bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Political Ecology and Modern Politics
Authors: Karsenti Bruno
Published: March 2020

The increasingly pressing need to politicize ecology depends on our capacity to conduct a critique of modern politics, reexamining its fundamental concepts and its history. This thesis, developed in Bruno Latour’s most recent book,Facing Gaia, raises the question of what kind of critique is best adapted to this end. This article seeks to address this question by tracing the arguments ofFacing Gaiaand its recomposition of the relations between science, politics, and religion. These relations, which are constitutive of the experience of modernity, appear differently depending on the conception of collectives that one emphasizes and how one understands their anchoring in their environment. Unlike Latour, this essay argues that it is within the framework ofmodern societies, understood as an entirely new kind of collective whose history has been distorted and ignored by modernist ideology, that a conception of a specifically ecological justice must be formulated. The critique that is necessary to the politicization of ecology implies a new way of determining the actors involved in the environmental crisis, breaking the particular ties that modernity has forged between societies, the forms of self-awareness they produce as they develop, and the expectations of justice that result from them.
Psychometric concerns with the 10-item Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ10) as a measure of trait autism in the general population
Authors: Taylor Emily C. , Livingston Lucy A. , Clutterbuck Rachel A. , Shah Punit
Published: March 2020

The 10-item Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ10) is a self-report questionnaire used in clinical and research settings as a diagnostic screening tool for autism in adults. The AQ10 is also increasingly being used to quantify trait autism along a unitary dimension and correlated against performance on other psychological/medical tasks. However, its psychometric properties have yet to be examined when used in this way. By analysing AQ10 data from a large non-clinical sample of adults (n = 6,595), we found that the AQ10 does not have a unifactorial factor structure, and instead appears to have several factors. The AQ10 also had poor internal reliability. Taken together, whilst the AQ10 has important clinical utility in screening for diagnosable autism, it may not be a psychometrically robust measure when administered in non-clinical samples from the general population. Therefore, we caution against its use as a measure of trait autism in future research.
Saccharide sources do not influence the biofilm formation in Scedosporium/Lomentospora species
Authors: de Mello Thaís Pereira , Branquinha Marta Helena , dos Santos André Luis Souza
Published: March 2020

Scedosporium and Lomentospora species are ubiquitous saprophytic filamentous fungi that emerged as human pathogens with impressive multidrug-resistance profile. The ability to form biofilm over several biotic and abiotic surfaces is one of the characteristics that contributes to their resistance patterns against almost all currently available antifungals. Herein, we have demonstrated that Scedosporium apiospermum, Scedosporium minutisporum, Scedosporium aurantiacum and Lomentospora prolificans were able to form biofilm, in similar amounts, when conidial cells were incubated in a polystyrene substrate containing Sabouraud medium supplemented or not with different concentrations (2%, 5% and 10%) of glucose, fructose, sucrose and lactose. Likewise, the glucose supplementation of culture media primarily composed of amino acids (SCFM, synthetic cystic fibrosis medium) and salts (YNB, yeast nitrogen base) did not modulate the biofilm formation of Scedosporium/Lomentospora species. Collectively, the present data reinforce the ability of these opportunistic fungi to colonize and to build biofilm structures under different environmental conditions.
Deformation Characteristics in Micromachining of Single Crystal 6H-SiC: Insight into Slip Systems Activation
Authors: Pang K. H. , Zhou R. , Roy A.
Published: March 2020

Silicon carbide (SiC) is ideally suitable as a sensor material in harsh environments. Despite the brittleness in the macroscopic scale, plasticity in SiC is observed at small component length-scales. Previous nanoindentation based study combining experiment and numerical approaches of single-crystal 6H-SiC has shown that slip activation is rather complex, and that non-basal slip could potentially dominate the plastic deformation behaviour. In this study, we investigated the local deformation response evolution of shear strain directly under and in the vicinity of the indenter tip. The results show the pyramidal slip families contribute significantly to the deformation process.
The direct election of senators and the emergence of the modern presidency
Authors: Gray Thomas R. , Jenkins Jeffery A. , Potter Philip B.K.
Published: March 2020

Research on presidential power delineates between a modern era of relative autonomy and an earlier period of congressional dominance. What drove this change? Unlike prior arguments about presidential entrepreneurship and the rise of the United States as a global power, we attribute the emergence of the modern presidency partially to an institutional change—the adoption of direct election of senators that culminated in the 17th Amendment. With direct election, senators were selected by individual voters rather than state legislators. These senators answered to a new principal—the general public—that was (in the aggregate) less informed and less interested in foreign policy. As a result, senators had less incentive to constrain presidential foreign policy preferences. We find evidence for this shift in the relationship between the piecemeal adoption of direct election and senate votes to delegate foreign policy authority to the executive. The implication is that the direct election of senators played an underappreciated role in the emergence of the modern presidency.
Assessing diet in a university student population: a longitudinal food card transaction data approach
Authors: Morris M. A. , Wilkins E. L. , Galazoula M. , Clark S. D. , Birkin M.
Published: March 2020

Starting university is an important time with respect to dietary changes. This study reports a novel approach to assessing student diet by utilising student-level food transaction data to explore dietary patterns. First-year students living in catered accommodation at the University of Leeds (UK) received pre-credited food cards for use in university catering facilities. Food card transaction data were obtained for semester 1, 2016 and linked with student age and sex. k-Means cluster analysis was applied to the transaction data to identify clusters of food purchasing behaviours. Differences in demographic and behavioural characteristics across clusters were examined using χ2 tests. The semester was divided into three time periods to explore longitudinal changes in purchasing patterns. Seven dietary clusters were identified: ‘Vegetarian’, ‘Omnivores’, ‘Dieters’, ‘Dish of the Day’, ‘Grab-and-Go’, ‘Carb Lovers’ and ‘Snackers’. There were statistically significant differences in sex (P < 0·001), with women dominating the Vegetarian and Dieters, age (P = 0·003), with over 20s representing a high proportion of the Omnivores and time of day of transactions (P < 0·001), with Dieters and Snackers purchasing least at breakfast. Many students (n 474, 60·4 %) changed dietary cluster across the semester. This study demonstrates that transactional data present a feasible method for dietary assessment, collecting detailed dietary information over time and at scale, while eliminating participant burden and possible bias from self-selection, observation and attrition. It revealed that student diets are complex and that simplistic measures of diet, focusing on narrow food groups in isolation, are unlikely to adequately capture dietary behaviours.
Principal co-Higgs bundles on ℙ1
Authors: Biswas Indranil , García-Prada Oscar , Hurtubise Jacques , Rayan Steven
Published: March 2020

For complex connected, reductive, affine, algebraic groups G, we give a Lie-theoretic characterization of the semistability of principal G-co-Higgs bundles on the complex projective line ℙ1 in terms of the simple roots of a Borel subgroup of G. We describe a stratification of the moduli space in terms of the Harder–Narasimhan type of the underlying bundle.
Effect of cottonseed processing and chitosan supplementation on lamb performance, digestibility and nitrogen digestion
Authors: Magalhães T. S. , Carvalho G. G. P. , Santos E. M. , Freitas Júnior J. E. , Pina D. S. , Pinto L. F. B. , Mourão G. B. , Soares F. D. S. , Eiras C. E. , Cirne L. G. A. , Leite L. C.
Published: March 2020

The current study was carried out to examine the effect of cottonseed processing and chitosan supplementation on lamb performance, digestibility and nitrogen digestion. Eighty uncastrated Santa Inês lambs (23 ± 2.2 kg average weight, 4 months old) were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement that consisted of two cottonseed processing forms (whole or ground) and two chitosan levels (0 or 136 mg/kg live weight). Higher dry matter and organic matter apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) was achieved with the diets containing the whole cottonseed. Ether extract ADC was higher in the animals fed the chitosan-containing diet. There was an interaction effect on the ADC of neutral detergent fibre corrected for ash and protein, which increased with chitosan inclusion associated with the whole cottonseed. The lambs that received the treatment containing the whole cottonseed showed higher microbial protein synthesis. Chitosan addition increased nitrogen retention. The animals fed chitosan-containing diets showed higher microbial protein synthesis. There was an interaction effect on microbial protein synthesis. Whole cottonseed associated with chitosan in lamb diets increases ether extract ADC and microbial protein synthesis.
Non-use of community health-care services – an exploratory cross-sectional study among family care-givers for older, home-dwelling persons with dementia
Authors: Moholt Jill-Marit , Friborg Oddgeir , Henriksen Nils , Hamran Torunn , Blix Bodil H.
Published: March 2020

Community health-care services for older, home-dwelling persons with dementia tend to be underutilised. Family care-givers provide substantial care, and they often arrange for and co-ordinate health-care services on behalf of persons with dementia. The aim of this study was to examine family care-givers’ knowledge of unused services and their self-reported reasons for non-use of such services. We gathered cross-sectional survey data from 430 family care-givers of older persons with dementia in Northern Norway. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of family care-givers’ knowledge of unused services. An open-ended question regarding reasons for non-use of services was analysed by thematic text analysis. Characteristics of family care-givers (e.g.education level) and factors related to the care-giving circumstances (e.g.negative impact of care-giving) predicted family care-givers’ knowledge of unused services. Reasons for non-use of services were multifaceted and complex, and were related to attributes of the person with dementia and/or the family care-giver (e.g.reluctance to use services) and/or the health-care services (e.g.low quality). Although services were unused, several family care-givers indicated substantial needs for the services. Strategies aimed at addressing the non-use of services should emphasise individuals’ and families’ needs and the adaptation of information about available services and their benefits for both care recipients and family care-givers. A relationship-centred care approach is thus recommended in dementia care.
Contesting the Great Compression: The National Labor Relations Board and Skilled Workers’ Struggle to Control Wage Differentials, 1935–1955
Authors: ETHERIDGE BRYANT
Published: March 2020

This article argues that federal labor policy was a factor in causing the Great Compression, the dramatic compression of skill-based wage differentials that occurred in the 1940s, and in bringing it to an end. By giving the National Labor Relations Board the power to determine the appropriate collective-bargaining unit, New Dealers gave industrial unions the means with which to build a more egalitarian wage structure. Unskilled and semiskilled workers seized the opportunity and voted themselves big pay raises. Skilled craftsmen responded by petitioning the NLRB for permission to form their own craft bargaining units, a process known as “craft severance.” As conservatives gained influence in Washington in the 1940s, the board adopted a bargaining-unit policy more favorable to craft unions. By the early 1950s, skilled craftsmen had regained control of their wage demands and thereby helped bring the Great Compression to a halt.
Family sociodemographic resources moderate the path from toddlers’ hard-to-manage temperament to parental control to disruptive behavior in middle childhood
Authors: Kim Sanghag , Kochanska Grazyna
Published: March 2020

Research inspired by ecological perspectives has amply documented broad effects of the family's sociodemographic resources on children's outcomes, with parents’ young age, low education, and low income considered risk factors. Typically, sociodemographic characteristics have been studied as influencing child outcomes either directly or indirectly through parenting. We tested a more nuanced longitudinal model in a community sample of 102 infants, mothers, and fathers. We conceptualized family sociodemographic resources, measured as a composite of parents’ ages, education, and income, as moderating developmental cascades from children's hard-to-manage temperament to parental power-assertive control to children's disruptive behavior problems. Children's temperament measures encompassed proneness to anger and inability to delay, observed at 2 and 3 years in standard laboratory episodes. We observed parents’ control at 4.5 and 5.5 years in lengthy naturalistic prohibition paradigms, and obtained parental ratings of children's disruptive behavior at 6.5 and 8 years. As expected, moderated mediation analyses, covarying stability of children's difficulty and parental control, revealed that the cascade from hard-to-manage temperament to child behavior problems, mediated by parental power-assertive control, was present in families with relatively more disadvantaged sociodemographic characteristics, or fewer resources, but absent in families with more advantageous sociodemographic features, or more resources. The findings were parallel for mother– and father–child dyads.
Stress cardiomyopathy in dextrocardia with situs inversus and anomalous coronary arteries
Authors: Baker David W. , Deng Yue Y. , Nojoumian Amir-Hadi
Published: March 2020

We present a 53-year-old male with the rare constellation of stress cardiomyopathy, dextrocardia with situs inversus and anomalous coronary anatomy. This case highlights the difficulties faced when managing patients with uncommon disorders and demonstrates a rare overlap of acquired and CHD.
Episodic Memory and Hippocampal Volume Predict 5-Year Mild Cognitive Impairment Conversion in Healthy Apolipoprotein ε4 Carriers
Authors: Abraham Margaret , Seidenberg Michael , Kelly Dana A. , Nielson Kristy A. , Woodard John L. , Carson Smith J. , Durgerian Sally , Rao Stephen M.
Published: March 2020

Objective:

The Apolipoprotein (APOE) ε4 allele increases the risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, but not all carriers develop MCI/dementia. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if early and subtle preclinical signs of cognitive dysfunction and medial temporal lobe atrophy are observed in cognitively intact ε4 carriers who subsequently develop MCI.

Methods:

Twenty-nine healthy, cognitively intact ε4 carriers (ε3/ε4 heterozygotes; ages 65–85) underwent neuropsychological testing and MRI-based measurements of medial temporal volumes over a 5-year follow-up interval; data were converted toz-scores based on a non-carrier group consisting of 17 ε3/ε3 homozygotes.

Results:

At follow-up, 11 ε4 carriers (38%) converted to a diagnosis of MCI. At study entry, the MCI converters had significantly lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) Trials 1–5, and RAVLT Immediate Recall compared to non-converters. MCI converters also had smaller MRI volumes in the left subiculum than non-converters. Follow-up logistic regressions revealed that left subiculum volumes and RAVLT Trials 1–5 scores were significant predictors of MCI conversion.

Conclusions:

Results from this exploratory study suggest that ε4 carriers who convert to MCI exhibit subtle cognitive and volumetric differences years prior to diagnosis.
Abū JaʻFar Ibn Yazdānyār'sRawḍat al-Murīdīn: an Unknown Sufi Manual of the Fifth/Eleventh Century
Authors: SALAMAH-QUDSI ARIN
Published: March 2020

Rawḍat al-murīdīnof Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad Ibn al-Ḥusayn Ibn Yazdānyār al-Hamadhānī is a distinguished Sufi manual of the early fifth/eleventh century. Though an early Sufi textbook, this work is relatively unknown when compared with other Sufi textbooks written prior to and after it. This article draws on Williams’ edition from 1957 in addition to two manuscripts held in Princeton and Istanbul, in order to examine this early Sufi work and to appraise its contribution to the development of early Sufism.Rawḍat al-murīdīnpresents us a unique formula oftaṣawwufthat differs essentially from the famous manuals of the fourth/tenth and fifth/eleventh centuries which concerned themselves with Sufi rules of conduct. There is strong evidence to suggest that its author, if not formally a member ofKarrāmiyya,was a pro-Karrāmīwriter who operated in a historical context where the renunciatory-Karrāmī mode of piety was widely condemned. Unlike the early character of Abū Bakr Ibn Yazdānyār, who lived in the fourth/tenth century and was generally known as an opponent of ecstatic Sufism, the author ofRawḍaseeks to present a comprehensive umbrella of Sufism under which the teachings of al-Junayd co-exist side by side with those of al-Ḥallāj.
Preconception Hb concentration with risk of spontaneous abortion: a population-based cohort study in over 3·9 million women across rural China
Authors: Xu Qin , Yang Ying , Liu Fangchao , Wang Long , Wang Qiaomei , Shen Haiping , Xu Zongyu , Zhang Yiping , Yan Donghai , He Yuan , Zhang Ya , Zhang Hongguang , Peng Zuoqi , Ma Xu
Published: March 2020

Objective:

Evidence on the relationship between maternal Hb concentration and spontaneous abortion (SA) risk is limited and conflicting. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether maternal preconception anaemia or high Hb concentration is associated with risk of SA.

Design:

A population-based cohort study established between 2013 and 2017.

Settings:

Local maternal and child care service centres in each county.

Participants:

In total, 3 971 428 women aged 20–49 years, who participated in National Free Pre-Pregnancy Checkups Project from 2013 to 2016 and successfully got pregnant before 2017 in rural China.

Results:

A total of 101 700 (2·56 %) women were recorded having SA, with highest SA rate in women with severe anaemia (4·58 %). Compared with women with Hb of 110–149 g/l, the multivariable-adjusted OR for SA was 1·52 (95 % CI: 1·25, 1·86) for women with Hb < 70 g/l, 0·92 (0·84, 1·01) for 70–99 g/l, 0·80 (0·77, 0·83) for 100–109 g/l, 1·11 (1·08, 1·15) for 150–159 g/l, 1·12 (1·04, 1·20) for 160–169 g/l and 1·02 (0·93, 1·12) for ≥ 170 g/l, respectively. An approximate U-shaped curve for the risk of SA with Hb concentrations was observed when Hb concentrations less than 145 g/l, above which the association plateaued (Pnon-linear < 0·001).

Conclusions:

Severe anaemia and high Hb concentration before pregnancy were associated with an increased risk of SA. Women with mild anaemia prior to pregnancy had lower risk of SA. Underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.
Role of home visits by volunteer community health workers: to improve the coverage of micronutrient powders in rural Bangladesh
Authors: Sarma Haribondhu , Mbuya Mduduzi NN , Tariqujjaman Md , Rahman Mahfuzur , Askari Sufia , Khondker Rudaba , Sultana Sabiha , Shahin Shaima Arzuman , Bossert Thomas J , Banwell Cathy , Neufeld Lynnette M , Ahmed Tahmeed , D’Este Catherine
Published: March 2020

Objective:

We assessed the role of home visits by Shasthya Shebika (SS) – female volunteer community health workers (CHWs) – in improving the distribution of micronutrient powder (MNP), and explored the independent effects of caregiver–provider interaction on coverage variables.

Design:

We used data from three cross-sectional surveys undertaken at baseline (n 1927), midline (n 1924) and endline (n 1540) as part of an evaluation of a home fortification programme. We defined an exposure group as one that had at least one SS visit to the caregiver’s household in the 12 months preceding the survey considering three outcome variables – message (ever heard), contact (ever used) and effective coverage (regular used) of MNP. We performed multiple logistic regressions to explore the determinants of coverage, employed an ‘interaction term’ and calculated an odds ratio (OR) to assess the modifying effect of SS’s home visits on coverage.

Settings:

Sixty-eight sub-districts from ten districts of Bangladesh.

Participants:

Children aged 6–59 months and their caregivers.

Results:

A home visit from an SS positively impacts message coverage at both midline (ratio of OR 1·70; 95 % CI 1·25, 2·32; P < 0·01) and endline (ratio of OR 3·58; 95 % CI 2·22, 5·78; P < 0·001), and contact coverage both at midline (ratio of OR 1·48; 95 % CI 1·06, 2·07; P = 0·021) and endline (ratio of OR 1·74; 95 % CI 1·23, 2·47; P = 0·002). There was no significant effect of a SS’s home visit on effective coverage.

Conclusions:

The households visited by BRAC’s volunteer CHWs have better message and contact coverage among the children aged 6–59 months.
Gilded Ages
Authors: White Richard
Published: March 2020

With the current bountiful crops of outrages, provocations, and howlings, there is a temptation to evaluate everything in terms of our own Gilded Moment. The temptation needs to be resisted. Our Gilded Moment might be Trumpian, but it draws its fuel from a rebellion against a much lengthier and more complicated era that began in the late 1970s and runs into the present. Asking whether this era is a Second Gilded Age comparable to the First Gilded Age, which began at the end of the Civil War and extended into the early twentieth century, creates a blind man and the elephant problem. Examining different parts of the era can yield disparate conclusions. My task is to comprehend each era as a whole; I think that there are structural similarities stronger than particular differences.
Radial Response of Outer Radiation Belt Relativistic Electrons During Enhancement Events at Geostationary Orbit
Authors: Pinto Victor A. , Bortnik Jacob , Moya Pablo S. , Lyons Larry R. , Sibeck David G. , Kanekal Shrikanth G. , Spence Harlan E. , Baker Daniel N.
Published: March 2020

Forecasting relativistic electron fluxes at geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) has been a long‐term goal of the scientific community, and significant advances have been made in the past, but the relation to the interior of the radiation belts, that is, to lower L‐shells, is still not clear. In this work we have identified 60 relativistic electron enhancement events at GEO to study the radial response of outer belt fluxes and the correlation between the fluxes at GEO and those at lower L‐shells. The enhancement events occurred between 1 October 2012 and 31 December 2017 and were identified using Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) 15 >2 MeV fluxes at GEO, which we have used to characterize the radial response of the radiation belt, by comparing to fluxes measured by the Van Allen probes Energetic Particle, Composition and Thermal Plasma Suite Relativistic Electron‐Proton Telescope (ECT‐REPT) between 2.5<L<6.0 at E=2.1 MeV. We have found that in general the response of the radiation belts during enhancement events is cohesive for L>5.0 and generally similar for L>4.5. Post‐enhancement maximum fluxes show a remarkable correlation for all L>4.0 although the magnitude of the pre‐existing fluxes on the outer belt plays a significant role and makes the ratio of pre‐enhancement to post‐enhancement fluxes less predictable in the region 4.0<L<4.5. For L<4 the fluxes are poorly correlated with geostationary orbit, but they also tend to be less variable. We have also examined SYM‐H, Kp, and AE indices and found that depending on their magnitude, the response of different parts of the outer belt can be better quantified.
Cumulative Influence of Summer Subsurface Soil Temperature on North America Surface Temperature in the CFSv2
Authors: Shukla Ravi P. , Huang Bohua
Published: March 2020

Analyzing a long simulation and a set of seasonal reforecasts of the Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2), this study demonstrates a large model cold bias in the deep soil layer (100–200 cm) over most of North America continent during summer due to weaker seasonal change in summer. The summer subsurface temperature (SUBT) cold bias influences the land surface temperature (LST) during the summer and subsequent seasons in different ways over different geographical regions in North America: West of the Rocky Mountains, the SUBT's effect on LST is largely overruled by the stronger upstream marine influence from the Pacific. Over the central Great Plains, however, it is a major cause for severe cold LST bias during summer in the model simulation and reforecasts. As a result, model underestimates sensible heat flux into the atmosphere but overestimates latent heat flux. The latter may contribute to an excessive summer rainfall in the region. Over the northeast region, the SUBT cold bias persists to August and September, which causes an additional surface cooling in the fall and helps to bring LST to the freezing point early. This sets up the stage for a prolonged snow‐albedo feedback. In particular, the model long simulation that passes through previous summer and fall demonstrates longer persistence of snow cover over the northeast region than reforecasts initialized in late winter and spring do. A cold bias of the water temperature in the North Atlantic seems also to play a role to prolong cold bias in the northeast region.
Connections Between Daily Surface Temperature Contrast and CO2 Flux Over a Tibetan Lake: A Case Study of Ngoring Lake
Authors: Han Bo , Meng Xianhong , Yang Qinghua , Wu Renhao , Lv Shihua , Li Zhaoguo , Wang Xin , Li Yubin , Yu Lejiang
Published: March 2020

To get a deep understand of the carbon cycle of Tibetan lakes, the CO2 flux over Ngoring Lake (NL), a large freshwater lake in the source region of the Yellow River, was monitored from 2011 to 2013 using an eddy covariance system. Based on the monthly mean CO2 flux, NL was a significant sink of atmospheric CO2 in 2012, with the greatest negative (downward) CO2 flux of −0.83 (±0.27) g C m−2 d−1 occurring in October. While in 2011 and 2013, NL was in quasi‐equilibrium with atmospheric CO2. The process controlling the daily variation in the CO2 flux was investigated using statistical analysis. The daily mean of the surface wind speed was significantly correlated with the observed daily CO2 flux. Under the assumption that the vertical gradient in the CO2 concentration near the water surface varied slowly, this correlation confirms the rationality of using the surface wind to express the gas transfer velocity. Following this consideration, because the thermal contrast between NL and the surrounding grassland was also significantly correlated with the daily CO2 flux, a new parameterization scheme of k600 is suggested in this study. Potential mechanisms for the coupling process between the surface wind and the thermal contrast of the lake are discussed. Based on the surface energy balance analysis, the heat storage rate of the lake played different roles in the CO2 fluxes during the three years, depending on the CO2 saturation of the lake water. The process controlling the monthly mean CO2 flux was also investigated.
Significant Diel Variation of Soil Respiration Suggests Aboveground and Belowground Controls in a Tropical Moist Forest in Puerto Rico
Authors: Gutiérrez del Arroyo Omar , Wood Tana E.
Published: March 2020

Soil respiration in tropical forests represents a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. The magnitude of this large flux is projected to change in response to climate change, with global implications due to the disproportionate role of tropical forests in the carbon cycle. Evaluating diel patterns of soil respiration concomitantly with biophysical drivers is a valuable approach for elucidating the mechanisms controlling soil respiration. We measured hourly soil respiration rates in a tropical moist forest in Puerto Rico over a 3‐year period using automated chambers, as well as soil temperature/moisture, air temperature, relative humidity, and photosynthetically active radiation. Hourly soil respiration exhibited as much as threefold variation on diel time scales (monthly diel amplitude ranged from 1 to 7 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1), and both the magnitude and shape of diel patterns changed significantly from month to month. Soil respiration peaked in the morning and late afternoon with a midday decline that was evident during the warmest summer months. The relationship between soil respiration and soil temperature differed during daytime versus the night, with a nonlinear relationship in the daytime but a significant positive linear relationship at night. These findings suggest factors other than/in addition to temperature could be controlling soil respiration during the day; however, soil respiration did not correlate with any of the other measured biophysical variables. Overall, our results highlight the potential role of aboveground processes as drivers of soil respiration at diel time scales, especially in closed canopy tropical forests with low diel variation in soil temperature/moisture.
Assessing auditory processing endophenotypes associated with Schizophrenia in individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
Authors: Francisco Ana A. , Foxe John J. , Horsthuis Douwe J. , DeMaio Danielle , Molholm Sophie
Published: March 2020

22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome (22q11.2DS) is the strongest known molecular risk factor for schizophrenia. Brain responses to auditory stimuli have been studied extensively in schizophrenia and described as potential biomarkers of vulnerability to psychosis. We sought to understand whether these responses might aid in differentiating individuals with 22q11.2DS as a function of psychotic symptoms, and ultimately serve as signals of risk for schizophrenia. A duration oddball paradigm and high-density electrophysiology were used to test auditory processing in 26 individuals with 22q11.2DS (13–35 years old, 17 females) with varying degrees of psychotic symptomatology and in 26 age- and sex-matched neurotypical controls (NT). Presentation rate varied across three levels, to examine the effect of increasing demands on memory and the integrity of sensory adaptation. We tested whether N1 and mismatch negativity (MMN), typically reduced in schizophrenia, related to clinical/cognitive measures, and how they were affected by presentation rate. N1 adaptation effects interacted with psychotic symptomatology: Compared to an NT group, individuals with 22q11.2DS but no psychotic symptomatology presented larger adaptation effects, whereas those with psychotic symptomatology presented smaller effects. In contrast, individuals with 22q11.2DS showed increased effects of presentation rate on MMN amplitude, regardless of the presence of symptoms. While IQ and working memory were lower in the 22q11.2DS group, these measures did not correlate with the electrophysiological data. These findings suggest the presence of two distinct mechanisms: One intrinsic to 22q11.2DS resulting in increased N1 and MMN responses; another related to psychosis leading to a decreased N1 response.
Cdc42 subcellular relocation in response to VEGF/NRP1 engagement is associated with the poor prognosis of colorectal cancer
Authors: Ma Li-li , Guo Li-li , Luo Yang , Liu Guang-long , Lei Yan , Jing Fang-yan , Zhang Yun-li , Tong Gui-hui , Jing Zhi-Liang , Shen Lan , Tang Min-shan , Ding Yan-qing , Deng Yong-jian
Published: March 2020

Microscopic indications of malignancy and hallmark molecules of cancer are pivotal to determining cancer patient prognosis and subsequent medical intervention. Here, we found that compared to apical expression of Cdc42, which indicated that basal expression of Cdc42 occurred at the migrating cell front, glandular basal expression of Cdc42 (cell division cycle 42) in tissues indicated poorer prognoses for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The current study shows that activated Cdc42 was rapidly recruited to the migrating CRC cell front after VEGF stimulation through engagement of membrane-anchored neuropilin-1 (NRP1). When VEGF signalling was blocked with NRP1 knockdown or ATWLPPR (A7R, antagonist of VEGF/NRP1 interaction), Cdc42 activation and relocation to the cell front was attenuated, and filopodia and invadopodia formation was inhibited. The VEGF/NRP1 axis regulates directional migration, invasion, and metastasis through Cdc42 activation and relocation resulting from actin filament polymerisation of the extensions of membrane protrusions. Collectively, the immuno-micromorphological pattern of subcellular Cdc42 at the cell front indicated aggressive behaviours and predicted poor prognosis in CRC patients. Disruption of the intra- and extracellular interactions of the VEGF/NRP1 axis or Cdc42 relocation could be performed in clinical practice because it might inhibit cancer cell motility and metastasis.
Structural basis of ligand binding modes at the human formyl peptide receptor 2
Authors: Chen Tong , Xiong Muya , Zong Xin , Ge Yunjun , Zhang Hui , Wang Mu , Won Han Gye , Yi Cuiying , Ma Limin , Ye Richard D. , Xu Yechun , Zhao Qiang , Wu Beili
Published: March 2020

The human formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) plays a crucial role in host defense and inflammation, and has been considered as a drug target for chronic inflammatory diseases. A variety of peptides with different structures and origins have been characterized as FPR2 ligands. However, the ligand-binding modes of FPR2 remain elusive, thereby limiting the development of potential drugs. Here we report the crystal structure of FPR2 bound to the potent peptide agonist WKYMVm at 2.8 Å resolution. The structure adopts an active conformation and exhibits a deep ligand-binding pocket. Combined with mutagenesis, ligand binding and signaling studies, key interactions between the agonist and FPR2 that govern ligand recognition and receptor activation are identified. Furthermore, molecular docking and functional assays reveal key factors that may define binding affinity and agonist potency of formyl peptides. These findings deepen our understanding about ligand recognition and selectivity mechanisms of the formyl peptide receptor family.
The electronic structure of benzene from a tiling of the correlated 126-dimensional wavefunction
Authors: Liu Yu , Kilby Phil , Frankcombe Terry J. , Schmidt Timothy W.
Published: March 2020

The electronic structure of benzene is a battleground for competing viewpoints of electronic structure, with valence bond theory localising electrons within superimposed resonance structures, and molecular orbital theory describing delocalised electrons. But, the interpretation of electronic structure in terms of orbitals ignores that the wavefunction is anti-symmetric upon interchange of like-spins. Furthermore, molecular orbitals do not provide an intuitive description of electron correlation. Here we show that the 126-dimensional electronic wavefunction of benzene can be partitioned into tiles related by permutation of like-spins. Employing correlated wavefunctions, these tiles are projected onto the three dimensions of each electron to reveal the superposition of Kekulé structures. But, opposing spins favour the occupancy of alternate Kekulé structures. This result succinctly describes the principal effect of electron correlation in benzene and underlines that electrons will not be spatially paired when it is energetically advantageous to avoid one another.
Gate controlled valley polarizer in bilayer graphene
Authors: Chen Hao , Zhou Pinjia , Liu Jiawei , Qiao Jiabin , Oezyilmaz Barbaros , Martin Jens
Published: March 2020

Sign reversal of Berry curvature across two oppositely gated regions in bilayer graphene can give rise to counter-propagating 1D channels with opposite valley indices. Considering spin and sub-lattice degeneracy, there are four quantized conduction channels in each direction. Previous experimental work on gate-controlled valley polarizer achieved good contrast only in the presence of an external magnetic field. Yet, with increasing magnetic field the ungated regions of bilayer graphene will transit into the quantum Hall regime, limiting the applications of valley-polarized electrons. Here we present improved performance of a gate-controlled valley polarizer through optimized device geometry and stacking method. Electrical measurements show up to two orders of magnitude difference in conductance between the valley-polarized state and gapped states. The valley-polarized state displays conductance of nearly 4e2/h and produces contrast in a subsequent valley analyzer configuration. These results pave the way to further experiments on valley-polarized electrons in zero magnetic field.
Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs
Authors: Salonen Milla , Sulkama Sini , Mikkola Salla , Puurunen Jenni , Hakanen Emma , Tiira Katriina , Araujo César , Lohi Hannes
Published: March 2020

Behaviour problems and anxieties in dogs decrease their quality of life and may lead to relinquishment or euthanasia. Considering the large number of pet dogs and the commonness of these problematic behaviours, a better understanding of the epidemiology and related molecular and environmental factors is needed. We have here studied the prevalence, comorbidity, and breed specificity of seven canine anxiety-like traits: noise sensitivity, fearfulness, fear of surfaces and heights, inattention/impulsivity, compulsion, separation related behaviour and aggression with an online behaviour questionnaire answered by dog owners. Our results show that noise sensitivity is the most common anxiety-related trait with a prevalence of 32% in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Due to the high prevalence of noise sensitivity and fear, they were the most common comorbidities. However, when comparing the relative risk, the largest risk ratios were seen between hyperactivity/inattention, separation related behaviour and compulsion, and between fear and aggression. Furthermore, dog breeds showed large differences in prevalence of all anxiety-related traits, suggesting a strong genetic contribution. As a result, selective breeding focusing on behaviour may reduce the prevalence of canine anxieties. Anxious animals may suffer from chronic stress and thus, modified breeding policies could improve the welfare of our companion dogs.
Genome-wide transcriptome and physiological analyses provide new insights into peanut drought response mechanisms
Authors: Bhogireddy Sailaja , Xavier Abishek , Garg Vanika , Layland Nancy , Arias Renee , Payton Paxton , Nayak Spurthi N. , Pandey Manish K. , Puppala Naveen , Varshney Rajeev K.
Published: March 2020

Drought is one of the main constraints in peanut production in West Texas and eastern New Mexico regions due to the depletion of groundwater. A multi-seasonal phenotypic analysis of 10 peanut genotypes revealed C76-16 (C-76) and Valencia-C (Val-C) as the best and poor performers under deficit irrigation (DI) in West Texas, respectively. In order to decipher transcriptome changes under DI, RNA-seq was performed in C-76 and Val-C. Approximately 369 million raw reads were generated from 12 different libraries of two genotypes subjected to fully irrigated (FI) and DI conditions, of which ~329 million (90.2%) filtered reads were mapped to the diploid ancestors of peanut. The transcriptome analysis detected 4,508 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 1554 genes encoding transcription factors (TFs) and a total of 514 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among the identified DEGs. The comparative analysis between the two genotypes revealed higher and integral tolerance in C-76 through activation of key genes involved in ABA and sucrose metabolic pathways. Interestingly, one SNP from the gene coding F-box protein (Araip.3WN1Q) and another SNP from gene coding for the lipid transfer protein (Aradu.03ENG) showed polymorphism in selected contrasting genotypes. These SNPs after further validation may be useful for performing early generation selection for selecting drought-responsive genotypes.
Comparison of Target Enrichment Platforms for Circulating Tumor DNA Detection
Authors: Lam So Ngo , Zhou Ying Chun , Chan Yee Man , Foo Ching Man , Lee Po Yi , Mok Wing Yeung , Wong Wing Sum , Fung Yan Yee , Wong Kit Yee , Huang Jun Yuan , Chow Chun Kin
Published: March 2020

Cancer-related mortality of solid tumors remains the major cause of death worldwide. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) released from cancer cells harbors specific somatic mutations. Sequencing ctDNA opens opportunities to non-invasive population screening and lays foundations for personalized therapy. In this study, two commercially available platforms, Roche’s Avenio ctDNA Expanded panel and QIAgen’s QIAseq Human Comprehensive Cancer  panel were compared for (1) panel coverage of clinically relevant variants; (2) target enrichment specificity and sequencing performance; (3) the sensitivity; (4) concordance and (5) sequencing coverage using the same human blood sample with ultra-deep next-generation sequencing. Our finding suggests that Avenio detected somatic mutations in common cancers in over 70% of patients while QIAseq covered nearly 90% with a higher average number of variants per patient (Avenio: 3; QIAseq: 8 variants per patient). Both panels demonstrated similar on-target rate and percentage of reads mapped. However, Avenio had more uniform sequencing coverage across regions with different GC content. Avenio had a higher sensitivity and concordance compared with QIAseq at the same sequencing depth. This study identifies a unique niche for the application of each of the panel and allows the scientific community to make an informed decision on the technologies to meet research or application needs.
Functionally Enigmatic Genes in Cancer: Using TCGA Data to Map the Limitations of Annotations
Authors: Maertens Alexandra , Tran Vy P. , Maertens Mikhail , Kleensang Andre , Luechtefeld Thomas H. , Hartung Thomas , Paller Channing J.
Published: March 2020

Cancer is a comparatively well-studied disease, yet despite decades of intense focus, we demonstrate here using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas that a substantial number of genes implicated in cancer are relatively poorly studied. Those genes will likely be missed by any data analysis pipeline, such as enrichment analysis, that depends exclusively on annotations for understanding biological function. There is no indication that the amount of research - indicated by number of publications - is correlated with any objective metric of gene significance. Moreover, these genes are not missing at random but reflect that our information about genes is gathered in a biased manner: poorly studied genes are more likely to be primate-specific and less likely to have a Mendelian inheritance pattern, and they tend to cluster in some biological processes and not others. While this likely reflects both technological limitations as well as the fact that well-known genes tend to gather more interest from the research community, in the absence of a concerted effort to study genes in an unbiased way, many genes (and biological processes) will remain opaque.
Rhizodegradation of Petroleum Oily Sludge-contaminated Soil Using Cajanus cajan Increases the Diversity of Soil Microbial Community
Authors: Allamin Ibrahim Alkali , Halmi Mohd Izuan Effendi , Yasid Nur Adeela , Ahmad Siti Aqlima , Abdullah Siti Rozaimah Sheikh , Shukor Yunus
Published: March 2020

Most components of petroleum oily sludge (POS) are toxic, mutagenic and cancer-causing. Often bioremediation using microorganisms is hindered by the toxicity of POS. Under this circumstance, phytoremediation is the main option as it can overcome the toxicity of POS. Cajanus cajan a legume plant, was evaluated as a phyto-remediating agent for petroleum oily sludge-spiked soil. Culture dependent and independent methods were used to determine the rhizosphere microorganisms’ composition. Degradation rates were estimated gravimetrically. The population of total heterotrophic bacteria (THRB) was significantly higher in the uncontaminated soil compared to the contaminated rhizosphere soil with C. cajan, but the population of hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria (HUB) was higher in the contaminated rhizosphere soil. The results show that for 1 to 3% oily sludge concentrations, an increase in microbial counts for all treatments from day 0 to 90 d was observed with the contaminated rhizosphere CR showing the highest significant increase (p  < 0.05) in microbial counts compared to other treatments. The metagenomic study focused on the POS of 3% (w/w) and based on the calculated bacterial community abundance indices showed an increase in the values for Ace, Cho, Shannon (Shannon-Weaver) and the Simpson’s (measured as InvSimpson) indices in CR3 compared to CN3. Both the Simpson’s and the Shannon values for CR3 were higher than CN3 indicating an increase in diversity upon the introduction of C. cajan into the contaminated soil. The PCoA plot revealed community-level differences between the contaminated non-rhizosphere control and contaminated rhizosphere microbiota. The PCoA differentiated the two treatments based on the presence or absence of plant. The composition and taxonomic analysis of microbiota-amplified sequences were categorized into eight phyla for the contaminated non-rhizosphere and ten phyla for the contaminated rhizosphere. The overall bacterial composition of the two treatments varied, as the distribution shows a similar variation between the two treatments in the phylum distribution. The percentage removal of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) after 90 days of treatments with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% (w/w) of POS were 92, 90, 89, 68.3 and 47.3%, respectively, indicating removal inhibition at higher POS concentrations. As the search for more eco-friendly and sustainable remediating green plant continues, C. cajan shows great potential in reclaiming POS contaminated soil. Our findings will provide solutions to POS polluted soils and subsequent re-vegetation.