rigid body: the curious dynamics of Littlewood's rolling hoop
Authors: Bronars Antonia , O'Reilly Oliver M.
Published: November 2019

The celebrated mathematician John E. Littlewood noted that a hoop with an attached mass rolling on a ground plane may exhibit self-induced jumping. Subsequent works showed that his analysis was flawed and revealed paradoxical behaviour that can be resolved by incorporating the inertia of the hoop. A comprehensive analysis of this problem is presented in this paper. The analysis illuminates the regularity induced in the model of the hoop when its mass moment of inertia is incorporated, shows that the paradoxical motions of the hoop are consistent with the principles of mechanics and demonstrates the simplest example in the dynamics of rigid bodies that exhibits self-induced jumping.
Location of eigenmodes of Euler–Bernoulli beam model under fully non-dissipative boundary conditions
Authors: Shubov Marianna A.
Published: November 2019

The Euler–Bernoulli beam model with non-conservative feedback-type boundary conditions is investigated. Components of the two-dimensional input vector are shear and moment at the right end, and components of the observation vector are time derivative of displacement and slope at the right end. The boundary matrix containing four control parameters relates input and observation. The following results are presented: (i) if one and only one of the control parameters is positive and the rest of them are equal to zero, then the set of the eigenmodes is located in the open left half-plane of the complex plane, which means that all eigenmodes are stable; (ii) if the diagonal elements of the boundary matrix are positive and off-diagonal elements are zeros, then the set of the eigenmodes is located in the open left half-plane, which implies stability of all eigenmodes; (iii) specific combinations of the diagonal and off-diagonal elements have been found to ensure the stability results. To prove the results, two special relations between the eigenmodes and mode shapes of the non-self-adjoint problem and clamped–free self-adjoint problem have been established.
Social wasps are effective biocontrol agents of key lepidopteran crop pests
Authors: Southon Robin J. , Fernandes Odair A. , Nascimento Fabio S. , Sumner Seirian
Published: November 2019

Biocontrol agents can help reduce pest populations as part of an integrated pest management scheme, with minimal environmental consequences. However, biocontrol agents are often non-native species and require significant infrastructure; overuse of single agents results in pest resistance. Native biocontrol agents are urgently required for more sustainable multi-faceted approaches to pest management. Social wasps are natural predators of lepidopteran pests, yet their viability as native biocontrol agents is largely unknown. Here, we provide evidence that the social paper waspPolistes satanis a successful predator on the larvae of two economically important and resilient crop pests, the sugarcane borerDiatraea saccharalis(on sugarcaneSaccharumspp.) and the fall armywormSpodoptera frugiperda(on maizeZea mays);P. satanwasps significantly reduce crop pest damage. These results provide the much-needed baseline experimental evidence that social wasps have untapped potential as native biocontrol agents for sustainable crop production and food security.
Successful suppression of a field population of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes using a novel biological vector control strategy is associated with significantly lower incidence of dengue
Authors: Poncio Lisiane C , dos Anjos Filipe A , de Oliveira Deborah A , Rebechi Débora , de Oliveira Rodrigo N , Chitolina Rodrigo F , Fermino Marise L , Bernardes Luciano G , Guimarães Danton , Lemos Pedro A , Silva Marcelo N E , Silvestre Rodrigo G M , Bernardes Emerson S , Paldi Nitzan
Published: November 2019

Background

Despite extensive efforts to prevent recurrent Aedes-borne arbovirus epidemics, there is a steady rise in their global incidence. Vaccines/treatments show very limited efficacy and together with the emergence of mosquito resistance to insecticides, it has become urgent to develop alternative solutions for efficient, sustainable and environmentally benign mosquito vector control. Here we present a new Sterile Insect Technology (SIT)-based program that uses large-scale releases of sterile male mosquitoes produced by a highly effective, safe and environmentally benign method.

Methods and findings

To test the efficacy of this approach, a field trial was conducted in a Brazilian city (Jacarezinho), which presented a history of 3 epidemics of dengue in the past decade. Sterile male mosquitoes were produced from a locally acquired Aedes aegypti colony, and releases were carried out on a weekly basis for seven months in a predefined area. This treated area was matched to a control area, in terms of size, layout, historic mosquito infestation index, socioeconomic patterns and comparable prevalence of dengue cases in past outbreaks. Releases of sterile male mosquitoes resulted in up to 91.4% reduction of live progeny of field Ae. aegypti mosquitoes recorded over time. The reduction in the mosquito population was corroborated by the standard monitoring system (LIRAa index) as determined by the local municipality, which found that our treated neighborhoods were almost free of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes after 5 months of release, whereas neighborhoods adjacent to the treated area and the control neighborhoods were highly infested. Importantly, when a dengue outbreak started in Jacarezinho in March 2019, the effective mosquito population suppression was shown to be associated with a far lower incidence of dengue in the treated area (16 cases corresponding to 264 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) almost 16 times lower than the dengue incidence in the control area (198 cases corresponding to 4,360 dengue cases per 100,000 inhabitants).

Conclusions

Our data present the first demonstration that a SIT-based intervention has the potential to prevent the spread of dengue, opening exciting new opportunities for preventing mosquito-borne disease.
Long-term aberrations to cerebellar endocannabinoids induced by early-life stress
Authors: Moussa-Tooks Alexandra B. , Larson Eric , Gimeno Alex F. , Leishman Emma , Bartolomeo Lisa A. , Bradshaw Heather , Green John T. , O’Donnell Brian F. , Mackie Ken , Hetrick William P.
Published: November 2019

Studies of early-life stress traditionally focus on glucocorticoid signaling as a modulator of neurodevelopmental risk, but emerging evidence points to the role of the endocannabinoid system in long-term stress-induced neural remodeling. Existing studies on stress-induced endocannabinoid dysregulation have focused on changes to cerebrum that are temporally proximal to stressors, but little is known about temporally distal effects, especially in cerebellum, which is vulnerable to early developmental stress and is dense with cannabinoid receptors. Further, sex-specific effects of stress on cerebellar endocannabinoid tone are understudied. Following a naturalistic rodent model of early-life stress, limited bedding at postnatal days 2-9, adult (postnatal day 70) cerebellar and hippocampal endocannabinoids and related lipids and mRNA were assessed, and behavioral performance was evaluated. Regional and sex-specific effects were present at baseline and following early-life stress. Limited bedding impaired peripherally-measured basal corticosterone in adult males only. In the CNS, early-life stress (1) decreased 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and arachidonic acid in the cerebellar deep nuclei in males only; (2) decreased 2-arachidonoyl glycerol in females only in cerebellar Crus I; and (3) increased dorsal hippocampus prostaglandins in males only. Transcriptomics for cerebellar interpositus nucleus revealed substantial sex effects, with minimal effects of stress. Stress did impair novel object recognition in both sexes and social preference in females. Taken together, the cerebellar endocannabinoids system exhibits robust sex-specific differences, malleable through early-life stress and perhaps also contributing to sexual differentiation of the brain. The current study may foster future research into stress as a risk factor for cerebellar-related dysfunctions.
The walkoff effect: cargo distribution implies motor type in bidirectional microtubule bundles
Authors: Zhelezov Gleb , Alfred Victor , Bulgakova Natalia A. , Chumakova Lyubov
Published: November 2019

Cells rely on molecular motors moving along an ever-shifting network of polymers (microtubules) for the targeted delivery of cell organelles to biologically-relevant locations. We present a stochastic model for a molecular motor stepping along a bidirectional bundle of microtubules, as well as a tractable analytical model. Using these models, we investigate how the preferred stepping direction of the motor (parallel or antiparallel to the microtubule growth, corresponding to kinesin and dynein motor families) quantitatively and qualitatively affects the cargo delivery. We predict which motor type is responsible for which cargo type, given the experimental distribution of cargo in the cell, and report experimental findings which support this guideline for motor classification.
Early life stress decreases the proliferation and numbers of adult hypothalamic neural stem cells
Authors: Bielefeld Pascal , Abbink Maralinde R. , Davidson Anna R. , Lucassen Paul J. , Korosi Aniko , Fitzsimons Carlos P.
Published: November 2019

Early life stress (ELS) is a potent environmental factor that can confer enduring effects on brain structure and function. Exposure to stress during early life has been linked to a wide range of physiopathological consequences later in life. In particular, ELS has been shown to have lasting effects on neurogenesis in the adult brain, suggesting that ELS is a significant regulator of adult neural stem cell function. Here, we investigated the effect of ELS on the numbers and proliferation of neural stem cells in the hypothalamus of adult mice. We show that ELS has long term negative effects on hypothalamic neural stem cell numbers and on their proliferation. Specifically, ELS reduced the total numbers of PCNA+ cells present in hypothalamic areas surrounding the 3rd ventricle; the numbers of PCNA+/Sox2+/Nestin-GFP+ cells present in the medial eminence at the base of the 3rd ventricle; and the number of β-tanycytes around the ventral 3rd ventricle, without affecting the numbers of α-tanycytes in more dorsal areas. These results suggest that a reduction of proliferation and tanycyte numbers contributes to the effects of ELS on the hypothalamus and its consequent physiological alterations.
DRAMS: A Tool to Detect and Re-Align Mixed-up Samples for Integrative Studies of Multi-omics Data
Authors: Jiang Yi , Giase Gina , Grennan Kay , Shieh Annie W. , Xia Yan , Han Lide , Wang Quan , Wei Qiang , Chen Rui , Liu Sihan , White Kevin P. , Chen Chao , Li Bingshan , Liu Chunyu
Published: November 2019

Studies of complex disorders benefit from integrative analyses of multiple omics data. Yet, sample mix-ups frequently occur in multi-omics studies, weakening statistical power and risking false findings. Accurately aligning sample information, genotype, and corresponding omics data is critical for integrative analyses. We developed DRAMS (https://github.com/Yi-Jiang/DRAMS) to Detect and Re-Align Mixed-up Samples to address the sample mix-up problem. It uses a logistic regression model followed by a modified topological sorting algorithm to identify the potential true IDs based on data relationships of multi-omics. According to tests using simulated data, the more types of omics data used or the smaller the proportion of mix-ups, the better that DRAMS performs. Applying DRAMS to real data from the PsychENCODE BrainGVEX project, we detected and corrected 201 (12.5% of total data generated) mix-ups. Of the 21 mix-ups involving errors of racial identity, DRAMS re-assigned all samples to the correct racial cluster in the 1000 Genomes project. In doing so, quantitative trait loci (QTL) (FDR<0.01) increased by an average of 1.62-fold. The use of DRAMS in multi-omics studies will strengthen statistical power of the study and improve quality of the results. Even though very limited studies have multi-omics data in place, we expect such data will increase quickly with the needs of DRAMS.

Author summary

Sample mix-up happens inevitably during sample collection, processing, and data management. It leads to reduced statistical power and sometimes false findings. It is of great importance to correct mixed-up samples before conducting any downstream analyses. We developed DRAMS to detect and re-align mixed-up samples in multi-omics studies. The basic idea of DRAMS is to align the data and labels for each sample leveraging the genetic information of multi-omics data. DRAMS corrects sample IDs following a two-step strategy. At first, it estimates pairwise genetic relatedness among all the data generated from all the individuals. Because the different data generated from the same individual should share the same genetics, we can cluster all the highly related data and consider that the data from one cluster have only one potential ID. Then, we used a “majority vote” strategy to infer the potential ID for individuals in each cluster. Other information, such as match of genetics-based and reported sexes, omics priorority, etc., were also used to direct identifying the potential IDs. It has been proved that DRAMS performs very well in both simulation and PsychENCODE BrainGVEX multi-omics data.
Phase transitions in Bi4Ti3O12
Authors: Shirokov Vladimir B. , Talanov Mikhail V.
Published: November 2019

Bi4Ti3O12 is a representative of the Aurivillius family of layered perovskites. These are high-temperature ferroelectric materials with prospects for applications in random-access memory and are characterized by an extremely confused interaction of their structural degrees of freedom. Using group-theoretical methods, structural distortions in the Bi4Ti3O12 high-symmetry phase, caused by rotations of rigid octahedra and their displacements as a single unit, have been investigated, taking into account the connections between them. Within the Landau theory, a stable thermodynamic model of phase transitions with three order parameters has been constructed. It is shown that, according to the phenomenological phase diagram, the transition between the high-temperature tetragonal phase and the low-temperature ferroelectric can occur both directly and through intermediate states, including those observed experimentally. The role of improper ordered parameters and possible domain configurations in the structure formation of the low-temperature ferroelectric phase are discussed.
The Margaret Bailey case
Authors: Barrett Meyering Isobelle
Published: November 2019

Purpose

In March 1969, Brisbane student and political activist Margaret Bailey was suspended from Inala High School – ostensibly for “undermining the authority” of her teacher – prompting claims of political suppression. Through a case study of the subsequent campaign for Bailey’s reinstatement, the purpose of this paper is to explain the emergence of the high school activist as a new political actor in the late 1960s.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on newsletters and pamphlets produced by Brisbane activists, alongside articles from the left-wing and mainstream press, to reconstruct the key events of the campaign and trace the major arguments advanced by Bailey and her supporters.

Findings

Initiated by the high school activist group, Students in Dissent (SID), the campaign in support of Bailey lasted over two months, culminating in a “chain-in” staged by Bailey at the Queensland Treasury Building on 8 May. Linking together arguments about students’ rights, civil liberties and democratic government, the campaign reveals how high school activism was enabled not only by the broader climate of political dissent in the late 1960s, but by the increasing emphasis on secondary education as a right of modern citizenship in the preceding decades.

Originality/value

This is the first study of the campaign for Bailey’s reinstatement at Inala High School and one of the only analyses to date of the political mobilisation of high school students in Australia during the late 1960s. The case study of the Bailey campaign underlines that secondary school students were important players in the political contests of the late 1960s and, if only for brief periods, were able to command the attention of education officials, the media and leading politicians. It represents an important historical precedent for contemporary high school activism, including the global School Strike 4 Climate movement.