bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deconvoluted plasma DSC curves on patients with psoriasis
Authors: Lőrinczy Dénes , Moezzi Mehdi , Ferencz Andrea
Published: February 2020

Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease that changes plasma composition, and it is detectable by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Besides the general change in plasma, the aim of the study was to demonstrate which components are changing and how the anti-psoriatic drug treatment affects back all this. Retrospectively, blood plasma DSC data were analyzed from patients, who have different severities of symptoms and who received steroids (n = 10), or retinoids (n = 10), or biological drug treatment (n = 10). Complex curves were deconvoluted in several individual transitions (Tm1–Tm5), modeling each individual transition. In the examined psoriasis stages, the thermodynamic parameters excess heat capacity and enthalpy of the transitions in proportion corresponded to the targeted treatment and the degree of disease severity, as well as the numbers of transitions were determined from the calorimetric profiles. In conclusion, deconvoluted plasma DSC profiles showed similarities but exhibited marked differences in the thermal denaturation on different treated psoriasis stages. This examination has shown that drug therapy affects the composition of plasma proteins, which should be always considered for the evaluation of DSC results in similar studies.
Nonlinear dynamics of a vehicle with a displacement-sensitive mono-tube shock absorber
Authors: Łuczko Jan , Ferdek Urszula
Published: February 2020

The paper presents a new concept of absorbing car body vibrations, which consists in a modification of the construction of the classical mono-tube hydraulic shock absorber by the introduction of an additional inner cylinder with an auxiliary piston. By making an appropriate selection of the system parameters, one may obtain the damping force characteristics dependent on the excitation amplitude and frequency. In the case of driving on a good-quality road surface, the shock absorber displays the soft characteristics which are desired as far as the driving comfort is concerned. In the case of worse-quality roads or while overcoming large obstacles, the hard characteristics ensure a higher level of safety and protect the shock absorber from getting damaged. The developed nonlinear model makes it possible to effectively analyse the system responses to harmonic, impulse and random excitations. On the basis of the analysis of the impact of harmonic excitations on the driving comfort and safety indexes, one may estimate the optimal values of the shock absorber construction parameters. Impulse and random excitations are applied in order to finally verify the effectiveness of the operation of the proposed shock absorber.
Thermodynamic, Spatial and Methodological Considerations for the Manufacturing of Therapeutic Polymer Nanoparticles
Authors: Maslanka Figueroa Sara , Fleischmann Daniel , Beck Sebastian , Goepferich Achim
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Evaluate fundamental parameters that dictate the effectiveness of drug loading.

Methods

A model water-soluble drug lacking ionizable groups, pirfenidone (PFD), was encapsulated through nanoprecipitation in poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic acid) (PEG-PLA)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs. Firstly, the thermodynamic parameters predicting drug-polymer miscibility were determined to assess the system’s suitability. Then, the encapsulation was evaluated experimentally by two different techniques, bulk and microfluidic (MF) nanoprecipitation. Additionally, the number of molecules that fit in a particle core were calculated and the loading determined experimentally for different core sizes. Lastly, the effect of co-encapsulation of α-lipoic acid (LA), a drug with complementary therapeutic effects and enhanced lipophilicity, was evaluated.

Results

The thermodynamic miscibility parameters predicted a good suitability of the selected system. MF manufacturing enhanced the encapsulation efficiency by 60–90% and achieved a 2-fold higher NP cellular uptake. Considering spatial constrictions for drug encapsulation and increasing the size of the PLGA core the number of PFD molecules per NP was raised from under 500 to up to 2000. More so, the co-encapsulation of LA increased the number of drug molecules per particle by 96%, with no interference with the release profile.

Conclusions

Thermodynamic, spatial and methodological parameters should be considered to optimize drug encapsulation.
Thomas theorem in research evaluation
Authors: Bornmann Lutz , Marx Werner
Published: February 2020

The well-known “Thomas theorem” in sociology is defined as follows: “if men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences” (Thomas and Thomas, The child in America, Knopf, Oxford, 1928, p. 572). The theorem focuses on “objective consequences of human subjectivity” (Sztompka, Robert K. Merton: An intellectual profile, Macmillan Education, Limited, London, 1986, p. 229). In this Letter to the Editor, we transfer the thought content of the Thomas theorem to university rankings: if rank positions between two universities define performance differences as real, they are real in their consequences (although the university ranking shows only slight differences between the universities’ scores).
Ice Giant Circulation Patterns: Implications for Atmospheric Probes
Authors: Fletcher Leigh N. , de Pater Imke , Orton Glenn S. , Hofstadter Mark D. , Irwin Patrick G. J. , Roman Michael T. , Toledo Daniel
Published: February 2020

Atmospheric circulation patterns derived from multi-spectral remote sensing can serve as a guide for choosing a suitable entry location for a future in situ probe mission to the Ice Giants. Since the Voyager-2 flybys in the 1980s, three decades of observations from ground- and space-based observatories have generated a picture of Ice Giant circulation that is complex, perplexing, and altogether unlike that seen on the Gas Giants. This review seeks to reconcile the various competing circulation patterns from an observational perspective, accounting for spatially-resolved measurements of: zonal albedo contrasts and banded appearances; cloud-tracked zonal winds; temperature and para-H2 measurements above the condensate clouds; and equator-to-pole contrasts in condensable volatiles (methane, ammonia, and hydrogen sulphide) in the deeper troposphere. These observations identify three distinct latitude domains: an equatorial domain of deep upwelling and upper-tropospheric subsidence, potentially bounded by peaks in the retrograde zonal jet and analogous to Jovian cyclonic belts; a mid-latitude transitional domain of upper-tropospheric upwelling, vigorous cloud activity, analogous to Jovian anticyclonic zones; and a polar domain of strong subsidence, volatile depletion, and small-scale (and potentially seasonally-variable) convective activity. Taken together, the multi-wavelength observations suggest a tiered structure of stacked circulation cells (at least two in the troposphere and one in the stratosphere), potentially separated in the vertical by (i) strong molecular weight gradients associated with cloud condensation, and by (ii) transitions from a thermally-direct circulation regime at depth to a wave- and radiative-driven circulation regime at high altitude. The inferred circulation can be tested in the coming decade by 3D numerical simulations of the atmosphere, and by observations from future world-class facilities. The carrier spacecraft for any probe entry mission must ultimately carry a suite of remote-sensing instruments capable of fully constraining the atmospheric motions at the probe descent location.
Trends and Inequality in the New Active Ageing and Well-Being Index of the Oldest Old: a Case Study of Sweden
Authors: Fritzell Johan , Lennartsson Carin , Zaidi Asghar
Published: February 2020

The policy discourse on active ageing and well-being at the European level tends to have a strong focus on the experiences of the ‘young old’. In this study the focus instead is on the oldest old (75 years and older). The theoretical framework is inspired by the Active Ageing Index and the Nordic welfare research tradition. Active ageing and well-being indicators and domains of high relevance for the oldest old are used and a new Active Ageing-Well Being Index (AA-WB Index) is developed. Our aim is to go beyond averages and analyse changes over time and inequality in the AA-WB Index. The prime data is derived from two waves, 2004 and 2014, of the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD), a nationally representative sample of older people. The results show an overall improvement in most domains of the AA-WB index, especially in the indicator participation in cultural and leisure activities. The findings also show clear and consistent gender and educational inequalities. In addition, the different domains correlate, implying that inequality within a domain is aggravated by the inequality in another domain. The study highlights that measurements on active ageing and well-being should place a greater importance on the living conditions of the oldest old with a special focus on inequality.
Whole-Brain Monosynaptic Inputs to Hypoglossal Motor Neurons in Mice
Authors: Guo Han , Yuan Xiang-Shan , Zhou Ji-Chuan , Chen Hui , Li Shan-Qun , Qu Wei-Min , Huang Zhi-Li
Published: February 2020

Hypoglossal motor neurons (HMNs) innervate tongue muscles and play key roles in a variety of physiological functions, including swallowing, mastication, suckling, vocalization, and respiration. Dysfunction of HMNs is associated with several diseases, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sudden infant death syndrome. OSA is a serious breathing disorder associated with the activity of HMNs during different sleep–wake states. Identifying the neural mechanisms by which the state-dependent activities of HMNs are controlled may be helpful in providing a theoretical basis for effective therapy for OSA. However, the presynaptic partners governing the activity of HMNs remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we used a cell-type-specific retrograde tracing system based on a modified rabies virus along with a Cre/loxP gene-expression strategy to map the whole-brain monosynaptic inputs to HMNs in mice. We identified 53 nuclei targeting HMNs from six brain regions: the amygdala, hypothalamus, midbrain, pons, medulla, and cerebellum. We discovered that GABAergic neurons in the central amygdaloid nucleus, as well as calretinin neurons in the parasubthalamic nucleus, sent monosynaptic projections to HMNs. In addition, HMNs received direct inputs from several regions associated with respiration, such as the pre-Botzinger complex, parabrachial nucleus, nucleus of the solitary tract, and hypothalamus. Some regions engaged in sleep–wake regulation (the parafacial zone, parabrachial nucleus, ventral medulla, sublaterodorsal tegmental nucleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, periaqueductal gray, and hypothalamus) also provided primary inputs to HMNs. These results contribute to further elucidating the neural circuits underlying disorders caused by the dysfunction of HMNs.
Outcome of mechanical circulatory support at the University Medical Centre Utrecht
Authors: Felix S. E. A. , Ramjankhan F. Z. , Buijsrogge M. P. , Jacob K. A. , Asselbergs F. W. , Oerlemans M. I. F. , Kirkels J. H. , van Laake L. W. , Oppelaar A. M. C. , Suyker W. J. L. , de Jonge N.
Published: February 2020

Background

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) is increasing substantially and, despite improvements in medical therapy, HF still carries a poor prognosis. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) by a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (cf-LVAD) improves survival and quality of life in selected patients. This holds especially for the short-term outcome, but experience regarding long-term outcome is growing as the waiting time for heart transplantation is increasing due to the shortage of donor hearts. Here we present our results from the University Medical Centre Utrecht.

Methods

Data of all patients with a cf-LVAD implant between March 2006 and January 2018 were collected. The primary outcome was survival. Secondary outcomes included adverse events defined according to the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) definitions, described per patient year.

Results

A total of 268 patients (69% male, mean age 50 ± 13 years) received a cf-LVAD. After a median follow-up of 542 (interquartile range 205–1044) days, heart transplantation had been performed in 82 (31%) patients, the cf-LVAD had been explanted in 8 (3%) and 71 (26%) had died. Survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was 83%, 72% and 57%, respectively, with heart transplantation, cf-LVAD explantation or death as the end-point. Death was most often caused by neurological complications (31%) or infection (20%). Major bleeding occurred 0.51 times and stroke 0.15 times per patient year.

Conclusion

Not only short-term results but also 5‑year survival after cf-LVAD support demonstrate that MCS is a promising therapy as an extended bridge to heart transplantation. However, the incidence of several major complications still has to be addressed.
Identity, Connectedness, and Sexual Health in the Gay Sauna
Authors: Jaspal Rusi , Papaloukas Periklis
Published: February 2020

Introduction

This study focuses on the meanings and experiences that men living in Leicester, UK attribute to the gay sauna, the role of the gay sauna in their sense of identity, and how they construe their sexual behavior in this context.

Methods

In 2015, twenty male sauna users participated in a qualitative interview study. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

The analysis yielded four themes: (1) identity authenticity in the gay sauna; (2) social connectedness among sauna users; (3) sexual risk and sexual health in the sauna; and (4) protecting the identity functions of the gay sauna. The themes show that engagement with the gay sauna can enhance feelings of identity authenticity and belongingness, and that individuals seek to protect these identity functions of the gay sauna despite recognizing the gay sauna as a “high-risk” environment. To protect identity, the notion of sexual risk is distanced from their own identities.

Discussion

Sauna users may experience better psychological health as a result of frequenting the sauna – it may promote identity authenticity and belongingness, and alleviate isolation, loneliness, and depression. The promotion of sexual health information and services in gay saunas may enable us to access individuals who might not ordinarily engage with sexual health services.

Social Policy Implications

There must be closer collaboration between sexual health services, sexual health outreach, and gay saunas in the area of sexual health, and identity concerns must be incorporated into the design of interventions.
A novel application of deep learning with image cropping: a smart city use case for flood monitoring
Authors: Mishra Bhupesh Kumar , Thakker Dhavalkumar , Mazumdar Suvodeep , Neagu Daniel , Gheorghe Marian , Simpson Sydney
Published: February 2020

Event monitoring is an essential application of Smart City platforms. Real-time monitoring of gully and drainage blockage is an important part of flood monitoring applications. Building viable IoT sensors for detecting blockage is a complex task due to the limitations of deploying such sensors in situ. Image classification with deep learning is a potential alternative solution. However, there are no image datasets of gullies and drainages. We were faced with such challenges as part of developing a flood monitoring application in a European Union-funded project. To address these issues, we propose a novel image classification approach based on deep learning with an IoT-enabled camera to monitor gullies and drainages. This approach utilises deep learning to develop an effective image classification model to classify blockage images into different class labels based on the severity. In order to handle the complexity of video-based images, and subsequent poor classification accuracy of the model, we have carried out experiments with the removal of image edges by applying image cropping. The process of cropping in our proposed experimentation is aimed to concentrate only on the regions of interest within images, hence leaving out some proportion of image edges. An image dataset from crowd-sourced publicly accessible images has been curated to train and test the proposed model. For validation, model accuracies were compared considering model with and without image cropping. The cropping-based image classification showed improvement in the classification accuracy. This paper outlines the lessons from our experimentation that have a wider impact on many similar use cases involving IoT-based cameras as part of smart city event monitoring platforms.
Identification of a norovirus outbreak on a hematopoietic stem cell transplant unit and development and implementation of a novel infection prevention algorithm for controlling transmission
Authors: Branch-Elliman Westyn , Araujo-Castillo Roger V. , Snyder Graham M. , Sullivan Bernadette F. , Alonso Carolyn D. , Wright Sharon B.
Published: February 2020

Controlling norovirus transmission in units with immunocompromised patients is challenging. We present a cluster of norovirus cases that occurred on a stem-cell transplant unit and the prevention efforts that were implemented to limit the outbreak. Protocols developed to control this cluster may provide a model for other facilities.
Association of e-cigarette use and smoking cessation among Canadian young adult smokers: secondary analysis of data from a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Saxena Arti , Baskerville Neill Bruce , Garcia John M.
Published: February 2020

Aims

This study examined the reasons for e-cigarette (EC) use, changes in self-efficacy and association between EC use and cessation of tobacco among Canadian young adult smokers over a 6-month period.

Methods

A secondary analysis was conducted using data from a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of young adult Canadian smokers. EC exposure was defined as persistent, transient and non-use of ECs at baseline and follow-up. The association between EC exposure and cessation was examined using logistic regression and adjusting for co-variates.

Results

At 6-month follow-up, persistent EC use was associated with a lower cessation rate (13%) than transient (23%) or non-use (29%). After adjusting for covariates, non-use and transient use were associated with higher odds of cessation than persistent use (AOR = 3.23, 95% CI = 1.41–7.40, P < 0.01; AOR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.01–5.58, P < 0.05). At 6-month follow-up, persistent users (68%) had high self-efficacy as compared to transient (15%) or non-use (12%). Top reasons for EC use included use as a quit aid (67%), perceived use as less harmful (52%) and taste (32%).

Conclusions

Among young adult Canadian smokers enrolled in a RCT of a cessation intervention, persistent and transient use of ECs was associated with a lower smoking cessation rate at 6 months.
Evolution of mobile phases in cometary interiors
Authors: Fellows Christopher M. , Brown Trevor C. , Cooper Andrew , Parigi Marco
Published: February 2020

Beginning with loose aggregations of dust particles coated with heterogeneous ices under vacuum at Kuiper Belt temperatures, moving to Jupiter/Saturn distances and eventually to low-perihelion orbit, we consider the likely development of the gaseous phase within a cometary nucleus over the course of its lifetime. From the perspective of physical chemistry, we consider limits on the spatial and temporal distribution and composition of this gaseous phase. The implications of the gaseous phase for heat transfer and for the possible spatial and temporal development of liquid phases are calculated. We conclude that the likely temperatures, pressures, and compositions beneath the outer crust of typical cometary nuclei are such that fluidised phases can exist at significant depths and that these reservoirs give a coherent explanation for the high-intensity outbursts observed from cometary nuclei at large distances from perihelion.
Rare sapphire-bearing syenitoid pegmatites and associated granitoids of the Hamedan region, Sanandaj–Sirjan zone, Iran: analysis of petrology, lithogeochemistry and zircon geochronology / trace element geochemistry
Authors: Sepahi Ali A , Vahidpour Hamed , Lentz David R , McFarlane Chris RM , Maanijou Mohammad , Salami Sedigheh , Miri Mirmohammad , Mansouri Mehrak , Mohammadi Razieh
Published: February 2020

Pegmatites and associated granitoids are integral parts of the Alvand plutonic complex in the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone, Iran. Whole rock major- and trace-element lithogeochemistry together with zircon U–Pb geochronology and zircon geochemistry are examined to evaluate the petrogenesis of sapphire-bearing pegmatites and other peraluminous pegmatites in the region. Pegmatites vary in their chemical compositions from mostly peraluminous, high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic signatures. A rare variety of extremely peraluminous sapphire-bearing syenitoid pegmatite (Al2O3> 30 wt %; A/CNK > 2) exists. This silica-undersaturated pegmatite and its sapphire crystals have a primary igneous origin. U–Pb zircon geochronology of three separate samples from this pegmatite indicates the following ages: 168 ± 1 Ma, 166 ± 1 Ma and 164 ± 1 Ma. The zircon grains have notable amounts of Hf (up to 17 200 ppm), U (up to 13 580 ppm), Th (up to 5148 ppm), Y (up to 4764 ppm) and ∑REE (up to 2534 ppm). There is a positive correlation between Hf and Th, Nb and Ta, U and Th, and Y and HREE and a negative correlation between Hf and Y values in the zircons. These zircons exhibit pronounced positive Ce anomalies (Ce/Ce* = 1.15–68.06) and negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.001–0.56), indicative of the relatively oxidized conditions of the parent magma. Ti-in-zircon thermometry reveals temperatures from as low as ~683 °C up to ~828 °C (average = 755° ± 73 °C). Zircon and monazite saturation equilibria are also consistent with these temperatures. Zircon grains are magmatic (average La < 1.5, (Sm/La)N> 100 and Th/U > 0.7), with chemical characteristics similar to zircons from continental crust.
Personal and Clinical Factors Associated with Older Drivers’ Self-Awareness of Driving Performance
Authors: Chen Yu-Ting , Gélinas Isabelle , Mazer Barbara , Myers Anita , Vrkljan Brenda , Koppel Sjaan , Charlton Judith L. , Marshall Shawn C.
Published: February 2020

Most older adults perceive themselves as good drivers; however, their perception may not be accurate, and could negatively affect their driving safety. This study examined the accuracy of older drivers’ self-awareness of driving ability in their everyday driving environment by determining the concordance between the perceived (assessed by the Perceived Driving Ability [PDA] questionnaire) and actual (assessed by electronic Driving Observation Schedule [eDOS]) driving performance. One hundred and eight older drivers (male: 67.6%; age: mean = 80.6 years, standard deviation [SD] = 4.9 years) who participated in the study were classified into three groups: underestimation (19%), accurate estimation (29%), and overestimation (53%). Using the demographic and clinical functioning information collected in the Candrive annual assessments, an ordinal regression showed that two factors were related to the accuracy of self-awareness: older drivers with better visuo-motor processing speed measured by the Trail Making Test (TMT)-A and fewer self-reported comorbid conditions tended to overestimate their driving ability, and vice versa.
Examining income dynamics and externalizing and internalizing trajectories through a developmental psychopathology lens: A nationally representative study
Authors: Miller Portia , Betancur Laura , Whitfield Kendra , Votruba-Drzal Elizabeth
Published: February 2020

Prior research has documented elevations in levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviors among children in lower income families in comparison to more advantaged peers. However, most studies focus on behavior problems at a single point in time or within a short developmental period. Associations between income dynamics and developmental trajectories of behavior problems over time are less understood. To address this, the current study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (N= 7,476; 50.8% male) to examine how income dynamics (annual income and income volatility) across three distinct developmental periods from early childhood to early adolescence relate to trajectories of externalizing and internalizing problems. Group-based mixture modeling revealed a five-group trajectory model for externalizing behavior and a four-group trajectory model for internalizing behavior. Higher cumulative annual income predicted greater likelihood of belonging to the low-stable group compared to the other, more problematic groups for both externalizing and internalizing trajectories. In addition, income losses predicted higher risk of membership in any group other than the low-stable group for internalizing and externalizing behavior. Developmental period-specific income dynamics, though not as consistent as cumulative dynamics, also predicted trajectory group membership.
Long-term dietary flavonoid intake and change in cognitive function in the Framingham Offspring cohort
Authors: Shishtar Esra , Rogers Gail T , Blumberg Jeffrey B , Au Rhoda , Jacques Paul F
Published: February 2020

Objective:

To examine the association between long-term intake of total and the six classes of dietary flavonoids and decline in cognitive function over a follow-up period of up to 15 years.

Design:

In this longitudinal study, we evaluated change in eight cognitive domain scores (verbal and visual memory, verbal learning, attention and concentration, abstract reasoning, language, visuoperceptual organisation and the global function) based on three neuropsychological exams and characterised the annualised change between consecutive exams. Long-term intakes of total and six flavonoid classes were assessed up to four times by a validated FFQ. Repeated-measures regression models were used to examine the longitudinal association between total and six flavonoid classes and annualised change in the eight cognitive domains.

Setting:

The Framingham Heart Study (FHS), a prospective cohort study.

Participants:

One thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine subjects who were free of dementia, aged ≥45 years and had attended at least two of the last three FHS Offspring cohort study exams.

Results:

Over a median follow-up of 11·8 years with 1779 participants, nominally significant trends towards a slower decline in cognitive function were observed among those with higher flavanol and flavan-3-ol intakes for global function, verbal and visual memory; higher total flavonoids and flavonoid polymers for visual memory; and higher flavanols for verbal learning.

Conclusions:

In spite of modest nominal trends, overall, our findings do not support a clear association between higher long-term flavonoid intake and slowing age-related cognitive decline.
Regional planning for meaningful person-centred care in mental health: context is the signal not the noise
Authors: Rock D. , Cross S. P.
Published: February 2020

Person-centred care is at the core of a value-based health system. Its transformative potential is to enable and support key policy, planning and service developments across the system even when these go against the self-interest of individual major players. It offers a potent test for decision makers at all levels. It demands responses that are multi-level, empirically grounded, expert-informed and data-driven that must converge on the singularity of individuals in the places that they live. This requires different approaches that recognise, respect and reconcile two necessary but constitutionally disparate perspectives: the bureaucratic, overtly decontextualised, top-down, policy and planning objectives of central governments and the formally complex, dynamic and contextualised experience of individuals in the system. Conflating the latter with the former can lead unwittingly to a pervasive and reductive form of quasi-Taylorism that nearly always creates waste at the expense of value. This has parallel application in the treatment domain where outcomes are non-randomly clustered and partitioned by socioeconomic status, amplifying unwarranted variation by place that is striking in its magnitude and heterogeneity. In this paper, we propose that a combination of (1) relevant, local and sophisticated data planning, collection and analysis systems, (2) more detailed person-centred service planning and delivery and (3) system accountability through co-design and transparent public reporting of health system performance in a manner that is understandable, relevant, and locally applicable are all essential in ensuring planned and provided care is most appropriate to more than merely the ‘average’ person for whom the current system is built. We argue that only through a greater appreciation of healthcare as a complex adaptive (eco)system, where context is everything, and then utilising planning, analysis and management methodologies that reflect this reality is the way to achieve genuine person-centred care.
Active Fault Scarps in Southern Malawi and Their Implications for the Distribution of Strain in Incipient Continental Rifts
Authors: Wedmore L. N. J. , Biggs J. , Williams J. N. , Fagereng Å. , Dulanya Z. , Mphepo F. , Mdala H.
Published: February 2020

The distribution of deformation during the early stages of continental rifting is an important constraint on our understanding of continental breakup. Incipient rifting in East Africa has been considered to be dominated by slip along rift border faults, with a subsequent transition to focused extension on axial segments in thinned crust and/or with active magmatism. Here, we study high‐resolution satellite data of the Zomba Graben in southern Malawi, an amagmatic rift whose topography is dominated by the west‐dipping Zomba fault. We document evidence for five subparallel fault scarps between 13 and 51 km long spaced ~10–15 km apart. The scarps consist of up to five segments between 4 and 18 km long, separated by minima in scarp height and river knickpoints. The maximum height of each fault scarp ranges from 9.5 ± 4.2 m to 35.3 ± 14.6 m, with the highest scarp measured on the intrabasin Chingale Step fault. We estimate that the scarps were formed by multiple earthquakes of up to Mw7.1 and represent a previously unrecognized seismic hazard. Our calculations show that 55 ± 24% of extensional strain is accommodated across intrabasin faults within the ~50 km wide rift. This demonstrates that a significant proportion of displacement can occur on intrabasin faults during early‐stage rifting, even in thick continental lithosphere with no evidence for magmatic fluids.
An Experimental Study of Longitudinal Incisional Grooves in a Mixed Bedrock–Alluvial Channel
Authors: Inoue Takuya , Nelson Jonathan M.
Published: February 2020

Natural bedrock rivers have various bedforms created by erosion. Flow‐parallel incisional grooves formed longitudinally in bedrock are one common example of such bedforms. Although several studies have been conducted regarding these grooves, their formation processes are not well understood. In this study, we conducted a flume experiment to investigate the relationship between the flow structure and longitudinal grooves. The experimental results strongly suggest that longitudinal grooves are formed by moving sediment concentrated in multiple longitudinal pathways by turbulence‐driven secondary flows. The sediment preferentially abrades the bedrock along these flow‐parallel pathways resulting in longitudinal grooves in the bedrock. Measurements of the flow velocity distribution show that the positions of secondary flow cells producing the initial formation of the grooves are altered by the formation of those grooves. Because displaced secondary flows tend to make the sediment collide with the sidewalls of the longitudinal grooves, the grooves grow wider over time and some grooves partially combine with other adjacent grooves. The initial maximum number of longitudinal grooves Nmax strongly depends on the river width‐depth ratio B/D, which defines the number of secondary flow cells, and can be expressed as Nmax = 0.5B/D. However, because some grooves coalesce with other grooves due to the effects of the displacement of secondary flows, the average number of grooves showed a relationship that can be expressed as N = 0.41B/D. Based on this relationship, we inversely estimated the flow discharge of the Abashiri River using the number of longitudinal grooves observed in the river. The result was consistent with the observed annual maximum flow discharge of the river. This suggests that the number of longitudinal grooves can be used as an indicator for estimation of the formative flow discharge in bedrock rivers.
Multiple inducers and novel roles of autoantibodies against the obligatory NMDAR subunit NR1: a translational study from chronic life stress to brain injury
Authors: Pan Hong , Steixner-Kumar Agnes A. , Seelbach Anna , Deutsch Nadine , Ronnenberg Anja , Tapken Daniel , von Ahsen Nico , Mitjans Marina , Worthmann Hans , Trippe Ralf , Klein-Schmidt Christina , Schopf Nadine , Rentzsch Kristin , Begemann Martin , Wienands Jürgen , Stöcker Winfried , Weissenborn Karin , Hollmann Michael , Nave Klaus-Armin , Lühder Fred , Ehrenreich Hannelore
Published: February 2020

Circulating autoantibodies (AB) of different immunoglobulin classes (IgM, IgA, and IgG), directed against the obligatory N-methyl-d-aspartate-receptor subunit NR1 (NMDAR1-AB), belong to the mammalian autoimmune repertoire, and appear with age-dependently high seroprevalence across health and disease. Upon access to the brain, they can exert NMDAR-antagonistic/ketamine-like actions. Still unanswered key questions, addressed here, are conditions of NMDAR1-AB formation/boosting, intraindividual persistence/course in serum over time, and (patho)physiological significance of NMDAR1-AB in modulating neuropsychiatric phenotypes. We demonstrate in a translational fashion from mouse to human that (1) serum NMDAR1-AB fluctuate upon long-term observation, independent of blood–brain barrier (BBB) perturbation; (2) a standardized small brain lesion in juvenile mice leads to increased NMDAR1-AB seroprevalence (IgM + IgG), together with enhanced Ig-class diversity; (3)CTLA4(immune-checkpoint) genotypes, previously found associated with autoimmune disease, predispose to serum NMDAR1-AB in humans; (4) finally, pursuing our prior findings of an early increase in NMDAR1-AB seroprevalence in human migrants, which implicated chronic life stress as inducer, we independently replicate these results with prospectively recruited refugee minors. Most importantly, we here provide the first experimental evidence in mice of chronic life stress promoting serum NMDAR1-AB (IgA). Strikingly, stress-induced depressive-like behavior in mice and depression/anxiety in humans are reduced in NMDAR1-AB carriers with compromised BBB where NMDAR1-AB can readily reach the brain. To conclude, NMDAR1-AB may have a role as endogenous NMDAR antagonists, formed or boosted under various circumstances, ranging from genetic predisposition to, e.g., tumors, infection, brain injury, and stress, altogether increasing over lifetime, and exerting a spectrum of possible effects, also including beneficial functions.
Phase-adjusted estimation of the number of Coronavirus Disease 2019 cases in Wuhan, China
Authors: Wang Huwen , Wang Zezhou , Dong Yinqiao , Chang Ruijie , Xu Chen , Yu Xiaoyue , Zhang Shuxian , Tsamlag Lhakpa , Shang Meili , Huang Jinyan , Wang Ying , Xu Gang , Shen Tian , Zhang Xinxin , Cai Yong
Published: February 2020

An outbreak of clusters of viral pneumonia due to a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2) happened in Wuhan, Hubei Province in China in December 2019. Since the outbreak, several groups reported estimated R0 of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and generated valuable prediction for the early phase of this outbreak. After implementation of strict prevention and control measures in China, new estimation is needed. An infectious disease dynamics SEIR (Susceptible, Exposed, Infectious, and Removed) model was applied to estimate the epidemic trend in Wuhan, China under two assumptions of Rt. In the first assumption, Rt was assumed to maintain over 1. The estimated number of infections would continue to increase throughout February without any indication of dropping with Rt = 1.9, 2.6, or 3.1. The number of infections would reach 11,044, 70,258, and 227,989, respectively, by 29 February 2020. In the second assumption, Rt was assumed to gradually decrease at different phases from high level of transmission (Rt = 3.1, 2.6, and 1.9) to below 1 (Rt = 0.9 or 0.5) owing to increasingly implemented public health intervention. Several phases were divided by the dates when various levels of prevention and control measures were taken in effect in Wuhan. The estimated number of infections would reach the peak in late February, which is 58,077–84,520 or 55,869–81,393. Whether or not the peak of the number of infections would occur in February 2020 may be an important index for evaluating the sufficiency of the current measures taken in China. Regardless of the occurrence of the peak, the currently strict measures in Wuhan should be continuously implemented and necessary strict public health measures should be applied in other locations in China with high number of COVID-19 cases, in order to reduce Rt to an ideal level and control the infection.
Geology of the InSight landing site on Mars
Authors: Golombek M. , Warner N. H. , Grant J. A. , Hauber E. , Ansan V. , Weitz C. M. , Williams N. , Charalambous C. , Wilson S. A. , DeMott A. , Kopp M. , Lethcoe-Wilson H. , Berger L. , Hausmann R. , Marteau E. , Vrettos C. , Trussell A. , Folkner W. , Le Maistre S. , Mueller N. , Grott M. , Spohn T. , Piqueux S. , Millour E. , Forget F. , Daubar I. , Murdoch N. , Lognonné P. , Perrin C. , Rodriguez S. , Pike W. T. , Parker T. , Maki J. , Abarca H. , Deen R. , Hall J. , Andres P. , Ruoff N. , Calef F. , Smrekar S. , Baker M. M. , Banks M. , Spiga A. , Banfield D. , Garvin J. , Newman C. E. , Banerdt W. B.
Published: February 2020

The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) spacecraft landed successfully on Mars and imaged the surface to characterize the surficial geology. Here we report on the geology and subsurface structure of the landing site to aid in situ geophysical investigations. InSight landed in a degraded impact crater in Elysium Planitia on a smooth sandy, granule- and pebble-rich surface with few rocks. Superposed impact craters are common and eolian bedforms are sparse. During landing, pulsed retrorockets modified the surface to reveal a near surface stratigraphy of surficial dust, over thin unconsolidated sand, underlain by a variable thickness duricrust, with poorly sorted, unconsolidated sand with rocks beneath. Impact, eolian, and mass wasting processes have dominantly modified the surface. Surface observations are consistent with expectations made from remote sensing data prior to landing indicating a surface composed of an impact-fragmented regolith overlying basaltic lava flows.
Hyperactivated PTP1B phosphatase in parvalbumin neurons alters anterior cingulate inhibitory circuits and induces autism-like behaviors
Authors: Zhang Li , Qin Zhaohong , Ricke Konrad M. , Cruz Shelly A. , Stewart Alexandre F. R. , Chen Hsiao-Huei
Published: February 2020

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have social interaction deficits and difficulty filtering information. Inhibitory interneurons filter information at pyramidal neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), an integration hub for higher-order thalamic inputs important for social interaction. Humans with deletions including LMO4, an endogenous inhibitor of PTP1B, display intellectual disabilities and occasionally autism. PV-Lmo4KO mice ablate Lmo4 in PV interneurons and display ASD-like repetitive behaviors and social interaction deficits. Surprisingly, increased PV neuron-mediated peri-somatic feedforward inhibition to the pyramidal neurons causes a compensatory reduction in (somatostatin neuron-mediated) dendritic inhibition. These homeostatic changes increase filtering of mediodorsal-thalamocortical inputs but reduce filtering of cortico-cortical inputs and narrow the range of stimuli ACC pyramidal neurons can distinguish. Simultaneous ablation of PTP1B in PV-Lmo4KO neurons prevents these deficits, indicating that PTP1B activation in PV interneurons contributes to ASD-like characteristics and homeostatic maladaptation of inhibitory circuits may contribute to deficient information filtering in ASD.
Publisher Correction: Creative exploration as a scale-invariant search on a meaning landscape
Authors: Hart Yuval , Goldberg Hagar , Striem-Amit Ella , Mayo Avraham E. , Noy Lior , Alon Uri
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Clinical quantitative cardiac imaging for the assessment of myocardial ischaemia
Authors:   on behalf of the Quantitative Cardiac Imaging Study Group, Dewey Marc , Siebes Maria , Kachelrieß Marc , Kofoed Klaus F. , Maurovich-Horvat Pál , Nikolaou Konstantin , Bai Wenjia , Kofler Andreas , Manka Robert , Kozerke Sebastian , Chiribiri Amedeo , Schaeffter Tobias , Michallek Florian , Bengel Frank , Nekolla Stephan , Knaapen Paul , Lubberink Mark , Senior Roxy , Tang Meng-Xing , Piek Jan J. , van de Hoef Tim , Martens Johannes , Schreiber Laura
Published: February 2020

Cardiac imaging has a pivotal role in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ischaemic heart disease. SPECT is most commonly used for clinical myocardial perfusion imaging, whereas PET is the clinical reference standard for the quantification of myocardial perfusion. MRI does not involve exposure to ionizing radiation, similar to echocardiography, which can be performed at the bedside. CT perfusion imaging is not frequently used but CT offers coronary angiography data, and invasive catheter-based methods can measure coronary flow and pressure. Technical improvements to the quantification of pathophysiological parameters of myocardial ischaemia can be achieved. Clinical consensus recommendations on the appropriateness of each technique were derived following a European quantitative cardiac imaging meeting and using a real-time Delphi process. SPECT using new detectors allows the quantification of myocardial blood flow and is now also suited to patients with a high BMI. PET is well suited to patients with multivessel disease to confirm or exclude balanced ischaemia. MRI allows the evaluation of patients with complex disease who would benefit from imaging of function and fibrosis in addition to perfusion. Echocardiography remains the preferred technique for assessing ischaemia in bedside situations, whereas CT has the greatest value for combined quantification of stenosis and characterization of atherosclerosis in relation to myocardial ischaemia. In patients with a high probability of needing invasive treatment, invasive coronary flow and pressure measurement is well suited to guide treatment decisions. In this Consensus Statement, we summarize the strengths and weaknesses as well as the future technological potential of each imaging modality.
Prediction of the Cochlear Implant Electrode Insertion Depth: Clinical Applicability of two Analytical Cochlear Models
Authors: Mertens G. , Van Rompaey V. , Van de Heyning P. , Gorris E. , Topsakal V.
Published: February 2020

Although the spiral anatomy of the human cochlea seems evident, measuring the highly inter-variable true dimensions is still challenging. Today, only a few three-dimensional reconstruction models of the inner ear are available. Previously, spiral equations were applied to two-dimensional computed tomography (CT) images to predict the electrode insertion depth prior to cochlear implantation. The study aimed primarily to compare the clinical applicability of two analytical cochlear models using a recently introduced planning software to predict the insertion depth of the electrode array of 46 cochlear implant recipients. One was based upon the Escudé formula, which relies only on the basal turn diameter, and another based upon the Elliptic-Circular Approximation (ECA), using the diameter and width. Each case was measured twice by two ENT surgeons. Secondly, in order to measure the benefit of the new planning software over the use of the existing clinical routine method, the results were compared to the prediction based upon a two-dimensional CT image. The intra -and inter-observer agreement using the planning software was significantly better when the ECA was applied, compared to the Escudé formula (p < 0.01). As a reference, the predicted insertion depth was compared to the actual insertion depth measured on post-operative images. The mean absolute error was |2.36| (|1.11|) mm in case of the Escudé approach and |1.19| (|0.92|) mm in case of the ECA. The use of a new planning software that allows three-dimensional handling, integrating the diameter and width of the basal turn (ECA formula), resulted in the most accurate predictions of the electrode insertion depths.
High HIV-1 diversity in immigrants resident in Italy (2008–2017)
Authors: Maggiorella Maria Teresa , Sanarico Nunzia , Brindicci Gaetano , Monno Laura , Santoro Carmen Rita , Coppola Nicola , Cuomo Nunzia , Azzurri Annalisa , Cesario Francesco , Luciani Filippo , El-Hamad Issa , D’Ettorre Gabriella , Turriziani Ombretta , Mazzuti Laura , Poggi Alessandra , Vichi Francesca , Mariabelli Elisa , Surace Lorenzo , Berardelli Giuseppina , Picconi Orietta , Cenci Alessandra , Sernicola Leonardo , Rovetto Claudia , Fulgenzi Domenico , Belli Roberto , Salvi Emanuela , Zeo Patrizia Di , Borsetti Alessandra , Ridolfi Barbara , Losappio Ruggero , Zoboli Fabio , Schietroma Ivan , Cella Eleonora , Angeletti Silvia , Ciccozzi Massimo , D’Amato Stefania , Ensoli Barbara , Buttò Stefano ,   the Italian Network for HIV Characterization, Angarano Gioacchino , Babudieri Sergio , Scheri Giuseppe Corano , Lichtner Miriam , Martini Salvatore , Mazzella Annamaria , Romano Nicola , Pansera Alfredo , Pontali Emanuele , Raddi Adriana , Starnini Giulio , Dell’Isola Serena
Published: February 2020

The proportion of new diagnoses of HIV infection in immigrants residing in Italy raised from 11% in 1992 to 29.7% in 2018. To investigate the HIV clades circulating in this community a retrospective study was performed in 557 HIV-infected immigrants living in 12 Italian cities. Immigrants originated from East-Europe and Central-Asia (11.7%), North Africa and Middle East (7.3%), South and South-East Asia (7.2%), Latin America and the Caribbean (14.4%), and sub-Saharan Africa (59.4%). More than 87% of immigrants were on antiretroviral therapy (ART), although 26.6% of them were viremic. A 22.0% of immigrants had hepatitis (HBV and/or HCV) and/or tuberculosis. HIV phylogenetic analysis on sequences from 192 immigrants showed the presence of clades B (23.4%), G (16.1%), C (10.4%), A1 (9.4%), F1 (5.2%), D (1.6%) and Circulating Recombinant Forms (CRFs) (33.9%). CRF02_AG represented 72.3% of the total CRFs. Clusters between immigrants and Italian natives were also present. Drug resistance mutations to NRTI, NNRTI, and PI drug classes occurred in 29.1% of ART-treated and in 12.9% of ART-naïve individuals. These data highlight the need for tailored public health interventions in immigrants to avoid spreading in Italy of HIV genetic forms and ART-resistant variants, as well as HIV co-morbidities.