bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Author Correction: Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning based prediction of resistant and susceptible mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Jamal Salma , Khubaib Mohd. , Gangwar Rishabh , Grover Sonam , Grover Abhinav , Hasnain Seyed E.
Published: August 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Author Correction: The planctomycete Stieleria maiorica Mal15T employs stieleriacines to alter the species composition in marine biofilms
Authors: Kallscheuer Nicolai , Jeske Olga , Sandargo Birthe , Boedeker Christian , Wiegand Sandra , Bartling Pascal , Jogler Mareike , Rohde Manfred , Petersen Jörn , Medema Marnix H. , Surup Frank , Jogler Christian
Published: August 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Scalable and continuous preparation of nano-stirbars by electrospinning
Authors: Ji Qiaozhen , Hu Ting , Chen Qiuxian , Xin Wenwen , Liu Xueyang , Chen Hongyu
Published: August 2020

Continuous and scalable synthesis of nano-stirbars is achieved by combining electrospinning and ultrasonic breaking.
Desymmetrization of gem-diols via water-assisted organocatalytic enantio- and diastereoselective cycloetherification
Authors: Murata Ryuichi , Matsumoto Akira , Asano Keisuke , Matsubara Seijiro
Published: August 2020

The first desymmetrization of gem-diols forming chiral hemiketal carbon and silicon centers was accomplished via organocatalytic enantio- and diastereoselective cycloetherification.
A2AgCrCl6 (A = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) halide double perovskites: a transition metal-based semiconducting material series with appreciable optical characteristics
Authors: Varadwaj Pradeep R.
Published: August 2020

The theoretical examination of the geometric, energetic, phonon and optoelectronic properties of cubic and hexagonal A2AgCrCl6 (A = Cs, Rb, K, Na, Li) using meta-GGA SCAN-rVV10 has led us to identify cubic Cs2AgCrCl6 and Rb2AgCrCl6 as two dynamically stable double perovskites, with impressive optical features.
Chromatographic NMR spectroscopy: the effect of hollow silica microspheres on magnetic field inhomogeneities and resonance lineshapes
Authors: De Biasi Federico , Moro Federico , Frezzato Diego , Rastrelli Federico
Published: August 2020

We provide a description of the line broadening phenomenon observed in chromatographic NMR spectra with hollow silica microspheres.
Boosting oxygen electrocatalytic reactions with Mn3O4/self-growth N-doped carbon nanotubes induced by transition metal cobalt
Authors: Lu Li-Na , Chen Cheng , Xiao Kang , Ouyang Ting , Zhang Jun , Liu Zhao-Qing
Published: August 2020

Oxygen electrocatalytic activities in transition-metal atoms and/or heteroatom-doped carbon nanostructures are strongly dependent on their conductivity and electron configurations.
Tuneable solvent adsorption and exchange by 1D bispidine-based Mn(ii) coordination polymers via ligand design
Authors: Lippi Martina , Caputo Josefina , Meneghetti Fiorella , Castellano Carlo , Martí-Rujas Javier , Cametti Massimo
Published: August 2020

General trends on the structural and dynamic properties of bispidine-based Mn(ii) 1D coordination polymers have been outlined on the basis of both single-crystals and microcrystalline powders data and by solvent adsorption and exchange experiments.
Highly fast and selective removal of nitrate in groundwater by bimetallic catalysts supported by fly ash-derived zeolite Na-X
Authors: Park Jaehyeong , Choe Jong Kwon , Lee Woojin , Bae Sungjun
Published: August 2020

A novel and sustainable Pd–Sn bimetallic catalyst supported by fly ash-derived zeolite Na-X (Zeolite-XF) was developed for highly reactive and N2-selective reduction of nitrate in water.
Neuroprotective effects of oolong tea extracts against glutamate-induced toxicity in cultured neuronal cells and β-amyloid-induced toxicity inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Zhang Shaoxiong , Duangjan Chatrawee , Tencomnao Tewin , Liu Jianghong , Lin Jinke , Wink Michael
Published: August 2020

The schematic of neuroprotective effects of oolong tea extracts against glutamate-induced toxicity in cultured neuronal cells and Aβ/α-synuclein-induced toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Adaptable pulsatile flow generated from stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes using quantitative imaging-based signal transduction
Authors: Qian Tongcheng , Gil Daniel A. , Contreras Guzman Emmanuel , Gastfriend Benjamin D. , Tweed Kelsey E. , Palecek Sean P. , Skala Melissa C.
Published: August 2020

Biologically-driven pulsatile flow is generated by quantitative imaging of contractions from human pluripotent stem cell-derived heart cells.
Strain-induced band modulation and excellent stability, transport and optical properties of penta-MP2 (M = Ni, Pd, and Pt) monolayers
Authors: Kumar Vipin , Roy Debesh R.
Published: August 2020

First principle calculations utilizing density functional theory were carried out to investigate electronic properties, transport and optical properties of penta-MP2 (M = Ni, Pd and Pt) monolayer compounds under applied uniaxial and biaxial tensile strains.
Halogen effects on the electronic and optical properties of Au13nanoclusters
Authors: Gao Ze-Hua , Dong Jia , Zhang Qian-Fan , Wang Lai-Sheng
Published: August 2020

We have demonstrated that halogens can greatly influence the electronic and optical properties of Au13nanoclusters.
Impact of invasive metal probes on Hall measurements in semiconductor nanostructures
Authors: Gluschke Jan G. , Seidl Jakob , Tan H. Hoe , Jagadish Chennupati , Caroff Philippe , Micolich Adam P.
Published: August 2020

Experimental data and modelling show that invasive Hall probes lead to substantial misestimates of carrier concentration and mobility in 2D-nanostructure devices.
Nickel phosphide nanoalloy catalyst for the selective deoxygenation of sulfoxides to sulfides under ambient H2 pressure
Authors: Fujita Shu , Yamaguchi Sho , Yamazoe Seiji , Yamasaki Jun , Mizugaki Tomoo , Mitsudome Takato
Published: August 2020

A titanium-dioxide-supported nickel phosphide nanoalloy (nano-Ni2P/TiO2) functions as a highly active non-precious-metal-based heterogeneous catalyst for the selective deoxygenation of sulfoxides to sulfides under just 1 bar of H2.
Chiral disulfonimides: a versatile template for asymmetric catalysis
Authors: Benda Meghan C. , France Stefan
Published: August 2020

Chiral disulfonimides are a powerful class of organocatalysts that are amenable to an impressive scope of reaction types. This review provides a complete analysis of their synthesis, successful applications, mechanistic insights, and unmet challenges.
Crystallization behavior, structure, morphology, and thermal properties of crystalline and amorphous stereo diblock copolymers, poly(l-lactide)-b-poly(dl-lactide)
Authors: Tsuji Hideto , Iguchi Kazumasa , Tashiro Kohji , Arakawa Yuki
Published: August 2020

Some fractions of poly(dl-lactide) chains were confined in the amorphous regions between the crystalline regions, but the remaining parts of the poly(dl-lactide) chains should have been located outside of the alternately layered crystalline and amorphous regions.
A new route to porous metal–organic framework crystal–glass composites
Authors: Li Shichun , Yu Shuwen , Collins Sean M. , Johnstone Duncan N. , Ashling Christopher W. , Sapnik Adam F. , Chater Philip A. , Keeble Dean S. , McHugh Lauren N. , Midgley Paul A. , Keen David. A. , Bennett Thomas D.
Published: August 2020

A lower temperature route to metal–organic framework crystal–glass composites is presented. Specifically, the annealing pre-formed ZIF-62 glass with a crystalline MOF aboveTgwill enable formation of a greatly expanded range of materials.
AIE-based nanoaggregate tracker: high-fidelity visualization of lysosomal movement and drug-escaping processes
Authors: Liu Zhenxing , Wang Qi , Zhu Zhirong , Liu Ming , Zhao Xiaolei , Zhu Wei-Hong
Published: August 2020

Well-formed AIE nanoaggregates with good stability can achieve high-fidelity visualization of lysosomal movement and drug-escaping processes.
Bioinformatics analysis of the potential biomarkers for acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Liao Lin , Liao Pinhu
Published: August 2020

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is caused by uncontrolled inflammation, and the activation of alveolar macrophages (AM) is involved in pathophysiologic procedures. The present study aimed to identify key AM genes and pathways and try to provide potential targets for prognosis and early intervention in ARDS. Methods: The mRNA expression profile of GSE89953 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The LIMMA package in R software was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and the clusterProfiler package was used for functional enrichment and pathway analyses. A protein–protein interaction network of DEGs was constructed to identify hub genes via the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Hub gene expression was validated using differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) obtained from the ProteomeXchange datasets to screen potential biomarkers. Results: A total of 166 DEGs (101 up-regulated and 65 down-regulated) were identified. The up-regulated DEGs were mainly enriched in regulation of the ERK1 and ERK2 cascade, response to interferon-gamma, cell chemotaxis, and migration in biological processes. In the KEGG pathway analysis, up-regulated DEGs were mainly involved in rheumatoid arthritis, cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions, phagosome, and the chemokine signaling pathway. The 12 hub genes identified included GZMA, MPO, PRF1, CXCL8, ELANE, GZMB, SELL, APOE, SPP1, JUN, CD247, and CCL2. Conclusion: SPP1 was consistently differentially expressed in both DEGs and DEPs. SPP1 could be a potential biomarker for ARDS.
High expression of LEF1 correlates with poor prognosis in solid tumors, but not blood tumors: a meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Xiaoqi , Liu Haoran , Ye Tao , Ye Zhangqun
Published: August 2020

Background: Previously published studies have indicated that lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) expression could be recognized as a valuable biomarker to evaluate clinical outcome for various types of malignant cancer, but the results remained controversial. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to pool the published estimates and discuss the relationship of LEF1 expression with cancer prognosis. Methods: Five electronic databases Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, and Wanfang were systematically searched for eligible literatures. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from the included studies were combined to estimate the effect of LEF1 expression on cancer patients’ survival. Results: Eleven original studies met the criteria and were enrolled for analysis. The results indicated that compared with patients in low LEF1 expression group, patients in high LEF1 expression group tended to have shorter overall survival (HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.06–2.86, P=0.029), especially for patients with solid tumors (HR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.86–3.08, P=0.000). Conclusions: Individual evidence about the prognostic value of LEF1 expression in human cancers was limited. Our meta-analysis supported the suggestion that elevated LEF1 expression could function as a promising biomarker to predict the clinical outcomes for malignant cancers, especially solid tumors. More high-quality clinical studies are warranted to highlight the prognostic value of LEF1 expression in human cancers.
Class IA PI3K regulatory subunits: p110-independent roles and structures
Authors: Fox Millie , Mott Helen R. , Owen Darerca
Published: August 2020

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is a critical regulator of many cellular processes including cell survival, growth, proliferation and motility. Not surprisingly therefore, the PI3K pathway is one of the most frequently mutated pathways in human cancers. In addition to their canonical role as part of the PI3K holoenzyme, the class IA PI3K regulatory subunits undertake critical functions independent of PI3K. The PI3K regulatory subunits exist in excess over the p110 catalytic subunits and therefore free in the cell. p110-independent p85 is unstable and exists in a monomer-dimer equilibrium. Two conformations of dimeric p85 have been reported that are mediated by N-terminal and C-terminal protein domain interactions, respectively. The role of p110-independent p85 is under investigation and it has been found to perform critical adaptor functions, sequestering or influencing compartmentalisation of key signalling proteins. Free p85 has roles in glucose homeostasis, cellular stress pathways, receptor trafficking and cell migration. As a regulator of fundamental pathways, the amount of p110-independent p85 in the cell is critical. Factors that influence the monomer-dimer equilibrium of p110-independent p85 offer additional control over this system, disruption to which likely results in disease. Here we review the current knowledge of the structure and functions of p110-independent class IA PI3K regulatory subunits.
Genetic deficiency of Phactr1 promotes atherosclerosis development via facilitating M1 macrophage polarization and foam cell formation
Authors: Li Te , Ding Lijuan , Wang Yonggang , Yang Ou , Wang Shudong , Kong Jian
Published: August 2020

Genetic variants in phosphatase and actin regulator-1 (Phactr1) are reported to be associated with arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, the function of Phactr1 in atherosclerosis remains unclear. Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who underwent coronary angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were enrolled and divided into non-ST segment elevation (NST-ACS) group and ST-ACS group. The expression of Phactr1 on monocytes was higher in NST-ACS and ST-ACS groups as compared with control group. Furthermore, NST-ACS patients who have more vulnerable features including thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) and large lipid area showed higher levels of Phactr1 on monocytes than those with stable plaques. Through mouse models of atherosclerosis, Phactr1−/−Apoe−/− mice (double knockout mice, DKO) developed more severe atherosclerotic plaques, recruiting more macrophages into subendothelium and having elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines in plaques. Similarly, Apoe knockout mice (Apoe−/−) receiving DKO bone marrow (BM) exhibited elevated plaque burden compared with Apoe−/− mice receiving Apoe−/− BM, indicating the protective effect of Phactr1 in hematopoietic cells. We found that depletion of Phactr1 in BM-derived macrophages (BMDMs) tended to differentiate into M1 phenotype, produced more proatherogenic cytokines and eventually converted into foam cells driven by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). Mechanistically, Phactr1 activated CREB signaling via directly binding to CREB, up-regulating CREB phosphorylation and inducing KLF4 expression. Finally, overexpression of KLF4 partly rescued the excessive inflammation response and foam cell formation induced by deficiency of Phactr1. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that elevated Phactr1 in monocytes is a promising biomarker for vulnerable plaques, while increased Phactr1 attenuates atherosclerotic development via activation of CREB and M2 macrophage differentiation.
The future of precision medicine: towards a more predictive personalized medicine
Authors: Elemento Olivier
Published: August 2020

Precision medicine can be defined as personalized medicine enhanced by technology. In the past, medicine has, in some cases, been personalized. For example, some drugs are dosed on an individualized basis based on age, body-mass index, comorbidities and other clinical parameters. However, overall, medicine has largely followed the ‘one-size-fits-all' paradigm as exemplified in the treatment of essential hypertension or type 2 diabetes mellitus. What has changed in the past few years is that technologies such as high throughput sequencing, mass spectrometry, microfluidics, and imaging can help conduct a multitude of complex measurements on clinical samples. Aided by analytics, these technologies have been providing an increasingly detailed picture of molecular and cellular alterations underlying numerous diseases and have revealed tremendous variability between individuals and patients at the molecular and cellular level. These findings have motivated a more personalized or ‘precision' approach to medicine, in which molecular and cellular markers help tailor patient management to each individual. Here we provide an overview of the key factors driving adoption of precision medicine and highlight current research that may soon make precision medicine more predictive.
GOODS-ALMA: Using IRAC and VLA to probe fainter millimeter galaxies
Authors: Franco M. , Elbaz D. , Zhou L. , Magnelli B. , Schreiber C. , Ciesla L. , Dickinson M. , Nagar N. , Magdis G. , Alexander D. M. , Béthermin M. , Demarco R. , Daddi E. , Wang T. , Mullaney J. , Inami H. , Shu X. , Bournaud F. , Chary R. , Coogan R. T. , Ferguson H. , Finkelstein S. L. , Giavalisco M. , Gómez-Guijarro C. , Iono D. , Juneau S. , Lagache G. , Lin L. , Motohara K. , Okumura K. , Pannella M. , Papovich C. , Pope A. , Rujopakarn W. , Silverman J. , Xiao M.
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we extend the source detection in the GOODS-ALMA field (69 arcmin2, 1σ ≃ 0.18 mJy beam−1) to deeper levels than presented in our previous work. Using positional information at 3.6 and 4.5 μm (from Spitzer-IRAC) as well as the Very Large Array (VLA) at 3 GHz, we explore the presence of galaxies detected at 1.1 mm with ALMA below our original blind detection limit of 4.8-σ, at which the number of spurious sources starts to dominate over that of real sources. In order to ensure the most reliable counterpart association possible, we have investigated the astrometry differences between different instruments in the GOODS–South field. In addition to a global offset between the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) already discussed in previous studies, we have highlighted a local offset between ALMA and the HST that was artificially introduced in the process of building the mosaic of the GOODS–South image. We created a distortion map that can be used to correct for these astrometric issues. In this Supplementary Catalog, we find a total of 16 galaxies, including two galaxies with no counterpart in HST images (also known as optically dark galaxies), down to a 5σ limiting depth of H = 28.2 AB (HST/WFC3 F160W). This brings the total sample of GOODS-ALMA 1.1 mm sources to 35 galaxies. Galaxies in the new sample cover a wider dynamic range in redshift (z = 0.65−4.73), are on average twice as large (1.3 vs 0.65 kpc), and have lower stellar masses (M⋆SC = 7.6 × 1010 M⊙ vs M⋆MC = 1.2 × 1011 M⊙). Although exhibiting larger physical sizes, these galaxies still have far-infrared sizes that are significantly more compact than inferred from their optical emission.
The surface of (1) Ceres in visible light as seen by Dawn/VIR
Authors: Rousseau B. , De Sanctis M. C. , Raponi A. , Ciarniello M. , Ammannito E. , Frigeri A. , Ferrari M. , De Angelis S. , Carrozzo F. C. , Tosi F. , Schröder S. E. , Raymond C. A. , Russell C. T.
Published: August 2020

Aims.We study the surface of Ceres at visible wavelengths, as observed by the Visible and InfraRed mapping spectrometer (VIR) onboard the Dawn spacecraft, and analyze the variations of various spectral parameters across the whole surface. We also focus on several noteworthy areas of the surface of this dwarf planet.

Methods.We made use of the newly corrected VIR visible data to build global maps of a calibrated radiance factor at 550 nm, with two color composites and three spectral slopes between 400 and 950 nm. We have made these maps available for the community via the Aladin Desktop software.

Results.Ceres’ surface shows diverse spectral behaviors in the visible range. The color composite and the spectral slope between 480 and 800 nm highlight fresh impact craters and young geologic formations of endogenous origin, which appear bluer than the rest of the surface. The steep slope before 465 nm displays very distinct variations and may be a proxy for the absorptions caused by the O2− → Fe3+or the 2Fe3+→ Fe2++ Fe4+charge transfers, if the latter are found to be responsible for the drop in this spectral range. We notice several similarities between the spectral slopes and the abundance of phyllosilicates detected in the infrared by the VIR, whereas no correlation can be clearly established with carbonate species. The region of the Dantu impact crater presents a peculiar spectral behavior – especially through the color and the spectral slope before 465 nm – suggesting a change in composition or in the surface physical properties that is not observed elsewhere on Ceres.
Autismus-Spektrum Störungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen – aktueller Stand
Authors: Poustka Luise
Published: August 2020

Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen (ASS, nach ICD-10 „Tiefgreifende Entwicklungsstörungen – TE“) sind durch eine lebenslange soziale Kommunikationsstörung charakterisiert. Menschen mit ASS haben mehr oder weniger große Schwierigkeiten, sozial bedeutsame Zusammenhänge zu verstehen und das eigene Verhalten darauf abstimmen zu können. ASS gelten als neurobiologisch bedingte Störungen mit starkem genetischem Einfluss und großer Heterogenität.
Editorial
Authors: Broda Michael
Published: August 2020

„Wir lernen einen anderen Menschen erst anders kennen, wenn wir ihm die Möglichkeit geben, anders sein zu dürfen.“

Ernst Ferstl, österreichischer Aphoristiker *
Bildgebung der COVID-19-Pneumonie
Authors: Meiler Stefanie , Stroszczynski Christian , Hamer Okka Wilkea
Published: August 2020

Aktuell und zukünftig werden Radiologen bei jeder CT, die bei einem Patienten mit der Symptomatik einer Atemwegsinfektion durchgeführt wird, unweigerlich mit der Frage konfrontiert werden, ob es sich um eine COVID-19-Pneumonie handeln könnte. Andererseits sollte auch bei zufällig entdeckten Lungenläsionen in einer Thorax-CT anderer Indikation differenzialdiagnostisch an eine inzidentelle COVID-19-Pneumonie gedacht werden.
Zehn Jahre Hautkrebsscreening in Deutschland: Leuchtturmfunktion, Probleme und Verbesserungsansätze – Daten einer großen Hautarztpraxis
Authors: Ziegler Petra
Published: August 2020

Von 2008–2018 wurden ca. 40 000 Hautkrebsscreenings durchgeführt und die Daten analysiert.

Es zeigte sich zum einen eine hochsignifikant steigende Zunahme von epithelialen malignen Tumoren um mehr als das Doppelte zwischen 2009 und 2018. Bei Patienten des gesetzlichen Hautkrebsscreenings konnte bei jedem 10. Patienten „weißer Hautkrebs“ diagnostiziert werden, 1,2 % der Patienten litten unter einem malignen Melanom, wobei 50 % davon in situ waren. Eine statistische Analyse der dysplastischen Nävi erbrachte eine höchst signifikante Differenz zwischen Patienten des gesetzlichen Screenings (54,2 Jahre) und Patienten unter 35 Jahren (23,4 Jahre). Die jüngere Patientengruppe (< 35 Jahre) wies fast doppelt so häufig histologisch nachgewiesene dysplastische Nävi auf als die Patienten des gesetzlichen Screenings (> 35 Jahre). Dies könnte ein früheres Screening ab 20 Jahren befürworten, um mögliche Risikogruppen rechtzeitig zu identifizieren. Die Senkung der Melanom-Mortalität als einziger Erfolgsparameter ist allerdings kritisch zu hinterfragen.
The Male Facelift
Authors: Daraei Paul P. , Marshall Ryan V. , Adams Austin S. , Rousso Daniel E.
Published: August 2020

Rhytidectomy techniques have evolved significantly since the procedure was first described in the early twentieth century. Techniques vary based on surgeon preference, patient characteristics, and the desired outcome. As facelifts are embraced by the general public and the frequency of rhytidectomy increases, attention to male patient-specific technique is critical. Male and female facelift techniques are fundamentally similar; however, there are nuances to patient selection and technique in males that guide the surgeon to improved postoperative outcomes. Attention to incision placement, trichophytic technique, and adjunct procedures will improve overall cosmesis in the male patient. Understanding of potential risks and their likelihood in the male patient will also minimize complications and allow for rapid recovery.
How surface charging affects the photoelectron energy distribution on the moon
Authors: Bandari Anashe
Published: August 2020

Sunlight has large impacts on the electrostatic potential of the lunar surface, but the effect has previously been neglected in studies of the photoelectron distribution within the lunar sheath.
Experimental demonstration of underwater ultrasound cloaking based on metagrating
Authors: He Jiajie , Jiang Xue , Ta Dean , Wang Weiqi
Published: August 2020

We present the theoretical design, numerical simulation, and experimental demonstration of a single-parameter-based underwater ultrasound cloaking of arbitrary objects based on metagrating. The carpet metagrating is implemented with periodic grooves, which circumvents the tedious calculations and extreme material responses of the conventional cloaking based on acoustic transformation theory, providing a simple design methodology and enabling easy fabrication in real-life scenarios. Particularly, we expand the working frequency range of this ultrasound cloaking to 100–900 kHz, which is commonly used in biomedical ultrasound and industrial testing. Our design with the advantages of extreme simplicity, robust concealment of sizeable objects, and potential broadband functionality will improve the applicability of ultrasound carpet cloaking for more realistic situations where the camouflage of the arbitrary target is needed.
Magnon-squeezing as a niche of quantum magnonics
Authors: Kamra Akashdeep , Belzig Wolfgang , Brataas Arne
Published: August 2020

Spin excitations of ordered magnets – magnons – mediate transport in magnetic insulators. Their bosonic nature makes them qualitatively distinct from electrons. These features include quantum properties traditionally realized with photons. In this perspective, we present an intuitive discussion of one such phenomenon. Equilibrium magnon-squeezing manifests unique advantages with magnons as compared to photons, including properties such as entanglement. Building upon the recent progress in the fields of spintronics and quantum optics, we outline challenges and opportunities in this emerging field of quantum magnonics.
Forest in the Tree
Authors: Wild Ailsa , Reed Aviva , Barr Briony , Crocetti Gregory
Published: August 2020

This is a story about trees and fungi connected through a ‘wood wide web’ – told by one tiny fungal spore.
A little fungus meets a baby cacao tree and they learn to feed each other. They cooperate with a forest of plants and a metropolis of microbes in the soil. But when drought strikes can they work together to survive?
The fourth book in the Small Friends Books series, this science-adventure story explores the Earth-shaping partnerships between plants, fungi and bacteria.
Low-dimensional dynamics for working memory and time encoding
Authors: Cueva Christopher J. , Saez Alex , Marcos Encarni , Genovesio Aldo , Jazayeri Mehrdad , Romo Ranulfo , Salzman C. Daniel , Shadlen Michael N. , Fusi Stefano
Published: August 2020

Our decisions often depend on multiple sensory experiences separated by time delays. The brain can remember these experiences and, simultaneously, estimate the timing between events. To understand the mechanisms underlying working memory and time encoding, we analyze neural activity recorded during delays in four experiments on nonhuman primates. To disambiguate potential mechanisms, we propose two analyses, namely, decoding the passage of time from neural data and computing the cumulative dimensionality of the neural trajectory over time. Time can be decoded with high precision in tasks where timing information is relevant and with lower precision when irrelevant for performing the task. Neural trajectories are always observed to be low-dimensional. In addition, our results further constrain the mechanisms underlying time encoding as we find that the linear “ramping” component of each neuron’s firing rate strongly contributes to the slow timescale variations that make decoding time possible. These constraints rule out working memory models that rely on constant, sustained activity and neural networks with high-dimensional trajectories, like reservoir networks. Instead, recurrent networks trained with backpropagation capture the time-encoding properties and the dimensionality observed in the data.
Adaptability and truth
Authors: Mey Jacob L.
Published: August 2020

Factual statements are supposed to be necessarily ‘true’, as opposed to people’s opinions. But what is often not taken into account is the fact that statements always are by a speaker whose relationship to the truth, or command of the facts may be less evident. In particular, leaning on an understanding of ‘facts’ (in science and elsewhere) that is more attuned to the pragmatics of Gibsonian ‘affordances’ and context, the chapter argues for a renewed attention to the conditions of ‘stating’ that circumscribe the truth value of statements. Invoking such diverse authorities as Giambattista Vico, Pope Francis, and Bruno Latour, it is claimed that all speaking is an activity of ‘acting in the world’ around us, rather than merely ‘representing’ that world. This has consequences for the precept of ‘letting the facts speak for themselves’ – as it is affirmed in a deceptively simple, but essentially vacuous popular slogan.
Discussing breast cancer in cyber spaces
Authors: Amaral Renata Martins , Pereira Maria das Graças Dias
Published: August 2020

The relationship between human beings and technology has raised concerns about adaptability as a major issue (Mey 2015a) in the cyber era. With a view to understanding how communication occurs in the modern world, Mey proposes four dimensions of adaptability for contemporary new technologies: the dimensions of time, place, persons and objects. In the present study, we use these dimensions to guide our analysis. Drawing on cyber-ethnographic studies (Hallett and Barber 2014; Emmanuel & Day 2011; Gebera 2008; Thomsen, Straubhaar, and Bolyard 1998), we have investigated a particular Brazilian breast cancer female patient’s cyberspace discourses, while focusing on the pragmatic analysis of digital data. Ours is a qualitative research study (Denzin & Lincoln 2006) and the theoretical framework includes narrative studies (De Fina & Georgakopoulou 2008; Bastos 2008); studies on identity and emotions; as well as studies on context, performance and agency in discourse (Austin 1962; Pereira & Cortez 2013). The study aims to answer the following questions: (i) How is adaptability observed through patient discourses and cyber access? (ii) What identities have been constructed through a particular patient’s discourses? (iii) How are emotions conveyed in the participant’s discourses?
Technological context
Authors: Al Sharoufi Hussain
Published: August 2020

This study investigated the impact of technological devices on Kuwaiti youths as creators of a technological context with its own pragmatic parameters. To the youth, a parallel communicative world is in action when they engage in any communicative repertoire using mobile devices. I conducted a survey at the Gulf University for Science and Technology in Kuwait to investigate the existence of such a contextual realm and whether it has its own regulatory factors. A majority of my respondents emphasized that when talking with any person using a mobile device, they are indeed engaged in a communicative environment, the context of which has its own regulatory parameters, such as emoticons, pictures, sound files, text files, tweets, and so on. A majority of the respondents insisted that they feel more secure when using their mobile devices, implying that they become different individuals when doing so, and that this sudden role change occurs due to the contextual environment in which they are engaged. This study emphasizes that the technological context is the product of instant collaboration between two or more communicators in a real-time situation. I argue that technological meanings are produced solely in a technological context and, thus, their facilitating environments differ from those found in the real world.
Language policy and language teaching
Authors: Carvalho do Prado Silvana Aparecida , Correa Djane Antonucci
Published: August 2020

This study focuses on the teaching of English in Brazil and how language policy is handled by public school teachers; it also offers some reflections on adaptability (Mey 2009). Given the current status of English as a lingua franca, the study seeks to understand its influence in the classroom, both in relation to the official regulation of such practice and to the individual choices made by teachers. The project contained a proposal for action research with a group of teachers in the state school system in Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil. The research was developed through meetings in the Text Studies Laboratory at the State University of Ponta Grossa every fortnight. The teaching material was analyzed in discussions with the teachers, and by using their diaries, based on the lessons taught. The results identified the participants’ difficulties to see language as a social practice and their struggle to translate the documents into their daily practice. Additionally, teacher-centered practices focusing on the structural aspects of the language, with the concomitant difficulties of joining practice to theory, were observed. The emphasis on adaptability in the process of teaching language through the medium of diverse social practices seems to be a challenge still to be worked out in the context of teaching English as a foreign language in Brazil.
Open grazing prohibitions and the politics of exclusivist identity in Nigeria
Authors: Sule Peter Echewija
Published: August 2020

This article critically examines the politics of socio-political exclusions, with particular reference to the recurrent surges of herdsmen/farmers’ skirmishes that are currently ravaging many states in Nigeria. Owing to their occupation and prejudiced history, the Fulani herdsmen have not enjoyed full assimilation into mainstream cohesion, and the enactment of laws proscribing ‘open grazing’ by some states, in a bid to protect farmers and farmlands, appears to have further entrenched this supposed exclusion. Consequently, the group, through its Miyetti Allah Cattle Associations, has urged state governments to refrain from enforcing these laws. The implementation of the laws by Benue and Taraba States has caused herdsmen to react angrily by killing hundreds of people in the states. To what extent are these states justified in prohibiting open grazing? Can a group justifiably warn a sovereign, federating, state against implementing a law duly passed by its State Assembly? Using critical analysis, the paper proffers answers to these questions by drawing insights from philosophical arguments of social justice, particularly Nozickian justice asentitlement. Given that what is at stake is the economic livelihoods of both farmers and cattle herders, the paper also provides an objective analysis of the conflict by pointing out the central claims of both parties in the dispute. It concludes that solution to these skirmishes inheres in an approach that emphasizes social justice and inclusion.
Interleukin-17–induced neutrophil extracellular traps mediate resistance to checkpoint blockade in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Zhang Yu , Chandra Vidhi , Riquelme Sanchez Erick , Dutta Prasanta , Quesada Pompeyo R. , Rakoski Amanda , Zoltan Michelle , Arora Nivedita , Baydogan Seyda , Horne William , Burks Jared , Xu Hanwen , Hussain Perwez , Wang Huamin , Gupta Sonal , Maitra Anirban , Bailey Jennifer M. , Moghaddam Seyed J. , Banerjee Sulagna , Sahin Ismet , Bhattacharya Pratip , McAllister Florencia
Published: August 2020

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a lethal malignancy with an immunosuppressive microenvironment that is resistant to most therapies. IL17 is involved in pancreatic tumorigenesis, but its role in invasive PDAC is undetermined. We hypothesized that IL17 triggers and sustains PDAC immunosuppression. We inhibited IL17/IL17RA signaling using pharmacological and genetic strategies alongside mass cytometry and multiplex immunofluorescence techniques. We uncovered that IL17 recruits neutrophils, triggers neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and excludes cytotoxic CD8 T cells from tumors. Additionally, IL17 blockade increases immune checkpoint blockade (PD-1, CTLA4) sensitivity. Inhibition of neutrophils or Padi4-dependent NETosis phenocopies IL17 neutralization. NMR spectroscopy revealed changes in tumor lactate as a potential early biomarker for IL17/PD-1 combination efficacy. Higher expression of IL17 and PADI4 in human PDAC corresponds with poorer prognosis, and the serum of patients with PDAC has higher potential for NETosis. Clinical studies with IL17 and checkpoint blockade represent a novel combinatorial therapy with potential efficacy for this lethal disease.
Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Chronic Disease Outcomes
Authors: Christiansen Julie , Lund Rikke , Qualter Pamela , Andersen Christina Maar , Pedersen Susanne S , Lasgaard Mathias
Published: August 2020

Background

Research suggests that loneliness and social isolation (SI) are serious public health concerns. However, our knowledge of the associations of loneliness and SI with specific chronic diseases is limited.

Purpose

The present prospective cohort study investigated (a) the longitudinal associations of loneliness and SI with four chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease [CVD], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], diabetes mellitus Type 2 [T2D], and cancer), (b) the synergistic association of loneliness and SI with chronic disease, and (c) baseline psychological and behavioral explanatory factors.

Methods

Self-reported data from the 2013 Danish “How are you?” survey (N = 24,687) were combined with individual-level data from the National Danish Patient Registry on diagnoses in a 5 year follow-up period (2013–2018).

Results

Cox proportional hazard regression analyses showed that loneliness and SI were independently associated with CVD (loneliness: adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI; 1.03, 1.40]; SI: AHR = 1.23, 95% CI [1.04, 146]) and T2D (loneliness: AHR =1.90, 95% CI [1.42, 2.55]; SI: AHR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.15, 2.21]). No significant associations were found between loneliness or SI and COPD and cancer, respectively. Likewise, loneliness and SI did not demonstrate a synergistic effect on chronic disease. Multiple mediation analysis indicated that loneliness and SI had an indirect effect on CVD and T2D through both baseline psychological and behavioral factors.

Conclusion

Loneliness and SI were independently associated with a diagnosis of CVD and T2D within a 5 year follow-up period. The associations of loneliness and SI with CVD and T2D were fully explained by baseline psychological and behavioral factors.
Clean and Contain: Initial Development of a Measure of Infection Prevention Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Toussaint Loren L , Cheadle Alyssa D , Fox Jesse , Williams David R
Published: August 2020

Background

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer behavioral guidance to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. Cleaning (e.g., cleaning surfaces, washing and sanitizing hands) and containing (e.g., covering coughs, keeping distance from others, especially sick people) behaviors are recommended.

Purpose

To develop the Clean and Contain Measure, a brief measure of compliance with CDC recommendations for prevention of infectious disease, and validate the measure in individuals experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and social media.

Results

In Study 1 (N = 97), exploratory factor analysis revealed two scales: (a) five items assessing cleaning behaviors and (b) four items assessing containing behaviors. Simple structure was obtained and alpha coefficients for both scales were >.83. In Studies 2 (N = 204) and 3 (N = 527), confirmatory factor analysis verified the identical factor structure found in Study 1. All loadings were statistically significant at p < .001. Alpha coefficients for both scales were >.84 for Studies 2 and 3.

Conclusions

Our measure is a reliable and valid indicator of compliance with cleaning and containing health behaviors that help to prevent the spread of diseases like COVID-19. Future research should replicate construct validity in more diverse samples and continue to refine items, examine construct validity, including predictive and discriminant validity, and improve the measure for future use. With continued use and refinement, this measure could allow health officials and researchers to accurately assess compliance with important infection prevention behavior guidelines.
Mean Levels and Variability in Psychological Well-Being and Associations With Sleep in Midlife and Older Women
Authors: Leger Kate A , Blevins Tessa R , Crofford Leslie J , Segerstrom Suzanne C
Published: August 2020

Background

Disturbed sleep is prevalent in older adulthood and particularly among women. Greater psychological well-being (PWB) is associated with better sleep, but intraindividual variability in PWB has not been examined.

Purpose

The current study examined whether mean levels and variability in PWB were associated with sleep disturbances in midlife and older women.

Methods

Participants (N = 189) completed up to seven daily diaries and an end of the week assessment every 3 months for nine waves. Participants answered questions about their nightly sleep disturbances and reported their PWB using Ryff’s six dimensions of PWB.

Results

Regression models indicated that greater variability in one aspect of PWB, positive relations with others, was related to greater sleep disturbance even after adjusting for mean levels of well-being. Greater variability in environmental mastery, purpose in life, and self-acceptance were also associated with sleep disturbance, but these associations were no longer significant after adjusting for mean levels of well-being.

Conclusions

Results suggest that fluctuations in positive relations with others are related to sleep in adult women above and beyond mean levels of well-being. Results highlight the importance of considering variability in addition to mean levels of PWB.
COVID-19 in Health-Care Workers: A Living Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prevalence, Risk Factors, Clinical Characteristics, and Outcomes
Authors: Gómez-Ochoa Sergio Alejandro , Franco Oscar H , Rojas Lyda Z , Raguindin Peter Francis , Roa-Díaz Zayne Milena , Wyssmann Beatrice Minder , Guevara Sandra Lucrecia Romero , Echeverría Luis Eduardo , Glisic Marija , Muka Taulant
Published: August 2020

Health-care workers (HCWs) are at the frontline of response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), being at a higher risk of acquiring the disease and, subsequently, exposing patients and others. Searches of 8 bibliographic databases were performed to systematically review the evidence on the prevalence, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among HCWs. A total of 97 studies (all published in 2020) met the inclusion criteria. The estimated prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection from HCWs’ samples, using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and the presence of antibodies, was 11% (95% confidence interval (CI): 7, 15) and 7% (95% CI: 4, 11), respectively. The most frequently affected personnel were nurses (48%, 95% CI: 41, 56), whereas most of the COVID-19–positive medical personnel were working in hospital nonemergency wards during screening (43%, 95% CI: 28, 59). Anosmia, fever, and myalgia were the only symptoms associated with HCW SARS-CoV-2 positivity. Among HCWs positive for COVID-19 by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, 40% (95% CI: 17, 65) were asymptomatic at time of diagnosis. Finally, severe clinical complications developed in 5% (95% CI: 3, 8) of the COVID-19–positive HCWs, and 0.5% (95% CI: 0.02, 1.3) died. Health-care workers suffer a significant burden from COVID-19, with those working in hospital nonemergency wards and nurses being the most commonly infected personnel.
International commercial arbitration in Canada after Uber Technologies Inc v Heller
Authors: Meshel Tamar
Published: August 2020

This article examines the Supreme Court of Canada’s judgment in Uber Technologies Inc v Heller from an international commercial arbitration perspective, focusing on two specific issues. The first issue is the Court’s application of a provincial domestic, rather than international, arbitration statute to Uber and Heller’s international arbitration agreement, on the ground that the agreement is not ‘commercial’. The article argues that this finding is not in line with international arbitration instruments and practice. The second issue is the Court’s interpretation and application of the competence–competence principle, which permits arbitral tribunals to decide their own jurisdiction. The article maintains that the Court’s approach does not offend this principle, but that the Court provides insufficient guidance to lower Canadian courts on how to implement this approach in future cases. The article concludes that the Court’s decision, while far-reaching in many respects, should not disturb the enforcement of routine international commercial arbitration agreements in Canada. The decision may have implications, however, for arbitration agreements contained in international contracts—particularly standard form contracts—that might give rise to employment disputes, such as those in the gig economy, or that contain terms that may seem to bar a party’s access to the arbitral process.
A-02 A Novel Tool for the Differential Diagnosis of Clinical Alzheimer’s Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Normal Cognition: Development and Validation
Authors: Parker A , Hynan L , Munro C , Goette W , Lacritz L , Cullum M
Published: August 2020

Objective

To create a clinician-friendly diagnostic tool based on neuropsychological and demographic data to assist classification of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and normal cognition (NC).

Methods

Neuropsychological and demographic data from 652 (256 NC,122 MCI,274 AD) subjects were selected from a regional Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Utilizing half the sample, two binary logistic regressions compared NC to (MCI + AD) and AD to (NC + MCI) groups. Initial models were reduced in a step-wise manner to determine significant predictors. Raw scores for these variables were multiplied by weights derived from the final regression models and combined to create weighted-sum scores. Cut-points between diagnoses were established using ROC curves based on weighted-sum scores. The tool was validated in the remaining subjects through ROC analyses and sensitivity/specificity calculations for each diagnosis.

Results

Age, education, sex, Trails A&B, Logical Memory, Animals, and CVLT were all diagnostic predictors. ROC curves comparing weighted sum scores and consensus diagnoses in the validation set showed good discriminability (NC vs MCI + AD: AUC = .95; AD vs NC + MCI: AUC = .98). Scores of 305.75 predicted AD, MCI, and NC respectively, with good sensitivity/specificity in the validation sample (NC = .857/.913, MCI = .711/.883, AD = .914/.951), with 83% of all subjects correctly classified.

Conclusions

We created a user-friendly diagnostic tool based on demographic and neuropsychological test scores which distinguished between AD, MCI, and NC in an initial validation sample with relatively good accuracy. Results merit replication in other samples, but suggest that this approach may be useful to aid clinical diagnosis, particularly when biomarker data are not available in clinical settings.