bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and safety of transvenous lead extraction using a liberal combined superior and femoral approach
Authors: Yap Sing-Chien , Bhagwandien Rohit E. , Theuns Dominic A. M. J. , Yasar Yunus Emre , de Heide John , Hoogendijk Mark G. , Kik Charles , Szili-Torok Tamas
Published: October 2020

Purpose

During transvenous lead extraction (TLE), the femoral snare has mainly been used as a bail-out procedure. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a TLE approach with a low threshold to use a combined superior and femoral approach.

Methods

This is a single-center observational study including all TLE procedures between 2012 till 2019.

Results

A total of 264 procedures (median age 63 (51–71) years, 67.0% male) were performed in the study period. The main indications for TLE were lead malfunction (67.0%), isolated pocket infection (17.0%) and systemic infection (11.7%). The median dwelling time of the oldest targeted lead was 6.8 (4.0–9.7) years. The techniques used to perform the procedure were the use of a femoral snare only (30%), combined rotational powered sheath and femoral snare (25%), manual traction only (20%), rotational powered sheath only (17%) and locking stylet only (8%). The complete and clinical procedural success rate was 90.2% and 97.7%, respectively, and complete lead removal rate was 94.1% of all targeted leads. The major and minor procedure-related complication rates were 1.1% and 10.2%, respectively. There was one case (0.4%) of emergent sternotomy for management of cardiac avulsion. Furthermore, there were 5 in-hospital non-procedure-related deaths (1.9%), of whom 4 were related to septic shock due to a Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis after an uncomplicated TLE with complete removal of all leads.

Conclusion

An effective and safe TLE procedure can be achieved by using the synergy between a superior and femoral approach.
Relationship between moth (night active Lepidoptera) diversity and vegetation characteristics in southern Sweden
Authors: Tyler Torbjörn
Published: October 2020

The diversity and community composition of moths (both macro- and micromoths) at 32 sites, representing a wide range of habitat types (forests, grasslands, wetlands, agricultural and urban areas) within a restricted region in central Scania, southern-most Sweden, was investigated by use of light moth traps and compared with vascular plant species richness and habitat characteristics. The results revealed a highly significant general association between vegetation composition and the composition of the moth community and multivariate (CCA) analyses indicated light availability and soil fertility parameters (pH and macronutrients) to be the habitat characteristics that best correlated with moth community composition. Less strong, but still significant, positive relationships between moth abundance and local vascular plant diversity were also revealed. Moth species richness was positively correlated with diversity of woody plant genera in the neighborhood, but not with local vascular plant diversity in general. As for more general site characteristics, there were tendencies for higher moth richness and abundance at sites with more productive soils (well-drained, high pH, high nutrient availability), while shading/tree canopy cover, management, soil disturbance regimes and nectar production appeared unrelated to moth community parameters. It is concluded that local moth assemblages are strongly influenced by site characteristics and vegetation composition.

Implications for insect conservation:

The results show that obtaining moth data on a local scale is useful for conservation planning and does not need to be very cumbersome. Local moth assemblages monitored are indeed related to local site characteristics of conservation relevance.
Influence of Knowledge and Attitude on Lifestyle Practices Among Seventh-Day Adventists in Metro Manila, Philippines
Authors: Galvez Cesar Augusto , Calbayan Chirlynor , Pondi Kepha , Vallejos Maria
Published: October 2020

This cross-sectional study examined the influence of knowledge and attitude on lifestyle practices (KAP) of the five dimensions of the Adventist Health Message (AHM5D). A sample of 1442 respondents was drawn from seven Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Metro Manila, Philippines. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that the social dimension of knowledge and the physical, spiritual, and social dimensions of attitude, significantly influenced the practices of AHM5D (β = − .056, p = .037; β = .236, p < .001; β = .211, p < .001; β = .145, p < .001, respectively), with r2 = .334. These findings suggest more effective interventions in the AHM5D promotion.
Online Identity Crisis Identity Issues in Online Communities
Authors: Arfini Selene , Botta Parandera Lorenzo , Gazzaniga Camilla , Maggioni Nicolò , Tacchino Alessandro
Published: October 2020

How have online communities affected the ways their users construct, view, and define their identity? In this paper, we will approach this issue by considering two philosophical sets of problems related to personal identity: the “Characterization Question” and the “Self-Other Relations Question.” Since these queries have traditionally brought out different problems around the concept of identity, here we aim at rethinking them in the framework of online communities. To do so, we will adopt an externalist and cognitive point of view on online communities, describing them as virtual cognitive niches. We will evaluate and agree with the Attachment Theory of Identity, arguing that there is continuity between offline and online identity and that usually the latter contributes to the alteration of the former. Finally, we will discuss ways users can enact self-reflection on online frameworks, considering the impact of the Filter Bubble and the condition of Bad Faith.
Correction to: Hepatitis B Core Antibody: Role in Clinical Practice in 2020
Authors: Gish Robert G. , Abdul Basit Syed , Ryan John , Dawood Altaf , Protzer Ulrike
Published: October 2020

The article “Hepatitis B Core Antibody: Role in Clinical Practice in 2020,” written by Robert G. Gish, Syed Abdul Basit, John Ryan, Altaf Dawood, and Ulrike Protzer, was originally published Online First without Open Access. After publication in volume 19, issue 3, pages 254–265, the author decided to opt for Open Choice and to make the article an Open Access publication. Therefore, the copyright of the article has been changed to © The Author(s) 2020, and the article is forthwith distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons License, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party materials in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons License, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons License and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
The (non)Protective Role of Self-Compassion in Internalizing Symptoms: Two Empirical Studies in Adolescents Demonstrating Unwanted Effects of Using the Self-Compassion Scale Total Score
Authors: Muris Peter , Otgaar Henry , López Angélica , Kurtic Iva , van de Laar Ingrid
Published: October 2020

Objectives

Several scholars have questioned the use of the total Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) score as an appropriate index for measuring self-compassion as a protective psychological trait.

Methods

We present two new studies to further examine the relationships between SCS or SCS-Short Form scores and symptoms of anxiety and depression in non-clinical samples of adolescents (Ns being 106 and 52).

Results

Both studies showed that most of the variance in internalizing symptoms was explained by the uncompassionate self-responding (USR) components of the SCS and that the share of the compassionate self-responding (CSR) was fairly small. Moreover, when controlling for other relevant variables (study 1: neuroticism and extraversion; study 2: self-esteem and lack of self-esteem), the unique contribution of CSR in explaining variance was even completely abolished.

Conclusions

We argue that the inclusion of the USR components in the SCS (1) hinders the proper investigation of the protective role of self-compassion, (2) inflates the relationship with internalizing symptoms, and (3) obscures the (fair) comparison with other etiological factors of psychopathology. Within a context of internalizing problems, the SCS or SCS-SF can better be viewed as an index of vulnerability than as a measure of protection.
Successful treatment of PLA2R1-antibody positive membranous nephropathy with ocrelizumab
Authors: Schmidt Tilman , Schulze Matthias , Harendza Sigrid , Hoxha Elion
Published: October 2020

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults. The disease is induced by antibodies, which are directed against the podocyte protein phospholipase A2 receptor 1 (PLA2R1-ab) in 80% of cases. B cell depleting treatments, most notably rituximab, a chimeric CD20-antibody, are often effective for treatment of MN. However, in 35–40% of patients rituximab fails to induce remission of disease and relapses after rituximab-induced remission are frequent. Therefore, alternative treatment options are necessary. Over the past years optimized antibodies targeting CD20 were designed to overcome side effects or sensitization to the murine fractions of rituximab and potentially improve B cell depletion. Ocrelizumab is a humanized B cell depleting antibody, approved for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, we report the case of a patient who was diagnosed with MS and, 8 years later, developed PLA2R1-associated MN. Treatment for MS was switched to the CD20-antibody ocrelizumab, which was expected to deplete B cells and potentially induce remission of MN. After treatment with ocrelizumab PLA2R1-ab disappeared from the circulation and the patient developed remission of proteinuria. Ocrelizumab might be an efficacious treatment alternative for patients with MN who fail to achieve remission or are immunologically sensitized to rituximab.
Disciplinary Proceedings as an Instrument for Breaking the Rule of Law in Poland
Authors: Gajda-Roszczynialska Katarzyna , Markiewicz Krystian
Published: October 2020

This article advances the thesis that disciplinary proceedings may constitute a tool for breaking the rule of law in Poland. In 2017, as part of a package of legal changes to the judiciary, a disciplinary system was created in Poland to ensure that judges were subservient to the political will of the authorities. From the beginning, new disciplinary officers appointed by the Minister of Justice (the Prosecutor General) have targeted judges who disagree with unconstitutional changes to the judiciary. Disciplinary proceedings are by no means repressions that affect judges who demand that other authorities respect the rule of law in Poland. The article discusses, on a step by step basis, the practical mechanisms taken by the political authorities to break the rule of law in Poland. Particular attention is paid to the measures which have been taken concerning the judiciary. The article discusses the judgment of the CJEU on 19 November 2019 in combined cases C-585/18, C-624/18, and C-625/18 and the implementing resolution of the combined Civil, Criminal and Labour and Social Insurance Chambers of the Supreme Court on 23 January 2020 as well as the collapse of the rule of law in Poland from a practical perspective. The analysis of the recent events shows that after the so-called Muzzle Law (A bill amending the Act on the Organization of Ordinary Courts, the Act on the Supreme Court and the Act on the National Council of the Judiciary was submitted on 12 December 2019, and then voted on by the parliamentary majority in the lower house of the Polish Parliament (Sejm) on 20 December 2019.) came into force, the application of the resolution of the combined Civil, Criminal and Labour and Social Insurance Chambers of the Supreme Court on 23 January 2020 implementing the CJEU judgment in the joined cases C-585/18, C-624/18, and C-625/18 of 19 November 2019 can be and, in fact, is penalized by further disciplinary proceedings, which constitutes a real threat to the already weakened rule of law. Institutions and, above all, judges who are safeguarding the rule of law are being destroyed.
Flow chemistry experiments in the undergraduate teaching laboratory: synthesis of diazo dyes and disulfides
Authors: Kuijpers Koen P. L. , Weggemans Wilko M. A. , Verwijlen C. Jan A. , Noël Timothy
Published: October 2020

By embedding flow technology in the early phases of academic education, students are exposed to both the theoretical and practical aspects of this modern and widely-used technology. Herein, two laboratory flow experiments are described which have been carried out by first year undergraduate students at Eindhoven University of Technology. The experiments are designed to be relatively risk-free and they exploit widely available equipment and cheap capillary flow reactors. The experiments allow students to develop a hands-on understanding of continuous processing and gives them insights in both organic chemistry and chemical engineering. Furthermore, they learn about the benefits of microreactors, continuous processing, multistep reaction sequences and multiphase chemistry. Undoubtedly, such skills are highly valued in both academia and the chemical industry.
Modeling solvent dynamics in polymers with solvent-filled cavities
Authors: Curatolo Michele , Nardinocchi Paola , Teresi Luciano
Published: October 2020

Dynamics of solvent release from polymer gels with small solvent-filled cavities is investigated starting from a thermodynamically consistent and enriched multiphysics stress-diffusion model. Indeed, the modeling also accounts for a new global volumetric constraint which makes the volume of the solvent in the cavity and the cavity volume equal at all times. This induces a characteristic suction effect into the model through a negative pressure acting on the cavity walls. The problem is solved for gel-based spherical microcapsules and microtubules. The implementation of the mathematical model into a finite element code allows to quantitatively describe and compare the dynamics of solvent release from full spheres, hollow spheres, and tubules in terms of a few key quantities such as stress states and amount of released solvent under the same external conditions.
The reception of Plutarch in George Pisides’ panegyrical poems
Authors: Xenophontos Sophia
Published: October 2020

This article examines Plutarch's reception in George Pisides’ poetry. The first section argues in favour of Pisides’ familiarity with Plutarch's writings, mainly in view of verbatim quotations and other thematic connections or allusions. The second section explores Pisides’ more creative use of Plutarch by discussing his direct addresses to the Chearonean philosopher and comparing them with Pisides’ similar apostrophes to Homer and Demosthenes in The Persian Expedition and the Heraclias. By seeking to ‘rewrite’ the heroic past, Pisides presents himself as a skilled emulator of his ancient predecessors, thereby enhancing his self-fashioning as the imperial spokesman par excellence.
Joseph Bryennios and eschatological theology in Late Byzantium
Authors: Marinis Vasileios
Published: October 2020

The Last Judgment, the extraordinary conclusion to Christ's parousia, played a consequential role in Byzantine religious culture. However, the scarcity of biblical information and the lack of an official council-sanctioned theology of the afterlife resulted in the creation of varying and sometimes contradictory narratives. The most systematic treatment of questions pertaining to the Last Judgment is by Joseph Bryennios (d. c. 1430/1), a theologian and court preacher, in a series of two sermons. This paper offers a detailed investigation of Bryennios’ eschatological thought and discusses its sources and its importance as ‘official’ theology in the last decades of the empire.
‘A very good and dear friend’: is Panagiotis Nikousios the author of the ‘Mournful story concerning the unjust death of the Grand Postelnic Constantine Cantacuzenus’?
Authors: Negoiță Octavian-Adrian
Published: October 2020

This article discusses the authorship of the ‘Short mournful story concerning the unjust death of the most honorable Constantine Cantacuzenus’, a poem that describes the execution of the grand postelnic on the orders of Gregory Ghika, the Prince of Wallachia. On the basis of a marginal comment in a manuscript authored by Nicholas Karatzas (Princeton gr. 112), this article argues that the questionable authorship of the poem may be attributed to the Ottoman grand dragoman Panagiotis Nikousios, who may have written the original Greek version published in Venice in 1666.
The novel of the Greek civil war in the twenty-first century: (post)memory and the weight of the past
Authors: Kaisidou Vassiliki
Published: October 2020

Between the years 2000 and 2015 novels on the Greek civil war (1946–9) flooded the Greek literary market. This raises important questions as to why the burden of the civil conflict weighs heavily upon generations with no experiential connection to these events. This article begins by offering an interpretation for the literary upsurge of the civil war since the 2000s. Then it uses Marianne Hirsch's concept of postmemory to illustrate the authors’ ethical commitment to ‘unsilence’ and redress the past through the use of archival evidence and testimonies. The case studies of ThomasSkassis’Ελληνικόσταυρόλɛξο (2000), Nikos Davvetas’ Λɛυκή πɛτσέτα στορινγκ (2006),and SophiaNikolaidou's Χορɛύουνοιɛλέφαντɛς(2012) serve to illustrate my argument.
Mid-infrared optical frequency comb in the 2.7–4.0 μm range via difference frequency generation from a compact laser system
Authors: Zhou Lian , Liu Yang , Xie Gehui , Gu Chenglin , Deng Zejiang , Zhu Zhiwei , Ouyang Cheng , Zuo Zhong , Luo Daping , Wu Bin , Chen Kunfeng , Li Wenxue
Published: October 2020

We report on the generation of a mid-infrared (mid-IR) frequency comb with a maximum average output power of 250 mW and tunability in the 2.7–4.0 μm region. The approach is based on a single-stage difference frequency generation (DFG) starting from a compact Yb-doped fiber laser system. The repetition rate of the near-infrared (NIR) comb is locked at 75 MHz. The phase noise of the repetition rate in the offset-free mid-IR comb system is measured and analyzed. Except for the intrinsic of NIR comb, environmental noise at low frequency and quantum noise at high frequency from the amplifier chain and nonlinear spectral broadening are the main noise sources of broadening the linewidth of comb teeth, which limits the precision of mid-IR dual-comb spectroscopy.
Pietro Giannone and the Nonjuring Contribution to the Separation of Church and State
Authors: Monod Paul
Published: October 2020

Why did the English Nonjuror Richard Rawlinson promote the 1729–30 English translation of Pietro Giannone's Civil History of Naples? The Nonjurors in England espoused ecclesiastical independency from the state, which they derived from the thought of Restoration High Churchmen and from the French Gallican Louis Ellies Du Pin. Giannone, a Neapolitan lawyer, proposed a similar “two powers” model of strict autonomy for both church and state. Giannone's concept was later rejected by enlightened writers like Viscount Bolingbroke and Edward Gibbon, who associated it with high church prejudices. It was defended by the Dissenter Joseph Priestley, who combined it with his own theory of religious sociability. The impact of Giannone on the Nonjurors and on Priestley illuminates the complex religious background to what is often seen as a fundamentally secular doctrine: the separation of church and state.
Beyond Brideshead: The Male Homoerotics of 1930s Oxford
Authors: Brooks Ross
Published: October 2020

Looking beyond the notorious “Brideshead” aesthetes and homoeroticism of 1920s Oxford, this article explores the queer sensibilities of the university's male undergraduates and their associates through the 1930s. Steadily through the decade, Oxford's unique brand of queer aestheticism and same-sex love affairs became embroiled with wider debates about the hegemony of socialism and communism and the supposed degeneracy of standards at Oxford. At the same time, the assimilation of medicalized concepts of perversion and homosexuality increasingly made Oxford's aesthetes and same-sex love affairs objects of critical scrutiny, effeminophobia, and homophobia. For many of the university's queer male undergraduates, the Oxford University Dramatic Society provided a safe haven and a platform for queer expression both in Oxford and beyond. A group of images by the Russian émigré photographer Cyril Arapoff provides further insights into the male homoerotics of 1930s Oxford. Situated within the context of Arapoff's life in the city between 1933 and 1939, his extraordinary photographs of nude and seminude young men offer glimpses into the queer lives and loves at Oxford in a period when such experiences were rarely articulated in written form. The images include the spaces the young men inhabited and their interconnections to London's vibrantly queer dance and theater scene. Such insights help establish more firmly interwar Oxford as an important hub of queer modernism, with national and international import for the course of modern queer history.
Drug screening using shape-based virtual screening andin vitroexperimental models of cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Authors: Cardoso Santos Camila , Meuser Batista Marcos , Inam Ullah Asma , Rama Krishna Reddy Tummala , Soeiro Maria de Nazaré Correia
Published: October 2020

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is one of the most disregarded tropical neglected disease with the occurrence of self-limiting ulcers and triggering mucosal damage and stigmatizing scars, leading to huge public health problems and social negative impacts. Pentavalent antimonials are the first-line drug for CL treatment for over 70 years and present several drawbacks in terms of safety and efficacy. Thus, there is an urgent need to search for non-invasive, non-toxic and potent drug candidates for CL. In this sense, we have implemented a shape-based virtual screening approach and identified a set of 32 hit compounds.In vitrophenotypic screenings were conducted using these hit compounds to check their potential leishmanicidal effect towardsLeishmania amazonensis(L. amazonensis). Two (Cp1 and Cp2) out of the 32 compounds revealed promising antiparasitic activities, exhibiting considerable potency against intracellular amastigotes present in peritoneal macrophages (IC50values of 9.35 and 7.25μm, respectively). Also, a sterile cidality profile was reached at 20μmafter 48 h of incubation, besides a reasonable selectivity (≈8), quite similarly to pentamidine, a diamidine still in use clinically for leishmaniasis. Cp1 with an oxazolo[4,5-b]pyridine scaffold and Cp2 with benzimidazole scaffold could be developed by lead optimization studies to enhance their leishmanicidal potency.
Low adherence to traditional dietary pattern and food preferences of low-income preschool children with food neophobia
Authors: Anjos Laís Andrade dos , Vieira Diva Aliete dos Santos , Siqueira Bruna Nabuco Freire , Voci Silvia Maria , Botelho Anne Jardim , Silva Danielle Góes da
Published: October 2020

Objective:

To associate dietary patterns and food neophobia in low-income preschoolers.

Design:

This was a cross-sectional study using a semi-structured questionnaire for socio-demographic data, birth conditions and breast-feeding history. Food neophobia was assessed using an adapted version of theChild Food Neophobia Scale. Children’s nutritional status was assessed using BMI-for-age and height-for-ageZ-scores. Dietary patterns were estimated using a semi-quantitative FFQ through exploratory factor analysis. Multiple linear regression was used to test for an association between food neophobia and dietary pattern adherence.

Setting:

Philanthropic childhood education schools in Aracaju, an urban community in northeastern Brazil, between July and December 2017.

Participants:

Two hundred fourteen children aged 3–6 years and their parents.

Results:

The percentages of low/medium and high food neophobia among preschoolers were 85·9 % and 11·2 %, respectively. Children with high food neophobia more frequently consumed ultra-processed foods rich in sugars (snacks, filled and unfilled cookies and sweets), as well as protein-rich foods (white meat, cheese and yogurt). Three dietary patterns were identified (traditional, snacks and school snacks). Children with a high level of neophobia had lower adherence to traditional dietary patterns.

Conclusions:

A high level of food neophobia among socially vulnerable preschoolers is an eating behaviour related to unhealthy eating and is associated with the poorest diet in typical foods.
S Wave Anelastic Attenuation of Shallow Sediments in Mainland China
Authors: Tian Wen , Li Zhiwei
Published: October 2020

Frequency‐dependent anelastic attenuation is a fact that must be considered when inverting seismic data. The shallow attenuation characteristics of large sedimentary basins with frequent earthquakes in mainland China are still unclear, which hinders the study of strong ground motion. Borehole seismometers distributed in these areas provide information on shallow structures. In this study, the direct and surface‐reflected phases in local earthquake borehole seismograms were extracted to calculate the average S wave anelastic attenuation of shallow sediments in mainland China. Relying on the seismograms recorded by 103 borehole stations, the attenuation values and lithologies of the shallow sediments above the borehole seismometers were estimated by applying a multi‐time window analysis method. We suggested that the
values generally decrease from 0.04–0.50 at 1 Hz to 0.01–0.05 at 10 Hz. We obtained the empirical relationships among attenuation, velocity, and depth and found that the dominant mechanisms for attenuation above and below a depth of 400 m could be different due to sediment compositions and scales. Certain borehole depths and corresponding Vs values were corrected by analyzing the time difference variation and the
distinction.
Numerically Bounded Linguistic Probability Schemes Are Unlikely to Communicate Uncertainty Effectively
Authors: Mandel D. R. , Wallsten T. S. , Budescu D. V.
Published: October 2020

In a recent issue of Earth's Future (vol. 7, pp. 1020–1026), S. C. Lewis et al. (2019, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EF001273) recommended a numerically bounded linguistic probability (NBLP) scheme for communicating probabilistic information in extreme event attribution studies. We provide a critique of NBLP schemes in general and of Lewis et al.'s in particular, noting two key points. First, evidence from voluminous behavioral science research on the interpretation of linguistic probabilities indicates that NBLP schemes are an ineffective means of communicating uncertainty to others. Second, where the motivation to implement such schemes nevertheless persists, the schemes should be developed through an evidence‐based approach that seeks to optimize interpretational agreement between the scheme and users.
Global Radiative Impacts of Black Carbon Acting as Ice Nucleating Particles
Authors: McGraw Zachary , Storelvmo Trude , Samset Bjørn Hallvard , Stjern Camilla Weum
Published: October 2020

Black carbon (BC) aerosols from incomplete combustion generally warm the climate, but the magnitudes of their various interactions with climate are still uncertain. A key knowledge gap is their role as ice nucleating particles (INPs), enabling ice formation in clouds. Here we assess the global radiative impacts of BC acting as INPs, using simulations with the Community Earth System Model 2 climate model updated to include new laboratory‐based ice nucleation parameterizations. Overall, we find a moderate cooling through changes to stratiform cirrus clouds, counteracting the well‐known net warming from BC's direct scattering and absorption of radiation. Our best estimates indicate that BC INPs generally thin cirrus by indirectly inhibiting the freezing of solution aerosol, with a global net radiative impact of −0.13 ± 0.07 W/m2. Sensitivity tests of BC amounts and ice nucleating efficiencies, and uncertainties in the environment where ice crystals form, show a potential range of impacts from −0.30 to +0.02 W/m2.
Thermodynamical Modeling of Liquid Fe‐Si‐Mg‐O:Molten Magnesium Silicate Release From the Core
Authors: Helffrich George , Hirose Kei , Nomura Ryuichi
Published: October 2020

We developed a thermodynamic model to explore the joint solubility of Mg, Si, and O in liquid Fe on the basis of high‐pressure metal‐silicate partitioning data in the literature, with more Mg kept in the metal when Si and O are present. With <1.7 ± 0.5 wt% Mg, the metal in the young Earth's core retains Mg as the core evolves and crystallizes SiO2. Higher Mg concentrations require either the late addition of metal that equilibrated with silicate in a super‐liquidus magma ocean or the assimilation of silicate into the core at the time of a giant impact. Above 1.7 wt% Mg, (Mg,Fe)‐silicate melts also exsolve from the core and transfer core‐hosted elements to the mantle. Fractional crystallization of the core‐derived silicate melts in the core or at the core‐mantle boundary could, additionally, yield a persistent molten silicate layer that could also contribute to ultralow velocity zone formation in the lowermost mantle.
Overexpression of Cyclin E1 or Cdc25A leads to replication stress, mitotic aberrancies, and increased sensitivity to replication checkpoint inhibitors
Authors: Kok Yannick P. , Guerrero Llobet Sergi , Schoonen Pepijn M. , Everts Marieke , Bhattacharya Arkajyoti , Fehrmann Rudolf S. N. , van den Tempel Nathalie , van Vugt Marcel A. T. M.
Published: October 2020

Oncogene-induced replication stress, for instance as a result of Cyclin E1 overexpression, causes genomic instability and has been linked to tumorigenesis. To survive high levels of replication stress, tumors depend on pathways to deal with these DNA lesions, which represent a therapeutically actionable vulnerability. We aimed to uncover the consequences of Cyclin E1 or Cdc25A overexpression on replication kinetics, mitotic progression, and the sensitivity to inhibitors of the WEE1 and ATR replication checkpoint kinases. We modeled oncogene-induced replication stress using inducible expression of Cyclin E1 or Cdc25A in non-transformed RPE-1 cells, either in a TP53 wild-type or TP53-mutant background. DNA fiber analysis showed Cyclin E1 or Cdc25A overexpression to slow replication speed. The resulting replication-derived DNA lesions were transmitted into mitosis causing chromosome segregation defects. Single cell sequencing revealed that replication stress and mitotic defects upon Cyclin E1 or Cdc25A overexpression resulted in genomic instability. ATR or WEE1 inhibition exacerbated the mitotic aberrancies induced by Cyclin E1 or Cdc25A overexpression, and caused cytotoxicity. Both these phenotypes were exacerbated upon p53 inactivation. Conversely, downregulation of Cyclin E1 rescued both replication kinetics, as well as sensitivity to ATR and WEE1 inhibitors. Taken together, Cyclin E1 or Cdc25A-induced replication stress leads to mitotic segregation defects and genomic instability. These mitotic defects are exacerbated by inhibition of ATR or WEE1 and therefore point to mitotic catastrophe as an underlying mechanism. Importantly, our data suggest that Cyclin E1 overexpression can be used to select patients for treatment with replication checkpoint inhibitors.
Framework for quality assessment of whole genome cancer sequences
Authors: Whalley Justin P. , Buchhalter Ivo , Rheinbay Esther , Raine Keiran M. , Stobbe Miranda D. , Kleinheinz Kortine , Werner Johannes , Beltran Sergi , Gut Marta , Hübschmann Daniel , Hutter Barbara , Livitz Dimitri , Perry Marc D. , Rosenberg Mara , Saksena Gordon , Trotta Jean-Rémi , Eils Roland , Gerhard Daniela S. , Campbell Peter J. , Schlesner Matthias , Gut Ivo G.
Published: October 2020

Bringing together cancer genomes from different projects increases power and allows the investigation of pan-cancer, molecular mechanisms. However, working with whole genomes sequenced over several years in different sequencing centres requires a framework to compare the quality of these sequences. We used the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes cohort as a test case to construct such a framework. This cohort contains whole cancer genomes of 2832 donors from 18 sequencing centres. We developed a non-redundant set of five quality control (QC) measurements to establish a star rating system. These QC measures reflect known differences in sequencing protocol and provide a guide to downstream analyses and allow for exclusion of samples of poor quality. We have found that this is an effective framework of quality measures. The implementation of the framework is available at: https://dockstore.org/containers/quay.io/jwerner_dkfz/pancanqc:1.2.2.
Dissolved black carbon is not likely a significant refractory organic carbon pool in rivers and oceans
Authors: Qi Yuanzhi , Fu Wenjing , Tian Jiwei , Luo Chunle , Shan Sen , Sun Shuwen , Ren Peng , Zhang Hongmei , Liu Jiwen , Zhang Xiaohua , Wang Xuchen
Published: October 2020

Rivers are the major carriers of dissolved black carbon (DBC) from land to ocean; the sources of DBC during its continuous transformation and cycling in the ocean, however, are not well characterized. Here, we present new carbon isotope data for DBC in four large and two small mountainous rivers, the Yangtze and Yellow river estuaries, the East China Sea and the North Pacific Ocean. We found that the carbon isotope signatures of DBC are relatively homogeneous, and the DBC 14C ages in rivers are predominantly young and increase during continuous transport and cycling in the ocean. The results of charcoal leaching experiments indicate that DBC is released from charcoal and degraded by bacteria. Our study suggests that riverine DBC is labile and respired during transport and mixing into the ocean and that residual DBC is cycled and aged on the same time scales as bulk DOC in the ocean.
Attosecond electron–spin dynamics in Xe 4d photoionization
Authors: Zhong Shiyang , Vinbladh Jimmy , Busto David , Squibb Richard J. , Isinger Marcus , Neoričić Lana , Laurell Hugo , Weissenbilder Robin , Arnold Cord L. , Feifel Raimund , Dahlström Jan Marcus , Wendin Göran , Gisselbrecht Mathieu , Lindroth Eva , L’Huillier Anne
Published: October 2020

The photoionization of xenon atoms in the 70–100 eV range reveals several fascinating physical phenomena such as a giant resonance induced by the dynamic rearrangement of the electron cloud after photon absorption, an anomalous branching ratio between intermediate Xe+ states separated by the spin-orbit interaction and multiple Auger decay processes. These phenomena have been studied in the past, using in particular synchrotron radiation, but without access to real-time dynamics. Here, we study the dynamics of Xe 4d photoionization on its natural time scale combining attosecond interferometry and coincidence spectroscopy. A time-frequency analysis of the involved transitions allows us to identify two interfering ionization mechanisms: the broad giant dipole resonance with a fast decay time less than 50 as, and a narrow resonance at threshold induced by spin-flip transitions, with much longer decay times of several hundred as. Our results provide insight into the complex electron-spin dynamics of photo-induced phenomena.
Policy, toxicology and physicochemical considerations on the inhalation of high concentrations of food flavour
Authors: Dinu Vlad , Kilic Azad , Wang Qingqi , Ayed Charfedinne , Fadel Abdulmannan , Harding Stephen E. , Yakubov Gleb E. , Fisk Ian D.
Published: October 2020

Food flavour ingredients are required by law to obtain prior approval from regulatory bodies, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in terms of toxicological data and intended use levels. However, there are no regulations for labelling the type and concentration of flavour additives on the product, primarily due to their low concentration in food and generally recognised as safe (GRAS) status determined by the flavour and extract manufacturers’ association (FEMA). Their status for use in e-cigarettes and other vaping products challenges these fundamental assumptions, because their concentration can be over ten-thousand times higher than in food, and the method of administration is through inhalation, which is currently not evaluated by the FEMA expert panel. This work provides a review of some common flavour ingredients used in food and vaping products, their product concentrations, inhalation toxicity and aroma interactions reported with different biological substrates. We have identified several studies, which suggest that the high concentrations of flavour through inhalation may pose a serious health threat, especially in terms of their cytotoxicity. As a result of the wide range of possible protein-aroma interactions reported in our diet and metabolism, including links to several non-communicable diseases, we suggest that it is instrumental to update current flavour- labelling regulations, and support new strategies of understanding the effects of flavour uptake on the digestive and respiratory systems, in order to prevent the onset of future non-communicable diseases.
Permafrost dynamics and the risk of anthrax transmission: a modelling study
Authors: Stella Elisa , Mari Lorenzo , Gabrieli Jacopo , Barbante Carlo , Bertuzzo Enrico
Published: October 2020

A recent outbreak of anthrax disease, severely affecting reindeer herds in Siberia, has been reportedly associated to the presence of infected carcasses or spores released from the active layer over permafrost, which is thawing and thickening at increasing rates, thus underlying the re-emerging nature of this pathogen in the Arctic region because of warming temperatures. Anthrax is a global zoonotic and epizootic disease, with a high case-fatality ratio in infected animals. Its transmission is mediated by environmental contamination through highly resistant spores which can persist in the soil for several decades. Here we develop and analyze a new epidemiological model for anthrax transmission that is specifically tailored to the Arctic environmental conditions. The model describes transmission dynamics including also herding practices (e.g. seasonal grazing) and the role of the active layer over permafrost acting as a long-term storage of spores that could be viable for disease transmission during thawing periods. Model dynamics are investigated through linear stability analysis, Floquet theory for periodically forced systems, and a series of simulations with realistic forcings. Results show how the temporal variability of grazing and active layer thawing may influence the dynamics of anthrax disease and, specifically, favor sustained pathogen transmission. Particularly warm years, favoring deep active layers, are shown to be associated with an increase risk of anthrax outbreaks, and may also foster infections in the following years. Our results enable preliminary insights into measures (e.g. changes in herding practice) that may be adopted to decrease the risk of infection and lay the basis to possibly establish optimal procedures for preventing transmission; furthermore, they elicit the need of further investigations and observation campaigns focused on anthrax dynamics in the Arctic environment.
Multi-level modeling with nonlinear movement metrics to classify self-injurious behaviors in autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Cantin-Garside Kristine D. , Srinivasan Divya , Ranganathan Shyam , White Susan W. , Nussbaum Maury A.
Published: October 2020

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is among the most dangerous concerns in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), often requiring detailed and tedious management methods. Sensor-based behavioral monitoring could address the limitations of these methods, though the complex problem of classifying variable behavior should be addressed first. We aimed to address this need by developing a group-level model accounting for individual variability and potential nonlinear trends in SIB, as a secondary analysis of existing data. Ten participants with ASD and SIB engaged in free play while wearing accelerometers. Movement data were collected from > 200 episodes and 18 different types of SIB. Frequency domain and linear movement variability measures of acceleration signals were extracted to capture differences in behaviors, and metrics of nonlinear movement variability were used to quantify the complexity of SIB. The multi-level logistic regression model, comprising of 12 principal components, explained > 65% of the variance, and classified SIB with > 75% accuracy. Our findings imply that frequency-domain and movement variability metrics can effectively predict SIB. Our modeling approach yielded superior accuracy than commonly used classifiers (~ 75 vs. ~ 64% accuracy) and had superior performance compared to prior reports (~ 75 vs. ~ 69% accuracy) This work provides an approach to generating an accurate and interpretable group-level model for SIB identification, and further supports the feasibility of developing a real-time SIB monitoring system.
Synthesis and structure of a new thiazoline-based palladium(II) complex that promotes cytotoxicity and apoptosis of human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells
Authors: Espino Javier , Fernández-Delgado Elena , Estirado Samuel , de la Cruz-Martinez Felipe , Villa-Carballar Sergio , Viñuelas-Zahínos Emilio , Luna-Giles Francisco , Pariente José A.
Published: October 2020

Cisplatin is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of different tumors but has high toxicity and side effects. Therefore, the synthesis of new chemotherapeutic agents is necessary, so that they are effective in the treatment of cancer while avoiding such toxicity. In this study, we have synthesized and characterized a palladium(II) complex, [PdCl2(µ-PyTT)2]Cl2·4H2O (PdPyTT), with 2-(2-pyridyl)imine-N-(2-thiazolin-2-yl)thiazolidine (PyTT) as a ligand; besides, its cytotoxicity and pro-apoptotic capacity was tested in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cell line. Similar to cisplatin, PdPyTT produced a time- and dose-dependent decrease in cell viability. Additionally, the palladium complex increased both the proportion of cells with apoptotic morphology and the activation of caspase-3 and -9. PdPyTT, like cisplatin, also increased intracellular ROS production and DNA oxidative damage. Therefore, our findings demonstrated the promising application of palladium(II) complexes as novel anti-leukemic agents.
Analysis of Plasmodium vivax schizont transcriptomes from field isolates reveals heterogeneity of expression of genes involved in host-parasite interactions
Authors: Siegel Sasha V. , Chappell Lia , Hostetler Jessica B. , Amaratunga Chanaki , Suon Seila , Böhme Ulrike , Berriman Matthew , Fairhurst Rick M. , Rayner Julian C.
Published: October 2020

Plasmodium vivaxgene regulation remains difficult to study due to the lack of a robust in vitro culture method, low parasite densities in peripheral circulation and asynchronous parasite development. We adapted an RNA-seq protocol “DAFT-seq” to sequence the transcriptome of fourP. vivaxfield isolates that were cultured for a short period ex vivo before using a density gradient for schizont enrichment. Transcription was detected from 78% of the PvP01 reference genome, despite being schizont-enriched samples. This extensive data was used to define thousands of 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions, some of which overlapped with neighbouring transcripts, and to improve the gene models of 352 genes, including identifying 20 novel gene transcripts. This dataset has also significantly increased the known amount of heterogeneity betweenP. vivaxschizont transcriptomes from individual patients. The majority of genes found to be differentially expressed between the isolates lackPlasmodium falciparumhomologs and are predicted to be involved in host-parasite interactions, with an enrichment in reticulocyte binding proteins, merozoite surface proteins and exported proteins with unknown function. An improved understanding of the diversity withinP. vivaxtranscriptomes will be essential for the prioritisation of novel vaccine targets.
Dynamics of a neuronal pacemaker in the weakly electric fish Apteronotus
Authors: Shifman Aaron R. , Sun Yiren , Benoit Chloé M. , Lewis John E.
Published: October 2020

The precise timing of neuronal activity is critical for normal brain function. In weakly electric fish, the medullary pacemaker network (PN) sets the timing for an oscillating electric organ discharge (EOD) used for electric sensing. This network is the most precise biological oscillator known, with sub-microsecond variation in oscillator period. The PN consists of two principle sets of neurons, pacemaker and relay cells, that are connected by gap junctions and normally fire in synchrony, one-to-one with each EOD cycle. However, the degree of gap junctional connectivity between these cells appears insufficient to provide the population averaging required for the observed temporal precision of the EOD. This has led to the hypothesis that individual cells themselves fire with high precision, but little is known about the oscillatory dynamics of these pacemaker cells. As a first step towards testing this hypothesis, we have developed a biophysical model of a pacemaker neuron action potential based on experimental recordings. We validated the model by comparing the changes in oscillatory dynamics produced by different experimental manipulations. Our results suggest that this relatively simple model can capture a large range of channel dynamics exhibited by pacemaker cells, and will thus provide a basis for future work on network synchrony and precision.
Quantum transport in a chain of quantum dots with inhomogeneous size distribution and manifestation of 1D Anderson localization
Authors: Cha Moon-Hyun , Hwang Jeongwoon
Published: October 2020

The effect of inhomogeneous quantum dot (QD) size distribution on the electronic transport of one-dimensional (1D) QD chains (QDCs) is theoretically investigated. The non-equilibrium Green function method is employed to compute the electron transmission probabilities of QDCs. The ensemble averaged transmission probability shows a close agreement with the conductivity equation predicted by Anderson et al. for a disordered electronic system. The fidelity of quantum transport is defined as the transmission performance of an ensemble of QDCs of length N (N-QDCs) to assess the robustness of QDCs as a practical electronic device. We found that the fidelity of inhomogeneous N-QDCs with the standard deviation of energy level distribution σε is a Lorentzian function of variable Nσε2. With these analytical expressions, we can predict the conductance and fidelity of any QDC characterized by (N, σε). Our results can provide a guideline for combining the chain length and QD size distributions for high-mobility electron transport in 1D QDCs.