bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Our arithmetic was unique”: The Sheppard-Towner Act and the Constraints of Federalism on Data Collection Before the New Deal
Authors: BEZARK MICHELLE
Published: April 2021

This article reveals how the politics of federalism in the 1920s stifled the U.S. Children’s Bureau’s ability to collect national data on the workings of the Sheppard-Towner Act. The Bureau staff’s reliance on state administrators for data hindered their efforts to collect standardized national statistics on the states’ use of federal dollars. Ultimately, this barrier contributed to Sheppard-Towner’s defeat in 1929. Though the law was short-lived, the problems the Children’s Bureau encountered administering it provide insights into how federal matching grant programs began to shape federal and state relations before the New Deal. As this article shows, Bureau staff learned from their experience administering Sheppard-Towner that they needed to implement more stringent federal oversight over state-level accounting in their administration of Title V of the Social Security Act.
Epidemiological investigation of recurrent outbreaks of haemolytic uraemic syndrome caused by Shiga toxin-producingEscherichia coliserotype O55:H7 in England, 2014–2018
Authors: Sawyer C. , Vishram B. , Jenkins C. , Jorgensen F. , Byrne L. , Mikhail A. F. W. , Dallman T. J. , Carroll K. , Ahyow L. , Vahora Q. , Godbole G. , Balasegaram S.
Published: April 2021

Recurrent outbreaks of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) caused by Shiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli(STEC) serotype O55:H7 occurred in England between 2014 and 2018. We reviewed the epidemiological evidence to identify potential source(s) and transmission routes of the pathogen, and to assess the on-going risk to public health. Over the 5-year period, there were 43 confirmed and three probable cases of STEC O55:H7. The median age of cases was 4 years old (range 6 months to 69 years old) and over half of all cases were female (28/46, 61%). There were 36/46 (78.3%) symptomatic cases, and over half of all cases developed HUS (25/46, 54%), including two fatal cases. No common food or environmental exposures were identified, although the majority of cases lived in rural or semi-rural environments and reported contact with both wild and domestic animals. This investigation informed policy on the clinical and public health management of HUS caused by STEC other than serotype O157:H7 (non-O157 STEC) in England, including comprehensive testing of all household contacts and household pets and more widespread use of polymerase chain reaction assays for the rapid diagnosis of STEC-HUS.
Memory of destroyed Khorsabad, Victor Place, and the story of a shipwreck
Authors: GENÇ BÜLENT
Published: April 2021

Victor Place was appointed as a consul to Mosul in 1851, where having arrived in 1852 he started excavations at Khorsabad. Financial problems forced him to stop this activity towards the end of 1853. As the Interior Ministry appointed him to another post in 1854, he wanted to transport the Khorsabad finds before he left Mosul. However, the roads were extremely unsafe because of the Muntafiq Arab tribes’ revolt. The local authorities repeatedly warned Place about this problem, stressing that he should wait until after the revolt was over before leaving. But despite these warnings, Place transported the Khorsabad finds from Mosul to Baghdad by keleks (rafts). The plan was then to transport them to Basra from Baghdad. Place set off on the river with a fleet made up of four keleks and a ship. Smuggled goods loaded on the ship made it heavier and attracted the attention of looters. On 21 May 1855, the fleet was attacked by bandits in the region of Kurna, located between Baghdad and Basra. The ship and two keleks sank at the spot, while the remaining two keleks arrived at Basra with some of the rescued goods. Various attempts to retrieve the sunken finds then followed. This article accordingly considers new data on the Kurna accident, drawing on Ottoman archival sources, particularly reports written at the time that discussed the possible causes of the accident and the negligent actions linked to it. As the destroyed memory of Khorsabad makes clear, archaeology cannot be rushed.
Outcome evaluation of fruits and vegetables distribution interventions in schools: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ismail Mariam R , Seabrook Jamie A , Gilliland Jason A
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Fruits and vegetables (FV) distribution interventions have been implemented as a public health strategy to increase children’s intake of FV at school settings. The purpose of this review was to examine whether snack-based FV distribution interventions can improve school-aged children’s consumption of FV.

Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis of articles published in English, in a peer-reviewed journals, were identified by searching six databases up to August 2020. Standardised mean differences (SMD) and 95 % CI were calculated using a random effects model. Heterogeneity was quantified using I2 statistics.

Setting:

Population-based studies of interventions where the main focus was the effectiveness of distributed FV as snacks to schoolchildren in North America, Europe and Pacific were included.

Results:

Forty-seven studies, reporting on fifteen different interventions, were identified; ten studies were included in the meta-analysis. All interventions were effective in increasing children’s consumption of FV, with only one intervention demonstrating a null effect. Pooled results under all classifications showed effectiveness in improving children’s consumption of FV, particularly for multi-component interventions at post-intervention (SMD 0·20, 95 % CI 0·13, 0·27) and free distribution interventions at follow-up (SMD 0·19, 95 % CI 0·12, 0·27).

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that FV distribution interventions provide a promising avenue by which children’s consumption can be improved. Nonetheless, our results are based on a limited number of studies, and further studies should be performed to confirm these results. More consistent measurement protocols in terms of rigorous study methodologies, intervention duration and follow-up evaluation are needed to improve comparability across studies.
Radiotherapy in patient with an automated implantable cardioverter defibrillator
Authors: Allouche E. , Oumaya Z. , Abidi R.
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

An ever-growing number of patients with implantable cardiac rhythm devices are treated with radiation therapy for cancer and are therefore at risk of device failure. Several medical societies developed recommendations for the management of such patients.

We report the case of a 76-year-old patient with an implanted cardioverter defibrillator, treated with external radiotherapy for breast cancer, to test in practice the recommendations on the management of similar cases.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the oncologic care continuum: urgent need to restore patients care to pre-COVID-19 era
Authors: Osei Ernest , Francis Ruth , Mohamed Ayan , Sheraz Lyba , Soltani-Mayvan Fariba
Published: April 2021

Background:

Globally, cancer is the second leading cause of death, and it is estimated that over 18·1 million new cases are diagnosed annually. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted almost every aspect of the provision and management of cancer care worldwide. The time-critical nature of COVID-19 diagnosis and the large number of patients requiring hospitalisation necessitated the rerouting of already limited resources available for cancer services and programmes to the care of COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, the stringent social distancing, restricted in-hospital visits and lockdown measures instituted by various governments resulted in the disruption of the oncologic continuum including screening, diagnostic and prevention programmes, treatments and follow-up services as well as research and clinical trial programmes.

Materials and Methods:

We searched several databases from October 2020 to January 2021 for relevant studies published in English between 2020 and 2021 and reporting on the impact of COVID-19 on the cancer care continuum. This narrative review paper describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cancer patient care continuum from screening and prevention to treatments and ongoing management of patients.

Conclusions:

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted cancer care and the management of cancer services and patients. Nevertheless, the oncology healthcare communities worldwide have done phenomenal work with joint and collaborative efforts, utilising best available evidence-based guidelines to continue to give safe and effective treatments for cancer patients while maintaining the safety of patients, healthcare professionals and the general population. Nevertheless, several healthcare centres are now faced with significant challenges with the management of the backlog of screening, diagnosis and treatment cases. It is imperative that governments, leaders of healthcare centres and healthcare professionals take all necessary actions and policies focused on minimising further system-level delays to cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment initiation and clearing of all backlogs cases from the COVID-19 pandemic in order to mitigate the negative impact on cancer outcomes.
The effect of carbon fibre treatment couch with and without immobilisation devices on radiotherapy dose calculation using three different planning algorithms and photon beam energies
Authors: Oulhouq Y. , Rrhioua A. , Bakari D. , Zerfaoui M. , Krim D.
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

The objective of radiotherapy immobilisation devices is to improve the reproducibility of patient positioning during treatment sessions. The inclusion of these devices in the treatment protocol may increase the skin dose. In practice, these devices are not systematically taken into account in the dose calculation.

Material and methods:

In this study, the dosimetric effects of the carbon fibre couch iBEAM Evo Extension 415, with and without three different immobilisation devices (a Klarity Breastboard R610-2ECF, a Bionix Butterfly Board and CIVCO Vac-Lok vacuum bag), were calculated and evaluated on the dose calculation for conformal three-dimensional radiation therapy. The measurements were carried out by comparing the measured dose with the one calculated for three different algorithms, FFT convolution, fast superposition and superposition algorithms, which are implemented in Xio treatment planning system (TPS).

Results:

Dosimetric tolerance levels have been respected for specific dose calculations, which do not include the fibre couch with or without immobilisation devices. Errors of up to 8% in the dose calculation were obtained for the beams passing through the fibre couch and the breast board base support region.

Conclusion:

According to the significant attenuation differences of the beam by the fibre couch and immobilisation devices, it was concluded that ignoring the device in the dose calculation can change patient’s skin and target doses. The fibre couch and immobilisation device should be included within external body contour to account for the TPS calculation algorithms dose attenuation.
Connected slots antenna array feeding a high-gain lens for wide-angle beam-steering applications
Authors: Aziz Imran , Öjefors Erik , Dancila Dragos
Published: April 2021

This paper presents a 60 GHz connected slots linear-phased array feeding a high-gain semi-symmetric lens antenna. This design provides high gain, broadband, and beam-steering capabilities for gigabit rate access and backhaul communications. The connected slots antenna array (CSAA) is excited at 16× equidistant points which not only yields spatial power combining but also allows the progressive phase changes to steer the beam in ±45°in azimuth plane. To characterize the CSAA-fed lens antenna, four different power splitters are fabricated which steer the main beam in 0, 15, 30, and 45°. The lens is designed in a way to overcome the scan loss and get comparatively higher gain when beam is steered away from the broadside. The measured results show 25.4 dBi maximum gain with 3 dB gain bandwidth covering the full band 57–66 GHz whereas 3 dB beam-steering range is ±45°for all frequencies. Besides, the half power beamwidth is 6 and 10°in elevation (E-plane) and azimuth plane (H-plane), respectively.
Air‐Sea Ammonia Fluxes Calculated From High‐Resolution Summertime Observations Across the Atlantic Southern Ocean
Authors: Altieri K. E. , Spence K. A. M. , Smith S.
Published: April 2021

Oceanic ammonia emissions are the largest natural source of ammonia globally, but the magnitude of the air‐sea flux in remote regions with minimal human influence remains uncertain. Here, we measured the concentration of surface ocean ammonium and atmospheric ammonia gas every two hours across a latitudinal transect (34.5°S to 61°S) of the Atlantic Southern Ocean during summer. Surface ocean ammonium concentrations ranged from undetectable to 0.36 µM and ammonia gas concentrations ranged from 0.6 to 5.1 nmol m−3. Calculated ammonia fluxes ranged from −2.8 to −75 pmol m−2 s−1, and were consistently from the atmosphere into the ocean, even in regions where surface ocean ammonium concentrations were relatively high. As expected, temperature was the dominant control on the air‐sea ammonia flux across the latitudinal transect. However, a sensitivity analysis suggests that seasonality in the surface Southern Ocean nitrogen cycle may have a major influence on the direction of the ammonia flux.
Substantial Declines in Salinity Observed Across the Upper Colorado River Basin During the 20th Century, 1929–2019
Authors: Rumsey Christine A. , Miller Olivia , Hirsch Robert M. , Marston Thomas M. , Susong David D.
Published: April 2021

Salinity in the Colorado River Basin causes an estimated $300 to $400 million per year in economic damages in the United States. To inform and improve salinity‐control efforts, this study quantifies long‐term trends in salinity (dissolved solids) across the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB), including time periods prior to the construction of large dams and preceding the implementation of salinity‐control projects. Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season was used with data sets of dissolved‐solids and specific‐conductance measurements, collected as early as 1929, to evaluate long‐term trends in dissolved‐solids loads and concentrations in streams from 1929 to 2019 (n = 14). Results indicate that large, widespread, and sustained downward trends in dissolved‐solids concentrations and loads occurred over the last 50–90 years. For 12 of the 14 stream sites with significant downward change, median declines of −38% (range of −14% to −57%) and −40% (range of −9 to −65%) were observed for flow‐normalized concentration and load, respectively. Steepest rates of decline occurred from 1980 to 2000, coincident with the initiation of salinity‐control efforts in the 1980s. However, there was a consistent slowing or reversing of downward trends after 2000 even though salinity‐control efforts continued. Significant decreases in salinity occurred as early as the 1940s at some streams, indicating that, in addition to salinity‐control projects, changes in land cover, land use, and/or climate substantially affect salinity transport in the UCRB. Observed dissolved‐solids trends are likely the result of changes to watershed‐related processes, not due to changes in the streamflow regime.
Main Wave Sources of the Longitudinal Structures of Equatorial Electric Field
Authors: Liu Yangkun , Xu Jiyao , Xiong Chao , Liu Xiao , Guo Bing
Published: April 2021

The E‐region equatorial electric field (EEF) modulates distributions in the ionosphere at equatorial and low latitudes via the fountain effect. Using Swarm data during the daytime and geomagnetically quiet periods (Kp ≤ 3), we perform a detailed analysis of the main wave sources of the longitudinal structures of the EEF (LSEEF) in different seasons by fitting the LSEEF with longitudinal wavenumber 1–4 patterns (WN1–WN4), and further matching the dominant tides and stationary planetary waves. The results indicate that: (a) Although the LSEEF exhibit significant seasonal dependence, a prominent one‐peaked structure exists in all seasons (peak: 90°E–120°E; trough: 30°W–70°W). (b) WN1 (WN4) contributes most to the LSEEF over four seasons (spring to autumn) with fractions of 26%–39% (25%–38%). (c) The main wave sources of the LSEEF are DW2 (DE3 and DE2; DE3; DW2 and SW4) in spring (summer; autumn; winter) with each contribution exceeding 15%.
Historical and Future Projected Warming of Antarctic Shelf Bottom Water in CMIP6 Models
Authors: Purich Ariaan , England Matthew H.
Published: April 2021

Understanding warming on the Antarctic shelf is critical for projecting changes in Antarctic ice shelves and ice sheets. Here we assess Antarctic Shelf Bottom Water (ASBW) temperature mean‐state and trends in CMIP6 models. While CMIP6 models do not resolve ice shelves, future shelf water warming will impact ice shelf vulnerability. The CMIP6 multi‐model mean zonal temperature structure and mean‐state ASBW spatial pattern resemble observations, although there is considerable spread across the models and a multi‐model mean warm bias. The multi‐model mean projects an average ASBW warming of 0.36°C (interdecile range 0.07°C–0.60°C) under SSP245 and 0.62°C (interdecile range 0.16°C–0.95°C) under SSP585 by 2100, emphasizing the influence future emissions have on shelf water warming around Antarctica. Changes in the transport of Circumpolar Deep Water onto the shelf associated with changes in the Southern Annular Mode, as well as Circumpolar Deep Water warming, are predicted to conspire to warm ASBW in the future.
JAC1 suppresses proliferation of breast cancer through the JWA/p38/SMURF1/HER2 signaling
Authors: Ren Yanlin , Chen Dongyin , Zhai Zurong , Chen Junjie , Li Aiping , Liang Yan , Zhou Jianwei
Published: April 2021

The overexpression of HER2 is associated with a malignant proliferation of breast cancer. In this study, we developed a non-cytotoxic JWA gene activating compound 1 (JAC1) to inhibit the proliferation of HER2-positive breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo experimental models. JAC1 increased the ubiquitination of HER2 at the K716 site through the E3 ubiquitin ligase SMURF1 which was due to the decreased expression of NEDD4, the E3 ubiquitin ligase of SMURF1. In conclusion, JAC1 suppresses the proliferation of HER2-positive breast cancer cells through the JWA triggered HER2 ubiquitination signaling. JAC1 may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for HER2-positive breast cancer.
Critical assessment of protein intrinsic disorder prediction
Authors: Necci Marco , Piovesan Damiano ,   CAID Predictors, Hoque Md Tamjidul , Walsh Ian , Iqbal Sumaiya , Vendruscolo Michele , Sormanni Pietro , Wang Chen , Raimondi Daniele , Sharma Ronesh , Zhou Yaoqi , Litfin Thomas , Galzitskaya Oxana Valerianovna , Lobanov Michail Yu. , Vranken Wim , Wallner Björn , Mirabello Claudio , Malhis Nawar , Dosztányi Zsuzsanna , Erdős Gábor , Mészáros Bálint , Gao Jianzhao , Wang Kui , Hu Gang , Wu Zhonghua , Sharma Alok , Hanson Jack , Paliwal Kuldip , Callebaut Isabelle , Bitard-Feildel Tristan , Orlando Gabriele , Peng Zhenling , Xu Jinbo , Wang Sheng , Jones David T. , Cozzetto Domenico , Meng Fanchi , Yan Jing , Gsponer Jörg , Cheng Jianlin , Wu Tianqi , Kurgan Lukasz ,   DisProt Curators, Promponas Vasilis J. , Tamana Stella , Marino-Buslje Cristina , Martínez-Pérez Elizabeth , Chasapi Anastasia , Ouzounis Christos , Dunker A. Keith , Kajava Andrey V. , Leclercq Jeremy Y. , Aykac-Fas Burcu , Lambrughi Matteo , Maiani Emiliano , Papaleo Elena , Chemes Lucia Beatriz , Álvarez Lucía , González-Foutel Nicolás S. , Iglesias Valentin , Pujols Jordi , Ventura Salvador , Palopoli Nicolás , Benítez Guillermo Ignacio , Parisi Gustavo , Bassot Claudio , Elofsson Arne , Govindarajan Sudha , Lamb John , Salvatore Marco , Hatos András , Monzon Alexander Miguel , Bevilacqua Martina , Mičetić Ivan , Minervini Giovanni , Paladin Lisanna , Quaglia Federica , Leonardi Emanuela , Davey Norman , Horvath Tamas , Kovacs Orsolya Panna , Murvai Nikoletta , Pancsa Rita , Schad Eva , Szabo Beata , Tantos Agnes , Macedo-Ribeiro Sandra , Manso Jose Antonio , Pereira Pedro José Barbosa , Davidović Radoslav , Veljkovic Nevena , Hajdu-Soltész Borbála , Pajkos Mátyás , Szaniszló Tamás , Guharoy Mainak , Lazar Tamas , Macossay-Castillo Mauricio , Tompa Peter , Tosatto Silvio C. E.
Published: April 2021

Intrinsically disordered proteins, defying the traditional protein structure–function paradigm, are a challenge to study experimentally. Because a large part of our knowledge rests on computational predictions, it is crucial that their accuracy is high. The Critical Assessment of protein Intrinsic Disorder prediction (CAID) experiment was established as a community-based blind test to determine the state of the art in prediction of intrinsically disordered regions and the subset of residues involved in binding. A total of 43 methods were evaluated on a dataset of 646 proteins from DisProt. The best methods use deep learning techniques and notably outperform physicochemical methods. The top disorder predictor has Fmax = 0.483 on the full dataset and Fmax = 0.792 following filtering out of bona fide structured regions. Disordered binding regions remain hard to predict, with Fmax = 0.231. Interestingly, computing times among methods can vary by up to four orders of magnitude.
Biallelic variants in the SORD gene are one of the most common causes of hereditary neuropathy among Czech patients
Authors: Laššuthová P. , Mazanec R. , Staněk D. , Sedláčková L. , Plevová B. , Haberlová J. , Seeman P.
Published: April 2021

Recently, biallelic variants in the SORD gene were identified as causal for axonal hereditary neuropathy (HN). We ascertained the spectrum and frequency of SORD variants among a large cohort of Czech patients with unknown cause of HN. Exome sequencing data were analysed for SORD (58 patients). The prevalent c.757del variant was tested with fragment analysis (931 patients). Sanger sequencing in additional 70 patients was done. PCR primers were designed to amplify the SORD gene with the exclusion of the pseudogene SORD2P. Sequence differences between gene and pseudogene were identified and frequencies of SNPs were calculated. Eighteen patients from 16 unrelated families with biallelic variants in the SORD gene were found and the c.757del was present in all patients on at least one allele. Three novel, probably pathogenic, variants were detected, always in a heterozygous state in combination with the c.757del on the second allele. Patients presented with a slowly progressive axonal HN. Almost all patients had moderate pes cavus deformity. SORD neuropathy is frequent in Czech patients and the third most common cause of autosomal recessive HN. The c.757del is highly prevalent. Specific amplification of the SORD gene with the exclusion of the pseudogene is essential for a precise molecular diagnostics.
Semianalytical solution for the transient temperature in a scattering and absorbing slab consisting of three layers heated by a light source
Authors: Reitzle Dominik , Geiger Simeon , Liemert André , Kienle Alwin
Published: April 2021

We derived a semianalytical solution for the time-dependent temperature distribution in a three-layered laterally infinite scattering and absorbing slab illuminated by an obliquely incident collimated beam of light. The light propagation was modeled by the low-order $$P_1$$

P
1

and $$P_3$$

P
3

approximations to the radiative transfer equation with closed form expressions for eigenvalues and eigenvectors, yielding a quickly computable solution, while the heat conduction was modeled by the Fourier equation. The solution was compared to a numerical solution using a Monte Carlo simulation for the light propagation and an FEM method for the heat conduction. The results showed that using the $$P_3$$

P
3

solution for the light propagation offers a large advantage in accuracy with only a moderate increase in calculation time compared to the $$P_1$$

P
1

solution. Also, while the $$P_3$$

P
3

solution is not a very good approximation for the spatially resolved absorbance itself, its application as a source term for the heat conduction equation does yield a very good approximation for the time-dependent temperature.
Size segregation of irregular granular materials captured by time-resolved 3D imaging
Authors: Gajjar Parmesh , Johnson Chris G. , Carr James , Chrispeels Kevin , Gray J. M. N. T. , Withers Philip J.
Published: April 2021

When opening a box of mixed nuts, a common experience is to find the largest nuts at the top. This well-known effect is the result of size-segregation where differently sized ‘particles’ sort themselves into distinct layers when shaken, vibrated or sheared. Colloquially this is known as the ‘Brazil-nut effect’. While there have been many studies into the phenomena, difficulties observing granular materials mean that we still know relatively little about the process by which irregular larger particles (the Brazil nuts) reach the top. Here, for the first time, we capture the complex dynamics of Brazil nut motion within a sheared nut mixture through time-lapse X-ray Computed Tomography (CT). We have found that the Brazil nuts do not start to rise until they have first rotated sufficiently towards the vertical axis and then ultimately return to a flat orientation when they reach the surface. We also consider why certain Brazil nuts do not rise through the pack. This study highlights the important role of particle shape and orientation in segregation. Further, this ability to track the motion in 3D will pave the way for new experimental studies of segregating mixtures and will open the door to even more realistic simulations and powerful predictive models. Understanding the effect of size and shape on segregation has implications far beyond food products including various anti-mixing behaviors critical to many industries such as pharmaceuticals and mining.
Author Correction: Boron-doped Nanodiamond as an Electrode Material for Aqueous Electric Double-layer Capacitors
Authors: Miyashita Kenjo , Kondo Takeshi , Sugai Seiya , Tei Takahiro , Nishikawa Masahiro , Tojo Toshifumi , Yuasa Makoto
Published: April 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
The tumor suppressor archipelago E3 ligase is required for spermatid differentiation in Drosophila testis
Authors: Vedelek Viktor , Kovács Attila L. , Juhász Gábor , Alzyoud Elham , Sinka Rita
Published: April 2021

The human orthologue of the tumor suppressor protein FBW7 is encoded by the Drosophila archipelago (ago) gene. Ago is an F-box protein that gives substrate specificity to its SCF ubiquitin ligase complex. It has a central role in multiple biological processes in a tissue-specific manner such as cell proliferation, cellular differentiation, hypoxia-induced gene expression. Here we present a previously unknown tissue-specific role of Ago in spermatid differentiation. We identified a classical mutant of ago which is semi-lethal and male-sterile. During the characterization of ago function in testis, we found that ago plays role in spermatid development, following meiosis. We confirmed spermatogenesis defects by silencing ago by RNAi in testes. The ago mutants show multiple abnormalities in elongating and elongated spermatids, including aberration of the cyst morphology, malformed mitochondrial structures, and individualization defects. Additionally, we determined the subcellular localization of Ago protein with mCherry-Ago transgene in spermatids. Our findings highlight the potential roles of Ago in different cellular processes of spermatogenesis, like spermatid individualization, and regulation of mitochondrial morphology.
Physician-guided, hybrid genetic testing exerts promising effects on health-related behavior without compromising quality of life
Authors: Schricker Severin , Monje David Callau , Dippon Juergen , Kimmel Martin , Alscher Mark Dominik , Schanz Moritz
Published: April 2021

Genetic risk analysis is increasingly in demand by participants. Hybrid genetic testing has the advantage over direct to consumer testing by involving a physician who guides the process and offers counseling after receiving the results. The objective of this study was to determine whether a structured physician moderated primary preventive, hybrid genetic risk assessment enhanced counseling program leads to improvement in lifestyle and does not impair quality of life. Risk genes for malignant, cardiovascular, coagulation, storage diseases and pharmacogenetics (> 100 genes) were tested. Screening, consultation and genetic counseling embedded in a primary/secondary prevention check-up program for executives of surrounding companies took place in a single center in Germany. Follow-up included established questionnaires for quality of life, nutrition and physical activity. Analysis included n = 244 participants. Median age at baseline was 49 years (interquartile range: 44–55), 93% were male, 3% (n = 7 of 136 responses) were smoker. Mean body mass index was 25.2 kg/m2. Follow-up response rate was 74% (n = 180), mean follow-up time was 6.8 months (standard deviation = 2.1). In 91 participants (37.8%, 91/241) at least one pathogenic variant was found, 60 thereof were clinically relevant (24.9%, 60/241). 238 participants (98%, 238/241) had > 1 pharmacogenetic variant, only 2 (0.8%, 2/241) took a correspondingly affected drug (56 participants took ≥ 1 drug/day). The energy expenditure significantly increased by ≈ 35% [median multiple of energy expenditure of 1.34 (confidence interval = 1.15–1.57, p < 0.001)] metabolic equivalents of task (MET)-min/week; participants spent on average 41 min (p < 0.001) less in sedentary activities per day and spent more time for lunch (≈ 2 additional minutes/day; p = 0.031). Indicators of the consumption of red meat and sweet pastries significantly decreased (both adjusted p = 0.049). Neither quality of life in general nor subgroup analysis of participants with at least one conspicuous genetic risk differed significantly over follow-up. Hybrid genetic testing and counseling exerted positive effects on health-related behavior and was not associated with major psychological adverse effects in the short-term follow-up. The approach seems to be feasible for use in preventive health care.
The other-race effect and holistic processing across racial groups
Authors: Wong Hoo Keat , Estudillo Alejandro J. , Stephen Ian D. , Keeble David R. T.
Published: April 2021

It is widely accepted that holistic processing is important for face perception. However, it remains unclear whether the other-race effect (ORE) (i.e. superior recognition for own-race faces) arises from reduced holistic processing of other-race faces. To address this issue, we adopted a cross-cultural design where Malaysian Chinese, African, European Caucasian and Australian Caucasian participants performed four different tasks: (1) yes–no face recognition, (2) composite, (3) whole-part and (4) global–local tasks. Each face task was completed with unfamiliar own- and other-race faces. Results showed a pronounced ORE in the face recognition task. Both composite-face and whole-part effects were found; however, these holistic effects did not appear to be stronger for other-race faces than for own-race faces. In the global–local task, Malaysian Chinese and African participants demonstrated a stronger global processing bias compared to both European- and Australian-Caucasian participants. Importantly, we found little or no cross-task correlation between any of the holistic processing measures and face recognition ability. Overall, our findings cast doubt on the prevailing account that the ORE in face recognition is due to reduced holistic processing in other-race faces. Further studies should adopt an interactionist approach taking into account cultural, motivational, and socio-cognitive factors.
Usefulness of semi-automatic harmonization strategy of standardized uptake values for multicenter PET studies
Authors: Daisaki Hiromitsu , Kitajima Kazuhiro , Nakajo Masatoyo , Watabe Tadashi , Ito Kimiteru , Sakamoto Fumi , Nakahara Tadaki , Ishibashi Mana , Toriihara Akira
Published: April 2021

This study assessed the possibility of semi-automatic harmonization of standardized uptake values (SUVs) in multicenter studies. Phantom data were acquired using 16 PET/CT scanners (including 3 PET/CT scanners with a silicon photomultiplier detector). PET images obtained using 30-min/bed scans for optimum harmonization filter calculations and using 90–180-s/bed scans for SUV validation under clinical conditions were obtained. Time of flight and a reconstruction method with point-spread function correction were allowed. The optimal full width at half maximum of the 3D-Gaussian filter that minimizes the root mean square error with the median value of the JSNM harmonization range was calculated semi-automatically. The SUVmax and the SUVpeak of the hot spheres were measured, and the inter-scanner coefficient of variation (COV) was calculated before and after harmonization. The harmonization filter was applied to 11 of the 15 PET/CT scanners in which the SUV calibration accuracy had been verified, but not in the remaining 4 scanners. Under noiseless conditions before harmonization, the inter-scanner COVs of the SUVmax and the SUVpeak were as high as 21.57% and 12.20%, respectively, decreasing to 8.79% and 5.73% after harmonization, respectively. Harmonization brought the SUVmax of all the hot spheres to within the harmonization range. Even under clinical conditions affected by image noise, the inter-scanner COVs for the SUVmax and SUVpeak were as high as 8.83% and 5.18% after harmonization, respectively. By applying an optimal harmonization filter that is calculated semi-automatically, the harmonization of SUVs according to the JSNM strategy is possible in multicenter studies, thereby reducing inter-scanner COVs.
Characterization of bacterial communities associated with blood-fed and starved tropical bed bugs, Cimex hemipterus (F.) (Hemiptera): a high throughput metabarcoding analysis
Authors: Lim Li , Ab Majid Abdul Hafiz
Published: April 2021

With the development of new metagenomic techniques, the microbial community structure of common bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, is well-studied, while information regarding the constituents of the bacterial communities associated with tropical bed bugs, Cimex hemipterus, is lacking. In this study, the bacteria communities in the blood-fed and starved tropical bed bugs were analysed and characterized by amplifying the v3-v4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene region, followed by MiSeq Illumina sequencing. Across all samples, Proteobacteria made up more than 99% of the microbial community. An alpha-proteobacterium Wolbachia and gamma-proteobacterium, including Dickeya chrysanthemi and Pseudomonas, were the dominant OTUs at the genus level. Although the dominant OTUs of bacterial communities of blood-fed and starved bed bugs were the same, bacterial genera present in lower numbers were varied. The bacteria load in starved bed bugs was also higher than blood-fed bed bugs.
The effects of antibiotic exposure on asthma in children with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Chen I-Lun , Tsai Ming-Kai , Chung Hao-Wei , Hsieh Hui-Min , Huang Yu-Ting , Lin Yi-Ching , Hung Chih-Hsing
Published: April 2021

Early-life antibiotic use is associated with allergic diseases. The risk factors for the progression from atopic dermatitis (AD) to asthma or allergic rhinitis are still unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between exposure to different antibiotics and the risk of new-onset asthma in children with AD. By using the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005, we selected AD patients less than 6 years old identified by ICD-9-CM code 691.8. The case group was defined as those having new-onset asthma, and the control group was defined as those without an asthma history. Information on antibiotic exposure in the 5 years prior to the index date was collected from drug prescription records. We estimated the adjusted odds ratio by using conditional logistic regression, adjusted for age, sex, index year, other potential risk factors and antibiotics. Antibiotic exposure was associated with the development of asthma in patients with AD (aOR = 3.68, 95% CI 2.13–6.36), particularly for patients less than 5 years old (aOR = 4.14, 95% CI 2.24–7.64) (p for trend < 0.001), even though lower cumulative antibiotic defined daily doses (DDDs) were associated with new-onset asthma occurrence. Antibiotic exposure, especially macrolide exposure, is associated with an increased risk of asthma in patients with AD.
Severe allo-immune antibody-associated peripheral and central nervous system diseases after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Hümmert Martin W. , Stadler Michael , Hambach Lothar , Gingele Stefan , Bredt Martin , Wattjes Mike P. , Göhring Gudrun , Venturini Letizia , Möhn Nora , Stangel Martin , Trebst Corinna , Ganser Arnold , Wegner Florian , Skripuletz Thomas
Published: April 2021

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) is a curative treatment for hematologic malignancies. Acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) are the major immune-mediated complications after alloHSCT. However, there is controversy whether neurologic complications after alloHSCT might represent manifestations of GvHD. We report three patients who acquired distinct, severe immune-mediated peripheral or central nervous system diseases after alloHSCT without other, concomitant GvHD manifestations. One patient had been diagnosed with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and two patients with high risk myelodysplastic syndrome. Patient #1 presented as LGI1- and GAD-IgG positive immune-mediated encephalitis, patient #2 was diagnosed with MOG-IgG positive encephalomyelitis, and patient #3 had chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy associated with SSA(Ro)-IgG positive Sjögren’s syndrome. 100% donor chimerism was detectable in the peripheral blood in all three. The specific antibodies were undetectable in donors’ and patients’ blood before alloHSCT suggesting that the antibodies had arisen from the transplanted donor immune system. Early intensive immunotherapy led to improvement of clinical symptoms and stability of the neurological disease, however, at the cost of losing the graft-versus-malignancy effect in one patient. In conclusion, we provide evidence of isolated, severe allo-immune diseases of the peripheral and central nervous system as complications of alloHSCT (“neuro-GvHD”). Interdisciplinary surveillance and thorough diagnostic work-up are needed for early diagnosis and treatment of neuro-immunologic complications after alloHSCT to improve the otherwise poor outcome.
Rare-earth metal catalysts for high-pressure synthesis of rare diamonds
Authors: Palyanov Yuri N. , Borzdov Yuri M. , Kupriyanov Igor N. , Khohkhryakov Alexander F. , Nechaev Denis V.
Published: April 2021

The combination of the unique properties of diamond and the prospects for its high-technology applications urges the search for new solvents–catalysts for the synthesis of diamonds with rare and unusual properties. Here we report the synthesis of diamond from melts of 15 rare-earth metals (REM) at 7.8 GPa and 1800–2100 °C. The boundary conditions for diamond crystallization and the optimal parameters for single crystal diamond synthesis are determined. Depending on the REM catalyst, diamond crystallizes in the form of cube–octahedrons, octahedrons and specific crystals bound by tetragon–trioctahedron and trigon–trioctahedron faces. The synthesized diamonds are nitrogen-free and belong to the rare type II, indicating that the rare-earth metals act as both solvent–catalysts and nitrogen getters. It is found that the REM catalysts enable synthesis of diamond doped with group IV elements with formation of impurity–vacancy color centers, promising for the emerging quantum technologies. Our study demonstrates a new field of application of rare-earth metals.
Ruxolitinib early administration reduces acute GVHD after alternative donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in acute leukemia
Authors: Zhang Binglei , Chen Lingyun , Zhou Jian , Zu Yingling , Gui Ruirui , Li Zhen , Wang Juan , Yu Fengkuan , Zhang Yanli , Zhao Huifang , Ji Zhenyu , Song Yongping
Published: April 2021

This study aimed to observe the safety and clinical efficacy of early application of ruxolitinib to prevent acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after alternative donor transplantation in acute leukemia. There were 57 patients undergoing allo-HSCT at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2017 to October 2019. They were divided into control(16 patients) and ruxolitinib (41 patients) groups. For aGVHD prophylaxis, the control group received post-transplantation cyclophosphamide, antithymocyte globulin-Fresenius, cyclosporine A, and mycophenolate mofetil, while in the ruxolitinib group, ruxolitinib 5 mg/d in adults or 0.07–0.1 mg/(kg d) in children was administered from the day of neutrophil engraftment to 100 days post-transplantation based on control group. We found 55 patients had successful reconstitution of hematopoiesis; No significant difference was found in cGVHD, hemorrhagic cystitis, pulmonary infection, intestinal infection, Epstein-Barr virus infection, cytomegalovirus infection, relapse, death, and nonrelapse mortality. The incidences of aGVHD (50 vs. 22%, P = 0.046) and grade II–IV aGVHD (42.9 vs. 12.2%, P = 0.013) were significantly higher in the control group than in the ruxolitinib group. No significant differences were observed in overall survival (P = 0.514), disease-free survival (P = 0.691), and cumulative platelet transfusion within 100 days post-transplantation between two groups. This suggests early application of ruxolitinib can reduce the incidence and severity of aGVHD and patients are well tolerated.
Cytotoxic and anti-excitotoxic effects of selected plant and algal extracts using COMET and cell viability assays
Authors: Aldbass Abeer , Amina Musarat , Al Musayeib Nawal M. , Bhat Ramesa Shafi , Al-Rashed Sara , Marraiki Najat , Fahmy Rania , El-Ansary Afaf
Published: April 2021

Excess glutamate in the central nervous system may be a major cause of neurodegenerative diseases with gradual loss and dysfunction of neurons. Primary or secondary metabolites from medicinal plants and algae show potential for treatment of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. Three plant extracts were evaluated for impact on glutamate excitotoxicity-induced in primary cultures of retinal ganglion cells (RGC). These cells were treated separately in seven groups: control; Plicosepalus. curviflorus treated; Saussurea lappa treated; Cladophora glomerate treated. Cells were treated independently with 5, 10, 50, or 100 µg/ml of extracts of plant or alga material, respectively, for 2 h. Glutamate-treated cells (48 h with 5, 10, 50, or 100 µM glutamate); and P. curviflorus/glutamate; S. lappa/glutamate; C. glomerata/glutamate [pretreatment with extract for 2 h (50 and 100 µg/ml) before glutamate treatment with 100 µM for 48 h]. Comet and MTT assays were used to assess cell damage and cell viability. The number of viable cells fell significantly after glutamate exposure. Exposure to plant extracts caused no notable effect of viability. All tested plants extracts showed a protective effect against glutamate excitotoxicity-induced RGC death. Use of these extracts for neurological conditions related to excitotoxicity and oxidative stress might prove beneficial.
High-fidelity transmission of high-frequency burst stimuli from peripheral nerve to thalamic nuclei in children with dystonia
Authors: Hernandez-Martin Estefanía , Arguelles Enrique , Zheng Yifei , Deshpande Ruta , Sanger Terence D.
Published: April 2021

High-frequency peripheral nerve stimulation has emerged as a noninvasive alternative to thalamic deep brain stimulation for some patients with essential tremor. It is not known whether such techniques might be effective for movement disorders in children, nor is the mechanism and transmission of the peripheral stimuli to central brain structures understood. This study was designed to investigate the fidelity of transmission from peripheral nerves to thalamic nuclei in children with dystonia undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery. The ventralis intermediate (VIM) thalamus nuclei showed a robust evoked response to peripheral high-frequency burst stimulation, with a greatest response magnitude to intra-burst frequencies between 50 and 100 Hz, and reliable but smaller responses up to 170 Hz. The earliest response occurred at 12–15 ms following stimulation onset, suggesting rapid high-fidelity transmission between peripheral nerve and thalamic nuclei. A high-bandwidth, low-latency transmission path from peripheral nerve to VIM thalamus is consistent with the importance of rapid and accurate sensory information for the control of coordination and movement via the cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathway. Our results suggest the possibility of non-invasive modulation of thalamic activity in children with dystonia, and therefore the possibility that a subset of children could have beneficial clinical response without the need for invasive deep brain stimulation.
Naturally occurring layered mineral franckeite with anisotropic Raman scattering and third-harmonic generation responses
Authors: Tripathi Ravi P. N. , Gao Jie , Yang Xiaodong
Published: April 2021

Vertically stacked van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have introduced a unique way to engineer optical and electronic responses in multifunctional photonic and quantum devices. However, the technical challenges associated with the artificially fabricated vertical heterostructures have emerged as a bottleneck to restrict their proficient utilization, which emphasizes the necessity of exploring naturally occurring vdW heterostructures. As one type of naturally occurring vdW heterostructures, franckeite has recently attracted significant interest in optoelectronic applications, but the understanding of light–matter interactions in such layered mineral is still very limited especially in the nonlinear optical regime. Herein, the anisotropic Raman scattering and third-harmonic generation (THG) from mechanically exfoliated franckeite thin flakes are investigated. The observed highly anisotropic Raman modes and THG emission patterns originate from the low-symmetry crystal structure of franckeite induced by the lattice incommensurability between two constituent stacked layers. The thickness-dependent anisotropic THG response is further analyzed to retrieve the third-order nonlinear susceptibility for franckeite crystal. The results discussed herein not only provide new insights in engineering the nonlinear light–matter interactions in natural vdW heterostructures, but also develop a testbed for designing future miniaturized quantum photonics devices and circuits based on such heterostructures.
Electronic and structural properties of the natural dyes curcumin, bixin and indigo
Authors: Michels Leander , Richter Annika , Chellappan Rajesh K. , Røst Håkon I. , Behsen Alenka , Wells Kristin H. , Leal Luciano , Santana Vilany , Blawid Rosana , da Silva Geraldo J. , Cooil Simon P. , Wells Justin W. , Blawid Stefan
Published: April 2021

An optical, electronic and structural characterisation of three natural dyes potentially interesting for application in organic solar cells, curcumin (C21H20O6), bixin (C25H30O4) and indigo (C16H10N2O2), was performed.
Aligned and electrically conductive 3D collagen scaffolds for skeletal muscle tissue engineering
Authors: Basurto Ivan M. , Mora Mark T. , Gardner Gregg M. , Christ George J. , Caliari Steven R.
Published: April 2021

We introduce a scaffold combining 3D structural alignment and electrical conductivity for skeletal muscle tissue engineering. We show that aligned and conductive scaffolds support myoblast viability, 3D alignment, and early myotube formation.