bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Hittite periphrastic perfect
Authors: Inglese Guglielmo , Luraghi Silvia
Published: March 2020

In Hittite, the meaning associated with the Proto-Indo-European perfect, i.e. to indicate a state
resulting from a change-of-state event, was covered by compound verb forms consisting of the -ant- participle
plus the finite forms of the verbs ḫar(k)- “have” and eš- “be”. The origin and the function
of this construction have been a matter of debate. In this chapter, we review the standard description of the Hittite
periphrastic perfect, and reassess its status and function based on an analysis of its occurrences in texts ranging from Old
to New Hittite. We argue that periphrastic forms involving ḫar(k)-/eš- and the participle
instantiate three different constructions: the stative construction and two distinct auxiliary verb constructions, i.e. the
passive and the perfect. We also suggest that the stative construction was probably the most ancient, and that the perfect
construction, which functions as an anterior, constitutes a later development.
The thought processes of criminals
Authors: Dilmon Rakefet
Published: March 2020

This study examines what may be learned from a semantic analysis of the discourse of criminal groups about elements of the cognitive map of the group’s members. The primary group examined comprised sex offenders who victimized children. The findings were compared with another criminal group – murderers. To examine their shared linguistic characteristics, a study was made of passages from 40 transcribed subject interviews, in which they tell their life stories. The function words from the passages were classified according to semantic fields, in order to identify what psychological and sociological insights can be gained from their use, a similar study was made of normative men’s stories. The semantic fields unique to the sex offenders are presented in this paper, and are compared with the fields used by the other two groups, together with a discussion of the significance of the words included therein.
Geographic variation in the duets of the Rufous-naped Wren (Campylorhynchus rufinucha) complex
Authors: Ku-Peralta Wiliam , Navarro-Sigüenza Adolfo G , Sandoval Luis , Sosa-López J Roberto
Published: March 2020

Acoustic signals used in animal communication play a key role in mate attraction, species recognition, and territory defense. Variation in acoustic signals may reflect population structure, lack of gene flow, and phylogenetic relationships. In birds, the study of geographic variation in acoustic signals has been useful for elucidating potential factors involved in phenotypic divergence and for establishing species limits. However, most of the studies on geographic variation have focused on calls and solo songs, with few studies focusing on complex behaviors such as duets. In this study, we investigated the variation in the duets of the Rufous-naped Wren (Campylorhynchus rufinucha). Our results suggest that duets vary across the distribution range of the species complex, matching the 3 taxonomic groups previously suggested (rufinucha, humilis, and capistratus). We also found a marked song sexual dimorphism in 2 groups, rufinucha and humilis, that is lacking in capistratus. At the local level, we found that duets also vary among sites within groups, but less than between groups. Our results suggest that groups rufinucha and humilis sing the most similar duets, whereas capistratus performs the most divergent duets of the 3 groups. Further, when comparing duet variation across geography, we found that birds living closer to each other sing more similar duets. We suggest that the existence of 3 vocal lineages is probably the result of historical geographic isolation followed by other selective (i.e. sexual selection, social selection, habitat structure) and/or non-selective factors (i.e. drift, isolation by distance), and that variation found within groups may be the result of cultural drift or social selection.
CHTKC: a robust and efficient k-mer counting algorithm based on a lock-free chaining hash table
Authors: Wang Jianan , Chen Su , Dong Lili , Wang Guohua
Published: March 2020

Motivation: Calculating the frequency of occurrence of each substring of length k in DNA sequences is a common task in many bioinformatics applications, including genome assembly, error correction, and sequence alignment. Although the problem is simple, efficient counting of datasets with high sequencing depth or large genome size is a challenge. Results: We propose a robust and efficient method, CHTKC, to solve the k-mer counting problem with a lock-free hash table that uses linked lists to resolve collisions. We also design new mechanisms to optimize memory usage and handle situations where memory is not enough to accommodate all k-mers. CHTKC has been thoroughly tested on seven datasets under multiple memory usage scenarios and compared with Jellyfish2 and KMC3. Our work shows that using a hash-table-based method to effectively solve the k-mer counting problem remains a feasible solution.
Connections and Feedback: Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Microbiomes in Heterogeneous and Changing Environments
Authors: Dodds Walter K , Zeglin Lydia H , Ramos Robert J , Platt Thomas G , Pandey Aakash , Michaels Theo , Masigol Mohammadali , Klompen Anna M L , Kelly Michelle C , Jumpponen Ari , Hauser Emma , Hansen Paige M , Greer Mitchell J , Fattahi Niloufar , Delavaux Camille S , Connell R Kent , Billings Sharon , Bever James D , Barua Niloy , Agusto Folashade B
Published: March 2020

Plant, soil, and aquatic microbiomes interact, but scientists often study them independently. Integrating knowledge across these traditionally separate subdisciplines will generate better understanding of microbial ecological properties. Interactions among plant, soil, and aquatic microbiomes, as well as anthropogenic factors, influence important ecosystem processes, including greenhouse gas fluxes, crop production, nonnative species control, and nutrient flux from terrestrial to aquatic habitats. Terrestrial microbiomes influence nutrient retention and particle movement, thereby influencing the composition and functioning of aquatic microbiomes, which, themselves, govern water quality, and the potential for harmful algal blooms. Understanding how microbiomes drive links among terrestrial (plant and soil) and aquatic habitats will inform management decisions influencing ecosystem services. In the present article, we synthesize knowledge of microbiomes from traditionally disparate fields and how they mediate connections across physically separated systems. We identify knowledge gaps currently limiting our abilities to actualize microbiome management approaches for addressing environmental problems and optimize ecosystem services.
Commanding The ‘Art of Killing’: how Virtuosic Performances of Street Culture Disrupt Gang Rules
Authors: Dziewanski Dariusz
Published: March 2020

Street cultural scholarship draws heavily on Bourdieusian social theory to explain how criminal social practices are both generated by and generative of the conditions of marginality. This paper reasserts those aspects of street cultural analysis that break from the expectations of street habitus by showing how extreme violence and criminal cunning disrupts existing notions of street life. It is based on the life histories of two ‘street virtuosos’, who have successfully mastered the ‘art of killing’ to thrive in the street field of Cape Town’s townships. These street virtuosos demonstrate the transformative ‘practical dimension’ of Bourdieusian social theory, which still largely exists as a subplot throughout his writing and in the street cultural texts to which it has been applied.
Cortical Excitation:Inhibition Imbalance Causes Abnormal Brain Network Dynamics as Observed in Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Authors: Markicevic Marija , Fulcher Ben D , Lewis Christopher , Helmchen Fritjof , Rudin Markus , Zerbi Valerio , Wenderoth Nicole
Published: March 2020

Abnormal brain development manifests itself at different spatial scales. However, whether abnormalities at the cellular level can be diagnosed from network activity measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is largely unknown, yet of high clinical relevance. Here a putative mechanism reported in neurodevelopmental disorders, that is, excitation-to-inhibition ratio (E:I), was chemogenetically increased within cortical microcircuits of the mouse brain and measured via fMRI. Increased E:I caused a significant “reduction” of long-range connectivity, irrespective of whether excitatory neurons were facilitated or inhibitory Parvalbumin (PV) interneurons were suppressed. Training a classifier on fMRI signals, we were able to accurately classify cortical areas exhibiting increased E:I. This classifier was validated in an independent cohort of Fmr1y/− knockout mice, a model for autism with well-documented loss of parvalbumin neurons and chronic alterations of E:I. Our findings demonstrate a promising novel approach towards inferring microcircuit abnormalities from macroscopic fMRI measurements.
Beyond Freezing: Temporal Expectancy of an Aversive Event Engages the Amygdalo–Prefronto–Dorsostriatal Network
Authors: Tallot Lucille , Graupner Michael , Diaz-Mataix Lorenzo , Doyère Valérie
Published: March 2020

During Pavlovian aversive conditioning, a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) becomes predictive of the time of arrival of an aversive unconditioned stimulus (US). Using a paradigm where animals had to discriminate between a CS+ (associated with a footshock) and a CS− (never associated with a footshock), we show that, early in training, dynamics of neuronal oscillations in an amygdalo–prefronto–striatal network are modified during the CS+ in a manner related to the CS–US time interval (30 or 10 s). This is the case despite a generalized high level of freezing to both CS+ and CS−. The local field potential oscillatory power was decreased between 12 and 30 Hz in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and increased between 55 and 95 Hz in the prelimbic cortex (PL), while the coherence between DMS, PL, and the basolateral amygdala was increased in the 3–6 Hz frequency range up to the expected time of US arrival only for the CS+ and not for the CS−. Changing the CS–US interval from 30 to 10 s shifted these changes in activity toward the newly learned duration. The results suggest a functional role of the amygdalo–prefronto–dorsostriatal network in encoding temporal information of Pavlovian associations independently of the behavioral output.
Acute kidney injury following prophylactic flucloxacillin and gentamicin in primary hip and knee arthroplasty
Authors: Graham Judi , Borthwick Emma , Hill Christopher , Blaney Janine , Gallagher Nicola , Armstrong Lynne , Beverland David
Published: March 2020

Background

Following concerns regarding the emergence of Clostridium difficile infection in 2010, we changed antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing primary hip and knee arthroplasty from cefuroxime to flucloxacillin and single-dose (SD) gentamicin. A subsequent perceived increase in the incidence of post-operative acute kidney injury (AKI) led us to evaluate the AKI incidence between different prophylactic antibiotic regimes used at our centre.

Methods

We examined the incidence of AKI as defined by Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes criteria in 1588 patients undergoing primary hip or knee arthroplasty from January 2010 to January 2015. Patients received the following prophylactic antibiotic regimes: 8 g flucloxacillin in four divided doses and SD gentamicin 1.5 mg/kg ideal body weight (IBW; maximum dose 120 mg; n = 400), 8 g flucloxacillin alone in four divided doses (n = 400), SD cefuroxime (n = 400), triple-dose (TD) cefuroxime (n = 188) and teicoplanin with SD gentamicin 1.5 mg/kg IBW (n = 200).

Results

The incidence of AKI was as follows: flucloxacillin and gentamicin (13%); flucloxacillin alone (8.5%); SD cefuroxime (2%); TD cefuroxime (0.5%); and teicoplanin and gentamicin (3%). Of the six patients who developed Stage 3 AKI, all were in the flucloxacillin and gentamicin group. The odds ratio for the development of AKI derived from a binary logistic regression model was highest in the flucloxacillin and gentamicin group [7.79 (95% confidence interval 3.54–17.14), P < 0.0001].

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the use of prophylactic high-dose flucloxacillin and gentamicin should be used with caution in patients undergoing primary hip or knee arthroplasty without a clear advantage in reducing surgical site infections given the association with increased rates of AKI.
Pixel Prediction-Based Image Steganography by Support Vector Neural Network
Authors: V K Reshma , R S Vinod Kumar
Published: March 2020

Securing the privacy of the medical information through the image steganography process has gained more research interest nowadays to protect the privacy of the patient. In the existing works, least significant bit (LSB) replacement strategy was most popularly used to hide the sensitive contents. Here, every pixel was replaced for achieving higher privacy, but it increased the complexity. This work introduces a novel pixel prediction scheme-based image steganography to overcome the complexity issues prevailing in the existing works. In the proposed pixel prediction scheme, the support vector neural network (SVNN) classifier is utilized for the construction of a prediction map, which identifies the suitable pixels for the embedding process. Then, in the embedding phase, wavelet coefficients are extracted from the medical image based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and embedding strength, and the secret message is embedded into the HL wavelet band. Finally, the secret message is extracted from the medical image on applying the DWT. The experimentation of the proposed pixel prediction scheme is done by utilizing the medical images from the BRATS database. The proposed pixel prediction scheme has achieved high performance with the values of 48.558 dB, 0.50009 and 0.9879 for the peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Index (SSIM) and correlation factor, respectively.
Factors Related to Personal Resiliency in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Adolescents
Authors: Radovanović Vesna , Šestić Marina Radić , Kovačević Jasmina , Dimoski Sanja
Published: March 2020

Hearing loss is a risk factor for a child’s appropriate psychosocial development but is not a risk factor for the development of resiliency. Thus, the aim of this research was to determine the level of resiliency, as well as its relation to internal and external factors, in deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) adolescents. The sample included 55 DHH students, 12–14 years of age. Resiliency Scales for Children & Adolescents was used in this research. The obtained results showed that DHH students perceived their resiliency in the average range, except in subscales: Self-efficacy (within Sense of Mastery Scale), Social Support (within Sense of Relatedness Scale), Impairment (within Emotional Reactivity Scale) in which the results were within a higher range, and Recovery (within Emotional Reactivity Scale) in which the results were in a lower range.
Comparative analysis of the total and active bacterial communities in the surface sediment of Lake Taihu
Authors: Liu Tong-tong , Yang Hong
Published: March 2020

Bacterial communities play crucial roles in the biogeochemical cycle of the surface sediments of freshwater lakes, but previous studies on bacterial community changes in this habitat have mostly been based on the total bacterial community (DNA level), while an exploration of the active microbiota at the RNA level has been lacking. Herein, we analysed the bacterial communities in the surface sediments of Lake Taihu at the DNA and RNA levels. Using MiSeq sequencing and real-time quantification, we found that the sequencing and quantitative results obtained at the RNA level compared with the DNA level were more accurate in responding to the spatiotemporal dynamic changes of the bacterial community. Although both sequencing methods indicated that Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Nitrospirae, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla, the co-occurrence network at the RNA level could better reflect the close relationship between microorganisms in the surface sediment. Additionally, further analysis showed that Prochlorococcus and Microcystis were the most relevant and dominant genera of Cyanobacteria in the total and active bacterial communities, respectively; our results also demonstrated that the analysis of Cyanobacteria-related groups at the RNA level was more ‘informative’.
Multi-omics Visualization Platform: An extensible Galaxy plug-in for multi-omics data visualization and exploration
Authors: McGowan Thomas , Johnson James E , Kumar Praveen , Sajulga Ray , Mehta Subina , Jagtap Pratik D , Griffin Timothy J
Published: March 2020

Background

Proteogenomics integrates genomics, transcriptomics, and mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics data to identify novel protein sequences arising from gene and transcript sequence variants. Proteogenomic data analysis requires integration of disparate ‘omic software tools, as well as customized tools to view and interpret results. The flexible Galaxy platform has proven valuable for proteogenomic data analysis. Here, we describe a novel Multi-omics Visualization Platform (MVP) for organizing, visualizing, and exploring proteogenomic results, adding a critically needed tool for data exploration and interpretation.

Findings

MVP is built as an HTML Galaxy plug-in, primarily based on JavaScript. Via the Galaxy API, MVP uses SQLite databases as input—a custom data type (mzSQLite) containing MS-based peptide identification information, a variant annotation table, and a coding sequence table. Users can interactively filter identified peptides based on sequence and data quality metrics, view annotated peptide MS data, and visualize protein-level information, along with genomic coordinates. Peptides that pass the user-defined thresholds can be sent back to Galaxy via the API for further analysis; processed data and visualizations can also be saved and shared. MVP leverages the Integrated Genomics Viewer JavaScript framework, enabling interactive visualization of peptides and corresponding transcript and genomic coding information within the MVP interface.

Conclusions

MVP provides a powerful, extensible platform for automated, interactive visualization of proteogenomic results within the Galaxy environment, adding a unique and critically needed tool for empowering exploration and interpretation of results. The platform is extensible, providing a basis for further development of new functionalities for proteogenomic data visualization.
Predictive value of great saphenous vein mapping prior to endoscopic harvesting in coronary artery bypass surgery
Authors: Akca Ferdi , Lam Ka Yan , Verberkmoes Niels , de Lathauwer Ignace , Soliman-Hamad Mohamed , van Straten Bart
Published: March 2020

OBJECTIVES

The use of endoscopic vein harvesting in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting is increasing, often using bedside mapping. However, data on the predictive value of great saphenous vein (GSV) mapping are scarce. This study assessed whether preoperative mapping could predict final conduit diameter.

METHODS

A prospective registry was created that included 251 patients. Saphenous vein mapping was performed prior to endoscopic vein harvesting at 3 predetermined sites. After harvesting and preparing the GSV, the outer diameters were measured. Appropriate graft size was defined as an outer diameter between 3 and 6 mm.

RESULTS

A total of 753 GSV segments were analysed. The average mapping diameter was 3.2 ± 0.7 mm. The harvested GSV had a mean diameter of 4.7 ± 0.8 mm. Mapping diameters were significantly positively correlated with actual GSV diameters (correlation coefficient, 0.47; P < 0.001). If the preoperative mapping diameters were between 1.5 and 5 mm, 96.6% of the GSVs had suitable dimensions after endoscopic vein harvesting.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative bedside mapping moderately predicts final GSV size after endoscopic harvesting but could not detect unsuitable vein segments. However, the majority of endoscopically harvested GSVs had diameters suitable to be used as coronary bypass grafts.
Characteristics of Peripheral Lymphocyte Subset Alteration in COVID-19 Pneumonia
Authors: Wang Fan , Nie Jiayan , Wang Haizhou , Zhao Qiu , Xiong Yong , Deng Liping , Song Shihui , Ma Zhiyong , Mo Pingzheng , Zhang Yongxi
Published: March 2020

Background

In December 2019, novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia (COVID-19) was reported in Wuhan and has since rapidly spread throughout China. We aimed to clarify the characteristics and clinical significance of peripheral lymphocyte subset alteration in COVID-19.

Methods

The levels of peripheral lymphocyte subsets were measured by flow cytometry in 60 hospitalized COVID-19 patients before and after treatment, and their association with clinical characteristics and treatment efficacy was analyzed.

Results

Total lymphocytes, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells decreased in COVID-19 patients, and severe cases had a lower level than mild cases. The subsets showed a significant association with inflammatory status in COVID-19, especially CD8+ T cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio. After treatment, 37 patients (67%) showed clinical response, with an increase in CD8+ T cells and B cells. No significant change in any subset was detected in nonresponsive cases. In multivariate analysis, posttreatment decrease in CD8+ T cells and B cells and increase in CD4+/CD8+ ratio were indicated as independent predictors of poor efficacy.

Conclusions

Peripheral lymphocyte subset alteration was associated with clinical characteristics and treatment efficacy of COVID-19. CD8+ T cells tended to be an independent predictor for COVID-19 severity and treatment efficacy.
Embrace IR Anxieties (or, Morgenthau's Approach to Power, and the Challenge of Combining the Three Domains of IR Theorizing)
Authors: Guzzini Stefano
Published: March 2020

This article addresses the call made by the ISA Sapphire panel to focus on “the opportunities and the challenges of theory-building in interdisciplinary scholarship.” The article focuses on the multiple anxieties that exist in the discipline of IR, its departmental subalternity, its fragmentation of content, its methodological diversity, and its hybrid constitution of practical and observational knowledge. However, rather than arguing for any restriction, the article pleads for these anxieties to be embraced and for IR to be treated as a privileged space in which to integrate that knowledge. It invites scholars to link three distinct yet important domains of IR theorizing: the philosophical, the explanatory, and the practical. It invites the discipline to see the three domains as equally fundamental for its identity. Using Morgenthau's theory of power as a foil, the article shows the need to think about these three domains of theorizing concomitantly, despite the difficulties involved in providing a coherent link between them, something Morgenthau did not achieve.
Learning from local to global: An efficient distributed algorithm for modeling time-to-event data
Authors: Duan Rui , Luo Chongliang , Schuemie Martijn J , Tong Jiayi , Liang C Jason , Chang Howard H , Boland Mary Regina , Bian Jiang , Xu Hua , Holmes John H , Forrest Christopher B , Morton Sally C , Berlin Jesse A , Moore Jason H , Mahoney Kevin B , Chen Yong
Published: March 2020

Objective

We developed and evaluated a privacy-preserving One-shot Distributed Algorithm to fit a multicenter Cox proportional hazards model (ODAC) without sharing patient-level information across sites.

Materials and Methods

Using patient-level data from a single site combined with only aggregated information from other sites, we constructed a surrogate likelihood function, approximating the Cox partial likelihood function obtained using patient-level data from all sites. By maximizing the surrogate likelihood function, each site obtained a local estimate of the model parameter, and the ODAC estimator was constructed as a weighted average of all the local estimates. We evaluated the performance of ODAC with (1) a simulation study and (2) a real-world use case study using 4 datasets from the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics network.

Results

On the one hand, our simulation study showed that ODAC provided estimates nearly the same as the estimator obtained by analyzing, in a single dataset, the combined patient-level data from all sites (ie, the pooled estimator). The relative bias was <0.1% across all scenarios. The accuracy of ODAC remained high across different sample sizes and event rates. On the other hand, the meta-analysis estimator, which was obtained by the inverse variance weighted average of the site-specific estimates, had substantial bias when the event rate is <5%, with the relative bias reaching 20% when the event rate is 1%. In the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics network application, the ODAC estimates have a relative bias <5% for 15 out of 16 log hazard ratios, whereas the meta-analysis estimates had substantially higher bias than ODAC.

Conclusions

ODAC is a privacy-preserving and noniterative method for implementing time-to-event analyses across multiple sites. It provides estimates on par with the pooled estimator and substantially outperforms the meta-analysis estimator when the event is uncommon, making it extremely suitable for studying rare events and diseases in a distributed manner.
Construction of 5G all-wireless network and information system for cabin hospitals
Authors: Zhou Bin , Wu Qing , Zhao Xuefei , Zhang Wenchao , Wu Wenjun , Guo Zi
Published: March 2020

The epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) broke out in Wuhan, China, in early 2020. In an effort to curb the spread of the epidemic, the government has requisitioned a variety of venues and plant buildings and built more than 20 cabin hospitals to receive patients with mild symptoms within 48 hours. Under this circumstance, we worked out a 5G all-wireless solution to divide the overall network system of the cabin hospital into multiple network units by function. While ensuring good signal coverage of the local unit, each network unit was independently connected to the host hospital’s data center over a virtual private network (VPN) tunnel built on the 5G wireless network. Our successful experience with the application of this 5G + VPN all-wireless network system well points to the bright prospect of 5G wireless network. In addition, the 5G + VPN solution can also be used for multihospital network interconnection and rapid network recovery during the failure of wired network.
Relationship Between Patient Characteristics and Number of Procedures as well as Length of Stay for Patients Surviving Severe Burn Injuries: Analysis of the American Burn Association National Burn Repository
Authors: Kruger Eliza , Kowal Stacey , Bilir S Pinar , Han Eileen , Foster Kevin
Published: March 2020

This study establishes important, national benchmarks for burn centers to assess length of stay (LOS) and number of procedures across patient profiles. We examined the relationship between patient characteristics such as age and total body surface area (TBSA) burned and number of procedures and LOS in the United States, using the American Burn Association National Burn Repository (NBR) database version 8.0 (2002–2011). Among 21,175 surviving burn patients (TBSA > 10–60%), mean age was 33 years, and mean injury size was 19.9% TBSA. Outcomes included the number of debridement, excision, autograft procedures, and LOS. Independent variables considered were: age (linear, squared, and cubed to account for nonlinearity), TBSA, TBSAs of partial-thickness and mixed/full-thickness burns, sex, hospital-acquired infection, other infection, inhalation injury, and diabetes status. Regression methods included a mixed-effects model for LOS and ordinary least squares for number of procedures. A backward stepwise procedure (P <0.2) was used to select variables. Number of excision and autografting procedures increased with TBSA; however, this relationship did not hold for debridement. After adjusting for sex, age, and comorbidities, predicted LOS for adults (18+) was 12.1, 21.7, 32.2, 43.7, and 56.1 days for 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% TBSA, respectively. Similarly, predicted LOS for pediatrics (age < 18) was 8.1, 18.8, 33.2, 47.6, and 56.1 days for the same TBSA groups, respectively. While average estimates for adults (1.12 days) and pediatrics (1.01) are close to the one day/TBSA rule-of-thumb, consideration of other important patient and burn features in the NBR can better refine predictions for LOS.
Sand Fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) Species Diversity, Habitat Preferences, and Ecological Aspects of Distribution in Bajaur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Authors: Wahid Shah , Khan Khurshaid , Khan Nazma Habib
Published: March 2020

The species composition, distribution, and bionomics of sand flies was investigated from January to December 2017 in four tehsils (20 villages) of district Bajaur (formally Bajaur agency), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In total, 4,173 adult specimens comprising of seven species of Phlebotomus (Diptera: Psychodidae) and three species of Sergentomyia (Diptera: Psychodidae) were collected by oral aspirator, insecticide spray, and sticky traps from June to October. Highest numbers of flies were collected indoors in July and August when relative humidity and temperature were highest. Phlebotomus sergenti Parrot (Diptera: Psychodidae) was the most abundant species from all the collection sites, making approximately 70% of the total capture. Combined dwellings and chicken cages harbored the highest number of adult and immature flies (unrotated external genitalia). Abundance of P. sergenti had a significant (P ≤ 0.05) positive correlation with monthly average temperature, relative humidity, and average rainfall in indoor collections. On the other hand, P. papatasi Scopoli displayed similar correlation in the indoor and nighttime collections. Both the species were apparently abundant in the elevation range ≤ 419 m above sea level and on rangelands. Phlebotomus papatasi, however, also occurred on agricultural lands. The number of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases did not significantly correlate with the abundance of sand fly vectors across the villages surveyed. The results reported herein can serve as a baseline for an all-extensive future work in Bajaur. Our investigations will benefit the public health experts and medical entomologists for improved control and surveillance vectors of leishmaniasis.
Conservative management of Cantrell syndrome: a case report
Authors: Schiavone Marcella , Pizzol Damiano , Colangelo Anna Claudia , Antunes Mario
Published: March 2020

Cantrell syndrome (CS) is defined as congenital combination of five anomalies: defects at the lower part of the sternum, anterior diaphragm, midline supraumbilical abdominal wall, diaphragmatic pericardium and ectopia cordis. Antenatal screening should be performed to make an accurate prenatal diagnosis. The prognosis is usually poor with a high mortality early in life. The gold standard management is surgery but its prognosis remains poor. In many low-income settings prenatal examinations and surgery treatment are not possible. In the present case, we report a not surgery managed baby affected by CS, with good clinical conditions after 5 months.
A case of colon necrosis resulting from a delayed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia
Authors: Tessely Héloïse , Journé Stéphane , Therasse Alexis , Hossey Didier , Lemaitre Jean
Published: March 2020

We present the case of a 71 years old woman who came at the emergency room for abdominal pain and symptoms of occlusion. The scanner demonstrated a colonic occlusion resulting from an incarceration, diagnosed as a hernia of Bochdalek. But two old rib fractures and a past history of a fall directed us to the diagnostic of delayed diaphragmatic rupture. The patient was operated in emergency and post-operative follow-up was simple. Traumatic diaphragmatic hernias are rarely diagnosed directly after trauma. Complications such as pneumonia, occlusion, enteric ischemia, visceral perforation and twisting of splenic hilium can occur many years after the trauma. This is why, for patients with intestinal obstruction or association of pulmonary abdominal symptoms and history of thoraco-abdominal injury, the diagnostic of diaphragmatic hernia should be considered. When patients present complications, there is a higher rate of morbidity and mortality (31%) reason why, emergency surgery is mandatory.
A Marginal Case of Secondary Opening In GƏˁƏZ
Authors: Butts Aaron Michael
Published: March 2020

In this article, I discuss a feature in the development of Gǝˁǝz that I term ‘secondary opening’ following the grammatical tradition of Masoretic Hebrew. By secondary opening, I refer to the development that produced a form such as bäḥär ‘sea’, which is prominent in EMML 6907 (twelfth cent.?), from *baḥr-, the typical realization of which is baḥr in Standard Gǝˁǝz. While admittedly marginal, forms with secondary opening are, I argue, nonetheless important since they provide a rare glimpse at a variety of Gǝˁǝz that was not the direct ancestor of what would eventually become Standard Gǝˁǝz.
Joint growth-rate measurements from redshift-space distortions and peculiar velocities in the 6dF Galaxy Survey
Authors: Adams Caitlin , Blake Chris
Published: March 2020

We present a new model for the cross-covariance between galaxy redshift-space distortions and peculiar velocities. We combine this with the autocovariance models of both probes in a fully self-consistent, maximum-likelihood method, allowing us to extract enhanced cosmological parameter constraints. When applying our method to the 6-degree Field Galaxy Survey (6dFGS), our constraint on the growth rate of structure is $f\sigma _8 = 0.384 \pm 0.052 \rm {(stat)} \pm 0.061 \rm {(sys)}$ and our constraint for the redshift-space distortion parameter is $\beta = 0.289^{+0.044}_{-0.043} \rm {(stat)} \pm 0.049 \rm {(sys)}$. We find that the statistical uncertainty for the growth rate of structure is reduced by 64 per cent when using the complete covariance model compared to the redshift-space distortion autocovariance model and 50 per cent when compared to using the peculiar-velocity autocovariance model. Our constraints are consistent with those from the literature on combining multiple tracers of large-scale structure, as well as those from other 6dFGS analyses. Our measurement is also consistent with the standard cosmological model.
Gene Duplication in the Honeybee: Patterns of DNA Methylation, Gene Expression, and Genomic Environment
Authors: Dyson Carl J , Goodisman Michael A D
Published: March 2020

Gene duplication serves a critical role in evolutionary adaptation by providing genetic raw material to the genome. The evolution of duplicated genes may be influenced by epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation, which affects gene function in some taxa. However, the manner in which DNA methylation affects duplicated genes is not well understood. We studied duplicated genes in the honeybee Apis mellifera, an insect with a highly sophisticated social structure, to investigate whether DNA methylation was associated with gene duplication and genic evolution. We found that levels of gene body methylation were significantly lower in duplicate genes than in single-copy genes, implicating a possible role of DNA methylation in postduplication gene maintenance. Additionally, we discovered associations of gene body methylation with the location, length, and time since divergence of paralogous genes. We also found that divergence in DNA methylation was associated with divergence in gene expression in paralogs, although the relationship was not completely consistent with a direct link between DNA methylation and gene expression. Overall, our results provide further insight into genic methylation and how its association with duplicate genes might facilitate evolutionary processes and adaptation.
novoPathFinder: a webserver of designing novel-pathway with integrating GEM-model
Authors: Ding Shaozhen , Tian Yu , Cai Pengli , Zhang Dachuan , Cheng Xingxiang , Sun Dandan , Yuan Le , Chen Junni , Tu Weizhong , Wei Dong-Qing , Hu Qian-Nan
Published: March 2020

To increase the number of value-added chemicals that can be produced by metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, constructing metabolic space with novel reactions/pathways is crucial. However, with the large number of reactions that existed in the metabolic space and complicated metabolisms within hosts, identifying novel pathways linking two molecules or heterologous pathways when engineering a host to produce a target molecule is an arduous task. Hence, we built a user-friendly web server, novoPathFinder, which has several features: (i) enumerate novel pathways between two specified molecules without considering hosts; (ii) construct heterologous pathways with known or putative reactions for producing target molecule within Escherichia coli or yeast without giving precursor; (iii) estimate novel pathways with considering several categories, including enzyme promiscuity, Synthetic Complex Score (SCScore) and LD50 of intermediates, overall stoichiometric conversions, pathway length, theoretical yields and thermodynamic feasibility. According to the results, novoPathFinder is more capable to recover experimentally validated pathways when comparing other rule-based web server tools. Besides, more efficient pathways with novel reactions could also be retrieved for further experimental exploration. novoPathFinder is available at http://design.rxnfinder.org/novopathfinder/.
Magnesium levels in relation to rates of preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis of ecological, observational, and interventional studies
Authors: Zhang Yijia , Xun Pengcheng , Chen Cheng , Lu Liping , Shechter Michael , Rosanoff Andrea , He Ka
Published: March 2020

Context

Experimental studies suggest that magnesium levels in pregnant women may affect the length of gestation, as magnesium affects the activity of smooth muscle in the uterus. Little is known about the association between magnesium levels or supplementation and the rate of preterm birth.

Objective

The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the data on magnesium soil levels and preterm birth rates from ecological, observational, and interventional studies.

Data Sources

Soil magnesium levels were obtained from US Geological Survey data, and preterm birth rates were acquired from the March of Dimes Foundation. Relevant epidemiological and clinical studies published until April 2019 in peer-reviewed journals were retrieved from PubMed, Google Scholar, and related reference lists.

Study Selection

Original studies published in English, conducted in humans, and in which magnesium (dietary/supplemental intake or biomarkers) was an exposure and preterm birth was an outcome were included.

Data Extraction

Eleven studies were included in the systematic review. Meta-analysis was performed on 6 studies. Overall relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95%CIs for risk of preterm birth in relation to magnesium supplementation were estimated by a random-effects model.

Results

The ecological study revealed an inverse correlation between magnesium content in soil and rates of preterm birth across the United States (r = −0.68; P < 0.001). Findings from 11 observational studies generally support an inverse association between serum magnesium levels and rates of preterm birth. Of the 6 eligible randomized controlled trials, which included 3068 pregnant women aged 20 to 35 years and 352 preterm infants, the pooled RR was 0.58 (95%CI, 0.35–0.96) for women in the magnesium supplementation group compared with women in the control group.

Conclusions

Accumulated evidence from ecological, observational, and interventional studies consistently indicates that adequate magnesium intake during pregnancy may help reduce the incidence of preterm birth.
Lymphocyte Subsets in HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants: The Impact of Neonatal Postexposure Prophylaxis With Zidovudine
Authors: Greiter Beat M , Kahlert Christian R , Eberhard Nadia , Sultan-Beyer Leila , Berger Christoph , Paioni Paolo
Published: March 2020

HIV-exposed, uninfected (HEU) infants receiving neonatal postexposure prophylaxis with zidovudine showed nonsignificant trends of lower CD4 and CD8 T cells as well as CD19 B cells than those who did not, suggesting toxicity that might impact the overall health of HEU children.
Race and the Geography of Opportunity in the Post-Prison Labor Market
Authors: Rucks-Ahidiana Zawadi , Harding David J , Harris Heather M
Published: March 2020

Research on racial disparities in post-prison employment has primarily focused on the differential effects of stigma on blacks and whites, but we otherwise know little about racial differences. This paper examines racial differences in post-prison employment by industry and geography. We find that the formerly incarcerated are most likely to find work in a small number of “felon-friendly” industries with formerly incarcerated whites having higher employment rates than blacks. Whites are more likely to be employed in felon-friendly industries associated with the primary labor market, particularly construction and manufacturing, which have higher wages and more job stability. To explain these racial differences, we investigate the degree to which employment among the formerly incarcerated is related to where felon-friendly employers are located and where individuals who work in felon-friendly industries live. We find that post-prison employment is associated more with proximity to workers in felon-friendly industries than with proximity to employers. Because formerly incarcerated whites are more likely to live near current workers in felon-friendly industries, the geography of opportunity in the post-prison labor market contributes to the racial disparity in post-prison employment.
The Limits of Tolerance: Extreme Speakers on Campus
Authors: Boch Anna
Published: March 2020

Recently, colleges and universities across the United States have had to choose whether to allow controversial speakers on campus. This study uses a factorial experiment to investigate individual features of controversial speaker events, including student opinion, security risk, and actual event-based descriptions of extreme left and extreme right speakers. Contrary to earlier studies of political tolerance, this study finds that Republicans (and ideological conservatives) are slightly more tolerant of extreme speech than are Democrats and liberals. However, this difference is attenuated by three factors. The first is order effects: if Democrats are first asked about an extreme left speaker, they are then more tolerant of an extreme right speaker. Second, concerns about the possibility of harm resulting from the speech partially explain Democrats’ intolerance of the extreme right speaker. Third, asymmetric polarization has resulted in extreme right ideas entering the mainstream more than ideas from the far left; thus Democrats face a more arduous test of the classic liberal commitment to tolerance. Finally, this study contributes to the political tolerance literature by testing tolerance of new, extreme speaker targets on both the ideological left and right than what has previously been studied.
Zearalenone Blocks Autophagy Flow and Induces Cell Apoptosis During Embryo Implantation in Gilts
Authors: Wu Lihang , Duan Qianni , Gao Dengying , Wang Yueying , Xue Songyi , Li Wenchao , Lei Minggang
Published: March 2020

Zearalenone (ZEA) has been proved to be toxic, particularly to the reproductive system of gilts. The effect of ZEA on gilts during embryo implantation window period is of particular interests. Here, we observed window stage dysontogenesis of gilts treated with ZEA. In endometrial tissues and cells, autophagosomes increased significantly and mitochondria were damaged with increasing ZEA concentration. Addition of autophagy inhibitor confirmed that ZEA blocks the autophagic flow in the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. In conclusion, ZEA exposure during embryo implantation results in endometrium inflammation by activating autophagy while blocking autophagy flow at the same time, leading to the significant accumulation of autophagosomes. The aforementioned effects of ZEA induce the apoptosis of primary endometrial cells through the caspase3 pathway, which would break the uterus environment balance and finally lead to embryo implantation failure and dysontogenesis in gilts.
Seasonally varying relationship between stem respiration, increment and carbon allocation of Norway spruce trees
Authors: Darenova Eva , Horáček Petr , Krejza Jan , Pokorný Radek , Pavelka Marian
Published: March 2020

Stem respiration is an important component of an ecosystem’s carbon budget. Beside environmental factors, it depends highly on tree energy demands for stem growth. Determination of the relationship between stem growth and stem respiration would help to reveal the response of stem respiration to changing climate, which is expected to substantially affect tree growth. Common measurement of stem radial increment does not record all aspects of stem growth processes, especially those connected with cell wall thickening; therefore, the relationship between stem respiration and stem radial increment may vary depending on the wood cell growth differentiation phase. This study presents results from measurements of stem respiration and increment carried out for seven growing seasons in a young Norway spruce forest. Moreover, rates of carbon allocation to stems were modeled for these years. Stem respiration was divided into maintenance (Rm) and growth respiration (Rg) based upon the mature tissue method. There was a close relationship between Rg and daily stem radial increment (dSRI), and this relationship differed before and after dSRI seasonal maximum, which was around 19 June. Before this date, Rg increased exponentially with dSRI, while after this date logarithmically. This is a result of later maxima of Rg and its slower decrease when compared with dSRI, which is connected with energy demands for cell wall thickening. Rg reached a maxima at the end of June or in July. The maximum of carbon allocation to stem peaked in late summer, when Rg mostly tended to decrease. The overall contribution of Rg to stem CO2 efflux amounted to 46.9% for the growing period from May to September and 38.2% for the year as a whole. This study shows that further deeper analysis of in situ stem growth and stem respiration dynamics is greatly needed, especially with a focus on wood formation on a cell level.