bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intensification of water management during climate change
Authors: Ondrasik F , Krocova S , Thomitzek A
Published: December 2021

The current management of the world’s fresh water resources is not optimal. Due to the uneven distribution of water, many parts of the world are entering a passive water management balance due to climate change and the growth of the human population. The Czech Republic is one of the countries with a passive balance. With ongoing climate change, it will be difficult in many regions to maintain sufficient raw water for technological and technical purposes without intensification in the water management process. Scientific progress and current technical possibilities offer ways to increase the way water is treated and the possibilities of re-using the realized water in the area of its use for various purposes, from the water source to the final cycle. One of these possibilities and the way of intensive use of water is dealt with in the following article.
Water network functional analysis
Authors: Pietrucha-Urbanik K , Tchórzewska-Cieślak B
Published: December 2021

Water distribution systems should have a high level of reliability and availability. Water distribution system failures should be diagnosed and categorised, according to their consequences, causes, frequency, and other important factors. A failure analysis of the water distribution system is considered in this study, as well as a method for establishing a failure susceptibility index and evaluating the risk of failures within a defined area, based on categories and zonal characteristics. A risk scale, such as tolerable, controlled, and unacceptable, will be used to assess the risk of failure. The methodology is provided to help in the performance and risk assessments of water distribution systems, as well as decision-making.
European Green Deal as a matter of security
Authors: Polko P
Published: December 2021

The European Green Deal (EGD) is a set of policy initiatives by the European Union with the overarching and ambitious aim of making Europe climate neutral in 2050. Being world’s first ‘climate-neutral bloc’ and fulfilling other goals extending to many different sectors, including construction, biodiversity, energy, transport, food and others has also an impact on different sectors of security. The implementation of the tasks set out in the EGD requires taking into account the necessity of sustainability in reaching the goals, including not violating sectoral security in the EU Member States.Nexusapproach might be useful in the processes of finding and implementation of particular solutions.
Analysis of CAFM software for construction companies in the Czech
Authors: Rudl L
Published: December 2021

As part of property management, there is a constant increase in operating costs, whether they are new or old buildings. The amount of costs and their growth is related, among other things, to the use of space, the provision of services, the optimization of the working environment and the optimal functionality of the technological parts of the property. In the case of large properties or building complexes, it is therefore a separate branch of Facility Management. As part of the ongoing digitization in the field of construction, the development and implementation of facility management for the subsequent management of the building is also accelerating. There is currently several commercially available software that can be used as an effective tool for organizing, planning, and improving facility processes. The main goal of the work is to conduct a survey of existing and available software for facility management (CAFM) in the market environment of the Czech Republic and compare its functions, working environment in relation to the possibility of use in the construction company environment.
Radon monitoring in a historical building in Košice city, Slovakia – a case study
Authors: Singovszká E , Eštoková A , Vertaľ M
Published: December 2021

It is known that the highest contribution to the yearly radiation dose for the population derives from natural radioactivity. About 50% of that is estimated to be caused by exposure to radon (Rn) and its products. Human exposure to indoor Rn is currently considered a relevant research topic, because of the associated epidemiological aspects. This paper aimed at Rn concentration measurement in a selected building in Košice city, Slovakia. The continuous monitoring of indoor radon levels was performed over a period of 40 days. The measured concentrations ranged in a wide interval up to 92 Bq/m3. The WHO limit value of 100 Bq/m3 wasn´t exceeded. Analysing the possible sources, both contributions of radon from the building materials and radon from the soil was observed.
Soil contamination in the area of magnesite mining in urban and agrarian land
Authors: Stofejova L , Fazekasova D , Fazekas J
Published: December 2021

Contamination of soil with potential risk elements is one of the most pressing environmental problems in the world and causes serious environmental damage, but also threatens human health. This paper presents the results of research that was focused on analyzing soil contamination in the field of magnesite mining in urban and agrarian land nearby the former factory in Košice (Slovakia). Field and laboratory research were performed. Soil sampling was performed in 10 localities of the studied area. The content of risk elements (Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, Zn, Cu, As, Ni, Mn, Mg) in soils was analyzed under laboratory conditions. The obtained data expressed as average concentrations of metals in sampled soils, as well as background values of the contents of monitored elements for the soils of the Slovak Republic, were used to assess soil pollution and identify the environmental risk. The acquired knowledge about the contamination of the soil with risk elements in the area around the former magnesite factory in Košice could help in the planning of remediation measures and improve the state of the environment in the studied area.
Bioaccumulation of toxic metals by fungi of the genus Aspergillus isolated from the contaminated area of Ostramo Lagoons
Authors: Vašinková M , Dlabaja M , Kučová K
Published: December 2021

The study compares the ability to bioaccumulate toxic metal ions using microscopic filamentous fungi of the genusAspergillusisolated from the anthropogenically contaminated site of the Ostramo Lagoons (Ostrava, Czech Republic). The experiment comprised six species of indigenous fungal isolates:A. niger, A. candidus, A. iizukae, A. westerdijkiae, A. ochraceus and A. clavatus.Nutrient liquid media enriched with Cu(II), Zn(II), Ni(II) and Cr(III) were individually inoculated with spores of these fungi. After thirty days of incubation, the content of metal ions in the dried fungal biomass and medium was measured by the AAS. It was found that the average bioaccumulation capacity of selected toxic metal within the tested strains decreases in the following order:A. ochraceus > A. candidus > A. clavatus > A. westerdijkiae > A. iizukae > A. niger.The highest bioaccumulation efficiency was achieved by theA. ochraceusstrain which accumulated Cu(II) with an efficiency of 57.42 %, Zn(II) with 56.88 %, Cr(III) with 37.73 %. When comparing the ability of bioaccumulation of the toxic metals, the following was found: Zn(II) > Cu(II) > Cr(III) > Ni(II). Understanding of bioaccumulation processes that take place in fungal cells at the molecular level may lead to better strategies for the application of these interesting microorganisms in bioremediation processes.
Abel Maps for nodal curves via tropical geometry
Authors: Abreu Alex , Andria Sally , Pacini Marco
Published: December 2021

We consider Abel maps for regular smoothing of nodal curves with values in the Esteves compactified Jacobian. In general, these maps are just rational, and an interesting question is to find an explicit resolution. We translate this problem into an explicit combinatorial problem by means of tropical and toric geometry. We show that the solution of the combinatorial problem gives rise to an explicit resolution of the Abel map. We are able to use this technique to construct and study all the Abel maps of degree one. Finally, we write an algorithm, which we implemented in SageMath to compute explicitly the solution of the combinatorial problem which, provided the existence of certain subdivisions of a hypercube, give rise to the resolution of the geometric Abel map.
A note on stability of syzygy bundles on Enriques and bielliptic surfaces
Authors: Mukherjee Jayan , Raychaudhury Debaditya
Published: December 2021

In this note, we prove that the syzygy bundle

M
L

M_L

is cohomologically stable with respect to

L
L

for any ample and globally generated line bundle

L
L

on an Enriques (resp. bielliptic) surface over an algebraically closed field of characteristic

≠
2

\neq 2

(resp.

≠
2
,
3

\neq 2,3

). In particular our result on complex Enriques surfaces improves the result of Torres-López and Zamora [Beitr. Algebra Geom. (2021)] (Corollary 3.5) by removing the condition on Clifford index. Together with the results of Camere [Math. Z 271 (2012), pp. 499–507] and Caucci–Lahoz [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 53 (2021), pp. 1030–1036], it implies that

M
L

M_L

is stable with respect to

L
L

for an ample and globally generated line bundle

L
L

on any smooth minimal complex projective surface

X
X

of Kodaira dimension zero.
The plethystic inverse of the odd Lie representations
Authors: Sundaram Sheila
Published: December 2021

The Frobenius characteristic ofLienLie_n, the representation of the symmetric groupSnS_nafforded by the multilinear part of the free Lie algebra, is known to satisfy many interesting plethystic identities. In this paper we prove a conjecture of Richard Stanley establishing the plethystic inverse of the sum∑n≥0Lie2n+1\sum _{n\geq 0} Lie_{2n+1}of the odd Lie characteristics. We obtain an apparently new plethystic decomposition of the regular representation ofSnS_nin terms of irreducibles indexed by hooks, and the Lie representations. We also determine the plethystic inverse of the alternating sum of the odd Lie characteristics.
Hsp40s play distinct roles during the initial stages of apolipoprotein B biogenesis
Authors: Kumari Deepa , Fisher Edward A. , Brodsky Jeffrey L.
Published: December 2021

Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) transports serum cholesterol. Intriguingly, ApoB levels are lipid-regulated via endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation; yet whether this hydrophobic protein requires cytosolic Hsp40 chaperones during biogenesis is unknown. We show that two Hsp40s unexpectedly play opposing roles during ApoB folding versus degradation.
EcoPLOT: dynamic analysis of biogeochemical data
Authors: Sanchez Christopher D , Brown J Benjamin , Gal-Oz Omree , Singer Esther
Published: December 2021

Motivation

We have created EcoPLOT (parameterized linkage of omics-driven technologies), a web-app for the dynamic, interactive analysis of biogeochemical datasets that combines state-of-the-art analysis tools to statistically and graphically explore environmental, geochemical and microbiome datasets. Using the iterative random forest, a machine learning algorithm, EcoPLOT allows for the de novo discovery of drivers which exhibit significant impact on plant, microbial or soil dynamics.

Availability and implementation

EcoPLOT is built entirely within the R language. It can be accessed through any system where R is installed, including Windows, Mac and most Linux systems. EcoPLOT is free to use and can be accessed at https://github.com/cdsanchez18/EcoPLOT.
CRPMKB: a knowledge base of cancer risk prediction models for systematic comparison and personalized applications
Authors: Ren Shumin , Jin Yanwen , Chen Yalan , Shen Bairong
Published: December 2021

Motivation

In the era of big data and precision medicine, accurate risk assessment is a prerequisite for the implementation of risk screening and preventive treatment. A large number of studies have focused on the risk of cancer, and related risk prediction models have been constructed, but there is a lack of effective resource integration for systematic comparison and personalized applications. Therefore, the establishment and analysis of the cancer risk prediction model knowledge base (CRPMKB) is of great significance.

Results

The current knowledge base contains 802 model data. The model comparison indicates that the accuracy of cancer risk prediction was greatly affected by regional differences, cancer types and model types. We divided the model variables into four categories: environment, behavioral lifestyle, biological genetics and clinical examination, and found that there are differences in the distribution of various variables among different cancer types. Taking 50 genes involved in the lung cancer risk prediction models as an example to perform pathway enrichment analyses and the results showed that these genes were significantly enriched in p53 Signaling and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling pathways which are associated with cancer and specific diseases. In addition, we verified the biological significance of overlapping lung cancer genes via STRING database. CRPMKB was established to provide researchers an online tool for the future personalized model application and developing. This study of CRPMKB suggests that developing more targeted models based on specific demographic characteristics and cancer types will further improve the accuracy of cancer risk model predictions.

Availability and implementation

CRPMKB is freely available at http://www.sysbio.org.cn/CRPMKB/. The data underlying this article are available in the article and in its online supplementary material.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Intersectionality and Transnationalism in Lailā Al-Johanī’s Jāhiliyya (Age of Ignorance)
Authors: Al-Sharqi Laila M
Published: December 2021

Lailā Al-Johanī’s 2007 novel, Jāhiliyya (Days of Ignorance), is an innovative fictional work that employs the concept of “Jāhiliyya,” a period of ignorance that is thought to have characterized pre-Islamic Arabia. Jāhiliyya expresses Al-Johanī’s critique of the prevailing social and religious practices adapted by some tribal members of her society. These practices, including racial discrimination, negative stereotyping, and marginalization of women, as depicted in Al-Johanī’s text, are detrimental in their effect on the cultural fabric of society. This study uses intersectionality as an analytical framework through which to examine Al-Johanī’s Jāhiliyya. The essay demonstrates the novel’s integration of aspects of gender, race, and religion as interlocking systems of oppression and sites of transgression in the characters’ lives as they attempt to comprehend their subjectivity, while articulating and negotiating their society’s essentialist and reductionist discourse.
Midodrine for the prevention of vasovagal syncope: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lei Lucy Y , Raj Satish R , Sheldon Robert S
Published: December 2021

Aims

Vasovagal syncope (VVS) is a common clinical condition that lacks effective medical therapies despite being associated with significant morbidity. Current guidelines suggest that midodrine, a prodrug for an α1-adrenergic receptor agonist, might suppress VVS but supporting studies have utilized heterogeneous methods and yielded inconsistent results. To evaluate the efficacy of midodrine to prevent syncope in patients with recurrent VVS by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies.

Methods and results

Relevant randomized controlled trials were identified from the MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases without language restriction from inception to June 2021. All studies were conducted in clinical syncope populations and compared the benefit of midodrine vs. placebo or non-pharmacological standard care. Weighted relative risks (RRs) were estimated using random effects meta-analysis techniques. Seven studies (n = 315) met inclusion criteria. Patients were 33 ± 17 years of age and 31% male. Midodrine was found to substantially reduce the likelihood of positive head-up-tilt (HUT) test outcomes [RR = 0.37 (0.23–0.59), P < 0.001]. In contrast, the pooled results of single- and double-blind clinical trials (I2 = 54%) suggested a more modest benefit from midodrine for the prevention of clinical syncope [RR = 0.51 (0.33–0.79), P = 0.003]. The two rigorous double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials included 179 VVS patients with minimal between-study heterogeneity (I2 = 0%) and reported a risk reduction with midodrine [RR = 0.71 (0.53–0.95), P = 0.02].

Conclusions

Midodrine is effective in preventing syncope induced by HUT testing and less, but still significant, RR reduction in randomized, double-blinded clinical trials.
Association of Long-Term Body Weight Variability With Dementia: A Prospective Study
Authors: Chen Hui , Zhou Tianjing , Guo Jie , Ji John S , Huang Liyan , Xu Weili , Zuo Guangmin , Lv Xiaozhen , Zheng Yan , Hofman Albert , Ma Yuan , Yuan Changzheng
Published: December 2021

Background

Body weight variability (BWV) refers to intraindividual weight loss and gain over a period. The association of long-term BWV with dementia remains unclear and whether this association is beyond body weight change is undetermined.

Methods

In the Health and Retirement Study, a total of 5 547 dementia-free participants (56.7% women; mean [SD] age, 71.1 [3.2] years) at baseline (2008) were followed up to 8 years (mean = 6.8 years) to detect incident dementia. Body weight was self-reported biennially from 1992 to 2008. BWV was measured as the coefficient of variation utilizing the body weight reported 9 times across 16 years before baseline. Cox-proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Among the 5 547 participants, a total of 427 incident dementia cases were identified during follow-up. Greater long-term BWV was significantly associated with a higher risk of dementia (HR comparing extreme quartiles: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.48–2.72; HR of each SD increment: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10–1.32; p-trend < .001) independent of mean body weight and body weight change. This significant association was even observed for BWV estimated approximately 15 years preceding dementia diagnosis (HR of each SD increment: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.03–1.23) and was more pronounced for that closer to diagnosis.

Conclusion

Our prospective study suggested that greater BWV may be a novel risk factor for dementia.
The crustal structure of the Anatolian Plate from receiver functions and implications for the uplift of the central and eastern Anatolian plateaus
Authors: Ogden C S , Bastow I D
Published: December 2021

Understanding the crustal structure of the Anatolian Plate has important implications for its formation and evolution, including the extent to which its high elevation is maintained isostatically. However, the numerous teleseismic receiver function studies from which Anatolian Moho depths have been obtained return results that differ by ≤21 km at some seismograph stations. To address this issue, we determine Moho depth and bulk crustal VP/VS ratio (κ) at 582 broad-band seismograph stations, including ∼100 for which H–κ results have not been reported previously. We use a modified H–κ stacking method in which a final solution is selected from a suite of up to 1000 repeat H–κ measurements, each calculated using randomly selected receiver functions and H–κ input parameters. Ten quality control criteria that variously assess the final numerical result, the receiver function data set, and the extent to which the results are clustered tightly, are used to determine station quality. By refining Moho depth constraints, including identifying 182 stations, analysed previously, where H–κ stacking yields unreliable results (particularly in Eastern Anatolia and the rapidly uplifting Taurides), our new crustal model (ANATOLIA-HK21) provides fresh insight into Anatolian crustal structure and topography. Changes in Moho depth within the Anatolian Plate occur on a shorter length-scale than has sometimes previously been assumed. For example, crustal thickness decreases abruptly from >40 km in the northern Kirsehir block to <32 km beneath the Central Anatolian Volcanic Province and Tuz Golu basin. Moho depth increases from 30–35 km on the Arabian Plate to 35–40 km across the East Anatolian Fault into Anatolia, in support of structural geological observations that Arabia–Anatolia crustal shortening was accommodated primarily on the Anatolian, not Arabian, Plate. However, there are no consistent changes in Moho depth across the North Anatolian Fault, whose development along the Intra-Pontide and İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zones was more likely the result of contrasts in mantle lithospheric, not crustal, structure. While the crust thins from ∼45 km below the uplifted Eastern Anatolian Plateau to ∼25 km below lower-lying western Anatolia, Moho depth is generally correlated poorly with elevation. Residual topography calculations confirm the requirement for a mantle contribution to Anatolian Plateau uplift, with localized asthenospheric upwellings in response to slab break-off and/or lithospheric dripping/delamination example candidate driving mechanisms.
A Derived Gabriel–Popescu Theorem for t-Structures via Derived Injectives
Authors: Genovese Francesco , Ramos González Julia
Published: December 2021

We prove a derived version of the Gabriel–Popescu theorem in the framework of dg-categories and t-structures. This exhibits any pretriangulated dg-category with a suitable t-structure (such that its heart is a Grothendieck abelian category) as a t-exact localization of a derived dg-category of dg-modules. We give an original proof based on a generalization of Mitchell’s argument in A quick proof of the Gabriel-Popesco theorem that involves derived injective objects. As an application, we provide a short proof of the fact that derived categories of Grothendieck abelian categories have a unique dg-enhancement.
Role of AxyABM overexpression in acquired resistance in Achromobacter xylosoxidans
Authors: Magallon Arnaud , Amoureux Lucie , Garrigos Thomas , Sonois Marine , Varin Véronique , Neuwirth Catherine , Bador Julien
Published: December 2021

Background

Acquired antimicrobial resistance among Achromobacter isolates from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is frequent. Data concerning the mechanisms involved are scarce. The role of the AxyXY-OprZ and AxyEF-OprN Resistance Nodulation Division (RND) efflux systems has been demonstrated, but not that of AxyABM.

Objectives

To explore the role of efflux systems in the acquired multiresistance observed in a one-step mutant selected after ofloxacin exposure.

Methods

The in vitro resistant mutant NCF-39-Bo2 and its parental strain NCF-39 (MICs of meropenem of 8 and 0.19 mg/L, of ceftazidime of 12 and 3 mg/L, of cefiderocol of 0.094 and 0.032 mg/L and of ciprofloxacin of 8 and 1.5 mg/L, respectively) were investigated by RNA-seq and WGS. Gene inactivation and reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT–qPCR) were used to explore the role of the efflux systems of interest.

Results

RNA-seq showed that the AxyABM efflux system was overproduced (about 40-fold) in the in vitro mutant NCF-39-Bo2 versus its parental strain NCF-39. A substitution in AxyR, the putative regulator of AxyABM, was detected in NCF-39-Bo2. Gene inactivation of axyB (encoding the transporter component) in NCF-39-Bo2 led to a decrease in MICs of ciprofloxacin (5-fold), meropenem (64-fold), ceftazidime (12-fold) and cefiderocol (24-fold). Inactivation of axyB in the clinical isolate AXX-H2 harbouring a phenotype of resistance close to that of NCF-39-Bo2 enhanced the activity of the same molecules, especially meropenem.

Conclusions

AxyABM overproduction is involved in acquired resistance of Achromobacter to ciprofloxacin, meropenem and ceftazidime, antibiotics widely used in CF patients, and increases the MIC of the new promising antibiotic cefiderocol.
Integrated Tick Management in Guilford, CT: Fipronil-Based Rodent-Targeted Bait Box Deployment Configuration and Peromyscus leucopus (Rodentia: Cricetidae) Abundance Drive Reduction in Tick Burdens
Authors: Linske Megan A , Williams Scott C , Stafford Kirby C , Li Andrew Y
Published: December 2021

Integrated tick management (ITM) is a comprehensive strategy used to reduce presence of ticks and their associated pathogens. Such strategies typically employ a combination of host and non-host targeted treatments which often include fipronil-based, rodent-targeted bait boxes. Bait boxes target small-bodied rodents, specifically white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus Rafinesque) that not only play a crucial role in the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis Say (Ixodida: Ixodidae)) life cycle, but also in the transmission of numerous pathogens, primarily Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae), the causal agent of Lyme disease. This study aimed to determine the effect of bait box deployment configuration on tick burden reduction while also further exploring bait consumption and P. leucopus abundances as measures of bait box usage and effectiveness. Boxes were deployed on nine properties within each of six neighborhoods (n = 54) in two different configurations: grid and perimeter. Multiple factors were analyzed as potential predictors for reduction in tick burdens using a backward stepwise selection procedure. Results confirmed the perimeter configuration was a more effective deployment strategy. In addition, overall P. leucopus abundance was a significant predictor of tick burden reduction while bait consumption was not. These findings not only further support the recommended perimeter deployment configuration but provide insight into effective utilization in areas of high P. leucopus abundance. The identification of this significant relationship, in addition to configuration, can be utilized by vector control professionals and homeowners to make informed decisions on bait box placement to make sustained impacts on the I. scapularis vector and associated pathogens within an ITM framework.
National Norms for the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale in Children
Authors: Anderson Nathan P , Feldman Jamie A , Kolko David J , Pilkonis Paul A , Lindhiem Oliver
Published: December 2021

Objective

To provide national norms and percentiles for both research and clinical scoring modalities of the Vanderbilt Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale (VADPRS) for a representative sample of children ages 5–12 in the United States.

Method

The five clinical subscales of the VADPRS were completed by 1,570 caregivers of children ages 5–12 in the United States, with children representative of the national population on key demographic variables including race, sex, ethnicity, family income, and family educational level. Descriptive statistics and measures of internal consistency of both dimensional and symptom count scoring were provided for each of the five clinical subscales of the inventory, as well as percentiles and group comparisons for select dimensional scoring subscales based on age and child sex.

Results

Measures of internal consistency for each subscale using both scoring modalities of the VADPRS ranged from high to acceptable. There were statistically significant differences among the different subscales for both age (ADHD hyperactivity, anxiety/depression) and sex [both presentations of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)] for the total sample. These differences, however, were modest in magnitude and unlikely to be clinically meaningful.

Conclusions

This study enhances the research and clinical utility of the VADPRS by providing national norms and percentiles for each of its subscales. Differences between age and sex across the sample were statistically significant for two of the subscales (Hyperactivity and Anxiety/Depression) with additional subscales significant for sex alone (Inattentive and ODD), but these differences were not substantial enough to indicate a need for separate cut-offs for screening purposes.
Irradiated microvascular endothelial cells may induce bystander effects in neural stem cells leading to neurogenesis inhibition
Authors: Ma Linlin , Ye Zhujing , Zhang Yarui , Shi Wenyu , Wang Jingdong , Yang Hongying
Published: December 2021

Radiation-induced neurocognitive dysfunction (RIND) has attracted a lot of attention lately due to the significant improvement of the survival of cancer patients after receiving cranial radiotherapy. The detailed mechanisms are not completely understood, but extensive evidence supports an involvement of the inhibition of hippocampal neurogenesis, which may result from radiation-induced depletion of neural stem cells (NSCs) as well as the damage to neurogenic niches. As an important component of neurogenic niches, vascular cells interact with NSCs through different signaling mechanisms, which is similar to the characteristics of radiation-induced bystander effect (RIBE). But whether RIBE is involved in neurogenesis inhibition contributed by the damaged vascular cells is unknown. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of RIBEs in non-irradiated bystander NSCs induced by irradiated bEnd.3 vascular endothelial cells in a co-culture system. The results show that compared with the NSCs cultured alone, the properties of NSCs were significantly affected after co-culture with bEnd.3 cells, and further change was induced without obvious oxidative stress and apoptosis when bEnd.3 cells were irradiated, manifesting as a reduction in the proliferation, neurosphere-forming capability and differentiation potential of NSCs. All these results suggest that the damaged vascular endothelial cells may contribute to neurogenesis inhibition via inducing RIBEs in NSCs, thus leading to RIND.
Sphenoid mucopyocele causing bilateral sixth nerve palsy
Authors: Kelly Mairead , Chang Liisa , Patel Parag , Weller Alexander , Advani Rajeev , Lakhani Raj
Published: December 2021

Sphenoid mucoceles, although rare, should be considered in patients with headache, visual disorders and eye paralysis. Due to close relationships with the orbit and neuromeningeal structures, early recognition is vital. We report the case of a patient who presented with bilateral abducens nerve palsies. At surgery, she was found to have a mucopyocele; this was drained and she required prolonged intravenous antibiotic therapy due to ongoing symptoms and persistent dural enhancement on imaging. A lesion of sufficient size in the clival area has the potential to cause bilateral abducens nerve palsies, though we believe this is the first time it has been described in relation to a sphenoid mucocele. Imaging plays a crucial role in diagnosis, and prompt surgical intervention is essential to avoid serious and permanent complications. The multi-disciplinary team approach is vital—these cases requiring input from ophthalmology, ear nose and throat, microbiology, radiology, neurology and neurosurgery.
Genome-wide association study identifies variants of GhSAD1 conferring cold tolerance in cotton
Authors: Ge Changwei , Wang Li , Yang Yongfei , Liu Ruihua , Liu Shaodong , Chen Jing , Shen Qian , Ma Huijuan , Li Yang , Zhang Siping , Pang Chaoyou
Published: December 2021

Cold stress is a major environmental factor affecting plant growth and development. Although some plants have developed resistance to cold stress, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process are poorly understood. Using genome-wide association mapping with 200 cotton accessions collected from different regions, we identified variations in the short chain alcohol dehydrogenase gene, GhSAD1, that responds to cold stress. Virus-induced gene silencing and overexpression in Arabidopsis revealed that GhSAD1 fulfils important roles in cold stress responses. Ectopic expression of a haploid genotype of GhSAD1 (GhSAD1HapB) in Arabidopsis increased cold tolerance. Silencing of GhSAD1HapB resulted in a decrease in abscisic acid (ABA) content. Conversely, overexpression of GhSAD1HapB increased ABA content. GhSAD1HapB regulates cold stress responses in cotton through modulation of C-repeat binding factor activity, which regulates ABA signalling. GhSAD1HapB induces the expression of COLD-REGULATED (COR) genes and increases the amount of metabolites associated with cold stress tolerance. Overexpression of GhSAD1HapB partially complements the phenotype of the Arabidopsis ABA2 mutant, aba2-1. Collectively, these findings increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying GhSAD1-mediated cold stress responses in cotton.
Trichophyton tonsuransin Chile: Genotyping in search of an origin
Authors: Cogliati Massimo , Cruz Choappa Rodrigo , Vieille Oyarzo Peggy , Noguera Mellisa
Published: December 2021

Trichophyton tonsurans is a cosmopolitan dermatophyte, highly prevalent in Africa, South America, and endemic in North America, where it is mostly related to cases of tinea capitis. Recently, it was also reported in Chile for the first time in two outbreaks occurred in Santiago. In the present study, we sequenced the variable internal repeat (VIR) region of a Chilean isolate and compared its genotype with those of several global T. tonsurans isolates. The results showed that the Chilean isolate presented a new genotype which was strictly correlated with isolates from Europe, USA and Mexico.

Lay summary

Trichophyton tonsurans is a fungus able to cause superficial mycosis infecting skin and hair. It is an emerging pathogen worldwide and some cases were recently reported also in Chile for the first time. We investigated by molecular techniques which geographical area could be the source of infections.
Estimating fundamental parameters of nearby M dwarfs from SPIRou spectra
Authors: Cristofari P I , Donati J-F , Masseron T , Fouqué P , Moutou C , Delfosse X , Artigau E , Folsom C P , Carmona A , Gaidos E , do Nascimento J-D , Jahandar F , Hébrard G
Published: December 2021

We present the results of a study aiming at retrieving the fundamental parameters of M dwarfs from spectra secured with SPIRou, the near-infrared high-resolution spectropolarimeter installed at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), in the framework of the SPIRou Legacy Survey (SLS). Our study relies on comparing observed spectra with two grids of synthetic spectra, respectively, computed from PHOENIX and MARCS model atmospheres, with the ultimate goal of optimizing the precision at which fundamental parameters can be determined. In this first step, we applied our technique to 12 inactive M dwarfs with effective temperatures (Teff) ranging from 3000 to 4000 K. We implemented a benchmark to carry out a comparison of the two models used in this study. We report that the choice of model has a significant impact on the results and may lead to discrepancies in the derived parameters of 30 K in Teff and 0.05 dex to 0.10 dex in surface gravity (log g) and metallicity ($\rm {[M/H]}$), as well as systematic shifts of up to 50 K in Teff and 0.4 dex log g and $\rm {[M/H]}$. The analysis is performed on high signal-to-noise ratio template SPIRou spectra, averaged over multiple observations corrected from telluric absorption features and sky lines, using both a synthetic telluric transmission model and principal component analysis. With both models, we retrieve Teff, log g, and $\rm {[M/H]}$ estimates in good agreement with reference literature studies, with internal error bars of about 30 K, 0.05 dex, and 0.1 dex, respectively.
COVID-19-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: Experiences of three centres in Turkey
Authors: Salman Hakan , Aslan Nagehan , Akçam Mustafa , Arslan Müjgan , Akkuzu Emine , Yılmaz Keskin Ebru , Açarı Ceyhun , Keskin Mahmut , Atar Müge , Köşker Muhammet , Sinanoğlu Selçuk , Çetin Hasan , Akçam Füsun Zeynep
Published: December 2021

Background

The pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has not yet been fully elucidated and there is no clear consensus on its treatment yet.

Objectives

To evaluate our patients diagnosed with MIS-C and present them to the literature in order to contribute to the better understanding of this new disease, which entered paediatric practice with the SARS-CoV-2 peak.

Methods

In this study, 17 MIS-C cases diagnosed according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria were included.

Results

Of the patients, 7 (41.2%) had a comorbidity. Gastrointestinal system involvement was the most prominent in the patients (70.6%). Laparotomy was performed in 3 patients due to acute abdomen. Two patients had neurological involvement. Of the patients, 15 (88.2%) received intravenous immunoglobulin and 13 (76.5%) received both intravenous immunoglobulin and methylprednisolone. Two patients received invasive mechanical ventilation and 4 patients received high flow rate nasal cannula oxygen therapy. One of our patients who needed invasive mechanical ventilation and high vasoactive-inotrope support died despite all supportive treatments including plasmapheresis and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Conclusions

MIS-C picture can have a fatal course and may present with severe gastrointestinal and neurological signs. Unnecessary laparotomy should be avoided.
Horizontal gene transfer as a mechanism for the promiscuous acquisition of distinct classes of IRES by avian caliciviruses
Authors: Arhab Yani , Miścicka Anna , Pestova Tatyana V , Hellen Christopher U T
Published: December 2021

In contrast to members of Picornaviridae which have long 5′-untranslated regions (5′UTRs) containing internal ribosomal entry sites (IRESs) that form five distinct classes, members of Caliciviridae typically have short 5′UTRs and initiation of translation on them is mediated by interaction of the viral 5′-terminal genome-linked protein (VPg) with subunits of eIF4F rather than by an IRES. The recent description of calicivirus genomes with 500–900nt long 5′UTRs was therefore unexpected and prompted us to examine them in detail. Sequence analysis and structural modelling of the atypically long 5′UTRs of Caliciviridae sp. isolate yc-13 and six other caliciviruses suggested that they contain picornavirus-like type 2 IRESs, whereas ruddy turnstone calicivirus (RTCV) and Caliciviridae sp. isolate hwf182cal1 calicivirus contain type 4 and type 5 IRESs, respectively. The suggestion that initiation on RTCV mRNA occurs by the type 4 IRES mechanism was confirmed experimentally using in vitro reconstitution. The high sequence identity between identified calicivirus IRESs and specific picornavirus IRESs suggests a common evolutionary origin. These calicivirus IRESs occur in a single phylogenetic branch of Caliciviridae and were likely acquired by horizontal gene transfer.
The Impact of Coping With Stressful Events on Negative Affect and Cravings Among Smokers With Mood Disorders
Authors: Selva Kumar Danusha , Nahvi Shadi , Rivera-Mindt Monica , Arnsten Julia , Minami Haruka
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Smokers with mental illness report elevated levels of stress and negative affect. Craving is often cited as a key precipitant of smoking. Coping with stress has been associated with reduced cravings among smokers attempting to quit. However, the effect of coping with stress on negative affect and craving among smokers with mental illness is not well understood. This study investigated whether coping with stress predicts lower subsequent craving, mediated by reduced negative affect, among socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers with mood disorders.

Aims and Methods

This study used ecologically momentary assessment (EMA) data from a randomized controlled trial involving smokers with mood disorders. The final sample included 39 participants.

Results

Traditional mediation path analyses showed that coping with stress predicts lower craving (p = .02) through its impact on negative affect (p < .001) for the contemporaneous model (ie, when craving was measured at the same report as coping). However, coping with stress did not have a prospective effect on craving (ie, when craving was measured at the next report, up to 12 hours later) (p = .11).

Conclusions

The results suggest that coping with stress reduces craving through negative effect, but only for a limited timeframe. The findings could guide future research on the length of time that the effect of coping lasts and research on interventions to increase coping with stress among smokers with mental illness.

Implications

This is the first study to use EMA to demonstrate that coping with stressful events effectively reduces craving through reducing negative affect among smokers with mood disorders. This finding suggests that individuals heavily burdened with stress and negative affect benefit from coping with stress. We utilized within-subject analyses of EMA data which allowed us to understand these effects within an individual near real time. Our sample is hard to reach and ethnoculturally diverse. Findings could guide intervention research on helping smokers with mental illness cope when experiencing stress.
Disability, Education, and Work in a Global Knowledge
Economy
Authors: Tomlinson Sally , Hewitt Stacy
Published: December 2021

Governments around the world press for higher levels of education and skills for all their young people. They believe that, despite recessions and job losses, people are “human capital” who need to invest in their own training and help grow economies. In England in 2019, disabled adults made up 20% of potential workers, but only half of them were employed. This chapter discusses the changing nature of the labor market and the place of young people regarded as having special educational needs or disabilities in education and training, noting that despite a shift to a social model of disability, social and work environments often fail to adapt to those with disabilities. Education and training for disabled young people have usually been at lower levels and the jobs on offer for them lower skilled and waged. But, more recently in England, disabled students have been recognized as a significant presence with more taking higher skilled and professional jobs after graduation. The chapter briefly compares the situation in England with that of Germany and Finland.
Hope and Resilience in the Books of Jeremiah
Authors: Sweeney Marvin A.
Published: December 2021

Jeremiah is the only prophetic book that provides readers with a direct view of life in Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege and destruction of the city (588–586 bce). It also appears in two forms, the classic Masoretic Hebrew form of the text and the Septuagint Greek version of the text, each of which has its own distinctive understanding and presentation of material. Although both forms are especially concerned with destruction and exile, Jeremiah presents its vision of restoration in MT Jeremiah 30–31; 32–33 and in LXX Jeremiah 37–40. This chapter examines Jeremiah 30–33 / 37–40 in relation to the literary form and outlook of each version of the book. It begins with treatment of the formal structure and contents of the two major textual units. It then turns to the contextualization of these passages in relation to other passages that present hope, i.e., Jeremiah’s letter to the exiles in Jeremiah 29 / 36; the oracles concerning Babylon in Jeremiah 50–51 / 31–32; and the royal oracle in Jeremiah 23:1–8. The chapter proposes that each form envisions a distinctive model of hope for the future: MT Jeremiah envisions a future in which the Jerusalem temple and its Levitical priesthood constitute the future of YHWH’s eternal promise to the House of David, and LXX Jeremiah envisions a future in which the rule of a righteous Davidic monarch constitutes the future of Jerusalem and Judah in relation to the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple.
The Historical Contexts of the Books of Jeremiah
Authors: Crouch C. L.
Published: December 2021

The Jeremiah traditions are firmly ensconced in the political and social crises of the late seventh and early sixth centuries bce, with the destruction of Jerusalem and the displacement of many of its inhabitants constituting key historical touchstones. This chapter examines the ancient Near Eastern political context of Judah’s demise, analyzing the end of Assyrian power and the struggle between Babylonia and Egypt to succeed it; the growing political turmoil in Judah, as its leadership sought and failed to respond to these wider changes; and the implications of these domestic and international contexts for the interpretation of the books of Jeremiah.
The Representation of Egypt in the Book of Jeremiah
Authors: Marzouk Safwat
Published: December 2021

This chapter discusses the representation of Egypt in the book of Jeremiah. The prophetic traditions embedded in the book of Jeremiah portray Egypt in a negative way across the span of the history of the people of Israel, from their exodus from Egypt all the way to the chaotic situation after the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem. The negative portrayal of Egypt stems from the view that Egypt feeds into Judah’s rebellion against YHWH, whether in entering a political alliance with Egypt against Babylon or seeking a place of refuge in Egypt after the exile. The chapter begins with a survey of the political situation in the last decade of Judah. The study moves on to show that the prophetic references to the exodus from Egypt intend to highlight YHWH’s faithfulness and the people’s disobedience, which was manifested most poignantly in their determination to return to Egypt; a geographical move that reverses the exodus. Finally, after examining the prophetic judgments pronounced against the Judean diaspora in Egypt, the chapter concludes with a reflection on Jeremiah’s discourse on resisting the empire and forced migration.
The Prophet Jeremiah in Islamic Thought
Authors: Tottoli Roberto
Published: December 2021

The Qur’ān (2:258) mentions a prophet-like figure who was variously interpreted by Islamic exegetical tradition and by Western studies. Some of these interpretations in Islamic literature identify him as Jeremiah and the events alluded to in the Qur’ān as taking place around the city of Jerusalem. Islamic post-Qur’ān literature has elaborated on this, including Jeremiah in the historical prophetical line and depicting him as a prophet who was unsuccessful and had to escape his town before its destruction, brought about by Nebuchadnezzar. Islamic literature added details and narratives to these stories and also in some cases connected Jeremiah to Arab genealogy and lore. Echoes of the biblical book of Jeremiah are also attested to, albeit not in relation to the description of his life and mission given in the Islamic exegetical sources.
On Poetry and Prophecy in Jeremiah
Authors: Jindo Job Y.
Published: December 2021

It is a virtual consensus in modern scholarship to regard prophetic speech as a form of poetic discourse. Thus, more often than not, studies of biblical prophecy take it as a given that the prophet is a poet, without assessing the strengths and weaknesses of this assumption. This chapter, therefore, addresses the extent to which biblical prophecy can be viewed as poetry, and how this convention has affected Jeremiah studies. It surveys major approaches to Jeremiah’s poetic prophecy and considers potential pitfalls in this consensus, as well as some of the key hermeneutic considerations that help better explore the subject.