bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Good News! Communication Findings May be Underestimated: Comparing Effect Sizes with Self-Reported and Logged Smartphone Use Data
Authors: Jones-Jang S Mo , Heo Yu-Jin , McKeever Robert , Kim Jung-Hyun , Moscowitz Leigh , Moscowitz David
Published: June 2020

Despite long-standing concerns over self-reported measures of media use, media research has relied heavily on self-reported data. This study not only examined discrepancies between survey and logged smartphone data but assessed whether correlational outcomes using self-reported measures produce greater or smaller effect sizes compared to outcomes using logged measures. College students (n = 294) and MTurk workers (n = 291) provided self-reported and logged data of smartphone use over seven days. The correlations we examined involved four psychosocial contexts, including bridging, bonding, well-being, and problematic use of smartphones. The results showed that the effect sizes of correlations using self-reported data tend to be smaller compared to those using logged data. We believe that this is a hopeful message to the field. This could mean that extant survey results have not erroneously inflated communication findings and that communication researchers still have a lot to reveal with further refined measures.
Vector logic allows counterfactual virtualization by the square root of NOT
Authors: Mizraji Eduardo
Published: June 2020

In this work, we investigate the representation of counterfactual conditionals using the vector logic, a matrix-vector formalism for logical functions and truth values. Inside this formalism, the counterfactuals can be transformed in complex matrices preprocessing an implication matrix with one of the square roots of NOT, a complex matrix. This mathematical approach puts in evidence the virtual character of the counterfactuals. This happens because this representation produces a valuation of a counterfactual that is the superposition of the two opposite truth values weighted, respectively, by two complex conjugated coefficients. This result shows that this procedure gives an uncertain evaluation projected on the complex domain. After this basic representation, the judgement of the plausibility of a given counterfactual allows us to shift the decision towards an acceptance or a refusal. This shift is the result of applying for a second time one of the two square roots of NOT.
Is the European Data Protection Regulation sufficient to deal with emerging data concerns relating to neurotechnology?
Authors: Rainey Stephen , McGillivray Kevin , Akintoye Simi , Fothergill Tyr , Bublitz Christoph , Stahl Bernd
Published: June 2020

Research-driven technology development in the fields of the neurosciences presents interesting and potentially complicated issues around data in general and brain data specifically. The data produced from brain recordings are unlike names and addresses in that it may result from the processing of largely involuntarily brain activity, it can be processed and reprocessed for different aims, and it is highly sensitive. Consenting for brain recordings of a specific type, or for a specific purpose, is complicated by these factors. Brain data collection, retention, processing, storage, and destruction are each of high ethical importance. This leads us to ask: Is the present European Data Protection Regulation sufficient to deal with emerging data concerns relating to neurotechnology? This is pressing especially in a context of rapid advancement in the fields of brain computer interfaces (BCIs), where devices that can function via recorded brain signals are expanding from research labs, through medical treatments, and beyond into consumer markets for recreational uses. One notion we develop herein is that there may be no trivial data collection when it comes to brain recording, especially where algorithmic processing is involved. This article provides analysis and discussion of some specific data protection questions related to neurotechnology, especially BCIs. In particular, whether and how brain data used in BCI-driven applications might count as personal data in a way relevant to data protection regulations. It also investigates how the nature of BCI data, as it appears in various applications, may require different interpretations of data protection concepts. Importantly, we consider brain recordings to raise questions about data sensitivity, regardless of the purpose for which they were recorded. This has data protection implications.
Giant lymphatic malformation causing abdominal compartment syndrome in a neonate: a rare surgical emergency
Authors: Gasparella Paolo , Singer Georg , Castellani Christoph , Sorantin Erich , Haxhija Emir Q , Till Holger
Published: June 2020

Abdominal lymphatic malformations in neonates require sophisticated management. In symptomatic cases, acute complications may necessitate immediate surgery. We present the case of a giant abdominal lymphatic malformation diagnosed in the 18th gestational week. Sonographic concerns about intestinal hypoperfusion in the 33rd week of gestation indicated caesarean section. Postnatal imaging confirmed a macrocystic lymphatic malformation occupying almost the complete abdominal cavity; the intestinal perfusion was normal. Clinical deterioration on Day 13 of life required laparotomy. Intraoperatively, the lymphatic mass was located in the ileocecal mesentery. Two major cysts showed recent hemorrhage explaining the onset of abdominal compartment syndrome. The malformation was completely removed. An ileocecal resection with an ileocolic anastomosis was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful. In neonates with abdominal lymphatic malformations, an onset of abdominal compartment syndrome requires surgical exploration. If feasible, the complete removal of the lesion represents a curative option.
Survey Reliability: Models, Methods, and Findings
Authors: Tourangeau Roger
Published: June 2020

Although most survey researchers agree that reliability is a critical requirement for survey data, there have not been many efforts to assess the reliability of responses in national surveys. In addition, there are quite different approaches to studying the reliability of survey responses. In the first section of the Lecture, I contrast a psychological theory of over-time consistency with three statistical models that use reinterview data, multi-trait multi-method experiments, and three-wave panel data to estimate reliability. The more sophisticated statistical models reflect concerns about memory effects and the impact of method factors in reinterview studies. In the following section of the Lecture, I examine some of the major findings from the literature on reliability. Despite the differences across methods for exploring reliability, the findings mostly converge, identifying similar respondent and question characteristics as major determinants of reliability. The next section of the paper looks at the correlations among estimates of reliability derived from the different methods; it finds some support for the validity of the measures from traditional reinterview studies. The empirical claims motivating the more sophisticated methods for estimating reliability are not strongly supported in the literature. Reliability is, in my judgment, a neglected topic among survey researchers, and I hope the Lecture spurs further studies of the reliability of survey questions.
Re-starting travel in the era of COVID-19: preparing anew
Authors: Wilson Mary E , Chen Lin H
Published: June 2020

Travel, a major contributor to global economy, needs to adapt to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Restarting business and travel share convergent considerations. Travel health preparation will require detailed assessment to specifically address COVID-19: the individual’s personal risk stratification, elements of travel and policies imposed on each traveller and itinerary. Precise details of the trip will help to formulate beneficial recommendations.
Effect of a strong magnetic field on gravity-mode period spacings in red giant stars
Authors: Loi Shyeh Tjing
Published: June 2020

When a star evolves into a red giant, the enhanced coupling between core-based gravity modes and envelope-based pressure modes forms mixed modes, allowing its deep interior to be probed by asteroseismology. The ability to obtain information about stellar interiors is important for constraining theories of stellar structure and evolution, for which the origin of various discrepancies between prediction and observation is still under debate. Ongoing speculation surrounds the possibility that some red giant stars may harbour strong (dynamically significant) magnetic fields in their cores, but interpretation of the observational data remains controversial. In part, this is tied to shortfalls in our understanding of the effects of strong fields on the seismic properties of gravity modes, which lies beyond the regime of standard perturbative methods. Here, we seek to investigate the effect of a strong magnetic field on the asymptotic period spacings of gravity modes. We use a Hamiltonian ray approach to measure the volume of phase space occupied by mode-forming rays, this being roughly proportional to the average density of modes (number of modes per unit frequency interval). A strong field appears to systematically increase this by about 10 per cent, which predicts a ∼10 per cent smaller period spacing. Evidence of near integrability in the ray dynamics hints that the gravity-mode spectrum may still exhibit pseudo-regularities under a strong field.
The distribution of dark matter and gas spanning 6 Mpc around the post-merger galaxy cluster MS 0451−03
Authors: Tam Sut-Ieng , Jauzac Mathilde , Massey Richard , Harvey David , Eckert Dominique , Ebeling Harald , Ellis Richard S , Ghirardini Vittorio , Klein Baptiste , Kneib Jean-Paul , Lagattuta David , Natarajan Priyamvada , Robertson Andrew , Smith Graham P
Published: June 2020

Using the largest mosaic of Hubble Space Telescope images around a galaxy cluster, we map the distribution of dark matter throughout an ∼6 × 6 Mpc2 area centred on the cluster MS 0451−03 (z = 0.54, $M_{200}=1.65\times 10^{15}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$). Our joint strong- and weak-lensing analysis shows three possible filaments extending from the cluster, encompassing six group-scale substructures. The dark matter distribution in the cluster core is elongated, consists of two distinct components, and is characterized by a concentration parameter of c200 = 3.79 ± 0.36. By contrast, XMM–Newton observations show the gas distribution to be more spherical, with excess entropy near the core, and a lower concentration of $c_{200}=2.35^{+0.89}_{-0.70}$ (assuming hydrostatic equilibrium). Such a configuration is predicted in simulations of major mergers 2–7 Gyr after the first core passage, when the two dark matter haloes approach second turnaround, and before their gas has relaxed. This post-merger scenario finds further support in optical spectroscopy of the cluster’s member galaxies, which shows that star formation was abruptly quenched 5 Gyr ago. MS 0451−03 will be an ideal target for future studies of the growth of structure along filaments, star formation processes after a major merger, and the late-stage evolution of cluster collisions.
Updated theoretical period–age and period–age–colour relations for Galactic Classical Cepheids: an application to the Gaia DR2 sample
Authors: De Somma Giulia , Marconi Marcella , Cassisi Santi , Ripepi Vincenzo , Leccia Silvio , Molinaro Roberto , Musella Ilaria
Published: June 2020

Updated evolutionary and pulsational model predictions are combined in order to interpret the properties of Galactic Classical Cepheids in the Gaia Data Release 2. In particular, the location of the instability strip boundaries and the analytical relations connecting pulsation periods to the intrinsic stellar parameters are combined with evolutionary tracks to derive reliable and accurate period–age and the first theoretical period–age–colour relations in the Gaia bands for a solar chemical abundance pattern (Z = 0.02, Y = 0.28). The adopted theoretical framework takes into account possible variations in the mass–luminosity relation for the core helium-burning stage as due to changes in the core convective overshooting and/or mass-loss efficiency, as well as the impact on the instability strip boundaries due to different assumptions for superadiabatic convection efficiency. The inferred period–age and period–age–colour relations are applied to a selected sample of both fundamental and first overtone Gaia Cepheids, and individual ages for the various adopted theoretical scenarios are derived. The retrieved age distributions confirm that a variation in the efficiency of superadiabatic convection in the pulsational model computations has a negligible effect, whereas a brighter mass–luminosity relation, as produced by mild overshooting, rotation, or mass-loss, implies significantly older age predictions. Moreover, older Cepheids are found at larger Galactocentric distances, while first overtone Cepheids are found to be systematically older than the fundamental ones. The comparison with independent age distribution analysis in literature supports the predictive capability of current theoretical framework.
Connecting SDSS central galaxies to their host haloes using total satellite luminosity
Authors: Alpaslan Mehmet , Tinker Jeremy L
Published: June 2020

The total luminosity of satellite galaxies around a central galaxy, Lsat, is a powerful metric for probing dark matter haloes. We utilize data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys to explore the relationship between Lsat and galaxy properties for a sample of 117 966 central galaxies with z ≤ 0.15. At fixed stellar mass, we find that every galaxy property we explore correlates with Lsat, suggesting that dark matter haloes can influence them. We quantify these correlations by computing the mutual information between Lsat and secondary properties and explore how this varies as a function of stellar mass and star-formation activity. We find that absolute r-band magnitude correlates more strongly with Lsat than stellar mass across all galaxy populations; and that effective radius, velocity dispersion, and Sérsic index do so as well for star-forming and quiescent galaxies. Lsat is influenced by the mass of the host halo as well as the halo formation history, with younger haloes having higher Lsat. Lsat cannot distinguish between these two effects, but measurements of galaxy large-scale environment can break this degeneracy. For star-forming centrals, Reff, σv, and Sérsic index all correlate with large-scale density, implying that the halo age affects these properties. For quiescent galaxies, all secondary properties are independent of environment, implying that correlations with Lsat are driven only by halo mass. These results are a significant step forward in quantifying the extent of the galaxy–halo connection, and present a new test of galaxy formation models.
When do cosmic peaks, filaments or walls merge? A theory of critical events in a multi-scale landscape.
Authors: Cadiou C , Pichon C , Codis S , Musso M , Pogosyan D , Dubois Y , Cardoso J-F , Prunet S
Published: June 2020

The merging rate of cosmic structures is computed, relying on the Ansatz that they can be predicted in the initial linear density field from the coalescence of critical points with increasing smoothing scale, used here as a proxy for cosmic time. Beyond the mergers of peaks with saddle points (a proxy for halo mergers), we consider the coalescence and nucleation of all sets of critical points, including wall-saddle to filament-saddle and wall-saddle to minima (a proxy for filament and void mergers respectively), as they impact the geometry of galactic infall, and in particular filament disconnection. Analytical predictions of the one-point statistics are validated against multiscale measurements in 2D and 3D realisations of Gaussian random fields (the corresponding code being available upon request) and compared qualitatively to cosmological N-body simulations at early times (z ≥ 10) and large scales (≥ 5Mpc/h). The rate of filament coalescence is compared to the merger rate of haloes and the two-point clustering of these events is computed, along with their cross-correlations with critical points. These correlations are qualitatively consistent with the preservation of the connectivity of dark matter haloes, and the impact of the large scale structures on assembly bias. The destruction rate of haloes and voids as a function of mass and redshift is quantified down to z = 0 for a ΛCDM cosmology. The one-point statistics in higher dimensions are also presented, together with consistency relations between critical point and critical event counts.
Accretion-induced prompt black hole formation in asymmetric neutron star mergers, dynamical ejecta, and kilonova signals
Authors: Bernuzzi Sebastiano , Breschi Matteo , Daszuta Boris , Endrizzi Andrea , Logoteta Domenico , Nedora Vsevolod , Perego Albino , Radice David , Schianchi Federico , Zappa Francesco , Bombaci Ignazio , Ortiz Nestor
Published: June 2020

We present new numerical relativity results of neutron star (NS) mergers with chirp mass 1.188 M⊙ and mass ratios q = 1.67 and q = 1.8 using finite-temperature equations of state (EOS), approximate neutrino transport, and a subgrid model for magnetohydrodynamics-induced turbulent viscosity. The EOS are compatible with nuclear and astrophysical constraints and include a new microphysical model derived from ab initio calculations based on the Brueckner–Hartree–Fock approach. We report for the first time evidence for accretion-induced prompt collapse in high-mass-ratio mergers, in which the tidal disruption of the companion and its accretion on to the primary star determine prompt black hole (BH) formation. As a result of the tidal disruption, an accretion disc of neutron-rich and cold matter forms with baryon masses ∼0.15 M⊙, and it is significantly heavier than the remnant discs in equal-masses prompt-collapse mergers. Massive dynamical ejecta of the order of ∼0.01 M⊙ also originate from the tidal disruption. They are neutron-rich and expand from the orbital plane with a crescent-like geometry. Consequently, bright, red, and temporally extended kilonova emission is predicted from these mergers. Our results show that prompt BH mergers can power bright electromagnetic counterparts for high-mass-ratio binaries, and that the binary mass ratio can be, in principle, constrained from multimessenger observations.
Toward a translationally independent RNA-based synthetic oscillator using deactivated CRISPR-Cas
Authors: Kuo James , Yuan Ruoshi , Sánchez Carlos , Paulsson Johan , Silver Pamela A
Published: June 2020

In synthetic circuits, CRISPR-Cas systems have been used effectively for endpoint changes from an initial state to a final state, such as in logic gates. Here, we use deactivated Cas9 (dCas9) and deactivated Cas12a (dCas12a) to construct dynamic RNA ring oscillators that cycle continuously between states over time in bacterial cells. While our dCas9 circuits using 103-nt guide RNAs showed irregular fluctuations with a wide distribution of peak-to-peak period lengths averaging approximately nine generations, a dCas12a oscillator design with 40-nt CRISPR RNAs performed much better, having a strongly repressed off-state, distinct autocorrelation function peaks, and an average peak-to-peak period length of ∼7.5 generations. Along with free-running oscillator circuits, we measure repression response times in open-loop systems with inducible RNA steps to compare with oscillator period times. We track thousands of cells for 24+ h at the single-cell level using a microfluidic device. In creating a circuit with nearly translationally independent behavior, as the RNAs control each others’ transcription, we present the possibility for a synthetic oscillator generalizable across many organisms and readily linkable for transcriptional control.
Empirical estimates of regional carbon budgets imply reduced global soil heterotrophic respiration
Authors: Ciais Philippe , Yao Yitong , Gasser Thomas , Baccini Alessandro , Wang Yilong , Lauerwald Ronny , Peng Shushi , Bastos Ana , Li Wei , Raymond Peter A , Canadell Josep G , Peters Glen P , Andres Rob J , Chang Jinfeng , Yue Chao , Dolman A Johannes , Haverd Vanessa , Hartmann Jens , Laruelle Goulven , Konings Alexandra G , King Anthony W , Liu Yi , Luyssaert Sebastiaan , Maignan Fabienne , Patra Prabir K , Peregon Anna , Regnier Pierre , Pongratz Julia , Poulter Benjamin , Shvidenko Anatoly , Valentini Riccardo , Wang Rong , Broquet Grégoire , Yin Yi , Zscheischler Jakob , Guenet Bertrand , Goll Daniel S , Ballantyne Ashley-P , Yang Hui , Qiu Chunjing , Zhu Dan
Published: June 2020

Resolving regional carbon budgets is critical for informing land-based mitigation policy. For nine regions covering nearly the whole globe, we collected inventory estimates of carbon-stock changes complemented by satellite estimates of biomass changes where inventory data are missing. The net land–atmospheric carbon exchange (NEE) was calculated by taking the sum of the carbon-stock change and lateral carbon fluxes from crop and wood trade, and riverine-carbon export to the ocean. Summing up NEE from all regions, we obtained a global ‘bottom-up’ NEE for net land anthropogenic CO2 uptake of –2.2 ± 0.6 PgC yr−1 consistent with the independent top-down NEE from the global atmospheric carbon budget during 2000–2009. This estimate is so far the most comprehensive global bottom-up carbon budget accounting, which set up an important milestone for global carbon-cycle studies. By decomposing NEE into component fluxes, we found that global soil heterotrophic respiration amounts to a source of CO2 of 39 PgC yr−1 with an interquartile of 33–46 PgC yr−1—a much smaller portion of net primary productivity than previously reported.
Disseminated Intravascular Infection Caused by Paecilomyces variotii: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Lazarus Jacob E , Branda John A , Gandhi Ronak G , Barshak Miriam B , Zachary Kimon C , Barczak Amy K
Published: June 2020

Paecilomyces variotii is a ubiquitous environmental saprophyte with worldwide distribution. Commonly found in soil and decomposing organic material [1, 2], P. variotii can also be isolated from drinking water [3] and indoor and outdoor air [4–6]. In immunocompetent hosts, P. variotii has been reported as a cause of locally invasive disease including prosthetic valve endocarditis [7, 8], endophthalmitis [9, 10], rhinosinusitis [11, 12], and dialysis-associated peritonitis [13, 14]. In contrast, disseminated infections are more commonly reported in immunocompromised patients, including those with chronic granulomatous disease [15], solid malignancy [16], acute leukemia [17], lymphoma [18], multiple myeloma [19], and after stem cell transplant for myelodysplasia [20]. In 1 case series examining invasive infections by non-Aspergillus molds, P. variotii was the most common cause after Fusarium spp. [21]. Here, we present the case of an immunocompetent patient with extensive intravascular infection involving prosthetic material. We describe successful induction therapy with combination antifungals and extended suppression with posaconazole with clinical quiescence and eventual normalization of serum fungal biomarkers.
Association of body mass index changes from childhood to adulthood with dyslipidemia in adults: Hanzhong adolescent cohort study
Authors: Liao Yue-Yuan , Chu Chao , Wang Yang , Zheng Wen-Ling , Ma Qiong , Hu Jia-Wen , Yan Yu , Wang Ke-Ke , Yuan Yue , Chen Chen , Mu Jian-Jun
Published: June 2020

Background

Dyslipidemia is a disorder of lipid metabolism and associated with insulin resistance. The relationship between longitudinal body mass index (BMI) changes from childhood to adulthood and long-term dyslipidemia was explored in this study.

Methods

We assessed the longitudinal relationship between BMI changes since childhood and dyslipidemia among 1738 participants in rural areas of Hanzhong City, Shaanxi. All participants were initially examined between the ages of 6 and 15 years in 1987 and were reexamined in 1995, 2013 and 2017; the total follow-up duration was 30 years. Anthropometric measurements and blood biochemistry indexes were measured.

Results

We found that gradual progression of normal weight to overweight (OR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.27, 2.15) or persistent overweight (OR = 2.45; 95% CI = 1.52, 3.96) from childhood to adulthood was associated with an increased risk of dyslipidemia in adulthood. And these risks were largely disappeared if the overweight or obesity during childhood was resolved by adulthood. The higher the BMI in adulthood and the younger the age at which overweight begins, the higher the risk of dyslipidemia.

Conclusions

Early weight loss and any degree of weight loss from childhood to adulthood can help improve dyslipidemia in adulthood. We further emphasize the importance of weight management and control in public health primary prevention.
Neurological Signs at the First Psychotic Episode as Correlates of Long-Term Outcome: Results From the AESOP-10 Study
Authors: Ferruccio Naika P , Tosato Sarah , Lappin Julia M , Heslin Margaret , Donoghue Kim , Giordano Annalisa , Lomas Ben , Reininghaus Ulrich , Onyejiaka Adanna , Chan Raymond C K , Croudace Tim , Jones Peter B , Murray Robin M , Fearon Paul , Doody Gillian A , Morgan Craig , Dazzan Paola
Published: June 2020

Minor neurological signs are subtle deficits in sensory integration, motor coordination, and sequencing of complex motor acts present in excess in the early stages of psychosis. Still, it remains unclear whether at least some of these signs represent trait or state markers for psychosis and whether they are markers of long-term disease outcome of clinical utility. We examined the relationship between neurological function at illness onset assessed with the Neurological Evaluation Scale and subsequent illness course in 233 patients from AESOP-10 (Aetiology and Ethnicity in Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses), a 10-year follow-up study of a population-based cohort of individuals recruited at the time of their first episode of psychosis in the United Kingdom. In 56 of these patients, we also explored changes in neurological function over time. We included a group of 172 individuals without psychosis as controls. After 10 years, 147 (63%) patients had developed a non-remitting course of illness, and 86 (37%) a remitting course. Already at first presentation, patients who developed a non-remitting course had significantly more primary, motor coordination, and total signs than both remitting patients and healthy controls. While Motor Coordination signs did not change over time, rates of Primary, Sensory Integration, and Total signs increased, independently of illness course type. These findings suggest that motor coordination problems could be a useful early, quick, and easily detectable marker of subsequent clinical outcome. With other motor abnormalities, a measure of motor incoordination could contribute to the identification of the most vulnerable individuals, who could benefit from targeted and more assertive treatment approaches.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Widespread Nuclear and Plastid-Nuclear Discordance in the Flowering Plant GenusPolemonium(Polemoniaceae) Suggests Widespread Historical Gene Flow Despite Limited Nuclear Signal
Authors: Rose Jeffrey P , Toledo Cassio A P , Lemmon Emily Moriarty , Lemmon Alan R , Sytsma Kenneth J
Published: June 2020

Phylogenomic data from a rapidly increasing number of studies provide new evidence for resolving relationships in recently radiated clades, but they also pose new challenges for inferring evolutionary histories. Most existing methods for reconstructing phylogenetic hypotheses rely solely on algorithms that only consider incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) as a cause of intra- or intergenomic discordance. Here, we utilize a variety of methods, including those to infer phylogenetic networks, to account for both ILS and introgression as a cause for nuclear and cytoplasmic-nuclear discordance using phylogenomic data from the recently radiated flowering plant genus Polemonium (Polemoniaceae), an ecologically diverse genus in Western North America with known and suspected gene flow between species. We find evidence for widespread discordance among nuclear loci that can be explained by both ILS and reticulate evolution in the evolutionary history of Polemonium. Furthermore, the histories of organellar genomes show strong discordance with the inferred species tree from the nuclear genome. Discordance between the nuclear and plastid genome is not completely explained by ILS, and only one case of discordance is explained by detected introgression events. Our results suggest that multiple processes have been involved in the evolutionary history of Polemonium and that the plastid genome does not accurately reflect species relationships. We discuss several potential causes for this cytoplasmic-nuclear discordance, which emerging evidence suggests is more widespread across the Tree of Life than previously thought. [Cyto-nuclear discordance, genomic discordance, phylogenetic networks, plastid capture, Polemoniaceae, Polemonium, reticulations.]
A Set of Six Gene Expression Biomarkers Identify Rat Liver Tumorigens in Short-term Assays
Authors: Corton J Christopher , Hill Thomas , Sutherland Jeffrey J , Stevens James L , Rooney John
Published: June 2020

Chemical-induced liver cancer occurs in rodents through well-characterized adverse outcome pathways. We hypothesized that measurement of the 6 most common molecular initiating events (MIEs) in liver cancer adverse outcome pathways in short-term assays using only gene expression will allow early identification of chemicals and their associated doses that are likely to be tumorigenic in the liver in 2-year bioassays. We tested this hypothesis using transcript data from a rat liver microarray compendium consisting of 2013 comparisons of 146 chemicals administered at doses with previously established effects on rat liver tumor induction. Five MIEs were measured using previously characterized gene expression biomarkers composed of gene sets predictive for genotoxicity and activation of 1 or more xenobiotic receptors (aryl hydrocarbon receptor, constitutive activated receptor, estrogen receptor, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α). Because chronic injury can be important in tumorigenesis, we also developed a biomarker for cytotoxicity that had a 96% balanced accuracy. Characterization of the genes in each biomarker set using the unsupervised TXG-MAP network model demonstrated that the genes were associated with distinct functional coexpression modules. Using the Toxicological Priority Index to rank chemicals based on their ability to activate the MIEs showed that chemicals administered at tumorigenic doses clearly gave the highest ranked scores. Balanced accuracies using thresholds derived from either TG-GATES or DrugMatrix data sets to predict tumorigenicity in independent sets of chemicals were up to 93%. These results show that a MIE-directed approach using only gene expression biomarkers could be used in short-term assays to identify chemicals and their doses that cause tumors.
Aneugen Versus Clastogen Evaluation and Oxidative Stress-Related Mode-of-Action Assessment of Genotoxic Compounds Using the ToxTracker Reporter Assay
Authors: Brandsma Inger , Moelijker Nynke , Derr Remco , Hendriks Giel
Published: June 2020

Understanding the mode-of-action (MOA) of genotoxic compounds and differentiating between direct DNA interaction and indirect genotoxicity is crucial for their reliable safety assessment. ToxTracker is a stem cell-based reporter assay that detects activation of various cellular responses that are associated with genotoxicity and cancer. ToxTracker consists of 6 different GFP reporter cell lines that can detect the induction of DNA damage, oxidative stress, and protein damage in a single test. The assay can thereby provide insight into the MOA of compounds. Genotoxicity is detected in ToxTracker by activation of 2 independent GFP reporters. Activation of the Bscl2-GFP reporter is associated with induction of DNA adducts and subsequent inhibition of DNA replication and the Rtkn-GFP reporter is activated following the formation of DNA double-strand breaks. Here, we show that the differential activation of these 2 genotoxicity reporters could be used to further differentiate between a DNA reactive and clastogenic or a non-DNA-reactive aneugenic MOA of genotoxic compounds. For further classification of aneugenic and clastogenic compounds, the ToxTracker assay was extended with cell cycle analysis and aneuploidy assessment. The extension was validated using a selection of 16 (genotoxic) compounds with a well-established MOA. Furthermore, indirect genotoxicity related to the production of reactive oxygen species was investigated using the DNA damage and oxidative stress ToxTracker reporters in combination with different reactive oxygen species scavengers. With these new extensions, ToxTracker was able to accurately classify compounds as genotoxic or nongenotoxic and could discriminate between DNA-reactive compounds, aneugens, and indirect genotoxicity caused by oxidative stress.
Spray Volume and Rate Based on the Tree Row Volume for a Sustainable Use of Copper in the Control of Citrus Canker
Authors: Behlau Franklin , Lanza Fabrício E. , da Silva Scapin Marcelo , Scandelai Luis Henrique Mariano , Silva Junior Geraldo José
Published: June 2020

Copper is the most efficient pesticide for the control of citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri). To mitigate the environmental impacts and costs, the copper sprays in citrus orchards are being optimized based on the tree row volume (TRV). A previous investigation allowed for significant reductions of the spray volume and copper rates. Nevertheless, the results also indicated the need for additional studies. The aim of this work was to assess whether both the spray volume and the metallic copper rate based on the TRV may be further reduced. A field trial was carried out during two seasons in a 3-year-old commercial orchard of Pera sweet orange located in the municipality of Paranavaí, Paraná, Brazil. The volumes of 20 and 40 ml of spray mixture per m3 of the tree canopy were assessed in combination with the metallic copper rates of 10.5, 21.0, 36.8, or 52.5 mg/m3. Disease was measured as the temporal progress of canker incidence on leaves, cumulative dropped fruit with canker, and incidence of diseased fruit at harvest. The quality of sprays was assessed by measuring the copper deposition and leaf coverage. The treatment with the highest citrus canker control for the lowest use of water and copper was the combination of 40 ml and 36.8 mg/m3. Regression analyses indicated that the minimum threshold deposition of copper was ∼1.5 µg Cu2+/cm2 leaf area. In addition, the lowest spray volume and copper rate necessary to achieve this deposition are 35 ml/m3 and 30 mg/m3. The use of 20 ml/m3 did not efficiently control the disease due to the deficient coverage of treated surfaces. This study demonstrated that it is possible to use even lower amounts of copper and water without interfering with the efficiency of control of citrus canker.
Reliable Assessment of Surgical Technical Skills Is Dependent on Context: An Exploration of Different Variables Using Generalizability Theory
Authors: Andersen Steven Arild Wuyts , Park Yoon Soo , Sørensen Mads Sølvsten , Konge Lars
Published: June 2020

Purpose

Reliable assessment of surgical skills is vital for competency-based medical training. Several factors influence not only the reliability of judgments but also the number of observations needed for making judgments of competency that are both consistent and reproducible. The aim of this study was to explore the role of various conditions—through the analysis of data from large-scale, simulation-based assessments of surgical technical skills—by examining the effects of those conditions on reliability using generalizability theory.

Method

Assessment data from large-scale, simulation-based temporal bone surgical training research studies in 2012–2018 were pooled, yielding collectively 3,574 assessments of 1,723 performances. The authors conducted generalizability analyses using an unbalanced random-effects design, and they performed decision studies to explore the effect of the different variables on projections of reliability.

Results

Overall, 5 observations were needed to achieve a generalizability coefficient > 0.8. Several variables modified the projections of reliability: increased learner experience necessitated more observations (5 for medical students, 7 for residents, and 8 for experienced surgeons), the more complex cadaveric dissection required fewer observations than virtual reality simulation (2 vs 5 observations), and increased fidelity simulation graphics reduced the number of observations needed from 7 to 4. The training structure (either massed or distributed practice) and simulator-integrated tutoring had little effect on reliability. Finally, more observations were needed during initial training when the learning curve was steepest (6 observations) compared with the plateau phase (4 observations).

Conclusions

Reliability in surgical skills assessment seems less stable than it is often reported to be. Training context and conditions influence reliability. The findings from this study highlight that medical educators should exercise caution when using a specific simulation-based assessment in other contexts.
Seeking Parity for Women in Academic Medicine: A Historical Perspective
Authors: Ludmerer Kenneth M.
Published: June 2020

In this Invited Commentary, the author applies a historical lens to explore a fundamental paradox in U.S. medical education: the fact that long after women gained parity with men in matriculation to medical school, women remain highly underrepresented in leadership positions in academic medicine. The reasons for this are many and complex, but at the core are the subtle but hurtful indignities (“microinequities”) experienced by women physicians and an academic culture that expects single-minded dedication to work, regardless of the costs to faculty members’ personal lives. Achieving parity for women in academic leadership will require changing the culture of medical schools and teaching hospitals to correct these 2 fundamental obstacles. In recent years, many medical schools and teaching hospitals have made efforts to improve opportunities and satisfaction for women trainees and physicians, enacting reforms to improve work–life balance for all faculty. It is plausible to imagine a future in which flexible time frames to achieve tenure and promotion are universally available to both women and men, with high scholarly standards firmly maintained. If this occurs, it will represent a profound legacy for women in academic medicine, for their generations of professional sacrifice and advocacy for a more equitable culture will have changed its culture.
The University of Miami Infectious Disease Elimination Act Syringe Services Program: A Blueprint for Student Advocacy, Education, and Innovation
Authors: Tookes Hansel , Bartholomew Tyler S. , St. Onge Joan E. , Ford Henri
Published: June 2020

After the closure of pill mills and implementation of Florida’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program in 2010, high demand for opioids was met with counterfeit pills, heroin, and fentanyl. In response, medical students at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine embarked on a journey to bring syringe services programs (SSPs) to Florida through an innovative grassroots approach. Working with the Florida Medical Association, students learned patient advocacy, legislation writing, and negotiation within a complex political climate. Advocacy over 4 legislative sessions (2013–2016) included committee testimony and legislative visit days, resulting in the authorization of a 5-year SSP pilot.

The University of Miami’s Infectious Disease Elimination Act (IDEA) SSP opened on December 1, 2016. Students identified an urgent need for expanded health care for program participants and founded a weekly free clinic at the SSP. Students who rotate through the clinic learn medicine and harm reduction through the lens of social justice, with exposure to people who use drugs, sex workers, individuals experiencing homelessness, and other vulnerable populations. The earliest success of the IDEA SSP was the distribution of over 2,000 boxes of nasal naloxone, which the authors believe positively contributed to a decrease in the number of opioid-related deaths in Miami-Dade County for the first time since 2013. The second was the early identification of a cluster of acute human immunodeficiency virus infections among program participants.

Inspired by these successes, students from across the state joined University of Miami students and met with legislators in their home districts, wrote op-eds, participated in media interviews, and traveled to the State Capitol to advocate for decisive action to mitigate the opioid crisis. The 2019 legislature passed legislation authorizing SSPs statewide. In states late to adopt SSPs, medical schools have a unique opportunity to address the opioid crisis using this evidence-based approach.
Can Extended-release Injectable Medications Help Curb United States and Canada's Opioid Overdose Epidemic?
Authors: Socías M. Eugenia , Nolan Seonaid
Published: June 2020

Settings throughout the United States and Canada continue to face escalating overdose epidemics. Notably, history of overdose is associated with increased risk of fatal overdose. Unfortunately, despite frequent contact with health services and the well-known mortality benefits of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), only a fraction of overdose survivors is successfully linked to addiction care after leaving the emergency department. This may be partially explained by well-documented challenges of oral MOUD, including the need for frequent visits to the pharmacy to receive their medications, which may limit the flexibility to acquire or sustain employment, and therefore contribute to high rates of opioid addiction care discontinuation. This commentary discusses the potential fit of different extended-release injectable MOUD to circumvent limitations of oral formulations, and thereby improve linkage and retention in care of high-risk populations, such as opioid-overdose survivors.
A Björling representation for Jacobi fields on minimal surfaces and soap film instabilities
Authors: Alexander Gareth P. , Machon Thomas
Published: June 2020

We develop a general framework for the description of instabilities on soap films using the Björling representation of minimal surfaces. The construction is naturally geometric and the instability has the interpretation as being specified by its amplitude and transverse gradient along any curve lying in the minimal surface. When the amplitude vanishes, the curve forms part of the boundary to a critically stable domain, while when the gradient vanishes the Jacobi field is maximal along the curve. In the latter case, we show that the Jacobi field is maximally localized if its amplitude is taken to be the lowest eigenfunction of a one-dimensional Schrödinger operator. We present examples for the helicoid, catenoid, circular helicoids and planar Enneper minimal surfaces, and emphasize that the geometric nature of the Björling representation allows direct connection with instabilities observed in soap films.
Impact of dust in the decay of blast waves produced by a nuclear explosion
Authors: Chadha Meera , Jena J.
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we have studied the impact created by the introduction of up to 5% dust particles in enhancing the decay of blast waves produced by a nuclear explosion. A mathematical model is designed and modified using appropriate assumptions, the most important being treating a nuclear explosion as a point source of energy. A system of partial differential equations describing the one-dimensional, adiabatic, unsteady flow of a relaxing gas with dust particles and radiation effects is considered. The symmetric nature of an explosion is captured using the Lie group invariance and self-similar solutions obtained for the gas undergoing strong shocks. The enhancements in decay caused by varying the quantity of dust are studied. The energy released and the damage radius are found to decrease with time with an increase in the dust parameters.
The development of flight behaviours in birds
Authors: Ruaux Geoffrey , Lumineau Sophie , de Margerie Emmanuel
Published: June 2020

Flight is a unique adaptation at the core of many behaviours in most bird species, whether it be foraging, migration or breeding. Birds have developed a wide diversity of flight modes (e.g. flapping, gliding, soaring, hovering) which involves very specialized behaviours. A key issue when studying flight behaviours is to understand how they develop through all the ontogenetic stages of birds, from the embryo to the flying adult. This question typically involves classical debates on animal behaviour about the importance of maturation and experience. Here, we review the literature available on the development of flight behaviours in birds. First, we focus on the early period when young birds are not yet capable of flight. We discuss examples and show how endogenous processes (e.g. wing flapping in the nest, flight development timing) and environmental factors (e.g. maternal stress, nutritional stress) can influence the development of flight behaviours. Then, we review several examples showing the different processes involved in the development of flight in flight-capable juveniles (e.g. practice, trial and error learning, social learning). Despite the lack of experimental studies investigating this specific question at different developmental stages, we show that several patterns can be identified, and we anticipate that the development of new tracking techniques will allow us to study this question more thoroughly in more bird species.
Paracoccus xiamenensis sp. nov., isolated from seawater on the Xiamen
Authors: Lyu Lina , Zhi Bin , Lai Qiliang , Shao Zongze , Yu Zhiqiang
Published: June 2020

Strain 12-3T was isolated from seawater of the Guanyinshan Coast, Xiamen, Fujian Province, PR China. The bacterium was Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic, oxidase-positive and catalase-negative. Growth of strain 12-3T occurred at 10–37 °C (optimum, 20–30 °C), at pH 5.0–11.0 (optimum, pH 7.0–8.0) and at a salinity range of 0–10 % (optimum, 3–5 %). The results of phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain 12-3T belonged to the genus

Paracoccus

and had the highest sequence similarity to

Paracoccus lutimaris

HDM-25T (97.4 %), followed by

Paracoccus isoporae

SW-3T (96.9 %),

Paracoccus caeni

MJ17T (96.9 %),

Paracoccus pacificus

F14T (96.8 %) and other species in the genus

Paracoccus

(95.3–96.5 %). The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and DNA–DNA hybridization (DDH) values between strain 12-3T and

P. lutimaris

HDM-25T were 76.1 and 17.0 %, respectively. ANI and DDH values between strain 12-3T and

P. isoporae

SW-3T were 78.9 and 18.2 %, respectively. The principal fatty acid of strain 12-3T was summed feature 8 (C18 : 1
 ω6c/ω7c) and C18 : 0. The respiratory quinone of strain 12-3T was Q10. The polar lipids included phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified glycolipid. The G+C content of the chromosomal DNA was 63.9 mol%. The combination of the results of the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic analyses, and its low ANI and DDH values indicate that strain 12-3T represents a novel species of the genus

Paracoccus

, for which the name Paracoccus xiamenensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 12-3T (=MCCC 1A16381T=KCTC 72687T).