bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptive and selective production of syllable duration and fundamental frequency as word segmentation cues by French-English bilinguals
Authors: Gilbert Annie C. , Wolpert Max , Saito Haruka , Kousaie Shanna , Itzhak Inbal , Baum Shari R.
Published: December 2019

Despite the significant impact of prosody on L2 speakers' intelligibility, few studies have examined the production of prosodic cues associated with word segmentation in non-native or non-dominant languages. Here, 62 French-English bilingual adults, who varied in L1 (French or English) and language dominance, produced sentences built around syllable strings that can be produced either as one bisyllabic word or two monosyllabic words. Each participant produced both English and French utterances, providing both native productions (used as reference) and L2 productions. Acoustic analyses of the mean fundamental frequency (F0) and duration of both syllables of the ambiguous string revealed that speakers' relative language dominance affected the speakers' prosodic cue production over and above L1. Speakers also produced different prosodic patterns in English and French, suggesting that the production of prosodic cues associated with word-segmentation is both adaptive (modified by language experience) and selective (specific to each language).
Modeling of multiply connected sound spaces by the surface coupling approach
Authors: Du Liangfen , Pavić Goran
Published: December 2019

The surface coupling approach is employed to predict the sound field in multiply connected spaces (rooms) with internal noise sources. The coupling is achieved by developing sound pressure and particle velocity at the interfaces between rooms in simple interface functions. Plane surface harmonics can be employed as interface functions where rectangular interfaces are concerned. Using the blocked sound pressure and impedance across the interface surfaces as acoustical descriptors, each room can be identified separately. The acoustical continuity conditions can then be applied to obtain the resulting sound field. Using this approach, the prediction of the sound field created by point sources in three connected parallelepipedic rooms was successfully carried out. The parametric study shows that the normalized harmonics wavenumber equal to 2 times the normalized sound wavenumber enables acceptable sound prediction. Further application was done by predicting sound energy flow of three monopole sources in a rectangular space coupled with a semi-infinite field.
Reliability of the Hand-Held Dynamometer During Hip Isometric Strength Testing Both With and Without a Stabilization Strap
Authors: Beard Megan Q. , Boland Samantha A. , Gribble Phillip A.
Published: December 2019

Decreased hip strength is often present in patients with chronic overuse lower extremity injuries. The hand-held dynamometer (HHD) can be used in a clinical setting to quantify hip strength; however, reliability of the device remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the interexaminer and intersession reliability of a HHD when measuring isometric hip abduction (HABD) and external rotation (HER) strength, both with and without a fixed strap. The HHD had good to high reliability regardless of examiner, session, or stabilization when measuring HABD (ICC = 0.885–0.977) and HER (ICC = 0.879–0.958) isometric strength. HHD is an appropriate instrument for measuring isometric hip strength.
Metabolic rewiring of the hypertensive kidney
Authors: Rinschen Markus M. , Palygin Oleg , Guijas Carlos , Palermo Amelia , Palacio-Escat Nicolas , Domingo-Almenara Xavier , Montenegro-Burke Rafael , Saez-Rodriguez Julio , Staruschenko Alexander , Siuzdak Gary
Published: December 2019

Multi-omics analyses reveal that metabolic changes occur early in hypertension-induced kidney disease.
Mutations that TANK a kinase
Authors: Foley John F.
Published: December 2019

ALS-associated mutations in the kinase TBK1 with the same pathological outcome affect distinct signaling pathways.
A Whole-Cell Screen Identifies Small Bioactives That Synergize with Polymyxin and Exhibit Antimicrobial Activities against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria
Authors: Zimmerman Shawn M. , Lafontaine Audrey-Ann J. , Herrera Carmen M. , Mclean Amanda B. , Trent M. Stephen
Published: December 2019

The threat of diminished antibiotic discovery has global health care in crisis. In the United States, it is estimated each year that over 2 million bacterial infections are resistant to first-line antibiotic treatments and cost in excess of 20 billion dollars.
Ability of Bicarbonate Supplementation To Sensitize Selected Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
Strains to β-Lactam Antibiotics in an
Ex Vivo
Simulated Endocardial Vegetation Model
Authors: Rose Warren E. , Bienvenida Ana M. , Xiong Yan Q. , Chambers Henry F. , Bayer Arnold S. , Ersoy Selvi C.
Published: December 2019

Supplementation of standard growth media (cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton Broth [CAMHB]) with bicarbonate (NaHCO
3
) increases β-lactam susceptibility of selected methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) strains (“NaHCO
3
responsive”). This “sensitization” phenomenon translated to enhanced β-lactam efficacy in a rabbit model of endocarditis.
Impact of T
h
1 CD4 Follicular Helper T Cell Skewing on Antibody Responses to an HIV-1 Vaccine in Rhesus Macaques
Authors: Verma Anil , Schmidt Brian A. , Elizaldi Sonny R. , Nguyen Nancy K. , Walter Korey A. , Beck Zoltan , Trinh Hung V. , Dinasarapu Ashok R. , Lakshmanappa Yashavanth Shaan , Rane Niharika N. , Matyas Gary R. , Rao Mangala , Shen Xiaoying , Tomaras Georgia D. , LaBranche Celia C. , Reimann Keith A. , Foehl David H. , Gach Johannes S. , Forthal Donald N. , Kozlowski Pamela A. , Amara Rama R. , Iyer Smita S.
Published: December 2019

The results of the RV144 trial demonstrated that vaccination could prevent HIV transmission in humans and that longevity of anti-Env antibodies may be key to this protection. Efforts to improve upon the prime-boost vaccine regimen used in RV144 have indicated that booster immunizations can increase serum anti-Env antibody titers but only transiently. Poor antibody durability hampers efforts to develop an effective HIV-1 vaccine. This study was designed to identify the specific elements involved in the immunological mechanism necessary to produce robust HIV-1-specific antibodies in rhesus macaques. By clearly defining immune-mediated pathways that improve the magnitude and functionality of the anti-HIV-1 antibody response, we will have the foundation necessary for the rational development of an HIV-1 vaccine.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Ectomycorrhizal Ascomycete
Sphaerosporella brunnea
Authors: Benucci Gian Maria Niccolò , Haridas Sajeet , Labutti Kurt , Marozzi Giorgio , Antonielli Livio , Sanchez Sergio , Marco Pedro , Wang Xinxin , Barry Kerrie , Lipzen Anna , Chovatia Mansi , Hundley Hope , Baciarelli Falini Leonardo , Murat Claude , Martin Francis , Albertini Emidio , Donnini Domizia , Grigoriev Igor V. , Bonito Gregory
Published: December 2019

Sphaerosporella brunnea
is a pioneer ectomycorrhizal fungus with facultative saprophytic capacities. Here, we sequenced the genome of
S. brunnea
strain Sb_GMNB300, which is estimated at 51.6 Mb in size with 872 assembled contigs accounting for 12,597 predicted coding genes. This genome will be useful for comparative studies of Pezizales ectomycorrhizal symbioses.
Draft Whole-Genome Sequences of Two Western European Borrelia miyamotoi Isolates
Authors: Kuleshov Konstantin V. , Hoornstra Dieuwertje , Sprong Hein , Platonov Alexander E. , Hovius Joppe W.
Published: December 2019

We report the draft whole-genome sequences of two
Borrelia miyamotoi
strains isolated in The Netherlands. Using next-generation sequencing, we determined the complete sequence of the chromosomes and several plasmids. The two strains show a genotype typical of European strains, distinct from the genomes of strains from Asia or the United States.
Complete Genome Sequence of Citrobacter freundii Siphophage Sazh
Authors: Crossland Whitney L. , Shaw Justin P. , O’Leary Chandler , Gill Jason , Liu Mei
Published: December 2019

As an opportunistic pathogen,Citrobacter freundiiis involved in a wide spectrum of nosocomial infections.C. freundiiphages may prove useful as therapeutics for treating infections caused by multidrug-resistantC. freundiistrains. Here, we report the complete genome sequence ofC. freundiisiphophage Sazh, which is closely related toEnterobacteriaphages T1 and TLS.
Effects of Cenozoic subduction along the outboard margin of the Northern Cordillera: Derived from e-book on the Northern Cordillera (Alaska and Western Canada) and adjacent marine areas
Authors: Nokleberg Warren J. , Scholl David W. , Bundtzen Thomas K. , Stone David B.
Published: December 2019

This article describes the regional effects of Cenozoic subduction along the outboard margin of the Northern Cordillera (Alaska, USA, and Western Canada), and thereby acquaints the reader with several chapters of the e-book Dynamic Geology of the Northern Cordillera (Alaska, Western Canada, and Adjacent Marine Areas). This article and the e-book are written for earth-science students and teachers. The level of writing for the article and the source e-book is that of popular science magazines, and readers are encouraged to share this article with students and laypersons.

The main thrust of the article is to present and describe a suite of ten regional topographic, bathymetric, and geologic maps, and two figures portraying deep-crustal sections that illustrate the regional effects of Cenozoic subduction along the outboard margin of the North American Cordillera. The regional maps and cross sections are described in a way that a teacher might describe a map to students.

Cenozoic subduction along the margin of the Northern Cordillera resulted in the formation of the following: (1) underthrusting of terranes and oceanic lithosphere beneath Southern Alaska; (2) landscapes, including narrow continental shelves along Southern and Southeastern Alaska and Western Canada (the Canadian Cordillera) and continental-margin mountain ranges, including the Alaska Peninsula, Chugach Range, Saint Elias Mountains, and Cascade Mountains; (3) sedimentary basins; (4) an array of active continental strike-slip and thrust faults (inboard of subduction zones); (5) earthquake belts related to subduction of terranes and oceanic plates; (6) active volcanoes, including continental-margin arcs (the Aleutian, Wrangell, and Cascade Arcs) linked to subduction zones, and interior volcanic belts related to strike-slip faulting or to hot spots; (7) lode and placer mineral deposits related to continental margin arcs or subduction of oceanic ridges; (8) hot springs related to continental-margin arcs; (9) plate movements as recorded from GPS measurements; and (10) underthrusting of terranes and oceanic lithosphere beneath the Northern Cordillera.
Geochronology of the Oliverian Plutonic Suite and the Ammonoosuc Volcanics in the Bronson Hill arc: Western New Hampshire, USA
Authors: Valley Peter M. , Walsh Gregory J. , Merschat Arthur J. , McAleer Ryan J.
Published: December 2019

U-Pb zircon geochronology by sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe–reverse geometry (SHRIMP-RG) on 11 plutonic rocks and two volcanic rocks from the Bronson Hill arc in western New Hampshire yielded Early to Late Ordovician ages ranging from 475 to 445 Ma. Ages from Oliverian Plutonic Suite rocks that intrude a largely mafic lower section of the Ammonoosuc Volcanics ranged from 474.8 ± 5.2 to 460.2 ± 3.4 Ma. Metamorphosed felsic volcanic rocks from within the Ammonoosuc Volcanics yielded ages of 460.1 ± 2.4 and 455.0 ± 11 Ma. Younger Oliverian Plutonic Suite rocks that either intrude both the upper and lower Ammonoosuc Volcanics or Partridge Formation ranged in age from 456.1 ± 6.7 Ma to 445.2 ± 6.7 Ma.

These new data and previously published results document extended magmatism for >30 m.y. The ages, along with the lack of mappable structural discontinuities between the plutons and their volcanic cover, suggest that the Bronson Hill arc was part of a relatively long-lived composite arc. The Early to Late Ordovician ages presented here overlap with previously determined igneous U-Pb zircon ages in the Shelburne Falls arc to the west, suggesting that the Bronson Hill arc and the Shelburne Falls arc could be part of one, long-lived composite arc system, in agreement with the interpretation that the Iapetus suture (Red Indian Line) lies to the west of the Shelburne Falls–Bronson Hill arc system.
Surgical-site mucormycosis infection in a solid-organ transplant recipient and a concise review of the literature
Authors: Haque Husham , Nettboy Scott , Kumar Sunil
Published: December 2019

Surgical-site mucormycosis infections in solid-organ transplant recipients are rare conditions, with only 15 previously reported cases. We describe a case of a 49-year-old man who received a liver transplant due to alcoholic cirrhosis. On postoperative day 14, necrosis was noticed at the surgical site. After mucormycosis was diagnosed, monotherapy with amphotericin was started along with surgical debridements. Due to continued clinical deterioration, triple antifungal therapy was started with amphotericin, micafungin and posaconazole. Treatment with a granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor was also started. Despite therapy, the patient expired on postoperative day 31. We review the risk factors for mucormycosis infection in solid-organ transplant recipients as well as evidence for current treatment options. We also review the 15 previously reported cases of surgical-site mucormycosis infections in solid-organ transplant recipients, including time to infection, infecting organisms, mortality and treatments.
Effectiveness of management strategies for uninvestigated dyspepsia: systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Eusebi Leonardo H , Black Christopher J , Howden Colin W , Ford Alexander C
Published: December 2019

Objective

To determine the effectiveness of management strategies for uninvestigated dyspepsia.

Design

Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Data sources

Medline, Embase, Embase Classic, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and clinicaltrials.gov from inception to September 2019, with no language restrictions. Conference proceedings between 2001 and 2019.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Randomised controlled trials that assessed the effectiveness of management strategies for uninvestigated dyspepsia in adult participants (age ≥18 years). Strategies of interest were prompt endoscopy; test for Helicobacter pylori and perform endoscopy in participants who test positive; test for H pylori and eradication treatment in those who test positive (“test and treat”); empirical acid suppression; or symptom based management. Trials reported dichotomous assessment of symptom status at final follow-up (≥12 months).

Results

The review identified 15 eligible randomised controlled trials that comprised 6162 adult participants. Data were pooled using a random effects model. Strategies were ranked according to P score, which is the mean extent of certainty that one management strategy is better than another, averaged over all competing strategies. “Test and treat” ranked first (relative risk of remaining symptomatic 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.78 to 1.02, P score 0.79) and prompt endoscopy ranked second, but performed similarly (0.90, 0.80 to 1.02, P score 0.71). However, no strategy was significantly less effective than “test and treat.” Participants assigned to “test and treat” were significantly less likely to receive endoscopy (relative risk v prompt endoscopy 0.23, 95% confidence interval 0.17 to 0.31, P score 0.98) than all other strategies, except symptom based management (relative risk v symptom based management 0.60, 0.30 to 1.18). Dissatisfaction with management was significantly lower with prompt endoscopy (P score 0.95) than with “test and treat” (relative risk v “test and treat” 0.67, 0.46 to 0.98), and empirical acid suppression (relative risk v empirical acid suppression 0.58, 0.37 to 0.91). Upper gastrointestinal cancer rates were low in all trials. Results remained stable in sensitivity analyses, with minimal inconsistencies between direct and indirect results. Risk of bias of individual trials was high; blinding was not possible because of the pragmatic trial design.

Conclusions

“Test and treat” was ranked first, although it performed similarly to prompt endoscopy and was not superior to any of the other strategies. “Test and treat” led to fewer endoscopies than all other approaches, except symptom based management. However, participants showed a preference for prompt endoscopy as a management strategy for their symptoms.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO registration number CRD42019132528.
Evaluation protocol to assess maternal and child health outcomes using administrative data: a community health worker home visiting programme
Authors: Sabo Samantha , Butler Matthew , McCue Kelly , Wightman Patrick , Pilling Vern , Celaya Martín , Rumann Sara
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Emerging evidence suggests community health workers (CHWs) delivering preventive maternal and child health (MCH) interventions through home visiting improve several important health outcomes, including initiation of prenatal care, healthy birth weight and uptake of childhood immunisations.

Methods and analysis

The Arizona Health Start Program is a behavioral-based home visiting intervention, which uses CHWs to improve MCH outcomes through health education, referral support, and advocacy services for at-risk pregnant and postpartum women with children up to 2 years of age. We aim to test our central hypothesis that mothers and children exposed to this intervention will experience positive health outcomes in the areas of (1) newborn health; (2) maternal health and healthcare utilisation; and (3) child health and development. This paper outlines our protocol to retrospectively evaluate Health Start Program administrative data from 2006 to 2015, equaling 15 576 enrollees. We will use propensity score matching to generate a statistically similar control group. Our analytic sample size is sufficient to detect meaningful programme effects from low-frequency events, including preterm births, low and very low birth weights, maternal morbidity, and differences in immunisation and hospitalisation rates.

Ethics and dissemination

This work is supported through an inter-agency contract from the Arizona Department of Health Services and is approved by the University of Arizona Research Institutional Review Board (Protocol 1701128802, approved 25 January 2017). Evaluation of the three proposed outcome areas will be completed by June 2020.
Older care home residents’ and their relatives’ knowledge, understanding and views of shift handovers: an exploratory, focused-ethnographic qualitative study using interviews and observations
Authors: Orellana Katharine , Lipman Valerie , Manthorpe Jill , Moriarty Jo , Norrie Caroline , Elaswarapu Rekha
Published: December 2019

Objectives

To investigate residents’ and relatives’ views and experiences of handovers in care homes. This paper reports residents’ and relatives’ awareness of handovers, knowledge of and views on handover practices and purpose, and views on handover effectiveness. Outcomes, safety and satisfaction in clinical settings are influenced by shift handovers. Despite this link with quality, residents’ increasing support needs and the provision of 24 hours care in care homes for older people, little is known about handovers in these settings from a resident and visiting relative perspective.

Setting

Five purposively sampled care homes for older people in South East England.

Participants

Home managers (n=5), residents (n=16) relatives of residents (n=10) were interviewed; residents (n=15) and their interactions with staff were observed during handover periods. Participation was voluntary and subject to consent. Residents were identified by managers as having mental capacity to take a decision about participation which was then assessed. An ethnographic approach to data collection was taken, preceded by an evidence review.

Results

Shift handovers were largely invisible processes to participating residents and relatives, many of whom had given little thought to handover practice, logistics or effectiveness prior to study participation. Their awareness and understanding of handovers, handover practices, and handover purpose and effectiveness varied. There appeared to be an underlying assumption that administrative procedures in care homes would operate without input from residents or relatives. A small number of residents, however, were highly aware of the routine of handovers and the implications of this for the timing of and response to their requests for care or support.

Conclusions

The care home setting and perspectives of the effectiveness of handovers may influence awareness of, knowledge of and levels of interest in involvement in handovers.
Cost-effectiveness of telephone coaching for physically inactive ambulatory care hospital patients: economic evaluation alongside the Healthy4U randomised controlled trial
Authors: Barrett Stephen , Begg Stephen , O'Halloran Paul , Kingsley Michael
Published: December 2019

Objective

To assess whether telephone coaching is a cost-effective method for increasing physical activity and health-related quality of life for insufficiently active adults presenting to an ambulatory care clinic in a public hospital.

Design

An economic evaluation was performed alongside a randomised controlled trial.

Setting

Participants were recruited from an ambulatory care clinic in a public hospital in regional Australia.

Participants

Seventy-two adults (aged 18–69) deemed insufficiently physically active via self-report.

Interventions

Participants were randomised to either an intervention group that received an education session and eight sessions of telephone coaching over a 12-week period, or to a control group that received the education session only. The intervention used in the telephone coaching was integrated motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Outcome measures

The primary health outcome was change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), objectively measured via accelerometry. The secondary outcome was the quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) determined by the 12-item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire. Outcome data were measured at baseline, postintervention (3 months) and follow-up (6 months). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated for each outcome. Non-parametric bootstrapping techniques and sensitivity analyses were performed to account for uncertainty.

Results

The mean intervention cost was $279±$13 per person. At 6 months follow-up, relative to control, the intervention group undertook 18 more minutes of daily MVPA at an ICER of $15/min for each additional minute of MVPA. With regard to QALYs, the intervention yielded an ICER of $36 857 per QALY gained. Sensitivity analyses indicated that results were robust to varied assumptions.

Conclusion

Telephone coaching was a low-cost strategy for increasing MVPA and QALYs in insufficiently physically active ambulatory care hospital patients. Additional research could explore the potential economic impact of the intervention from a broader healthcare perspective.

Trial registration number

ANZCTR: ACTRN12616001331426.
Molecular point-of-care testing for influenza A/B and respiratory syncytial virus: comparison of workflow parameters for the ID Now and cobas Liat systems
Authors: Young Stephen , Phillips Jamie , Griego-Fullbright Christen , Wagner Aaron , Jim Patricia , Chaudhuri Sheena , Tang Shaowu , Sickler Joanna
Published: December 2019

Aims

Point-of-care (POC) tests for influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) offer the potential to improve patient management and antimicrobial stewardship. Studies have focused on performance; however, no workflow assessments have been published comparing POC molecular tests. This study compared the Liat and ID Now systems workflow, to assist end-users in selecting an influenza and/or RSV POC test.

Methods

Staffing, walk-away and turnaround time (TAT) of the Liat and ID Now systems were determined using 40 nasopharyngeal samples, positive for influenza or RSV. The ID Now system requires separate tests for influenza and RSV, so parallel (two instruments) and sequential (one instrument) workflows were evaluated.

Results

The ID Now ranged 4.1–6.2 min for staffing, 1.9–10.9 min for walk-away and 6.4–15.8 min for TAT per result. The Liat ranged 1.1–1.8 min for staffing, 20.0–20.5 min for walk-away and 21.3–22.0 min for TAT. Mean walk-away time comprised 38.0% (influenza positive) and 68.1% (influenza negative) of TAT for ID Now and 93.7% (influenza/RSV) for Liat. The ID Now parallel workflow resulted in medians of 5.9 min for staffing, 9.7 min for walk-away and 15.6 min for TAT. Assuming prevalence of 20% influenza and 20% RSV, the ID Now sequential workflow resulted in medians of 9.4 min for staffing, 17.4 min for walk-away, and 27.1 min for TAT.

Conclusions

The ID Now and Liat systems offer different workflow characteristics. Key considerations for implementation include value of both influenza and RSV results, clinical setting, staffing capacity, and instrument(s) placement.
Evaluation of a gender-affirming healthcare curriculum for second-year medical students
Authors: Thompson Hale , Coleman Jennifer A , Iyengar Ravi M , Phillips Shay , Kent Paul M , Sheth Neeral
Published: December 2019

Background

Transgender medicine is an emergent subfield with clearly identified educational gaps.

Aims

This manuscript evaluates a gender-affirming healthcare curriculum for second-year medical (M2) students.

Methods

Students received a survey assessing Gender Identity Competency in terms of skills, knowledge and attitudes regarding transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) issues. The authors administered the survey before and after the delivery of the curriculum. The curriculum included five online modules, a quiz, a 3-hour case-based workshop and a 2-hour interactive patient-provider panel.

Results

Approximately 60% of M2 students (n=77) completed both preassessments and postassessments. The following showed a statistically significant improvement from preassessment to postassessment: student Gender Identity Competency, t(76) = −11.07, p<0.001; skills, t(76) = −15.22, p<0.001; and self-reported knowledge, t(76) = −4.36, p<0.001. Negative attitudes did not differ (p=0.378). Interest in TGNC issues beyond healthcare settings did not change (p=0.334). M2 students reported a significant change in experience role-playing chosen pronouns in a clinical setting, t(76) = −8.95, p<0.001.

Conclusions

The curriculum improved students’ gender-affirming medical competency, knowledge and skills. The development of a sustained, longitudinal curriculum is recommended in addition to the continuing education of faculty to reinforce this expanding knowledge and skills base and to address discomfort working with this population.
Interpretation of interannual variability in long-term aquatic ecological surveys
Authors: Cauvy-Fraunié Sophie , Trenkel Verena M. , Daufresne Martin , Maire Anthony , Capra Hervé , Olivier Jean-Michel , Lobry Jérémy , Cazelles Bernard , Lamouroux Nicolas
Published: December 2019

Long-term ecological surveys (LTES) often exhibit strong variability among sampling dates. The use and interpretation of such interannual variability is challenging due to the combination of multiple processes involved and sampling uncertainty. Here, we analysed the interannual variability in ∼30 years of 150 species density (fish and invertebrate) and environmental observation time series in four aquatic systems (stream, river, estuary, and marine continental shelf) with different sampling efforts to identify the information provided by this variability. We tested, using two empirical methods, whether we could observe simultaneous fluctuation between detrended time series corresponding to widely acknowledged assumptions about aquatic population dynamics: spatial effects, cohort effects, and environmental effects. We found a low number of significant results (36%, 9%, and 0% for spatial, cohort, and environmental effects, respectively), suggesting that sampling uncertainty overrode the effects of biological processes. Our study does not question the relevance of LTES for detecting important trends, but clearly indicates that the statistical power to interpret interannual variations in aquatic species densities is low, especially in large systems where the degree of sampling effort is always limited.
Caffeic acid phenethyl ester attenuates changes in pancreatic tissue damage biomarkers induced by cisplatin
Authors: Stošić Biljana , Janković Radmilo , Stošić Marija , Marković Danica , Veselinović Ines , Ilić Ivan , Sokolović Dušan
Published: December 2019

Application of cisplatin (CP) for the treatment of different cancers is known to cause pancreatitis through an increase in reactive oxygen species production and promotion of inflammation. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), the main activity carrier of propolis extracts, was previously found to possess numerous beneficial properties. This study aims to determine for the first time the potential of CAPE in preventing CP-induced pancreatic tissue damage by studying the changes occurring on both biochemical and microscopic levels. The levels of serum α-amylase and a panel of pancreatic tissue biomarkers related to tissue injury (reduced glutathione, xanthine oxidase, malondialdehyde, and protein carbonylated concentration) and inflammation (myeloperoxidase, nitric oxide, and umor necrosis factor alpha) were studied in male Wistar rats treated with either CP alone or with CP and CAPE. Additionally, microscopic analysis of pancreatic tissue would be conducted as well. Application of CAPE together with CP statistically significantly prevented the disturbance in all here-studied pancreatic tissue damage and inflammation-related biomarkers. The changes in pancreas biochemical status was followed by morphological disturbance. The results of the present study suggest that CAPE could act as a protective agent in pancreatic damage that arises after CP application.
NNLO charmed-meson fragmentation functions and their uncertainties in the presence of meson mass corrections
Authors: Salajegheh Maral , Moosavi Nejad S. Mohammad , Soleymaninia Maryam , Khanpour Hamzeh , Tehrani S. Atashbar
Published: December 2019

The main aim of this paper is to present new sets of non-perturbative fragmentation functions (FFs) for $$D^0$$D0 and $$D^+$$D+ mesons at next-to-leading (NLO) and, for the first time, at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in the $$\overline{\mathrm {MS}}$$MS¯ factorization scheme with five massless quark flavors. This new determination of FFs is based on the QCD fit to the experimental data for hadron production in the electron-positron single-inclusive annihilation (SIA). We discuss in detail the novel aspects of the methodology used in our analysis and the validity of obtained FFs by comparing with previous works in literature which have been carried out up to NLO accuracy. We will also incorporate the effect of charmed meson mass corrections into our QCD analysis and discuss the improvements upon inclusion of these effects. The uncertainties in the extracted FFs as well as in the corresponding observables are estimated using the “Hessian” approach. For a typical application, we use our new FFs to make theoretical predictions for the energy distributions of charmed mesons inclusively produced through the decay of unpolarized top quarks, to be measured at the CERN LHC. As a result of this analysis, suggestions are discussed for possible future studies on the current topic to consider any theory improvements and other available experimental observables.
Orbits in nonsupersymmetric magic theories
Authors: Marrani Alessio , Romano Luca
Published: December 2019

We determine and classify the electric-magnetic duality orbits of fluxes supporting asymptotically flat, extremal black branes in [Formula: see text] space–time dimensions in the so-called nonsupersymmetric magic Maxwell–Einstein theories, which are consistent truncations of maximal supergravity and which can be related to Jordan algebras (and related Freudenthal triple systems) over the split complex numbers [Formula: see text] and the split quaternions [Formula: see text]. By studying the stabilizing subalgebras of suitable representatives, realized as bound states of specific weight vectors of the corresponding representation of the electric-magnetic duality symmetry group, we obtain that, as for the case of maximal supergravity, in magic nonsupersymmetric Maxwell–Einstein theories there is no splitting of orbits, namely there is only one orbit for each nonmaximal rank element of the relevant Jordan algebra (in [Formula: see text] and 6) or of the relevant Freudenthal triple system (in [Formula: see text]).
Alleviating the B̄ → Dτντ and B̄ → D∗τντ puzzle in the MSSM
Authors: Boubaa Dris , Khalil Shaaban , Moretti Stefano
Published: December 2019

We show that Supersymmetric effects driven by penguin contributions to the [Formula: see text] transition are able to account simultaneously for a sizeable increase of both branching ratios of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] with respect to the Standard Model predictions, thereby approaching their experimentally measured values. We emphasize that a light chargino and neutralino, with masses less than 300 GeV, in addition to a large stau/sneutrino mass and a large [Formula: see text], are essential for enhancing the effect of the lepton penguin [Formula: see text], which is responsible for the improved theoretical predictions with respect to current data.
Crustal growth of the Eastern Dharwar Craton: a Neoarchean collisional orogeny?
Authors: Mohan M. Ram , Asokan Ajay Dev , Wilde Simon A.
Published: December 2019

The Eastern Dharwar Craton (EDC) is predominantly made of Neoarchean potassic granitoids with subordinate linear greenstone belts. Available geochemical and isotopic systematics of these granitoids suggest variations in the source and petrogenetic mechanisms. By compiling the available geochemical data, these granitoids can be classified into four groups, namely: TTGs (tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite); sanukitoids; biotite and two-mica granites; and hybrid granites. This classification scheme is in line with the global classification of Neoarchean granites, and enables the sources and petrogenetic mechanisms of these variants to be distinguished. Available geochemical, isotopic and geochronological datasets of these granitoids are integrated and the existing tectonic models for the Neoarchean EDC are reviewed. The variability of the EDC granitoids is ascribed to crustal reworking associated with the collision of two continental blocks. The tectonomagmatic evolution of the EDC is analogous to the development of the Himalayan Orogeny. Based on the evolutionary history of the Dharwar Craton, it can be concluded that convergent margin tectonics were operational in the Indian Shield from at least
c.
3.3 Ga and continued into the Phanerozoic. However, the nature and style of plate tectonics could be different with time.
Revitalizing exploration and redevelopment of deep carbonate targets in the Southern Apennines thrust belt (southern Italy): reappraising vintage data with modern approaches
Authors: Pace P. , Di Cuia R. , Mascolo V.
Published: December 2019

Hydrocarbon distribution in the Southern Apennines thrust belt of Italy is directly related to the geological characteristics and complex evolution of the thrust tectonic pile involving units from different palaeogeographical domains. Within this structural–stratigraphic context, the main exploration target is represented by the carbonate units of the Apulian Platform, which contain the largest and deepest oilfields in the region.

By integrating different types (e.g. wells, seismic, maps, reports) of legacy public and confidential data of various vintages, the subsurface structural setting of the contractional Apulian structures around the Benevento Field in the Southern Apennines hydrocarbon province is reconstructed.

The discovery dates back to the early 1970s. The reservoir consists of Cretaceous–Lower Miocene carbonates at a depth of around 3000 m below sea level bearing both oil and gas. A new digital interpretation and integration, which takes into account the most recent understanding of the evolution of this thrust belt, has allowed reconstruction of the trap style of the Benevento Field and of the prospective (undrilled) structures in the surrounding area. A history of positive inversion tectonics is interpreted from a 2D kinematic restoration; this has important implications for both the structural style and the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Southern Apennines thrust belt.
Reasoning about a Machine with Local Capabilities
Authors: Skorstengaard Lau , Devriese Dominique , Birkedal Lars
Published: December 2019

Capability machines provide security guarantees at machine level which makes them an interesting target for secure compilation schemes that provably enforce properties such as control-flow correctness and encapsulation of local state. We provide a formalization of a representative capability machine with local capabilities and study a novel calling convention. We provide a logical relation that semantically captures the guarantees provided by the hardware (a form of capability safety) and use it to prove control-flow correctness and encapsulation of local state. The logical relation is not specific to our calling convention and can be used to reason about arbitrary programs.
Effective Selection of a Compact and High-Quality Review Set with Information Preservation
Authors: Chen Jiawei , Liu Hongyan , Yang Yinghui (Catherine) , He Jun
Published: December 2019

Consumers increasingly make informed buying decisions based on reading online reviews for products and services. Due to the large volume of available online reviews, consumers hardly have the time and patience to read them all. This article aims to select a compact set of high-quality reviews that can cover a specific set of product features and related consumer sentiments. Selecting such a subset of reviews can significantly save the time spent on reading reviews while preserving the information needed. A unique review selection problem is defined and modeled as a bi-objective combinatorial optimization problem, which is then transformed into a minimum-cost set cover problem that is NP-complete. Several approximation algorithms are then designed, which can sustain performance guarantees in polynomial time. Our effective selection algorithms can also be upgraded to handle dynamic situations. Comprehensive experiments conducted on twelve real datasets demonstrate that the proposed algorithms significantly outperform benchmark methods by generating a more compact review set with much lower computational cost. The number of reviews selected is much smaller compared to the quantity of all available reviews, and the selection efficiency is deeply increased by accelerating strategies, making it very practical to adopt the methods in real-world online applications.
Comparative profiling of skeletal muscle models reveals heterogeneity of transcriptome and metabolism
Authors: Abdelmoez Ahmed M. , Sardón Puig Laura , Smith Jonathon A. B. , Gabriel Brendan M. , Savikj Mladen , Dollet Lucile , Chibalin Alexander V. , Krook Anna , Zierath Juleen R. , Pillon Nicolas J.
Published: December 2019

Rat L6, mouse C2C12, and primary human skeletal muscle cells (HSMCs) are commonly used to study biological processes in skeletal muscle, and experimental data on these models are abundant. However, consistently matched experimental data are scarce, and comparisons between the different cell types and adult tissue are problematic. We hypothesized that metabolic differences between these cellular models may be reflected at the mRNA level. Publicly available data sets were used to profile mRNA levels in myotubes and skeletal muscle tissues. L6, C2C12, and HSMC myotubes were assessed for proliferation, glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis, mitochondrial activity, and substrate oxidation, as well as the response to in vitro contraction. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that mRNA of genes coding for actin and myosin was enriched in C2C12, whereas L6 myotubes had the highest levels of genes encoding glucose transporters and the five complexes of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Consistently, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and oxidative capacity were greatest in L6 myotubes. Insulin-induced glycogen synthesis was highest in HSMCs, but C2C12 myotubes had higher baseline glucose oxidation. All models responded to electrical pulse stimulation-induced glucose uptake and gene expression but in a slightly different manner. Our analysis reveals a great degree of heterogeneity in the transcriptomic and metabolic profiles of L6, C2C12, or primary human myotubes. Based on these distinct signatures, we provide recommendations for the appropriate use of these models depending on scientific hypotheses and biological relevance.
Neural control of cardiovascular function in black adults: implications for racial differences in autonomic regulation
Authors: Drew Rachel C. , Charkoudian Nisha , Park Jeanie
Published: December 2019

Black adults are at increased risk for developing hypertension and cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease and have greater associated morbidity/mortality than white adults who are otherwise demographically similar. Despite the key role of the autonomic nervous system in the regulation of cardiovascular function, the mechanistic contributions of sympathetic nerves to racial differences in cardiovascular dysfunction and disease remain poorly understood. In this review, we present an update and synthesis of current understanding regarding the roles of autonomic neural mechanisms in normal and pathophysiological cardiovascular control in black and white adults. At rest, many hemodynamic and autonomic variables, including blood pressure, cardiac output, and sympathetic nerve activity, are similar in healthy black and white adults. However, resting sympathetic vascular transduction and carotid baroreflex responses are altered in ways that tend to promote increased vasoconstriction and higher blood pressure, even in healthy, normotensive black adults. Acute sympathoexcitatory maneuvers, including exercise and cold pressor test, often result in augmented sympathetic and hemodynamic responses in healthy black adults. Clinically, although mechanistic evidence is scarce in this area, existing data support the idea that excessive sympathetic activation and/or transduction into peripheral vasoconstriction contribute importantly to the pathophysiology of hypertension and chronic kidney disease in black compared with white adults. Important areas for future work include more detailed study of sympathetic and hemodynamic reactivity to exercise and other stressors in male and female black adults and, particularly, sympathetic control of renal function, an important area of clinical concern in black patients.
Exercise as an anti-inflammatory therapy for cancer cachexia: a focus on interleukin-6 regulation
Authors: Daou Hélène N.
Published: December 2019

Cancer cachexia is a complicated disorder of extreme, progressive skeletal muscle wasting. It is directed by metabolic alterations and systemic inflammation dysregulation. Numerous studies have demonstrated that increased systemic inflammation promotes this type of cachexia and have suggested that cytokines are implicated in the skeletal muscle loss. Exercise is firmly established as an anti-inflammatory therapy that can attenuate or even reverse the process of muscle wasting in cancer cachexia. The interleukin IL-6 is generally considered to be a key player in the development of the microenvironment of malignancy; it promotes tumor growth and metastasis by acting as a bridge between chronic inflammation and cancerous tissue and it also induces skeletal muscle atrophy and protein breakdown. Paradoxically, a beneficial role for IL-6 has also been identified recently, and that is its status as a “founding member” of the myokine class of proteins. Skeletal muscle is an important source of circulating IL-6 in people who participate in exercise training. IL-6 acts as an anti-inflammatory myokine by inhibiting TNFα and improving glucose uptake through the stimulation of AMPK signaling. This review discusses the action of IL-6 in skeletal muscle tissue dysfunction and the role of IL-6 as an “exercise factor” that modulates the immune system. This review also sheds light on the main considerations related to the treatment of muscle wasting in cancer cachexia.
Obesity-induced sympathoexcitation is associated with Nrf2 dysfunction in the rostral ventrolateral medulla
Authors: Balasubramanian Priya , Asirvatham-Jeyaraj Ninitha , Monteiro Raisa , Sivasubramanian Mahesh Kumar , Hall Delton , Subramanian Madhan
Published: December 2019

Increases in sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) have been implicated in obesity-induced risk for cardiovascular diseases, especially hypertension. Previous studies indicate that oxidative stress in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), a key brain stem region that regulates sympathetic outflow to peripheral tissues, plays a pathogenic role in obesity-mediated sympathoexcitation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not clear. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory genes and confers cytoprotection against oxidative stress. The present study was designed to investigate whether Nrf2 dysfunction was associated with obesity-induced oxidative stress in the RVLM and sympathoexcitation. C57BL/6J mice were fed with chow or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 wk. Blood pressure parameters were assessed by radiotelemeters in conscious freely moving mice. SNA was measured by heart rate variability analysis and also through assessment of depressor response to ganglionic blockade. The RVLM was microdissected for gene expression and protein analysis (Western blot analysis and activity assay) related to Nrf2 signaling. Our results showed that HFD-induced obesity resulted in significant increases in SNA, although we only observed a mild increase in mean arterial pressure. Obesity-induced oxidative stress in the RVLM was associated with impaired Nrf2 signaling marked by decreased Nrf2 activity, downregulation of Nrf2 mRNA, its target genes [NAD(P)H quinone dehyrogenase 1 ( Nqo1) and superoxide dismutase 2 ( Sod2)], and inflammation. Our findings suggest that obesity results in Nrf2 dysfunction, which likely causes maladaptation to oxidative stress and inflammation in the RVLM. These mechanisms could potentially contribute to obesity-induced sympathoexcitation.