bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green synthesis of Zinc sulphide (ZnS) nanostructures using S. frutescences plant extract for photocatalytic degradation of dyes and antibiotics
Authors: Munyai Shonisani , Mahlaule-Glory Louisa M , Hintsho-Mbita Nomso Charmaine
Published: December 2021

Pollutants such as dyes and pharmaceuticals have become a problem in the environment, thus there is a need to find multifunctional materials that are safe and can be used for the removal of various pollutants. In this study, we report on the synthesis of Zinc sulphide (ZnS) nanostructures and their use as photocatalysts for the degradation of dyes and various antibiotics. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the functional groups found in plants and these were linked to the biomolecules identified through Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS). Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of the ZnS nanostructures. Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Brunner Emmet Teller (BET) confirmed the material was thermally stable up until 480 °C and mesoporous in nature, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed that the material is spherical in shape and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) further corroborated their formation. From the degradation analysis, 90% of the malachite green (MG) dye could be degraded in 60 min at optimum conditions (pH 6, 25 mg and 10 mg l−1) and the holes were responsible for the degradation. Lastly, when tested against antibiotics, the ZnS material managed to degrade both the sulfisoxazole (SSX) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX). These results showed that the ZnS nanoparticles could be used as a multifunctional material for the degradation of various pollutants.
Preparation and thermophysical properties of graphite flake-carbon fiber coreinforced copper matrix composites
Authors: Huang Junchen , Miu Guodong , Liu Tongle , Huang Chen , Guo Shibo , Liu Qian
Published: December 2021

Graphite flake-carbon fiber coreinforced copper matrix composites were prepared by vacuum hot pressing technology. The carbon fibers were dispersed ultrasonic in alcohol and then mixed with graphite flake and alloys powder (Zr and Cu) for hot pressing sintering. The effects of the carbon fiber content on the microstructure, bending strength and thermal conductivity of the composites were investigated. The results show that the interface of the composites is well bonded. When the volume fraction of carbon fiber is 1%–3%, the carbon fiber can be uniformly dispersed in the matrix, and the bending strength of the composites can be improved effectively. When the volume fraction of carbon fiber is 2%, the bending strength reaches a maximum of 152 MPa, which is an increase of 60% compared with that of the composites without carbon fiber. However, an excessive addition of carbon fiber (4% or more) leads to an uneven distribution of carbon fiber, and the bending strength of the composites decreases. When the volume fraction of carbon fiber is 2%, the thermal conductivity of the composite is 597 W·m−1·K−1. The acoustic mismatch model (AMM) associated with the Digimat MF module is able to predict the thermal conductivity of the anisotropic multiphase composites.
Characteristics of megahertz resonant platform for evaluating sensitivity of photoacoustic contrast agent
Authors: Qu Shili , Nakamura Kentaro
Published: December 2021

A platform designed exclusively for evaluating photoacoustic contrast agents is required to prevent deviations in the results caused by differences in the architecture of photoacoustic imaging systems. In this paper, we managed to develop an evaluation system using a cost-efficient laser diode running in megahertz frequency band. To increase the output signal, an acoustic resonance structure is introduced where the sample liquid is filled in a glass capillary embedded in a soft phantom. The optimal width and interval of the excitation pulse were investigated and found to be 230 ns and 4.92 μs, respectively. Experimental results on inks and Indocyanine green verified the feasibility and effectiveness of the platform. Next, as a non-resonant platform, the glass capillary was replaced with a soft tube to examine the signal enhancement effect of the resonance. The signal-to-noise ratio was on average improved 2.5-fold by the resonance occurring in the glass capillary. The success in improving the signal-to-noise ratio may ensure the lower requirement on the laser power, which could consequently suppress the cost of the evaluation platform.
P-L03 The efficacy and safety of controlled low central venous pressure for liver resection: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Zhong , Sun Dundong , Wang Feiran
Published: December 2021

Background

Partial hepatectomy is an effective treatment for benign and malignant liver diseases . However, intraoperative bleeding is one of the major factors affecting the outcome of hepatectomy. Currently, the most commonly used method of hepatic blood flow occlusion in clinical practice is Pringle method, but this method has a great impact on liver function and can cause hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. .Studies have shown that blood loss volume during hepatectomy is related to central venous pressure (CVP) . Intraoperative control of central venous pressure (LCVP) is increasingly popular in hepatectomy, but its effectiveness and safety remain controversial. 

Methods

The main result of the analysis was to reduce the blood loss and blood infusion. Secondary outcomes included operative time, fluid infusion, urine volume, ALT, TBIL, BUN, CR, postoperative complication rates and length of hospital stay. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software (Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, England). The results of all studies were measured by mean ± standard deviation. If there is significant heterogeneity between the results (P < 0.05), a random-effects model is used. A fixed-effect model was used when there was no significant heterogeneity (P > 0.05). Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochrane χ2 text . 

Results

In total, 10 studies, involving 324 patients undergoing liver resection with controlled low central venous pressure, were identified. Meta-analysis showed that blood loss in the LCVP group was significantly less than that in the control group ( P = 0.0002). blood transfusion in the LCVP group was also significantly less than that in the control group(P = 0.0006). there was no difference between LCVP group and control group in operation time(P = 0.17), fluid infusion( P = 0.46), urinary volume(P = 0.38), ALT( P = 0.23), TBIL(P = 0.86), BUN(P = 0.67), CR(P =0.59), postoperative complication rates( P = 0.01) and hospital stay(P = 0.26). 

Conclusions

Compared with the control, controlled low central venous pressure showed comparable efficacy and safety for the treatment during liver resection.
P-O04 The effect of a pre- and post- operative exercise programme versus standard care on physical fitness of patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer undergoing neoadjuvant treatment prior to surgery (The PERIOP-OG Trial): A Randomised controlled trial
Authors: Loughney Lisa , Tully Roisin , Bolger Jarlath. C , Sorensen Jan , McAnena Oliver , Collins Chris. G , Carroll Paul. A , Arumugasamy Mayilone , Murphy Thomas. J , McCaffrey Noel , Robb William. B
Published: December 2021

Background

Neoadjuvant cancer treatment (NCT) reduces physical fitness prior to surgery. Lower levels of fitness pre-operatively are associated with increased risk of post-operative morbidity and prolonged recovery. Exercise prehabilitation can optimise fitness for surgery.  There is a paucity of evidence regarding the role of community-based exercise programmes during oncological treatment of oesophagogastric malignancies. The aim of the PERIOP-OG trial was to investigate the effect of a community-based exercise prehabilitation programme on physical fitness and other clinical outcomes in patients undergoing NCT and surgical resection for oesophagogastric malignancies. 

Methods

Between March 2019 and December 2020, patients with oesophagogastric cancers requiring NCT and surgery were recruited to a multi-centre randomised controlled trial that compared an exercise prehabilitation group to a usual care control group. The exercise programme commenced following cancer diagnosis. All participants undertook assessments at baseline, end of NCT and pre-surgery. The primary endpoint was improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness, measured by the 6-min walk test (6MWT), from baseline and pre-surgery. Secondary endpoints included upper and lower body strength tests (grip strength and 10-sec sit to stand), EQ-5D-5L Health Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-E) Questionnaire and Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ).

Results

Seventy-one patients were randomised (exercise n = 36, control n = 35). Baseline characteristics between groups were comparable: mean age (p = 0.87) and sex (p = 0.24).  The difference-in-difference (DID) for the exercise prehabilitation showed a significant improvement in 6MWT pre-surgery compared to the usual care group from baseline to pre-surgery: mean (standard deviation) 522 m (17.4) to 582 m (20.1) vs. 498 m (18.2) to 506 m (28.7), p = 0.050. There was no significant DID in grip strength p = 0.770, 10-sec sit to stand (p = 0.100), EQ-5D-5L (p = 0.311), FACT-E (p = 0.105) or SFQ (p = 0.350).

Conclusions

The PERIOP-OG trial demonstrates that a community-based exercise prehabilitation programme initiated at diagnosis, continued during NCT and up to the time of surgery, significantly improves cardiorespiratory fitness. This community exercise prehabilitation model is feasible and sustainable and may provide a standardised framework for the prescription of exercise in oesophagogastric cancer patients.
P-OGC15 Impact of postoperative systemic treatment on survival for oesophageal adenocarcinoma after preoperative chemotherapy and oesophagectomy
Authors: Rahman Saqib , Thomas Betsan , Maynard Nick , Park Min Hae , Wahedally Muhammed , Trudgill Nigel , Crosby Tom , Cromwell David , Underwood Tim
Published: December 2021

Background

Perioperative chemotherapy is widely used in the treatment of oesophageal cancer with substantial survival benefit over surgery alone. However, the postoperative part of these regimens is given in less than half of cases, reflecting uncertainty about its benefit. This study estimates the effect of postoperative chemotherapy after surgery for oesophageal cancer using a large population-based dataset and modern statistical methods.

Methods

Patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma diagnosed between 2012 and 2018 and underwent preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery, were identified from a national level audit in England and Wales (National Oesophagogastric Cancer Audit). Postoperative therapy was defined as the receipt of at least one cycle of systemic chemotherapy within 90 days of surgery. The comparative effectiveness of postoperative chemotherapy compared to observation was estimated using inverse propensity treatment weighting (IPTW).

Results

The study included 2,814 patients, in whom postoperative therapy was given to 1,054 (37.5%). Patients who received postoperative therapy were younger, with a lower ASA grade and were less likely to have surgical complications of any type, including anastomotic leak (all p < 0.001). Tumour characteristics were similar in both groups. Weighted median survival times for patients having no treatment or postoperative chemotherapy were 45.4 months and 57.5 months respectively. There was a life expectancy difference at five years of 2.9 months in favour of postoperative chemotherapy (95%CI 1.1–4.8 months, p < 0.001) with a Hazard Ratio of 0.80 (95%CI 0.70-0.91, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Among patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma treated with preoperative chemotherapy and surgery, improved overall survival was observed in those patients who received postoperative chemotherapy. Minimising surgical complications and improving patient fitness could increase the use of postoperative chemotherapy, leading to better outcomes for patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
mTORC1 functional assay revealsSZT2loss-of-function variants and a founder in-frame deletion
Authors: Calhoun Jeffrey D , Aziz Miriam C , Happ Hannah C , Gunti Jonathan , Gleason Colleen , Mohamed Najma , Zeng Kristy , Hiller Meredith , Bryant Emily , Mithal Divakar S , Bellinski Irena , Kinsley Lisa , Grimmel Mona , Schwaibold Eva M C , Smith-Hicks Constance , Chassevent Anna , Scala Marcello , Accogli Andrea , Torella Annalaura , Striano Pasquale , Capra Valeria , Bird Lynne M , Ben-Sahra Issam , Ekhilevich Nina , Hershkovitz Tova , Weiss Karin , Millichap John , Gerard Elizabeth E , Carvill Gemma L
Published: December 2021

Biallelic pathogenic variants in SZT2 result in a neurodevelopmental disorder with shared features, including early-onset epilepsy, developmental delay, macrocephaly, and corpus callosum abnormalities. SZT2 is as a critical scaffolding protein in the amino acid sensing arm of the mTORC1 signalling pathway. Due to its large size (3432 amino acids), lack of crystal structure, and absence of functional domains, it is difficult to determine the pathogenicity of SZT2 missense and in-frame deletions, but these variants are increasingly detected and reported by clinical genetic testing in individuals with epilepsy. To exemplify this latter point, here we describe a cohort of 12 individuals with biallelic SZT2 variants and phenotypic overlap with SZT2-related neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the majority of individuals carried one or more SZT2 variants of uncertain significance (VUS), highlighting the need for functional characterization to determine, which, if any, of these VUS were pathogenic. Thus, we developed a novel individualized platform to identify SZT2 loss-of-function variants in the context of mTORC1 signalling and reclassify VUS. Using this platform, we identified a recurrent in-frame deletion (SZT2 p.Val1984del) which was determined to be a loss-of-function variant and therefore likely pathogenic. Haplotype analysis revealed that this single in-frame deletion is a founder variant in those of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. Moreover, this approach allowed us to tentatively reclassify all of the VUS in our cohort of 12 individuals, identifying five individuals with biallelic pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants. Clinical features of these five individuals consisted of early-onset seizures (median 24 months), focal seizures, developmental delay and macrocephaly similar to previous reports. However, we also show a widening of the phenotypic spectrum, as none of the five individuals had corpus callosum abnormalities, in contrast to previous reports. Overall, we present a rapid assay to resolve VUS in SZT2, identify a founder variant in individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, and demonstrate that corpus callosum abnormalities is not a hallmark feature of this condition. Our approach is widely applicable to other mTORopathies including the most common causes of the focal genetic epilepsies, DEPDC5, TSC1/2, MTOR and NPRL2/3.
Early lysosome defects precede neurodegeneration with amyloid-β and tau aggregation in NHE6-null rat brain
Authors: Lee YouJin , Miller Morgan R , Fernandez Marty A , Berg Elizabeth L , Prada Adriana M , Ouyang Qing , Schmidt Michael , Silverman Jill L , Young-Pearse Tracy L , Morrow Eric M
Published: December 2021

Loss-of-function mutations in the X-linked endosomal Na+/H+ exchanger 6 (NHE6) cause Christianson syndrome in males. Christianson syndrome involves endosome dysfunction leading to early cerebellar degeneration, as well as later-onset cortical and subcortical neurodegeneration, potentially including tau deposition as reported in post-mortem studies. In addition, there is reported evidence of modulation of amyloid-β levels in experimental models wherein NHE6 expression was targeted. We have recently shown that loss of NHE6 causes defects in endosome maturation and trafficking underlying lysosome deficiency in primary mouse neurons in vitro. For in vivo studies, rat models may have an advantage over mouse models for the study of neurodegeneration, as rat brain can demonstrate robust deposition of endogenously-expressed amyloid-β and tau in certain pathological states. Mouse models generally do not show the accumulation of insoluble, endogenously-expressed (non-transgenic) tau or amyloid-β. Therefore, to study neurodegeneration in Christianson syndrome and the possibility of amyloid-β and tau pathology, we generated an NHE6-null rat model of Christianson syndrome using CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing. Here, we present the sequence of pathogenic events in neurodegenerating NHE6-null male rat brains across the lifespan. NHE6-null rats demonstrated an early and rapid loss of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, as well as a more protracted neurodegenerative course in the cerebrum. In both the cerebellum and cerebrum, lysosome deficiency is an early pathogenic event, preceding autophagic dysfunction. Microglial and astrocyte activation also occur early. In the hippocampus and cortex, lysosome defects precede loss of pyramidal cells. Importantly, we subsequently observed biochemical and in situ evidence of both amyloid-β and tau aggregation in the aged NHE6-null hippocampus and cortex (but not in the cerebellum). Tau deposition is widely distributed, including cortical and subcortical distributions. Interestingly, we observed tau deposition in both neurons and glia, as has been reported in Christianson syndrome post-mortem studies previously. In summary, this experimental model is among very few examples of a genetically modified animal that exhibits neurodegeneration with deposition of endogenously-expressed amyloid-β and tau. This NHE6-null rat will serve as a new robust model for Christianson syndrome. Furthermore, these studies provide evidence for linkages between endolysosome dysfunction and neurodegeneration involving protein aggregations, including amyloid-β and tau. Therefore these studies may provide insight into mechanisms of more common neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Rethinking the everyday domestic sphere: Palestinian women as environmentalist and anti-colonial warriors
Authors: Shqair Manal , Soliman Mahmoud
Published: December 2021

This paper examines the role of rural Palestinian women in the South Hebron Hills (SHH) in fighting back against both Israeli settler colonial practices and environmental destruction resulting from such practices. We contend that Israel is waging a war on the environment as a tool to deprive Palestinians in Area ‘C’ of what sustains life, land and natural resources. Through their everyday practices of defiance, we argue that, rural women wielding an indigenous lifestyle of farming in the SHH create an agro-ecological structure of sumud, or steadfastness through their domestic everyday practices, where they strengthen their attachment to the land and regenerate the environment.
Enterococcus Intestinal Domination Is Associated With Increased Mortality in the Acute Leukemia Chemotherapy Population
Authors: Messina Julia A , Tan Chin Yee , Ren Yi , Hill Lauren , Bush Amy , Lew Meagan , Andermann Tessa , Peled Jonathan U , Gomes Antonio , van den Brink Marcel R M , Chao Nelson J , Surana Neeraj K , Sung Anthony D
Published: December 2021

Background

Enterococcus intestinal domination (EID), a state of dysbiosis wherein enterococci comprise ≥30% abundance within the microbiota, has been associated with Enterococcus bacteremia, graft-versus-host disease, and mortality in the allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo HCT) population. The acute leukemia (AL) chemotherapy population includes patients receiving intensive chemotherapy, but not all patients go on to have an allo HCT. The impact of EID on outcomes including mortality in the AL chemotherapy population is unknown.

Methods

Microbiota composition from weekly stool samples was analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Patients were analyzed in 2 cohorts: AL chemotherapy cohort and allo HCT cohort. α -diversity and richness were calculated. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to analyze mortality.

Results

A total of 929 stool samples were collected from 139 patients. Both allo HCT and AL cohorts had a decline in α-diversity and richness over the course of treatment that tended not to return to baseline months later. EID was observed in at least 1 sample in 36% of allo HCT patients and 49% of AL patients. Patients with observed EID had lower α-diversity over time. Similar to the HCT cohort, AL patients with EID had reduced overall survival. We identified 4 other genera that were commonly found in ≥30% relative abundance within the microbiota, but none were associated with mortality. In fact, in allo HCT, Bacteroides abundance ≥30% was associated with improved survival.

Conclusions

EID is associated with increased all-cause mortality in HCT and AL cohorts. Unlike EID, relative abundance ≥30% by other genera is not associated with increased all-cause mortality.
On the Longest Common Cartesian Substring Problem
Authors: Faro Simone , Lecroq Thierry , Park Kunsoo , Scafiti Stefano
Published: December 2021

A Cartesian tree is associated with a string of numbers and is structured as a heap from which the original string can be recovered. Although Cartesian trees have been introduced 40 years ago, the Cartesian tree matching problem appeared very recently. It consists in finding all substrings of given text, which have the same Cartesian tree as that of a given pattern. In this paper, we address the problem of computing the longest common Cartesian substrings of two strings and present three methods for such problem. Our first method is based on a classical suffix tree construction and solves the problem in randomized linear time and linear space, although the space overhead is quite prohibitive in the case of large strings. Our second solution is based on classical dynamic programming, and our third solution is based on a constructive approach. Both of them run in quadratic worst case time but are more space economical in practice. From our experimental results, it turns out that our second solution runs faster than the standard suffix tree solution for short strings, whereas our third solution is more suitable for large strings, when storing a full suffix tree becomes prohibitive.
Efficacy of new medical therapies in patients with heart failure, reduced ejection fraction, and chronic kidney disease already receiving neurohormonal inhibitors: a network meta-analysis
Authors: Ameri Pietro , De Marzo Vincenzo , Zoccai Giuseppe Biondi , Tricarico Lucia , Correale Michele , Brunetti Natale Daniele , Canepa Marco , De Ferrari Gaetano Maria , Castagno Davide , Porto Italo
Published: December 2021

Aims

We assessed the efficacy of the drugs developed after neurohormonal inhibition (NEUi) in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods and results

The literature was systematically searched for phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving ≥90% patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <45%, of whom <30% were acutely decompensated, and with published information about the subgroup of estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Six RCTs were included in a study-level network meta-analysis evaluating the effect of NEUi, ivabradine, angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), vericiguat, and omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) on a composite outcome of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for HF. In a fixed-effects model, SGLT2i [hazard ratio (HR) 0.78, 95% credible interval (CrI) 0.69–0.89], ARNI (HR 0.79, 95% CrI 0.69–0.90), and ivabradine (HR 0.82, 95% CrI 0.69–0.98) decreased the risk of the composite outcome vs. NEUi, whereas OM did not (HR 0.98, 95% CrI 0.89–1.10). A trend for improved outcome was also found for vericiguat (HR 0.90, 95% CrI 0.80–1.00). In indirect comparisons, both SLGT2i (HR 0.80, 95% CrI 0.68–0.94) and ARNI (HR 0.80, 95% CrI 0.68–0.95) reduced the risk vs. OM; furthermore, there was a trend for a greater benefit of SGLT2i vs. vericiguat (HR 0.88, 95% CrI 0.73–1.00) and ivabradine vs. OM (HR 0.84, 95% CrI 0.68–1.00). Results were comparable in a random-effects model and in sensitivity analyses. Surface under the cumulative ranking area scores were 81.8%, 80.8%, 68.9%, 44.2%, 16.6%, and 7.8% for SGLT2i, ARNI, ivabradine, vericiguat, OM, and NEUi, respectively.

Conclusion

Expanding pharmacotherapy beyond NEUi improves outcomes in HFrEF with CKD.
Contemporary Challenges in Clinical Flow Cytometry: Small Samples, Big Data, Little Time
Authors: Brestoff Jonathan R , Frater John L
Published: December 2021

Background

Immunophenotypic analysis of cell populations by flow cytometry has an established role in primary diagnosis and disease monitoring of many hematologic diseases. A persistent problem in evaluation of specimens is suboptimal cell counts and low cell viability, which results in an undesirable rate of analysis failure. In addition, the increased amount of data generated in flow cytometry challenges existing data analysis and reporting paradigms.

Content

We describe current and emerging technological improvements in cell analysis that allow the clinical laboratory to perform multiparameter analysis of specimens, including those with low cell counts and other quality issues. These technologies include conventional multicolor flow cytometry and new high-dimensional technologies, such as spectral flow cytometry and mass cytometry that enable detection of over 40 antigens simultaneously. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed. We also describe new innovations in flow cytometry data analysis, including artificial intelligence-aided techniques.

Improvements in analytical technology, in tandem with innovations in data analysis, data storage, and reporting mechanisms, help to optimize the quality of clinical flow cytometry. These improvements are essential because of the expanding role of flow cytometry in patient care.
An ASP approach for arteries classification in CT scans
Authors: Fabiano Francesco , Dal Palù Alessandro
Published: December 2021

Automated segmentation of computed tomography (CT) scans is the first step in the pipeline for the interpretation and identification of potential pathologies in human organs. Several methods based on machine learning (ML) are currently available, even if their precision is still outperformed by medical doctors. In this field there are some intrinsic limitations to ML approaches, such as the following: cost and time to acquire high-quality annotated scans for training; and a remarkable high variability of organ morphology due to age, conditions, genetics and acquisition. This paper outlines a new methodology based on Answer Set Programming, which returns reliable, easy-to-program and explainable interpretations. In particular, we focus on the CT scan analysis and retrieval of tree-like structure, corresponding to main blood vessels (arteries) arrangement. The structure is compared to the knowledge base of vessels contained in anatomy textbooks. The mapping of vessel names is computed by an Answer Set Programming program. This preliminary step produces a robust input to a reasoner for the multi-organ labelling and localization problem.
Looking for a twist: probing the cosmological gravitomagnetic effect via weak lensing-kSZ cross-correlations
Authors: Barrera-Hinojosa Cristian , Li Baojiu , Cai Yan-Chuan
Published: December 2021

General relativity predicts that the rotational momentum flux of matter twists the space–time via a vector gravitomagnetic (frame-dragging) field, which remains undetected in cosmology. This vector field induces an additional gravitational lensing effect; at the same time, the momentum field sources the kinetic Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (kSZ) effect. The common origin of these two effects allows us to probe the gravitomagnetic signal via their cross-correlations. In this paper, we explore the possibility of detecting the gravitomagnetic field in Λ cold dark matter by cross-correlating the weak-lensing convergence field with the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature map, which is imprinted with the kSZ signal. This approach allows us to extract the gravitomagnetic effect because the cross-correlation between the standard Newtonian contribution to the weak-lensing convergence field, $\kappa _\Phi$, and the kSZ effect is expected to vanish. We study the cross-correlations with a suite of large-volume Newtonian N-body simulations and a small-volume, high-resolution, general-relativistic counterpart. We show that insufficient simulation resolution can introduce significant spurious correlations between $\kappa _\Phi$ and kSZ. From the high-resolution simulation, we find that the cumulative signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the kSZ-gravitomagnetic convergence field can reach almost 15 (30) at ℓ ≃ 5000 (104) for the lensing source redshift zs = 0.83, if only cosmic variance is considered. We make forecast for next-generation lensing surveys such as euclid and lsst, and CMB experiments such as Simons Observatory and cmb-s4, and find that, for zs = 1.4, the cumulative SNR can exceed 5 (9) at ℓ ≃ 5000 (104), indicating that the cosmological gravitomagnetic effect can be detected, if several foreground contaminations can be removed.
The morphology of the ejecta of SN 1987A at 31 yr from 1150 to 10 000 Å
Authors: Kangas T , Fransson C , Larsson J , France K , Chevalier R A , Kirshner R P , Lundqvist P , Mattila S , Sollerman J , Utrobin V P
Published: December 2021

We present spectroscopy of the ejecta of SN 1987A in 2017 and 2018 from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Very Large Telescope, covering the wavelength range between 1150 and $10\, 000$ Å. At 31 yr, this is the first epoch with coverage over the ultraviolet-to-near-infrared range since 1995. We create velocity maps of the ejecta in the H α, Mg ii λλ2796, 2804 and [O i] λλ6302, 6366 (vacuum) emission lines and study their morphology. All three lines have a similar morphology, but Mg ii is blueshifted by ∼1000 km s−1 relative to the others and stronger in the north-west. We also study the evolution of the line fluxes, finding a brightening by a factor of ∼9 since 1999 in Mg ii, while the other line fluxes are similar in 1999 and 2018. We discuss implications for the power sources of emission lines at late times: thermal excitation due to heating by the X-rays from the ejecta–ring interaction is found to dominate the ultraviolet Mg ii lines, while the infrared Mg ii doublet is powered mainly by Ly α fluorescence. The X-ray deposition is calculated based on merger models of SN 1987A. Far-ultraviolet emission lines of H2 are not detected. Finally, we examine the combined spectrum of recently discovered hotspots outside the equatorial ring. Their unresolved Balmer emission lines close to zero velocity are consistent with the interaction of fast ejecta and a clumpy, slowly moving outflow. A clump of emission in this spectrum, south of the equatorial ring at ∼1500 km s−1, is likely associated with the reverse shock.
Nonalternating purine pyrimidine sequences can form stable left-handed DNA duplex by strong topological constraint
Authors: Li Lin , Zhang Yaping , Ma Wanzhi , Chen Hui , Liu Mengqin , An Ran , Cheng Bingxiao , Liang Xingguo
Published: December 2021

In vivo, left-handed DNA duplex (usually refers to Z-DNA) is mainly formed in the region of DNA with alternating purine pyrimidine (APP) sequence and plays significant biological roles. It is well known that d(CG)n sequence can form Z-DNA most easily under negative supercoil conditions, but its essence has not been well clarified. The study on sequence dependence of Z-DNA stability is very difficult without modification or inducers. Here, by the strong topological constraint caused by hybridization of two complementary short circular ssDNAs, left-handed duplex part was generated for various sequences, and their characteristics were investigated by using gel-shift after binding to specific proteins, CD and Tm analysis, and restriction enzyme cleavage. Under the strong topological constraint, non-APP sequences can also form left-handed DNA duplex as stable as that of APP sequences. As compared with non-APP sequences, the thermal stability difference for APP sequences between Z-form and B-form is smaller, which may be the reason that Z-DNA forms preferentially for APP ones. This result can help us to understand why nature selected APP sequences to regulate gene expression by transient Z-DNA formation, as well as why polymer with chirality can usually form both duplexes with left- or right-handed helix.
Health Effects of Tobacco at the Global, Regional, and National Levels: Results From the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study
Authors: He Hairong , Pan Zhenyu , Wu Jiayuan , Hu Chuanyu , Bai Ling , Lyu Jun
Published: December 2021

Introduction

The purpose was to quantify the health effects of tobacco using data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study.

Aims and Methods

We collected detailed information on tobacco consumption overall as well as its individual aspects (smoking, secondhand smoke, and chewing tobacco) for the deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for all-cause disease, cardiovascular disease, neoplasms, and chronic respiratory diseases, and their age-standardized rates (ASRs).

Results

Tobacco was responsible for 8.71 million deaths and 229.77 million DALYs globally in 2019. The ASRs of all tobacco-related deaths and DALYs declined from 1990 to 2019, to 108.55 deaths per 100 000 population and 2791.04 DALYs per 100 000 population in 2019. During any year the ASRs of all tobacco-related deaths and DALYs were higher in males than in females. The ASRs of all tobacco-related deaths and DALYs were highest in countries with a low-middle sociodemographic index (SDI) and lowest in high-SDI countries in 2019. Cardiovascular disease, neoplasms, and chronic respiratory diseases were the three leading causes of tobacco-related mortality.

Conclusions

Although the ASRs of deaths and DALYs related to tobacco have declined, the absolute number remain high. Tobacco control policies need to be strengthened further in order to reduce the heavy health burden of tobacco.

Implications

This study provides a detailed description on the health effects of tobacco, including maps of the current global burden of tobacco-related disease. Although the ASRs of tobacco-related deaths and DALYs have declined, the absolute numbers remain high—tobacco was responsible for 8.71 million deaths and 229.77 million DALYs globally in 2019. The findings may have implications for tobacco control. Countries where progress has been slower in reducing tobacco-related disease burden should study and consider implementing policies and strategies that have been applied in countries like Singapore which show the greatest declines for recent decades.
Cupid’s Invisible Hand: Social Surplus and Identification in Matching Models
Authors: Galichon Alfred , Salanié Bernard
Published: December 2021

We investigate a model of one-to-one matching with transferable utility and general unobserved heterogeneity. Under a separability assumption that generalizes Choo and Siow (2006, Journal of Political Economy, 114, 175–201), we first show that the equilibrium matching maximizes a social gain function that trades off exploiting complementarities in observable characteristics and matching on unobserved characteristics. We use this result to derive simple closed-form formulae that identify the joint matching surplus and the equilibrium utilities of all participants, given any known distribution of unobserved heterogeneity. We provide efficient algorithms to compute the stable matching and to estimate parametric versions of the model. Finally, we revisit Choo and Siow’s empirical application to illustrate the potential of our more general approach.
Pirahy virus: Identification of a new and potential emerging arbovirus in South Brazil
Authors: Tschá Marcel Kruchelski , Suzukawa Andreia A , Rodrigues-Luiz Gabriela Flavia , da Silva Allan Martins , Cataneo Allan Henrique Depieri , Mattoso Coelho Gabriela , Ferreira Adão Celestino , Soares Medeiros Lia Carolina , Mansur Daniel , Zanluca Camila , Duarte dos Santos Claudia N
Published: December 2021

Genomic and epidemiological surveillance are paramount for the discovery of new viruses with the potential to cross species barriers. Here, we present a new member of the genus Alphavirus found in Trichoprosopon and Wyeomia mosquitoes, tentatively named Pirahy virus (PIRAV). PIRAV was isolated from mosquito pools collected in a rural area of Piraí do Sul, South Brazil. In vitro assays revealed that PIRAV replicates and causes cytopathic effects in vertebrate cell lines such as Vero E6, SH-SY5Y, BHK-21 and UMNSAH/DF-1. Genomic signature analysis supports these results showing a dinucleotide and codon usage balance compatible with several hosts. Phylogenetic analyses placed PIRAV basal to the Venezuelan equine encephalitis complex. Genome analyses, electron microscopy, and biological characterization show findings that may alert for the emergence of a new arbovirus in South America.
Azospira inquinata sp. nov., a nitrate-reducing bacterium of the family Rhodocyclaceae isolated from contaminated groundwater
Authors: Mikes Madison C. , Martin Tamara K. , Moe William M.
Published: December 2021

Two novel Gram-stain-negative bacterial strains, Azo-3T and Azo-2, were isolated from a toluene-producing enrichment culture that originated from contaminated groundwater at a site in southeast Louisiana (USA). Cells are non-spore forming straight to curved rods with single polar flagella. Strains Azo-3T and Azo-2 are oxidase-positive, catalase-negative, use nitrate and nitrite as electron acceptors, and are able to fix nitrogen. Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate storage granules are produced. Dominant fatty acids when grown in R2A medium at 37 °C are C16:0, summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C15:0 iso 2OH), C17:0 cyclo and C18:1 ω7c. 16S rRNA gene sequence based phylogenetic analysis indicated that the strains cluster within the family

Rhodocyclaceae

, class

Betaproteobacteria

, most closely related to but distinct from type strains of the species

Azospira oryzae

(96.94% similarity) and

Azospira restricta

(95.10% similarity). Complete genome sequences determined for strains Azo-3T and Azo-2 revealed DNA G+C content of 62.70 mol%. Genome-wide comparisons based on average nucleotide identity by orthology and estimated DNA–DNA hybridization values combined with phenotypic and chemotaxonomic traits and phylogenetic analysis indicate that strains Azo-3T and Azo-2 represent a novel species within the genus

Azospira

for which the name Azospira inquinata sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Azospira inquinata is Azo-3T (=NRRL B-65590T=DSM 112046T).
Shared Inherited Genetics of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer
Authors: Glaser Alexander , Shi Zhuqing , Wei Jun , Lanman Nadia A. , Ladson-Gary Skylar , Vickman Renee E , Franco Omar E. , Crawford Susan E. , Zheng S. Lilly , Hayward Simon W. , Isaacs William B. , Helfand Brian T. , Xu Jianfeng
Published: December 2021

Background

The association between benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) remains controversial, largely due to inherent detection bias in traditional observational studies. The objective of this study is to assess their association using inherited SNPs.

Methods

Subjects were White men from the large population-based UK Biobank (UKB). Association between BPH and PCa was tested: 1) phenotypical correlation using chi-square test, 2) genetic correlation (rg) based on 1,126,841 polymorphic SNPs across the genome using linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSR), and 3) cross-disease genetic associations based on known risk-associated SNPs (15 for BPH and 239 for PCa), individually and cumulatively as measured by genetic risk score (GRS).

Findings

Among 214,717 White men in the UKB, 24,623 (11.47%) and 14,311 (6.67%) had a diagnosis of BPH and PCa, respectively. Diagnoses of these two diseases were significantly correlated, χ2=1862.80, P<1E-299. A significant genetic correlation was found, rg (95% confidence interval (CI))=0.27 (0.15-0.39), P=9.17E-06. In addition, significant cross-disease genetic associations for established risk-associated SNPs were also found. Among the 250 established GWAS-significant SNPs of PCa or BPH, 51 were significantly associated with risk of the other disease at P<0.05, significantly more than expected by chance (N=12), P=3.04E-7 (χ2-test). Furthermore, significant cross-disease GRS associations were also found; GRSBPH was significantly associated with PCa risk (odds ratio (OR)=1.26 (1.18-1.36), P=1.62E-10), and GRSPCa was significantly associated with BPH risk (OR=1.03 (1.02-1.04), P=8.57E-06). Moreover, GRSBPH was significantly and inversely associated with lethal PCa risk in a PCa case-case analysis (OR=0.58 (0.41-0.81), P=1.57E-03). In contrast, GRSPCa was not significantly associated with lethal PCa (OR=0.99 (0.94-1.04), P=0.79).

Interpretation

BPH and PCa share common inherited genetics which suggests the phenotypical association of these two diseases in observational studies is not entirely caused by detection bias. This novel finding may have implications in disease etiology and risk stratification.

Funding

None.
Impact Of an Immune Modulator Mycobacterium-w On Adaptive Natural Killer Cells and Protection Against COVID-19
Authors: Jaiswal Sarita Rani , Arunachalam Jaganath , Saifullah Ashraf , Lakhchaura Rohit , Tailor Dhanir , Mehta Anupama , Bhagawati Gitali , Aiyer Hemamalini , Khamar Bakulesh , Malhotra Sanjay V. , Chakrabarti Suparno
Published: December 2021

The kinetics of NKG2C+adaptive natural killer (ANK) cells and NKG2A+inhibitory NK (iNK) cells with respect to the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection were studied for 6 months in a cohort of health-care workers following administration of heat killedMycobacterium w(Mw group) in comparison to a control group. In both groups, COVID-19 correlated with a lower NKG2C+ANK cells at baseline. There was a significant upregulation of NKG2C expression and IFN-γ release in Mw group (p=0.0009), particularly in those with lower baseline NKG2C expression, along with downregulation of iNK cells (p<0.0001). This translated to a significant reduction in incidence and severity of COVID-19 in the Mw group (IRR-0.15, p=0.0004). RNA-seq analysis at 6 months showed an upregulation of ANK pathway genes and an enhanced ANK mediated ADCC signature. Thus, Mw was observed to have a salutary impact on the ANK cell profile and a long-term upregulation of ANK-ADCC pathways, which could have provided protection against COVID-19 in a non-immune high-risk population.
Self-consistent migration puts tight constraints on the spatio-temporal organization of species-rich metacommunities
Authors: Denk Jonas , Hallatschek Oskar
Published: December 2021

Biodiversity is often attributed to a dynamic equilibrium between immigration of species and competition-driven extinction. This equilibrium forms a common basis for studying ecosystem assembly from a static reservoir of migrants–the mainland. Yet, natural ecosystems often consist of many coupled communities (i.e. metacommunities) and migration occursbetweenthese communities. The pool of migrants then depends on what is sustained in the ecosystem, which in turn depends on the dynamic migrant pool. This chicken-and-egg problem of survival and migration is poorly understood in communities of many competing species, except for the neutral case - the “unified neutral theory of biodiversity”. Employing spatio-temporal simulations and mean-field analyses, we show that self-consistent migration puts rather tight constraints on the dynamic migration-extinction equilibrium. When the number of species is large, even weak competitions push species to the edge of their global extinction, such that the overall diversity is highly sensitive to perturbations in demographic parameters, including growth and dispersal rates. When migration is short-range, the resulting spatiotemporal abundance patterns follow broad scale-free distributions that correspond to a directed percolation phase transition. The qualitative agreement of our results for short-range and long-range migration suggests that this self-organization process is a general property of species-rich metacommunities. Our study shows that self-sustaining metacommunities are highly sensitive to environmental change and provides insights into how biodiversity can be rescued and maintained.
Persistence of strain in filament-motor assemblies
Authors: Gopinath Arvind , Chelakkot Raghunath , Mahadevan L
Published: December 2021

The spatial extent to which elastic deformations of cross-linked filaments persist in noisy active environments and the associated decay length plays a fundamental role in many biological settings. Here, we study the mechanical response of an active ordered composite comprised of elastic filaments sheared by active motors. We compare results from Brownian multi-particle collision dynamics-based numerical simulations for actively driven deformations of noisy and moderately soft composites with theoretical predictions from a mean-field theory valid in the noiseless and weakly elastic limit. Surprisingly, several qualitative features predicted by the noise-less mean field model are seen even in strongly noisy simulations. We find, from both theory and simulations, that even when extensibility is negligible locally, it cannot be ignored when considering global deformation fields. This is because the length scale over which extensional deformations persist is controlled by the competition between passive elasticity of the filament and active effective shear stiffening due to attached motors and other crosslinks. Specifically, for fixed motor kinetics and properties, the decay length of extensional deformations is controlled by the ratio of the passive elastic modulus of the composite to an effective active, motor generated shear modulus. For steady strains, the length scale is surprisingly independent of motor activity except when motors are in a state of rigor. For oscillatory strains, the persistence length may be varied strongly by changing the frequency of forcing. When the effect of noise is dominant, the strain fields on the filament becomes uncorrelated. Our study demonstrates how correlated activity in natural ordered active matter possesses a finite range of influence with testable experimental implications.