bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leaving early or staying on? Retirement preferences and motives among older health-care professionals
Authors: Stattin Mikael , Bengs Carita
Published: March 2021

There is a need for improved knowledge about how workplace conditions and organisational factors may obstruct or facilitate work in late life. By means of both quantitative and qualitative data, this study aims to explore retirement preferences among employees (aged 55 and older) in a large Swedish health-care organisation and to identify work-related motives influencing their retirement preferences. The quantitative analysis showed large variation in retirement preferences in the organisation. The qualitative results were summarised into two overarching types of motives for late and early retirement preferences, general and group-specific. The general motives were shared by the early and late preference groups, and included recognition, flexibility, health and work motivation. The group-specific motives were exclusively related to either an early or a late retirement preference. Criticism towards the organisation and strenuous working conditions were specific motives for an early retirement preference, while positive accounts of work and a wish to utilise one's own competencies as well as being financially dependent on work was stated as specific motives for wanting to retire late. The results illustrate the need to improve organisational practices and routines, as well as working conditions, in order to make an extended working life accessible for more than already-privileged groups of employees.
On symmetric intersecting families of vectors
Authors: Eberhard Sean , Kahn Jeff , Narayanan Bhargav , Spirkl Sophie
Published: March 2021

A family of vectors in [k]n is said to be intersecting if any two of its elements agree on at least one coordinate. We prove, for fixed k ≥ 3, that the size of any intersecting subfamily of [k]n invariant under a transitive group of symmetries is o(kn), which is in stark contrast to the case of the Boolean hypercube (where k = 2). Our main contribution addresses limitations of existing technology: while there are now methods, first appearing in work of Ellis and the third author, for using spectral machinery to tackle problems in extremal set theory involving symmetry, this machinery relies crucially on the interplay between up-sets, biased product measures, and threshold behaviour in the Boolean hypercube, features that are notably absent in the problem considered here. To circumvent these barriers, introducing ideas that seem of independent interest, we develop a variant of the sharp threshold machinery that applies at the level of products of posets.
COVID-19 infection in infant with severe CHD
Authors: Pexton Natalie , Svenson Amy , Bhat Deepti
Published: March 2021

We describe the case of a 2-month-old born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome who presented with fever and vomiting and was found to be infected with the novel corona virus (COVID-19). He underwent treatment with supplemental oxygen, heparin, and dexamethasone. After a 6-day hospitalisation, he recovered remarkably well without major adverse effects.
Touching Feeling Transmission
Authors: Betbeze Anna
Published: March 2021

Touch Workshop is a multimodal set of experiments that untangle the ideological orientation of the senses, organized around proprioceptive sensation and arriving at inverted performances. The project builds on the tactile research of Czech polymath Jan Švankmajer, his response to the censorship of his work in the 1970s. With Covid-19 a pervasive reality, touch is limited and vision dominates. How can the tactile imagination respond in the absence of tactile freedom? How do we transfer and transmit feeling, touching those outside of our time-space?
Dreaming New Orleans
Authors: Roach Joseph
Published: March 2021

Having passed the tercentenary of the “Mississippi Bubble” of 1720, the financial fiasco that accompanied the founding of New Orleans, the city continues to risk everything by gambling on the collateral of its dreams. Like Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, “The City that Care Forgot” is playing out a mortgage melodrama under constant threat of dispossession, dreading the last stop on an itinerary that begins with Desire, changes at Cemeteries, and dead ends in Elysian Fields.
Caribbean Slab Segmentation Beneath Northwest South America Revealed by 3‐D Finite Frequency Teleseismic P‐Wave Tomography
Authors: Cornthwaite John , Bezada Maximiliano J. , Miao Wenpei , Schmitz Michael , Prieto Germán A. , Dionicio Viviana , Niu Fenglin , Levander Alan
Published: March 2021

The Caribbean plate subducts beneath northwest South America at a shallow angle due to a large igneous province that added up to 12 km of buoyant crust. The overriding plate lacks volcanism and exhibits Laramide‐style uplifts over 500 km from the trench. Here, we illuminate the subduction structures through finite frequency teleseismic P‐wave tomography and connect those structures to the Laramide‐style deformation on the overriding plate. We use a new data set collected from the Caribbean‐Mérida Andes seismic experiment comprised of 65 temporary broadband stations integrated with permanent stations from the Colombian and Venezuelan national networks. We identify three segments of subducting Caribbean plate with one segment completely detached from the surface. The timing of the detachment aligns with other regional events, including the uplift of the Mérida Andes, about 10 Ma. Slab buoyancy post‐detachment likely resulted in recoupling with the overriding plate, reactivation of Jurassic‐aged rift structures and subsequent uplift of the Mérida Andes. Mantle counterflow over the broken segment induced by rollback of the attached slab likely contributed to the uplift of the Mérida Andes. We conclude that the northern limit of subduction lies south of the Oca‐Ancón fault, though the fault itself may be the surface expression of the boundary. The southern limit of subduction lies south of our study area.
Ionospheric Signatures of Secondary Waves From Quasi‐6‐Day Wave and Tide Interactions
Authors: Yamazaki Y. , Miyoshi Y.
Published: March 2021

A sudden stratospheric waring occurred in the southern hemisphere during September 2019, accompanied by an exceptionally strong quasi‐6‐day wave (Q6DW). We examine the ionospheric response using global total electron content (TEC) maps, with a focus on the short‐period variability (5–48 h). A Fourier analysis of the TEC data reveals ionospheric variations associated with the secondary waves due to the non‐linear interaction between the Q6DW and atmospheric tides. The largest signatures among them are related to the ∼29‐h standing oscillation, which is attributable to the Q6DW interaction with the migrating diurnal tide, with the maximum amplitude ∼8% of the zonal mean. Also detected are the signatures associated with the westward‐propagating ∼13‐h oscillation with the zonal wavenumber 1 (∼4%) and westward‐propagating ∼11‐h oscillation with the zonal wavenumber 3 (∼3%), both of which can be attributed to the Q6DW interaction with the migrating semidiurnal tide. The signatures related to the Q6DW interaction with the migrating terdiurnal tide and some non‐migrating tides are also observed. This is the first time that secondary wave signatures of the Q6DW‐tidal interaction are identified in ionospheric observations with predicted zonal wavenumbers and periods. The oscillations are symmetric about the magnetic equator with amplitude peaks at ±20° magnetic latitudes, suggesting that the oscillations are generated by the modulation of the equatorial plasma fountain.
A Numerical Study of Wave‐Driven Mean Flows and Setup Dynamics at a Coral Reef‐Lagoon System
Authors: Rijnsdorp Dirk P. , Buckley Mark L. , da Silva Renan F. , Cuttler Michael V. W. , Hansen Jeff E. , Lowe Ryan J. , Green Rebecca H. , Storlazzi Curt D.
Published: March 2021

Two‐dimensional mean wave‐driven flow and setup dynamics were investigated at a reef‐lagoon system at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, using the numerical wave‐flow model, SWASH. Phase‐resolved numerical simulations of the wave and flow fields, validated with highly detailed field observations (including >10 sensors through the energetic surf zone), were used to quantify the main mechanisms that govern the mean momentum balances and resulting mean current and setup patterns, with particular attention to the role of nonlinear wave shapes. Momentum balances from the phase‐resolved model indicated that onshore flows near the reef crest were primarily driven by the wave force (dominated by radiation stress gradients) due to intense breaking, whereas the flow over the reef flat and inside the lagoon and channels was primarily driven by a pressure gradient. Wave setup inside the lagoon was primarily controlled by the wave force and bottom stress. The bottom stress reduced the setup on the reef flat and inside the lagoon. Excluding the bottom stress contribution in the setup balance resulted in an over prediction of the wave‐setup inside the lagoon by up to 200–370%. The bottom stress was found to be caused by the combined presence of onshore directed wave‐driven currents and (nonlinear) waves. Exclusion of the bottom stress contribution from nonlinear wave shapes led to an over prediction of the setup inside the lagoon by approximately 20–40%. The inclusion of the nonlinear wave shape contribution to the bottom stress term was found to be particularly relevant in reef regions that experience a net onshore mass flux over the reef crest.
Summer Regional Daily‐Precipitation Extreme Events in Huang‐Huai Rivers Region of China and Their Relationships With Rossby Wave Packet Activities
Authors: Sun Siyuan , Guan Zhaoyong , Ye Dechao
Published: March 2021

The regional daily‐precipitation extreme events (RDPEs) have profound societal impacts. Based on NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and datasets of daily basic meteorological elements from China national meteorological stations, the statistical characteristics of RDPEs in the Huang‐Huai Rivers (HHR) region in eastern China from 1979 to 2016 and their relationships with Rossby wave activities are investigated. The results show that in the summers (June‐August) of 1979–2016, the 95 percentile threshold of regional extreme daily‐precipitation in HHR region is 27.32 mm/d. There are 77 RDPEs in total in the past 38 years. When RDPEs occur, HHR region is controlled by an anomalous cyclonic circulation in the middle and lower troposphere and an anomalous anticyclonic circulation in the upper troposphere. The water vapor is mainly transported from the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea into HHR region. Rossby waves originate near the Caspian Sea and obviously disperse downstream‐ward, taking about 4 days to move to HHR region. The eddy kinetic energy at 200 hPa over HHR region reaches its maximum on the day before RDPEs occur and decrease from then on. This decrease is dominated by processes including advection transport of eddy kinetic energy and barotropic energy conversion by time‐mean flow. The intensification tendency of baroclinic conversion weakens while barotropic conversion play an important role in the weakening of eddy kinetic energy. The migrations of wave packets, meridional transports of warmer air and momentum over HHR region during 4 days before RDPEs occurrences may provide useful clues to forecasting RDPEs.
Monitoring the Preonzo Rock Slope Instability Using Resonance Mode Analysis
Authors: Häusler M. , Michel C. , Burjánek J. , Fäh D.
Published: March 2021

Reliable monitoring of unstable rock slopes is a prerequisite for successful mitigation of landslide hazards. However, most state‐of‐the art techniques rely on measuring the local surface displacement in the potential release area. In contrast, recording ambient vibration data allows for analyzing structural dynamic parameters of the unstable slope, such as resonance frequency, polarization of vibration, and energy dissipation. These parameters can be linked to properties of the instability, for example, to rock stiffness and fracture network orientation. We developed a processing method for continuous seismic data based on enhanced frequency domain decomposition modal analysis and applied it to the unstable rock slope Preonzo in Switzerland (∼140,000 m3). Four years of ambient vibration data recorded at two permanent seismometers on the instability were analyzed, providing the resonance frequency, damping ratio, and normal mode shapes of the fundamental (∼3.5 Hz) and the first higher (∼4.2 Hz) vibrational mode. We found that modal analysis can be reliably used to monitor the dynamic response of an unstable rock slope. We observed annual changes of all parameters with a damping ratio varying between 6.0% and 9.7% for the fundamental mode. The dynamic parameters appear to be primarily driven by temperature and only secondarily by opening and closing of fractures. No large slope failure was registered during the observation period. However, the data provide a baseline model for ongoing slope monitoring to recognize structural changes before a future collapse. The setup proposed builds a complementary monitoring system to displacement‐based surveying.
Thank You to Our 2020 Reviewers
Authors: Lugaz Noé , Knipp Delores J. , Gannon Jennifer L. , Hapgood Michael , Liu Huixin , O'Brien T. Paul , Morley Steven K.
Published: March 2021

Key Point

The editors thank the 2020 reviewers
Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: relationships with cortical thickness in fronto-temporal regions, and dissociability from symptom severity
Authors: Alkan Erkan , Davies Geoff , Evans Simon L.
Published: March 2021

Cognitive impairments are a core and persistent characteristic of schizophrenia with implications for daily functioning. These show only limited response to antipsychotic treatment and their neural basis is not well characterised. Previous studies point to relationships between cortical thickness and cognitive performance in fronto-temporal brain regions in schizophrenia patients (SZH). There is also evidence that these relationships might be independent of symptom severity, suggesting dissociable disease processes. We set out to explore these possibilities in a sample of 70 SZH and 72 age and gender-matched healthy controls (provided by the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)). Cortical thickness within fronto-temporal regions implicated by previous work was considered in relation to performance across various cognitive domains (from the MATRICS Cognitive Battery). Compared to controls, SZH had thinner cortices across most fronto-temporal regions and significantly lower performance on all cognitive domains. Robust relationships with cortical thickness were found: visual learning and attention performance correlated with bilateral superior and middle frontal thickness in SZH only. Correlations between attention performance and right transverse temporal thickness were also specific to SZH. Findings point to the importance of these regions for cognitive performance in SZH, possibly reflecting compensatory processes and/or aberrant connectivity. No links to symptom severity were observed in these regions, suggesting these relationships are dissociable from underlying psychotic symptomology. Findings enhance understanding of the brain structural underpinnings and possible aetiology of cognitive impairment in SZH.
Large socio-economic, geographic and demographic disparities exist in exposure to school closures
Authors: Parolin Zachary , Lee Emma K.
Published: March 2021

The coronovirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted many school districts to turn to distance or at-home learning. Studies are emerging on the negative effects of distance learning on educational performance, but less is known about the socio-economic, geographic and demographic characteristics of students exposed to distance learning. We introduce a U.S. School Closure and Distance Learning Database that tracks in-person visits across more than 100,000 schools throughout 2020. The database, which we make publicly accessible and update monthly, describes year-over-year change in in-person visits to each school throughout 2020 to estimate whether the school is engaged in distance learning. Our findings reveal that school closures from September to December 2020 were more common in schools with lower third-grade math scores and higher shares of students from racial/ethnic minorities, who experience homelessness, have limited English proficiency and are eligible for free/reduced-price school lunches. The findings portend rising inequalities in learning outcomes.
Chromosome-scale genome assembly provides insights into rye biology, evolution and agronomic potential
Authors: Rabanus-Wallace M. Timothy , Hackauf Bernd , Mascher Martin , Lux Thomas , Wicker Thomas , Gundlach Heidrun , Baez Mariana , Houben Andreas , Mayer Klaus F. X. , Guo Liangliang , Poland Jesse , Pozniak Curtis J. , Walkowiak Sean , Melonek Joanna , Praz Coraline R. , Schreiber Mona , Budak Hikmet , Heuberger Matthias , Steuernagel Burkhard , Wulff Brande , Börner Andreas , Byrns Brook , Čížková Jana , Fowler D. Brian , Fritz Allan , Himmelbach Axel , Kaithakottil Gemy , Keilwagen Jens , Keller Beat , Konkin David , Larsen Jamie , Li Qiang , Myśków Beata , Padmarasu Sudharsan , Rawat Nidhi , Sesiz Uğur , Biyiklioglu-Kaya Sezgi , Sharpe Andy , Šimková Hana , Small Ian , Swarbreck David , Toegelová Helena , Tsvetkova Natalia , Voylokov Anatoly V. , Vrána Jan , Bauer Eva , Bolibok-Bragoszewska Hanna , Doležel Jaroslav , Hall Anthony , Jia Jizeng , Korzun Viktor , Laroche André , Ma Xue-Feng , Ordon Frank , Özkan Hakan , Rakoczy-Trojanowska Monika , Scholz Uwe , Schulman Alan H. , Siekmann Dörthe , Stojałowski Stefan , Tiwari Vijay K. , Spannagl Manuel , Stein Nils
Published: March 2021

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is an exceptionally climate-resilient cereal crop, used extensively to produce improved wheat varieties via introgressive hybridization and possessing the entire repertoire of genes necessary to enable hybrid breeding. Rye is allogamous and only recently domesticated, thus giving cultivated ryes access to a diverse and exploitable wild gene pool. To further enhance the agronomic potential of rye, we produced a chromosome-scale annotated assembly of the 7.9-gigabase rye genome and extensively validated its quality by using a suite of molecular genetic resources. We demonstrate applications of this resource with a broad range of investigations. We present findings on cultivated rye’s incomplete genetic isolation from wild relatives, mechanisms of genome structural evolution, pathogen resistance, low-temperature tolerance, fertility control systems for hybrid breeding and the yield benefits of rye–wheat introgressions.
Preparation of multifunctional nanobubbles and their application in bimodal imaging and targeted combination therapy of early pancreatic cancer
Authors: Yang Hengli , Zhao Ping , Zhou Yonggang , Li Qiaoying , Cai Wenbin , Zhao Zongxia , Shen Jian , Yao Kechun , Duan Yunyou
Published: March 2021

Pancreatic cancer will gradually become the second leading cause of cancer death due to its poor suitability for surgical treatment, frequent recurrence and metastasis, and insensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Strategies for precise early detection and effective targeted treatment of pancreatic cancer are urgently needed. Because of its unique advantages, molecular targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging (CEUI) has generated new opportunities to overcome this challenge. The aim of this study was to explore multifunctional nanobubbles named IR780-NBs-DTX as novel ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) for dual-mode targeted imaging and photothermal ablation combined with chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. An optimized “film hydration method” was used to prepare IR780-NBs-DTX in this research. The characteristics and ability of the new UCAs were detected via in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo experiments. The initial dose of 0.15 mg IR-780 iodide/1.0 mg DTX was considered to be the best formula for IR780-NBs-DTX, and the concentration of 6 ×106 bubbles/mL was best for CEUI. The excellent characteristics of IR780-NBs-DTX, including a uniform nanoscale particle size (349.8± 159.1 nm, n= 3), good performance in dual-mode imaging, high stability and reliable biocompatibility, were also proven. In the in vitro cell experiments, IR780-NBs-DTX targeted more pancreatic cancer cells than the control treatments, and the targeting rate was approximately 95.6± 1.7%. Under irradiation with an 808 nm laser, most cells died. Furthermore, the in vivo study demonstrated that IR780-NBs-DTX could precisely detect pancreatic cancer through near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging and CEUI, and the tumor almost disappeared at 18 days after combined treatment. In ex vivo experiments, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) showed that the expression of HSP70 increased and that of PCNA decreased, and many apoptotic tumor cells were observed by TUNEL staining in the IR780-NBs-DTX group. The newly prepared IR780-NBs-DTX are novel nanosized UCAs with high efficiency for dual-mode molecular targeted imaging and combined therapy, and they may have future potential applications in the precise detection and effective targeted therapy of small and metastatic lesions in the early stage of pancreatic cancer.
Two wild female bonobos adopted infants from a different social group at Wamba
Authors: Tokuyama Nahoko , Toda Kazuya , Poiret Marie-Laure , Iyokango Bahanande , Bakaa Batuafe , Ishizuka Shintaro
Published: March 2021

Adoption, the act of taking another individual’s offspring and treating it as one’s own, is rare but widely observed in various mammal species and may increase the survival of adoptees. Adoption may also benefit adoptive mothers, for example they might care for close kin to gain indirect fitness or to learn caregiving behaviours. Here, we report two cases of a wild bonobo adopting an infant from a different social group, the first report of cross-group adoption in great apes. In one case, the adoptive mother was already a mother of two dependent offspring. In the other case, the adoptive mother was an old parous female whose own offspring had already emigrated into a different social group. The adoptive mothers provided various maternal care to the adoptees, such as carrying, grooming, nursing, and sharing food. No aggression was observed by group members towards the out-group adoptees. In both cases, adoptees had no maternal kin-relationship with their adoptive mothers. Both adoptive mothers already had experience of rearing their own offspring. Instead, these cases of adoption may have been driven by other evolutionary adaptive traits of bonobos, such as their strong attraction to infants and high tolerance towards immatures and out-group individuals.
Ecosystem response persists after a prolonged marine heatwave
Authors: Suryan Robert M. , Arimitsu Mayumi L. , Coletti Heather A. , Hopcroft Russell R. , Lindeberg Mandy R. , Barbeaux Steven J. , Batten Sonia D. , Burt William J. , Bishop Mary A. , Bodkin James L. , Brenner Richard , Campbell Robert W. , Cushing Daniel A. , Danielson Seth L. , Dorn Martin W. , Drummond Brie , Esler Daniel , Gelatt Thomas , Hanselman Dana H. , Hatch Scott A. , Haught Stormy , Holderied Kris , Iken Katrin , Irons David B. , Kettle Arthur B. , Kimmel David G. , Konar Brenda , Kuletz Kathy J. , Laurel Benjamin J. , Maniscalco John M. , Matkin Craig , McKinstry Caitlin A. E. , Monson Daniel H. , Moran John R. , Olsen Dan , Palsson Wayne A. , Pegau W. Scott , Piatt John F. , Rogers Lauren A. , Rojek Nora A. , Schaefer Anne , Spies Ingrid B. , Straley Janice M. , Strom Suzanne L. , Sweeney Kathryn L. , Szymkowiak Marysia , Weitzman Benjamin P. , Yasumiishi Ellen M. , Zador Stephani G.
Published: March 2021

Some of the longest and most comprehensive marine ecosystem monitoring programs were established in the Gulf of Alaska following the environmental disaster of the Exxon Valdez oil spill over 30 years ago. These monitoring programs have been successful in assessing recovery from oil spill impacts, and their continuation decades later has now provided an unparalleled assessment of ecosystem responses to another newly emerging global threat, marine heatwaves. The 2014–2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave (PMH) in the Gulf of Alaska was the longest lasting heatwave globally over the past decade, with some cooling, but also continued warm conditions through 2019. Our analysis of 187 time series from primary production to commercial fisheries and nearshore intertidal to offshore oceanic domains demonstrate abrupt changes across trophic levels, with many responses persisting up to at least 5 years after the onset of the heatwave. Furthermore, our suite of metrics showed novel community-level groupings relative to at least a decade prior to the heatwave. Given anticipated increases in marine heatwaves under current climate projections, it remains uncertain when or if the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem will return to a pre-PMH state.
Cardioprotective effects of exercise training on doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy: a systematic review with meta-analysis of preclinical studies
Authors: Ghignatti Paola Victória da Costa , Nogueira Laura Jesuíno , Lehnen Alexandre Machado , Leguisamo Natalia Motta
Published: March 2021

Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity in chemotherapy is a major treatment drawback. Clinical trials on the cardioprotective effects of exercise in cancer patients have not yet been published. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies for to assess the efficacy of exercise training on DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. We included studies with animal models of DOX-induced cardiomyopathy and exercise training from PubMed, Web of Sciences and Scopus databases. The outcome was the mean difference (MD) in fractional shortening (FS, %) assessed by echocardiography between sedentary and trained DOX-treated animals. Trained DOX-treated animals improved 7.40% (95% CI 5.75–9.05, p < 0.001) in FS vs. sedentary animals. Subgroup analyses revealed a superior effect of exercise training execution prior to DOX exposure (MD = 8.20, 95% CI 6.27–10.13, p = 0.010). The assessment of cardiac function up to 10 days after DOX exposure and completion of exercise protocol was also associated with superior effect size in FS (MD = 7.89, 95% CI 6.11–9.67, p = 0.020) vs. an echocardiography after over 4 weeks. Modality and duration of exercise, gender and cumulative DOX dose did were not individually associated with changes on FS. Exercise training is a cardioprotective approach in rodent models of DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. Exercise prior to DOX exposure exerts greater effect sizes on FS preservation.
Characterization of zebrafish GABAA receptor subunits
Authors: Sadamitsu Kenichiro , Shigemitsu Leona , Suzuki Marina , Ito Daishi , Kashima Makoto , Hirata Hiromi
Published: March 2021

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, exerts its effect through the activation of GABA receptors. GABAA receptors are ligand-gated chloride channels composed of five subunit proteins. Mammals have 19 different GABAA receptor subunits (α1–6, β1–3, γ1–3, δ, ε, π, θ, and ρ1–3), the physiological properties of which have been assayed by electrophysiology. However, the evolutionary conservation of the physiological characteristics of diverged GABAA receptor subunits remains unclear. Zebrafish have 23 subunits (α1, α2a, α2b, α3–5, α6a, α6b, β1–4, γ1–3, δ, π, ζ, ρ1, ρ2a, ρ2b, ρ3a, and ρ3b), but the electrophysiological properties of these subunits have not been explored. In this study, we cloned the coding sequences for zebrafish GABAA receptor subunits and investigated their expression patterns in larval zebrafish by whole-mount in situ hybridization. We also performed electrophysiological recordings of GABA-evoked currents from Xenopus oocytes injected with one or multiple zebrafish GABAA receptor subunit cRNAs and calculated the half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50s) for each. Our results revealed the spatial expressions and electrophysiological GABA sensitivities of zebrafish GABAA receptors, suggesting that the properties of GABAA receptor subunits are conserved among vertebrates.
Epidemiological analysis of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the community: an individual-based model
Authors: Guo Zuiyuan , Xiao Dan
Published: March 2021

We established an individual-based computer model to simulate the occurrence, infection, discovery, quarantine, and quarantine release (recovery) of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals or patients within the community. The model was used to explore the effects of control measures, such as active tracing, laboratory testing, active treatment, and home quarantine on the epidemic. Considering the condition that R0 = 1.2, when a case of an imported asymptomatic infected individual (AII) was reported in the community, the implementation of control measures reduced the number of AIIs and patients by 62.2% and 62.4%, respectively. The number of undetected AIIs and patients peaked at 302 days of the epidemic, reaching 53 and 20 individuals, respectively. The implementation of sustained active tracing, laboratory testing, active treatment, and home quarantine can significantly reduce the probability of disease outbreaks and block the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic caused by AIIs in the community.
Retinal ganglion cell dysfunction in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease: an electrophysiologic biomarker signature
Authors: Asanad Samuel , Felix Christian M. , Fantini Michele , Harrington Michael G. , Sadun Alfredo A. , Karanjia Rustum
Published: March 2021

The current study evaluated retinal function using electroretinography (ERG) in cognitively healthy (CH) participants with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as classified by cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42/Tau ratio. Individuals with normal retinal morphology ascertained by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were enrolled. Full-field ERG, pattern PERG, and photopic negative response (PhNR) were performed in 29 adult participants (58 eyes). Amplitude and implicit times of the ERG wave components were analyzed. Preclinical AD participants showed marked retinal ganglion cell dysfunction relative to controls. The PhNR was significantly diminished in preclinical AD relative to controls. PhNR amplitude and N95 implicit time differentiated CH individuals with CSF biomarkers of AD pathology with 87% sensitivity and 82% specificity. These quantitative electrophysiologic findings expand our understanding of early retinal functional changes that precede cognitive decline in AD. Retinal ganglion cell dysfunction, as detected by ERG, may be a clinically useful, non-invasive in vivo biomarker for early disease detection, which is necessary for ultimately pursuing early intervention.
Urban objects detection from C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite images through simulating filter properties
Authors: Kumar Deepak
Published: March 2021

Satellite-based remote sensing has a key role in the monitoring earth features, but due to flaws like cloud penetration capability and selective duration for remote sensing in traditional remote sensing methods, now the attention has shifted towards the use of alternative methods such as microwave or radar sensing technology. Microwave remote sensing utilizes synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology for remote sensing and it can operate in all weather conditions. Previous researchers have reported about effects of SAR pre-processing for urban objects detection and mapping. Preparing high accuracy urban maps are critical to disaster planning and response efforts, thus result from this study can help to users on the required pre-processing steps and its effects. Owing to the induced errors (such as calibration, geometric, speckle noise) in the radar images, these images are affected by several distortions, therefore these distortions need to be processed before any applications, as it causes issues in image interpretation and these can destroy valuable information about shapes, size, pattern and tone of various desired objects. The present work aims to utilize the sentinel-1 SAR datasets for urban studies (i.e. urban object detection through simulation of filter properties). The work uses C-band SAR datasets acquired from Sentinel-1A/B sensor, and the Google Earth datasets to validate the recognized objects. It was observed that the Refined-Lee filter performed well to provide detailed information about the various urban objects. It was established that the attempted approach cannot be generalised as one suitable method for sensing or identifying accurate urban objects from the C-band SAR images. Hence some more datasets in different polarisation combinations are required to be attempted.
Insights into the interactions and dynamics of a DES formed by phenyl propionic acid and choline chloride
Authors: Jahanbakhsh Bonab Parisa , Rastkar Ebrahimzadeh Alireza , Jahanbin Sardroodi Jaber
Published: March 2021

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have received much attention in modern green chemistry as inexpensive and easy to handle analogous ionic liquids. This work employed molecular dynamics techniques to investigate the structure and dynamics of a DES system composed of choline chloride and phenyl propionic acid as a hydrogen bond donor and acceptor, respectively. Dynamical parameters such as mean square displacement, liquid phase self-diffusion coefficient and viscosity are calculated at the pressure of 0.1 MPa and temperatures 293, 321 and 400 K. The system size effect on the self-diffusion coefficient of DES species was also examined. Structural parameters such as liquid phase densities, hydrogen bonds, molecular dipole moment of species, and radial and spatial distribution functions (RDF and SDF) were investigated. The viscosity of the studied system was compared with the experimental values recently reported in the literature. A good agreement was observed between simulated and experimental values. The electrostatic and van der Waals nonbonding interaction energies between species were also evaluated and interpreted in terms of temperature. These investigations could play a vital role in the future development of these designer solvents.
Evaluation of genetic diversity and management of disease in Border Collie dogs
Authors: Soh Pamela Xing Yi , Hsu Wei Tse , Khatkar Mehar Singh , Williamson Peter
Published: March 2021

Maintaining genetic diversity in dog breeds is an important consideration for the management of inherited diseases. We evaluated genetic diversity in Border Collies using molecular and genealogical methods, and examined changes to genetic diversity when carriers for Trapped Neutrophil Syndrome (TNS) and Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL) are removed from the genotyped population. Genotype data for 255 Border Collies and a pedigree database of 83,996 Border Collies were used for analysis. Molecular estimates revealed a mean multi-locus heterozygosity (MLH) of 0.311 (SD 0.027), 20.79% of the genome consisted of runs of homozygosity (ROH ) > 1 Mb, effective population size (Ne) was 84.7, and mean inbreeding (F) was 0.052 (SD 0.083). For 227 genotyped Border Collies that had available pedigree information (GenoPed), molecular and pedigree estimates of diversity were compared. A reference population (dogs born between 2005 and 2015, inclusive; N = 13,523; RefPop) and their ancestors (N = 12,478) were used to evaluate the diversity of the population that are contributing to the current generation. The reference population had aNeof 123.5, a mean F of 0.095 (SD 0.082), 2276 founders (f), 205.5 effective founders (fe), 28 effective ancestors (fa) and 10.65 (SD 2.82) founder genomes (Ng). Removing TNS and NCL carriers from the genotyped population had a small impact on diversity measures (ROH > 1 Mb, MLH, heterozygosity), however, there was a loss of > 10% minor allele frequency for 89 SNPs around the TNS mutation (maximum loss of 12.7%), and a loss of > 5% for 5 SNPs around the NCL mutation (maximum 5.18%). A common ancestor was identified for 38 TNS-affected dogs and 64 TNS carriers, and a different common ancestor was identified for 33 NCL-affected dogs and 28 carriers, with some overlap of prominent individuals between both pedigrees. Overall, Border Collies have a high level of genetic diversity compared to other breeds.
Genome-wide methylome analysis of two strains belonging to the hypervirulent Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W ST-11 clonal complex
Authors: Stenmark Bianca , Eriksson Lorraine , Thulin Hedberg Sara , Anton Brian P. , Fomenkov Alexey , Roberts Richard J. , Mölling Paula
Published: March 2021

A rising incidence of meningococcal serogroup W disease has been evident in many countries worldwide. Serogroup W isolates belonging to the sequence type (ST)-11 clonal complex have been associated with atypical symptoms and increased case fatality rates. The continued expansion of this clonal complex in the later part of the 2010s has been largely due to a shift from the so-called original UK strain to the 2013 strain. Here we used single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing to determine the methylomes of the two major serogroup W strains belonging to ST-11 clonal complex. Five methylated motifs were identified in this study, and three of the motifs, namely 5′-GATC-3′, 5′-GAAGG-3′, 5′-GCGCGC-3′, were found in all 13 isolates investigated. The results showed no strain-specific motifs or difference in active restriction modification systems between the two strains. Two phase variable methylases were identified and the enrichment or depletion of the methylation motifs generated by these methylases varied between the two strains. Results from this work give further insight into the low diversity of methylomes in highly related strains and encourage further research to decipher the role of regions with under- or overrepresented methylation motifs.
Understanding the effect of thickness on the thermoelectric properties of Ca3Co4O9 thin films
Authors: Yin Yinong , Tiwari Ashutosh
Published: March 2021

We are reporting the effect of thickness on the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and power factor of Ca3Co4O9thin films grown on single-crystal Sapphire (0001) substrate. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique was employed to deposit Ca3Co4O9films with precisely controlled thickness values ranging from 15 to 75 nm. Structural characterization performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that the growth of Ca3Co4O9on Sapphire (0001) follows the island growth-mode. It was observed that in-plane grain sizes decrease from 126 to 31 nm as the thickness of the films decreases from 75 to 15 nm. The thermoelectric power measurements showed an overall increase in the value of the Seebeck coefficient as the films’ thickness decreased. The above increase in the Seebeck coefficient was accompanied with a simultaneous decrease in the electrical conductivity of the thinner films due to enhanced scattering of the charge carriers at the grain boundaries. Because of the competing mechanisms of the thickness dependence of Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity, the power factor of the films showed a non-monotonous functional dependence on thickness. The films with the intermediate thickness (60 nm) showed the highest power factor (~ 0.27 mW/m-K2at 720 K).
The influence of nasal microbiome diversity and inflammatory patterns on the prognosis of nasal polyps
Authors: Gan Weigang , Zhang Hongting , Yang Fengjuan , Liu Shixi , Liu Feng , Meng Juan
Published: March 2021

To understand the inflammatory microenvironment and microbiome factors for prognosis of chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps (CRSwNP), we explored the difference in characteristics of the microbiome of the nasal sinuses and inflammatory cytokines between recurrent and non-recurrent groups. We collected nasal secretions and polyp tissue from 77 CRSwNP patients. Then, we extracted microbial DNA from cotton swabs, performed high-throughput sequencing based on 16S rRNA to detect bacterial community composition, and analyzed cytokines such as IL-5, IL-8, IL-17a, IL-17e, IL-18, IL-27 and INF-gamma from polyp tissue using Luminex. The eosinophil and neutrophil cells in the peripheral blood and polyp tissue were counted. Postoperative follow-up of patients with CRSwNP for 1 year was conducted to record the recurrence of nasal polyps and analyze the correlation between the recurrence of nasal polyps and the characteristics of inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory cell count and nasal microbial diversity. After 1 year of follow-up, there were 12 recurrent patients, including 5 males and 7 females. Postoperative recurrence of nasal polyps was not significantly correlated with age, sex, asthma, allergic rhinitis or other allergic diseases in CRSwNP patients. In terms of the total nasal symptom score, the recurrent group was significantly higher than the non-recurrent group. In nasal polyp tissues, eosinophils (40.83/HP) and neutrophils (30.83/HP) in patients with CRSwNP in the recurrent group were significantly higher than those in the non-recurrent group (13.72/HP), and neutrophils (18.5/HP) were also significantly higher in the recurrent group than the non-recurrent group. The expression levels of IFN-, IL-17A, IL-17E and IL-18 were significantly higher in the recurrent group than in the non-recurrent group, and the positive rates were not different. In Southwest China, Enterobacteria and anaerobic bacteria may be correlated with the inflammatory pattern expression of nasal polyps. The neutrophil-mediated inflammatory response plays an important role in patients with CRSwNP in Southwest China and is correlated with nasal polyp recurrence. Recurrence of nasal polyps after endoscopic sinus surgery may be potentially associated with a reduced abundance of protective microorganisms and an increased number of pathogenic microorganisms.
Supplementation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and aerobic exercise improve functioning, morphology, and redox balance in prostate obese rats
Authors: Veras Allice Santos Cruz , Gomes Rayana Loch , Almeida Tavares Maria Eduarda , Giometti Inês Cristina , Cardoso Ana Paula Mattoso Miskulin , da Costa Aguiar Alves Beatriz , Lenquiste Sabrina Alves , Vanderlei Luiz Carlos Marques , Teixeira Giovana Rampazzo
Published: March 2021

The high-fat diet (HFD) stimulates an increase in lipids and can be prejudicial for harmful to prostatic morphogenesis. Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action in some types of cancer. The combination of aerobic physical exercise and PUFA can be more effective and reduce the risk of death. The study evaluates the effects of aerobic physical exercise associated with omega-3 (fish and chia oils), on the ventral prostate of Wistar rats those fed with HFD. Here, we report that HFD modified the final body weight and the weight gain, decreased the expression of the androgen receptor and increased prostatic inflammation via TNF-α produced damage prostatic like intraepithelial neoplasia. The supplementation with fish oil decreases final body weight, reduced BCL-2 and inflammation compared to chia oil; aerobic physical exercise associated with fish oil reduced lipids circulant and prostatic, increased proteins pro-apoptotic expression and reduced IL-6 (p < 0.0001) and TNF-α potentiating the CAT (p = 0.03) and SOD-1 (p = 0.001) expression. Additionally, the chia oil increased the NRF-2 (p < 0.0001) and GSS (p = 0.4) genes. PUFAs reduced the damage caused by excessive high-fat diet in the prostate so that there is greater effectiveness in omega-3 intake, it is necessary to associate with aerobic physical exercise.
Effects of polyacrylamide molecular weight and mass concentration on water transport characteristics of iron tailings
Authors: Sun Bo , Lyu Chunjuan , Bi Rutian , Xia Lu , Zhang Xu , Xu Caicai , Wang Yu , Guo Yansong
Published: March 2021

Iron tailings have few macropores which severely inhibit infiltration and transport of soil water. Polyacrylamide (PAM) can regulate soil water, but it is rarely used when remediating tailings matrix. In this research, PAM of four molecular weights of 300w, 600w, 800w, and 1000w were selected as amendments, and were each applied at five mass concentrations of 0% (CK), 0.01%, 0.04%, 0.08%, and 0.16% to observe their effects on water transport in iron tailings using column simulations in the laboratory. After adding PAM, the water retention and saturated water content of iron tailings increased significantly (P < 0.05). With increases in PAM molecular weight and mass concentration, the saturated hydraulic conductivity showed a downward trend, but the saturated hydraulic conductivity increased after a dry–wet cycle. With the increase of PAM mass concentration, adding PAM of 1000w molecular weight to iron tailing decreased infiltration capacity, but treatments of other molecular weights all initially increased then decreased infiltration capacity. The greatest improvement on infiltration capacity of iron tailings was observed with the addition of PAM of 300w molecular weight and 0.01% mass concentration. Adding PAM increased the vertical depth of the saturation zone of iron tailings (P < 0.05) with a maximum depth of 20.83 cm. The Kostiakov model more accurately simulated water infiltration of iron tailings compared with the Horton and Philip models. On the whole, when PAM of low molecular weight and concentration was added to iron tailings, PAM increased stable infiltration, saturated water content, and water retention. It also inhibited saturated hydraulic conductivity of iron tailings. Therefore, in practice, it is necessary to select the appropriate molecular weight and mass concentration of PAM according to the dominant limiting factors and remediation needs of the matrix.
Global miRNA/proteomic analyses identify miRNAs at 14q32 and 3p21, which contribute to features of chronic iron-exposed fallopian tube epithelial cells
Authors: Chhabra Ravneet , Rockfield Stephanie , Guergues Jennifer , Nadeau Owen W. , Hill Robert , Stevens Stanley M. , Nanjundan Meera
Published: March 2021

Malignant transformation of fallopian tube secretory epithelial cells (FTSECs) is a key contributing event to the development of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). Our recent findings implicate oncogenic transformative events in chronic iron-exposed FTSECs, including increased expression of oncogenic mediators, increased telomerase transcripts, and increased growth/migratory potential. Herein, we extend these studies by implementing an integrated transcriptomic and mass spectrometry-based proteomics approach to identify global miRNA and protein alterations, for which we also investigate a subset of these targets to iron-induced functional alterations. Proteomic analysis identified > 4500 proteins, of which 243 targets were differentially expressed. Sixty-five differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, of which 35 were associated with the “top” proteomic molecules (> fourfold change) identified by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Twenty of these 35 miRNAs are at the 14q32 locus (encoding a cluster of 54 miRNAs) with potential to be regulated by DNA methylation and histone deacetylation. At 14q32, miR-432-5p and miR-127-3p were ~ 100-fold downregulated whereas miR-138-5p was 16-fold downregulated at 3p21 in chronic iron-exposed FTSECs. Combinatorial treatment with methyltransferase and deacetylation inhibitors reversed expression of these miRNAs, suggesting chronic iron exposure alters miRNA expression via epigenetic alterations. In addition, PAX8, an important target in HGSOC and a potential miRNA target (from IPA) was epigenetically deregulated in iron-exposed FTSECs. However, both PAX8 and ALDH1A2 (another IPA-predicted target) were experimentally identified to be independently regulated by these miRNAs although TERT RNA was partially regulated by miR-138-5p. Interestingly, overexpression of miR-432-5p diminished cell numbers induced by long-term iron exposure in FTSECs. Collectively, our global profiling approaches uncovered patterns of miRNA and proteomic alterations that may be regulated by genome-wide epigenetic alterations and contribute to functional alterations induced by chronic iron exposure in FTSECs. This study may provide a platform to identify future biomarkers for early ovarian cancer detection and new targets for therapy.