bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Within-patient randomized clinical trial comparing incisional negative-pressure wound therapy with suction drains in gender-affirming mastectomies
Authors: Timmermans F W , Mokken S E , Smit J M , Zwanenburg P R , van Hout N , Bouman M B , Middelkoop E , Mullender M G
Published: May 2021

Background

Incisional negative-pressure wound therapy (iNPWT) is widely adopted by different disciplines for multiple indications. Questions about the most appropriate uses and value of iNPWT have been raised.

Methods

An open-label within-patient RCT was conducted in transgender men undergoing gender-affirming mastectomies. The objective was to determine the effect of iNPWT as a substitute for standard dressing and suction drains on wound healing complications. One chest side was randomized to receive the iNPWT intervention, and the other to standard dressing with suction drain. The primary endpoints were wound healing complications (haematoma, seroma, infection, and dehiscence) after three months. Additional outcomes were pain according to a numerical rating scale and patient satisfaction one week after surgery.

Results

Eighty-five patients were included, of whom 81 received both the iNPWT and standard treatment. Drain removal criteria were met within 24 h in 95 per cent of the patients. No significant decrease in wound healing complications was registered on the iNPWT side, but the seroma rate was significantly increased. In contrast, patients experienced both significantly less pain and increased comfort on the iNPWT side. No medical device-related adverse events were registered.

Conclusion

Substituting short-term suction drains with iNPWT in gender-affirming mastectomies increased the seroma rates and did not decrease the amount of wound healing complications. Registration number: NTR7412 (Netherlands Trial Register).
Butyrate-containing structured lipids act on HDAC4, HDAC6, DNA damage and telomerase activity during promotion of experimental hepatocarcinogenesis
Authors: Ortega Juliana Festa , Heidor Renato , Auriemo Ana Paula , Marques Affonso Juliana , Pereira D’ Amico Thais , Herz Corinna , de Conti Aline , Ract Juliana , Gioieli Luiz Antônio , Purgatto Eduardo , Lamy Evelyn , P. Pogribny Igor , Salvador Moreno Fernando
Published: May 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents with a high treatment resistance and poor prognosis. Early diagnosis and preventive approaches such as chemoprevention are essential for the HCC control. Therefore, we evaluated the chemopreventive effects of butyrate-containing structured lipids (STLs) administered during the promotion stage of hepatocarcinogenesis in rats submitted to the ‘resistant hepatocyte’ (RH) model. Administration of butyrate-containing STLs inhibited the incidence and mean number of visible hepatic nodules per rat and reduced the number and area of glutathione S-transferase placental form-positive (GST-P+) preneoplastic focal lesions in the livers. This was accompanied by the induction of apoptosis and an increased level of hepatic butyric acid. Treatment with butyrate-containing STLs resulted in increased histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) acetylation, reduction of total histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, and lower levels of HDAC4 and HDAC6 proteins. The chemopreventive effect of butyrate-containing STLs was also associated with the increased nuclear compartmentalization of p53 protein and reduced expression of the Bcl-2 protein. In addition, rats treated with butyrate-containing STLs showed decreased DNA damage and telomerase activity in the livers. These results demonstrate that the suppressive activity of butyrate-containing STLs is associated with inhibition of elevated during hepatocarcinogenesis chromatin-modifying proteins HDAC4 and HDAC6, subcellular redistribution of the p53 protein, and decreased DNA damage and telomerase activity.
Cognition-Related Functional Topographies in Parkinson’s Disease: Localized Loss of the Ventral Default Mode Network
Authors: Schindlbeck Katharina A , Vo An , Mattis Paul J , Villringer Kersten , Marzinzik Frank , Fiebach Jochen B , Eidelberg David
Published: May 2021

Cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with increased expression of the PD cognition-related pattern (PDCP), which overlaps with the normal default mode network (DMN). Here, we sought to determine the degree to which the former network represents loss of the latter as a manifestation of the disease process. To address this, we first analyzed metabolic images (fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography [PET]) from a large PD sample with varying cognitive performance. Cognitive impairment in these patients correlated with increased PDCP expression as well as DMN loss. We next determined the spatial relationship of the 2 topographies at the subnetwork level. To this end, we analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from an independent population. This approach uncovered a significant PD cognition-related network that resembled previously identified PET- and rs-fMRI-based PDCP topographies. Further analysis revealed selective loss of the ventral DMN subnetwork (precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex) in PD, whereas the anterior and posterior components were not affected by the disease. Importantly, the PDCP also included a number of non-DMN regions such as the dorsolateral prefrontal and medial temporal cortex. The findings show that the PDCP is a reproducible cognition-related network that is topographically distinct from the normal DMN.
Current Paradigms of Combination Therapy in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Bacteremia: Does it Work, Which Combination, and For Which Patients?
Authors: Rose Warren , Fantl Michael , Geriak Matthew , Nizet Victor , Sakoulas George
Published: May 2021

The last several years have seen an emergence of literature documenting the utility of combination antimicrobial therapy, particularly in the salvage of refractory methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia. Recent clinical data are shaping conundrums of which regimens may be more beneficial, which can be potentially harmful, and which subset of patients stand to benefit from more aggressive treatment regimens than called for by current standards. In addition, the incorporation of combination therapy for MRSA bacteremia should be accompanied by the reminder that antimicrobial therapy does not need to be uniform for the entire duration, with an early intensive phase in high inoculum infections (eg, with combination therapy), followed by a consolidation phase (ie, monotherapy). This review and perspective consolidates the recent data on this subject and directs future goals in filling the knowledge gaps to methodically move forward towards improving patient outcomes.
Risk Factors for Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Associated Community Deaths in Zambian Infants
Authors: Murphy Caitriona , MacLeod William B , Forman Leah S , Mwananyanda Lawrence , Kwenda Geoffrey , Pieciak Rachel C , Mupila Zachariah , Thea Donald , Chikoti Chilufya , Yankonde Baron , Ngoma Bernard , Chimoga Charles , Gill Christopher J
Published: May 2021

Background

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of infant deaths. Its epidemiology in low- and middle-income countries is poorly understood. Risk factors associated with RSV-associated infant deaths that occur in community settings are incompletely known.

Methods

Community deaths for infants aged 4 days to 6 months were identified during a 3-year postmortem RSV prevalence study at the main city morgue in Lusaka, Zambia, where 80% of deaths are registered. This analysis focuses on the subset of deaths for which an abbreviated verbal autopsy was available and intended to sort deaths into respiratory or nonrespiratory causes by clinical adjudication. Posterior nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected within 48 hours of death and tested for RSV using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Associations between potential risk factors were determined as relative risks with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

We prospectively enrolled 798 community infant deaths with verbal autopsies and RSV laboratory results, of which 62 results were positive. The mean age of the infants was 10 weeks, and 41.4% of them were male. Of all deaths, 44% were attributed to respiratory causes. RSV was detected in 7.8% of the community infants and was significantly associated with respiratory deaths (risk ratio, 4.0 [95% CI, 2.2–7.1]). Compared with older infants, those aged 0–8 weeks had a 2.83 (95% CI, 1.30–6.15) increased risk of dying with RSV. The risk of RSV for the 0–8-week age group increased to 5.24 (1.56–33.14) with adjustment for demographics, parental education, and geography. RSV deaths were increased with domiciliary overcrowding and were concentrated in poor and dense neighborhoods in Lusaka (risk ratio, 2.00 [95% CI, 1.22–3.27]).

Conclusion

RSV is a significant contributor to community respiratory deaths in this population, particularly in the first 3 months of life and in the more poor and dense parts of Lusaka.
Regional Spread of blaNDM-1-Containing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST147 in Post-Acute Care Facilities
Authors: Lapp Zena , Crawford Ryan , Miles-Jay Arianna , Pirani Ali , Trick William E , Weinstein Robert A , Hayden Mary K , Snitkin Evan S , Lin Michael Y
Published: May 2021

Background

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) harboring blaKPC have been endemic in Chicago-area healthcare networks for more than a decade. During 2016–2019, a series of regional point-prevalence surveys identified increasing prevalence of blaNDM-containing CRE in multiple long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) and ventilator-capable skilled nursing facilities (vSNFs). We performed a genomic epidemiology investigation of blaNDM-producing CRE to understand their regional emergence and spread.

Methods

We performed whole-genome sequencing on New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)+ CRE isolates from 4 point-prevalence surveys across 35 facilities (LTACHs, vSNFs, and acute care hospital medical intensive care units) in the Chicago area and investigated the genomic relatedness and transmission dynamics of these isolates over time.

Results

Genomic analyses revealed that the rise of NDM+ CRE was due to the clonal dissemination of an sequence type (ST) 147 Klebsiella pneumoniae strain harboring blaNDM-1 on an IncF plasmid. Dated phylogenetic reconstructions indicated that ST147 was introduced into the region around 2013 and likely acquired NDM around 2015. Analyzing the relatedness of strains within and between facilities supported initial increases in prevalence due to intrafacility transmission in certain vSNFs, with evidence of subsequent interfacility spread among LTACHs and vSNFs connected by patient transfer.

Conclusions

We identified a regional outbreak of blaNDM-1 ST147 that began in and disseminated across Chicago area post-acute care facilities. Our findings highlight the importance of performing genomic surveillance at post-acute care facilities to identify emerging threats.
Gender gap in authorship within published orthodontic research. An observational study on evidence and time-trends over a decade
Authors: Schumacher Caterina , Eliades Theodore , Koletsi Despina
Published: May 2021

Aim

To assess the representation of female authors in senior and leading positions in orthodontic research publications, as well as the fraction of women participating in the publication reports, for over a decade. In addition, association of women representation in orthodontic research and characteristics such as journal of publication, year, study design/topic, and others, were sought.

Materials and methods

Electronic search was performed within three major orthodontic journals, namely the European Journal of Orthodontics (EJO), the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJODO), and the Angle Orthodontist (ANGLE) to identify all types of research articles published within two distinct year cohorts, the 2008–10 and the 2018–20. The outcomes of interest pertained to proportion of women in senior (last) and leading (first) position, and fraction of overall participation in the author list.

Results

A total of 2539 articles were eligible for inclusion, with an overall number of contributing authors being 11 608, of which 34.4% were female. For seniority in authorship, 30.1% (312/1038) of the publications within 2018–20 were attributed to female authors, while 25.8% (388/1501) was identified in 2008–10. Publication timeline, geographic region, and thematic topic of publication were determined as significant predictors. For leading (first) authorship, the respective percentages were 44.7% (464/1038) within 2018–20, and 34.7% (521/1501) in 2008–10. Dissemination timeline, geographic region and journal of publication were identified by the multivariable analysis, as revealing evidence of association with female leading publication authorship. Overall, the median proportion of female authors within the author list was 33.0%.

Conclusions

A gender gap related to Orthodontic research publications is persistent, with participation of women either as senior, or as leading authors, being suboptimal. Consistent efforts should be set in place, to facilitate more equal representation of women in research publishing, being supported by academia.
Rapid detection of inter-clade recombination in SARS-CoV-2 with Bolotie
Authors: Varabyou Ales , Pockrandt Christopher , Salzberg Steven L , Pertea Mihaela
Published: May 2021

The ability to detect recombination in pathogen genomes is crucial to the accuracy of phylogenetic analysis and consequently to forecasting the spread of infectious diseases and to developing therapeutics and public health policies. However, in case of the SARS-CoV-2, the low divergence of near-identical genomes sequenced over a short period of time makes conventional analysis infeasible. Using a novel method, we identified 225 anomalous SARS-CoV-2 genomes of likely recombinant origins out of the first 87,695 genomes to be released, several of which have persisted in the population. Bolotie is specifically designed to perform a rapid search for inter-clade recombination events over extremely large datasets, facilitating analysis of novel isolates in seconds. In cases where raw sequencing data were available, we were able to rule out the possibility that these samples represented co-infections by analyzing the underlying sequence reads. The Bolotie software and other data from our study are available at https://github.com/salzberg-lab/bolotie.
Phase delay of short-period tsunamis in the density-stratified compressible ocean over the elastic Earth
Authors: Sandanbata Osamu , Watada Shingo , Ho Tung-Cheng , Satake Kenji
Published: May 2021

Tsunamis are often modelled as surface gravity waves of incompressible homogenous water propagating over a rigid seafloor. Previous studies have noted that when computing long-period tsunamis travelling at trans-oceanic distances with dominant periods of thousands of seconds, we need to consider four factors that are not included in the surface gravity wave theory: compressibility of seawater, density stratification of oceans, elasticity of the Earth and gravitational potential change associated with the tsunami motion. However, their effects on short-period tsunamis with dominant periods below 1000 s have not been examined. Here, we investigate how the four factors influence short-period tsunamis. Theoretical analyses and 1-D simulations using phase speeds of different tsunami models indicate that the resultant phase delay of short-period tsunamis becomes apparent after ∼1000 km propagation, mainly because of the first three factors. We then introduce a new phase correction method for dispersive short-period tsunamis with consideration of period-dependent ray paths and apply it to a 2-D simulation of a short-period tsunami from a submarine volcanic earthquake near Japan in 2015. The correction of the traveltime of a synthetic waveform by including the four factors amounts to ∼40 s at a distant station 1430 km away from the source, whereas the effects of the four factors on the waveforms are negligibly small at stations < ∼500km from the source. The observed traveltime at the ocean bottom pressure (OBP) gauge with a sampling interval at 15 s of the distant station can be explained only when these factors are incorporated into synthetic waveforms, indicating the effects due to the four factors are detectable by high-sampling OBP gauges that are deployed over broad oceanic regions.
Automatic slowness vector measurements of seismic arrivals with uncertainty estimates using bootstrap sampling, array methods and unsupervised learning
Authors: Ward J , Thorne M , Nowacki A , Rost S
Published: May 2021

Horizontal slowness vector measurements using array techniques have been used to analyse many Earth phenomena from lower mantle heterogeneity to meteorological event location. While providing observations essential for studying much of the Earth, slowness vector analysis is limited by the necessary and subjective visual inspection of observations. Furthermore, it is challenging to determine the uncertainties caused by limitations of array processing such as array geometry, local structure, noise and their effect on slowness vector measurements. To address these issues, we present a method to automatically identify seismic arrivals and measure their slowness vector properties with uncertainty bounds. We do this by bootstrap sampling waveforms, therefore also creating random sub arrays, then use linear beamforming to measure the coherent power at a range of slowness vectors. For each bootstrap sample, we take the top N peaks from each power distribution as the slowness vectors of possible arrivals. The slowness vectors of all bootstrap samples are gathered and the clustering algorithm DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) is used to identify arrivals as clusters of slowness vectors. The mean of slowness vectors in each cluster gives the slowness vector measurement for that arrival and the distribution of slowness vectors in each cluster gives the uncertainty estimate. We tuned the parameters of DBSCAN using a data set of 2489 SKS and SKKS observations at a range of frequency bands from 0.1 to 1 Hz. We then present examples at higher frequencies (0.5–2.0 Hz) than the tuning data set, identifying PKP precursors, and lower frequency by identifying multipathing in surface waves (0.04–0.06 Hz). While we use a linear beamforming process, this method can be implemented with any beamforming process such as cross correlation beamforming or phase weighted stacking. This method allows for much larger data sets to be analysed without visual inspection of data. Phenomena such as multipathing, reflections or scattering can be identified automatically in body or surface waves and their properties analysed with uncertainties.
Toward Establishing Integrated, Comprehensive, and Sustainable Meningitis Surveillance in Africa to Better Inform Vaccination Strategies
Authors: Kwambana-Adams Brenda Anna , Cohen Adam L , Hampton Lee , Nhantumbo Aquino Albino , Heyderman Robert S , Antonio Martin , Bita Andre , Mwenda Jason Mathiu
Published: May 2021

Large populations across sub-Saharan Africa remain at risk of devastating acute bacterial meningitis epidemics and endemic disease. Meningitis surveillance is a cornerstone of disease control, essential for describing temporal changes in disease epidemiology, the rapid detection of outbreaks, guiding vaccine introduction and monitoring vaccine impact. However, meningitis surveillance in most African countries is weak, undermined by parallel surveillance systems with little to no synergy and limited laboratory capacity. African countries need to implement comprehensive meningitis surveillance systems to adapt to the rapidly changing disease trends and vaccine landscapes. The World Health Organization and partners have developed a new investment case to restructure vaccine-preventable disease surveillance. With this new structure, countries will establish comprehensive and sustainable meningitis surveillance systems integrated with greater harmonization between population-based and sentinel surveillance systems. There will also be stronger linkage with existing surveillance systems for vaccine-preventable diseases, such as polio, measles, yellow fever, and rotavirus, as well as with other epidemic-prone diseases to leverage their infrastructure, transport systems, equipment, human resources and funding. The implementation of these concepts is currently being piloted in a few countries in sub-Saharan Africa with support from the World Health Organization and other partners. African countries need to take urgent action to improve synergies and coordination between different surveillance systems to set joint priorities that will inform action to control devastating acute bacterial meningitis effectively.
On the Sensitivity and Specificity of Postmortem Upper Respiratory Tract Testing for SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Hall Jennifer A , Harris Ross J , Emmett Hannah E , Lowe Belinda , Singanayagam Anika , Twohig Katherine A , Zaidi Asad , Kall Meaghan , Zambon Maria , Dabrera Gavin
Published: May 2021

Background

Postmortem testing can improve our understanding of the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) if sufficiently sensitive and specific.

Methods

We investigated the postmortem sensitivity and specificity of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on upper respiratory swabs using a dataset of everyone tested for SARS-CoV-2 before and after death in England, 1 March to 29 October 2020. We analyzed sensitivity in those with a positive test before death by time to postmortem test. We developed a multivariate model and conducted time-to-negativity survival analysis. For specificity, we analyzed those with a negative test in the week before death.

Results

Postmortem testing within a week after death had a sensitivity of 96.8% if the person had tested positive within a week before death. There was no effect of age, sex, or specimen type on sensitivity, but individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)–related codes on their death certificate were 5.65 times more likely to test positive after death (95% confidence interval, 2.31–13.9). Specificity was 94.2%, increasing to 97.5% in individuals without COVID-19 on the death certificate.

Conclusion

Postmortem testing has high sensitivity (96.8%) and specificity (94.2%) if performed within a week after death and could be a useful diagnostic tool.
What Are the Challenges to Peace? A Workshop on Conflict Analysis to Understand Middle East Politics
Authors: Suárez-Collado Ángela , Sierra Javier
Published: May 2021

This article presents an innovative teaching and learning method based on collaborative and inquiry-based learning implemented in a Middle East Politics course. It consists of a series of online workshops in which students work in teams to analyze three different current conflicts in the region: Libya, Syria, and the Israeli-Palestinian. The aim of this method was twofold: on the one hand, to create a reflexive setting to help students acquire the most comprehensive possible knowledge about the conflict's causes and dynamics, the concerns and priorities of the main actors involved or affected by the conflict, and major obstacles to its resolution; on the other hand, to enhance a set of key cognitive, skill-based, and affective learning outcomes, which are essential skills in Political Science and other related areas such as International Studies. This study shows that teaching and learning methodologies based on collaborative and inquiry-based learning are suitable tools to facilitate the understanding of multifaceted, complex realities and to generate new perspectives and views on unfamiliar contexts. This research also suggests that facilitating the active involvement of students in their self-learning can contribute to successful online teaching and to foster the acquisition of key cognitive, skill-based, and affective learning outcomes.
Why They Fight: How Perceived Motivations for Military Service Shape Support for the Use of Force
Authors: Krebs Ronald R , Ralston Robert , Rapport Aaron
Published: May 2021

What shapes public support for military missions? Existing scholarship points to, on the one hand, individuals’ affiliations and predispositions (such as political partisanship and gender), and, on the other hand, factors that shape a rational cost–benefit analysis (notably, mission objectives, the prospects for victory, and the magnitude and distribution of costs). We argue that public opinion is also shaped by beliefs about why soldiers voluntarily enlist. Using novel survey data and an experiment, deployed to a nationally representative sample of Americans, we test how four conceptions of soldiering affect support for a prospective military operation. We find, in observational data, that believing that a soldier is a good citizen or patriot bolsters support for the mission, while believing that a soldier has enlisted because he wants the material benefits of service or has “no other options” undermines support. These results support our causal argument: Americans’ attitudes toward military missions are shaped by their perception of whether the soldier has consented to deployment rather than by feelings of social obligation. This article has implications for debates on the determinants of public support for military missions and the relationship between military service and citizenship in democracies.
Structure and biosynthesis of sorangipyranone — a new γ-dihydropyrone from the myxobacterial strain MSr12020
Authors: Okoth Dorothy A , Hug Joachim J , Mándi Attila , Kurtán Tibor , Garcia Ronald , Müller Rolf
Published: May 2021

Sorangipyranone was isolated as a novel natural product featuring a unique 2,3-dihydro-γ-4H-pyrone scaffold from cultures of the myxobacterial strain MSr12020. We report here the full structure elucidation of sorangipyranone by spectroscopic techniques including 2D NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry together with the analysis of the biosynthetic pathway. Determination of the absolute configuration was performed by time-dependent density functional theory–electronic circular dichroism calculations and determination of the applicability of the Snatzke's helicity rule, to correlate the high-wavelength n→π* electronic circular dichroism (ECD) transition and the absolute configuration of the 2,3-dihydro-4H-γ-pyrone, was done by the analysis of low-energy conformers and the Kohn-Sham orbitals. Sorangipyranone outlines a new class of a γ-dihydropyrone-containing natural product comprised of malonyl-CoA-derived building blocks and features a unique polyketide scaffold. In silico analysis of the genome sequence of the myxobacterial strain MSr12020 complemented with feeding experiments employing stable isotope-labeled precursors allowed the identification and annotation of a candidate biosynthetic gene cluster that encodes a modular polyketide synthase assembly line. A model for the biosynthetic pathway leading to the formation of the γ-dihydropyrone scaffold is presented in this study.
The onset of jets in classical novae
Authors: McLoughlin Dominic , Blundell Katherine M , Lee Steven , McCowage Chris
Published: May 2021

We present two further classical novae, V906 Car and V5668 Sgr, which show jets and accretion disc spectral signatures in their H α complexes throughout the first 1000 d following their eruptions. From extensive densely time-sampled spectroscopy, we measure the appearance of the first high-velocity absorption component in V906 Car, and the duration of the commencement of the main H α emission. We constrain the time taken for V5668 Sgr to transition to the nebular phase using [N ii] 6584 Å. We find these timings to be consistent with the jet and accretion disc model for explaining optical spectral line profile changes in classical novae, and discuss the implications of this model for enrichment of the interstellar medium.
Effects of the treatment of the mass quadrupole moment on ray-tracing applications for rapidly rotating neutron stars
Authors: Oliva G André , Frutos-Alfaro Francisco
Published: May 2021

The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission has provided a unique opportunity to constrain the equation of state of neutron stars by using the technique of pulse-profile modelling. This technique requires accurate and efficient ray-tracing, that in turn requires a robust representation of the space–time around a neutron star. Several exact and approximate metrics have been proposed, and used, to perform ray-tracing around neutron stars, with both moderate and fast rotation. In this paper, we perform a comparison between several of these metrics, when used for ray-tracing. We calculate the shape of the neutron star as seen by a distant observer using two different surface formulae, the thermal spectrum and pulse profiles from circular and crescent-shaped hotspots, for four configurations of pulsars with rotation rates ranging from 622 to 1000 Hz, and using both a moderate and a stiff equation of state to include realistic and extreme cases. We find small differences between the metrics for rotation frequencies starting at ${\sim}700\, \mathrm{Hz}$ that could theoretically be used for constraining the quadrupole moment or the space–time models. We also determine the practicality of use of each metric in larger-scale applications such as pulse-profile modelling.
Independent cosmological constraints from high-z H ii galaxies: new results from VLT-KMOS data
Authors: González-Morán Ana Luisa , Chávez Ricardo , Terlevich Elena , Terlevich Roberto , Fernández-Arenas David , Bresolin Fabio , Plionis Manolis , Melnick Jorge , Basilakos Spyros , Telles Eduardo
Published: May 2021

We present independent determinations of cosmological parameters using the distance estimator based on the established correlation between the Balmer line luminosity, L(H β), and the velocity dispersion (σ) for H ii galaxies (HIIG). These results are based on new VLT-KMOS high spectral resolution observations of 41 high-z (1.3 ≤ z ≤2.6) HIIG combined with published data for 45 high-z and 107 z ≤0.15 HIIG, while the cosmological analysis is based on the MultiNest Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) procedure not considering systematic uncertainties. Using only HIIG to constrain the matter density parameter (Ωm), we find $\Omega _\mathrm{ m} = 0.244^{+0.040}_{-0.049}$ (stat), an improvement over our best previous cosmological parameter constraints, as indicated by a 37 per cent increase of the figure of merit. The marginalized best-fitting parameter values for the plane {Ωm; w0} = $\lbrace 0.249^{+0.11}_{-0.065}; -1.18^{+0.45}_{-0.41}\rbrace$ (stat) show an improvement of the cosmological parameters constraints by 40 per cent. Combining the HIIG Hubble diagram, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) probes yields Ωm = 0.298 ± 0.012 and w0 = −1.005 ± 0.051, which are certainly compatible – although less constraining – than the solution based on the joint analysis of Ia supernovae (SNIa), CMB and BAO measurements. An attempt to constrain the evolution of the dark energy with time (CPL model), using a joint analysis of the HIIG, CMB, and BAO measurements, shows a degenerate 1σ contour of the parameters in the {w0, wa} plane.
On the photometric metallicity of Oosterhoff-type I and II RRab stars
Authors: Jurcsik J , Hajdu G , Juhász Á
Published: May 2021

We are revising the consistency of photometric metallicity formulae widely used for fundamental-mode RR Lyrae (RRab) variables, based on their V- and I-band light curves, published by Jurcsik & Kovács (1996) and Smolec (2005), respectively. 293 RRab variables belonging to 10 globular clusters, all simultaneously containing stars of both Oosterhoff types, are selected for this purpose. We find that, on average, the V-band formula results in higher estimated metallicities by about 0.05 dex than the I-band formula. Moreover, we detect a dependence on the Oosterhoff class of the variables for both formulae, as well. Using the V-band formula, Oo I stars are 0.05–0.10 dex more metal rich than Oo II stars of the same cluster. Although with less significance, but the I-band results indicate a reversed trend. Therefore, we surmise that the average difference we have found between the V- and I-band formulae is the consequence of the total sample being dominated by Oo I variables.
A fully-spectroscopic triple-source-plane lens: the Jackpot completed
Authors: Smith Russell J , Collett Thomas E
Published: May 2021

We present a spectroscopic determination of the redshift of the second source in the Jackpot gravitational lens system J0946 + 1006, for which only a photometric estimate of zphot  =  2.41$^{+0.04}_{-0.21}$ has previously been available. By visually inspecting an archival Very Large Telescope (VLT) X-Shooter observation, we located a single emission line from the source in the H-band. Among the possible options, we find that this line is most likely to be [O iii] 5007 Å at zspec  =  2.035. Guided by this proposal, we were able to detect the faint C iii] 1907,1909 Å emission doublet in a deep VLT Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer datacube. The C iii] emission is spatially coincident with the brightest parts of the second Einstein ring, and strongly supports the redshift identification. The spectroscopic redshift is only marginally consistent with the photometric estimate. Re-examining the cosmological constraints from J0946 + 1006, the revised measurement favours less negative values of the dark energy equation-of-state parameter w; when combined with a cosmic microwave background prior, we infer w  =  −1.04 ± 0.20. The revised redshift does not significantly help to reconcile the small discrepancy in the image positions for the even more distant third source in J0946 + 1006.
Deep reinforcement learning for smart calibration of radio telescopes
Authors: Yatawatta Sarod , Avruch Ian M
Published: May 2021

Modern radio telescopes produce unprecedented amounts of data, which are passed through many processing pipelines before the delivery of scientific results. Hyperparameters of these pipelines need to be tuned by hand to produce optimal results. Because many thousands of observations are taken during a lifetime of a telescope and because each observation will have its unique settings, the fine tuning of pipelines is a tedious task. In order to automate this process of hyperparameter selection in data calibration pipelines, we introduce the use of reinforcement learning. We test two reinforcement learning techniques, twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3), and soft actor-critic, to train an autonomous agent to perform this fine tuning. For the sake of generalization, we consider the pipeline to be a black-box system where the summarized state of the performance of the pipeline is used by the autonomous agent. The autonomous agent trained in this manner is able to determine optimal settings for diverse observations and is therefore able to perform smart calibration, minimizing the need for human intervention.
Tidal tails in the disintegrating open cluster NGC 752
Authors: Bhattacharya Souradeep , Agarwal Manan , Rao Khushboo K , Vaidya Kaushar
Published: May 2021

We utilize the robust membership determination algorithm, ML-MOC, on the precise astrometric and deep photometric data from Gaia Early Data Release 3 within a region of radius 5° around the centre of the intermediate-age Galactic open cluster NGC 752 to identify its member stars. We report the discovery of the tidal tails of NGC 752, extending out to ∼35 pc on either side of its denser central region and following the cluster orbit. From comparison with PARSEC stellar isochrones, we obtain the mass function of the cluster with a slope, χ = −1.26 ± 0.07. The high negative value of χ is indicative of a disintegrating cluster undergoing mass segregation. χ is more negative in the intra-tidal regions as compared to the outskirts of NGC 752. We estimate a present day mass of the cluster, $M\rm _{C} = 297\pm 10$ M⊙. Through mass-loss due to stellar evolution and tidal interactions, we further estimate that NGC 752 has lost nearly 95.2–98.5 per cent of its initial mass, Mi = 0.64–2 × 104 M⊙.
Analysis of Genomic DNA from Medieval Plague Victims Suggests Long-Term Effect of Yersinia pestis on Human Immunity Genes
Authors: Immel Alexander , Key Felix M , Szolek András , Barquera Rodrigo , Robinson Madeline K , Harrison Genelle F , Palmer William H , Spyrou Maria A , Susat Julian , Krause-Kyora Ben , Bos Kirsten I , Forrest Stephen , Hernández-Zaragoza Diana I , Sauter Jürgen , Solloch Ute , Schmidt Alexander H , Schuenemann Verena J , Reiter Ella , Kairies Madita S , Weiß Rainer , Arnold Susanne , Wahl Joachim , Hollenbach Jill A , Kohlbacher Oliver , Herbig Alexander , Norman Paul J , Krause Johannes
Published: May 2021

Pathogens and associated outbreaks of infectious disease exert selective pressure on human populations, and any changes in allele frequencies that result may be especially evident for genes involved in immunity. In this regard, the 1346-1353 Yersinia pestis-caused Black Death pandemic, with continued plague outbreaks spanning several hundred years, is one of the most devastating recorded in human history. To investigate the potential impact of Y. pestis on human immunity genes, we extracted DNA from 36 plague victims buried in a mass grave in Ellwangen, Germany in the 16th century. We targeted 488 immune-related genes, including HLA, using a novel in-solution hybridization capture approach. In comparison with 50 modern native inhabitants of Ellwangen, we find differences in allele frequencies for variants of the innate immunity proteins Ficolin-2 and NLRP14 at sites involved in determining specificity. We also observed that HLA-DRB1*13 is more than twice as frequent in the modern population, whereas HLA-B alleles encoding an isoleucine at position 80 (I-80+), HLA C*06:02 and HLA-DPB1 alleles encoding histidine at position 9 are half as frequent in the modern population. Simulations show that natural selection has likely driven these allele frequency changes. Thus, our data suggest that allele frequencies of HLA genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity responsible for extracellular and intracellular responses to pathogenic bacteria, such as Y. pestis, could have been affected by the historical epidemics that occurred in Europe.
Testicular adenosine acts as a pro-inflammatory molecule: role of testicular peritubular cells
Authors: Missel Annika , Walenta Lena , Eubler Katja , Mundt Nadine , Heikelä Hanna , Pickl Ulrich , Trottmann Matthias , Popper Bastian , Poutanen Matti , Strauss Leena , Köhn Frank-Michael , Kunz Lars , Spehr Marc , Mayerhofer Artur
Published: May 2021

Extracellular ATP has been described to be involved in inflammatory cytokine production by human testicular peritubular cells (HTPCs). The ectonucleotidases ENTPD1 and NT5E degrade ATP and have been reported in rodent testicular peritubular cells. We hypothesized that if a similar situation exists in human testis, ATP metabolites may contribute to cytokine production. Indeed, ENTPD1 and NT5E were found in situ and in vitro in HTPCs. Malachite green assays confirmed enzyme activities in HTPCs. Pharmacological inhibition of ENTPD1 (by POM-1) significantly reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines evoked by ATP treatment, suggesting that metabolites of ATP, including adenosine, are likely involved. We focused on adenosine and detected three of the four known adenosine receptors in HTPCs. One, A2B, was also found in situ in peritubular cells of human testicular sections. The A2B agonist BAY60-6583 significantly elevated levels of IL6 and CXCL8, a result also obtained with adenosine and its analogue NECA. Results of siRNA-mediated A2B down-regulation support a role of this receptor. In mouse peritubular cells, in contrast to HTPCs, all four of the known adenosine receptors were detected; when challenged with adenosine, cytokine expression levels significantly increased. Organotypic short-term testis cultures yielded comparable results and indicate an overall pro-inflammatory action of adenosine in the mouse testis. If transferable to the in vivo situation, our results may implicate that interference with the generation of ATP metabolites or interference with adenosine receptors could reduce inflammatory events in the testis. These novel insights may provide new avenues for treatment of sterile inflammation in male subfertility and infertility.
eSkip-Finder: a machine learning-based web application and database to identify the optimal sequences of antisense oligonucleotides for exon skipping
Authors: Chiba Shuntaro , Lim Kenji Rowel Q , Sheri Narin , Anwar Saeed , Erkut Esra , Shah Md Nur Ahad , Aslesh Tejal , Woo Stanley , Sheikh Omar , Maruyama Rika , Takano Hiroaki , Kunitake Katsuhiko , Duddy William , Okuno Yasushi , Aoki Yoshitsugu , Yokota Toshifumi
Published: May 2021

Exon skipping using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) has recently proven to be a powerful tool for mRNA splicing modulation. Several exon-skipping ASOs have been approved to treat genetic diseases worldwide. However, a significant challenge is the difficulty in selecting an optimal sequence for exon skipping. The efficacy of ASOs is often unpredictable, because of the numerous factors involved in exon skipping. To address this gap, we have developed a computational method using machine-learning algorithms that factors in many parameters as well as experimental data to design highly effective ASOs for exon skipping. eSkip-Finder (https://eskip-finder.org) is the first web-based resource for helping researchers identify effective exon skipping ASOs. eSkip-Finder features two sections: (i) a predictor of the exon skipping efficacy of novel ASOs and (ii) a database of exon skipping ASOs. The predictor facilitates rapid analysis of a given set of exon/intron sequences and ASO lengths to identify effective ASOs for exon skipping based on a machine learning model trained by experimental data. We confirmed that predictions correlated well with in vitro skipping efficacy of sequences that were not included in the training data. The database enables users to search for ASOs using queries such as gene name, species, and exon number.
The Pervasiveness of Lordship (Italy, 1050–1500)
Authors: Carocci Sandro
Published: May 2021

The impact of medieval lordship on the society it dominated has not received the attention it deserves. This article stresses the need to look at lordship from the bottom up, making an effort to understand how much and in which ways lordship weighed on the life of subjects, by developing the notion of its ‘pervasiveness’. Such a concept is arguably the most effective if we want to evaluate how seigneurial power was more, or less, able and willing to deeply influence the people subject to it. It highlights that in the world of lordship there was a disconnect (or at least potentially) between political power and socio-economic domination. Which factors enabled lordships to become pervasive, and which lords, from which regions, were best equipped with these characteristics? Using the influential French historiographical framework as a starting point, the article considers as case studies a set of signorie in several Italian regions. It highlights the differences between the great territorial lordships of the counts of the Kingdom of Sicily, the barons of Rome and the lords of Lombardy, on the one side, and the innumerable knightly lordships at a lower level on the other. The use of pervasiveness helps us to re-conceptualize lordship itself with different criteria.
Identifying Shocks via Time-Varying Volatility
Authors: Lewis Daniel J
Published: May 2021

I propose to identify an SVAR, up to shock ordering, using the autocovariance structure of the squared innovations implied by an arbitrary stochastic process for the shock variances. These higher moments are available without parametric assumptions on the variance process. In contrast, previous approaches exploiting heteroskedasticity rely on the path of innovation covariances, which can only be recovered from the data under specific parametric assumptions on the variance process. The conditions for identification are testable. I compare the identification scheme to existing approaches in simulations and provide guidance for estimation and inference. I use the methodology to estimate fiscal multipliers peaking at 0.86 for tax cuts and 0.75 for government spending. I find that tax shocks explain more variation in output at longer horizons. The empirical implications of my estimates are more consistent with theory and the narrative record than those based on some leading approaches.
Trading Volume and Time Varying Betas
Authors: Hrdlicka Christopher
Published: May 2021

I show that increased turnover accompanies changes in stocks’ risk exposures. A one standard deviation decrease in a stock’s market beta increases turnover as much as 25%. The sensitivity of turnover to beta changes has grown over time. Market beta changes explain as much as 5% of the monthly cross-sectional variation in turnover. VAR decompositions of returns show turnover is more strongly associated with discount rate news than cash flow news. This mechanism provides a new channel for turnover combined with realized returns to predict long horizon returns and cash flow changes. Further, this mechanism can amplify many prior explored motives for trade.
Brain microstructural properties related to subjective well-being: diffusion tensor imaging analysis
Authors: Maeda Chiaki Terao , Takeuchi Hikaru , Nouchi Rui , Yokoyama Ryoichi , Kotozaki Yuka , Nakagawa Seishu , Sekiguchi Atsushi , Iizuka Kunio , Hanawa Sugiko , Araki Tsuyoshi , Miyauchi Carlos Makoto , Sakaki Kohei , Nozawa Takayuki , Ikeda Shigeyuki , Yokota Susumu , Magistro Daniele , Sassa Yuko , Taki Yasuyuki , Kawashima Ryuta
Published: May 2021

Although it is known that health is not merely the absence of disease, the positive aspects of mental health have been less comprehensively researched compared with its negative aspects. Subjective well-being (SWB) is one of the indicators of positive psychology, and high SWB is considered to benefit individuals in multiple ways. However, the neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in SWB remain unclear, particularly in terms of brain microstructural properties as detected by diffusion tensor imaging. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between measurements of diffusion tensor imaging [mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy] and the degree of SWB as measured using a questionnaire. Voxel-based analysis was used to investigate the association between MD and SWB scores in healthy young adults (age, 20.7 ± 1.8 years; 695 males and 514 females). Higher levels of SWB were found to be associated with lower MD in areas surrounding the right putamen, insula, globus pallidus, thalamus and caudate. These results indicated that individual SWB is associated with variability in brain microstructural properties.