bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reconstructing the 2015 Salgar flash flood using radar retrievals and a conceptual modeling framework in an ungauged basin
Authors: Velásquez Nicolás , Hoyos Carlos D. , Vélez Jaime I. , Zapata Esneider
Published: March 2020

Abstract. On 18 May 2015, a severe rainfall event triggered a flash flood in the municipality of Salgar, located in the northwestern Colombian Andes. This work aims to reconstruct the main hydrological features of the flash flood to better understand the processes modulating the occurrence of the event. Radar quantitative precipitation estimates (QPEs), satellite information, and post-event field visits are used to reconstruct the Salgar flash flood, in an ungauged basin, addressing the relationship among rainfall spatiotemporal structure, soil moisture, and runoff generation during successive rainfall events by using a conceptual modeling framework including landslide and hydraulic submodels. The hydrological model includes virtual tracers to explore the role of runoff and subsurface flow and the relative importance of convective and stratiform precipitation in flash flood generation. Despite potential shortcomings due to the lack of data, the modeling results allow an assessment of the impact of the interactions between runoff, subsurface flow, and convective–stratiform rainfall on the short-term hydrological mechanisms leading to the flash flood event. The overall methodology reproduces the magnitude and timing of the La Liboriana flash flood peak discharge considerably well, as well as the areas of landslide occurrence and flood spots, with limitations due to the spatial resolution of the available digital elevation model. Simulation results indicate that the flash flood and regional landslide features were strongly influenced by the antecedent rainfall, which was associated with a northeasterly stratiform event. The latter recharged the gravitational and capillary storages within the model, moistening the entire basin before the occurrence of the flash flood event and impacting the subsurface–runoff partitioning during the flash flood event. Evidence suggests that the spatial structure of the rainfall is at least as important as the geomorphological features of the basin in regulating the occurrence of flash flood events.
An “American Humboldt”?: Memorializing Philadelphia Physician and Race Supremacist Samuel George Morton
Authors: Michael John S.
Published: March 2020

Samuel George Morton was a nineteenth-century anatomy professor and paleontologist who gained fame for the extensive collection of human skulls he collected and curated at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. An early scholar of physical anthropology in America, Morton promoted race supremacy, asserting that Germanic Europeans had the largest brains and highest intelligence of all human populations. When he died, four Philadelphia physicians eulogized him. Their writings have served as the foundation for most modern interpretations of Morton. An examination of rarely cited nineteenth-century documents indicates that his eulogists exaggerated the importance and reception of Morton's anthropological research and omitted or misrepresented details of his personal life. Studies of Morton by anthropologists, philosophers of science, or scholars studying race in America should therefore take a highly skeptical view of the memoirs written by Morton's nineteenth-century colleagues and admirers.
Lydia Davis's Psychological Minimalism
Authors: Clark Robert C.
Published: March 2020

While Lydia Davis's fiction in many ways resists categorization, her frequent use of allusion, terseness, and tendency to omit important details as a means to generate implication place her firmly within the American literary Minimalist tradition. Within this mode, however, she is both an innovator and outlier. Though Davis's narrators often communicate through direct reportage, a common technique in Minimalist pieces, they often convey processes of thought rather than physical, external action. Authors who write within the movement, such as Ernest Hemingway, explore psychological tension and distress, but seldom, if ever, as openly. Davis experiments with a number of forms, including missive and aphorism, thus contributing to the complexity and richness of the style.
ANÁLISE E MODELAGEM DAS RELAÇÕES ENTRE NUTRIENTES E FITOPLÂNCTON EM RESERVATÓRIOS DO CEARÁ
Authors: Rocha Sofia Midauar Gondim , Mesquita Janine Brandão de Farias , Lima Neto Iran Eduardo
Published: March 2020

Este trabalho objetivou analisar a relação entre os nutrientes fósforo total (P) enitrogênio total (N) e a clorofila a (Cla) em um pequeno açude urbano e em açudesrurais. Realizou-se a análise dos parâmetros de qualidade da água em um açudelocalizado em Fortaleza (CE), por meio de estudo de campo, além do levantamentodo histórico de monitoramento dos mesmos parâmetros em 35 açudes rurais,no semiárido do Nordeste brasileiro, no estado do Ceará. Geraram-se correlaçõesempíricas entre os nutrientes e o fitoplâncton. Posteriormente, analisaram-secenários de redução das cargas de nutrientes com a aplicação de um modelode qualidade da água de mistura completa, cujo coeficiente de decaimento doP é para regiões semiáridas, e das equações empíricas obtidas. Verificou-se queP melhor descreveu a concentração de Cla em todos os açudes, com o ajustede equações do tipo potência. As concentrações de P no açude urbano foramsuperiores às dos demais açudes, com uma média de 1,76 mg/L e a relação N:Pem torno de 1; nos açudes rurais, as concentrações médias variaram entre 0,04e 0,59 mg/L e a relação N:P variou entre 5 e 50. A análise dos cenários mostrouque diferentes níveis de redução da carga de P poderiam ser adotados em funçãode distintas metas de redução das concentrações de P e Cla. Concluiu-se que osmodelos propostos são aplicáveis e constituem ferramentas úteis de auxílio àtomada de decisão na gestão dos recursos hídricos.
Occult Pneumothorax in Patients Presenting with Blunt Chest Trauma: An Observational Analysis
Authors: Mahmood Ismail , Younis Basil , Ahmed Khalid , Mustafa Fuad , El-Menyar Ayman , Alabdallat Mohammad , Parchani Ashok , Peralta Ruben , Nabir Syed , Ahmed Nadeem , Al-Thani Hassan
Published: March 2020

Background: We aimed to assess the management and outcome of occult pneumothorax and to determine the factors associated with failure of observational management in patients with blunt chest trauma (BCT). Methods: Patients with BCT were retrospectively identified from the trauma database over 4 years. Data were analyzed and compared on the basis of initial management (conservative vs. tube thoracostomy). Results: Across the study period, 1928 patients were admitted with BCT, of which 150 (7.8%) patients were found to have occult pneumothorax. The mean patient age was 32.8 ± 13.7 years, and the majority were male (86.7%). Positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) was required in 32 patients, and bilateral occult pneumothorax was seen in 25 patients. In 85.3% (n = 128) of cases, occult pneumothorax was managed conservatively, whereas 14.7% (n = 22) underwent tube thoracostomy. Five patients had failed observational treatment requiring delayed tube thoracostomy. Pneumonia was reported in 12.8% of cases. Compared with those who were treated conservatively, patients who underwent tube thoracostomy had thicker pneumothoraxes and a higher rate of lung contusion, rib fracture, pneumonia, prolonged ventilatory days, and prolonged hospital length of stay. Overall mortality was 4.0%. The deceased had more polytrauma and were treated conservatively without a chest tube. Patients who failed conservative management had a higher frequency of lung contusion, greater pneumothorax thickness, higher Injury Severity Scores (ISS), and required more PPV. Conclusions: Occult pneumothorax is not uncommon in BCT and can be successfully managed conservatively with a close clinical follow-up. Intervention should be limited to patients who have an increase in size of the pneumothorax on follow-up or become symptomatic under observation. Patients who fail conservative management may have a greater pneumothorax thickness and higher ISS. However, large prospective studies are warranted to support these findings and to establish the institutional guidelines for the management of occult pneumothorax.
Interdisciplinary Secondary-School Workshop
Authors: Fejes Tóth Péter , Vankó Péter , Borovcnik Manfred
Published: March 2020

The paper describes a teaching unit of four hours with talented students aged 15-18. The workshop was designed as a problem-based sequence of tasks and was intended to deal with judging dice whether they are regular or loaded. We first introduced the students to the physics of free rotations of rigid bodies to develop the physics background of rolling dice. The highlight of this part was to recognise that cubes made from homogeneous material are the optimal form for six-sided objects leading to equal probabilities of the single faces. Experiments with all five regular bodies would lead to similar results; nevertheless, in our experiments we focused on regular cubes. This reinsures that the participants have their own experience with the context. Then, we studied rolling dice from the probabilistic point of view and – step-by-step – by extending tasks and simulations, we introduced the idea of the chi-squared test interactively with the students. The physics and the statistics part of the paper are largely independent and can be also be read separately. The success of the statistics part is best described by the fact that the students recognised that in some cases of loaded dice, it is easier to detect that property and in other cases one would need many data to make a decision with small error probabilities. A physical examination of the dice under inspection can lead to a quick and correct decision. Yet, such a physical check may fail for some reason. However, a statistical test will always lead to reasonable decision, but may require a large database. Furthermore, especially for smaller datasets, balancing the risk of different types of errors remains a key issue, which is a characteristic feature of statistical testing.

Subject Classification: F90, K90, M50, R30
Puebla 40 anos depois: a hora de retomar a tradição eclesial libertadora
Authors: Brighenti Agenor
Published: March 2020

A presente abordagem de Puebla 40 anos depois se propõe identificar as sincronias e diacronias entre o contexto de ontem e de hoje, postulando que o pontificado novo de Francisco é um momento oportuno para retomar a tradição eclesial libertadora, tecida sobretudo em torno a Medellín e Puebla. É uma abordagem marcadamente de cunho histórico, tendo como referenciais de análise a renovação do Vaticano II e sua recepção criativa por Medellín, que teve em Puebla um contraponto de segmentos conservadores e em Santo Domingo seu estancamento. O texto está estruturado em três partes: na primeira, faz referência ao consenso entre magistério e teologia latino-americana em Medellín, ao confronto em Puebla e Santo Domingo, hoje neutralizados por Francisco; na segunda parte, apresenta em grandes linhas o processo de “involução eclesial”, iniciado a meados da década de 1980 e que se prolongou até Aparecida e a eleição do Papa Francisco; na terceira parte, dado o novo momento eclesial criado por Aparecida e o novo pontificado, justifica-se que há uma nova chance para a tradição eclesial libertadora. O texto aponta que hoje não se pode perder de vista a contribuição de Puebla, desqualificadora de posturas nostálgicas de um passado sem retorno e capaz de alentar a esperança renovada na tradição eclesial libertadora da Igreja na América Latina.
Ngoma Yethu: o curandeiro e o Novo Testamento
Authors: Proença Paulo Sergio de
Published: March 2020

Resenha
Teologia negra: o sopro antirracista do Espírito
Authors: Cruz Wallace Soares da
Published: March 2020

Resenha de: Teologia negra: o sopro antirracista do Espírito.
Jovens infratores em Araguaína/TO e sociedade de consumo
Authors: Filho Miguel Pacifico , Borges Thelma Pontes , Ribeiro Laísa Lopes
Published: March 2020

Os padrões impostos pela sociedade de consumo alteraram o modo das pessoas se relacionarem, a forma como se identificam socialmente e os seus valores, tendendo a formar uma massa homogênea de consumidores com reduzida capacidade crítica. A soma da necessidade de adquirir símbolos de status quo e de produtos legitimados pela ideia de pertencimento social configuram-se como essenciais na construção de identidade. Observamos que muitas das infrações cometidas por jovens estão circunstanciadas pela busca de obtenção de determinados objetos de legitimação social. O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi identificar, por meio de análise documental, o tipo de ato infracional cometido pelos adolescentes em cumprimento de Prestação de Serviço à Comunidade e Liberdade Assistida no Brasil e, mais especificamente, no município de Araguaína-TO, bem como a correlação entre o tipo de infração praticado e a dinâmica de consumo das sociedades contemporâneas, tendo como fundamento a teoria proposta por Bauman. A metodologia adotada fundamentou-se no levantamento de dados oficiais encontrados nos censos do governo federal e nos processos judiciais do Centro de Referência Especializado em Atendimento ao Indivíduo e a Família de Araguaína-TO, referentes ao mês de agosto de 2018. Esse procedimento permitiu refletir sobre a fragilidade dos jovens infratores frente à contemporaneidade, bem como a necessidade da elaboração de políticas públicas minimizadoras de desigualdades. Palavras-chave: Jovens infratores. Medidas socioeducativas. Sociedade de consumo. Araguaína (TO).
Phenotypic Characteristics of Shahi Strain of Nagpuri Buffaloes in Chandrapur District of Maharashtra, India
Authors: Hamand H.S. , Zinjarde R.M. , Rokde S.N. , Chore N.S.
Published: March 2020

Phenotypic Characterization of Shahi Strain of Nagpuri Buffaloes was done in the Chandrapur District of Maharashtra, India. Two hundred and forty Shahi strain of Nagpuri female buffaloes of various age groups were observed in their home tract (n farms=24). It was found that black coat colour, black coloured muzzle, white patches on the legs, whitish eyes, white coloured tail switch, horizontal ear orientation, sword-shaped horns with pointed tip first turning backwards and then upwards, bowl-shaped udder are typical characteristics of this breed. The average live body weight, body length, chest girth, height at withers, head length, breadth of head of these buffaloes is (means ± standard deviation) 433 ± 8.4 kg, 137.08 ± 2.78 cm 180.81 ± 3.84 cm, 129.43 ± 2.26 cm, 54.18 ± 1.10 cm, 28.18 ± 0.34 cm in 3 years and above age group, respectively. The average daily milk yield and milk yield per lactation of Shahi strain of Nagpuri buffaloes were observed to be 4.06 ± 0.08 kg and 1,220.84 ± 41.57 kg, respectively.
Desempenho de feijão-caupi influenciado por populações e espaçamentos distintos no sudeste do Pará
Authors: Silva Fernanda Miruê da , Hungria Letícia Cunha da , Sacramento Priscila Pereira , El-Husny Jamil Chaar , Borges Luciana da Silva
Published: March 2020

A expressão do potencial produtivo do feijão-caupi depende da combinação de diversos fatores, incluindo o sistema de produção utilizado, condições de clima e solo da área de cultivo e práticas como o número de plantas por área e espaçamento entre linhas de plantio. Neste contexto, o objetivo foi avaliar a produtividade do feijão-caupi cv BRS Guariba em diferentes populações de plantas e espaçamentos sob condições edafoclimáticas do sudeste paraense, Amazônia brasileira. Para isso, utilizou-se delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados, em fatorial 2 x 5, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram em dois espaçamentos: 0,4 e 0,5 m; e cinco populações de plantas por hectare: 160.000, 220.000, 280.000, 340.000, 400.000 plantas ha-1. Foram avaliados o número de vagem por planta, número de grãos por vagem, comprimento de vagem (cm), produtividade de grãos (kg ha-1) e peso de 100 grãos (g). A menor população de plantas (160.000 plantas ha-1) utilizada promoveu o maior número médio de vagem por planta em ambos os espaçamentos. O comprimento médio da vagem foi de 21,2 cm, o qual não foi influenciado por nenhum dos fatores estudados. O número de grãos por vagem foi superior em espaçamento de 0,5 m (11,8) em relação a 0,4 m (11,3). No entanto, somente houve diferença no número de grãos por vagem entre as populações dentro do menor espaçamento de plantio, com destaque para as maiores populações (400.000, 340.000 e 280.000 plantas ha-1).  A produtividade de grãos variou de 524,7 a 995,1 kg ha-1, com produtividades superiores correspondendo às populações de 400.000, 340.000 e 280.000 plantas ha-1, independentemente do espaçamento utilizado. Por outro lado, o peso dos grãos foi pouco alterado em função dos tratamentos.
Evaluating “Cultural Translation” and Intermodal Address in the Musée du quai Branly's Exhibition of African Material Objects
Authors: Celis Abigail E.
Published: March 2020

The debate on what cultural translation as an analytical and political tool can offer has sparked much discussion in translation studies as well as in the fields of anthropology, literature, and cultural studies. To a lesser degree, some museum studies scholars have likewise evoked the notion of translation to address the ethics of representing culture in and across differences. This article expands on these discussions by evaluating whether a translational lens can serve to rethink the display of African material culture in museums. Through an analysis of the textual, spatial, and visual elements of the permanent African exhibition at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac (MQB) in Paris, France, I argue that though the MQB claims that it seeks to foster cultural dialogue, the “translations” of its African collection tend to reproduce the museum’s norms of meaning-making, rather than the norms of the non-European cultures it presents. However, I also suggest that by approaching its task as one of multimodal translation, the MQB could reshape its museographic language to reflect ways of making meaning that are more evenly in dialogue with ways of making meaning from the objects’ contexts of origin.
A Small, Stateless Nation in the World Market for Book Translations: The Politics and Policies of the Flemish Literature Fund
Authors: McMartin Jack
Published: March 2020

This paper discusses the Flemish Literature Fund (FLF), an autonomous government organisation created in 1999 by the Flemish Community to support Flemish literature at home and abroad. It traces the institutional history of the FLF, situating the organisation in the context of Flanders’ longstanding struggle for cultural autonomy within the Belgian state on the one hand and its strong but unequal ties to the Netherlands on the other. Using a translation sociological analytical framework, it goes on to argue that the FLF’s outgoing translation grant decisions reflect two strategies of international dissemination: a focus on the central languages of English, German and French, and a strategic use of the picture book genre to break into emerging languages on the periphery, especially Chinese. While the case of the FLF clearly illustrates the shifting power relations between state and market agents in the era of globalisation, it also indicates a novel approach to state-supported literary export designed to maximise a small, stateless nation’s international resonance in a world market for translations dominated by larger (nation-) states and languages.
Redefining Translation Spaces in the Soviet Union: From Revisionist Policies to a Conformist Translation Theory
Authors: Dmitrienko Gleb
Published: March 2020

Due to its manipulative potential and ability to create deliberate distortions, translation has become instrumental for many projects that involve culture and identity manipulations. In some political and social contexts, translation may serve as a driving force for deliberate and consistent intervention by power holders in order to modify and exploit the nation’s mindset, its cultures and identities for political purposes. For such manipulative strategies, translation becomes essential as it contributes to the propagation of a given ideology by conveying it in different languages, and aids in creating and sustaining a state-sponsored conformist identity. This paper analyzes such a case in relation to the evolution of Soviet translation and translatology in the context of a totalitarian state. By examining the role of translation in a series of forced cultural reorientations that are a part of Russian national history, we explore how translation was used to impose a supranational Soviet identity. We also present how the ongoing disputes surrounding translation policies and translation methods in the Socialist state resulted in the emergence of two opposing schools of thought: one that studied translation within the paradigms of structuralist linguistics, and the other that advocated for a literary approach. By framing our analysis of the Russian translatological discourse within the context of Soviet ideology and the rise of totalitarianism, we demonstrate how each of the schools manipulated the official state ideology in a struggle for recognition. We also seek to explain how linguistic structuralism came to represent the dominant theoretical framework for Soviet translation science, thus relegating to oblivion the “realist” approach to translation.
Animación en Flash: la postal navideña de la UOC paso a paso
Authors: García Cabañas Raquel
Published: March 2020

Raquel García Cabañas, estudiante del Graduado Multimedia de la UOC, comenta en este artículo su experiencia de una postal navideña realizada mediante el programa Flash y que fue la ganadora de un concurso organizado en 2006 por esta universidad.
Polyunsaturated fatty acid analogues differentially affect cardiac NaV, CaV, and KV channels through unique mechanisms
Authors: Bohannon Briana M , de la Cruz Alicia , Wu Xiaoan , Jowais Jessica J , Perez Marta E , Dykxhoorn Derek M , Liin Sara I , Larsson H Peter
Published: March 2020

The cardiac ventricular action potential depends on several voltage-gated ion channels, including NaV, CaV, and KV channels. Mutations in these channels can cause Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) which increases the risk for ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have emerged as potential therapeutics for LQTS because they are modulators of voltage-gated ion channels. Here we demonstrate that PUFA analogues vary in their selectivity for human voltage-gated ion channels involved in the ventricular action potential. The effects of specific PUFA analogues range from selective for a specific ion channel to broadly modulating cardiac ion channels from all three families (NaV, CaV, and KV). In addition, a PUFA analogue selective for the cardiac IKs channel (Kv7.1/KCNE1) is effective in shortening the cardiac action potential in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Our data suggest that PUFA analogues could potentially be developed as therapeutics for LQTS and cardiac arrhythmia.
Polemics of Nigerian Worldviews on Mystical Realism and Social Class Conflicts in Sam Ukala’s The Placenta of Death
Authors: Aniago Emeka , Nwaozuzu Uche-Chinemere
Published: March 2020

This study examines the nuances of Sam Ukala’s2 contextualization of African social worldviews on mystical realism and the shades of social class conflicts in The Placenta of Death. The focal aim is to discus and come up with plausible appreciation of the perspectives projected in the play as regards to the contexts and application of mysticism in the dramatized inter-personal class conflicts. Consequently, the reasons for these conflicts, the social stratifications emanating from these conflicts, the contextualization of the sides to the social divide, the realities of the deep mutual mistrusts, and the shades of contempt and apprehension that are projected in the play are part of the study foci. Thus this study applies magical realism as the preferred theoretical frame in analyzing the perspectives, contexts and realities of mysticism, numinous influences and supernatural connotations as well as the sociological suppositions on the reality of the never-ending social class conflicts. To discuss these contexts and perspectives as perceived in The Placenta of Death, we adopt contextual interpretative approach in a bid to extrapolate and provide locale and culture specific attributions of occurrences, actions and inactions dramatized in the play.
Implementation of CIPP Model for Quality Evaluation at Zawia University
Authors: Esgaiar Ebtesam , Foster Scott
Published: March 2020

The limited English language skills among Libyan learners threatens their ability to interact with the international environment. Therefore, improvement in the provision of foreign language programmes is imperative, and can be carried out using different methods such as evaluation to critically examine a programme in order to improve its effectiveness. This study aims to evaluate the current English language teaching (ELT) provision provided by the English department in the faculties of education at Zawia University in Libya. It seeks to establish whether the current English language programme has ever been validated or updated. Moreover, this study will design a framework that will enhance the quality of the English language provision at Zawia University by indicating the strengths and weaknesses of the current English language programme. This study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect the data, which were gathered through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The evaluation of the current English as a foreign language programme at Zawia University revealed a number of inadequacies in terms of programme delivery, teaching resources, the balance of language skills taught and students work assessment.
The OBJECT Metaphor in the Conceptualisation of Cancer in Malay Women’s Narratives
Authors: Mohd Jamil Nur Sabrina Zafiran , Md Rashid Sabariah , Kasim Zalina Mohd
Published: March 2020

Our conceptualisation of life-threatening illness such as cancer is said to be highly metaphorised and often grounded in some fundamental contrastive categories of experience in the physical environment. As such, some studies have revealed the use of different metaphors, such as WAR, JOURNEY and GAME in cancer related discourse. Related to this, the current paper seeks to examine the use of the OBJECT metaphor in Malay women’s narratives on cancer, utilising the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) as propounded by Lakoff and Johnson (1980). This dimension of metaphor has not been explored before among Malay women specifically on cancer. It illustrates some examples of the relevant metaphorical expressions and discusses how the source domain OBJECT structures the women’s thinking of cancer. Findings of the study indicate that conceiving cancer in terms of a heavy object, an unwanted object, and as a gift provides insights into the women’s reality in coping with this life-threatening illness. The OBJECT metaphor structured in the women’s narratives highlights not only their conception of the disease, but also their expectation and optimism in coping with the illness. Findings of the study could be useful for health professionals and caretakers in that a more effective communication could occur between them and cancer patients, which, in turn, could lead to a better understanding of cancer patients’ experiences.
Genomic analysis of variability in Delta-toxin levels between Staphylococcus aureus strains
Authors: Su Michelle , Lyles James T. , Petit III Robert A. , Peterson Jessica , Hargita Michelle , Tang Huaqiao , Solis-Lemus Claudia , Quave Cassandra L. , Read Timothy D.
Published: March 2020

Background

The delta-toxin (δ-toxin) of Staphylococcus aureus is the only hemolysin shown to cause mast cell degranulation and is linked to atopic dermatitis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease. We sought to characterize variation in δ-toxin production across S. aureus strains and identify genetic loci potentially associated with differences between strains.

Methods

A set of 124 S. aureus strains was genome-sequenced and δ-toxin levels in stationary phase supernatants determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). SNPs and kmers were associated with differences in toxin production using four genome-wide association study (GWAS) methods. Transposon mutations in candidate genes were tested for their δ-toxin levels. We constructed XGBoost models to predict toxin production based on genetic loci discovered to be potentially associated with the phenotype.

Results

The S. aureus strain set encompassed 40 sequence types (STs) in 23 clonal complexes (CCs). δ-toxin production ranged from barely detectable levels to >90,000 units, with a median of >8,000 units. CC30 had significantly lower levels of toxin production than average while CC45 and CC121 were higher. MSSA (methicillin sensitive) strains had higher δ-toxin production than MRSA (methicillin resistant) strains. Through multiple GWAS approaches, 45 genes were found to be potentially associated with toxicity. Machine learning models using loci discovered through GWAS as features were able to predict δ-toxin production (as a high/low binary phenotype) with a precision of .875 and specificity of .990 but recall of .333. We discovered that mutants in the carA gene, encoding the small chain of carbamoyl phosphate synthase, completely abolished toxin production and toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Conclusions

The amount of stationary phase production of the toxin is a strain-specific phenotype likely affected by a complex interaction of number of genes with different levels of effect. We discovered new candidate genes that potentially play a role in modulating production. We report for the first time that the product of the carA gene is necessary for δ-toxin production in USA300. This work lays a foundation for future work on understanding toxin regulation in S. aureus and prediction of phenotypes from genomic sequences.
Relationship between relative deprivation and health of Hainan Island residents: mediating effect of negative health behaviors
Authors: Wu Na , Fu Anguo , Zhang Zaisheng , He Wuming , Yao Tianzeng , Sun Xuesong , Liao Zhiming , Hou Guanghui
Published: March 2020

Despite extensive evidence of the direct impact of relative deprivation on health, the mediating role of tobacco, alcohol and betel nuts in this impact has been largely ignored. This study aimed to verify whether these negative health behaviors are mediating factors for relative deprivation and health according to the mediating effect concept. Data from the Hainan Island Residents Health Interview Survey in 2017 were used. Variables including age, marital status, educational level, chronic diseases and area of residence were controlled for in multivariate analysis with separate sex analyses. Mediating effects of smoking, alcohol drinking and betel nut chewing, and whether the effects were complete or partial, were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Smoking, alcohol drinking and betel nut chewing had a significant mediating effect in men, but not in women; however, alcohol drinking and betel nut chewing had similar, significant complete mediation in both sexes. Dissatisfaction following relative deprivation due to uneven income distribution may be relieved through these negative health behaviors. Therefore, better medical resources should be provided to improve residents’ health and the impact of income inequality on health, particularly the growing gap between the rich and poor, should be addressed.
Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam) chloroplast genome sequence as a promising target for populations studies
Authors: Cafa Giovanni , Baroncelli Riccardo , Ellison Carol A. , Kurose Daisuke
Published: March 2020

Background

Himalayan balsam Impatiens glandulifera Royle (Balsaminaceae) is a highly invasive annual species native of the Himalayas. Biocontrol of the plant using the rust fungus Puccinia komarovii var. glanduliferae is currently being implemented, but issues have arisen with matching UK weed genotypes with compatible strains of the pathogen. To support successful biocontrol, a better understanding of the host weed population, including potential sources of introductions, of Himalayan balsam is required.

Methods

In this molecular study, two new complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of I. glandulifera were obtained with low coverage whole genome sequencing (genome skimming). A 125-year-old herbarium specimen (HB92) collected from the native range was sequenced and assembled and compared with a 2-year-old specimen from UK field plants (HB10).

Results

The complete cp genomes were double-stranded molecules of 152,260 bp (HB92) and 152,203 bp (HB10) in length and showed 97 variable sites: 27 intragenic and 70 intergenic. The two genomes were aligned and mapped with two closely related genomes used as references. Genome skimming generates complete organellar genomes with limited technical and financial efforts and produces large datasets compared to multi-locus sequence typing. This study demonstrates the suitability of genome skimming for generating complete cp genomes of historic herbarium material. It also shows that complete cp genomes are solid genetic markers for population studies that could be linked to plant evolution and aid with targeting native range and natural enemy surveys for biocontrol of invasive species.
Identifying environmental drivers of benthic diatom diversity: the case of Mediterranean mountain ponds
Authors: Blanco Saúl , Olenici Adriana , Ortega Fernando , Jiménez-Gómez Francisco , Guerrero Francisco
Published: March 2020

This study aims at elucidating the environmental factors controlling benthic diatom diversity and uniqueness in Mediterranean mountain ponds. Samples of periphytic diatoms were collected in 45 ponds in Andalusia, south of Spain, and analysed by standard methods. Data analysis reveals that diatom diversity is mainly controlled by elevation and hydroperiod. Contrary to the usual findings in the literature, the highest scores on Shannon’s diversity index were found in high-elevation temporary ponds, but this effect is hidden by lake clustering in the analysed dataset. Significant distance-decay similarity (DDS) trends were detected in the analysis of floristic composition among the samples, stressing the importance of spatial factors that may override the effect of other abiotic factors. These findings highlight the role of isolation and dispersal limitation in the configuration of the biogeographical patterns of benthic diatoms.
Masticatory musculature of the African mole-rats (Rodentia: Bathyergidae)
Authors: Cox Philip G. , Faulkes Chris G. , Bennett Nigel C.
Published: March 2020

The Bathyergidae, commonly known as blesmols or African mole-rats, is a family of rodents well-known for their subterranean lifestyle and tunnelling behaviour. Four of the five extant bathyergid genera (Cryptomys, Fukomys, Georychus and Heliophobius) are chisel-tooth diggers, that is they dig through soil with their enlarged incisors, whereas the remaining genus (Bathyergus) is a scratch-digger, only using its forelimbs for burrowing. Heterocephalus glaber, the naked mole-rat, is also a chisel-tooth digger and was until recently included within the Bathyergidae (as the most basally branching genus), but has now been placed by some researchers into its own family, the Heterocephalidae. Given the importance of the masticatory apparatus in habitat construction in this group, knowledge and understanding of the morphology and arrangement of the jaw-closing muscles in Bathyergidae is vital for future functional analyses. Here, we use diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced microCT to reveal and describe the muscles of mastication in representative specimens of each genus of bathyergid mole-rat and to compare them to the previously described musculature of the naked mole-rat. In all bathyergids, as in all rodents, the masseter muscle is the most dominant component of the masticatory musculature. However, the temporalis is also a relatively large muscle, a condition normally associated with sciuromorphous rodents. Unlike their hystricomorphous relatives, the bathyergids do not show an extension of the masseter through the infraorbital foramen on to the rostrum (other than a very slight protrusion in Cryptomys and Fukomys). Thus, morphologically, bathyergids are protrogomorphous, although this is thought to be secondarily derived rather than retained from ancestral rodents. Overall, the relative proportions of the jaw-closing muscles were found to be fairly consistent between genera except in Bathyergus, which was found to have an enlarged superficial masseter and relatively smaller pterygoid muscles. It is concluded that these differences may be a reflection of the behaviour of Bathyergus which, uniquely in the family, does not use its incisors for digging.
In silico Analysis of Phytochemicals from Neem Leaves against Sterol 14-alpha Demethylase of Microsporum sp Causing Skin Disease
Authors: Das Sunanya , Sahoo Rama Kanta , Sahoo Prateet Banajyotshna , Prakash K. V. D. , Bhattacharyay Dipankar
Published: March 2020

This analysis aims at evaluating the effects of Neem leaves extract on Skin disease. Skin disease is caused by Microsporum sp. The phytochemicals of Neem leaves were interacted with sterol 14-alpha demethylase enzyme involved in sterol biosynthesis metabolic pathway of Microsporum sp. Sterol 14-alpha demethylase was taken as receptor and phytochemicals present in Neem leaves were considered as ligands. All the interactions were done in Biovia discovery Studio 2020 and the process is known as molecular Docking. Molecular Docking provides us an opportunity to identify the potential phytochemical or component which can act as powerful tool against the pathogen. Out of all the phytochemicals, Glutamic acid and Oleic Acid of Neem leaves inhibits or blocks the mechanism or action of sterol 14-alpha demethylase enzyme of Microsporum sp. There is high possibility that these phytochemicals can potentially inhibit others enzymes involved in various metabolic pathways of Microsporum sp.
A Path to Renewable Energy from the Energy Crisis in Bangladesh
Authors: Liza Zafrin Ahmed , Akhter Hajera , Shahibuzzaman Md. , Islam Mohammad Rakibul
Published: March 2020

Bangladesh is facing a tremendous energy crisis and the economic development of this country was jeopardized due to the lack of energy resources. Due to the progression of technology, the consumption of power is rising gradually. Adequate and consistent source of electricity is a key requirement for a constant and successful economic development. Due to the heavy dependence on natural gas and the possibility of this energy source to be exhausted in near future, an alternate way to find an energy source leads us in a path to renewable energy. In this paper, the current energy scenario is analyzed while the sources to renewable energy are explored. These renewable sources are briefly explained while the status and possibility of these resources in Bangladesh are investigated. Finally the social impacts of these renewable energy sources are scrutinized.
Cardiac arrhythmias in Dravet syndrome: an observational multicenter study
Authors: Shmuely Sharon , Surges Rainer , Helling Robert M. , Gunning W. Boudewijn , Brilstra Eva H. , Verhoeven Judith S. , Cross J. Helen , Sisodiya Sanjay M. , Tan Hanno L. , Sander Josemir W. , Thijs Roland D.
Published: March 2020

Objectives

We ascertained the prevalence of ictal arrhythmias to explain the high rate of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in Dravet syndrome (DS).

Methods

We selected cases with clinical DS, ≥6 years, SCN1A mutation, and ≥1 seizure/week. Home‐based ECG recordings were performed for 20 days continuously. Cases were matched for age and sex to two epilepsy controls with no DS and ≥1 major motor seizure during video‐EEG. We determined the prevalence of peri‐ictal asystole, bradycardia, QTc changes, and effects of convulsive seizures (CS) on heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and PR/QRS. Generalized estimating equations were used to account for multiple seizures within subjects, seizure type, and sleep/wakefulness.

Results

We included 59 cases. Ictal recordings were obtained in 45 cases and compared to 90 controls. We analyzed 547 seizures in DS (300 CS) and 169 in controls (120 CS). No asystole occurred. Postictal bradycardia was more common in controls (n = 11, 6.5%) than cases (n = 4, 0.7%; P = 0.002). Peri‐ictal QTc‐lengthening (≥60ms) occurred more frequently in DS (n = 64, 12%) than controls (n = 8, 4.7%, P = 0.048); pathologically prolonged QTc was rare (once in each group). In DS, interictal HRV was lower compared to controls (RMSSD P = 0.029); peri‐ictal values did not differ between the groups. Prolonged QRS/PR was rare and more common in controls (QRS: one vs. none; PR: three vs. one).

Interpretation

We did not identify major arrhythmias in DS which can directly explain high SUDEP rates. Peri‐ictal QTc‐lengthening was, however, more common in DS. This may reflect unstable repolarization and an increased propensity for arrhythmias.
Highly dispersed Cu supported on mesoporous Al‐KIT‐6 for oxidative carbonylation of methanol to dimethyl carbonate
Authors: Yan Lifei , Fu Tingjun , Zhao Dan , Wang Jiajun , Narkhede Nilesh , Zheng Huayan , Zhang Guoqiang , Li Zhong
Published: March 2020

Microporous NaY zeolite is a common support of Cu catalysts for oxidative carbonylation of methanol, but the dispersion of Cu species on NaY is usually subjected to its micropore size. Here, ordered mesoporous KIT‐6 was employed as the support for Cu catalyst and Al was incorporated into its framework to increase the surface acidity, which eventually improves the surface exchange capacity and Cu dispersion. The evolution of the state of Cu species on KIT‐6 was analyzed combined with control of Cu loading. The physicochemical properties of the supports and corresponding catalysts were characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption, X‐ray diffraction, ammonia temperature programmed desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectra, transmission electron microscopy, hydrogen temperature programmed reduction, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that mesoporous KIT‐6 showed better Cu dispersion than microporous NaY zeolite. Agglomerated CuO, dispersed CuO, and Cu2+ are the major Cu species observed on the catalyst surface. The increased surface acidic sites of KIT‐6 by Al incorporation promoted the formation of Cu2+ and dispersion of CuO. With the increase in Cu loading, the Cu2+ content in the catalyst was decreased gradually along with increase in the bulk CuO. It was speculated that some exchanged Cu2+ could be transformed into highly dispersed CuO and even bulk CuO after calcination at a high Cu loading. Combined with the catalyst evaluation results, it was deduced that highly dispersed Cu2+ and CuO particles play significant roles in catalytic activity. The catalyst Cu/Al‐K‐10 achieved the highest space time yield of dimethyl carbonate of 135.4 mg/(g·h), which is 2.7 times the Cu/K‐10 owing to its more dispersed Cu species. This laid the basis for preparing highly dispersed Cu species on mesoporous silica supports.
Beyond Perovskite Solar Cells: Tellurium Iodide as a Promising Light‐Absorbing Material for Solution‐Processed Photovoltaic Application
Authors: Said Ahmed Ali , Xie Jian , Zhao Kexiang , Liu Wenbo , Yu Fei , Zhang Qichun
Published: March 2020

Searching new light‐absorbing materials to replace toxic lead halide in solar cells is very important and highly desirable. In this research, we firstly demonstrated that tellurium iodide (TeI4) could be used as a light‐absorbing material in solar cells due to its suitable optical band gap and the active lone‐pair electron orbital in Te4+. The best power conversion efficiency (PCE=3.56%) was achieved with a concentration of 0.9 M TeI4 in DMF:DMSO (4 : 1, v,v) without any heat treatment or antisolvent dripping. Our study indicates the promising potential of TeI4 for photovoltaic and optoelectronic applications.
Early variations in lymphocytes and T lymphocyte subsets are associated with radiation pneumonitis in lung cancer patients and experimental mice received thoracic irradiation
Authors: Zhou Pu , Chen Lu , Yan Dong , Huang Changlin , Chen Guangpeng , Wang Zhiyi , Zhong Liangzhi , Luo Wen , Chen Diangang , Chun Chui , Zhang Shushu , Li Guanghui
Published: March 2020

There were no ideal markers to predict the development of radiation pneumonitis (RP). We want to investigate the value of variations of lymphocytes and T lymphocyte subsets in predicting RP after radiotherapy (RT) of lung cancer based on previous clinical findings. A total of 182 lung cancer patients who received RT were retrospectively analyzed. Circulating lymphocytes and T lymphocyte subsets were measured before, during, and after RT. Patients were evaluated from the start of RT to 6 months post‐RT. A mice model with acute radiation‐induced lung injury was established and circulating lymphocytes were measured weekly until 8 weeks after irradiation. Univariate and multivariate analyses were adopted to identify risk factors of RP. Lymphocyte levels significantly decreased (P < .001) in patients before RP symptoms developed that also was able to be seen in the mice model and the values recovered during remission of symptoms. The decrease in lymphocyte count reflected the severity of RP. Meanwhile, CD4+ T lymphocyte count was significantly lower during the occurrence of symptoms in patients with RP than in those without RP (P < .001), and it improved along with RP recovery. Levels of lymphocytes and CD4+ T lymphocyte subsets proved as independent predictors of RP. Here we showed that lower peripheral blood levels of lymphocytes and CD4+ T lymphocyte were associated with an increased risk of RP, which was validated by this mice model, and thus are associated with differences in radiation‐induced lung toxicity among individuals and help identify those who are susceptible to developing RP after RT.
Novel application of vinylpolysiloxane hearing aid impression mold as patient‐specific bolus for head and neck cancer radiotherapy
Authors: Gunter Anne Elizabeth , Burgoyne John , Park Min , Kim Namou , Cao Daliang , Mehta Vivek
Published: March 2020

Hearing aid impression material composed of vinylpolysiloxane is an ideal bolus material which may be used to aid in delivery of adjuvant radiation to complex surgical defects of the head and neck. It is affordable, easily accessed, and efficient.
Ultrafine Ir Nanowires with Microporous Channels and Superior Electrocatalytic Activity for Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Liu Zhenyuan , Li Jiahui , Zhang Jie , Qin Menghan , Yang Gaixiu , Tang Yawen
Published: March 2020

Hydrogen energy is considered as an ideal candidate energy of traditional fossil fuels. Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a crucial reaction for the sustainable hydrogen generation as a half reaction of water splitting. It is important to develop efficient electrocatalysts for the OER. Herein, the porous iridium nanowires (Ir PNWs) with polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) as a complex‐forming agent and capping agent have been successfully synthesized through a one‐pot hydrothermal approach. Benefiting from the inherent anisotropic characteristic of one‐dimensional nanowires structure, abundant microporous channels and high atom utilization efficiency, the synthesized Ir PNWs possess very large electrochemically active surface area (118.2 m2 g−1), and thus exhibit superior electrocatalytic activity and stability towards the OER compared with commercial RuO2 catalyst and other Ir nanocrystals.