bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation networks of air particulate matter ($$\hbox {PM}_{2.5}$$): a comparative study
Authors: Vlachogiannis Dimitrios M. , Xu Yanyan , Jin Ling , González Marta C.
Published: April 2021

Over the last decades, severe haze pollution constitutes a major source of far-reaching environmental and human health problems. The formation, accumulation and diffusion of pollution particles occurs under complex temporal scales and expands throughout a wide spatial coverage. Seeking to understand the transport patterns of haze pollutants in China, we review a proposed framework of time-evolving directed and weighted air quality correlation networks. In this work, we evaluate monitoring stations’ time-series data from China and California, to test the sensitivity of the framework to region size, climate and pollution magnitude across multiple years (2014–2020). We learn that the use of hourly $$\hbox {PM}_{2.5}$$

PM

2.5

concentration data is needed to detect periodicities in the positive and negative correlations of the concentrations. In addition, we show that the standardization of the correlation function method is required to obtain networks with more meaningful links when evaluating the dispersion of a severe haze event at the North China Plain or a wildfire event in California during December 2017. Post COVID-19 outbreak in China, we observe a significant drop in the magnitude of the assigned weights, indicating the improved air quality and the slowed transport of $$\hbox {PM}_{2.5}$$

PM

2.5

due to the lockdown. To identify regions where pollution transport is persistent, we extend the framework, partitioning the dynamic networks and reducing the networks’ complexity through node subsampling. The end result separates the temporal series of $$\hbox {PM}_{2.5}$$

PM

2.5

in set of regions that are similarly affected through the year.
Political Thought in the French Wars of Religion
Authors: Nicholls Sophie
Published: April 2021

Through its close, critical reading of the political treatises and polemical literature produced in France in the sixteenth century, this book offers a valuable new contribution to the intellectual history of the Early Modern era. Sophie Nicholls analyses the political thought of the theologians and jurists in the Holy League as they pursued their crusade against heresy in the French kingdom, during the wars of religion (1562-1629). Contemporaries portrayed the Leaguers as rebellious anarchists, who harboured dangerously democratic ideas. In contrast, Nicholls demonstrates that the intellectuals in the movement were devoted royalists, who had more in common with their moderate counterparts, the 'politiques'. In paying close attention to the conceptual language of politics in this era, this book shows how jurists and theologians in the League presented visions of sovereignty that subtly replenished medieval ideas of kingship and priesthood, and endeavoured to replace them with a new synthesis of intellectual tradition and political power. In a period when 'the state' was still emerging as an idea, analysing League thought in the context of Jesuit and Second Scholastic sources positions the Leaguers in relation to innovative attempts in European Catholic circles to re-think the nature of belonging to a political community.
Refugees in Twentieth-Century Britain
Authors: Taylor Becky
Published: April 2021

This timely history explores the entry, reception and resettlement of refugees across twentieth-century Britain. Focusing on four cohorts of refugees – Jewish and other refugees from Nazism; Hungarians in 1956; Ugandan Asians expelled by Idi Amin; and Vietnamese 'boat people' who arrived in the wake of the fall of Saigon – Becky Taylor deftly integrates refugee history with key themes in the history of modern Britain. She thus demonstrates how refugees' experiences, rather than being marginal, were emblematic of some of the principal developments in British society. Arguing that Britain's reception of refugees was rarely motivated by humanitarianism, this book reveals the role of Britain's international preoccupations, anxieties and sense of identity; and how refugees' reception was shaped by voluntary efforts and the changing nature of the welfare state. Based on rich archival sources, this study offers a compelling new perspective on changing ideas of Britishness and the place of 'outsiders' in modern Britain.
Unilateral Papilledema in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Series
Authors: Swinkin Emily , Jabehdar Maralani Pejman , Sundaram Arun NE
Published: April 2021

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) typically presents with bilateral papilledema; however, highly asymmetric and rare unilateral cases have been reported. We report three cases of IIH meeting modified Dandy criteria presenting with unilateral papilledema. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated bilateral distention of the optic nerve sheaths and computed tomography (CT) of the orbits demonstrated a smaller diameter of the optic canal in the unaffected eye in two cases. Papilledema fully resolved in all with acetazolamide. Of postulated mechanisms, we suspect that differences in bony optic canal diameter, compliance of the lamina cribrosa, and optic nerve sheath anatomy may contribute to asymmetry.
Introduction: Relational Activism in and through Pragmatist Feminism
Authors: Lake Danielle , Whipps Judy
Published: April 2021

ThisHypatiacluster aims to create space for sharing stories and tools designed to support situated, embodied, and dialogical philosophical activism. It emerges from a new generation of pragmatist feminists, illustrating how the field has evolved. These pieces locate pragmatist feminism in place- and issue-based philosophical activism. As an activist and pragmatically grounded philosophy, this approach values the embodied and relational nature of social change as well as the need to create multiple pathways of engagement situated in and across communities.
“If the glove fits”: Hospital-wide universal gloving is associated with improved hand hygiene and may reduce Clostridioides difficile infection
Authors: Prasad Paritosh , Brown Lynne , Ma Shiyang , McDavid Andrew , Rudmann Andrew , Lent David , Reagan-Webster Patricia , Valcin E. Kate , Graman Paul , Apostolakos Michael
Published: April 2021

Objective:

To determine whether a hospital-wide universal gloving program resulted in increased hand hygiene compliance and reduced inpatient Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) rates.

Design:

We carried out a multiple-year before-and-after quasi-experimental quality improvement study. Gloving and hand hygiene compliance data as well as hospital-acquired infection rates were prospectively collected from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2017, by secret monitors.

Settings:

The University of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital, an 849-bed quaternary-care teaching hospital.

Patients:

All adult inpatients with the exception of patients in the obstetrics unit.

Interventions:

A hospital-wide universal gloving protocol was initiated on January 1, 2016.

Results:

Hand hygiene compliance increased from 68% in 2015 reaching an average of 88% by 2017 (P < .0002). A 10% increase in gloving per unit was associated with a 1.13-fold increase in the odds of hand hygiene (95% credible interval, 1.12–1.14). The rates of CDI decreased from 1.05 infections per 1,000 patient days in 2015 to 0.74 in 2017 (P < .04).

Conclusion:

A universal gloving initiative was associated with a statistically significant increase in both gloving and hand hygiene compliance. CDI rates decreased during this intervention.
Law, Status, and the Lash: Judicial Whipping in Early Modern England
Authors: Kesselring K. J.
Published: April 2021

This article focuses on the contested development of judicial whipping as a marker and maker of status in the particular social, cultural, and political context of England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In these years people disputed with special vigor who could be whipped and why, often in battles fought in and around parliaments and the Court of Star Chamber, and often invoking fears of “servility.” Tracing the rise and spread of judicial whipping, its linking with the poor, and disputes over its use, this article demonstrates how whipping served as a distinctively and explicitly status-based disciplinary tool, embedding hierarchical values in the law not just in practice but also in prescript. Some authorities thought the whip appropriate only for the “servile” and, indeed, both valuable and dangerous for its ability to inculcate a “slavish disposition.” After men of the gentry successfully asserted their freedom from the lash, so too did a somewhat expanded group of “free” and “sufficient” men. By the later seventeenth century, challenges over the uses of judicial whipping left it limited ever more firmly to people of low status, affixed by law to offenses typically associated with the insubordinate poor.
A Text-As-Data Approach for Using Open-Ended Responses as Manipulation Checks
Authors: Ziegler Jeffrey
Published: April 2021

Participants that complete online surveys and experiments may be inattentive, which can hinder researchers’ abilityto draw substantive or causal inferences. As such, many practitioners include multiple factualor instructional closed-ended manipulation checks to identify low-attention respondents. However, closed-ended manipulation checks are either correct or incorrect, which allows participants to more easily guess and it reduces the potential variation in attention between respondents. In response to these shortcomings, I develop an automatic and standardized methodology to measure attention that relies on the text that respondents provide in an open-ended manipulation check. There are multiple benefits to this approach. First, it provides a continuous measure of attention, which allows for greater variation between respondents. Second, it reduces the reliance on subjective, paid humans to analyze open-ended responses. Last, I outline how to diagnose the impact of inattentive workers on the overall results, including how to assess the average treatment effect of those respondents that likely received the treatment. I provide easy-to-use software in R to implement these suggestions for open-ended manipulation checks.
Can't save or won't save: financial resilience and discretionary retirement saving among British adults in their thirties and forties
Authors: Suh Ellie
Published: April 2021

This study examines retirement saving activity outside the state and workplace pension saving schemes among British adults aged between 30 and 49 on the premise that individuals are increasingly encouraged to save for their retirement in the new pension policy structure in Britain. The issue of under-saving among the younger adults has been studied with the focus on internal characteristics, such as undesirable attitudinal or behavioural tendencies (‘won't save’), or on external factors, such as income (‘can't save’). Building on these discussions, this study tests the role of internal characteristics and further examines the interplay between internal and external factors. The decision-making process for retirement saving is mapped based on the Model of Financial Planning with minor modifications. The analysis utilises the fourth wave of the Wealth and Assets Survey (2012/2014), and is conducted in the structural equation modelling framework. Results show that younger adults’ discretionary retirement saving is an outcome of a complex interplay between internal and external factors.Financial resilience, which indicates current financial behaviours and wellbeing, is found to be the strongest predictor for identifying a discretionary retirement saver, but it is closely connected to individuals’ income and home-ownership. The findings also suggest that social and economic arrangements are important to consider associal ageing, individuals’ projection on their lifestages, may be more informative than ageper sefor understanding younger adults’ retirement saving behaviour. These findings have important implications for the policies that aim to increase retirement saving participation.
Dynamic reprogramming and function of RNA N6-methyladenosine modification during porcine early embryonic development
Authors: Yu Tong , Qi Xin , Zhang Ling , Ning Wei , Gao Di , Xu Tengteng , Ma Yangyang , Knott Jason G , Sathanawongs Anucha , Cao Zubing , Zhang Yunhai
Published: April 2021

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) regulates oocyte-to-embryo transition and the reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells. However, the role of m6A methylation in porcine early embryonic development and its reprogramming characteristics in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos are yet to be known. Here, we showed that m6A methylation was essential for normal early embryonic development and its aberrant reprogramming in SCNT embryos. We identified a persistent occurrence of m6A methylation in embryos between 1-cell to blastocyst stages and m6A levels abruptly increased during the morula-to-blastocyst transition. Cycloleucine (methylation inhibitor, 20 mM) treatment efficiently reduced m6A levels, significantly decreased the rates of 4-cell embryos and blastocysts, and disrupted normal lineage allocation. Moreover, cycloleucine treatment also led to higher levels in both apoptosis and autophagy in blastocysts. Furthermore, m6A levels in SCNT embryos at the 4-cell and 8-cell stages were significantly lower than that in parthenogenetic activation (PA) embryos, suggesting an abnormal reprogramming of m6A methylation in SCNT embryos. Correspondingly, expression levels of m6A writers (METTL3 and METTL14) and eraser (FTO) were apparently higher in SCNT 8-cell embryos compared with their PA counterparts. Taken together, these results indicated that aberrant nuclear transfer-mediated reprogramming of m6A methylation was involved in regulating porcine early embryonic development.
Temporary pacemaker implantation through umbilical vein in a low birth weight neonate with congenital complete heart block
Authors: Chimoriya Romila , Awasthy Neeraj , Kumar Gaurav
Published: April 2021

Congenital heart block is a rare and lethal condition in paediatric population associated with maternal connective tissue disorders and rarely with structural cardiac disease like atrioventricular canal defects with or without left isomerism and congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries. Pacing in neonate if indicated is generally accomplished by epicardial pacing systems. However, in cases of significant bradycardia and haemodynamic instability, temporary pacemaker implantation via transvenous approach remains as a suitable option. Despite the advances in percutaneous catheter interventions, use of transvenous pacing in newborn is extremely challenging due to inadvertent risk of vessel injury, thrombus formation and mortality, and most of the time technical inability to place the lead within the right ventricular cavity. We report a case of congenital complete atrioventricular block in a premature male with birth weight of 1.51 kg who was managed with temporary pacemaker implantation through umbilical vein.
NEWS SHOCKS AND THE EFFECTS OF MONETARY POLICY
Authors: Zhang Ren
Published: April 2021

Traditionally identified monetary shocks in a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model typically result in long-lasting effects on output and total factor productivity (TFP). In this paper, I argue that the typical monetary shock has been confounded with the news shock about future technology. I propose and implement a novel SVAR approach that effectively “cleans” the technology component from the traditional Cholesky monetary shock. With the new identification, I find that a monetary shock exerts smaller and less persistent effects on output and the level of measured TFP than a traditionally identified monetary shock. Finally, I show that the SVAR impulse responses can be replicated by augmenting the standard New Keynesian model with a time-varying inflation target and a non-Ricardian fiscal policy regime.
The Nanostructure of the Oxide Formed on Fe–10Cr–4Al Exposed in Liquid Pb
Authors: Lindgren Kristina , Dömstedt Peter , Szakalos Peter , Thuvander Mattias
Published: April 2021

An Fe–10Cr–4Al alloy containing reactive elements developed for application in high-temperature liquid lead environments was analyzed after exposure in 600 and 750°C lead with dissolved oxygen for 1,000–2,000 h. Atom probe tomography, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray scattering were all used to study the protective oxide formed on the surface. Exposure at 750°C resulted in a 2-μm thick oxide, whereas the 600°C exposure resulted in a 100-nm thick oxide. Both oxides were layered, with an Fe–Al spinel on top, and an alumina layer toward the metal. In the 600°C exposed material, there was a Cr-rich oxide layer between the spinel and the alumina. Metallic lead particles were found in the inner and middle parts of the oxide, related to pores. The combination of the experimental techniques, focusing on atom probe tomography, and the interpretations that can be done, are discussed in detail.
Elemental Sub-Lattice Occupation and Microstructural Evolution in γ/γ′ Co–12Ti–4Mo–Cr Alloys
Authors: Im Hye Ji , Makineni Surendra K , Oh Chang-Seok , Gault Baptiste , Choi Pyuck-Pa
Published: April 2021

We report on comparative atom probe tomography investigations of γ/γ′-forming Co–12Ti–4Mo–Cr alloys. Moderate additions of Cr (2 and 4 at%) reduced the γ/γ′ lattice misfit and increased the γ′ volume fraction of a Co–12Ti–4Mo alloy significantly. These microstructural changes were accompanied by changes in the elemental partitioning between γ and γ′ and site-occupancy in γ′. Spatial distribution maps revealed that Mo occupied both Co and Ti sub-lattice sites in γ′. In agreement with the experimental data, thermodynamic calculations predicted a stronger tendency for Mo to occupy the Co-sites than for Cr and an increase in Cr fraction on the Ti-sites with increasing Cr content.
Clinical and radiological response of aggressive dural arteriovenous fistula after combined glue embolization and hypofractionated helical TomoTherapy
Authors: Vuthiwong Withawat , Watcharawipha Anirut , Jia- Mahasap Bongkot , Nobnop Wannapha , Chitapanarux Imjai
Published: April 2021

Purpose:

We reported the clinical and radiological outcome of an aggressive dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) after combined glue embolization and hypofractionated helical TomoTherapy (Hypo-HT).

Materials and methods:

Eleven patients whose radiological examinations are consistent with aggressive DAVF were treated with combined glue embolization and Hypo-HT 30–36 Gy in 5–6 fractions. The dosimetric analysis, clinical response and radiological imaging obliteration rate by magnetic resonance angiography or computed tomography angiography were investigated.

Results:

There were eight males and three females with a male and female ratio of 2·67. The mean age was 51·2 years old (range 37–69). Anatomical imaging sites of disease included transverse-sigmoid sinuses (n = 7), superior sagittal sinus (n = 3) and tentorium cerebelli (n = 1). The mean pitch and MF of treatment plans were 0·273 ± 0·032 and 1·70 ± 0·31, respectively. The average size of PTV were 15·39 ± 7·74 cc whereas the Reff,PTV was 1·50 ± 0·25 cm. The average Dmax and Dmin were 37·52 ± 3·34 and 31·77 ± 2·64 Gy, respectively. HI, CI and CI50 were 0·16 ± 0·06, 1·80 ± 0·56 and 7·85 ± 4·16, respectively. The Reff,Rx and Reff,50%Rx were 1·80 ± 0·24 and 2·90 ± 0·45 cm, respectively. The Reff between 50%Rx and 100%Rx was 1·10 ± 0·28 cm on average. With a mean follow up of 28·5 months (range 9–48), the complete recovery of symptoms was found in 72·7 % (eight patients) within 2–12 months after completion Hypo-HT. Partial recovery was reported in 18·2% (two patients). No clinical response was found in 9·1% (one patient). The total radiographic obliteration rate was 27·3% (three patients), subtotal obliteration was 27·3% (three patients) and partial obliteration was 45·4% (five patients).

Conclusions:

Satisfactory clinical response of aggressive DAVF was found in all treated patients by combining glue embolization and Hypo-HT. All dosimetric parameters were acceptable. We still need an extended follow up time to assess further radiographic obliteration rate and late side effects of the treatment.
Hospital admission at the time of a postpartum psychiatric emergency department visit: the influence of the social determinants of health
Authors: Barker Lucy C. , Bronskill Susan E. , Brown Hilary K. , Kurdyak Paul , Vigod Simone N.
Published: April 2021

Aims

Social determinants of health have the potential to influence mental health and addictions-related emergency department (ED) visits and the likelihood of admission to hospital. We aimed to determine how social determinants of health, individually and in combination, relate to the likelihood of hospital admission at the time of postpartum psychiatric ED visits.

Methods

Among 10 702 postpartum individuals (female based on health card) presenting to the ED for a psychiatric reason in Ontario, Canada (2008–2017), we evaluated the relation between six social determinants of health (age, neighbourhood quintile [Q, Q1 = lowest, Q5 = highest], rurality, immigrant category, Chinese or South Asian ethnicity and neighbourhood ethnic diversity) and the likelihood of hospital admission from the ED. Poisson regression models generated relative risks (RR, 95% CI) of admission for each social determinant, crude and adjusted for clinical severity (diagnosis and acuity) and other potential confounders. Generalised estimating equations were used to explore additive interaction to understand whether the likelihood of admission depended on intersections of social determinants of health.

Results

In total, 16.0% (n = 1715) were admitted to hospital from the ED. Being young (age 19 or less v. 40 or more: RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45–0.82), rural-dwelling (v. urban-dwelling: RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.62–0.91) and low-income (Q1 v. Q5: RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.66–0.98) were each associated with a lower likelihood of admission. Being an immigrant (non-refugee immigrant v. Canadian-born/long-term resident: RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.06–1.56), of Chinese ethnicity (v. non-Chinese/South Asian ethnicity: RR 1.88, 95% CI 1.42–2.49); and living in the most v. least ethnically diverse neighbourhoods (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01–1.53) were associated with a higher likelihood of admission. Only Chinese ethnicity remained significant in the fully-adjusted model (aRR 1.49, 95% CI 1.24–1.80). Additive interactions were non-significant.

Conclusions

For the most part, whether a postpartum ED visit resulted in admission from the ED depended primarily on the clinical severity of presentation, not on individual or intersecting social determinants of health. Being of Chinese ethnicity did increase the likelihood of admission independent of clinical severity and other measured factors; the reasons for this warrant further exploration.
Depression in Institutionalized Adolescents: The Role of Memories of Warmth and Safeness, Shame and Self-criticism
Authors: Santos Sara , do Céu Salvador Maria
Published: April 2021

Institutionalization is a current problem, related to several indicators of psychological maladjustment. In the same way, there are several studies that point to the role of shame and self-criticism in the development of psychopathology. Therefore, our study explored, in institutionalized adolescents, whether early memories of warmth and safeness (EMWS) were associated to depression through external shame and self-criticism. The sample included 171 institutionalized adolescents (60.2% girls;Mage= 15.56;SD= 1.49). Depression, EMWS, external shame and self-criticism were assessed. The EMWS didn’t show a direct effect on depression, exerting its effect indirectly through external shame and self-criticism. The relationship between EMWS and self-criticism was fully mediated by external shame, and the relationship between external shame and depression was fully mediated by self-criticism. In conclusion, the way the individual sees and relates to the self seems to impact on psychological adjustment and in the development of psychopathology. The fact that external shame and self-criticism fully mediated the relationship between EMWS and depression emphasizes the relevance of preventive and therapeutic approaches that aim to promote a healthier way of relating to the self.
Chin-Chun-Chan:Popular Sinophobia in Early Twentieth-Century Mexico City
Authors: Buffington Robert M.
Published: April 2021

This article looks at popular responses to the zarzuela Chin-Chun-Chan and the issues that surfaced around its timely subject in early twentieth-century Mexico City. The principal source is the Mexico City satiric penny press for workers, supplemented by somewhat less polemical broadsides, both sold on the streets of the capital. Aimed mostly at working-class Mexicans, these sources offer a glimpse at popular attitudes circulating in a public sphere otherwise dominated by the perspective of educated elites. The article has four sections. First, it briefly reviews social commentary on the democratization of musical theater. Second, it examines Chin-Chun-Chan as a political symbol that crystalized around working-class complaints about the Porfirian regime, especially its alleged disregard for Mexican workers and Mexican national identity. Third, it analyzes the ways in which the phrase “Chin-Chun-Chan” entered popular language as a racial signifier for a range of things, some of which bore little relation to its theatrical origins. Finally, it links popular Sinophobia in late Porfirian Mexico City to the virulent anti-Chinese campaigns in northern Mexico, which played a key role in defining national identity after the 1910 Revolution, and to the “hemispheric orientalism” that has characterized anti-Asian sentiments throughout the Americas.
Validierung der deutschen Übersetzung des Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ2)
Authors: Pedersen Anya , Sieprath Katrin , Köhler Martina
Published: April 2021

Zusammenfassung. Der Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ; Dencker, Taft, Bergqvist, Lilja & Berg, 2010 ) ist ein reliables und valides Instrument zur Erfassung der Geburtserfahrung. Ziel der Studie war, die revidierte Fassung des CEQ (CEQ2) ins Deutsche zu übersetzen und an einer Stichprobe aus 295 Wöchnerinnen zu validieren. In einer konfirmatorischen Faktorenanalyse konnte die 4-faktorielle Struktur der Originalversion nicht repliziert werden. Stattdessen wurden in einer explorativen Faktorenanalyse vier neue Faktoren gewonnen, die ähnlichen übergeordneten Facetten des Geburtserlebens zugeordnet wurden. Für die neu gewonnenen Skalen erwiesen sich die internen Konsistenzen als überwiegend zufriedenstellend bis gut. Der Zusammenhang zwischen dem CEQ2 und der konstruktnahen Salmon′s Item List ( Stadlmayr et al., 2001 ) spricht zudem für die konvergente Validität. Ebenso zeigten sich auch die erwarteten Zusammenhänge mit relevanten Außenkriterien. Die Ergebnisse dieser ersten Validierungsstudie sind somit vielversprechend, wobei weitere Studien in anderen Settings sowie im Längsschnitt wünschenswert sind.
Assessment of Lead (Pb) Leakage From Abandoned Mine Tailing Ponds to Klity Creek, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand
Authors: Srirattana Supawan , Piaowan Kitsanateen , Imthieang Thanyathit , Suk ‐in Jiraporn , Phenrat Tanapon
Published: April 2021

In 2013, Klity Creek became the site of Thailand's first legally required remediation, 15 years after the spill of lead (Pb)‐contaminated mine tailings into the creek. Even today, nature cannot attenuate Pb‐contaminated sediment, arguably due to either high geological background Pb or continuous leakage of Pb from the unlined tailing ponds, upstream of the creek. In this study, four lines of evidence were used to reveal that the leakage from tailing ponds is primarily responsible for the long‐term Pb contamination. First, stable Pb isotope ratios (206Pb/207Pb and 208Pb/207Pb) were used to apportion sources between the tailings and geological background. The analysis of samples from the tailing ponds, geological background, and local zinc (Zn)‐Pb deposit revealed five different Pb sources (i.e., two distinct mine tailings, two different backgrounds, and a local Zn‐Pb deposit) in the area based on five unique isotope ratios. Using source apportionment analysis, Pb‐contaminated sediments in Klity Creek were consistent with tailings being the dominant source (30%–100%). Likewise, an analysis of Pb radionuclide (210Pb) revealed the Pb in the contaminated sediment was relatively new, 0–6.7 years old, suggesting that the Pb source was recent leakage from the tailing ponds rather than the 15‐year‐old tailing spill. Isotope evidence was supported by the elevated Pb‐contaminated seepage (0.30 ± 0.22 mg/L) from the tailing ponds and groundwater samples (up to 0.225 mg/L) collected from monitoring wells surrounding the tailing ponds. Consequently, proper management of Pb leakage from the tailing ponds is critical for successful Klity Creek remediation.
The Looming Crisis of Sinking Ground in Mexico City
Authors: O’Hanlon Larry
Published: April 2021

New research reveals the cause of Mexico City’s rapidly sinking and fracturing ground.
Diversification of Iron‐Biomineralizing Organisms During the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum: Evidence From Quantitative Unmixing of Magnetic Signatures of Conventional and Giant Magnetofossils
Authors: Wagner Courtney L. , Lascu Ioan , Lippert Peter C. , Egli Ramon , Livi Kenneth J. T. , Sears Helen B.
Published: April 2021

Conventional magnetofossils represent magnetic mineral remains of magnetotactic bacteria. Giant magnetofossils have no known modern analog. Both conventional and giant magnetofossil assemblages can record paleoenvironmental information through changes in magnetotactic bacteria diversity driven by nutrient supply and oxygenation. We use marine sediments that record a rapid global warming event, the Paleocene‐Eocene Thermal Maximum (∼56 Ma), to assess how abundant well‐preserved magnetofossils with high morphological disparity record paleoenvironmental information. We find that conventional magnetofossils can be distinguished from giant, needle‐shaped magnetofossils using principal component analysis of first‐order reversal curves (FORC‐PCA); moreover, FORC‐PCA may be able to distinguish between well‐preserved magnetically soft and magnetically hard magnetofossils. FORC‐PCA is a robust, nondestructive technique that can be applied to other marine archives to understand how these ecosystems respond to rapid environmental change. We hypothesize that the sudden appearance of giant magnetofossils represents a natural response to niche expansion within the water column (a thicker oxic‐anoxic interface) and eutrophication (via iron supply) by protists that biomineralize giant magnetofossils. This application has potential as a proxy for changes in marine oxygen and iron concentrations stimulated by rapid planetary change.
Triptolide suppresses the growth and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer by inhibiting β-catenin-mediated epithelial–mesenchymal transition
Authors: Deng Qiu-di , Lei Xue-ping , Zhong Yi-hang , Chen Min-shan , Ke Yuan-yu , Li Zhan , Chen Jing , Huang Li-juan , Zhang Yu , Liang Lu , Lin Zhong-xiao , Liu Qing , Li Song-pei , Yu Xi-yong
Published: April 2021

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is characterized by a high incidence of metastasis and poor survival. As epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is well recognized as a major factor initiating tumor metastasis, developing EMT inhibitor could be a feasible treatment for metastatic NSCLC. Recent studies show that triptolide isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F attenuated the migration and invasion of breast cancer, colon carcinoma, and ovarian cancer cells, and EMT played important roles in this process. In the present study we investigated the effect of triptolide on the migration and invasion of NSCLC cell lines. We showed that triptolide (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 nM) concentration-dependently inhibited the migration and invasion of NCI-H1299 cells. Triptolide treatment concentration-dependently suppressed EMT in NCI-H1299 cells, evidenced by significantly elevated E-cadherin expression and reduced expression of ZEB1, vimentin, and slug. Furthermore, triptolide treatment suppressed β-catenin expression in NCI-H1299 and NCI-H460 cells, overexpression of β-catenin antagonized triptolide-caused inhibition on EMT, whereas knockout of β-catenin enhanced the inhibitory effect of triptolide on EMT. Administration of triptolide (0.75, 1.5 mg/kg per day, ip, every 2 days) for 18 days in NCI-H1299 xenograft mice dose-dependently suppressed the tumor growth, restrained EMT, and decreased lung metastasis, as evidence by significantly decreased expression of mesenchymal markers, increased expression of epithelial markers as well as reduced number of pulmonary lung metastatic foci. These results demonstrate that triptolide suppresses NSCLC metastasis by targeting EMT via reducing β-catenin expression. Our study implies that triptolide may be developed as a potential agent for the therapy of NSCLC metastasis.
The impact of non-additive genetic associations on age-related complex diseases
Authors: Guindo-Martínez Marta , Amela Ramon , Bonàs-Guarch Silvia , Puiggròs Montserrat , Salvoro Cecilia , Miguel-Escalada Irene , Carey Caitlin E. , Cole Joanne B. , Rüeger Sina , Atkinson Elizabeth , Leong Aaron , Sanchez Friman , Ramon-Cortes Cristian , Ejarque Jorge , Palmer Duncan S. , Kurki Mitja ,   FinnGen Consortium, Aragam Krishna , Florez Jose C. , Badia Rosa M. , Mercader Josep M. , Torrents David
Published: April 2021

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are not fully comprehensive, as current strategies typically test only the additive model, exclude the X chromosome, and use only one reference panel for genotype imputation. We implement an extensive GWAS strategy, GUIDANCE, which improves genotype imputation by using multiple reference panels and includes the analysis of the X chromosome and non-additive models to test for association. We apply this methodology to 62,281 subjects across 22 age-related diseases and identify 94 genome-wide associated loci, including 26 previously unreported. Moreover, we observe that 27.7% of the 94 loci are missed if we use standard imputation strategies with a single reference panel, such as HRC, and only test the additive model. Among the new findings, we identify three novel low-frequency recessive variants with odds ratios larger than 4, which need at least a three-fold larger sample size to be detected under the additive model. This study highlights the benefits of applying innovative strategies to better uncover the genetic architecture of complex diseases.
Stretchable chiral pockets for palladium-catalyzed highly chemo- and enantioselective allenylation
Authors: Zhang Yuchen , Zhang Xue , Ma Shengming
Published: April 2021

Pyrazolones are a vital class of heterocycles possessing various biological properties and much attention is paid to the diversified synthesis of enantiopure pyrazolone derivatives. We describe here the development of diphenylphosphinoalkanoic acid based chiral bisphosphine ligands, which are successfully applied to the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allenylation of racemic pyrazol-5-ones. The reaction affords C-allenylation products, optically active pyrazol-5-ones bearing an allene unit, in high chemo- and enantioselectivity, with DACH-ZYC-Phos-C1 as the best ligand. The synthetic potential of the C-allenylation products is demonstrated. Furthermore, the enantioselectivity observed with DACH-ZYC-Phos-C1 is rationalized by density functional theory studies.
A warm jet in a cold ocean
Authors: MacKinnon Jennifer A. , Simmons Harper L. , Hargrove John , Thomson Jim , Peacock Thomas , Alford Matthew H. , Barton Benjamin I. , Boury Samuel , Brenner Samuel D. , Couto Nicole , Danielson Seth L. , Fine Elizabeth C. , Graber Hans C. , Guthrie John , Hopkins Joanne E. , Jayne Steven R. , Jeon Chanhyung , Klenz Thilo , Lee Craig M. , Lenn Yueng-Djern , Lucas Andrew J. , Lund Björn , Mahaffey Claire , Norman Louisa , Rainville Luc , Smith Madison M. , Thomas Leif N. , Torres-Valdés Sinhué , Wood Kevin R.
Published: April 2021

Unprecedented quantities of heat are entering the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean through Bering Strait, particularly during summer months. Though some heat is lost to the atmosphere during autumn cooling, a significant fraction of the incoming warm, salty water subducts (dives beneath) below a cooler fresher layer of near-surface water, subsequently extending hundreds of kilometers into the Beaufort Gyre. Upward turbulent mixing of these sub-surface pockets of heat is likely accelerating sea ice melt in the region. This Pacific-origin water brings both heat and unique biogeochemical properties, contributing to a changing Arctic ecosystem. However, our ability to understand or forecast the role of this incoming water mass has been hampered by lack of understanding of the physical processes controlling subduction and evolution of this this warm water. Crucially, the processes seen here occur at small horizontal scales not resolved by regional forecast models or climate simulations; new parameterizations must be developed that accurately represent the physics. Here we present novel high resolution observations showing the detailed process of subduction and initial evolution of warm Pacific-origin water in the southern Beaufort Gyre.
Collective and synchronous dynamics of photonic spiking neurons
Authors: Inagaki Takahiro , Inaba Kensuke , Leleu Timothée , Honjo Toshimori , Ikuta Takuya , Enbutsu Koji , Umeki Takeshi , Kasahara Ryoichi , Aihara Kazuyuki , Takesue Hiroki
Published: April 2021

Nonlinear dynamics of spiking neural networks have recently attracted much interest as an approach to understand possible information processing in the brain and apply it to artificial intelligence. Since information can be processed by collective spiking dynamics of neurons, the fine control of spiking dynamics is desirable for neuromorphic devices. Here we show that photonic spiking neurons implemented with paired nonlinear optical oscillators can be controlled to generate two modes of bio-realistic spiking dynamics by changing optical-pump amplitude. When the photonic neurons are coupled in a network, the interaction between them induces an effective change in the pump amplitude depending on the order parameter that characterizes synchronization. The experimental results show that the effective change causes spontaneous modification of the spiking modes and firing rates of clustered neurons, and such collective dynamics can be utilized to realize efficient heuristics for solving NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems.
13 million years of seafloor spreading throughout the Red Sea Basin
Authors: Augustin Nico , van der Zwan Froukje M. , Devey Colin W. , Brandsdóttir Bryndís
Published: April 2021

The crustal and tectonic structure of the Red Sea and especially the maximum northward extent of the (ultra)slow Red Sea spreading centre has been debated—mainly due to a lack of detailed data. Here, we use a compilation of earthquake and vertical gravity gradient data together with high-resolution bathymetry to show that ocean spreading is occurring throughout the entire basin and is similar in style to that at other (ultra)slow spreading mid-ocean ridges globally, with only one first-order offset along the axis. Off-axis traces of axial volcanic highs, typical features of (ultra)slow-spreading ridges, are clearly visible in gravity data although buried under thick salt and sediments. This allows us to define a minimum off-axis extent of oceanic crust of <55 km off the coast along the complete basin. Hence, the Red Sea is a mature ocean basin in which spreading began along its entire length 13 Ma ago.
Specificity of AMPylation of the human chaperone BiP is mediated by TPR motifs of FICD
Authors: Fauser Joel , Gulen Burak , Pogenberg Vivian , Pett Christian , Pourjafar-Dehkordi Danial , Krisp Christoph , Höpfner Dorothea , König Gesa , Schlüter Hartmut , Feige Matthias J. , Zacharias Martin , Hedberg Christian , Itzen Aymelt
Published: April 2021

To adapt to fluctuating protein folding loads in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the Hsp70 chaperone BiP is reversibly modified with adenosine monophosphate (AMP) by the ER-resident Fic-enzyme FICD/HYPE. The structural basis for BiP binding and AMPylation by FICD has remained elusive due to the transient nature of the enzyme-substrate-complex. Here, we use thiol-reactive derivatives of the cosubstrate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to covalently stabilize the transient FICD:BiP complex and determine its crystal structure. The complex reveals that the TPR-motifs of FICD bind specifically to the conserved hydrophobic linker of BiP and thus mediate specificity for the domain-docked conformation of BiP. Furthermore, we show that both AMPylation and deAMPylation of BiP are not directly regulated by the presence of unfolded proteins. Together, combining chemical biology, crystallography and biochemistry, our study provides structural insights into a key regulatory mechanism that safeguards ER homeostasis.
Cdk5 and GSK3β inhibit fast endophilin-mediated endocytosis
Authors: Ferreira Antonio P. A. , Casamento Alessandra , Carrillo Roas Sara , Halff Els F. , Panambalana James , Subramaniam Shaan , Schützenhofer Kira , Chan Wah Hak Laura , McGourty Kieran , Thalassinos Konstantinos , Kittler Josef T. , Martinvalet Denis , Boucrot Emmanuel
Published: April 2021

Endocytosis mediates the cellular uptake of micronutrients and cell surface proteins. Fast Endophilin-mediated endocytosis, FEME, is not constitutively active but triggered upon receptor activation. High levels of growth factors induce spontaneous FEME, which can be suppressed upon serum starvation. This suggested a role for protein kinases in this growth factor receptor-mediated regulation. Using chemical and genetic inhibition, we find that Cdk5 and GSK3β are negative regulators of FEME. They antagonize the binding of Endophilin to Dynamin-1 and to CRMP4, a Plexin A1 adaptor. This control is required for proper axon elongation, branching and growth cone formation in hippocampal neurons. The kinases also block the recruitment of Dynein onto FEME carriers by Bin1. As GSK3β binds to Endophilin, it imposes a local regulation of FEME. Thus, Cdk5 and GSK3β are key regulators of FEME, licensing cells for rapid uptake by the pathway only when their activity is low.
How cyanophage S-2L rejects adenine and incorporates 2-aminoadenine to saturate hydrogen bonding in its DNA
Authors: Czernecki Dariusz , Legrand Pierre , Tekpinar Mustafa , Rosario Sandrine , Kaminski Pierre-Alexandre , Delarue Marc
Published: April 2021

Bacteriophages have long been known to use modified bases in their DNA to prevent cleavage by the host’s restriction endonucleases. Among them, cyanophage S-2L is unique because its genome has all its adenines (A) systematically replaced by 2-aminoadenines (Z). Here, we identify a member of the PrimPol family as the sole possible polymerase of S-2L and we find it can incorporate both A and Z in front of a T. Its crystal structure at 1.5 Å resolution confirms that there is no structural element in the active site that could lead to the rejection of A in front of T. To resolve this contradiction, we show that a nearby gene is a triphosphohydolase specific of dATP (DatZ), that leaves intact all other dNTPs, including dZTP. This explains the absence of A in S-2L genome. Crystal structures of DatZ with various ligands, including one at sub-angstrom resolution, allow to describe its mechanism as a typical two-metal-ion mechanism and to set the stage for its engineering.
Convergent synthesis of diversified reversible network leads to liquid metal-containing conductive hydrogel adhesives
Authors: Xu Yong , Rothe Rebecca , Voigt Dagmar , Hauser Sandra , Cui Meiying , Miyagawa Takuya , Patino Gaillez Michelle , Kurth Thomas , Bornhäuser Martin , Pietzsch Jens , Zhang Yixin
Published: April 2021

Many features of extracellular matrices, e.g., self-healing, adhesiveness, viscoelasticity, and conductivity, are associated with the intricate networks composed of many different covalent and non-covalent chemical bonds. Whereas a reductionism approach would have the limitation to fully recapitulate various biological properties with simple chemical structures, mimicking such sophisticated networks by incorporating many different functional groups in a macromolecular system is synthetically challenging. Herein, we propose a strategy of convergent synthesis of complex polymer networks to produce biomimetic electroconductive liquid metal hydrogels. Four precursors could be individually synthesized in one to two reaction steps and characterized, then assembled to form hydrogel adhesives. The convergent synthesis allows us to combine materials of different natures to generate matrices with high adhesive strength, enhanced electroconductivity, good cytocompatibility in vitro and high biocompatibility in vivo. The reversible networks exhibit self-healing and shear-thinning properties, thus allowing for 3D printing and minimally invasive injection for in vivo experiments.
Cryopreservation method for Drosophila melanogaster embryos
Authors: Zhan Li , Li Min-gang , Hays Thomas , Bischof John
Published: April 2021

The development of a widely adopted cryopreservation method remains a major challenge in Drosophila research. Here we report a robust and easily implemented cryopreservation protocol of Drosophila melanogaster embryos. We present innovations for embryo permeabilization, cryoprotectant agent loading, and rewarming. We show that the protocol is broadly applicable, successfully implemented in 25 distinct strains from different sources. We demonstrate that for most strains, >50% embryos hatch and >25% of the resulting larvae develop into adults after cryopreservation. We determine that survival can be significantly improved by outcrossing to mitigate the effect of genetic background for strains with low survival after cryopreservation. We show that flies retain normal sex ratio, fertility, and original mutation after successive cryopreservation of 5 generations and 6-month storage in liquid nitrogen. Lastly, we find that non-specialists are able to use this protocol to obtain consistent results, demonstrating potential for wide adoption.
Characterisation of PALB2 tumours through whole-exome and whole-transcriptomic analyses
Authors: Ng Pei Sze , Pan Jia Wern , Ahmad Zabidi Muhammad Mamduh , Rajadurai Pathmanathan , Yip Cheng Har , Reuda Oscar M. , Dunning Alison M. , Antoniou Antonis C. , Easton Douglas F. , Caldas Carlos , Chin Suet-Feung , Teo Soo Hwang
Published: April 2021

Rare protein-truncating variants (PTVs) in PALB2 confer increased risk to breast cancer, but relatively few studies have reported the characteristics of tumours with PALB2 PTVs. In this study, we describe molecular characteristics of tumours with either germline or somatic alterations in PALB2. DNA from fresh frozen tumour tissues and matched peripheral blood lymphocytes for 560 breast cancer patients was subjected for whole-exome sequencing (WES), and RNA from tumour tissues was subjected to RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). We found six cases with germline and three with somatic protein-truncating variants in PALB2. The characteristics of tumours in patients with PALB2 PTVs were similar to those with BRCA1 and BRCA2 PTVs, having significantly more somatic alterations, and a high proportion of the mutational signature and genomic scar scores characteristic of deficiencies in homologous recombination (HR), compared to tumours arising in non-carriers. Unlike tumours arising in patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 PTVs, PALB2 tumours did not have high prevalence of TP53 somatic alterations or an enriched immune microenvironment. In summary, PALB2 tumours show the homologous recombination deficiencies characteristic of BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumours, and highlight the potential clinical relevance of PALB2 mutational status in guiding therapeutic choices.