bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Altitude‐related shift of relative abundance from insect to sunbird pollination in Elaeagnus umbellata (Elaeagnaceae)
Authors: Pi Hua‐Qiang , Quan Qiu‐Mei , Wu Bo , Lv Xiao‐Wen , Shen Li‐Min , Huang Shuang‐Quan
Published: September 2020

The evolution of floral traits has been thought to be influenced by local, effective pollinators. However, little attention has been paid to the possibility that altitudinal variation in floral traits could be mediated by local pollinator functional groups, particularly a shift from bees to birds. Plant size, floral traits, pollinators and their pollination roles were investigated in the spring‐flowering shrub Elaeagnus umbellata (Elaeagnaceae) at three altitudes (1160, 1676, and 2050 m) in Minshan, Sichuan Province, on the northern rim of the Hengduan Mountains, southwest China. Compared to lower altitudes, higher‐altitude plants were smaller but the floral tubes were longer, with a larger volume of nectar of lower sugar concentration but with a greater proportion of sucrose. The visitation frequency of bees decreased with altitude, whereas the sunbirds did the opposite. Birds and bees foraged for nectar but not pollen, and birds deposited more pollen grains per visit relative to bees and least were syrphid flies. Excluding birds decreased seed set at high but not at mid‐ or low altitude. Our study of E. umbellata revealed an association between altitudinal variation in floral traits and a change in the relative abundance of the major pollinators with altitude from majority bees to majority sunbirds. Although abiotic factors also tend to vary with altitude and can affect floral traits, nectar properties of “pro‐bird” pollination were observed at high altitude.
Fossil fruits of Illigera (Hernandiaceae) from the Eocene of central Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wang Teng‐Xiang , Del Rio Cédric , Manchester Steven R. , Liu Jia , Wu Fei‐Xiang , Deng Wei‐Yu‐Dong , Su Tao , Zhou Zhe‐Kun
Published: September 2020

Illigera (Hernandiaceae) is a liana genus distributed mainly in the tropical Asia and Africa. Previous fossil records suggested that Illigera was restricted in western North America during the Eocene. Recent paleobotanical investigation has unveiled a Paleogene flora that is totally different from today's vegetation in central Tibet. This provides novel insights into the paleoenvironmental change during the evolution of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Here, we investigated 10 fruit impressions of Illigera from the early middle Eocene Niubao Formation in the Bangor Basin, central TP. The fossil winged fruits are characterized by their eroded fruit wings, well preserved fusiform locular areas with a median ridge bisecting the fruit, and short veins fanning radially outward. These features allow us to assign these fossils to Illigera eocenica, a species originally discovered in the Eocene of western North America. This is the second fossil occurrence of Illigera worldwide, and the first in Asia. Our finding suggests a warm and humid climate in the central TP during the early middle Eocene, and a close floristic link between Asia and North America during the Paleogene. We also propose a Northern Hemisphere origin and a Paleogene dispersal event from Northern Hemisphere to Africa for Illigera.
Allopregnanolone and perampanel as adjuncts to midazolam for treating diisopropylfluorophosphate‐induced status epilepticus in rats
Authors: Dhir Ashish , Bruun Donald A. , Guignet Michelle , Tsai Yi‐Hua , González Eduardo , Calsbeek Jonas , Vu Joan , Saito Naomi , Tancredi Daniel J. , Harvey Danielle J. , Lein Pamela J. , Rogawski Michael A.
Published: September 2020

Combinations of midazolam, allopregnanolone, and perampanel were assessed for antiseizure activity in a rat diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) status epilepticus model. Animals receiving DFP followed by atropine and pralidoxime exhibited continuous high‐amplitude rhythmical electroencephalography (EEG) spike activity and behavioral seizures for more than 5 hours. Treatments were administered intramuscularly 40 min after DFP. Seizures persisted following midazolam (1.8 mg/kg). The combination of midazolam with either allopregnanolone (6 mg/kg) or perampanel (2 mg/kg) terminated EEG and behavioral status epilepticus, but the onset of the perampanel effect was slow. The combination of midazolam, allopregnanolone, and perampanel caused rapid and complete suppression of EEG and behavioral seizures. In the absence of DFP, animals treated with the three‐drug combination were sedated but not anesthetized. Animals that received midazolam alone exhibited spontaneous recurrent EEG seizures, whereas those that received the three‐drug combination did not, demonstrating antiepileptogenic activity. All combination treatments reduced neurodegeneration as assessed with Fluoro‐Jade C staining to a greater extent than midazolam alone, and most reduced astrogliosis as assessed by GFAP immunoreactivity but had mixed effects on markers of microglial activation. We conclude that allopregnanolone, a positive modulator of the GABAA receptor, and perampanel, an AMPA receptor antagonist, are potential adjuncts to midazolam in the treatment of benzodiazepine‐refractory organophosphate nerve agent–induced status epilepticus.
Deciphering transcriptional regulators of banana fruit ripening by regulatory network analysis
Authors: Kuang Jian‐Fei , Wu Chao‐Jie , Guo Yu‐Fan , Walther Dirk , Shan Wei , Chen Jian‐Ye , Chen Lin , Lu Wang‐Jin
Published: September 2020

Fruit ripening is a critical phase in the production and marketing of fruits. Previous studies have indicated that fruit ripening is a highly coordinated process, mainly regulated at the transcriptional level, in which transcription factors play essential roles. Thus, identifying key transcription factors regulating fruit ripening as well as their associated regulatory networks promises to contribute to a better understanding of fruit ripening. In this study, temporal gene expression analyses were performed to investigate banana fruit ripening with the aim to discern the global architecture of gene regulatory networks underlying fruit ripening. Eight time points were profiled covering dynamic changes of phenotypes, the associated physiology and levels of known ripening marker genes. Combining results from a weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) as well as cis‐motif analysis and supported by EMSA, Y1H, tobacco‐, banana‐transactivation experimental results, the regulatory network of banana fruit ripening was constructed, from which 25 transcription factors were identified as prime candidates to regulate the ripening process by modulating different ripening‐related pathways. Our study presents the first global view of the gene regulatory network involved in banana fruit ripening, which may provide the basis for a targeted manipulation of fruit ripening to attain higher banana and loss‐reduced banana commercialization.
Mining twitter to explore the emergence of COVID‐19 symptoms
Authors: Guo Jia‐Wen , Radloff Christina L. , Wawrzynski Sarah E. , Cloyes Kristin G.
Published: September 2020

Background

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in United States initially alerted the public to three COVID‐19 signs and symptoms—fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath. Concurrent social media posts reflected a wider range of symptoms of COVID‐19 besides these three symptoms. Because social media data have a potential application in the early identification novel virus symptoms, this study aimed to explore what symptoms mentioned in COVID‐19‐related social media posts during the early stages of the pandemic.

Methods

We collected COVID‐19‐related Twitter tweets posted in English language between March 30, 2020 and April 19, 2020 using search terms of COVID‐19 synonyms and three common COVID‐19 symptoms suggested by the CDC in March. Only unique tweets were extracted for analysis of symptom terms.

Results

A total of 36 symptoms were extracted from 30,732 unique tweets. All the symptoms suggested by the CDC for COVID‐19 screening in March, April, and May were mentioned in tweets posted during the early stages of the pandemic.

Discussion

The findings of this study revealed that many COVID‐19‐related symptoms mentioned in Twitter tweets earlier than the announcement by the CDC. Monitoring social media data is a promising approach to public health surveillance.
Myoepithelioma of soft tissue and bone, and myoepithelioma‐like tumors of the vulvar region: Clinicopathological study of 15 cases by PLAG1 immunohistochemistry
Authors: Segawa Keiko , Sugita Shintaro , Aoyama Tomoyuki , Takenami Tomoko , Asanuma Hiroko , Kojima Yui , Inayama Yoshiaki , Hasegawa Tadashi
Published: September 2020

We demonstrated the clinicopathological findings of 13 myoepitheliomas of soft tissue and bone (MESTBs) and two myoepithelioma‐like tumors of the vulvar region (MELTVRs), focusing on the association between nuclear atypia and clinical course, and the utility of immunohistochemistry (IHC) of pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) for the pathological diagnosis of these tumors. Of the 13 MESTBs, eight, one and four cases exhibited mild, moderate and severe nuclear atypia, respectively. Two cases with venous invasion showed severe nuclear atypia and both died of advanced disease. Two MELTVR cases showed moderate nuclear atypia and had no evidence of disease after surgery. On IHC, 12 of 13 (92.3%) MESTBs showed PLAG1 immunoreactivity and none of the MELTVRs expressed PLAG1. In addition, MELTVRs showed loss of INI1 expression. In contrast, all MESTBs retained INI1 expression. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detected EWSR1, FUS and PLAG1 rearrangement in 5 (38.5%), 0 (0%) and 2 (15.4%) of the 13 MESTBs, respectively. No EWSR1, FUS and PLAG1 rearrangement were observed in the METLVRs. In conclusion, MESTBs with both severe nuclear atypia and venous invasion would be indicative of malignant potential. PLAG1 might be a useful IHC marker in MESTB diagnosis.
A Robust Price‐Setting Newsvendor Problem
Authors: He Rongchuan , Lu Ye
Published: September 2020

The price‐setting newsvendor problem is well studied in the literature. However, it is commonly assumed that retailers have complete demand information modeled as a function of price and random noise. In reality, a retailer may have very limited information on a demand model because a retailer who has exercised only a few prices does not have sufficient information to accurately estimate a demand model. This creates a gap between academic research and practical applications. In this study, we consider the price‐setting newsvendor problem in which the retailer knows the expected demand on a few exercised price points and the distribution of the random noise. Both additive and multiplicative demand models are studied. The retailer makes price and inventory decisions to minimize the maximum regret, which is defined as the difference between the expected profit based on limited demand information and that based on complete demand information. We show that this robust optimization problem can be reduced to a one‐dimensional optimization problem, and we derive the optimal price and inventory decisions. We also provide a demand learning policy that can reduce the minmax regret to any δ within [Formula: see text] steps. We also study the problem in which the retailer maximizes the worst‐case profit, and we obtain similar results. Extensive numerical studies show that our method has a great performance that dominates that of the regression method.
International Taxation and Production Outsourcing
Authors: Lai Guoming , Liu Yixuan , Xiao Wenqiang
Published: September 2020

This paper studies the effects of international taxation on multinational firms’ production outsourcing strategies, which has attracted recent attention from both practitioners and legislators. We formulate a stylized economic model with information asymmetry and find that under the territorial tax system, the presence of global tax disparity may result in subtle changes of a firm's production outsourcing strategy. In particular, the tax consideration can make a multinational firm more inclined to procure materials by its overseas subsidiary and then resell the materials to the contract manufacturer to retain profit in the low tax jurisdiction. Such an effect can not only cause the firm to choose a more expensive material supplier but also overproduce the products. Therefore, besides the general concern of income shifting, tax considerations can further lead to operational distortions. We show that to reduce tax disparity while preventing tax exemption for shifted foreign profit may lead to a win‐win outcome for the firm and the home country stakeholders. The firm will make more efficient operational decisions to obtain a higher after‐tax profit at a certain reduced tax rate, while the home country stakeholders can receive more tax income. Interestingly, the foreign contract manufacturer may also benefit from such a change.
Empowerment and intimate partner violence: Domestic abuse when household income is uncertain
Authors: Bulte Erwin , Lensink Robert
Published: September 2020

Intimate partner violence is an important global health problem that remains ill understood. Several studies have documented that female empowerment may increase violence against women—the so‐called “male backlash.” We propose a utilitarian explanation for this phenomenon, based on the assumption that violence may be used as an instrument to affect the distribution of the household surplus between the spouses. Our main result is that promoting norms of gender equity (or otherwise enhancing the prospects of divorced women) may inadvertently promote violence against women in settings where production outcomes are uncertain.
Democracy in the neighborhood and foreign direct investment
Authors: Pinar Mehmet , Stengos Thanasis
Published: September 2020

The determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) have been extensively studied. Even though there is extensive research in the area, most of it is based on analyzing the effects of host country characteristics on FDI flows, and yet there is little research on how neighboring country characteristics play a role in facilitating FDI flows to host countries. This paper analyzes the association between the democracy level in neighboring countries and FDI flows to host countries. Using bilateral FDI flows from the OECD countries, with a large host country sample, we find that countries surrounded by democratic countries attract higher FDI flows. Furthermore, we find evidence that countries that are surrounded by neighboring countries with good institutions tend themselves to have better institutions, experience lower civil conflict, and have higher political stability and hence indirectly attract higher FDI flows. Our findings suggest that if neighboring countries act in such way as to become more democratic, FDI flows to these countries would be higher since not only does improving the quality of democracy attract more FDI inflows, but also being surrounded by neighboring advanced democratic countries will also lead to higher FDI flows to them.
Malnutrition in the shadow of economic growth
Authors: Beladi Hamid , Marjit Sugata , Oladi Reza , Yang Lei
Published: September 2020

We formulate the consumption and wealth accumulation behavior for low‐income agents who are concerned with their relative income with respect to a reference group. Using a dynamic consumption and saving model, we show the conditions under which low‐income and status‐seeking individuals accumulate more wealth and consume less of a nutritious good than the levels in the absence of status‐seeking behavior. Our results suggest that malnutrition and economic growth may go hand in hand in developing economies.
Evaluation of Physical Aspects of Classroom Environment in Terms of the Humanistic Approach: A Comprehensive Theoretical Framework
Authors: Barri Moatasim A.
Published: September 2020

Building a school is an easy task, but keeping its physical facilities in a good condition is a real challenge. The literature indicates that the physical classroom environment has a critical role in the learning process. To optimize that role, the physical aspects being considered should be relevant to the human needs. This study was conducted to evaluate the physical aspects of classroom environment, which are related to students' needs. Data on 860 students from public high schools in Medina, Saudi Arabia, were collected using a paper-based closed-ended questionnaire. Multiple procedures were used for instrument validation, data screening, and data analysis. Findings from the study confirmed the validity of the proposed model for evaluating the physical environment. In addition, the findings suggest that the classroom environment needs improvement in the area of temperature, air quality, acoustics, class size, space, and cleanliness. Finally, implications for practice and future directions for research are discussed.
Introduction
Authors: Ferguson William D.
Published: September 2020

How can social scientists address the complexity of the myriad interrelations between economic development, political development, inequality, and human ability to achieve cooperative collective action across groups and populations of individuals from different backgrounds who hold widely divergent positions, interests, and perceptions? This book navigates the difficult terrain between universal-principle, one-size-fits-all frameworks, on the one hand, and approaches that insist that every society is unique, on the other. Using principles of political economy outlined in five core developmental hypotheses, as well as a method for drawing distinctions between basic types of political-economic context, this book constructs a typology that relates distributions of power to specific configurations of institutional systems and social orders. Each component of the typology points to specific types of collective-action problems that condition a society’s ability to achieve economic and political development. Policy analysis should pay attention to such contextual influence.
Policy Innovations Can Relax Political Constraints
Authors: Ferguson William D.
Published: September 2020

Development requires institutional change. This chapter suggests a ray of hope. Policy innovations, according to hypothesis 5, can enhance capacities for resolving CAPs, relaxing political impediments to development—notably, CAPs from hypotheses 3 and 4. South Korea’s 1950s land reform policy established foundations for subsequent development. Innovations, however, emerge and spread within political contexts; institutional change presents formidable CAPs. Distinct individual as opposed to organizational capacities for information processing, combined with asymmetric distributions of power, typically generate relatively long periods of institutional and policy stability that occasionally succumb to rapid change: punctuated equilibria. Within such contexts, coalitions vie for influence, using policy narratives and images (mini ideologies) to legitimate their influence and discredit opponents.
Business-State Interactions
Authors: Ferguson William D.
Published: September 2020

This chapter extends Chapter 8’s political settlement framework by addressing business-state interactions operating within specific types of settlements. Three levels of interaction follow. At the macro level, political settlements shape such interactions. At an intermediate (meso) level, market configurations—that is, their degrees of competitiveness and domestic versus export orientation—affect the demands businesses place on the state. These dynamics influence the accessibility (openness) of micro-level exchange agreements (deals) as well as their credibility—specifically, the degree to which they are ordered, meaning honored and predictable, or disordered. A shift from disordered to ordered deals reflects resolution of second-order CAPs of enforcing agreements. Such a shift can prompt growth accelerations that facilitate escaping poverty traps. More substantial development, however, requires addressing Chapter 4’s complex coordination CAPs.
Conclusion
Authors: Ferguson William D.
Published: September 2020

Development entails sustained enhancement of economic and political capabilities across a society’s members and groups. This text presents a conceptual framework, fully developed in Chapters 8 and 9, that addresses the social scientist’s dilemma concerning how to approach systematic inquiry into the myriad complexities of political-economic development. To address pertinent contexts, this framework systematically addresses interactions between asymmetric distributions of power and institutional evolution. It relates distinct types of political settlements to distinct sets of developmental CAPs that shape development. Related inquiry can then focus on how principles from the five core hypotheses operate in specific political-economic contexts. Such analysis can uncover how specific types of policy innovations relate to prospects for successful adoption within specific contexts. This framework can also underlie broad research programs with many theoretical and modeling extensions, as well as multiple testable empirical hypotheses.
Introduction
Authors: Bukh Alexander
Published: September 2020

This chapter sets up the context, and introduces the object of this study and its main arguments. It introduces the main analytical premises of this study and the notions of national identity entrepreneurship and critical juncture. After outlining the methodology of this study, it concludes by providing an overview of the empirical chapters and the main arguments.
Shimane Prefecture’s Quest for Takeshima
Authors: Bukh Alexander
Published: September 2020

This chapter traces the emergence and transformation of the Takeshima-related campaign in Japan’s Shimane Prefecture from the early postwar days until the passage of the “Takeshima Day” ordinance in 2005. Originating in the critical juncture of the defeat and subsequent reforms, Shimane Prefecture’s Takeshima-related campaign was initially driven by purely economic concerns. From the mid-1960s on,wards however, as a result of the central government’s discrepancy in its policies related to the Northern Territories and Takeshima, related policies, the campaign started to attain a certain ideational character, with “Takeshima” becoming a symbol of injustice inflicted upon the prefecture by Tokyo. Koizumi’s intraparty and fiscal reforms of the early 2000s created the structural impetus for escalation in the Takeshima- related campaign, establishing the conditions for the passage of the “Takeshima Day” ordinance.
The “Protect Dokdo” Movement in South Korea
Authors: Bukh Alexander
Published: September 2020

Having its roots in the democratization movement, the “Protect Dokdo” movement in South Korea was shaped by the post-1987 socio-political and economic developments which that culminated in the 1997 financial crisis. The “Protect Dokdo” movement was a response to this critical juncture, a discursive attempt to re-create Korean national subjectivity by replicating but also modifying the national identity construct of the democratization movement. The eEmbracement of the Dokdo cause by the central government from 2005 onwards, impacted influenced both the movement’s structure and its narrative. From the symbol of the Korean nation juxtaposed with the perceived symbiosis of the domestic ruling elites and Japan, “Dokdo” transformed into a symbol of the Korean “‘self’” juxtaposed solely with the Japanese “other.”
Conclusion
Authors: Bukh Alexander
Published: September 2020

This chapter summarizes the findings of this book. It draws a number of conclusions regarding the factors that spur the emergence of territorial disputes—related national identity entrepreneurship, and analyzes the factors that account for the difference in the social reception of the narratives in the respective societies. It also outlines the implications of these case studies for our understanding of the social construction of a disputed territory and for the broader constructivist International Relations literature on national identity.
Coach Development: Practical Recommendations for Interscholastic Sport
Authors: Van Mullem Pete , Mathias Kirk
Published: September 2020

In the United States, interscholastic sport coach development occurs at the national, regional, and local levels, through higher education institutions, coaching associations, governing bodies of sport, and coach developers. Although each coach development pathway employs similar instructional methods, delivery formats, and often seeks the same outcome (i.e., certification or degree), each is unique in how they educate interscholastic coaches. Research studies on coach development have examined how interscholastic coaches learn, what they need to know, and what they need to know how to do. Furthermore, research studies in sport coaching have examined the role of a coach developer in facilitating, mentoring, and guiding coach development activities. Therefore, guided by the literature on coach development, the role of the interscholastic sport administrator as a coach developer, and insight gleaned from an exploratory descriptive study on interscholastic sport coaches, this best practices paper offers three steps the interscholastic sport administrator can implement in practice to provide ongoing coach development.
Examination of the Feasibility of a 2-Dimensional Portable Assessment of Knee Joint Stability: A Pilot Study
Authors: Zerega Ryan , Killelea Carolyn , Losciale Justin , Faherty Mallory , Sell Timothy
Published: September 2020

Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) remains extremely common, with over 250,000 injuries annually. Currently, clinical tests have poor utility to accurately screen for ACL injury risk in athletes. In this study, the position of a knee marker was tracked in 2-dimensional planes to predict biomechanical variables associated with ACL injury risk. Three-dimensional kinematics and ground reaction forces were collected during bilateral, single-leg stop-jump tasks for 44 healthy male military personnel. Knee marker position data were extracted to construct 2-dimensional 95% prediction ellipses in each anatomical plane. Knee marker variables included: ellipse areas, major/minor axes lengths, orientation of ellipse axes, absolute ranges of knee position, and medial knee collapse. These variables were then used as predictor variables in stepwise multiple linear regression analyses for 7 biomechanical variables associated with ACL injury risk. Knee flexion excursion, normalized peak vertical ground reaction forces, and knee flexion angle at initial contact were the response variables that generated the highest adjusted R2 values: .71, .37, and .31, respectively. The results of this study provide initial support for the hypothesis that tracking a single marker during 2-dimensional analysis can accurately reflect the information gathered from 3-dimensional motion analysis during a task assessing knee joint stability.
Physical Activity Guidelines Compliance and Its Relationship With Preventative Health Behaviors and Risky Health Behaviors
Authors: Pharr Jennifer R. , Terencio Mary Angela M. , Bungum Timothy
Published: September 2020

Background: People who are physically active enjoy a multitude of health benefits across their lifespan compared with people who are not physically active. However, little research has sought to determine whether those who meet the physical activity (PA) guidelines also engage in other healthy behaviors. The purpose of this study was to compare healthy behaviors of people who met the PA guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to those who did not meet the guidelines.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey conducted in 2017. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed using chi-square tests. Odds and adjusted odds ratios were calculated using multiple logistic regressions.Results: Those who met the PA guidelines were more likely to get a flu shot, have a medical checkup, take human immunodeficiency virus tests, wear seatbelts, and binge drink more frequently, compared with those who did not meet the guidelines. This group is also less likely to be smokers and be overweight or obese in comparison to their inactive counterparts.Conclusion: The positive association between PA and other healthy behaviors represents synergistic health activities, with healthy behaviors supporting others.
Affective Learning in Physical Education: A Systematic Review
Authors: Teraoka Eishin , Jancer Ferreira Heidi , Kirk David , Bardid Farid
Published: September 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to carry out a systematic review of intervention programs that have addressed affective learning outcomes within physical education and to explore pedagogical practices in alignment with teaching, lesson content, and learning outcomes. Method: The literature search was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Included were 26 peer-reviewed pedagogical studies of physical education programs that addressed affective outcomes and reported fidelity of implementation. Results and Discussion: Affective outcomes were grouped into four themes: motivation, emotional responses, self-concept, and resilience. The findings showed that offering choice, encouraging peer feedback, asking deductive questions, focusing on personal improvement, and differentiating are effective teaching strategies that were widely used to support affective learning in children and adolescents. This review highlights the importance of fidelity of implementation to understand how intervention programs are delivered.
Trials begin for a new weapon against Parkinson's: light
Authors: Sinha Gunjan
Published: September 2020

Patients report benefits, but how near-infrared protects brain cells is unclear, and some scientists are skeptical.
Vascular transcription factors guide plant epidermal responses to limiting phosphate conditions
Authors: Wendrich Jos R. , Yang BaoJun , Vandamme Niels , Verstaen Kevin , Smet Wouter , Van de Velde Celien , Minne Max , Wybouw Brecht , Mor Eliana , Arents Helena E. , Nolf Jonah , Van Duyse Julie , Van Isterdael Gert , Maere Steven , Saeys Yvan , De Rybel Bert
Published: September 2020

Roots primed for better phosphate uptake

Phosphate is a key resource for plants, and remediating phosphate deficiency drives considerable fertilizer use. In low-phosphate conditions, roots make more root hairs, which makes them better able to take up what little phosphate can be found. Wendrich
et al.
performed single-cell transcriptomics on the developing
Arabidopsis
root and queried the resulting gene-expression atlas for responses related to vascular development. The authors found that signals regulating root hair development began in the inner vasculature of the root with transcription factors that drove the production of the hormone cytokinin. Response cascades identified through the transcriptome database pointed to genes in epidermal cells that regulate root hair development.

Science
, this issue p.
eaay4970
(Sub)stellar companions shape the winds of evolved stars
Authors: Decin L. , Montargès M. , Richards A. M. S. , Gottlieb C. A. , Homan W. , McDonald I. , El Mellah I. , Danilovich T. , Wallström S. H. J. , Zijlstra A. , Baudry A. , Bolte J. , Cannon E. , De Beck E. , De Ceuster F. , de Koter A. , De Ridder J. , Etoka S. , Gobrecht D. , Gray M. , Herpin F. , Jeste M. , Lagadec E. , Kervella P. , Khouri T. , Menten K. , Millar T. J. , Müller H. S. P. , Plane J. M. C. , Sahai R. , Sana H. , Van de Sande M. , Waters L. B. F. M. , Wong K. T. , Yates J.
Published: September 2020

Complex stellar winds from evolved stars

Stars less than eight times the mass of the Sun end their lives as planetary nebulae, structures of ionized gas thrown off by the star and heated by the exposed stellar core. Planetary nebulae are often bipolar in shape or contain complex morphological features such as rings or spirals. Decin
et al.
observed the stellar winds of 14 stars during their asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase of stellar evolution, which immediately precedes the planetary nebula phase. They found morphologies in the AGB winds similar to planetary nebulae and demonstrated that they are produced by the influence of a binary companion on the AGB wind.

Science
, this issue p.
1497
Tempus fugit: How time flies during development
Authors: Iwata Ryohei , Vanderhaeghen Pierre
Published: September 2020

Developmental-timing differences between species are linked to protein turnover
Methane Monooxygenase Gene Transcripts as Quantitative Biomarkers of Methanotrophic Activity in Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b
Authors: Tentori Egidio F. , Richardson Ruth E.
Published: September 2020

Methanotrophs are naturally occurring microorganisms capable of oxidizing methane and have an impact on global net methane emissions. The genes
pmoA
and
mmoX
are used as biomarkers for bacterial methanotrophs. Quantitative relationships between transcript amounts of these genes and methane oxidation rates could facilitate estimation of methanotrophic activity. In this study, a strong correlation was observed between per-cell
pmoA
transcript levels and per-cell methane oxidation rates for pure cultures of the aerobic methanotroph
M. trichosporium
OB3b grown in bioreactors. If similar relationships exist across different methanotrophs, they could prove valuable for inferring
in situ
oxidation rates of methanotrophs and better understanding their impact on net methane emissions.
Postmortems on diagnostic testing start-ups: reports of commercial successes and failures and the case of the Zombie life science company
Authors: Peabody John , Burgon Trever , Paculdo David , Ouenes Othman , de Belen Enrico , Richey Mike , Thayer Richard M , Urdea Mickey
Published: September 2020

Background

From 2014 to 2017, more than 1000 diagnostic companies were launched, securing more than US$10 billion in investment.

Methods

We performed an in-depth exploration of 28 diagnostic companies to differentiate successful and failed startups, plus a third ‘Zombie’ state where companies have achieved financial solvency but without long-term viability.

Results

From these data, we created a five-phase, 13-item framework indicating the corporate health of a diagnostic company as it progresses from conception to commercialisation. We found 6 successful companies, 14 failures and 8 Zombies. On a scale of 0–26 points (two points per item), successful companies averaged 24.5 points (range 22–26), failures averaged 4.5 (range 0–16) and Zombies averaged 12.3 (range 3–23) (p<0.001). To determine if there was any predictivity to this framework, we looked at only the first two phases (concept and feasibility/planning) of progress and found a distinct gradient in success potential based solely on these first two phases.

Conclusion

Our five-phase framework generated a score that could predict diagnostic companies more likely to successfully and sustainably enter the market from those more likely to fail.
Exercise interventions in metastatic cancer disease: a literature review and a brief discussion on current and future perspectives
Authors: Wilk Michal , Kepski Jaroslaw , Kepska Justyna , Casselli Stephen , Szmit Sebastian
Published: September 2020

Exercise is a well-established factor which improves outcomes of oncological patients during curative treatment as well as in cancer survivors. However, the role of physical activity in metastatic disease, due to the deficiency of high-level evidence from prospective clinical trials, remains a partially unexplored field of research. Additionally, no specific guidelines related to exercise for persons with advanced cancer have been developed so far. Unfortunately, this research deficit may effectively prevent physicians from prescribing adequate and safe recommendations on physical activity to their patients. In an attempt to fill this gap in clinical practice, we present here an up-to-date review of potential benefits of exercise interventions in relation to the survival, quality of life and supportive care for patients with metastatic cancer. We also review the data on the safety of physical activity with special emphasis on elderly populations or individuals with bone metastases. Finally, we discuss the most relevant clinical factors that should be considered during exercise qualification. In conclusion, physical activity is an important tool for improving the outcomes of people undergoing anticancer therapy for metastatic disease. However, the training should be tailored individually to the patient’s functional status, comorbidities and preferences. Physical activity should become a standard component of every metastatic cancer care plan.
Photochemical reaction kinetics and mechanism of bisphenol A with K2S2O8 in aqueous solution: a laser flash photolysis study
Authors: Zhu Yongchao , Zhu Mengyu , Xie Jingjing , Hu Yadong , Liu Ying , Zhu Chengzhu
Published: September 2020

The photochemical reaction kinetics and mechanism of bisphenol A (BPA) with potassium persulfate (K2S2O8) were investigated by using 266 nm laser flash photolysis and gas chromatography mass spectrum (GC-MS) technique. Sulfate radical (SO4•−), generated upon K2S2O8 photolysis, reacted with BPA with the overall rate constant of (1.61 ± 0.15) × 109 L mol−1 s−1, and two main reaction mechanisms were involved. One was addition channel to generate BPA–SO4•− adduct with a specific second-order rate constant of (1.09 ± 0.15) × 109 L mol−1 s−1. Molecular oxygen was involved in the decay of the BPA–SO4•− adduct with a rate constant of (1.28 ± 0.14) × 108 L mol−1 s−1. Another channel was the formation of BPA’s phenoxyl radical, likely derived from a deprotonation of the cation radical (BPA•+) generated from single electron transfer reactions. The specific rate constant of BPA’s phenoxyl radical formation was determined to be (6.16 ± 0.08) × 108 L mol−1 s−1. The overall rate constant was in line with the sum of aforementioned two specific rate constants for two main reaction channels. By comparing these rate constants, it was indicated that SO4•− addition channel accounted for ∼65% (1.09/1.61) to the overall reaction, and phenoxyl radical formation accounted for only ∼35% (0.62/1.61). The transformation products of BPA were identified by using GC-MS including 4-isopropylphenol, 4-isopropenylphenol, and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, and the reaction mechanism was proposed. These results may provide microscopic kinetics and mechanism information on BPA degradation using SO4•−-based advanced oxidation processes.
Delineating the key virulence factors and intraspecies divergence of Vibrio harveyi via whole-genome sequencing
Authors: Fu Songzhe , Ni Ping , Yang Qian , Hu Huizhi , Wang Qingyao , Ye Shigen , Liu Ying
Published: September 2020

Vibrio harveyi is one of the major pathogens in aquaculture. To identify the key virulence factors affecting pathogenesis of V. harveyi towards fish, we conducted a field investigation for three representative fish farms infected with V. harveyi. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and whole-genome sequencing were conducted to delineate the phylogenetic relationship and genetic divergence of V. harveyi. A total of 25 V. harveyi strains were isolated from the diseased fish and groundwater and were subtyped into 12 sequence types by MLST. Five virulence genes, mshB, pilA, hutR, ureB, and ureG, were variably presented in the sequenced strains. The virulence gene profiles strongly correlated with the distinct pathogenicity of V. harveyi strains, with a strain harboring all five genes exhibiting the highest virulence towards fish. Phenotype assay confirmed that reduced virulence correlated with decreased motility and biofilm formation ability. Additionally, three types of type VI secretion system, namely T6SS1, T6SS2, and T6SS3, were identified in V. harveyi strains, which can be classified into six, four, and 12 subtypes, respectively. In conclusion, the results indicated that the virulence level of V. harveyi is mainly determined by the above virulence genes, which may play vital roles in environmental adaptation for V. harveyi.
Strong interaction coupling-constant sum rules for heavy hadrons with broken SU(3) symmetry
Authors: Medina-Carrillo B. , Sánchez-Colón G. , Gupta V.
Published: September 2020

Heavy baryons [Formula: see text] and heavy mesons [Formula: see text] for heavy quarks [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], or [Formula: see text] and light quarks [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], or [Formula: see text] are considered. Strong interaction coupling-constant sum rules with first-order breaking of SU(3) flavor symmetry are obtained for reaction [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] is a light meson. Specific results for couplings of doubly charmed baryons and charm and bottom mesons are presented. Also, SU(3) Clebsch-Gordan coefficients for the product of representations [Formula: see text] are explicitly determined.
The shadow of M87∗ black hole within rational nonlinear electrodynamics
Authors: Kruglov S. I.
Published: September 2020

We consider rational nonlinear electrodynamics with the Lagrangian [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] is the Lorentz invariant), proposed in Ref. 63, coupled to General Relativity. The effective geometry induced by nonlinear electrodynamics corrections are found. We determine shadow’s size of regular non-rotating magnetic black holes and compare them with the shadow size of the super-massive M87[Formula: see text] black hole imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration. Assuming that the black hole mass has a pure electromagnetic nature, we obtain the black hole magnetic charge. The size of the shadow obtained is very close to the shadow size of non-regular neutral Schwarzschild black holes. As a result, we can interpret the super-massive M87[Formula: see text] black hole as a regular (without singularities) magnetized black hole.
The strong circular law: A combinatorial view
Authors: Jain Vishesh
Published: September 2020

Let [Formula: see text] be an [Formula: see text] complex random matrix, each of whose entries is an independent copy of a centered complex random variable [Formula: see text] with finite nonzero variance [Formula: see text]. The strong circular law, proved by Tao and Vu, states that almost surely, as [Formula: see text], the empirical spectral distribution of [Formula: see text] converges to the uniform distribution on the unit disc in [Formula: see text].

A crucial ingredient in the proof of Tao and Vu, which uses deep ideas from additive combinatorics, is controlling the lower tail of the least singular value of the random matrix [Formula: see text] (where [Formula: see text] is fixed) with failure probability that is inverse polynomial. In this paper, using a simple and novel approach (in particular, not using machinery from additive combinatorics or any net arguments), we show that for any fixed complex matrix [Formula: see text] with operator norm at most [Formula: see text] and for all [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is the least singular value of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are positive absolute constants. Our result is optimal up to the constants [Formula: see text] and the inverse exponential-type error rate improves upon the inverse polynomial error rate due to Tao and Vu.

Our proof relies on the solution to the so-called counting problem in inverse Littlewood–Offord theory, developed by Ferber, Luh, Samotij, and the author, a novel complex anti-concentration inequality, and a “rounding trick” based on controlling the [Formula: see text] operator norm of heavy-tailed random matrices.
Correlation of seasonal precipitation isotopic profile with the modern climatological data: a case study from the western Newfoundland region of Canada
Authors: Marche Brittany M. , Rashid Harunur , Parkinson Don-Roger
Published: September 2020

The measurement of stable water isotopes (i.e.
δ
18
O and
δ
2
H) in precipitation is a powerful tool for detecting changes in climate patterns, assessing groundwater movements and studying the hydrological budget. In this study, daily precipitation was collected and
δ
18
O and
δ
2
H were analysed in Corner Brook, western Newfoundland, and Labrador, for 2015. The study provides the first background data of any kind related to liquid water isotopes in western Newfoundland. More than 130 samples were analysed using a state-of-the-art cavity ring-down spectrometer, the Picarro Liquid Water Isotope Analyzer L2130-i, with a minimal instrumental error. The data suggest seasonal variations in which the
δ
18
O varies from −33.4 to −0.03‰ (±0.023‰) and
δ
2
H ranges from −253.4 to 15.1‰ (±0.148‰). Our data are compared with modern meteorological data and publicly available
δ
18
O and
δ
2
H data from greater Atlantic Canada, which suggests that the atmospheric circulation patterns, spatial features and other climate factors are distinct in Corner Brook. Isotopes in meteorological precipitation data referenced and collected in this study reflect the cool, wet climate and air-mass fluctuations unique to the geographical region and thus, this baseline is fundamental to understanding the modern isotope hydrological/climatic studies for this region.
Network-on-Chip Intellectual Property Protection Using Circular Path--based Fingerprinting
Authors: Biswas Arnab Kumar
Published: September 2020

Intellectual property (IP) reuse is a well-known technique in chip design industry. But this technique also exposes a security vulnerability called IP stealing attack. Network-on-Chip (NoC) is an on-chip scalable communication medium and is used as an IP and sold by various vendors to be integrated in a Multiprocessor System-on-Chip (MPSoC). An attacker can launch IP stealing attack against NoC IP. In this article, we propose a NoC IP protection technique called circular path--based fingerprinting (CPF) using fingerprint embedding. We also provide a theoretical model using polyomino theory to get the number of distinct fingerprints in a NoC. We show that our proposed technique requires much less hardware overhead compared to an existing NoC IP security solution and also provides better security against removal and masking attacks. In particular, our proposed CPF technique requires 27.41% less router area compared to the existing solution. We also show that our CPF solution does not affect the normal packet latency and hence does not degrade the NoC performance.
Age, sex, and the vascular contributors to cerebral pulsatility and pulsatile damping
Authors: Lefferts Wesley K. , DeBlois Jacob P. , Augustine Jacqueline A. , Keller Allison P. , Heffernan Kevin S.
Published: September 2020

Cerebral pulsatility contributes to brain health and depends on a balance between transmission and damping of pulsatile hemodynamics into the cerebrovasculature. Our data indicate that cerebral pulsatility increases with age, female sex, extracranial artery stiffening, forward wave energy, and pulse pressure, whereas pulsatile damping decreases with age and female sex and increases with greater carotid wave reflections. These novel data identify pulsatile damping as a potential contributor to sex differences in cerebral pulsatile burden.