bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of active molecules of Korean pine seed on rodent health and implications for forest regeneration
Authors: Wei Gang , Rong Ke , Yang Kexin , Bao Zhiying , Zhang Xiaotong , Zhang Zhi , Gong Yanni , Wang Jiafu
Published: August 2021

After maturation, Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc.) seeds often cannot disperse to reach a suitable germination site. It is therefore difficult to naturally regenerate by itself and relies on animal dispersal. Squirrels hoard pine seeds as winter food and Korean pine seeds stored for overwintering might become the source of regeneration of the species. From field observations, the pine seeds are the food preference for squirrels during autumn in the Lesser Khingan Mountains in Northeast China. Such preference by squirrels has been attributed to high seed energy content and the ease of seed storage. However, it may also be expected from nutritional aspects that a coevolutionary relationship between squirrels and Korean pine species could be partially explained by the effect of active seed components and their physiological regulatory effects on squirrels. To test this hypothesis, control experiments were carried out to examine the modulatory effects of Korean pine nut oil (PNO) on intestinal microbiota, inflammatory profile and oxidative stress in mice. The results showed that, compared with mice fed a high-fat diet, PNO significantly improved the physical and the healthy state of mice. Histological analysis of the liver and epididymal fat tissue showed that PNO alleviated liver and adipocyte lesions, and inflammation caused by high-fat diets. PNO also significantly decreased atherosclerotic index and ameliorate serum lipid accumulation to prevent cardiovascular disease, which effect the positive control SG group. Moreover, PNO elevated superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase enzyme activities and reduced malondialdehyde levels in the serum. 16S rRNA sequencing showed that PNO restored intestinal microbiota composition, significantly increasing the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Akkermansia bacteria. These results suggest that Korean pine seeds not only provide adequate fat, protein and energy for squirrels, but also promote physical health and improve body immunity.
18F-FDG PET/CT in Infective Endocarditis: Indications and Approaches for Standardization
Authors: ten Hove D. , Slart R.H.J.A. , Sinha B. , Glaudemans A.W.J.M. , Budde R.P.J.
Published: August 2021

Purpose of Review

Additional imaging modalities, such as FDG-PET/CT, have been included into the workup for patients with suspected infective endocarditis, according to major international guidelines published in 2015. The purpose of this review is to give an overview of FDG-PET/CT indications and standardized approaches in the setting of suspected infective endocarditis.

Recent Findings

There are two main indications for performing FDG-PET/CT in patients with suspected infective endocarditis: (i) detecting intracardiac infections and (ii) detection of (clinically silent) disseminated infectious disease. The diagnostic performance of FDG-PET/CT for intracardiac lesions depends on the presence of native valves, prosthetic valves, or implanted cardiac devices, with a sensitivity that is poor for native valve endocarditis and cardiac device-related lead infections, but much better for prosthetic valve endocarditis and cardiac device-related pocket infections. Specificity is high for all these indications. The detection of disseminated disease may also help establish the diagnosis and/or impact patient management.

Based on current evidence, FDG-PET/CT should be considered for detection of disseminated disease in suspected endocarditis. Absence of intracardiac lesions on FDG-PET/CT cannot rule out native valve endocarditis, but positive findings strongly support the diagnosis. For prosthetic valve endocarditis, standard use of FDG-PET/CT is recommended because of its high sensitivity and specificity. For implanted cardiac devices, FDG-PET/CT is also recommended, but should be evaluated with careful attention to clinical context, because its sensitivity is high for pocket infections, but low for lead infections. In patients with prosthetic valves with or without additional aortic prosthesis, combination with CTA should be considered. Optimal timing of FDG-PET/CT is important, both during clinical workup and technically (i.e., post tracer injection). In addition, procedural standardization is key and encompasses patient preparation, scan acquisition, reconstruction, subsequent analysis, and clinical interpretation. The recommendations discussed here will hopefully contribute to improved standardization and enhanced performance of FDG-PET/CT in the clinical management of patients with suspected infective endocarditis.
Sleeping over moral dilemmas modulates utilitarian decision-making
Authors: Cellini Nicola , Mercurio Marco , Sarlo Michela
Published: August 2021

Moral decision-making depends on the interaction between emotional and cognitive control processes, which are also affected by sleep. Here we aimed to assess the potential role of sleep in the modulation of moral decisions over time by testing the change in behavioral responses to moral dilemmas over time (1 week). Thirty-five young adults were tested twice, with one week between the sessions. In each session, participants were presented with 24 sacrificial (12 Footbridge- and 12 Trolley-type) and 6 everyday-type moral dilemmas. In sacrificial dilemmas, participants had to choose whether or not to kill one person to save more people (utilitarian choice), to judge how morally acceptable the proposed solution was, and how they felt in terms of valence and arousal during the decision. In everyday-type dilemmas, they had to decide whether to pursuit moral violations involving dishonest behavior. Between the sessions, the participants’ sleep pattern was assessed via actigraphy. We observed that participants reduced the utilitarian choices in the second session, and this effect was more pronounced for the Trolley-type dilemmas. We also showed that after a week participants judged the utilitarian choices as less morally acceptable, but there was no change in self-reported emotional reactivity (i.e., valence, and arousal). Moreover, sleep efficiency was mildly negatively associated with the changes in decision choices and moral acceptability for the Footbridge-type dilemmas. Taken together, our data suggest that dealing with a moral situation engages several interacting factors that seem to go beyond the competing roles of cognitive and emotional processes.
Fast Detection of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural in Dulce de Leche by SPE-LC–MS
Authors: Imperiale Sebastian , Morozova Ksenia , Ferrentino Giovanna , Alam Md Rizvi , Scampicchio Matteo
Published: August 2021

This research paper investigates the use of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) as marker for the heat treatment of spreadable dairy creams (dulce de leche, DL). The proposed method applies solid-phase extraction (SPE) with final analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (SPE-LC–MS). The method was successfully applied to analyze spreadable dairy creams prepared by hot melt extrusion using different heating temperatures from 100 to 130 °C. The concentrations of 5-HMF correlated linearly with the applied temperatures, with a signal response in the range from 0.5 to 100 μM (R2 = 0.9997). The limit of detection (LOD) was 1.54 ± 0.03 µM with a precision of 1.77%. The results were compared with the analysis of 5-HMF in spreadable dairy creams using reference methods for the determination of 5-HMF in milk products. These methods mainly employed acid digestion and derivatization as pre-processing steps and determined 5-HMF spectrophotometrically and via HPLC–UV. These resulted in higher LOD (2.99 and 2.01 μΜ) and less precision (4.44 and 2.09%) compared to the proposed method. Furthermore, the proposed pre-processing procedure was faster by omitting the acid digestion and derivatization steps and by employing SPE.
Long-term residual cardiovascular risk after acute coronary syndrome: antithrombotic treatment options
Authors: Chan Pin Yin D. R. P. P. , ten Berg J. M.
Published: August 2021

The residual risk of patients surviving until 1 year after acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is still high, despite secondary prevention. The cornerstone of treatment of patients with ACS is dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) consisting of low-dose aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor (clopidogrel, prasugrel or ticagrelor) for 12 months, or less in those patients at higher risk for bleeding. To reduce the residual risk beyond 1 year in those patients not at high bleeding risk who tolerated DAPT and did not suffer an (ischaemic or bleeding) event would intuitively mean to prolong DAPT. However, prolonged DAPT always comes at the cost of more bleeding. Therefore, assessing both ischaemic and bleeding risk in these patients at 1 year after ACS is crucial. In addition, another antithrombotic treatment consisting of low-dose rivaroxaban combined with low-dose aspirin has been shown to reduce ischaemic events. In this review, we describe residual thrombotic risk at 1 year after ACS, evaluate the evidence for antithrombotic options beyond 1 year and provide a practical guide to determine which patients would benefit the most from these therapies.
Psychological Resources and Biomarkers of Health in the Context of Chronic Parenting Stress
Authors: Crosswell Alexandra D. , Sagui-Henson Sara , Prather Aric A. , Coccia Michael , Irwin Michael R. , Epel Elissa S.
Published: August 2021

Background

Epidemiological studies link psychological resources to better physical health. One reason may be that psychological resources are protective in stressful contexts. This study tested whether indeed psychological resources are protective against biological degradation for healthy mid-life women under the chronic stress of caring for a child with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (“caregivers”).

Methods

We tested whether five types of psychosocial resources (i.e., eudaimonic well-being, autonomy, purpose in life, self-acceptance, and mastery) were associated with biological indices of aging in a sample of mid-life women stratified by chronic stress; half were caregivers (n = 92) and half were mothers of neurotypical children (n = 91; controls). Selected stress and age related biological outcomes were insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), systemic inflammation (IL-6, CRP), and cellular aging (leukocyte telomere length). We tested whether each resource was associated with these biomarkers, and whether caregiving status and high parenting stress moderated that relationship.

Results

All the psychological resources except mastery were significantly negatively associated with insulin resistance, while none were related to systemic inflammation or telomere length. The relationships between eudaimonic well-being and HOMA-IR, and self-acceptance and HOMA-IR, were moderated by parental stress; lower resources were associated with higher insulin resistance, but only for women reporting high parental stress. The well-known predictors of age and BMI accounted for 46% of variance in insulin resistance, and psychological resources accounted for an additional 13% of variance. 

Conclusion

These findings suggest that higher eudaimonic well-being and greater self-acceptance may be protective for the metabolic health of mid-life women, and particularly in the context of high parenting stress. This has important implications given the rising rates of both parental stress and metabolic disease, and because psychological interventions can increase eudaimonic well-being and self-acceptance.
Wrist actigraphic approach in primary, secondary and tertiary care based on the principles of predictive, preventive and personalised (3P) medicine
Authors: Acker Jens , Golubnitschaja Olga , Büttner-Teleaga Antje , Richter Kneginja
Published: August 2021

Sleep quality and duration as well as activity-rest-cycles at individual level are crucial for maintaining physical and mental health. Although several methods do exist to monitor these parameters, optimal approaches are still under consideration and technological development. Wrist actigraphy is a non-invasive electro-physical method validated in the field of chronobiology to record movements and to allow for monitoring human activity-rest-cycles. Based on the continuous recording of motor activity and light exposure, actigraphy provides valuable information about the quality and quantity of the sleep–wake rhythm and about the amount of motor activity at day and night that is highly relevant for predicting a potential disease and its targeted prevention as well as personalisation of medical services provided to individuals in suboptimal health conditions and patients. Being generally used in the field of sleep medicine, actigraphy demonstrates a great potential to be successfully implemented in primary, secondary and tertiary care, psychiatry, oncology, and intensive care, military and sports medicines as well as epidemiological monitoring of behavioural habits as well as well-being medical support, amongst others.

Prediction of disease development and individual outcomes

Activity-rest-cycles have been demonstrated to be an important predictor for many diseases including but not restricted to the development of metabolic, psychiatric and malignant pathologies. Moreover, activity-rest-cycles directly impact individual outcomes in corresponding patient cohorts.

Targeted prevention

Data acquired by actigraphy are instrumental for the evidence-based targeted prevention by analysing individualised patient profiles including light exposure, sleep duration and quality, activity-rest-cycles, intensity and structure of motion pattern.

Personalised therapy

Wrist actigraphic approach is increasingly used in clinical care. Personalised measurements of sedation/agitation rhythms are useful for ICU patients, for evaluation of motor fatigue in oncologic patients, for an individual enhancement of performance in military and sport medicine. In the framework of personalised therapy intervention, patients can be encouraged to optimise their behavioural habits improving recovery and activity patterns. This opens excellent perspectives for the sleep-inducing medication and stimulants replacement as well as for increasing the role of participatory medicine by visualising and encouraging optimal behavioural patterns of the individual.
Water treatment technology performance for chemical enhanced oil recovery: modeling, simulation and optimization
Authors: Chemil Mahdi , Zizi Zahia , Drouiche Nadjib , Khodja Mohamed , Hadji Moundher
Published: August 2021

The use of ASP (alkali–surfactant–polymer) slug could be affected by the use of high hardness water, especially when injecting an alkaline agent (Na2CO3). The injection water quality of the TFT field is not adequate for cEOR (chemical enhanced oil recovery), because it contains a high hardness rate up to 160°f (report DC R&D 2019). With a TDS rate varying between 4 and 6 g/l, it could cause a formation of insoluble complexes with alkaline agents, and on the other hand, the decrease in the performances of the injected surfactants and polymers. In this work, a simulation study was carried out in order to identify the most adequate treatment process between NF (nanofiltration) and RO (reverse osmoses). The performance of the 4040 type membrane modules has been tested under different operating conditions of temperature and feed pressure (25°–45°) and (3.1–22 bar), respectively. Several membrane configurations (6:0, 4:2) have been tested to determine their effect on the process’ performance. The results showed that the NF90 4040 presents the best performances toward the requirements of the cEOR. Furthermore, the membrane configuration effects the quality of permeate and recovery rate. The results showed a rejection rate of 90% and 95%, respectively, for the total hardness (Ca2+ and Mg2+) and the sulfate.
Terroir products: a movable heritage feast?
Authors: West Harry G.
Published: August 2021

This article seeks to de-naturalise the idea of terroir by questioning the assumption that relations between product, people and place are static and durable. It asks what perspectives might be gained by focusing on instances of movement, fluidity, and instability of these three elements and of relationships between them. Whereas terroir contests the idea that anything can be made anywhere by asserting that place and context matter, and whereas anthropologists of space and place critique the essentialisation and naturalisation of place by arguing that, in the context of a globalised world, movement matters, I argue that movement is in fact a crucial element of people’s very engagement with place in many productive traditions.
The scenery flow of self-similar measures with weak separation condition
Authors: PYÖRÄLÄ ALEKSI
Published: August 2021

We show that self-similar measures on$\mathbb R^d$satisfying the weak separation condition are uniformly scaling. Our approach combines elementary ergodic theory with geometric analysis of the structure given by the weak separation condition.
The Politics of Affirmative Consent: Considerations from a Gender and Sexuality Studies Perspective
Authors: Torenz Rona
Published: August 2021

While "no means no" considers sex as consensual until someone says no, "yes means yes" defines sex only then as consensual when all parties have explicitly agreed. Consent is thus positively determined by the presence of a yes and no longer negatively determined by the absence of a no. "Yes means yes" thus not only sets the limit as to when sex becomes sexual violence, it also tells us how morally "correct" sex should look like. In the first part I will give an insight into debates about affirmative consent in the US and Germany. In the following, I will work out how affirmative consent misjudges the subjectifying functioning of sexual power relations. I will show that the understanding of affirmative consent is based on a gendered giver-receiver grammar of consent, which stabilizes heteronormative notions of female sexuality as passive and male sexuality as active. Based on the results of conversational analytical studies on sexual communication, I will argue that the politics of affirmative consent underestimates the internalization of heteronormative discourses in sexual subjects.
Populist Framing Mechanisms and the Rise of Right-wing Activism in Brazil
Authors: Dias Tayrine , von Bülow Marisa , Gobbi Danniel
Published: August 2021

This article presents an analysis of the use of populist framing mechanisms by grassroots right-wing organizations. It brings together the social movement literature on framing and the populist literature to understand how actors build an emergent field of activism in a highly contentious context. Based on the analysis of a sample of 4,574 Facebook posts published by 5 civil society organizations during the campaign to oust Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, it argues that two mechanisms, reductionism and antagonism, enabled actors to focus on similar targets and diagnostics while maintaining relevant differences when seeking to motivate followers and present prognostic frames. These were key mechanisms used by all the actors, albeit with different contents, depending on the frame task. This article contributes to filling gaps in the framing and populist literatures and sheds light on the relevance of populist communication in the rise of right-wing activism.
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON QUATERNARY ISOTOPE LABORATORY RETROSPECTIVE
Authors: Reimer Paula J , Braziunas Thomas F , Brown Thomas A , Burk Robert L , Furutani Tracy , Greenlee Diana , Grootes Pieter M , Quay Paul D , Stuiver Ingrid
Published: August 2021

The Quaternary Isotope Laboratory (QIL) at the University of Washington was launched in 1969 and directed by Minze Stuiver until his retirement in 1998. Here we review some of the scientific work undertaken in the QIL and the memories of some of Minze’s former students and colleagues.
EXTREME POINT METHODS IN THE STUDY OF ISOMETRIES ON CERTAIN NONCOMMUTATIVE SPACES
Authors: DE JAGER PIERRE , CONRADIE JURIE
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we characterize surjective isometries on certain classes of noncommutative spaces associated with semi-finite von Neumann algebras: the Lorentz spaces
$L^{w,1}$
, as well as the spaces
$L^1+L^\infty$
and
$L^1\cap L^\infty$
. The technique used in all three cases relies on characterizations of the extreme points of the unit balls of these spaces. Of particular interest is that the representations of isometries obtained in this paper are global representations.
On history-dependent mixed shock models
Authors: Goyal Dheeraj , Finkelstein Maxim , Hazra Nil Kamal
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we consider a history-dependent mixed shock model which is a combination of the history-dependent extreme shock model and the history-dependent $\delta$-shock model. We assume that shocks occur according to the generalized Pólya process that contains the homogeneous Poisson process, the non-homogeneous Poisson process and the Pólya process as the particular cases. For the defined survival model, we derive the corresponding survival function, the mean lifetime and the failure rate. Further, we study the asymptotic and monotonicity properties of the failure rate. Finally, some applications of the proposed model have also been included with relevant numerical examples.
On the distribution of winners’ scores in a round-robin tournament
Authors: Malinovsky Yaakov
Published: August 2021

In a classical chess round-robin tournament, each of$n$players wins, draws, or loses a game against each of the other$n-1$players. A win rewards a player with 1 points, a draw with 1/2 point, and a loss with 0 points. We are interested in the distribution of the scores associated with ranks of$n$players after${{n \choose 2}}$games, that is, the distribution of the maximal score, second maximum, and so on. The exact distribution for a general$n$seems impossible to obtain; we obtain a limit distribution.
Escherichia coli bloodstream infections in the western interior of British Columbia, Canada: a population-based cohort study
Authors: MacKinnon Melissa C. , McEwen Scott A. , Pearl David L. , Parfitt Elizabeth C. , Pasquill Kelsey , Steele Lisa , Laupland Kevin B.
Published: August 2021

Our population-based study objectives were to describe characteristics and outcomes of Escherichia coli bloodstream infections (BSIs), and to evaluate factors associated with outcomes. We included incident E. coli BSIs from western interior residents (British Columbia, Canada; 04/2010–03/2020). We obtained data including patient demographics, location of onset, infection focus, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), antimicrobial resistance, 30-day all-cause mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS). Using multivariable logistic regression models fitted with generalised estimating equations, we estimated factors associated with 30-day mortality and long post-infection LOS (>75th percentile). We identified 1080 incident E. coli BSIs in 1009 patients. The crude incidence and 30-day mortality rates were 59.1 BSIs and 6.8 deaths/100 000 person-years, respectively. The 30-day case fatality risk was 11.5%. Compared to community-acquired E. coli BSIs, either healthcare-associated or nosocomial cases had higher odds of 30-day mortality. Older cases, non-urogenital BSI foci and CCI ⩾ 3 had higher odds of 30-day mortality compared to younger cases, urogenital foci and CCI < 3. In patients that survived to discharge, those with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli BSIs, nosocomial BSIs, and CCI ⩾ 3 had higher odds of long post-infection LOS compared to those with non-ESBL-producing, community-acquired and healthcare-associated, and CCI < 3. There is a substantial disease burden from E. coli BSIs.
ON EDGE-PRIMITIVE GRAPHS WITH SOLUBLE EDGE-STABILIZERS
Authors: HAN HUA , LIAO HONG CI , LU ZAI PING
Published: August 2021

A graph is edge-primitive if its automorphism group acts primitively on the edge set, and
$2$
-arc-transitive if its automorphism group acts transitively on the set of
$2$
-arcs. In this paper, we present a classification for those edge-primitive graphs that are
$2$
-arc-transitive and have soluble edge-stabilizers.
Peak Runoff Timing Is Linked to Global Warming Trajectories
Authors: Xu Donghui , Ivanov Valeriy Y. , Li Xiuyuan , Troy Tara J.
Published: August 2021

The earth's hydroclimate is continuing to change, and the corresponding impacts on water resource space‐time distribution need to be understood to mitigate their socioeconomic consequences. A variety of ecosystem services, transport processes, and human activities are synced with the timing of peak annual runoff. To understand the influence of changing hydroclimate on peak runoff dates across the continental United States, we downscaled outputs of 10 Global Circulation Models for different future scenarios. Our results quantify robust spatial patterns of both negative (up to 3–5 weeks) and positive (up to 2–4 weeks) shifts in the dates of peak annual runoff occurrence by the end of this century. In snowmelt‐dominated areas, annual maxima are projected to shift to earlier dates due to the corresponding changes in snow accumulation timing. For regions in which the occurrence of springtime extreme soil wetness shifts to later time, we find that peak annual runoff is also projected to be delayed. These patterns of runoff timing change tend to be more pronounced for projections of higher greenhouse concentration in the future.
First Application of Artificial Neural Networks to Estimate 21st Century Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Melt
Authors: Sellevold Raymond , Vizcaino Miren
Published: August 2021

Future Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) melt projections are limited by the lack of explicit melt calculations within most global climate models and the high computational cost of dynamical downscaling with regional climate models (RCMs). Here, we train artificial neural networks (ANNs) to obtain relationships between quantities consistently available from global climate model simulations and annually integrated GrIS surface melt. To this end, we train the ANNs with model output from the Community Earth System Model 2.1 (CESM2), which features an interactive surface melt calculation based on a downscaled surface energy balance. We find that ANNs compare well with an independent CESM2 simulation and RCM simulations forced by a CMIP6 subset. The ANNs estimate a melt increase for 2,081–2,100 ranging from 414  275 Gt  (SSP1‐2.6) to 1,378  555 Gt  (SSP5‐8.5) for the full CMIP6 suite. The primary source of uncertainty throughout the 21st century is the spread of climate model sensitivity.
Strengthening of Basin‐Scale Ocean Currents in Winter Drives Decadal Salinity Decline in the Eastern Arabian Sea
Authors: Varna Midhila , Singh Arvind , Sahoo Deepika , Sengupta Debasis
Published: August 2021

Observations show a decreasing trend in sea surface salinity during the winter months in 1990–2010 in the southeastern Arabian Sea. To explain the observed salinity decline, we analyze changes in evaporation and precipitation, surface winds, sea level anomaly, and the transport of low‐salinity water from the Bay of Bengal to the eastern Arabian Sea via westward flow south of Sri Lanka and a northward coastal current. We find a 2–3 fold increase in the influx of low‐salinity water to the eastern Arabian Sea in 1990–2010 associated with strengthening of the Northeast Monsoon Current and the West India Coastal Current. The observed decreasing trend of sea surface salinity in the southeastern Arabian Sea is due to the changes in basin‐scale circulation of the northern Indian Ocean in winter.
Evaluation of Morphodynamic Controls on the Preservation of Fluvial Meander‐Belt Deposits
Authors: Yan N. , Colombera L. , Mountney N. P.
Published: August 2021

The way river morphodynamics influence the preservation of point‐bar deposits at multiple scales is not fully understood. Employing time‐lapse trajectories of natural rivers, a numerical model is used here to simulate planform evolutions of meander‐belt reaches that embody different transformation behaviors and cutoff processes. Proxies for temporal durations are obtained considering the surface area over which a river migrated and channel migration rates that relate to average channel radius of curvature through constant, monotonic, and non‐monotonic relationships. The preservation of meander‐belt deposits over different timescales is assessed at three architectural hierarchies: (a) pairs and (b) sets of accretion packages, and (c) meander‐belts. Results confirm that sediment preservation decreases in a predictable way with the accumulation time; however, accretion rates decay with time in a way that does not follow the expected power‐law. This is interpreted to reflect the effect of the onset of geomorphic thresholds of channel transformation and cutoff.
Enhanced Super‐Rotation Before and During the 2018 Martian Global Dust Storm
Authors: Rajendran Kylash , Lewis Stephen R. , Holmes James A. , Streeter Paul M. , Fedorova Anna A. , Patel Manish R.
Published: August 2021

Super‐rotation affects—and is affected by—the distribution of dust in the martian atmosphere. We modeled this interaction during the 2018 global dust storm (GDS) of Mars Year 34 using data assimilation. Super‐rotation increased by a factor of two at the peak of the GDS, as compared to the same period in the previous year which did not feature a GDS. A strong westerly jet formed in the tropical lower atmosphere, with strong easterlies above 60 km, as a result of momentum transport by thermal tides. Enhanced super‐rotation is shown to have commenced 40 sols before the onset of the GDS, due to dust lifting in the southern mid‐latitudes and tropics. The uniform distribution of dust in the tropics resulted in a symmetric Hadley cell with a tropical upwelling branch that could efficiently transport dust vertically; this may have significantly contributed to the rapid expansion of the storm.
On the Physical Settings of Ice Bridge Formation in Nares Strait
Authors: Kirillov S. , Babb D. G. , Komarov A. S. , Dmitrenko I. , Ehn J. K. , Worden E. , Candlish L. , Rysgaard S. , Barber D. G.
Published: August 2021

The ice bridge that forms seasonally across Nares Strait impedes the southward transport of sea ice from the Lincoln Sea to Baffin Bay and contributes to the maintenance of the North Water Polynya. Previous studies have quantified how the bridge affects ice export and highlighted a long term decline in the duration of the bridge; however, the specific mechanism by which the bridge forms has remained unstudied. In this study we first used a mix of satellite imagery to refine the timing of formation for the 16 bridges that formed between 2000 and 2021, and subsequently examine the atmospheric and oceanic forcing around these events. It was found that, on average, the ice bridges formed 3 days earlier than reported in previous studies. In general, the bridges formed during periods of cold air temperatures (less than −15°C), around neap tide, and during a cessation or even reversal in the prevailing north‐northeasterly winds. Specific quantitative criteria of the environmental conditions favorable for bridge formation are presented and discussed. It was shown, however, that the alignment of these conditions does not always lead to the formation of a bridge, indicating that other factors such as ice thickness and landfast ice stability may limit the formation. A comparison of ice freeboard in Kane Basin between winter 2020 (bridge) and 2019 (no bridge) revealed that the ice pack was thinner in 2019, which may have precluded the formation of the bridge. This is critical as the Arctic ice pack continues to thin.
Stable Mercury Isotopes Revealing Photochemical Processes in the Marine Boundary Layer
Authors: Qiu Yue , Gai Pengxue , Yue Fange , Zhang Yuanyuan , He Pengzhen , Kang Hui , Yu Xiawei , Lam Paul K. S. , Chen Jiubin , Xie Zhouqing
Published: August 2021

The marine boundary layer (MBL) is an important transportation and reaction zone of atmospheric mercury on Earth. However, the transformation mechanisms of Hg in the MBL remain unclear. In this study, total suspended particle samples were collected in the MBL during two cruises, and the levels of particulate bound mercury (PBM) and mercury isotopes were analyzed. The results showed that (a) continental anthropogenic emissions have limited contribution to PBM in the MBL; (b) PBM likely experienced the oxidation of Hg0 by Br radicals and subsequent adsorption of Hg2+ on to particulate surfaces, as inferred from the significant negative δ202Hg; (c) the Δ199Hg/Δ201Hg ratio of ∼1.0 suggests that PBM underwent photoreduction, which was influenced by organic compounds, and the contribution of photoreduction to the extent of odd‐number mass‐independent fractionation in PBM in the MBL was more significant than that of oxidation triggered by Br atoms. This study provides insights into the photochemical processes influencing mercury in the MBL.
Drainage Reorganization Across the Puna Plateau Margin (NW Argentina): Implications for the Preservation of Orogenic Plateaus
Authors: Seagren E. G. , Schoenbohm L. M.
Published: August 2021

Planform drainage reorganization is implicated in both the construction and destruction of elevated, low relief orogenic plateaus. The formation of internally drained basins and subsequent sediment infilling may enlarge plateaus, while more erosive rivers at plateau margins dissect these features. Assessing the contradictory role of planform drainage reorganization on the production, preservation, and dissection of orogenic plateaus requires understanding the potential controls on planform drainage changes. Given minimal evidence of major fluvial incision of the Puna Plateau, the Puna margin is an ideal location to elucidate the role of drainage reorganization on plateau preservation. Using local relief, channel elevations, normalized steepness channel index, and geomorphic evidence, we identify patterns of ongoing and paleodrainage reorganization across the Puna margin, and compare these results to potential tectonic, climatic, and lithologic controls. The majority of the modern Puna margin is stable and we find evidence of minor paleo‐divide migration into the plateau interior. We suggest tectonically controlled base level differences across the Puna margin pushed the divide into the plateau interior, until it stabilized at its modern position. However, we also find three examples of major, transient paleo‐divide migration back into the foreland controlled by basin geometry and rock erodibility (i.e., lithology and precipitation gradients) at the basin outlet. Our results emphasize the predominant role of widespread and recent tectonic base level changes and indirect structural controls on patterns of drainage reorganization and the formation and preservation of orogenic plateaus.
Relationship between BMI and alcohol consumption levels in decision making
Authors: Agarwal Khushbu , Demiral Sukru Baris , Manza Peter , Volkow Nora D. , Joseph Paule Valery
Published: August 2021

Background

Decision-making deficits in obesity and alcohol use disorder (AUD) may contribute to the choice of immediate rewards despite their long-term deleterious consequences.

Methods

Gambling task functional MRI in Human connectome project (HCP) dataset was used to investigate neural activation differences associated with reward or punishment (a key component of decision-making behavior) in 418 individuals with obesity (high BMI) and without obesity (lean BMI) and either at high (HR) or low (LR) risk of AUD based on their alcohol drinking levels.

Results

Interaction between BMI and alcohol drinking was seen in regions of the default mode network (DMN) and those implicated in self-related processing, memory, and salience attribution. ObesityHR relative to obesityLR also recruited DMN along with primary motor and regions implicated in inattention, negative perception, and uncertain choices, which might facilitate impulsive choices in obesityHR. Furthermore, obesityHR compared to leanHR/leanLR also demonstrated heightened activation in DMN and regions implicated in uncertain decisions.

Conclusions

These results suggest that BMI is an independent variable from that of alcohol drinking levels in neural processing of gambling tasks. Moreover, leanLR relative to leanHR, showed increased activation in motor regions [precentral and superior frontal gyrus] suggestive of worse executive function from excessive alcohol use. Delayed discounting measures failed to distinguish between obesity and high alcohol drinking levels, which as for gambling task results suggests independent negative effects of obesity and chronic alcohol drinking on decision-making. These findings highlight distinct associations of obesity and high-risk alcohol drinking with two key constituents of decision-making behavior.
M6A methylation of DEGS2, a key ceramide-synthesizing enzyme, is involved in colorectal cancer progression through ceramide synthesis
Authors: Guo Wei , Zhang Cuiyu , Feng Panpan , Li Mingying , Wang Xia , Xia Yuan , Chen Dawei , Li Jingxin
Published: August 2021

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent RNA epigenetic regulator in cancer. However, the understanding of m6A modification on lipid metabolism regulation in colorectal cancer (CRC) is very limited. Here, we observed that human CRCs exhibited increased m6A mRNA methylation mediated by dysregulation of m6A erasers and readers. By performing methylated RNA-immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and transcriptomic sequencing (RNA-seq), we identified DEGS2 as a downstream target of m6A dysregulation. Overexpression or knockdown of DEGS2 confirmed the role of DEGS2 in proliferation, invasion and metastasis of CRC both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies identified the specific m6A modification site within DEGS2 mRNA, and mutation of this target site was found to drastically enhance the proliferative and invasive ability of CRC cells in vitro and promote tumorigenicity in vivo. Lipidome analysis showed that lipid metabolism was dysregulated in CRC. Moreover, ceramide synthesis was suppressed due to DEGS2 upregulation mediated by m6A modification in CRC tissues. Our findings highlight that the function of DEGS2 m6A methylation in CRC and extend the understanding of the importance of RNA epigenetics in cancer biology.
Functional strain redundancy and persistent phage infection in Swiss hard cheese starter cultures
Authors: Somerville Vincent , Berthoud Hélène , Schmidt Remo S , Bachmann Hans-Peter , Meng Yi Hélène , Fuchsmann Pascal , von Ah Ueli , Engel Philipp
Published: August 2021

Undefined starter cultures are poorly characterized bacterial communities from environmental origin used in cheese making. They are phenotypically stable and have evolved through domestication by repeated propagation in closed and highly controlled environments over centuries. This makes them interesting for understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics governing microbial communities. While cheese starter cultures are known to be dominated by a few bacterial species, little is known about the composition, functional relevance, and temporal dynamics of strain-level diversity. Here, we applied shotgun metagenomics to an important Swiss cheese starter culture and analyzed historical and experimental samples reflecting 82 years of starter culture propagation. We found that the bacterial community is highly stable and dominated by only a few coexisting strains of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis. Genome sequencing, metabolomics analysis, and co-culturing experiments of 43 isolates show that these strains are functionally redundant, but differ tremendously in their phage resistance potential. Moreover, we identified two highly abundant Streptococcus phages that seem to stably coexist in the community without any negative impact on bacterial growth or strain persistence, and despite the presence of a large and diverse repertoire of matching CRISPR spacers. Our findings show that functionally equivalent strains can coexist in domesticated microbial communities and highlight an important role of bacteria-phage interactions that are different from kill-the-winner dynamics.
Lactate promotes macrophage HMGB1 lactylation, acetylation, and exosomal release in polymicrobial sepsis
Authors: Yang Kun , Fan Min , Wang Xiaohui , Xu Jingjing , Wang Yana , Tu Fei , Gill P. Spencer , Ha Tuanzhu , Liu Li , Williams David L. , Li Chuanfu
Published: August 2021

High circulating levels of lactate and high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) are associated with the severity and mortality of sepsis. However, it is unclear whether lactate could promote HMGB1 release during sepsis. The present study demonstrated a novel role of lactate in HMGB1 lactylation and acetylation in macrophages during polymicrobial sepsis. We found that macrophages can uptake extracellular lactate via monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) to promote HMGB1 lactylation via a p300/CBP-dependent mechanism. We also observed that lactate stimulates HMGB1 acetylation by Hippo/YAP-mediated suppression of deacetylase SIRT1 and β-arrestin2-mediated recruitment of acetylases p300/CBP to the nucleus via G protein-coupled receptor 81 (GPR81). The lactylated/acetylated HMGB1 is released from macrophages via exosome secretion which increases endothelium permeability. In vivo reduction of lactate production and/or inhibition of GPR81-mediated signaling decreases circulating exosomal HMGB1 levels and improves survival outcome in polymicrobial sepsis. Our results provide the basis for targeting lactate/lactate-associated signaling to combat sepsis.
Referrals from community optometrists to the hospital eye service in Scotland and England
Authors: Shah Rakhee , Edgar David F. , Khatoon Abeeda , Hobby Angharad , Jessa Zahra , Yammouni Robert , Campbell Peter , Soteri Kiki , Beg Amaad , Harsum Steven , Aggarwal Rajesh , Evans Bruce J. W.
Published: August 2021

Objectives

This audit assesses communication between community optometrists (COs) and hospital eye service (HES) in Scotland and England.

Methods

Optometric referrals and replies were extracted from six practices in Scotland and England. If no reply was found, replies/records were copied from HES records. De-identified referrals, replies and records were audited against established standards, evaluating whether referrals were necessary, accurate and directed to the appropriate professional. The referral rate (RR) and referral reply rate (RRR) were calculated.

Results

From 905 de-identified referrals, RR ranged from 2.6 to 8.7%. From COs’ perspective, the proportion of referrals for which they received replies ranged from 37 to 84% (Scotland) and 26 to 49% (England). A total of 88–96% of referrals (Scotland) and 63–76% (England) were seen in the HES. Adjusting for cases when it is reasonable to expect replies, RRR becomes 45–92% (Scotland) and 38–62% (England) with RRR significantly greater in Scotland (P = 0.015). Replies were copied to patients in 0–21% of cases. Referrals were to the appropriate service and judged necessary in ≥90% of cases in both jurisdictions. Accuracy of referral ranged from 89 to 97% (Scotland) and 81 to 98% (England). The reply addressed the reason for referral in 94–100% of cases (Scotland) and 93–97% (England) and was meaningful in 95–100% (Scotland) and 94–99% (England).

Conclusions

Despite the interdisciplinary joint statement on sharing patient information, this audit highlights variable standard of referrals and deficits in replies to the referring COs, with one exception in Scotland. Replies from HES to COs are important for patient care, benefitting patients and clinicians and minimising unnecessary HES appointments.
Lsm12 is an NAADP receptor and a two-pore channel regulatory protein required for calcium mobilization from acidic organelles
Authors: Zhang Jiyuan , Guan Xin , Shah Kunal , Yan Jiusheng
Published: August 2021

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is a potent Ca2+-mobilizing second messenger which uniquely mobilizes Ca2+ from acidic endolysosomal organelles. However, the molecular identity of the NAADP receptor remains unknown. Given the necessity of the endolysosomal two-pore channel (TPC1 or TPC2) in NAADP signaling, we performed affinity purification and quantitative proteomic analysis of the interacting proteins of NAADP and TPCs. We identified a Sm-like protein Lsm12 complexed with NAADP, TPC1, and TPC2. Lsm12 directly binds to NAADP via its Lsm domain, colocalizes with TPC2, and mediates the apparent association of NAADP to isolated TPC2 or TPC2-containing membranes. Lsm12 is essential and immediately participates in NAADP-evoked TPC activation and Ca2+ mobilization from acidic stores. These findings reveal a putative RNA-binding protein to function as an NAADP receptor and a TPC regulatory protein and provides a molecular basis for understanding the mechanisms of NAADP signaling.
Arsenene-mediated multiple independently targeted reactive oxygen species burst for cancer therapy
Authors: Kong Na , Zhang Hanjie , Feng Chan , Liu Chuang , Xiao Yufen , Zhang Xingcai , Mei Lin , Kim Jong Seung , Tao Wei , Ji Xiaoyuan
Published: August 2021

The modulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels is crucial for cellular homeostasis and determination of cellular fate. A sublethal level of ROS sustains cell proliferation, differentiation and promotes tumor metastasis, while a drastic ROS burst directly induces apoptosis. Herein, surface-oxidized arsenene nanosheets (As/AsxOy NSs) with type II heterojunction are fabricated with efficient ·O2− and 1O2 production and glutathione consumption through prolonging the lifetime of photo-excited electron-hole pairs. Moreover, the portion of AsxOy with oxygen vacancies not only catalyzes a Fenton-like reaction, generating ·OH and O2 from H2O2, but also inactivates main anti-oxidants to cut off the “retreat routes” of ROS. After polydopamine (PDA) and cancer cell membrane (M) coating, the engineered As/AsxOy@PDA@M NSs serve as an intelligent theranostic platform with active tumor targeting and long-term blood circulation. Given its narrow-band-gap-enabled in vivo fluorescence imaging properties, As/AsxOy@PDA@M NSs could be applied as an imaging-guided non-invasive and real-time nanomedicine for cancer therapy.
Valence band engineering of GaAsBi for low noise avalanche photodiodes
Authors: Liu Yuchen , Yi Xin , Bailey Nicholas J. , Zhou Zhize , Rockett Thomas B. O. , Lim Leh W. , Tan Chee H. , Richards Robert D. , David John P. R.
Published: August 2021

Avalanche Photodiodes (APDs) are key semiconductor components that amplify weak optical signals via the impact ionization process, but this process’ stochastic nature introduces ‘excess’ noise, limiting the useful signal to noise ratio (or sensitivity) that is practically achievable. The APD material’s electron and hole ionization coefficients (α and β respectively) are critical parameters in this regard, with very disparate values of α and β necessary to minimize this excess noise. Here, the analysis of thirteen complementary p-i-n/n-i-p diodes shows that alloying GaAs with ≤ 5.1 % Bi dramatically reduces β while leaving α virtually unchanged—enabling a 2 to 100-fold enhancement of the GaAs α/β ratio while extending the wavelength beyond 1.1 µm. Such a dramatic change in only β is unseen in any other dilute alloy and is attributed to the Bi-induced increase of the spin-orbit splitting energy (∆so). Valence band engineering in this way offers an attractive route to enable low noise semiconductor APDs to be developed.