bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Salmon lice nauplii and copepodids display different vertical migration patterns in response to light
Authors: Szetey A , Wright DW , Oppedal F , Dempster T
Published: February 2021

Light is a fundamental environmental cue which influences the migration of many marine organisms. For the salmon louseLepeophtheirus salmonis, light is believed to drive the diel vertical migration behaviour of their planktonic larvae. Salmon lice are of critical importance to the salmonid industry due to the damage they cause to wild and farmed hosts. Salmon lice larvae have an eyespot and are positively phototactic, yet how light intensity alters their vertical distribution remains unclear. Here, we tested how light intensity (0, 0.5, 10 and 80 µmol m-2s-1), dispersal duration (1, 4 and 12 h) and release point (surface or bottom) influenced the vertical migration of salmon lice nauplii and copepodids under controlled conditions in experimental columns. Overall, higher light intensity increased the proportion of nauplii that aggregated at the surface. Copepodid behaviour differed from that of nauplii, as they swam upwards in both light and fully dark conditions, and surface aggregations increased with dispersal duration. Results from the experiments did not support the existing view that light strongly influences the vertical position of copepodids in the water column. Combined with previous work, our results reveal that salmon lice larval stages display different vertical responses to light, temperature and salinity, which may be explained by the different strategies of nauplii (maximise survival and dispersal) and copepodids (maximise host-finding success). Our results have implications for salmon lice dispersal models, where responses of copepodids and nauplii to light are currently parametrised by the same equations. Implementing stage-specific behaviours towards light may improve the outputs of dispersal models.
Temporal variation in food limitation in larvae of the sand dollar Dendraster excentricus
Authors: Nguyen H , Hoang T , Hawkins D , Allen BJ , Pernet B
Published: February 2021

Rates of development of the feeding larvae of marine invertebrates may often be limited by inadequate food, extending the length of the larval period and increasing overall larval mortality. A better understanding of the frequency and importance of this phenomenon requires knowledge of the food concentration below which larvae are limited, and above which they are not, as well as estimates of how strongly food supply affects length of the planktonic period. We addressed these issues using larvae of the sand dollarDendraster excentricusas a model and chlaconcentration as a metric of food abundance. We reared larvae in natural seawater collected from coastal southern California (USA), as well as in reduced and supplemented food treatments created from this natural seawater, 6 times from 2017 to 2019 to take advantage of temporal variation in chlaconcentration. Larvae showed morphological responses indicative of low food in nature in only 1 of 6 experiments and showed delayed time to 50% metamorphic competence in 2 of 6 experiments. Larvae appeared to be food limited below chlaconcentrations of ~2.4-3.0 µg l-1, but developed at maximal rates at higher food concentrations. Low natural food supplies delayed time to 50% competence by up to 1.25 d. An 11 yr record of chlaconcentration in waters of coastal southern California suggests that larvae ofD. excentricusare likely food limited in developmental rate throughout much of the year except for late winter to late spring.
Prognostic Value of GRACE Risk Scores in Patients With Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction With Non-obstructive Coronary Arteries
Authors: Yin Guoqing , Abdu Fuad A. , Liu Lu , Xu Siling , Xu Bin , Luo Yanru , Lv Xian , Fan Rui , Che Wenliang
Published: February 2021

Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is a special type of myocardial infarction (MI). The GRACE risk score is commonly used to predict major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients, and the suitability of the GRACE risk score for prognostic stratification in patients with MINOCA remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate whether the GRACE risk score is capable of predicting MACE in MINOCA patients with NSTE. We calculated the GRACE risk score for 340 consecutive MINOCA patients with NSTE. Patients were divided into a low-intermediate risk group (≤ 140, 48.8%) and a high risk group (>140, 51.2%) according to their GRACE risk scores. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of the patients were assessed. Patients in the high risk group tended to be older and to have more comorbidities. At the 1-year follow-up, the rate of cardiac death in the high risk group was significantly higher than that in the low-intermediate-risk group (p = 0.010). There was no significant difference in non-fatal MI, stroke, heart failure, or cardiovascular-related rehospitalization. The incidence of total MACE was significantly higher in patients with high GRACE risk scores than in patients with low GRACE risk scores (p = 0.006). ROC curve analysis showed that the GRACE risk score has moderate value in predicting MACE in NSTE-MINOCA patients. The area under the ROC curve was 0.710 (95% CI 0.625–0.796, P < 0.001). The GRACE risk score provides potentially valuable prognostic information on clinical outcome when applied to MINOCA patients with NSTE.
Mitigating the Risk of COVID-19 Deaths in Cardiovascular Disease Patients in Africa Resource Poor Communities
Authors: Okpara Ihunanya Chinyere , Oghagbon Efosa Kenneth
Published: February 2021

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has affected millions of patients in almost all countries with over one million cases recorded in Africa where it is a major health challenge. Covid-19 is known to have significant implications for those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and their cardiologists. Patients with pre-existing CVD are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality from Covid-19 due to associated direct and indirect life threatening cardiovascular (CV) complications. Mitigating the risk of such Covid-19 deaths in resource poor communities requires the institution of preventive measures at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of preventive phenomenon with emphasis at the first two levels. General preventive measures, screening and monitoring of CVD patients for complications and modification of drug treatment and other treatment methods will need to be implemented. Health policy makers and manager should provide required training and retraining of CV health care workers managing Covid-19 patients with CVD, provision of health education, personal protective equipment (PPE), and diagnostic kits.
Cancer and Tumour Suppressor p53 Encounters at the Juncture of Sex Disparity
Authors: Haupt Sue , Haupt Ygal
Published: February 2021

There are many differences in cancer manifestation between men and women. New understanding of the origin of these point to fundamental distinctions in the genetic code and its demise. Tumour suppressor protein p53 is the chief operating officer of cancer defence and critically acts to safeguard against sustained DNA damaged. P53 cannot be ignored in cancer sex disparity. In this review we discuss the greater prevalence and associated death rates for non-reproductive cancers in males. The major tumour suppressor protein p53, encoded in the TP53 gene is our chosen context. It is fitting to ask why somatic TP53 mutation incidence is estimated to be disproportionately higher among males in the population for these types of cancers compared with females? We scrutinised the literature for evidence of predisposing genetic and epigenetic alterations that may explain this sex bias. Our second approach was to explore whether redox activity, either externally imposed or inherent to males and females, may define distinct risks that could contribute to the clear cancer sex disparities.
Precision Design of Antimicrobial Surfaces
Authors: Mullen Declan C. , Wan Xing , Takala Timo M. , Saris Per E. , Moreira V. M.
Published: February 2021

The overall expectation from an antimicrobial surface has been high considering the need for efficiency in preventing the attachment and growth of pathogenic microbes, durability, safety to both humans and environment as well as cost-effectiveness. To date, antimicrobial surface design has been mostly conducted liberally, without rigorous consideration of establishing robust structure-activity relationships for each design strategy or of the use intended for a specific antimicrobial material. However, the variability among the domain bacteria, which is the most diverse of all, alongside the highly dynamic nature of the bacteria-surface interface have taught us that the likelihood of finding universal antimicrobial surfaces is low. In this perspective we discuss some of the current hurdles faced by research in this promising field, emphasizing the relevance and complexity of probing the bacteria-surface interface, and explain why we feel it would greatly benefit from a more streamlined ad-hoc approach.
Heterogeneity of Microbial Communities in Soils From the Antarctic Peninsula Region
Authors: Almela Pablo , Justel Ana , Quesada Antonio
Published: February 2021

Ice-free areas represent less than 1% of the Antarctic surface. However, climate change models predict a significant increase in temperatures in the coming decades, triggering a relevant reduction of the ice-covered surface. Microorganisms, adapted to the extreme and fluctuating conditions, are the dominant biota. In this article we analyze the diversity and composition of soil bacterial communities in 52 soil samples on three scales: (i) fine scale, where we compare the differences in the microbial community between top-stratum soils (0–2 cm) and deeper-stratum soils (5–10 cm) at the same sampling point; (ii) medium scale, in which we compare the composition of the microbial community of top-stratum soils from different sampling points within the same sampling location; and (iii) coarse scale, where we compare communities between comparable ecosystems located hundreds of kilometers apart along the Antarctic Peninsula. The results suggest that in ice-free soils exposed for longer periods of time (millennia) microbial communities are significantly different along the soil profiles. However, in recently (decades) deglaciated soils the communities are not different along the soil profile. Furthermore, the microbial communities found in soils at the different sampling locations show a high degree of heterogeneity, with a relevant proportion of unique amplicon sequence variants (ASV) that appeared mainly in low abundance, and only at a single sampling location. The Core90 community, defined as the ASVs shared by 90% of the soils from the 4 sampling locations, was composed of 26 ASVs, representing a small percentage of the total sequences. Nevertheless, the taxonomic composition of the Core80 (ASVs shared by 80% of sampling points per location) of the different sampling locations, was very similar, as they were mostly defined by 20 common taxa, representing up to 75.7% of the sequences of the Core80 communities, suggesting a greater homogeneity of soil bacterial taxa among distant locations.
Comparison of Two 16S rRNA Primers (V3–V4 and V4–V5) for Studies of Arctic Microbial Communities
Authors: Fadeev Eduard , Cardozo-Mino Magda G. , Rapp Josephine Z. , Bienhold Christina , Salter Ian , Salman-Carvalho Verena , Molari Massimiliano , Tegetmeyer Halina E. , Buttigieg Pier Luigi , Boetius Antje
Published: February 2021

Microbial communities of the Arctic Ocean are poorly characterized in comparison to other aquatic environments as to their horizontal, vertical, and temporal turnover. Yet, recent studies showed that the Arctic marine ecosystem harbors unique microbial community members that are adapted to harsh environmental conditions, such as near-freezing temperatures and extreme seasonality. The gene for the small ribosomal subunit (16S rRNA) is commonly used to study the taxonomic composition of microbial communities in their natural environment. Several primer sets for this marker gene have been extensively tested across various sample sets, but these typically originated from low-latitude environments. An explicit evaluation of primer-set performances in representing the microbial communities of the Arctic Ocean is currently lacking. To select a suitable primer set for studying microbiomes of various Arctic marine habitats (sea ice, surface water, marine snow, deep ocean basin, and deep-sea sediment), we have conducted a performance comparison between two widely used primer sets, targeting different hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene (V3–V4 and V4–V5). We observed that both primer sets were highly similar in representing the total microbial community composition down to genus rank, which was also confirmed independently by subgroup-specific catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH) counts. Each primer set revealed higher internal diversity within certain bacterial taxonomic groups (e.g., the class Bacteroidia by V3–V4, and the phylum Planctomycetes by V4–V5). However, the V4–V5 primer set provides concurrent coverage of the archaeal domain, a relevant component comprising 10–20% of the community in Arctic deep waters and the sediment. Although both primer sets perform similarly, we suggest the use of the V4–V5 primer set for the integration of both bacterial and archaeal community dynamics in the Arctic marine environment.
Discovery of Brominated Alboflavusins With Anti-MRSA Activities
Authors: Li Chao , Bao Wuyundalai , Zhang Haoyue , Lyu Zhitang , Chen Yihua , Guo Zhengyan
Published: February 2021

As methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is becoming a serious pathogenic threaten to human health worldwide, there is an urgent need to discover new antibiotics for the treatment of MRSA infections. Alboflavusins (AFNs) are a group of halogenated cyclohexapeptides with anti-MRSA activities. In this study, two novel brominated AFN congeners (compounds 1 and 2) were isolated from the wild-type strain Streptomyces alboflavus sp. 313 that was fermented in the production medium supplemented with NaBr; two new (compounds 3 and 5) and a known (compound 4) dehelogenated AFN congeners were isolated from S. alboflavus ΔafnX, in which the tryptophan halogenase gene afnX was inactivated. The structures of these compounds were assigned by careful NMR and MS analyses. The anti-MRSA activities of varied AFN congeners were assessed against different MRSA strains, which revealed that compounds 1 and 2 with bromine displayed effective activities against the tested MRSA strains. Especially, compound 2 showed good anti-MRSA activity, while compounds 3, 4, and 5 without halogen exhibited weak anti-MRSA activities, outlining the influence of halogen substitution to the bioactivities of AFNs.
Epstein-Barr Virus Limits the Accumulation of IPO7, an Essential Gene Product
Authors: Yang Ya-Chun , Sugden Bill
Published: February 2021

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encodes more than 40 miRNAs that target cellular mRNAs to aid its infection, replication, and maintenance in individual cells and in its human host. Importin-7 (IPO7), also termed Imp7 or RanBPM7, is a nucleocytoplasmic transport protein that has been frequently identified as a target for two of these viral miRNAs. How the viral life cycle might benefit from regulating IPO7 has been unclear, though. We demonstrate with CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis that IPO7 is essential in at least three cells lines and that increasing its levels of expression inhibits growth of infected cells. EBV thus regulates the level of IPO7 to limit its accumulation consistent with its being required for survival of its host cell.
Non-interacting, Non-opioid, and Non-barbiturate Containing Acute Medication Combinations in Headache: A Pilot Combinatorics Approach Based on DrugBank Database
Authors: Kaytser Victor , Zhang Pengfei
Published: February 2021

Background: Polypharmacy in abortive medications is often inevitable for patients with refractory headaches.

Objective: We seek to enumerate an exhaustive list of headaches abortive medications that are without drug-drug interactions.

Methods: We updated a list of acute medications based on the widely used Jefferson Headache Manual with novel abortive medications including ubrogepant, lasmiditan, and rimegepant. Opioids and barbiturate-containing products are excluded. From this resultant list of medications, we then conducted an exhaustive search of all pair-wise interactions via DrugBank's API. Using this interaction list, we filtered all possible two, three, and four drug combinations of abortive medications. The list of medications was then reapplied to DrugBank to verify the lack of known drug-drug interactions.

Results: There are 192 medication combinations that do not contain any drug-drug interactions. Most common elements in these combinations are ubrogepant, prochlorperazine, followed by tizanidine. There are 67 three-drug combinations that do not contain interactions. Only two of the four-drug combinations do not yield some form of drug-drug interactions.

Conclusion: This list of headaches abortive medications without drug-drug interactions is a useful tool for clinicians seeking to more effectively manage refractory headaches by implementing a rational polypharmacy.
Seizure Clusters: Morbidity and Mortality
Authors: Bauman Kristie , Devinsky Orrin
Published: February 2021

Seizure clusters, an intermediate between single seizure and status epilepticus, are associated with morbidity, impaired quality of life, and premature mortality. The relationship between seizure clusters and sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is poorly understood. Here, we define seizure clusters; review comorbid psychiatric disorders and memory deficits associated with seizure clusters; and review cases of witnessed SUDEP for which seizure frequency prior to death is available. Patients with a history of seizure clusters have a 2.5 fold increased risk for SUDEP, and one third of patients with monitored in hospital SUDEP experienced a cluster of generalized tonic clonic seizures prior to death. Understanding the effects of seizure frequency and duration on SUDEP risk could yield new insights in SUDEP pathophysiology and new targets for intervention.
The Ghrelin/Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptor System Is Involved in the Rapid and Sustained Antidepressant-Like Effect of Paeoniflorin
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Zhu Min-Zhen , Qin Xi-He , Zeng Yuan-Ning , Zhu Xin-Hong
Published: February 2021

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating mental illness affecting people worldwide. Although significant progress has been made in the development of therapeutic agents to treat this condition, fewer than half of all patients respond to currently available antidepressants, highlighting the urgent need for the development of new classes of antidepressant drugs. Here, we found that paeoniflorin (PF) produced rapid and sustained antidepressant-like effects in multiple mouse models of depression, including the forced swimming test and exposure to chronic mild stress (CMS). Moreover, PF decreased the bodyweight of mice without affecting food intake and glucose homeostasis, and also reduced the plasma levels of total ghrelin and the expression of ghrelin O-acyltransferase in the stomach; however, the plasma levels of ghrelin and the ghrelin/total ghrelin ratio were unaffected. Furthermore, PF significantly increased the expression of growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1 alpha (GHSR1α, encoded by the Ghsr gene) in the intestine, whereas the levels of GHSR1α in the brain were only marginally downregulated following subchronic PF treatment. Finally, the genetic deletion of Ghsr attenuated the antidepressant-like effects of PF in mice exposed to CMS. These results suggested that increased GHSR1α expression in the intestine mediates the antidepressant-like effects of PF. Understanding peripheral ghrelin/GHSR signaling may provide new insights for the screening of antidepressant drugs that produce fast-acting and sustained effects.
Localization in Flow of Non-Newtonian Fluids Through Disordered Porous Media
Authors: Seybold H. J. , Eberhard U. , Secchi E. , Cisne R. L. C. , Jiménez-Martínez J. , Andrade R. F. S. , Araújo A. D. , Holzner M. , Andrade J.S.
Published: February 2021

We combine results of high-resolution microfluidic experiments with extensive numerical simulations to show how the flow patterns inside a “swiss-cheese” type of pore geometry can be systematically controlled through the intrinsic rheological properties of the fluid. Precisely, our analysis reveals that the velocity field in the interstitial pore space tends to display enhanced channeling under certain flow conditions. This observed flow “localization”, quantified by the spatial distribution of kinetic energy, can then be explained in terms of the strong interplay between the disordered geometry of the pore space and the nonlinear rheology of the fluid. Our results disclose the possibility that the constitutive properties of the fluid can enhance the performance of chemical reactors and chromatographic devices through control of the channeling patterns inside disordered porous media.
High Fluid Velocity and Narrow Channels Enhance the Influences of Particle Shape on Colloid Retention in Saturated Groundwater Systems Under Favorable Deposition Conditions
Authors: Li Ke , Ma Huilian
Published: February 2021

Many particulate pollutants in the environment exist in non-spherical shape, but the influences of particle shape on pollutant migration and removal in groundwater systems are not well-understood. In this work, we simulated the three-dimensional translational and rotational motions of rod-shaped colloids in simple flow channels characterizing groundwater flow paths, with an aim to elucidate the underlying mechanisms for rod retention. Through an investigation of the interplay of multiple factors (e.g., aspect ratio, particle size/density, flow shear, channel dimension, and orientation relative to gravity), we determined under what conditions particle shape has the most pronounced impact on transport and retention under favorable deposition conditions (i.e., lacking repulsive energy barriers). Our results showed that in many cases, medium sized rods of ~0.4–2 μm in equivalent volume diameter exhibited much improved retention compared to equal-volume spheres, since for that size range, particle rotation from shape-induced fluid hydrodynamics and rotational diffusion were both important, which caused rods to drift considerably across flow streamlines to intercept collector surfaces. Particle rotation also allowed rods to travel farther downstream along flow channels for retention compared to spheres. The differences in retention between rods and spheres were more evident at relatively high fluid velocity, narrow flow channel, or when flow direction aligned with gravity. Our findings demonstrated that the effect of particle shape on pollutant transport and migration in groundwater systems was essential and provided important guidelines in optimizing parameter designs to utilize particle shape effect for better pollutant removal.
Isolation and Characterization of Rhodococcus spp. from Pistachio and Almond Rootstocks and Trees in Tunisia
Authors: Dhaouadi Sabrine , Hamdane Amira Mougou , Rhouma Ali
Published: February 2021

The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify Rhodococcus spp. strains from almond and pistachio rootstocks and trees in Tunisia. Twenty-eight strains were identified through 16S rDNA and vicA genes amplification and sequencing. Pea bioassay was performed to determine the pathogenicity of the strains. Representative 16S rDNA and vicA sequences of eight strains from pistachio and seven strains from almond were closely related (>98% similarity) to Rhodococcus spp. accessions in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences revealed that the yellow-colored strains clustered with phytopathogenic Rhodococcusfascians. The red and orange-colored strains were separated into a different group with R. kroppenstedtii and R. corynebacteiroides isolates. Eleven strains affected the pea seedlings’ growth and exhibited different levels of virulence. The number of shoots was significantly higher in seedlings inoculated with four Rhodococcus strains, whereas the other three strains caused up to 80% of plant height reduction and reduced root secondary growth compared to non-inoculated pea seedlings. These strains, most of which are epiphytes from asymptomatic hosts, showed strong pathogenicity during pea bioassay and were established endophytically in pea tissues. Ten att and five fas genes were detected in four strains and may represent a novel model of plant pathogenic Rhodococcus virulence. The results of our survey showed that Rhodococcus is present but not prevalent in all visited orchards of almond and pistachio rootstocks and trees. Our surveys complemented the investments being made on ornamental species in Tunisia and unveiled the presence of undocumented plant-associated Rhodococcus spp. on economically important crops.
Effect on the Antioxidant, Lipoperoxyl Radical Scavenger Capacity, Nutritional, Sensory and Microbiological Traits of an Ovine Stretched Cheese Produced with Grape Pomace Powder Addition
Authors: Gaglio Raimondo , Restivo Ignazio , Barbera Marcella , Barbaccia Pietro , Ponte Marialetizia , Tesoriere Luisa , Bonanno Adriana , Attanzio Alessandro , Di Grigoli Antonino , Francesca Nicola , Moschetti Giancarlo , Settanni Luca
Published: February 2021

An innovative ovine cheese enriched with red grape pomace powder (GPP) was produced to improve the functional properties of Vastedda cheese typology. Vastedda cheese making was performed adding GPP and four selected Lactococcus lactis strains (Mise36, Mise94, Mise169 and Mise190). For each strain, 40 L of pasteurized ewe’s milk was divided into two aliquots representing control and experimental trials. Control cheese (CC) production did not contain GPP, while the experimental cheese (EC) production was enriched with 1% (w/w) GPP. GPP did not slow down starter development and acid generation. Plate counts and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR analysis confirmed the dominance of the starters in all trials. The evolution of the physicochemical parameters showed that EC productions were characterized by lower fat content, higher protein content, and higher values of secondary lipid oxidation. Sensory evaluation indicated that the cheeses produced with the strain Mise94 were those more appreciated by the judges. Thus, the last cheeses were investigated for some functional aspects: GPP enrichment significantly increased antioxidant activity and lipoperoxyl radical scavenger capacity, confirming that grape polyphenol inclusion in cheese represents an optimal strategy for the valorization of ovine cheeses as well as winemaking industry by-products.
From Hector Mine M7.1 to Ridgecrest M7.1 Earthquake. A Look from a 20-Year Perspective
Authors: Pulinets Sergey , Tsidilina Marina , Ouzounov Dimitar , Davidenko Dmitry
Published: February 2021

The paper provides a comparative analysis of precursory phenomena in the ionosphere and atmosphere for two strong earthquakes of the same magnitude M7.1 that happened in the same region (North-East from Los Angeles) within a time span of 20 years, the Hector Mine and Ridgecrest earthquakes. Regardless of the similarity of their location (South-Eastern California, near 160 km one from another), there was one essential difference: the Hector Mine earthquake happened during geomagnetically disturbed conditions (essential in the sense of ionospheric precursors identification). In contrast, the quiet geomagnetic conditions characterized the period around the time of the Ridgecrest earthquake. The Hector mine earthquake happened in the middle of the rising phase of the 23-rd solar cycle characterized by high solar activity, while the Ridgecrest earthquake happened by the very end of the 24th cycle under very low solar activity conditions. We provide a comprehensive multi-factor analysis, determine the precursory period for both earthquakes and demonstrate the close similarity of ionospheric precursors. Unlike the majority of papers dealing with earthquake precursor identification based on the “abnormality” of observed time-series mainly determined by amplitude difference between “normal” (usually climatic) behavior and “abnormal” behavior with amplitudes exceeding some pre-established threshold, we used the technique of cognitive recognition of the precursors based on the physical mechanisms of their generation and the morphology of their behavior during the precursory period. These permits to uniquely identify precursors even in conditions of disturbed environment as it was around the time of the Hector Mine earthquake. We demonstrate the close similarity of precursors’ development for both events. The leading time of precursor appearance for the same region and similar magnitude was identical. For the Hector Mine it was 11 October 1999—5 days in advance—and for 2019 Ridgecrest it was 28 June—7 days before the mainshock and five days before the strongest foreshock.
Recent Increases in Winter Snowfall Provide Resilience to Very Small Glaciers in the Julian Alps, Europe
Authors: Colucci Renato R. , Žebre Manja , Torma Csaba Zsolt , Glasser Neil F. , Maset Eleonora , Del Gobbo Costanza , Pillon Simone
Published: February 2021

Very small glaciers (<0.5 km2) account for more than 80% of the total number of glaciers and more than 15% of the total glacier area in the European Alps. This study seeks to better understand the impact of extreme snowfall events on the resilience of very small glaciers and ice patches in the southeastern European Alps, an area with the highest mean annual precipitation in the entire Alpine chain. Mean annual precipitation here is up to 3300 mm water equivalent, and the winter snow accumulation is approximately 6.80 m at 1800 m asl averaged over the period 1979–2018. As a consequence, very small glaciers and ice/firn patches are still present in this area at rather low altitudes (1830–2340 m). We performed repeated geodetic mass balance measurements on 14 ice bodies during the period 2006–2018 and the results show an increase greater than 10% increase in ice volume over this period. This is in accordance with several extreme winter snow accumulations in the 2000s, promoting a positive mass balance in the following years. The long-term evolution of these very small glaciers and ice bodies matches well with changes in mean temperature of the ablation season linked to variability of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Nevertheless, the recent behaviour of such residual ice masses in this area where orographic precipitation represents an important component of weather amplification is somehow different to most of the Alps. We analysed synoptic meteorological conditions leading to the exceptional snowy winters in the 2000s, which appear to be related to the influence and modification of atmospheric planetary waves and Arctic Amplification, with further positive feedbacks due to change in local sea surface temperature and its interactions with low level flows and the orography. Although further summer warming is expected in the next decades, we conclude that modification of storm tracks and more frequent occurrence of extreme snowfall events during winter are crucial in ensuring the resilience of small glacial remnants in maritime alpine sectors.
Regional Scale Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Air Quality: Gaseous Pollutants in the Po Valley, Northern Italy
Authors: Lonati Giovanni , Riva Federico
Published: February 2021

The impact of the reduced atmospheric emissions due to the COVID-19 lockdown on ambient air quality in the Po Valley of Northern Italy was assessed for gaseous pollutants (NO2, benzene, ammonia) based on data collected at the monitoring stations distributed all over the area. Concentration data for each month of the first semester of 2020 were compared with those of the previous six years, on monthly, daily, and hourly bases, so that pre, during, and post-lockdown conditions of air quality could be separately analyzed. The results show that, as in many other areas worldwide, the Po Valley experienced better air quality during 2020 spring months for NO2 and benzene. In agreement with the reductions of nitrogen oxides and benzene emissions from road traffic, estimated to be −35% compared to the regional average, the monthly mean concentration levels for 2020 showed reductions in the −40% to −35% range compared with the previous years, but with higher reductions, close to −50%, at high-volume-traffic sites in urban areas. Conversely, NH3 ambient concentration levels, almost entirely due the emissions of the agricultural sector, did not show any relevant change, even at high-volume-traffic sites in urban areas. These results point out the important role of traffic emissions in NO2 and benzene ambient levels in the Po Valley, and confirm that this region is a rather homogeneous air basin with urban area hot-spots, the contributions of which add up to a relatively high regional background concentration level. Additionally, the relatively slow response of the air quality levels to the sudden decrease of the emissions due to the lockdown shows that this region is characterized by a weak exchange of the air masses that favors both the build-up of atmospheric pollutants and the development of secondary formation processes. Thus, air quality control strategies should aim for structural interventions intended to reduce traffic emissions at the regional scale and not only in the largest urban areas.
5-Aminoisoquinolinone, a PARP-1 Inhibitor, Ameliorates Immune Abnormalities through Upregulation of Anti-Inflammatory and Downregulation of Inflammatory Parameters in T Cells of BTBR Mouse Model of Autism
Authors: Alhosaini Khaled , Ansari Mushtaq A. , Nadeem Ahmed , Bakheet Saleh A. , Attia Sabry M. , Alhazzani Khalid , Albekairi Thamer H. , Al-Mazroua Haneen A. , Mahmood Hafiz M. , Ahmad Sheikh F.
Published: February 2021

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) covers a range of neurodevelopmental disorders involving impairments in communication and repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior and reciprocal social interaction. 5-Aminoisoquinolinone (5-AIQ), a PARP-1 inhibitor, has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated the influence of 5-AIQ-treatment in BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice as an autism model and used flow cytometry to assess the effect of 5-AIQ on FOXP3, Helios, GATA3, IL-9, IL-10 and IL-17A production by CXCR6+ and CD4+ T cells in the spleen. We also confirmed the effect of 5-AIQ treatment on expression of FOXP3, Helios, GATA3, IL-17A, IL-10, and IL-9 mRNA and protein expression levels in the brain tissue by quantitative PCR and western blotting. Our results demonstrated that 5-AIQ-treated BTBR mice had significantly increased numbers of CXCR6+FOXP3+, CXCR6+IL-10+, and CXCR6+Helios+ cells and decreased numbers of CD4+GATA3+, CD4+IL-9+, and CD4+IL-17A+ cells as compared with those in untreated BTBR mice. Our results further demonstrated that treatment with 5-AIQ in BTBR mice increased expression for FOXP3, IL-10, and Helios, and decreased expression for GATA3, IL-17A, and IL-9 mRNA. Our findings support the hypotheses that 5-AIQ has promising novel therapeutic effects on neuroimmune dysfunction in autism and is associated with modulation of Treg and Th17 cells.
Increasing Mean Age of Head and Neck Cancer Patients at a German Tertiary Referral Center
Authors: Vahl Julius M. , Wigand Marlene C. , Denkinger Michael , Dallmeier Dhayana , Steiger Chiara , Welke Claudia , Kuhn Peter , Idel Christian , Doescher Johannes , von Witzleben Adrian , Brand Matthias , Marienfeld Ralf , Möller Peter , Theodoraki Marie-Nicole , Greve Jens , Schuler Patrick J. , Brunner Cornelia , Hoffmann Thomas K. , Laban Simon
Published: February 2021

Background: The impact of demographic change on the age at diagnosis in German head and neck cancer (HNC) patients is unclear. Here we present an evaluation of aging trends in HNC at a tertiary referral center. Methods: Retrospective cohort study on aging trends at the initial diagnosis of newly diagnosed patients with HNC between 2004 and 2018 at the head and neck cancer center Ulm in relation to demographic data of the catchment area. Results: The study population consisted of 2450 individuals diagnosed with HNC with a mean age of 62.84 (±11.67) years. We observed a significant increase in annual incidence rates and mean age over time. Mean age among HNC patients increased significantly more than among the population in the catchment area. Whereas the incidence rate of patients <50 years did not change, the incidence of HNC patients aged ≥70 years increased the most. The mean patient age in the main tumor sites increased significantly. Surprisingly, HPV-positive patients were not younger than HPV-negative patients, but showed a non-significant trend towards a higher mean age (63.0 vs. 60.7 years). Conclusions: Increasing incidence rates in older patients pose a challenge for health care systems. A nationwide study is needed to assess the dynamics and impact of aging on the incidence of HNC.
Halitosis in Children Undergoing Full Mouth Rehabilitation under General Anesthesia
Authors: AlMadhi Noura A. , Sulimany Ayman M. , Alzoman Hamad A. , Bawazir Omar A.
Published: February 2021

Interventions and management modalities of pediatric halitosis have been suggested in the literature, however, the effect of full mouth rehabilitation (FMR) under general anesthesia (GA) on pediatric halitosis was not reported. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate parents’ perceptions of their child’s halitosis before and after FMR under GA; and to evaluate the effect of FMR on clinical halitosis. Fifty-seven children between 3–8 years old, scheduled for FMR under GA, were included after satisfying the inclusion criteria and upon parental consent. Parents’ perception of halitosis in their children was evaluated using a standardized questionnaire and a breath sample was collected to assess the level of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) using OralChromaTM before and after FMR under GA. Sixty percent (n = 34) of the parents perceived halitosis in their children before FMR and about 80% (n = 27) of them reported improvement in halitosis after FMR. Clinical halitosis was detected in 84.2% (n = 48) of the sample before treatment. A statistically significant reduction in halitosis was found in 56.3% (n = 27) of the children after treatment (p < 0.001). In conclusion, majority of parents perceived an absence or reduction of halitosis in their children following FMR and significant improvement of clinical halitosis.
Women’s Mental Health as a Factor Associated with Exclusive Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding Duration: Data from a Longitudinal Study in Greece
Authors: Dagla Maria , Mrvoljak-Theodoropoulou Irina , Karagianni Despoina , Dagla Calliope , Sotiropoulou Dimitra , Kontiza Eleni , Kavakou Aikaterini-Taxiarchoula , Antoniou Evangelia
Published: February 2021

Background: This study investigated the relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and breastfeeding duration, and maternal psychological well-being in the perinatal period. Methods: A longitudinal study involving a retrospective follow-up of a group of 1080 women from pregnancy to the 1st year postpartum, who gave birth during the 5-year period between January 2014 and January 2019 in Athens, Greece, was designed. Women’s history and two psychometric tools—the Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) administered at 5-time points—were used for data collection. Logistic regression analysis and a series of multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) tests were performed. Results: The chance for exclusive breastfeeding (giving only breast milk) appeared to decrease (a) with an increase of the scores for psychometric tools antenatally (PHQ-9, p = 0.030) or at the 6th week postpartum (EPDS, p < 0.001 and PHQ-9, p < 0.001), (b) with an increase in the number of psychotherapeutic sessions needed antenatally (p = 0.030), and (c) when the initiation of psychotherapy was necessary postpartum (p = 0.002). Additionally, a shorter duration of any breastfeeding (with or without formula or other types of food/drink) seems to be associated with (a) the occurrence of pathological mental health symptoms (p = 0.029), (b) increased PHQ-9 scores antenatally (p = 0.018), (c) increased EPDS scores at the 6th week (p = 0.004) and the 12th month postpartum (p = 0.031), (d) the initiation of psychotherapy postpartum (p = 0.040), and e) the need for more than 13 psychotherapeutic sessions (p = 0.020). Conclusions: This study demonstrates a negative relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and breastfeeding duration, and poor maternal mental health in the perinatal period.
Synthesis of Monoclinic Vanadium Dioxide via One-Pot Hydrothermal Route
Authors: Liu Guowei , Du Zengyan , Li Ming , Long Yi
Published: February 2021

Pure monoclinic vanadium dioxide nanoparticles (VO2 NPs) with a controlled uniform size are considered essential for the preparation of thermochromic smart window coatings on desired substrates. Herein, we report a facile one-step hydrothermal synthesis of VO2(M) NPs without post-treatment of annealing, which may induce unwanted aggregation of NPs. In contrast with the annealed sample, the one-step processed VO2(M) NPs exhibit superior thermochromic performance with the solar modulation efficiency of 11.8% and luminous transmittance of 37.3%.
Modified Fast Inverse Square Root and Square Root Approximation Algorithms: The Method of Switching Magic Constants
Authors: Moroz Leonid V. , Samotyy Volodymyr V. , Horyachyy Oleh Y.
Published: February 2021

Many low-cost platforms that support floating-point arithmetic, such as microcontrollers and field-programmable gate arrays, do not include fast hardware or software methods for calculating the square root and/or reciprocal square root. Typically, such functions are implemented using direct lookup tables or polynomial approximations, with a subsequent application of the Newton–Raphson method. Other, more complex solutions include high-radix digit-recurrence and bipartite or multipartite table-based methods. In contrast, this article proposes a simple modification of the fast inverse square root method that has high accuracy and relatively low latency. Algorithms are given in C/C++ for single- and double-precision numbers in the IEEE 754 format for both square root and reciprocal square root functions. These are based on the switching of magic constants in the initial approximation, depending on the input interval of the normalized floating-point numbers, in order to minimize the maximum relative error on each subinterval after the first iteration—giving 13 correct bits of the result. Our experimental results show that the proposed algorithms provide a fairly good trade-off between accuracy and latency after two iterations for numbers of type float, and after three iterations for numbers of type double when using fused multiply–add instructions—giving almost complete accuracy.
Enlarging the Eyebox of Maxwellian Displays with a Customized Liquid Crystal Dammann Grating
Authors: He Ziqian , Yin Kun , Fan-Chiang Kuan-Hsu , Wu Shin-Tson
Published: February 2021

The Maxwellian view offers a promising approach to overcome the vergence-accommodation conflict in near-eye displays, however, its pinhole-like imaging naturally limits the eyebox size. Here, a liquid crystal polymer-based Dammann grating with evenly distributed energy among different diffraction orders is developed to enlarge the eyebox of Maxwellian view displays via pupil replication. In the experiment, a 3-by-3 Dammann grating is designed and fabricated, which exhibits good efficiency and high brightness uniformity. We further construct a proof-of-concept Maxwellian view display breadboard by inserting the Dammann grating into the optical system. The prototype successfully demonstrates the enlarged eyebox and full-color operation. Our work provides a promising route of eyebox expansion in Maxwellian view displays while maintaining full-color operation, simple system configuration, compactness, and lightweight.
Elevated Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (DPP-IV) Activity in Plasma from Patients with Various Lysosomal Diseases
Authors: Ługowska Agnieszka , Baydakova Galina , Ilyushkina Alex , Zakharova Ekaterina , Mierzewska Hanna , Szymańska Krystyna , Wierzba Jolanta , Kubalska Jolanta , Graban Ałła , Kmieć Tomasz , Perkowska-Sumiła Barbara , Tylki-Szymańska Anna , Bednarska-Makaruk Małgorzata
Published: February 2021

Increased activity of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) was reported earlier in patients with different types of mucopolysaccharidoses. DPP-IV (also known as CD26 lymphocyte T surface antigen) is a transmembrane protein showing protease activity. This enzyme displays various functions in the organism and plays an important role in multiple processes like glucose metabolism, nociception, cell-adhesion, psychoneuroendocrine regulation, immune response and cardiovascular adaptation. In order to evaluate DPP-IV in lysosomal storage diseases (LSD), we examined its activity in plasma samples from 307 patients affected with 24 different LSDs and in 75 control persons. Our results revealed elevated DPP-IV activity especially in individuals affected with mucolipidosis II/III, alpha-mannosidosis, and mucopolysaccharidoses types III, II, and I (p < 0.05). In other LSDs the DPP-IV activity was still significantly increased, but to a lesser extent. In patients with Gaucher disease, ceroid lipofuscinosis type 1 (CLN1), Niemann–Pick disease type C and A, Krabbe and Pompe diseases, gangliosidosis GM2 and metachromatic leukodystrophy discreet or no changes in DPP-IV activity were observed. DPP-IV may serve as a first-tier diagnostic procedure or additional biochemical analysis in recognizing patients with some LSDs. DPP-IV may become an object of basic research for a better understanding of LSDs.
The Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis in Adult Age. Data from the Italian Registry
Authors: Padoan Rita , Quattrucci Serena , Amato Annalisa , Carnovale Vincenzo , Salvatore Donatello , Salvatore Marco , Campagna Giuseppe
Published: February 2021

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) registries are an essential resource of epidemiological and clinical data. Although the median age at diagnosis is usually reported in the first months of life, a minority of individuals is diagnosed during adulthood. The aim of this study was to describe demographic, genetic, and clinical characteristics of this subgroup of the Italian CF population by using data from the Italian CF Registry (ICFR). Patients ≥18 years at diagnosis were selected and clinical data at diagnosis were analyzed from the 2012–2018 ICFR data (Cohort A). Subjects with diagnosis ≥18 years were selected from 2018 ICFR dataset (Cohort B) to describe their clinical status. In 2012–18 the incidence of late diagnosis was 18.2%, whereas, in 2018, the prevalence of patients diagnosed ≥18 years was 12.54%. The median age of late diagnosis was 36.2 years, ranging from 19.0 to 68.3. The male patients were diagnosed because of infertility in the 45.9% of cases. Median sweat chloride value (SCL) was 69 mmol/L (range 9–150). F508del mutation accounted for 28.3% of alleles. A wide variability in respiratory function was present with a median percent predicted Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (ppFEV1) of 90.8% (range 20–147%). Low prevalence of pancreatic insufficiency (25%) and of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infection (17%) suggest a mild CF phenotype in the majority of patients. The assessment of the clinical status in the 2018 dataset and the comparison between genders showed a greater nutritional and respiratory impairment in females. Further studies are needed to clarify the importance of a true diagnostic delay or of late onset of CF symptoms.