bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photoluminescence, thermoluminescence, and cathodoluminescence of optimized cubic Gd2O3:Bi phosphor powder
Authors: Abdelrehman Mogahid H. M. , Kroon Robin E. , Yousif Abdelrhman , Seed Ahmed Hassan A. A. , Swart Hendrik C.
Published: October 2020

Cubic Gd2 − xO3:Bix phosphor powders were prepared with a combustion method and the effect of different annealing temperatures and dopant concentration on the photoluminescence (PL), thermoluminescence (TL), and cathodoluminescence (CL) were investigated. A single-phase cubic crystal structure with the Ia3¯ space group was formed. The average crystallite size increased and decreased, respectively, with an increased annealing temperature and an increased Bi3+ doping concentration. Absorption bands at 250, 275, and 315 nm were observed due to 4f-4f transitions of the Gd3+ ions and at 260, 335, and 375 nm due to the excitation of Bi3+ ions. The emission was obtained from two centers associated with the substitution of the Gd3+ ions with Bi3+ ions at the two different sites in the crystal lattice of Gd2O3 (with a point symmetries C2 and S6). The TL glow curves of the UV-irradiated samples showed a low temperature peak at about 364 K and a high temperature peak at 443 K for all the samples. The surface and CL stability during electron irradiation was monitored. The CL emission of the Gd2O3:Bi was stable after removal of surface contaminants. The phosphor might be usable for solid state lighting and displays due to its broad blue-green emission.
Perception of loudness and envelopment for different orchestral dynamics
Authors: Lokki Tapio , McLeod Laura , Kuusinen Antti
Published: October 2020

One of the main factors that makes listening to live concerts emotionally engaging is the dynamic changes in the music. Recent research has shown that concert hall acoustics can affect the perception of orchestral dynamics, but hardly any listening tests have focused on this interplay between the dynamics in music and hall acoustics. In this study, the influence of the orchestral dynamics is assessed with auralizations of musical excerpts of different dynamics (from pianissimo to fortissimo) in two listening positions within four different concert halls. Pairwise comparisons were made in terms of loudness and envelopment which are among the main perceptual factors of concert hall acoustics. The subjective results show that the loudness and envelopment can depend on the musical dynamics. Therefore, in future research on concert hall acoustics, much more attention should be paid to the dynamically varying spectrum of the stimulus signal and the listening level, not only to linear impulse responses used for computing objective parameters.
Lung ultrasound: The future ahead and the lessons learned from COVID-19
Authors: Demi Libertario
Published: October 2020

Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a rapidly evolving field of application for ultrasound technologies. Especially during the current pandemic, many clinicians around the world have employed LUS to assess the condition of the lung for patients suspected and/or affected by COVID-19. However, LUS is currently performed with standard ultrasound imaging, which is not designed to cope with the high air content present in lung tissues. Nowadays LUS lacks standardization and suffers from the absence of quantitative approaches. To elevate LUS to the level of other ultrasound imaging applications, several aspects deserve attention from the technical and clinical world. This overview piece tries to provide the reader with a forward-looking view on the future for LUS.
Stationarity and homogeneity assumptions in wavenumber-frequency representation of turbulent boundary layer wall pressure
Authors: Gloerfelt Xavier
Published: October 2020

The utility of the wavenumber-frequency spectrum for description and interpretation of wall pressure fluctuations beneath turbulent boundary layers has been amply demonstrated over the past decades. This representation is widely used in modelling the flow-induced noise due to boundary layers developing on vehicle surfaces. A recurring issue concerns the underlying assumptions of stationary and homogeneous wall pressure fields. Even on a flat plate, the turbulent boundary layer thickening violates the homogeneous assumption. A numerical experiment of a spatially evolving turbulent boundary layer on a flat plate provides detailed wall-pressure data to assess the stationarity and homogeneity assumptions in the computation of wavenumber-frequency spectra. High-order statistics, stationarity tests developed for random time series and modern signal processing tools, such as the empirical mode decomposition, are applied. In particular, it is shown that the nonhomogeneity due to the space-varying nature of the turbulent sources does not change the characteristics of the wavenumber-frequency representation of the wall pressure field.
Hidden web of fungi could shape the future of forests
Authors: Pennisi Elizabeth , Cornwall Warren
Published: October 2020

Plants' fungal partners can help their hosts resist drought and heat—or make them more vulnerable.
Accelerating water dissociation in bipolar membranes and for electrocatalysis
Authors: Oener Sebastian Z. , Foster Marc J. , Boettcher Shannon W.
Published: October 2020

Easing water apart

Traditional setups for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen operate either in acid or in base. A bipolar membrane can potentially enhance efficiency by bridging acidic hydrogen evolution to basic oxygen evolution. Oener
et al.
undertook a systematic study of how catalysts paired with such a membrane might accelerate the preliminary step of water dissociation into protons and hydroxide ions. Using insights from this study for optimal catalyst integration, they were able to substantially lower the overpotential of a bipolar membrane electrolyzer.

Science
, this issue p.
1099
Secrets of the Vikings
Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings
Neil Price
Basic Books, 2020. 624 pp.
Authors: McGovern Thomas H.
Published: October 2020

The violent seafarers are brought to vivid life in a rich synthesis of old and new scholarship
A nitrogenase-like enzyme system catalyzes methionine, ethylene, and methane biogenesis
Authors: North Justin A. , Narrowe Adrienne B. , Xiong Weili , Byerly Kathryn M. , Zhao Guanqi , Young Sarah J. , Murali Srividya , Wildenthal John A. , Cannon William R. , Wrighton Kelly C. , Hettich Robert L. , Tabita F. Robert
Published: October 2020

Soil sulfur metabolism surprise

Soil bacteria have a range of metabolic pathways that contribute to acquiring and recycling nutrients and carbon. Curiously, some of these organisms give off ethylene gas when starved for sulfur under anaerobic conditions. North
et al.
traced the source of ethylene to a small, sulfur-containing organic molecule produced by certain reactions in cells. Growing cells in sulfur-limiting conditions enabled them to identify the enzymes involved in sulfur salvage, and the concomitant ethylene production, through this pathway. Methane and ethane were also observed as products when appropriate substrates were provided. The key genes involved are distantly related to nitrogenase and several other reductase enzymes found in bacteria and archaea. The involvement of such nitrogenase-like genes in sulfur metabolism highlights the potential of unexplored diversity in this family of enzymes and raises many mechanistic and evolutionary questions that are now ripe for exploration.

Science
, this issue p.
1094
Expanding the space of protein geometries by computational design of de novo fold families
Authors: Pan Xingjie , Thompson Michael C. , Zhang Yang , Liu Lin , Fraser James S. , Kelly Mark J. S. , Kortemme Tanja
Published: October 2020

Exploring the design landscape

Protein design typically selects a protein topology and then identifies the geometries (secondary-structure lengths and orientations) that give the most stable structures. A challenge for this approach is that functional sites in natural proteins often adopt nonideal geometries. Pan
et al.
addressed this issue by exploring the diversity of geometries that can be sampled by a given topology. They developed a computational method called LUCS that systematically samples geometric variation in loop-helix-loop elements and applied it to two different topologies. This method generated families of well-folded proteins that include structures with non-native geometries. The ability to tune protein geometry may enable the custom design of new functions.

Science
, this issue p.
1132
Layer-cake 2D superconductivity
Authors: Schoop Leslie M.
Published: October 2020

An easy-to-synthesize quantum material may help unveil quantum effects
Zika virus increases risk of dengue disease
Authors: Clapham Hannah
Published: October 2020

Interactions between Zika virus immunity and dengue disease have implications for vaccination
Inhibiting Ebola virus and SARS-CoV-2 entry
Authors: Wells Alexandra I. , Coyne Carolyn B.
Published: October 2020

Screening identifies CD74 as a cellular antiviral protein against Ebola virus and SARS-CoV-2
The danger of DIY vaccines
Authors: Caplan Arthur L. , Bateman-House Alison
Published: October 2020

The world needs to trust science if vaccines are to prove useful, particularly those being developed to combat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). That is what makes the recent appearance of highly visible “do-it-yourself” (DIY) vaccine research so morally troubling. It's an obstacle to securing this trust.
Here today, gone tomorrow
Authors: Raven Peter H. , Miller Scott E.
Published: October 2020

We are destroying the life-support systems of Earth rapidly, making our future uncertain. Ecosystems—the complex sets of organisms that form the globe's living landscape—regulate the atmosphere, water, and soils. They supply humanity its food, most medicines, and many other essential products, and they fill our lives with beauty. But they are falling apart as, one by one, their constituent species are lost. To save what we can and provide our children and grandchildren with a sustainable future, studies must be conducted not only in nature but also, to an increasing extent, on the billions of specimens preserved in the world's natural history collections. For many species barely hanging on in their endangered habitats, these samples will one day be all that we have.
Regioisomerization of Antimalarial Drug WR99210 Explains the Inactivity of a Commercial Stock
Authors: Remcho T. Parks , Guggilapu Sravanthi D. , Cruz Phillip , Nardone Glenn A. , Heffernan Gavin , O’Connor Robert D. , Bewley Carole A. , Wellems Thomas E. , Lane Kristin D.
Published: October 2020

WR99210, a former antimalarial drug candidate now widely used for the selection of
Plasmodium
transfectants, selectively targets the parasite’s dihydrofolate reductase thymidine synthase bifunctional enzyme (DHFR-TS) but not human DHFR, which is not fused with TS. Accordingly, WR99210 and plasmids expressing the human
dhfr
gene have become valued tools for the genetic modification of parasites in the laboratory. Concerns over the ineffectiveness of WR99210 from some sources encouraged us to investigate the biological and chemical differences of supplies from two different companies (compounds 1 and 2).
A Systematic Review of Studies Reporting Antibiotic Pharmacokinetic Data in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Critically Ill Patients with Uninflamed Meninges
Authors: Kumta Nilesh , Roberts Jason A. , Lipman Jeffrey , Wong Wai Tat , Joynt Gavin M. , Cotta Menino Osbert
Published: October 2020

Ventriculostomy-associated infections in critically ill patients remain therapeutically challenging because of drug- and disease-related factors that contribute to suboptimal antibiotic concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid. Optimal antibiotic dosing for the treatment and prevention of such infections should be based on robust and contextually specific pharmacokinetic data. The objects of this study were to describe and critically appraise studies with reported antibiotic concentrations or pharmacokinetic data in cerebrospinal fluid of critically ill patients without meningeal inflammation.
Seasonal Prevalence of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Pork Carcasses for Three Steps of the Harvest Process at Two Commercial Processing Plants in the United States
Authors: Nastasijevic Ivan , Schmidt John W. , Boskovic Marija , Glisic Milica , Kalchayanand Norasak , Shackelford Steven D. , Wheeler Tommy L. , Koohmaraie Mohammad , Bosilevac Joseph M.
Published: October 2020

Seven serogroups of STEC are responsible for most (>75%) cases of severe illnesses caused by STEC and are considered adulterants of beef. However, some STEC outbreaks have been attributed to pork products, although the same
E. coli
are not considered adulterants in pork because little is known of their prevalence along the pork chain. The significance of the work presented here is that it identifies disease-causing STEC, EHEC, demonstrating that these same organisms are a food safety hazard in pork as well as beef. The results show that most STEC isolated from pork are not likely to cause severe disease in humans and that processes used in pork harvest, such as scalding, offer a significant control point to reduce contamination. The results will assist the pork processing industry and regulatory agencies to optimize interventions to improve the safety of pork products.
Genome Editing of the Anaerobic Thermophile Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus Using Thermostable Cas9
Authors: Le Yilin , Fu Yu , Sun Jianzhong
Published: October 2020

Interest in thermophilic microorganisms as emerging metabolic engineering platforms to produce biofuels and chemicals has surged. Thermophilic microbes for biofuels have attracted great attention, due to their tolerance of high temperature and wide range of substrate utilization. On the basis of the biochemical experiments of previous investigation, the formation of ethanol was controlled via transcriptional regulation and influenced by the relevant properties of specific enzymes in
T. ethanolicus
. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand the physiological function of these key enzymes, which requires genetic manipulations such as deletion or overexpression of genes encoding putative key enzymes. Here, we developed a thermostable Cas9-based engineering tool for gene editing in
T. ethanolicus
. The thermostable Cas9-based genome-editing tool may further be applied to metabolically engineer
T. ethanolicus
to produce biofuels. This genetic system represents an important expansion of the genetic tool box of anaerobic thermophile
T. ethanolicus
strains.
Solar-powered oxygen, quality improvement and child pneumonia deaths: a large-scale effectiveness study
Authors: Duke Trevor , Pulsan Francis , Panauwe Doreen , Hwaihwanje Ilomo , Sa'avu Martin , Kaupa Magdalynn , Karubi Jonah , Neal Eleanor , Graham Hamish , Izadnegahdar Rasa , Donath Susan
Published: October 2020

Background

Pneumonia is the largest cause of child deaths in low-income countries. Lack of availability of oxygen in small rural hospitals results in avoidable deaths and unnecessary and unsafe referrals.

Method

We evaluated a programme for improving reliable oxygen therapy using oxygen concentrators, pulse oximeters and sustainable solar power in 38 remote health facilities in nine provinces in Papua New Guinea. The programme included a quality improvement approach with training, identification of gaps, problem solving and corrective measures. Admissions and deaths from pneumonia and overall paediatric admissions, deaths and referrals were recorded using routine health information data for 2–4 years prior to the intervention and 2–4 years after. Using Poisson regression we calculated incidence rates (IRs) preintervention and postintervention, and incidence rate ratios (IRR).

Results

There were 18 933 pneumonia admissions and 530 pneumonia deaths. Pneumonia admission numbers were significantly lower in the postintervention era than in the preintervention era. The IRs for pneumonia deaths preintervention and postintervention were 2.83 (1.98–4.06) and 1.17 (0.48–1.86) per 100 pneumonia admissions: the IRR for pneumonia deaths was 0.41 (0.24–0.71, p<0.005). There were 58 324 paediatric admissions and 2259 paediatric deaths. The IR for child deaths preintervention and postintervention were 3.22 (2.42–4.28) and 1.94 (1.23–2.65) per 100 paediatric admissions: IRR 0.60 (0.45–0.81, p<0.005). In the years postintervention period, an estimated 348 lives were saved, at a cost of US$6435 per life saved and over 1500 referrals were avoided.

Conclusions

Solar-powered oxygen systems supported by continuous quality improvement can be achieved at large scale in rural and remote hospitals and health care facilities, and was associated with reduced child deaths and reduced referrals. Variability of effectiveness in different contexts calls for strengthening of quality improvement in rural health facilities.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12616001469404.
Evaluation of the effectiveness, implementation and cost-effectiveness of the Stay One Step Ahead home safety promotion intervention for pre-school children: a study protocol
Authors: Orton Elizabeth , Watson Michael Craig , Hayes Mike , Patel Tina , Jones Matthew , Coupland Carol , Timblin Clare , Carpenter Hannah , Kendrick Denise
Published: October 2020

Background

Unintentional injuries in children under the age of 5 years commonly occur in the home and disproportionately affect those living in disadvantaged circumstances. Targeted home safety promotion should be offered to families most at risk but there is a paucity of standardised evidence-based resources available for use across family-support practitioners.

Objective

To assess the effectiveness, implementation and cost-effectiveness of a 2-year home safety programme (Stay One Step Ahead) developed by parents, practitioners and researchers, and delivered by a range of family support providers in inner-city localities, compared with usual care in matched control localities.

Methods

Parents of children aged 0 to 7 months will be recruited to a controlled before and after observational study. The primary outcome is home safety assessed by the proportion of families with a fitted and working smoke alarm, safety gate on stairs (where applicable) and poisons stored out of reach, assessed using parent-administered questionnaires at baseline, 12 and 24 months.

Secondary outcomes include: the impact on other parent-reported safety behaviours, medically-attended injuries, self-efficacy for home safety and knowledge of child development and injury risk using questionnaires and emergency department attendance data; implementation (reach, acceptability, barriers, facilitators) of home safety promotion assessed through interviews and observations; and cost-effectiveness using medically-attended injury costs ascertained from healthcare records.

Conclusion

If shown to be effective and cost-effective this study will provide a practical resource to underpin national guidance. The study could inform public health prevention strategies to reduce home injury in children most at risk, while delivering cost savings to health and care services.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN31210493; Pre result.
Association between obesity and the risk of uterine fibroids: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Qin Hao , Lin Zhijuan , Vásquez Elizabeth , Luan Xiao , Guo Feifei , Xu Luo
Published: October 2020

Background

Uterine fibroids (UFs) are the most common form of sex steroid hormone-dependent benign tumours that grow in the walls of the uterus. Several observational studies have examined the association between obesity and the risk of UFs, but findings are inconsistent. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to further examine the association of obesity with the risk/prevalence of UFs.

Methods

A literature search was performed in three databases (PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science) from 1 January 1992 to 30 May 2020. We used random-effect models to calculate the pooled ORs with corresponding 95% CIs. Additionally, we performed a dose–response meta-analysis to analyse the effect of body mass index (BMI), weight change since age 18, waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference on the risk/prevalence of UFs.

Results

A total of 22 articles, covering 24 studies including 325 899 participants and 19 593 cases, were selected based on our inclusion criteria. We found a positive association between obesity and the risk/prevalence of UFs (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.29). Among participants with the highest BMI, the pooled OR was 1.19 (1.09 to 1.31) when compared to participants with normal BMI. For weight change since age 18, the pooled OR (95% CI) of UFs was 1.26 (1.12 to 1.42) among the highest change group when compared with no change. Additionally, our meta-analysis indicated the relationship of BMI with risk of UFs to be an inverse J-shaped pattern.

Conclusions

The results of this meta-analysis suggest that obesity may increase the risk/prevalence of UFs, and the association is non-linear.
Reconsidering the management of patients with cancer with viral hepatitis in the era of immunotherapy
Authors: Ziogas Dimitrios C , Kostantinou Frosso , Cholongitas Evangelos , Anastasopoulou Amalia , Diamantopoulos Panagiotis , Haanen John , Gogas Helen
Published: October 2020

In the evolving immune-oncology landscape, numerous patients with cancer are constantly treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) but among them, only sporadic cases with pre-existing hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are recorded. Despite the global dissemination of HBV and HCV infections, viral hepatitis-infected patients with cancer were traditionally excluded from ICPIs containing trials and current evidence is particularly limited in case reports, retrospective cohort studies and in few clinical trials on advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, many concerns still remain about the overall oncological management of this special subpopulation, including questions about the efficacy, toxicity and reactivation risks induced by ICPIs. Here, we examine the natural course of both HBV and HCV in cancer environment, review the latest antiviral guidelines for patients undergoing systematic cancer therapies, estimating treatment-related immunosuppression and relocate immunotherapy in this therapeutic panel. Among the ICPIs-treated cases with prior viral hepatitis, we focus further on those experienced HBV or HCV reactivation and discuss their host, tumor and serological risk factors, their antiviral and immunological management as well as their hepatitis and tumor outcome. Based on a low level of evidence, immunotherapy in these specific cancer cases seems to be associated with no inferior efficacy and with a relevantly low reactivation rate. However, hepatitis reactivation and subsequent irreversible complications appeared to have poor response to deferred antiviral treatment. While, the prophylactic use of modern antiviral drugs could eliminate or diminish up front the viral load in most cases, leading to cure or long-term hepatitis control. Taking together the clinical significance of preventive therapy, the low but existing reactivation risk and the potential immune-related hepatotoxicity, a comprehensive baseline assessment of liver status, including viral hepatitis screening, before the onset of immunotherapy should be suggested as a reasonable and maybe cost-effective strategy but the decision to administer ICPIs and the necessity of prophylaxis should always be weighed at a multidisciplinary level and be individualized in each case, up to be established by future clinical trials.
Identifying best practices in adoption, implementation and enforcement of flavoured tobacco product restrictions and bans: lessons from experts
Authors: Peck Katherine , Rodericks Rebekah , Irvin Lola , Johnson Lila , Tamashiro Jill , Ching Lance , Sentell Tetine , Pirkle Catherine
Published: October 2020

Objective

To identify recommended components for adopting, implementing and enforcing bans or restrictions targeting flavoured tobacco products.

Methods

Between April and June 2019, semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 high-level experts across the USA and Canada with expertise in flavoured tobacco product policies. Participants included health department staff, researchers, legal professionals and local government officials. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed for key themes.

Results

Major findings were organised into four categories: programme planning and legislative preparations; education and community outreach; implementation and enforcement; and policy impact. Critical pre-implementation elements included using comprehensive policy language, identifying enforcement agents, examining potential economic costs, deploying media campaigns and engaging community partners and retailers. Recommended implementation processes included a 6-month preparation timeline, focus on retailer education and clearly outlined enforcement procedures, particularly for concept flavours.

Conclusions

Flavoured tobacco policies have successfully limited sales, withstood legal challenges and become more comprehensive over time, providing useful lessons to inform ongoing and future legislative and programmatic efforts. Identifying and sharing best practices can improve passage, implementation, efficacy and evaluation of flavoured tobacco policies.
Activation of persulfate by heterogeneous catalyst ZnCo2O4–RGO for efficient degradation of bisphenol A
Authors: Chang Xin , Xu Xiangyang , Gao Zhifeng , Tao Yingrui , Yin Yixuan , He Guangyu , Chen Haiqun
Published: October 2020

A nanocomposite, reduced graphene oxide (RGO) modified ZnCo2O4 (ZnCo2O4–RGO) was synthesized via one-step solvothermal method for activating persulfate (PS) to degrade bisphenol A (BPA). The morphology and structure of the nanocomposite were identified by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. RGO provides nucleation sites for ZnCo2O4 to grow and inhibits the agglomeration of the nanoparticles. The influence of different reaction conditions on the oxidation of BPA catalyzed by ZnCo2O4–RGO was investigated, including the content of RGO, the dosage of catalyst, the concentration of humic acid (HA), anions in the environment, the reaction temperature, and pH. BPA can be totally degraded within 20 min under optimized reaction conditions. The presence of HA, Cl−, and NO3− only has a slight effect on the oxidation of BPA, whereas the presence of either H2PO4− or HCO3− can greatly inhibit the reaction. ZnCo2O4–RGO shows good cycling stability and practical application potential. A reaction mechanism of the degradation of BPA was also explored.
Crustal thickening and uplift of the Qiangtang Terrane, Tibetan Plateau during the Late Cretaceous to early Palaeocene: geochronology and geochemistry of the Saiduopugangri granite
Authors: Li Xue , Sun Guo-Sheng , Liu Gen-Yi , Zhou Huan , Shan Zi-Ling , Sun Jiu-Da , Wang Guang-Wei
Published: October 2020

There continues to be debate regarding the timing of the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates and the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. This study presents zircon U–Pb geochronology, whole-rock geochemistry, and Lu–Hf isotopic data for the Saiduopugangri granite of the Qiangtang Terrane, located within the core of the Tibetan Plateau. These data provide the basis for the geodynamic setting, petrogenesis, and characteristics of its magma source. Zircons from the Saiduopugangri granite yield a weighted-mean 206Pb/238U age of 62.72 ± 0.06 Ma, indicating that these rocks formed during the early Palaeocene. The rocks are members of the highly calc-alkaline to shoshonitic series, with weak peraluminous characteristics. Trace elements are characterised by high Sr (483–616 ppm), and low Y (6–10 ppm) and Yb (1 ppm) content, typical of a high Sr and low Yb granite. The εHf(t) of zircon ranges from −2.14 to 2.35, with two-stage Hf model ages (TDM2) ranging from 1182 to 895 Ma. These data suggest that the Saiduopugangri granite magma was derived from the melting of lower-crustal clastic meta-sedimentary rocks and mantle-derived basalts. The high Sr and low Yb granite characteristics and experimental results indicate that melting occurred at >1.2 GPa and >750 °C, consistent with a crustal thickness greater than 50 km. Magmatism occurred from the Late Cretaceous to the early Palaeogene and is broadly synchronous with the collision timing between the Indian and Eurasian plates. The Saiduopugangri granite provides evidence of crustal thickening of the Tibetan Plateau and its age and petrogenesis constrain the timing of the initial uplift.
Mitigation of salt-stress effects by moringa leaf extract or salicylic acid through motivating antioxidant machinery in damask rose
Authors: Hassan Fahmy , Al-Yasi Hatim , Ali Esmat , Alamer Khalid , Hessini Kamel , Attia Houneida , El-Shazly Samir
Published: October 2020

Despite the fact that damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill. var. trigintipetala Dieck) is an economically important aromatic plant, its growth and development has been severely suppressed by salt stress. Reports show that moringa leaf extract (MLE) or salicylic acid (SA) are involved in salt-stress tolerance. Nevertheless, scarce information is available about MLE or SA impacts on aromatic plants, especially damask rose under salinity. This investigation was, therefore, conducted to investigate the effects of MLE and (or) SA on salt-stress mitigation in damask rose. Rose plants were treated with 200 mmol·L−1 sodium chloride, and foliar applied with MLE at 1:30 (v:v) and (or) 0.2 mmol·L−1 SA. Foliar spraying with MLE and (or) SA enhanced the growth attributes, chlorophyll content, relative water content, proline content, and membrane stability index under salinity. Less accumulation of malondialdehyde and H2O2 was also observed when MLE and (or) SA were applied. Furthermore, MLE and (or) SA applications considerably increased the radical scavenging activity, total phenols, and antioxidant enzyme activity (catalase and superoxide dismutase) under stress. The mitigative effect of MLE or SA was more pronounced when they were applied in combination. Collectively, MLE and (or) SA had efficient antioxidant defense system that scavenged reactive oxygen species, and thus afforded considerable protection against salt-induced oxidative damage.
Overexpressed Gliotactin activates BMP signaling through interfering with the Tkv–Dad association
Authors: Sharifkhodaei Zohreh , Auld Vanessa J.
Published: October 2020

Epithelial junctions ensure cell–cell adhesion and establish permeability barriers between cells. At the corners of epithelia, the tricellular junction (TCJ) is formed by three adjacent epithelial cells and generates a functional barrier. In Drosophila, a key TCJ protein is Gliotactin (Gli) where loss of Gli disrupts barrier formation and function. Conversely, overexpressed Gli spreads away from the TCJ and triggers apoptosis, delamination, and cell migration. Thus, Gli protein levels are tightly regulated and by two mechanisms, at the protein levels by tyrosine phosphorylation and endocytosis and at the mRNA level through microRNA-184. Regulation of Gli mRNA is mediated through a Gli–BMP–miR184 feedback loop. Excessive Gli triggers BMP signaling pathway through the activation of Tkv type-I BMP receptor and Mad. Elevated level of pMad induces micrRNA-184 expression which in turn targets the Gli 3′UTR and mRNA degradation. Gli activation of Tkv is not through its ligand Dpp but rather through the inhibition of Dad, an inhibitory-Smad. Here, we show that ectopic expression of Gli interferes with Tkv–Dad association by sequestering Dad away from Tkv. The reduced inhibitory effect of Dad on Tkv results in the increased Tkv–pMad signaling activity, and this effect is continuous through larval and pupal wing formation.
Provenance of Carboniferous sandstones in the central and southern parts of the Pennine Basin, UK: evidence from detrital zircon ages
Authors: Morton A.C. , Chisholm J.I. , Frei D.
Published: October 2020

New U–Pb isotopic analyses of detrital zircon grains from Namurian and Westphalian sandstones in the central and southern parts of the Pennine Basin are combined with published analyses from the same region, to assess existing views on the nature and location of the source areas that supplied the clastic sediment. The study confirms that most sandstones were derived from distant areas to the north, west and south, and that a local source, in the Wales–Brabant High, also supplied sediment at times. The northern sources are thought to lie mainly in Laurentia (East Greenland), with some input from Baltica (Norway). Most sandstones entering from the west are thought to have been supplied from areas of Avalonian basement, with some components recycled from sediments that were themselves derived from the Caledonian belt that lay to the north. An exception is the Clifton Rock: its source is thought to lie entirely in the Irish Caledonides or in southern Scotland. Sandstones supplied from the south contain significant numbers of late Devonian and Carboniferous grains, indicating the inclusion of material eroded from the active Variscan orogenic belt in Europe. Northern provenance prevailed during Namurian and early Langsettian times, then alternated with western supply until the late Langsettian. Western input then dominated through most of Duckmantian times, until superseded in the late Duckmantian by supply from the Variscan orogen. The Woolley Edge Rock, now shown to be an isolated member of the northern group, entered the area just before the earliest sandstone of Variscan origin.

Supplementary material:
U–Pb data of detrital zircon is available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5174702
Predicting Users’ Movie Preference and Rating Behavior from Personality and Values
Authors: Khan Euna Mehnaz , Mukta Md. Saddam Hossain , Ali Mohammed Eunus , Mahmud Jalal
Published: October 2020

In this article, we propose novel techniques to predict a user’s movie genre preference and rating behavior from her psycholinguistic attributes obtained from the social media interactions. The motivation of this work comes from various psychological studies that demonstrate that psychological attributes such as personality and values can influence one’s decision or choice in real life. In this work, we integrate user interactions in Twitter and IMDb to derive interesting relations between human psychological attributes and their movie preferences. In particular, we first predict a user’s movie genre preferences from the personality and value scores of the user derived from her tweets. Second, we also develop models to predict user movie rating behavior from her tweets in Twitter and movie genre and storyline preferences from IMDb. We further strengthen the movie rating model by incorporating the user reviews. In the above models, we investigate the role of personality and values independently and combinedly while predicting movie genre preferences and movie rating behaviors. We find that our combined models significantly improve the accuracy than that of a single model that is built by using personality or values independently. We also compare our technique with the traditional movie genre and rating prediction techniques. The experimental results show that our models are effective in recommending movies to users.
Experimental Analysis of a Spatialised Audio Interface for People with Visual Impairments
Authors: Lock Jacobus C. , Gilchrist Iain D. , Gilchrist Iain D. , Cielniak Grzegorz , Bellotto Nicola
Published: October 2020

Sound perception is a fundamental skill for many people with severe sight impairments. The research presented in this article is part of an ongoing project with the aim to create a mobile guidance aid to help people with vision impairments find objects within an unknown indoor environment. This system requires an effective non-visual interface and uses bone-conduction headphones to transmit audio instructions to the user. It has been implemented and tested with spatialised audio cues, which convey the direction of a predefined target in 3D space. We present an in-depth evaluation of the audio interface with several experiments that involve a large number of participants, both blindfolded and with actual visual impairments, and analyse the pros and cons of our design choices. In addition to producing results comparable to the state-of-the-art, we found that Fitts’s Law (a predictive model for human movement) provides a suitable metric that can be used to improve and refine the quality of the audio interface in future mobile navigation aids.
Assessing the Contribution of Subject-matter Experts to Wikipedia
Authors: Yarovoy Alex , Nagar Yiftach , Minkov Einat , Arazy Ofer
Published: October 2020

Attempts to explain the success of knowledge co-production communities have focused on organizational design, including structure, motivation, roles, and coordination mechanisms. Meantime, the role that subject-matter-experts play in these knowledge production settings has largely been left in a theoretical and empirical void; its existence has been assumed, but we know little about its nature and scope, as it is difficult to observe. In this article, we start filling that void, using Wikipedia as the setting for our empirical investigation. First, we carefully crossed information from individual Wikipedia editor pages with external sources such as Google Scholar to reliably identify editors who are credentialed experts. Matching these credentialed experts with their Wikipedia editing patterns, we used this dataset to train a machine learning classifier that we then employed to identify additional expert editors and assess the nature and the scope of their work across Wikipedia. Our results suggest that the scope of expert involvement is substantial, albeit with considerable differences across topics. We estimate that approximately 10%--30% of Wikipedia’s contributors have substantial subject-matter expertise in the topics that they edit. We discuss implications for theory and practice of peer-production.
Fair Mixing
Authors: Aziz Haris , Bogomolnaia Anna , Moulin Hervé
Published: October 2020

We consider a setting in which agents vote to choose a fair mixture of public outcomes. The agents have dichotomous preferences: Each outcome is liked or disliked by an agent. We discuss three outstanding voting rules. The
Conditional Utilitarian
rule, a variant of the random dictator, is strategyproof and guarantees to any group of like-minded agents an influence proportional to its size. It is easier to compute and more efficient than the familiar
Random Priority
rule. We show, both formally and by numerical experiments, that its inefficiency is low when the number of agents is low. The efficient
Egalitarian
rule protects individual agents but not coalitions. It is
excludable strategyproof
: An agent does not want to lie if she cannot consume outcomes she claims to dislike. The efficient
Max Nash Product
rule offers the strongest welfare guarantees to coalitions, which can force any outcome with a probability proportional to their size. But it even fails the excludable form of strategyproofness.
The Complexity of Black-Box Mechanism Design with Priors
Authors: Gergatsouli Evangelia , Lucier Brendan , Tzamos Christos
Published: October 2020

We study black-box reductions from mechanism design to algorithm design for welfare maximization in settings of incomplete information. Given oracle access to an algorithm for an underlying optimization problem, the goal is to simulate an incentive compatible mechanism. The mechanism will be evaluated on its expected welfare, relative to the algorithm provided, and its complexity is measured by the time (and queries) needed to simulate the mechanism on any input. While it is known that black-box reductions are not possible in many prior-free settings, settings with priors appear more promising: there are known reductions for Bayesian incentive compatible (BIC) mechanism design for general classes of welfare maximization problems. This dichotomy begs the question: which mechanism design problems admit black-box reductions, and which do not?

Our main result is that black-box mechanism design is impossible under two of the simplest settings not captured by known positive results. First, for the problem of allocating
n
goods to a single buyer whose valuation is additive and independent across the goods, subject to a downward-closed constraint on feasible allocations, we show that there is no polytime (in
n
) BIC black-box reduction for expected welfare maximization. Second, for the setting of multiple single-parameter agents—where polytime BIC reductions are known—we show that no polytime reductions exist when the incentive requirement is tightened to Max-In-Distributional-Range. In each case, we show that achieving a sub-polynomial approximation to the expected welfare requires exponentially many queries, even when the set of feasible allocations is known to be downward-closed.
Bridging the Gap Between Ethics and Practice
Authors: Shneiderman Ben
Published: October 2020

This article attempts to bridge the gap between widely discussed ethical principles of Human-centered AI (HCAI) and practical steps for effective governance. Since HCAI systems are developed and implemented in multiple organizational structures, I propose 15 recommendations at three levels of governance: team, organization, and industry. The recommendations are intended to increase the reliability, safety, and trustworthiness of HCAI systems: (1) reliable systems based on sound software engineering practices, (2) safety culture through business management strategies, and (3) trustworthy certification by independent oversight. Software engineering practices within teams include audit trails to enable analysis of failures, software engineering workflows, verification and validation testing, bias testing to enhance fairness, and explainable user interfaces. The safety culture within organizations comes from management strategies that include leadership commitment to safety, hiring and training oriented to safety, extensive reporting of failures and near misses, internal review boards for problems and future plans, and alignment with industry standard practices. The trustworthiness certification comes from industry-wide efforts that include government interventions and regulation, accounting firms conducting external audits, insurance companies compensating for failures, non-governmental and civil society organizations advancing design principles, and professional organizations and research institutes developing standards, policies, and novel ideas. The larger goal of effective governance is to limit the dangers and increase the benefits of HCAI to individuals, organizations, and society.
Estimating central blood pressure from aortic flow: development and assessment of algorithms
Authors: Mariscal-Harana Jorge , Charlton Peter H. , Vennin Samuel , Aramburu Jorge , Florkow Mateusz Cezary , van Engelen Arna , Schneider Torben , de Bliek Hubrecht , Ruijsink Bram , Valverde Israel , Beerbaum Philipp , Grotenhuis Heynric , Charakida Marietta , Chowienczyk Phil , Sherwin Spencer J. , Alastruey Jordi
Published: October 2020

First, our proposed methods for CV parameter estimation and a comprehensive set of methods from the literature were tested using in silico and clinical datasets. Second, optimized algorithms for estimating cBP from aortic flow were developed and tested for a wide range of cBP morphologies, including catheter cBP data. Third, a dataset of simulated cBP waves was created using a three-element Windkessel model. Fourth, the Windkessel model dataset and optimized algorithms are freely available.
Vascular dysfunction and oxidative stress caused by acute formaldehyde exposure in female adults
Authors: Augenreich Marc , Stickford Jonathon , Stute Nina , Koontz Laurel , Cope Janet , Bennett Cynthia , Ratchford Stephen M.
Published: October 2020

This study was the first to investigate the implications of acute formaldehyde (FA) exposure on adult female vascular function in the arms and legs. The main findings from this study were a decrease in conduit vessel function without any alteration to microvascular function following a 90-min FA exposure. Additionally, the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde increased after FA exposure. Taken together, these results suggest acute FA exposure have deleterious implications for the vasculature and redox balance.
Examining “race” in physiology
Authors: Wolf S. Tony , Jablonski Nina G. , Kenney W. Larry
Published: October 2020

Racial disparities in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health outcomes are well described, and recent research has shed light on the mechanistic underpinnings of those disparities. However, “race” is a social construct that is poorly defined and continually evolving and is historically based on faulty premises. The continued categorization by race in physiological research suggests that there are inherent differences between races, rather than addressing the specific underlying factors that result in health disparities between groups. The purpose of this Perspectives article is to provide a brief history of the genesis of categorization by race, why such categorization should be reconsidered in physiology research, and offer recommendations to more directly investigate the underlying factors that result in group disparities in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health.
PhospholipaseCγ1/calcium-dependent membranous localization of Gsdmd-N drives endothelial pyroptosis, contributing to lipopolysaccharide-induced fatal outcome
Authors: Liu Hong , Tang Da , Zhou Xiaoyu , Yang Xiaoping , Chen Alex F.
Published: October 2020

Our study newly reveals that phospholipase Cγ1 (PLCγ1) contributes to gasdermin D (Gsdmd)-mediated endothelial pyroptosis in a calcium-dependent fashion. Cytosolic calcium signaling promotes activated NH2-terminal fragment of Gsdmd (Gsdmd-N) to translocate to the plasma membrane, enhancing endothelial pyroptosis induced by cytoplasmic LPS. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of endothelial PLCγ1 attenuated breakdown of endothelial barrier, reduced vascular leakage, improve perfusion disturbances, and decrease mortality of mice in endotoxemia.
Computing Zagreb and Randić Indices of PEG-Cored Dendrimers Used for Drug and Gene Delivery
Authors: Pio Jude Thayamathy , Panchadcharam Elango , Masilamani Koneswaran
Published: October 2020

Zagreb and Randić indices are the most commonly used degree-based topological indices in the study of drug design and development. In molecular topology, M-polynomials are also used to calculate the degree-based topological indices of chemical structures. In this paper, we derive the M-polynomials for the PEG-cored PAMAM, carbosilane, and poly (lysine) dendrimers and calculate their first, second, and second modified Zagreb indices and the Randić index.