bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immune-related gene data-based molecular subtyping related to the prognosis of breast cancer patients
Authors: Mu Guoyu , Ji Hong , He Hui , Wang Hongjiang
Published: November 2020

Background

Breast cancer (BC), which is the most common malignant tumor in females, is associated with increasing morbidity and mortality. Effective treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrinotherapy and molecular-targeted therapy. With the development of molecular biology, immunology and pharmacogenomics, an increasing amount of evidence has shown that the infiltration of immune cells into the tumor microenvironment, coupled with the immune phenotype of tumor cells, will significantly affect tumor development and malignancy. Consequently, immunotherapy has become a promising treatment for BC prevention and as a modality that can influence patient prognosis.

Methods

In this study, samples collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and ImmPort databases were analyzed to investigate specific immune-related genes that affect the prognosis of BC patients. In all, 64 immune-related genes related to prognosis were screened, and the 17 most representative genes were finally selected to establish the prognostic prediction model of BC (the RiskScore model) using the Lasso and StepAIC methods. By establishing a training set and a test set, the efficiency, accuracy and stability of the model in predicting and classifying the prognosis of patients were evaluated. Finally, the 17 immune-related genes were functionally annotated, and GO and KEGG signal pathway enrichment analyses were performed.

Results

We found that these 17 genes were enriched in numerous BC- and immune microenvironment-related pathways. The relationship between the RiskScore and the clinical characteristics of the sample and signaling pathways was also analyzed.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that the prognostic prediction model based on the expression profiles of 17 immune-related genes has demonstrated high predictive accuracy and stability in identifying immune features, which can guide clinicians in the diagnosis and prognostic prediction of BC patients with different immunophenotypes.
Dynamic design method of wellbore structure during drilling operation based on LWD
Authors: Ya-nan Sheng , Weiting Li , Kai Lan , Jinbao Jiang , Hua Kong
Published: November 2020

At present, there is no good method or technology for quantitative evaluation of wellbore structure and engineering risk in the process of deep well drilling in complex formation, and there is no rational understanding of engineering risk mechanism. With the development of MWD and transmission technology, the formation pressure and rock mechanics parameters of the drilled section can be accurately determined in the process of drilling, which provides a basis for the well bore structure and engineering risk assessment in the process of drilling. This paper makes full use of the advantages of MWD and other technologies to seek a method to improve the accuracy of formation pressure prediction with narrow safe density window On this basis, the risk identification methods of leakage, blowout, collapse, sticking and other engineering risks in the process of drilling are studied, and the risk assessment method of dynamic wellbore structure in the process of drilling is established; at the same time, the uncertain parameters in the existing wellbore structure design method are studied, and the design method is improved, so as to minimize the risk of well structure design.
The role of effluent water irrigation in the mineral absorption of aerobic rice varieties (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Ibadzade Marks , Kun Ágnes , Székely Árpád , Szalóki Tímea , Penksza Károly , Jancsó Mihály
Published: November 2020

Quality and quantity of different irrigation water types from conventional and alternative sources have a significant role on the productive parameters and chemical composition of crop plants. Appropriate alternative water sources and the reutilization of agricultural effluents can reduce the impact of rice production and animal husbandry on the natural water bodies. In the present study, influence of four different types of irrigation water was analyzed on the nutrient uptake (P, K, Ca, Mg, Na) of aerobic rice (Oryza sativaL.) in a complex lysimeter experiment in two consecutive years. Early maturing Hungarian rice varieties (M 488 and Janka) were irrigated with traditional river water (RW) and different alternative irrigation sources to evaluate the feasibility of a sodium containing intensive fish farm effluent with (EWG) or without (EW) gypsum supplementation and with the addition of natural river water (EWGR). Significant effects on the mineral content of the aboveground biomass were measured. P uptake by M 488 and Janka decreased after the irrigation with EW in 2017. In case of EW, EWG and EWGR, the Na content increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in both varieties; however, pre-treatment of salt containing effluent waters can moderate the stress level. As a consequence, the ability of both rice varieties to absorb Na suggests that rice production could be conditionally part of bioremediation of salt-affected soils and water bodies.
Metastatic osteosarcoma: A case report on bilateral standard thoracotomy in a child
Authors: Marzban-Rad Saeid , Sattari Parastesh , Azimi Ghasem
Published: November 2020

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Malignant cells from different organs after entering through peripheral blood circulation system trap into the first capillary bed in the lungs.

Presentation of case:

A 11-year-old boy with osteosarcoma in right leg was amputated. He had brain and lung metastasis. He underwent chemotherapy and resection of lung nodules with bilateral thoracotomy in two different phases. The patient was discharged in the healthy condition and clear chest radiography.

Conclusion:

The resection of the adenopathy at the mediastina and hilum pulmonis along with assessment of the hormonal receptors is recommended to determine the stage of the diseases.

Highlights:
Generators of Markov Chains
Authors: Bobrowski Adam
Published: November 2020

Elementary treatments of Markov chains, especially those devoted to discrete-time and finite state-space theory, leave the impression that everything is smooth and easy to understand. This exposition of the works of Kolmogorov, Feller, Chung, Kato, and other mathematical luminaries, which focuses on time-continuous chains but is not so far from being elementary itself, reminds us again that the impression is false: an infinite, but denumerable, state-space is where the fun begins. If you have not heard of Blackwell's example (in which all states are instantaneous), do not understand what the minimal process is, or do not know what happens after explosion, dive right in. But beware lest you are enchanted: 'There are more spells than your commonplace magicians ever dreamed of.'
The Politics of Ballot Design
Authors: Engstrom Erik J. , Roberts Jason M.
Published: November 2020

US federalism grants state legislators the authority to design many aspects of election administration, including ballot features that mediate how citizens understand and engage with the choices available to them when casting their votes. Seemingly innocuous features in the physical design of ballots, such as the option to cast a straight ticket with a single checkmark, can have significant aggregate effects. Drawing on theoretical insights from behavioral economics and extensive data on state ballot laws from 1888 to the present, as well as in-depth case studies, this book shows how strategic politicians use ballot design to influence voting and elections, drawing comparisons across different periods in American history with varying levels of partisanship and contention. Engstrom and Roberts demonstrate the sweeping impact of ballot design on voting, elections, and democratic representation.
Mindfulness and Behaviour Therapy for Insomnia: An Assessment of Treatment Effect in a Sleep Disorders Clinic Population with Insomnia
Authors: Peters Allie , Reece John , Meaklim Hailey , Junge Moira , Cunnington David , Ong Jason C. , Jackson Mervyn , Greenwood Kenneth Mark
Published: November 2020

Insomnia is a common major health concern, which causes significant distress and disruption in a person's life. The objective of this paper was to evaluate a 6-week version of Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Insomnia (MBTI) in a sample of people attending a sleep disorders clinic with insomnia, including those with comorbidities. Thirty participants who met the DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of insomnia participated in a 6-week group intervention. Outcome measures were a daily sleep diary and actigraphy during pre-treatment and follow-up, along with subjective sleep outcomes collected at baseline, end-of-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. Trend analyses showed that MBTI was associated with a large decrease in insomnia severity (p < .001), with indications of maintenance of treatment effect. There were significant improvements in objective sleep parameters, including sleep onset latency (p = .005), sleep efficiency (p = .033), and wake after sleep onset (p = .018). Significant improvements in subjective sleep parameters were also observed for sleep efficiency (p = .005) and wake after sleep onset (p < .001). Overall, this study indicated that MBTI can be successfully delivered in a sleep disorders clinic environment, with evidence of treatment effect for both objective and subjective measures of sleep.
The Low-Density Urban Systems of the Classic Period Maya and Izapa: Insights from Settlement Scaling Theory
Authors: Smith Michael E. , Ortman Scott G. , Lobo José , Ebert Claire E. , Thompson Amy E. , Prufer Keith M. , Liendo Stuardo Rodrigo , Rosenswig Robert M.
Published: November 2020

The peoples of southern Mesoamerica, including the Classic period Maya, are often claimed to exhibit a distinct type of spatial organization relative to contemporary urban systems. Here, we use the settlement scaling framework and properties of settlements recorded in systematic, full-coverage surveys to examine ways in which southern Mesoamerican settlement systems were both similar to and different from contemporary systems. We find that the population-area relationship in these settlements differs greatly from that reported for other agrarian settlement systems, but that more typical patterns emerge when one considers a site epicenter as the relevant social interaction area, and the population administered from a given center as the relevant interacting population. Our results imply that southern Mesoamerican populations mixed socially at a slower temporal rhythm than is typical of contemporary systems. Residential locations reflected the need to balance energetic and transport costs of farming with lower-frequency costs of commuting to central places. Nevertheless, increasing returns in activities such as civic construction were still realized through lower-frequency social mixing. These findings suggest that the primary difference between low-density urbanism and contemporary urban systems lies in the spatial and temporal rhythms of social mixing.
Dietary phytanic acid-induced changes in tissue fatty acid profiles in mice
Authors: Nakanishi Tomonori , Kagamizono Kazuhiro , Yokoyama Sayaka , Suzuki Ryoji , Sakakibara Hiroyuki , Sugamoto Kazuhiro , Erickson Laurie , Kawahara Satoshi
Published: November 2020

The aims of this research communication were to investigate the in vivo tissue accumulation of phytanic acid (PA) and any changes in the tissue fatty acid profiles in mice. Previous in vitro studies have demonstrated that PA is a milk component with the potential to cause both beneficial effects on lipid and glucose metabolism and detrimental effects on neuronal cells. However, there is limited information about its in vivo actions. In this study, mice were fed diets containing either 0.00 or 0.05% 3RS, 7R, 11R-PA, which is the isomer found in milk and the human body. After 4 weeks, adipose tissue, liver and brain were harvested and their fatty acid profiles were determined by gas chromatographic analysis. The results showed that PA and its metabolite pristanic acid accumulated in the adipose tissue of PA-fed mice, and that dietary PA decreased the hepatic compositions of several saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid while increasing the compositions of polyunsaturated fatty acids including linoleic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. However, dietary PA neither accumulated nor had a high impact on the fatty acid profile in the brain. These results suggested that dietary PA could exert its biological activities in adipose tissue and liver, although the brain is relatively less affected by dietary PA. These data provide a basis for understanding the in vivo physiological actions of PA.
Does thyroid-sparing total laryngectomy decrease the risk of hypothyroidism?
Authors: Viljoen G , McGuire J K , Alhadad A , Dalvie S , Fagan J J
Published: November 2020

Background

Thyroid lobectomy is recommended with total laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (‘NCCN’) guidelines. However, it is associated with a 32–89 per cent risk of hypothyroidism, with or without adjuvant radiotherapy.

Objective

The study aimed to determine whether preserving the whole thyroid, compared to a single lobe, does indeed significantly lower the incidence of hypothyroidism in the setting of total laryngectomy.

Method

A retrospective study was conducted at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

Results

Eighty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. The overall incidence of hypothyroidism was 45.2 per cent. The incidence of hypothyroidism was significantly reduced in patients who underwent thyroid-sparing total laryngectomy compared to hemithyroidectomy (p = 0.037). Adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with a higher incidence of hypothyroidism (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Thyroid-preserving laryngectomy should be advocated in carefully selected patients with advanced laryngeal carcinoma, as it reduces the incidence of hypothyroidism.
Consolidating the Collar Line: The Professionalization of Engineering and Social Stratification in Modern Japan
Authors: Choi Jamyung
Published: November 2020

Historians have extensively explored conflicts and reconciliation between labor and management, but have hardly considered how class hierarchy took shape and persisted. This article explores the birth of class hierarchy through the lens of the Tokyo Worker School. While education bureaucrats created this school as a training ground for skilled workers, the school's educators helped their students join white-collar positions and avoid the stigma against manual labor. By tracing this process, I explain how the aspirations of educators and students alike consolidated class hierarchy and explore why the collar line persisted despite the ascent of hitherto under-valued professions, such as engineering.
Framing labor militancy and political exchange in a Spanish Catholic trade union: the Autonomous Union of the Vine in Jerez (1979–1987)
Authors: Roca Beltrán , Bermúdez-Figueroa Eva
Published: November 2020

This article examines the evolution of the Autonomous Union of the Vine (Sindicato Autónomo de la Vid [SAVID]), a radical wine industry union that operated in the Jerez area (Spain) between 1979 and 1987. The SAVID was born as a result of a series of internal conflicts and splits in the trade union Unión Sindical Obrera (USO), which was founded by Christian groups that were influenced by self-management ideas in the province of Cádiz during the 1970s. Drawing on the life stories of two union members, this article analyzes the creation, evolution, and decline of the SAVID labor union of the sherry wine industry in the Jerez area, which can be categorized as a paradigmatic case of “militant particularism.” The biographical narratives of the union members make the identification and analysis of factors involved in both the rise and the decline of this trade union possible. These narratives will also help in contesting the dominant narratives on the role of the trade union movement and the radical Left during the Spanish Transition by providing empirical evidence of labor militancy on a local scale.
US Imperialism and Puerto Rican Needleworkers: Sovereignty, Citizenship, and Women's Labor in a Deep History of Neoliberal Trade
Authors: Loiselle Aimee
Published: November 2020

In 1898, US occupation of Puerto Rico opened possibilities for experimentation with manufacturing, investment, tariffs, and citizenship because the Treaty of Paris did not address territorial incorporation. Imperial experimentation started immediately and continued through the liberal policies of the New Deal and World War II, consistently reproducing drastic exceptions. These exceptions were neither permanent nor complete, but the rearrangements of sovereignty and citizenship established Puerto Rico as a site of potential and persistent exemption. Puerto Rican needleworkers were central to the resulting colonial industrialization-not as dormant labor awaiting outside developmental forces but as skilled workers experienced in production. Following US occupation, continental trade agents and manufacturers noted the intricate needlework of Puerto Rican women and their employment in homes and small shops for contractors across the island. Their cooptation and adaptation of this contracting system led to the colonial industrialization, generating bureaucratic, financial, and legal infrastructure later used in Operation Bootstrap, a long-term economic plan devised in the 1940s and 1950s. Labor unions and aggrieved workers contested and resisted this colonial industrialization. They advocated their own proposals and pushed against US economic policies and insular business management. Throughout these fights, the asymmetrical power of the federal government and industrial capital allowed the colonial regime to assert US sovereignty while continually realigning exemptions and redefining citizenship for liberal economic objectives. Rather than representing a weakening of the nation-state, this strong interventionist approach provided scaffolding for Operation Bootstrap, which became a model for the neoliberal projects called export processing zones (EPZs).
Measuring the Efficacy of a Pilot Public Health Intervention for Engaging Communities of Puerto Rico to Rapidly Write Hurricane Protection Plans
Authors: Keim Mark E. , Runnels Laura A. , Lovallo Alexander P. , Pagan Medina Margarita , Roman Rosa Eduardo , Ramery Santos Maximiliano , Mahany Mollie , Cruz Miguel A.
Published: November 2020

Objective:

The efficacy is measured for a public health intervention related to community-based planning for population protection measures (PPMs; ie, shelter-in-place and evacuation).

Design:

This is a mixed (qualitative and quantitative) prospective study of intervention efficacy, measured in terms of usability related to effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, and degree of community engagement.

Setting:

Two municipalities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico are included.

Participants:

Community members consisting of individuals; traditional leaders; federal, territorial, and municipal emergency managers; municipal mayors; National Guard; territorial departments of education, health, housing, public works, and transportation; health care; police; Emergency Medical Services; faith-based organizations; nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); and the private sector.

Intervention:

The intervention included four community convenings: one for risk communication; two for plan-writing; and one tabletop exercise (TTX). This study analyzed data collected from the project work plan; participant rosters; participant surveys; workshop outputs; and focus group interviews.

Main Outcome Measures:

Efficacy was measured in terms of ISO 9241-11, an international standard for usability that includes effectiveness, efficiency, user satisfaction, and “freedom from risk” among users. Degree of engagement was considered an indicator of “freedom from risk,” measurable through workshop attendance.

Results:

Two separate communities drafted and exercised ~60-page-long population protection plans, each within 14.5 hours. Plan-writing workshops completed 100% of plan objectives and activities. Efficiency rates were nearly the same in both communities. Interviews and surveys indicated high degrees of community satisfaction. Engagement was consistent among community members and variable among governmental officials.

Conclusions:

Frontline communities have successfully demonstrated the ability to understand the environmental health hazards in their own community; rapidly write consensus-based plans for PPMs; participate in an objective-based TTX; and perform these activities in a bi-lingual setting. This intervention appears to be efficacious for public use in the rapid development of community-based PPMs.
Exploiting native language interference for native language identification
Authors: Markov Ilia , Nastase Vivi , Strapparava Carlo
Published: November 2020

Native language identification (NLI)—the task of automatically identifying the native language (L1) of persons based on their writings in the second language (L2)—is based on the hypothesis that characteristics of L1 will surface and interfere in the production of texts in L2 to the extent that L1 is identifiable. We present an in-depth investigation of features that model a variety of linguistic phenomena potentially involved in native language interference in the context of the NLI task: the languages’ structuring of information through punctuation usage, emotion expression in language, and similarities of form with the L1 vocabulary through the use of anglicized words, cognates, and other misspellings. The results of experiments with different combinations of features in a variety of settings allow us to quantify the native language interference value of these linguistic phenomena and show how robust they are in cross-corpus experiments and with respect to proficiency in L2. These experiments provide a deeper insight into the NLI task, showing how native language interference explains the gap between baseline, corpus-independent features, and the state of the art that relies on features/representations that cover (indiscriminately) a variety of linguistic phenomena.
Social Cognition and Cognitive Decline in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Alonso-Recio Laura , Carvajal Fernando , Merino Carlos , Serrano Juan Manuel
Published: November 2020

Social cognition (SC) comprises an array of cognitive and affective abilities such as social perception, theory of mind, empathy, and social behavior. Previous studies have suggested the existence of deficits in several SC abilities in Parkinson disease (PD), although not unanimously.

Objective:

The aim of this study is to assess the SC construct and to explore its relationship with cognitive state in PD patients.

Method:

We compare 19 PD patients with cognitive decline, 27 cognitively preserved PD patients, and 29 healthy control (HC) individuals in social perception (static and dynamic emotional facial recognition), theory of mind, empathy, and social behavior tasks. We also assess processing speed, executive functions, memory, language, and visuospatial ability.

Results:

PD patients with cognitive decline perform worse than the other groups in both facial expression recognition tasks and theory of mind. Cognitively preserved PD patients only score worse than HCs in the static facial expression recognition task. We find several significant correlations between each of the SC deficits and diverse cognitive processes.

Conclusions:

The results indicate that some components of SC are impaired in PD patients. These problems seem to be related to a global cognitive decline rather than to specific deficits. Considering the importance of these abilities for social interaction, we suggest that SC be included in the assessment protocols in PD.
Food pantries select healthier foods after nutrition information is available on their food bank’s ordering platform
Authors: Martin Katie , Xu Ran , Schwartz Marlene B
Published: November 2020

Objective:

In the USA, community-based food pantries provide free groceries to people struggling with food insecurity. Many pantries obtain food from regional food banks using an online shopping platform. A food bank introduced a visible nutrition rank (i.e. green, yellow or red) onto its platform. The hypothesis was that pantry orders would increase for the healthiest options (green) and decrease for the least healthy options (red).

Design:

Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis of a natural experiment. Monthly data included nutrition ranks of available inventory and itemised records of all products ordered during the 15-month baseline period and 14-month intervention.

Setting:

A New England food bank.

Participants:

The twenty-five largest food pantries in the network based on pounds of food ordered.

Results:

Descriptive analyses of 63 922 pantry ordering records before and after the visible ranks identified an increase in the proportion of green items ordered (39·3–45·4 %) and a decrease in the proportion of red items ordered (10·5–5·1 %). ITS analyses controlling for monthly changes in inventory available and pantry variables indicated that average monthly orders of green items increased by 1286 pounds (P< 0·001) and red orders decreased by 631 pounds (P= 0·045). Among the largest changes were increases in orders of fresh produce, brown rice, low-fat dairy and low-fat meats and decreases in orders of sugary juice drinks, canned fruit with added sugar, higher fat dairy and higher fat meats.

Conclusions:

This promising practice can support system-wide efforts to promote healthier foods within the food banking network.
The scalpel, the calculator and the judge in France: from technical perspective to legal evidence
Authors: Juston Morival Romain , Pélisse Jérôme
Published: November 2020

In France, judicial expertise operates within a specific institutional framework at the same time as it covers a distinctive community of practitioners called upon for their technical or scientific knowledge to serve justice. Indeed, while experts in the US are selected by the litigants, the French model features judge-appointed experts. This model could offer better guarantee of independence and neutrality, to the point that recent developments in the US suggest the emergence of a new court-appointed expert. What does such an institutional model involve in terms of evidence production? To answer this question, this paper looks at two areas of expertise in France: economic experts and forensic pathologists. Through an ethnography of the co-production of legal evidence, it analyses the black box of the French practices of legal expertise and allows the way in which the institutional context influences the producing of legal evidence, beyond differences between a scalpel and a calculator, to be understood.
Study of effective permittivity for a multilayer substrate dipole antenna
Authors: Barakat Julien Moussa H. , Ndagijimana Fabien
Published: November 2020

The design of integrated systems requires the knowledge of the values of the effective permittivity of the substrate. Designing antenna using computer-aided design tools is a long process that necessitates doing iterative steps to find the correct dimensions that meet specific requirements at a certain operating frequency. The objective of this work is to propose an analytic model to reduce the time required for the design. By using electromagnetic simulation, the effect of the relative permittivity and the height of the substrate on the final effective permittivity have been studied. An analytic model that helps the designer in estimating the value of the effective permittivity has been proposed.
Ocean Acidification and Short‐Term Organic Matter Enrichment Alter Coral Reef Sediment Metabolism Through Different Pathways
Authors: Lantz Coulson A. , Schulz Kai G. , Eyre Bradley D.
Published: November 2020

Ocean acidification (OA) and organic matter (OM) enrichment (due to coastal eutrophication) could act in concert to shift coral reef carbonate sediments from a present state of net calcification to a future state of net dissolution, but no studies have examined the combined effect of these stressors on sediment metabolism and dissolution. This study used 22‐h incubations in flume aquaria with captive sediment communities to measure the combined effect of elevated pCO2 (representing Ocean Acidification) and particulate organic carbon (representing coastal eutrophication) on coral reef sediment gross primary productivity (GPP), respiration (R), and net calcification (Gnet). Relative to control sediment communities, both OA (pCO2 ~ 1,000 μatm) and OM enrichment (~ +40 μmol C L−1) significantly decreased rates of sediment Gnet by 1.16 and 0.18 mmol CaCO3 m−2 h−1, respectively, but the mechanism behind this decrease differed. The OA‐mediated transition to net dissolution was physiochemical, as rates of GPP and R remained unaffected and dissolution was solely enhanced by a decline in the aragonite saturation state (Ωarg) of the overlying water column and the physical factors governing the pore water exchange rate with this overlying water column. In contrast, the OM‐mediated decline in Gnet was due to a decline in the overlying seawater Ωarg due to the increased respiratory addition of CO2. The decrease in Gnet in response to a combination of both stressors was additive (−0.09 mmol CaCO3 m−2 h−1 relative to OA alone), but this decrease did not significantly differ from the individual effect of either stressor. In this study OA was the primary driver of future carbonate sediment dissolution, but longer‐term experiments with chronic organic matter enrichment are required.
Satellite Gravity Constraints on the Antarctic Moho and Its Potential Isostatic Adjustments
Authors: Zhang Chaoyang , von Frese Ralph R. B. , Shum C. K. , Leftwich Timothy E. , Kim Hyung Rae , Golynsky Alexander V.
Published: November 2020

We investigate the impact of combining Gravity Field and Steady‐state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite gravity anomaly and Bedmap2 terrain relief data to enhance Antarctic seismic Moho estimates over the satellite's coverage region south of latitude 60°S. The study considers improving the seismic surface wave‐inferred AN1 Moho (An et al., 2015a, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JB011332) from misfits of the gravitational effects of the terrain and the seismic Moho computed at 250 km altitude. The updates also relate the GOCE gravity anomalies that correlate directly and inversely with the terrain's gravity effects as isostatic anomalies of the uncompensated mantle relief. These terrain‐correlated effects infer potential isostatic adjustments of the Moho that may help constrain the crust's stress field, track the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains to the Kerguelen mantle hotspot, and further test the putative Wilkes Land impact basin for its crustal attributes. Analysis of the gravity‐updated seismic AN1 Moho (sAMoho) estimates suggests that most are within the seismic errors of several kilometers or less. However, the gravity‐updated estimates that are deeper than the sAMoho estimates tend to characterize anomalously hot upper mantle where the assumed mantle‐to‐crust density contrast may be too low. These Moho difference estimates discern elevated heat flow for the Maud Rise, Kerguelen Plateau, Pacific‐Antarctic Ridge, and most of western Antarctica extending from the Pacific‐Antarctic Ridge along the Transantarctic Mountains and across the Ross Sea through Marie Byrd Land and the western margin of the Antarctic Peninsula Microplate to the Scotia Ridge. The methodology of this study also is effective in updating any Moho model for improved gravity and terrain data.
Total Aquatic Carbon Emissions Across the Boreal Biome of Québec Driven by Watershed Slope
Authors: Casas‐Ruiz Joan P. , Hutchins Ryan H. S. , del Giorgio Paul A.
Published: November 2020

Inland waters emit large amounts of CO2 and CH4 to the atmosphere, partially offsetting the sequestration of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the incorporation of inland waters into landscape carbon budgets remains challenging, hampered by a lack of studies that consider both carbon gases and the variety of aquatic systems (streams, rivers, and lakes). Here we develop a whole‐network assessment of total aquatic carbon emissions for a set of large watersheds in boreal Québec, Canada. Expressed per unit watershed area, our estimates of total (CO2 + CH4) aquatic carbon emissions range between 11 and 38 g C m−2 yr−1 and cannot be predicted from the size of the watershed or the total surface area of aquatic systems. Rather, we show that total aquatic emissions vary across the boreal landscape of Québec as a function of the average slope of the watershed, which indirectly accounts for the configuration of aquatic networks, the physical forcing that influences gas exchange in fluvial systems, and the potential amount of soil carbon reaching aquatic systems. Total aquatic carbon emissions in boreal Québec are of the same range and magnitude of variation than other components of the boreal carbon budget and could offset terrestrial net ecosystem productivity by as much as 38%.
Advances in transcriptome analysis of human brain aging
Authors: Ham Seokjin , Lee Seung-Jae V.
Published: November 2020

Aging is associated with gradual deterioration of physiological and biochemical functions, including cognitive decline. Transcriptome profiling of brain samples from individuals of varying ages has identified the whole-transcriptome changes that underlie age-associated cognitive declines. In this review, we discuss transcriptome-based research on human brain aging performed by using microarray and RNA sequencing analyses. Overall, decreased synaptic function and increased immune function are prevalent in most regions of the aged brain. Age-associated gene expression changes are also cell dependent and region dependent and are affected by genotype. In addition, the transcriptome changes that occur during brain aging include different splicing events, intersample heterogeneity, and altered levels of various types of noncoding RNAs. Establishing transcriptome-based hallmarks of human brain aging will improve the understanding of cognitive aging and neurodegenerative diseases and eventually lead to interventions that delay or prevent brain aging.
Stone–Wales defects in hexagonal boron nitride as ultraviolet emitters
Authors: Hamdi Hanen , Thiering Gergő , Bodrog Zoltán , Ivády Viktor , Gali Adam
Published: November 2020

Many quantum emitters have been measured close or near the grain boundaries of the two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride where various Stone–Wales defects appear. We show by means of first principles density functional theory calculations that the pentagon–heptagon Stone–Wales defect is an ultraviolet emitter and its optical properties closely follow the characteristics of a 4.08-eV quantum emitter, often observed in polycrystalline hexagonal boron nitride. We also show that the square–octagon Stone–Wales line defects are optically active in the ultraviolet region with varying gaps depending on their density in hexagonal boron nitride. Our results may introduce a paradigm shift in the identification of fluorescent centres in this material.
Weak acids induce PGE2 production in human oesophageal cells: novel mechanisms underlying GERD symptoms
Authors: Sadatomi Daichi , Kono Toru , Mogami Sachiko , Fujitsuka Naoki
Published: November 2020

The role of weak acids with pH values in the range of 4–7 has been implicated in the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is associated with heartburn symptom in GERD patients; however, the precise productive mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we revealed that exposure to weak acids increases PGE2 production with a peak at pH 4–5, slightly in human normal oesophageal cells (Het-1A), and robustly in oesophageal squamous carcinoma cells (KYSE-270). Release of PGE2 from the oesophageal mucosa was augmented by weak acid treatment in rat. Chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), a bile acid, upregulated cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in Het-1A and KYSE-270 and induced PGE2 production in KYSE-270 cells. Weak acid-induced PGE2 production was significantly inhibited by cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), ERK, and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 4 (TRPV4), a pH-sensing ion channel, inhibitors. Hangeshashinto, a potent inhibitor of COX-2, strongly decreased weak acid- and CDCA-induced PGE2 levels in KYSE-270. These results indicated that weak acids induce PGE2 production via TRPV4/ERK/cPLA2 in oesophageal epithelial cells, suggesting a role in GERD symptoms like heartburn. Interventions targeting pH values up to 5 may be necessary for the treatment of GERD.
EYS is a major gene involved in retinitis pigmentosa in Japan: genetic landscapes revealed by stepwise genetic screening
Authors: Numa Shogo , Oishi Akio , Higasa Koichiro , Oishi Maho , Miyata Manabu , Hasegawa Tomoko , Ikeda Hanako Ohashi , Otsuka Yuki , Matsuda Fumihiko , Tsujikawa Akitaka
Published: November 2020

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has greatly advanced the studies of causative genes and variants of inherited diseases. While it is sometimes challenging to determine the pathogenicity of identified variants in NGS, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics established the guidelines to help the interpretation. However, as to the genetic screenings for patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in Japan, none of the previous studies utilized the guidelines. Considering that EYS is the major causative gene of RP in Japan, we conducted stepwise genetic screening of 220 Japanese patients with RP utilizing the guidelines. Step 1–4 comprised the following, in order: Sanger sequencing for two major EYS founder mutations; targeted sequencing of all coding regions of EYS; whole genome sequencing; Sanger sequencing for Alu element insertion in RP1, a recently determined founder mutation for RP. Among the detected variants, 2, 19, 173, and 1 variant(s) were considered pathogenic and 8, 41, 44, and 5 patients were genetically solved in step 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Totally, 44.5% (98/220) of the patients were genetically solved, and 50 (51.0%) were EYS-associated and 5 (5.1%) were Alu element-associated. Among the unsolved 122 patients, 22 had at least one possible pathogenic variant.
Prevalence and status of Lipoprotein (a) among Lebanese school children
Authors: Gannagé-Yared Marie-Hélène , Lahoud Christina , Younes Nada , Chedid Rima , Sleilaty Ghassan
Published: November 2020

Lipoprotein a (Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of high Lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) in the Lebanese pediatric population is unknown. Our study aims to assess this prevalence and to study the relationship of Lp(a) with the lipid profile, age, body mass index (BMI) and socio-economic status (SES) in Lebanese schoolchildren. A total of 961 children aged 8–18 years (497 boys and 464 girls) were recruited from ten private and public schools in 2013–2014 using a stratified random sample. Schools were selected from the Greater Beirut and Mount Lebanon areas, and were categorized into three subgroups according to the schools’ SES status (high, medium, low). Lp(a) was assayed in 2018 on samples previously frozen at − 80 °C. Abnormal Lp(a) levels (≥ 75 nmol/L) were observed in 14.4% of the overall sample (13.5% for boys,15.3% of girls p = 0.56). The median of Lp(a) was 20(10–50) in the whole sample with no significant gender difference. No significant relationship was found between Lp(a) and age. However, Lp(a) was significantly correlated with BMI in whole sample, as well as in boys and girls (p = 0.02, p = 0.03, p = 0.03, respectively). A significant correlation was found between Lp(a) and non-HDL-C in the whole sample as well as in boys and girls (respectively p < 0.001,p = 0.024 and p = 0.03), but not with triglycerides and HDL-C. In a multivariate linear regression analysis, Lp(a) was only independently associated with BMI and non-HDL-C in boys and girls. Lp(a) was independently associated with BMI and non-HDL-C while no significant relationship was observed with age and sex confirming the strong genetic determination of Lp(a).
Ultraviolet protection of Bacillus thuringiensis through microencapsulation with Pickering emulsion method
Authors: Jalali Elham , Maghsoudi Shahab , Noroozian Ebrahim
Published: November 2020

An encapsulated formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) was produced by the Pickering emulsion technique to improve its activity and stability under UV-A radiation. In this technique latex particles, GO nanosheets, olive oil, ethanol, and water were used to encapsulate Bt in colloidosomes. The protective efficacy of this formulation in protecting Bt subsp. Kurstaki against deactivation by UV-A irradiation was measured, so that spore viability and mortality on Ephestia kuehniella (E. kuehniella) Zeller larvae under UV-A radiation are investigated. According to the results of both tests, encapsulated formulation at a concentration of 0.045% has the highest protection of viability. Hence, colloidosome microcapsule formulations successfully provide good protection against UV radiation.
Spontaneous intake of essential oils after a negative postnatal experience has long-term effects on blood transcriptome in chickens
Authors: Foury Aline , Collin Anne , Helbling Jean-Christophe , Leterrier Christine , Moisan Marie-Pierre , Guilloteau Laurence A.
Published: November 2020

Chicks subjected to early stressful factors could develop long-lasting effects on their performances, welfare and health. Free access to essential oils (EO) in poultry farming could mitigate these effects and potentially reduce use of antimicrobial drugs. This study on chicken analyzed long-lasting effects of post-hatch adverse conditions (Delayed group), and the impact of EO intake on blood physiological parameters and transcriptome. Half of the Control and Delayed groups had free access to EO, while the other half had only water for the first 13 days post-hatching. Blood analyses of metabolites, inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers, and mRNA expression showed sex differences. Long-lasting effects of postnatal experience and EO intake persisted in blood transcriptome at D34. The early adverse conditions modified 68 genes in males and 83 genes in females. In Delayed males six transcription factors were over-represented (NFE2L2, MEF2A, FOXI1, Foxd3, Sox2 and TEAD1). In females only one factor was over-represented (PLAG1) and four under-represented (NFIL3, Foxd3, ESR2 and TAL1::TCF3). The genes showing modified expression are involved in oxidative stress, growth, bone metabolism and reproduction. Remarkably, spontaneous EO intake restored the expression levels of some genes affected by the postnatal adverse conditions suggesting a mitigating effect of EO intake.
Effects of the technique and drill design used during the osteotomy on the thermal and histological stimulation
Authors: Gehrke Sergio Alexandre , Treichel Tiago Luis Eliers , Aramburú Júnior Jaime , de Aza Piedad N. , Prados-Frutos Juan Carlos
Published: November 2020

The objective of our in vivo study was to compare the effects of the osteotomy on the thermal alterations, the bone healing and count of polymorphonuclear cells, comparing the drill design (cylindrical or conical) using continuous or intermittent movement. Twelve rabbits were used, which were made four osteotomies (n = 2 per tibia) to simulate the surgical drilling sequence for the installation of a dental implant at 8 mm of length and regular diameter. Four groups were proposed: group G1, cylindrical drill with continuous movement; group G2, cylindrical drill with intermittent movement; group G3, conical drill with continuous movement; and, group G4, conical drill with intermittent movement. Thermal mean variation was 6.91 ± 1.4 °C in group 1, 4.30 ± 1.3 °C in group 2, 2.78 ± 0.6 °C in group 3, and 2.77 ± 0.7 °C in group 4. Whereas the mean area of new bone formation was 1.00 ± 0.3 mm2 in group 1, 1.48 ± 0.3 mm2 in group 2, 2.20 ± 0.4 mm2 in group 3, and 2.43 ± 0.4 mm2in group 4. The mean count of polymorphonuclear cells, in the group 1 was 62.4 ± 5.9 cells, group 2 was 50.7 ± 4.2 cells, group 3 was 44.4 ± 3.7 cells, and group 4 was 42.4 ± 3.7 cells. The conical drill sequence produced a significantly smaller increase in temperature during both techniques (continuous and intermittent), more effective new bone formation and a smaller number of polymorphonuclear cells. During the osteotomy for the installation of implants, the professional must take to consider the drill design to perform a less traumatic surgical technique, which can improve and facilitate the healing of peri-implant tissues.
Menopausal factors and risk of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis in postmenopausal women: a nationwide cohort study of 1.36 million women
Authors: Eun Yeonghee , Jeon Keun Hye , Han Kyungdo , Kim Dahye , Kim Hyungjin , Lee Jaejoon , Lee Dong-Yun , Yoo Jung Eun , Shin Dong Wook
Published: November 2020

In previous literature regarding development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), female reproductive factors have been described as protective factors, risk factors, or irrelevant, leading to inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of female reproductive factors on the incidence of seropositive RA. A large population-based retrospective cohort of the National Health Insurance Service data in South Korea was used. Postmenopausal women who participated in both cardiovascular and breast cancer screening in 2009 were included and followed until date of seropositive RA diagnosis, death, or December 31, 2018. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the association between reproductive factors and incident seropositive RA. Of 1,357,736 postmenopausal women, 6056 women were diagnosed with seropositive RA, and the incidence rate was 54.16 cases/100,000 person-years. Reproductive factors other than hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were not significantly associated with seropositive RA incidence. Postmenopausal women who used HRT ≥ 5 years were associated with a higher aHR of incident seropositive RA than never-users (aHR 1.25; 95% CI 1.09–1.44). Alcohol consumption less than 30 g per day (aHR 0.80; 95% CI 0.74–0.87), regular physical activity (aHR 0.90; 95% CI 0.84–0.97), diabetes mellitus (aHR 0.85; 95% CI 0.78–0.93), and cancer (aHR 0.77; 95% CI 0.64–0.92) were associated with lower risk of seropositive RA. Most female reproductive factors did not significantly affect the development of seropositive RA in postmenopausal women. Only HRT is associated with a small but significant increase in risk of seropositive RA.
Information theory and dimensionality of space
Authors: Kak Subhash
Published: November 2020

We present an information-theoretic approach to the optimal representation of the intrinsic dimensionality of data and show it is a noninteger. Since optimality is accepted as a physical principle, this provides a theoretical explanation for why noninteger dimensions are useful in many branches of physics, where they have been introduced based on experimental considerations. Noninteger dimensions correlate with lesser density as in the Hausdorff dimension and this can have measurable effects. We use the lower density of noninteger dimension to resolve the problem of two different values of the Hubble constant obtained using different methods.