bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Rif Chain (Northern Morocco) in the Late Tortonian‐Early Messinian Tectonics of the Western Mediterranean Orogenic Belt: Evidence From the Tanger‐Al Manzla Wedge‐Top Basin
Authors: Abbassi A. , Cipollari P. , Zaghloul M. N. , Cosentino D.
Published: September 2020

During the Neogene, the Western Mediterranean subduction‐related orogen developed under differing modes and senses of subduction, resulting in the formation of the Apennines, Maghrebides, Rif, and Betics. In this work, we present the Neogene kinematic evolution of the Rif, based on literature data and new results from structural‐stratigraphic analyses and biostratigraphic investigations carried out in the External Zone of the Rif. We analyzed three stratigraphic sections: Dar Zhirou, Saf Lahmame, and Seguedla. The results of these analyses allow us to reconstruct a wide Tortonian‐Messinian wedge‐top basin in the Tanger‐Al Manzla area, when the leading edge of the Rif was at the frontal thrust of the Prerif. The presence of this wedge‐top basin points to a Tortonian‐Messinian compressional deformation that affected a wide area of the Rif, including the Prerif, Mesorif, and Intrarif. The late Miocene compressional deformation that affected the Mesorif and Intrarif occurred as out‐of‐sequence thrusting, due to renewed compressional tectonics in the internal zone of the chain triggered by the collision of the Rif accretionary wedge with the North African Margin. In the Neogene evolution of the Western Mediterranean subduction‐related orogen, the late Miocene was a major pulse in the interplay between African and European plates, as evidenced by the increase in migration rates of some segments of the circum‐Mediterranean fold‐and‐thrust belt, the out‐of‐sequence thrusting in the Rif, as well as the occurrence of late Miocene imbricate thrust structures in oceanic fracture zones of the African Plate (Central Atlantic Ocean).
From Crustal Thickening to Orogen‐Parallel Escape: The 120‐Myr‐Long HT‐LP Evolution Recorded by Titanite in the Paleozoic Famatinian Backarc, NW Argentina
Authors: Farias Pablo , Weinberg Roberto , Sola Alfonso , Becchio Raul
Published: September 2020

Exposed sections of accretionary orogens allow reconstruction of their tectonic evolution. Most commonly, orogens are characterized by two‐dimensional shortening perpendicular to the orogenic front. We describe the midcrustal section of the backarc of the early Paleozoic Famatinian accretionary orogen, exposed in the Sierra de Quilmes. Here crustal deformation evolved from a typical two‐dimensional shortening with tectonic transport toward the west, to a noncoaxial constrictional strain with a southward tectonic transport parallel to the orogen. During the early phase of deformation, high‐temperature and low‐pressure (HT‐LP) metamorphic complexes were juxtaposed by west directed thrusting on remarkably thick shear zones forming a thrust duplex. Deformation of the buried footwall complex continued after the exhumed hanging wall ceased to deform. We suggest that the thermally weakened footwall complex responded by initiating a phase of south verging thrusting, parallel to the orogen, associated with strong constriction, associated with L‐tectonites, and sheath folds. This late phase of deformation defines a noncoaxial constrictional regime characterized by simultaneous east‐west and vertical shortening and strong north‐south, orogen‐parallel stretching. Titanite ages and Zr‐in‐titanite thermometry demonstrate that this backarc remained above 700°C for 120 Myr between 500 and 380 Ma. Combined with regional geology, the new data suggest that west verging thrusting interrupted an early, back‐arc extensional phase, and lasted from ~470 to 440 Ma and that footwall constriction and south verging thrusting continued for another 40 to 60 Ma. The Famatinian backarc exposed in Sierra de Quilmes thus is an example of how shortening and orogenic growth in a hot orogen was counterbalanced by lateral flow.
The Mid‐eighth Century CE Surface Faulting Along the Dead Sea Fault at Tiberias (Sea of Galilee, Israel)
Authors: Ferrario M. F. , Katz O. , Hillman A. , Livio F. , Amit R. , Michetti A. M.
Published: September 2020

The Dead Sea Fault (DSF) is a plate‐boundary where large earthquakes are expected, but there is a lack of such events in the instrumental era. Sequences of earthquakes along the DSF are documented by historical evidence, one of the most devastating occurred in the mid‐eighth century CE. Here we describe site‐specific archaeoseismological observations at the ancient Tiberias city, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. We map Roman and Byzantine relics faulted in the mid‐eighth century CE by a pure normal fault. We use geophysical, geomorphological, and structural analyses integrated with published data, to assess the seismic hazard of the Jordan Valley Western Boundary Fault (JVWB). We propose that the normal JVWB can rupture the surface along its ~45 km trace running from Tiberias toward the S crossing Bet Shean, Tel Rehov, and Tel Teomim. The JVWB, parallel to the main strike‐slip Jordan Valley Fault segment, might be regarded as a major earthquake source in this region. We test the hypotheses of both single fault and multifaults rupture scenarios, which result in an expected range of Mw from 6.9 (single rupture of the JVWB) to 7.6 (multiple rupture of the JVWB and Jordan Valley Fault). Our results suggest that seismic source characterization in the Sea of Galilee region must include normal faults capable of surface rupturing, despite the absence of such events in the instrumental catalogue.
Influence of Radiation on Evaporation Rates: A Numerical Analysis
Authors: Heck K. , Coltman E. , Schneider J. , Helmig R.
Published: September 2020

We present a fully coupled soil‐atmosphere model that includes radiation in the energy balance of the coupling conditions between the two domains. The model is able to describe evaporation processes under the influence of turbulence, surface roughness, and soil heterogeneities and focuses specifically on the influence of radiation on the mass and energy transport across the soil‐atmosphere interface. It is shown that evaporation rates are clearly dominated by the diurnal cycle of solar irradiance. During Stage‐I evaporation maximum temperatures are regulated due to evaporative cooling, but after a transition into Stage‐II evaporation, temperatures rise tremendously. We compare two different soil types, a coarser, sandy soil and a finer, silty soil, and analyze evaporation rates, surface temperatures, and net radiation for three different wind conditions. The influence of surface undulations on radiation and evaporation is analyzed and shows that radiation can lead to different local drying patterns in the hills and the valleys of the porous medium, depending on the height of the undulations and on the direction of the Sun. At last a comparison of lysimeter measurement data to the numerical examples shows a good match for measured and calculated radiation values but evaporation rates are still overestimated in the model. Possible reasons for the discrepancy between measurement and model data are analyzed and are found to be uncertainties about the parameters close to the interface, which are decisive for determining evaporation rates.
Prenatal air pollution influences neurodevelopment and behavior in autism spectrum disorder by modulating mitochondrial physiology
Authors: Frye Richard E. , Cakir Janet , Rose Shannon , Delhey Leanna , Bennuri Sirish C. , Tippett Marie , Melnyk Stepan , James S. Jill , Palmer Raymond F. , Austin Christine , Curtin Paul , Arora Manish
Published: September 2020

We investigate the role of the mitochondrion, an organelle highly sensitive to environmental agents, in the influence of prenatal air pollution exposure on neurodevelopment and behavior in 96 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [45 with neurodevelopmental regression (NDR); 76% Male; mean (SD) age 10 y 9 m (3 y 9 m)]. Mitochondrial function was assessed using the Seahorse XFe96 in fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Second and third trimester average and maximal daily exposure to fine air particulate matter of diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) was obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System. Neurodevelopment was measured using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale 2nd edition and behavior was assessed using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and Social Responsiveness Scale. Prenatal PM2.5 exposure influenced mitochondrial respiration during childhood, but this relationship was different for those with (r = 0.25–0.40) and without (r = −0.07 to −0.19) NDR. Mediation analysis found that mitochondrial respiration linked to energy production accounted for 25% (SD = 2%) and 10% (SD = 2%) of the effect of average prenatal PM2.5 exposure on neurodevelopment and behavioral symptoms, respectively. Structural equation models estimated that PM2.5 and mitochondrial respiration accounted for 34% (SD = 4%) and 36% (SD = 3%) of the effect on neurodevelopment, respectively, and that behavior was indirectly influenced by mitochondrial respiration through neurodevelopment but directly influenced by prenatal PM2.5. Our results suggest that prenatal exposure to PM2.5 disrupts neurodevelopment and behavior through complex mechanisms, including long-term changes in mitochondrial respiration and that patterns of early development need to be considered when studying the influence of environmental agents on neurodevelopmental outcomes.
A potential biomarker for treatment stratification in psychosis: evaluation of an [18F] FDOPA PET imaging approach
Authors: Veronese Mattia , Santangelo Barbara , Jauhar Sameer , D’Ambrosio Enrico , Demjaha Arsime , Salimbeni Hugh , Huajie Jin , McCrone Paul , Turkheimer Federico , Howes Oliver
Published: September 2020

[18F]FDOPA PET imaging has shown dopaminergic function indexed asKicerdiffers between antipsychotic treatment responders and non-responders. However, the theragnostic potential of this biomarker to identify non-responders has yet to be evaluated. In view of this, we aimed to evaluate this as a theragnostic test using linear and non-linear machine-learning (i.e., Bernoulli, support vector, random forest and Gaussian processes) analyses and to develop and evaluate a simplified approach, standardised uptake value ratio (SUVRc). Both [18F]FDOPA PET approaches had good test-rest reproducibility across striatal regions (KicerICC: 0.68–0.94, SUVRc ICC: 0.76–0.91). Both our linear and non-linear classification models showed good predictive power to distinguish responders from non-responders (receiver operating curve area under the curve for region-of-interest approach:Kicer = 0.80, SUVRc = 0.79; for voxel-wise approach using a linear support vector machine: 0.88) and similar sensitivity for identifying treatment non-responders with 100% specificity (Kicer: ~50%, SUVRc: 40–60%). Although the findings were replicated in two independent datasets, given the total sample size (n = 84) and single setting, they warrant testing in other samples and settings. Preliminary economic analysis of [18F]FDOPA PET to fast-track treatment-resistant patients with schizophrenia to clozapine indicated a potential healthcare cost saving of ~£3400 (equivalent to $4232 USD) per patient. These findings indicate [18F]FDOPA PET dopamine imaging has potential as biomarker to guide treatment choice.
Air pollution could drive global dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes
Authors: Zhu Guibing , Wang Xiaomin , Yang Ting , Su Jianqiang , Qin Yu , Wang Shanyun , Gillings Michael , Wang Cheng , Ju Feng , Lan Bangrui , Liu Chunlei , Li Hu , Long Xi-En , Wang Xuming , Jetten Mike S M , Wang Zifa , Zhu Yong-Guan
Published: September 2020

Antibiotic-resistant pathogens pose a significant threat to human health. Several dispersal mechanisms have been described, but transport of both microbes and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) via atmospheric particles has received little attention as a pathway for global dissemination. These atmospheric particles can return to the Earth’s surface via rain or snowfall, and thus promote long-distance spread of ARGs. However, the diversity and abundance of ARGs in fresh snow has not been studied and their potential correlation with particulate air pollution is not well explored. Here, we characterized ARGs in 44 samples of fresh snow from major cities in China, three in North America, and one in Europe, spanning a gradient from pristine to heavily anthropogenically influenced ecosystems. High-throughput qPCR analysis of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) provided strong indications that dissemination of ARGs in fresh snow could be exacerbated by air pollution, severely increasing the health risks of both air pollution and ARGs. We showed that snowfall did effectively spread ARGs from point sources over the Earth surface. Together our findings urge for better pollution control to reduce the risk of global dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes.
Correction: Mesenchymal stem cells derived extracellular vesicles improve behavioral and biochemical deficits in a phencyclidine model of schizophrenia
Authors: Tsivion-Visbord Hadas , Perets Nisim , Sofer Tamar , Bikovski Lior , Goldshmit Yona , Ruban Aangela , Daniel Offen
Published: September 2020

In the original Article, two author’s names were misspelled/misstated: Dr. Angela Ruban’s name was previously misspelled as “Aangela Ruban”, and Dr. Daniel Offen’s forename and surname were transposed. Both names have been corrected in the PDF, HTML, and XML versions of this Article.
Compounding impact of severe weather events fuels marine heatwave in the coastal ocean
Authors: Dzwonkowski B. , Coogan J. , Fournier S. , Lockridge G. , Park K. , Lee T.
Published: September 2020

Exposure to extreme events is a major concern in coastal regions where growing human populations and stressed natural ecosystems are at significant risk to such phenomena. However, the complex sequence of processes that transform an event from notable to extreme can be challenging to identify and hence, limit forecast abilities. Here, we show an extreme heat content event (i.e., a marine heatwave) in coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico resulted from compounding effects of a tropical storm followed by an atmospheric heatwave. This newly identified process of generating extreme ocean temperatures occurred prior to landfall of Hurricane Michael during October of 2018 and, as critical contributor to storm intensity, likely contributed to the subsequent extreme hurricane. This pattern of compounding processes will also exacerbate other environmental problems in temperature-sensitive ecosystems (e.g., coral bleaching, hypoxia) and is expected to have expanding impacts under global warming predictions.
Half of resources in threatened species conservation plans are allocated to research and monitoring
Authors: Buxton Rachel T. , Avery-Gomm Stephanie , Lin Hsein-Yung , Smith Paul A. , Cooke Steven J. , Bennett Joseph R.
Published: September 2020

Funds to combat biodiversity loss are insufficient, requiring conservation managers to make trade-offs between costs for actions to avoid further loss and costs for research and monitoring to guide effective actions. Using species’ management plans for 2328 listed species from three countries we show that 50% of species’ proposed recovery plan budgets are allocated to research and monitoring. The proportion of budgets allocated to research and monitoring vary among jurisdictions and taxa, but overall, species with higher proportions of budgets allocated to research and monitoring have poorer recovery outcomes. The proportion allocated to research and monitoring is lower for more recent recovery plans, but for some species, plans have allocated the majority of funds to information gathering for decades. We provide recommendations for careful examination of the value of collecting new information in recovery planning to ensure that conservation programs emphasize action or research and monitoring that directly informs action.
Impacts of solar intermittency on future photovoltaic reliability
Authors: Yin Jun , Molini Annalisa , Porporato Amilcare
Published: September 2020

As photovoltaic power is expanding rapidly worldwide, it is imperative to assess its promise under future climate scenarios. While a great deal of research has been devoted to trends in mean solar radiation, less attention has been paid to its intermittent character, a key challenge when compounded with uncertainties related to climate variability. Using both satellite data and climate model outputs, we characterize solar radiation intermittency to assess future photovoltaic reliability. We find that the relation between the future power supply and long-term mean solar radiation trends is spatially heterogeneous, showing power reliability is more sensitive to the fluctuations of mean solar radiation in hot arid regions. Our results highlight how reliability analysis must account simultaneously for the mean and intermittency of solar inputs when assessing the impacts of climate change on photovoltaics.
Predicting heterogeneous ice nucleation with a data-driven approach
Authors: Fitzner Martin , Pedevilla Philipp , Michaelides Angelos
Published: September 2020

Water in nature predominantly freezes with the help of foreign materials through a process known as heterogeneous ice nucleation. Although this effect was exploited more than seven decades ago in Vonnegut’s pioneering cloud seeding experiments, it remains unclear what makes a material a good ice former. Here, we show through a machine learning analysis of nucleation simulations on a database of diverse model substrates that a set of physical descriptors for heterogeneous ice nucleation can be identified. Our results reveal that, beyond Vonnegut’s connection with the lattice match to ice, three new microscopic factors help to predict the ice nucleating ability. These are: local ordering induced in liquid water, density reduction of liquid water near the surface and corrugation of the adsorption energy landscape felt by water. With this we take a step towards quantitative understanding of heterogeneous ice nucleation and the in silico design of materials to control ice formation.
A cell-type deconvolution meta-analysis of whole blood EWAS reveals lineage-specific smoking-associated DNA methylation changes
Authors: You Chenglong , Wu Sijie , Zheng Shijie C. , Zhu Tianyu , Jing Han , Flagg Ken , Wang Guangyu , Jin Li , Wang Sijia , Teschendorff Andrew E.
Published: September 2020

Highly reproducible smoking-associated DNA methylation changes in whole blood have been reported by many Epigenome-Wide-Association Studies (EWAS). These epigenetic alterations could have important implications for understanding and predicting the risk of smoking-related diseases. To this end, it is important to establish if these DNA methylation changes happen in all blood cell subtypes or if they are cell-type specific. Here, we apply a cell-type deconvolution algorithm to identify cell-type specific DNA methylation signals in seven large EWAS. We find that most of the highly reproducible smoking-associated hypomethylation signatures are more prominent in the myeloid lineage. A meta-analysis further identifies a myeloid-specific smoking-associated hypermethylation signature enriched for DNase Hypersensitive Sites in acute myeloid leukemia. These results may guide the design of future smoking EWAS and have important implications for our understanding of how smoking affects immune-cell subtypes and how this may influence the risk of smoking related diseases.
Consensus transcriptional regulatory networks of coronavirus-infected human cells
Authors: Ochsner Scott A. , Pillich Rudolf T. , McKenna Neil J.
Published: September 2020

Establishing consensus around the transcriptional interface between coronavirus (CoV) infection and human cellular signaling pathways can catalyze the development of novel anti-CoV therapeutics. Here, we used publicly archived transcriptomic datasets to compute consensus regulatory signatures, or consensomes, that rank human genes based on their rates of differential expression in MERS-CoV (MERS), SARS-CoV-1 (SARS1) and SARS-CoV-2 (SARS2)-infected cells. Validating the CoV consensomes, we show that high confidence transcriptional targets (HCTs) of MERS, SARS1 and SARS2 infection intersect with HCTs of signaling pathway nodes with known roles in CoV infection. Among a series of novel use cases, we gather evidence for hypotheses that SARS2 infection efficiently represses E2F family HCTs encoding key drivers of DNA replication and the cell cycle; that progesterone receptor signaling antagonizes SARS2-induced inflammatory signaling in the airway epithelium; and that SARS2 HCTs are enriched for genes involved in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. The CoV infection consensomes and HCT intersection analyses are freely accessible through the Signaling Pathways Project knowledgebase, and as Cytoscape-style networks in the Network Data Exchange repository.
Local anaesthesia decreases nerve growth factor induced masseter hyperalgesia
Authors: Costa Yuri M. , Exposto Fernando G. , Castrillon Eduardo E. , Conti Paulo César R. , Bonjardim Leonardo R. , Svensson Peter
Published: September 2020

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of local anaesthesia on nerve growth factor (NGF) induced masseter hyperalgesia. Healthy participants randomly received an injection into the right masseter muscle of either isotonic saline (IS) given as a single injection (n = 15) or an injection of NGF (n = 30) followed by a second injection of lidocaine (NGF + lidocaine; n = 15) or IS (NGF + IS; n = 15) in the same muscle 48 h later. Mechanical sensitivity scores of the right and left masseter, referred sensations and jaw pain intensity and jaw function were assessed at baseline, 48 h after the first injection, 5 min after the second injection and 72 h after the first injection. NGF caused significant jaw pain evoked by chewing at 48 and 72 h after the first injection when compared to the IS group, but without significant differences between the NGF + lidocaine and NGF + IS groups. However, the mechanical sensitivity of the right masseter 5 min after the second injection in the NGF + lidocaine group was significantly lower than the second injection in the NGF + IS and was similar to the IS group. There were no significant differences for the referred sensations. Local anaesthetics may provide relevant information regarding the contribution of peripheral mechanisms in the maintenance of persistent musculoskeletal pain.
Correlation between δ18Ow and δ18Οen for estimating human mobility and paleomobility patterns
Authors: Dotsika Elissavet
Published: September 2020

In this study a methodology for identifying the geographic origin of unidentified persons, their residence and moving patterns while providing information on lifestyle, diet and socio-economic status by combining stable isotopic data, with the biological information (isotopic composition of the skeleton), is presented. This is accomplished by comparing the oxygen isotopic composition of the spring water that individuals were drinking, during their living period, with the oxygen isotopic composition of their tooth enamel bioapatite. Spring water and teeth samples were collected from individuals from three different areas of Greece: North Greece, Central Greece and South Greece and isotopic analysis of δ13C and δ18O of tooth enamel bioapatite and δ18O of spring water were conducted. For these three areas the isotopic methodology is a promising tool for discriminating the provenance. Furthermore, as a case study, this methodology is applied to two archeological sites of Greece (Medieval-Thebes and Roman-Edessa) in order to determine paleomobility patterns.
Serum fatty acid chain length associates with prevalent symptomatic end-stage osteoarthritis, independent of BMI
Authors: Meessen J. M. T. A. , Saberi-Hosnijeh F. , Bomer N. , den Hollander W. , van der Bom J. G. , van Hilten J. A. , van Spil W. E. , So-Osman C. , Uitterlinden A. G. , Kloppenburg M. , Nelissen R. G. H. H. , van Duijn C. M. , Slagboom P. E. , van Meurs J. B. J. , Meulenbelt I.
Published: September 2020

Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in both weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing joints, suggesting a link between OA and poor metabolic health beyond mechanical loading. This risk may be influenced by systemic factors accompanying BMI. Fluctuations in concentrations of metabolites may mark or even contribute to development of OA. This study explores the association of metabolites with radiographic knee/hip OA prevalence and progression. A 1H-NMR-metabolomics assay was performed on plasma samples of 1564 cases for prevalent OA and 2,125 controls collected from the Rotterdam Study, CHECK, GARP/NORREF and LUMC-arthroplasty cohorts. OA prevalence and 5 to 10 year progression was assessed by means of Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) score and the OARSI-atlas. End-stage knee/hip OA (TJA) was defined as indication for arthroplasty surgery. Controls did not have OA at baseline or follow-up. Principal component analysis of 227 metabolites demonstrated 23 factors, of which 19 remained interpretable after quality-control. Associations of factor scores with OA definitions were investigated with logistic regression. Fatty acids chain length (FALen), which was included in two factors which associated with TJA, was individually associated with both overall OA as well as TJA. Increased Fatty Acid chain Length is associated with OA.
Unique repertoire of anti-carbohydrate antibodies in individual human serum
Authors: Luetscher Ralph N. D. , McKitrick Tanya R. , Gao Chao , Mehta Akul Y. , McQuillan Alyssa M. , Kardish Robert , Boligan Kayluz Frias , Song Xuezheng , Lu Lenette , Heimburg-Molinaro Jamie , von Gunten Stephan , Alter Galit , Cummings Richard D.
Published: September 2020

Humoral immunity to pathogens and other environmental challenges is paramount to maintain normal health, and individuals lacking or unable to make antibodies are at risk. Recent studies indicate that many human protective antibodies are against carbohydrate antigens; however, little is known about repertoires and individual variation of anti-carbohydrate antibodies in healthy individuals. Here we analyzed anti-carbohydrate antibody repertoires (ACARs) of 105 healthy individual adult donors, aged 20–60+from different ethnic backgrounds to explore variations in antibodies, as defined by binding to glycan microarrays and by affinity purification. Using microarrays that contained > 1,000 glycans, including antigens from animal cells and microbes, we profiled the IgG and IgM ACARs from all donors. Each donor expressed many ACAs, but had a relatively unique ACAR, which included unanticipated antibodies to carbohydrate antigens not well studied, such as chitin oligosaccharides, Forssman-related antigens, globo-type antigens, and bacterial glycans. We also saw some expected antibodies to ABO(H) blood group and α-Gal-type antigens, although these also varied among individuals. Analysis suggests differences in ACARs are associated with ethnicity and age. Thus, each individual ACAR is relatively unique, suggesting that individualized information could be useful in precision medicine for predicting and monitoring immune health and resistance to disease.
Lifespan risks of growing up in a family with mental illness or substance abuse
Authors: Clemens Vera , Berthold Oliver , Witt Andreas , Sachser Cedric , Brähler Elmar , Plener Paul L. , Strauß Bernhard , Fegert Jörg M.
Published: September 2020

Growing up in a family with one member being affected by mental health problems or substance abuse is an adverse childhood experience which can lead to socioeconomic and health-related impairments in later life. Furthermore, the risk of child maltreatment is increased in affected families, which often adds to the individual risk factors. However, the interdependence between the particular risk factors is not well understood. To examine the correlation between mental health problems or substance abuse and child maltreatment within families and long term consequences for affected children, a cross sectional population representative survey in Germany (N = 2,531) has been conducted. The risk of child maltreatment was 5 to 5.6 times higher if mental illness and 4.9 to 6.9 times higher if substance abuse of a family member was reported. Furthermore, the risk of health problems, including obesity, decreased life satisfaction, lower income, low educational achievement, unemployment and living without a partner was increased if participants grew up in a family affected by mental health problems or substance abuse. All associations were mediated significantly by child maltreatment. These results point towards an urgent need for greater awareness for child protection issues in families affected by mental health problems or substance abuse.
Population genetic structure of the great star coral, Montastraea cavernosa, across the Cuban archipelago with comparisons between microsatellite and SNP markers
Authors: Sturm Alexis B. , Eckert Ryan J. , Méndez Juliett González , González-Díaz Patricia , Voss Joshua D.
Published: September 2020

Coral reef habitats surrounding Cuba include relatively healthy, well-developed shallow and mesophotic (30–150 m) scleractinian communities at the cross-currents of the Tropical Western Atlantic (TWA). However, Cuba’s coral communities are not immune to the declines observed throughout the TWA, and there is limited information available regarding genetic connectivity, diversity, and structure among these populations. This represents an immense gap in our understanding of coral ecology and population dynamics at both local and regional scales. To address this gap, we evaluated the population genetic structure of the coral Montastraea cavernosa across eight reef sites surrounding Cuba. Colonies were genotyped using nine microsatellite markers and > 9,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers generated using the 2bRAD approach to assess fine-scale genetic structure across these sites. Both the microsatellite and SNP analyses identified patterns of genetic differentiation among sample populations. While the microsatellite analyses did not identify significant genetic structure across the seven shallow M. cavernosa sampling sites, the SNP analyses revealed significant pairwise population differentiation, suggesting that differentiation is greater between eastern and western sites. This study provides insight into methodological differences between microsatellite and SNP markers including potential trade-offs between marker-specific biases, sample size, sequencing costs, and the ability to resolve subtle patterns of population genetic structure. Furthermore, this study suggests that locations in western Cuba may play important roles in this species’ regional metapopulation dynamics and therefore may merit incorporation into developing international management efforts in addition to the local management the sites receive.
Pancreatic β-cells respond to fuel pressure with an early metabolic switch
Authors: Malinowski Ronja M. , Ghiasi Seyed M. , Mandrup-Poulsen Thomas , Meier Sebastian , Lerche Mathilde H. , Ardenkjær-Larsen Jan H. , Jensen Pernille R.
Published: September 2020

Pancreatic β-cells become irreversibly damaged by long-term exposure to excessive glucose concentrations and lose their ability to carry out glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) upon damage. The β-cells are not able to control glucose uptake and they are therefore left vulnerable for endogenous toxicity from metabolites produced in excess amounts upon increased glucose availability. In order to handle excess fuel, the β-cells possess specific metabolic pathways, but little is known about these pathways. We present a study of β-cell metabolism under increased fuel pressure using a stable isotope resolved NMR approach to investigate early metabolic events leading up to β-cell dysfunction. The approach is based on a recently described combination of 13C metabolomics combined with signal enhanced NMR via dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (dDNP). Glucose-responsive INS-1 β-cells were incubated with increasing concentrations of [U-13C] glucose under conditions where GSIS was not affected (2–8 h). We find that pyruvate and DHAP were the metabolites that responded most strongly to increasing fuel pressure. The two major divergence pathways for fuel excess, the glycerolipid/fatty acid metabolism and the polyol pathway, were found not only to operate at unchanged rate but also with similar quantity.
Removal of anionic dye Congo red from aqueous environment using polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate/ZSM-5 zeolite membrane
Authors: Radoor Sabarish , Karayil Jasila , Parameswaranpillai Jyotishkumar , Siengchin Suchart
Published: September 2020

In this study, a novel PVA/SA/ZSM-5 zeolite membrane with good regeneration capacity was successfully prepared by solvent casting technique. The properties of the membranes were assessed by employing different characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), optical microscopy (OP), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), contact angle and universal testing machine (UTM). XRD, TGA and UTM results revealed that the crystallinity and thermo-mechanical performance of the membrane could be tuned with zeolite content. The successful incorporation of zeolite into the polymer matrix was confirmed by FT-IR, SEM and OP analysis. The adsorption ability of the as-prepared membrane was evaluated with a model anionic dye, Congo red. Adsorption studies show that the removal efficiency of the membrane could be tuned by varying zeolite content, initial concentration of dye, contact time, pH and temperature. Maximum dye adsorption (5.33 mg/g) was observed for 2.5 wt% zeolite loaded membrane, at an initial dye concentration of 10 ppm, pH 3 and temperature 30 °C. The antibacterial efficiency of the membrane against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) was also reported. The results show that membrane inhibits the growth of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The adsorption isotherm was studied using two models: Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm. The results show that the experimental data fitted well with Freundlich isotherm with a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.998). Meanwhile, the kinetic studies demonstrate that pseudo-second-order (R2 = 0.999) model describe the adsorption of Congo red onto PVA/SA/ZSM-5 zeolite membrane better than pseudo-first-order (R2 = 0.972) and intra particle diffusion model (R2 = 0.91). The experimental studies thus suggest that PVA/SA/ZSM-5 zeolite could be a promising candidate for the removal of Congo red from aqueous solution.
Author Correction: Bioprocessing strategies for cost-effective simultaneous removal of chromium and malachite green by marine alga Enteromorpha intestinalis
Authors: Hamouda Ragaa A. , El-Naggar Noura El-Ahmady , Doleib Nada M. , Saddiq Amna A.
Published: September 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Fine-scale landscape genetics unveiling contemporary asymmetric movement of red panda (Ailurus fulgens) in Kangchenjunga landscape, India
Authors: Dalui Supriyo , Khatri Hiren , Singh Sujeet Kumar , Basu Shambadeb , Ghosh Avijit , Mukherjee Tanoy , Sharma Lalit Kumar , Singh Randeep , Chandra Kailash , Thakur Mukesh
Published: September 2020

Wildlife management in rapid changing landscapes requires critical planning through cross cutting networks, and understanding of landscape features, often affected by the anthropogenic activities. The present study demonstrates fine-scale spatial patterns of genetic variation and contemporary gene flow of red panda (Ailurus fulgens) populations with respect to landscape connectivity in Kangchenjunga Landscape (KL), India. The study found about 1,309.54 km2area suitable for red panda in KL—India, of which 62.21% area fell under the Protected Area network. We identified 24 unique individuals from 234 feces collected at nine microsatellite loci. The spatially explicit and non-explicit Bayesian clustering algorithms evident to exhibit population structuring and supported red panda populations to exist in meta-population frame work. In concurrence to the habitat suitability and landscape connectivity models, gene flow results supported a contemporary asymmetric movement of red panda by connecting KL—India in a crescent arc. We demonstrate the structural-operational connectivity of corridors in KL—India that facilitated red panda movement in the past. We also seek for cooperation in Nepal, Bhutan and China to aid in preparing for a comprehensive monitoring plan for the long-term conservation and management of red panda in trans-boundary landscapes.
Foraging postures are a potential communicative
signal in female bonobos
Authors: Demuru Elisa , Pellegrino François , Dediu Dan , Levréro Florence
Published: September 2020

Body postures are essential in animal behavioural repertoires and their
communicative role has been assessed in a wide array of taxa and contexts. Some body
postures function as amplifiers, a class of signals
that increase the detection likelihood of other signals. While foraging on the ground,
bonobos (Pan paniscus) can adopt different crouching
postures exposing more or less of their genital area. To our knowledge, their potential
functional role in the sociosexual life of bonobos has not been assessed yet. Here we
show, by analysing more than 2,400 foraging events in 21 captive bonobos, that mature
females adopt a rear-exposing posture (forelimb-crouch) and do so significantly more often when their anogenital
region is swollen than during the non-swollen phase. In contrast, mature males almost
completely avoid this posture. Moreover, this strong difference results from a diverging
ontogeny between males and females since immature males and females adopt the forelimb-crouch at similar frequencies. Our findings suggest
that the forelimb-crouch posture may play a
communicative role of amplification by enhancing the visibility of female sexual
swellings, a conspicuous signal that is very attractive for both males and females.
Given the high social relevance of this sexual signal, our study emphasizes that
postural signalling in primates probably deserves more attention, even outside of
reproductive contexts.
Neuroprotective effect of indomethacin in normal perfusion pressure breakthrough phenomenon
Authors: Revuelta Manuel , Zamarrón Alvaro , Fortes Jose , Rodríguez-Boto Gregorio , Gutiérrez-González Raquel
Published: September 2020

Loss of cerebral autoregulation in normal perfusion pressure breakthrough (NPPB) phenomenon has been reported in other Central Nervous System diseases such as neonatal intraventricular haemorrhage. Several studies have demonstrated that low-dose indomethacin prevents this latter condition. A previous rat model was used to resemble NPPB phenomenon. Study animals were distributed in 4 groups that received 3 doses of indomethacin at different concentrations prior to fistula occlusion 60 days after its creation. Control animals received saline solution. Intracranial pressure (ICP) increased in all groups following fistula creation, whereas mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) decreased as a manifestation of cerebral hypoperfusion and intracranial hypertension. The administration of indomethacin was associated with raised MAP and CPP, as well as decreased ICP. Sodium fluorescein extravasation was slight in study animals when comparing with control ones. Histological analysis evidenced diffuse ischaemic changes with signs of neuronal apoptosis in all brain layers in control animals. These findings were only focal and slight in study animals. The results suggest the usefulness of indomethacin to revert, at least partially, the haemodynamic effects of NPPB phenomenon in this experimental model, as well as to reduce BBB disruption and histological ischemia observed in absence of indomethacin.
Rhizobacterial species richness improves sorghum growth and soil nutrient synergism in a nutrient-poor greenhouse soil
Authors: Sahib Mohammad Radhi , Pervaiz Zahida H. , Williams Mark A. , Saleem Muhammad , DeBolt Seth
Published: September 2020

Although microbes influence plant growth, little is known about the impact of microbial diversity on plant fitness trade-offs, intraspecific-interactions, and soil nutrient dynamics in the context of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) research. The BEF theory states that higher species richness can enhance ecosystem functioning. Thus, we hypothesize that rhizobacterial species richness will alter sorghum (Sorghum bicolorL.) growth, soil nutrient dynamics and interactions (antagonism or synergism) in a nutrient-poor greenhouse soil. Using six rhizobacterial species in a BEF experiment, we tested the impact of a species richness gradient (0, 1, 3, 5 or 6 species per community) on plant growth, nutrient assimilation, and soil nutrient dynamics via seed-inoculation. Our experiment included, one un-inoculated control, six rhizobacterial monoculture(Pseudomonas poae, Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus pumilus., Pantoea agglomerance., Microbacterium sp.,andSerratia marcescens),and their nine mixture treatments in triplicate (48). Rhizobacterial species richness enhanced per pot above- or below-ground dry mass. However, the per plant growth and plant nutrient assimilation declined, most likely, due to microbial-driven competitive interactions among sorghum plants. But nevertheless, some rhizobacterial monoculture and mixture treatments improved per plant (shoot and root) growth and nutrient assimilation as well. Soil nutrient contents were mostly lower at higher plant-associated rhizobacterial diversity; among these, the soil Zn contents decreased significantly across the rhizobacterial diversity gradient. Rhizobacterial diversity promoted synergistic interactions among soil nutrients and improved root–soil interactions. Overall, our results suggest that a higher rhizobacterial diversity may enhance soil–plant interactions and total productivity under resource limited conditions.
Retraction Note: Comparison of traditional and new generation DNA markers declares high genetic diversity and differentiated population structure of wild almond species
Authors: Sorkheh Karim , Dehkordi Mehrana Koohi , Ercisli Sezai , Hegedus Attila , Halász Júlia
Published: September 2020

Editor's Note: this Article has been retracted; the Retraction Note is available at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-72522-x
Exploring dependence of COVID-19 on environmental factors and spread prediction in India
Authors: Bherwani Hemant , Gupta Ankit , Anjum Saima , Anshul Avneesh , Kumar Rakesh
Published: September 2020

COVID-19 has taken the world by storm, with the majority of nations still being challenged by the novel coronavirus. The present work attempts to evaluate the spread of COVID-19 in India using the Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed (SEIR) model to establish the impact of socio-behavioural aspects, especially social distancing. The impact of environmental factors like temperature and relative humidity (RH) using statistical methods, including Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Pearson’s correlation, is also studied on numbers of COVID-19 cases per day. Here we report the resultant changes of lockdowns-unlocks initiated by the Government of India for COVID-19, as against the scenario of total lockdown. The phased unlocks and crowded gatherings result in an increase in the number of cases and stretch the mitigation timeline of COVID-19 spread, delaying the flattening of the curve. The SEIR model predictions have been fairly validated against the actual cases. The daily spread of COVID-19 cases is also fairly correlated with temperature in Indian cities, as supported by well-established causation of the role of higher temperatures in disrupting the lipid layer of coronavirus, but is greatly undermined by the key factor of social distancing and gets confounded with other multiple unknown co-varying environmental factors. However, the analysis couldn’t clearly establish the role of RH in affecting daily COVID-19 cases. Hence, it becomes essential to include environmental parameters into epidemiological models like SEIR and to systematically plan controlled laboratory experiments and modeling studies to draw conclusive inferences, assisting policymakers and stakeholders in formulating comprehensive action plans to alleviate the COVID-19 spread.
Enhanced liquid phase exfoliation of graphene in water using an insoluble bis-pyrene stabiliser
Authors: Shin Yuyoung , Just-Baringo Xavier , Boyes Matthew , Panigrahi Adyasha , Zarattini Marco , Chen Yingxian , Liu Xinyun , Morris Gareth , Prestat Eric , Kostarelos Kostas , Vranic Sandra , Larrosa Igor , Casiraghi Cinzia
Published: September 2020

Pyrene derivatives with extremely low solubility can be exceptionally efficient as exfoliating agents.
Non-invasive depth determination of inclusion in biological tissues using spatially offset Raman spectroscopy with external calibration
Authors: Mosca Sara , Dey Priyanka , Salimi Marzieh , Palombo Francesca , Stone Nick , Matousek Pavel
Published: September 2020

Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) allows chemical characterisation of biological tissues at depths enabling in vivo localization of biomarkers for early disease diagnosis.
Iron(ii)-induced cycloisomerization of alkynes via “non-vinylidene” pathways for iron(ii)-indolizine and -indolizinone complexes
Authors: Chan Siu-Chung , Yeung Chi-Fung , Shek Hau-Lam , Ng Sze-Wing , Tse Sheung-Ying , Tse Man-Kit , Yiu Shek-Man , Wong Chun-Yuen
Published: September 2020

Isolation of the first Fe(ii)-indolizine and -indolizinone complexes revealed unconventional Fe(ii)-alkyne reaction pathways.
A novel expanded metal–organic framework for balancing volumetric and gravimetric methane storage working capacities
Authors: Wen Hui-Min , Shao Kai , Zhou Wei , Li Bin , Chen Banglin
Published: September 2020

The isoreticular extension and functionalization of NOTT-101a to UTSA-111a can improve and balance the volumetric and gravimetric methane storage working capacities simultaneously.
ZrB2as an earth-abundant metal diboride catalyst for electroreduction of dinitrogen to ammonia
Authors: Li Qingqing , Cheng Yonghua , Li Xiaotian , Guo Yali , Chu Ke
Published: September 2020

ZrB2nanocubes show a high NH3production rate (37.7 μg h−1mg−1) and Faradaic efficiency (18.2%), attributed to a unique tetranuclear N2adsorption side-on mode for ZrB2that could strongly activate N2and lower the reaction energy barrier.
Chemical synthesis of α(2,8) octasialosides, the minimum structure of polysialic acids
Authors: Koinuma Ryousuke , Tohda Kazuki , Aoyagi Taku , Tanaka Hiroshi
Published: September 2020

Modification of a sialic acid with just carbonyl protecting groups opened the door to a chemical synthesis of polysialic acids.
Pyrocatalytic oxidation – strong size-dependent poling effect on catalytic activity of pyroelectric BaTiO3 nano- and microparticles
Authors: Raufeisen Sascha , Neumeister Peter , Buchheim Johannes R. , Stelter Michael , Braeutigam Patrick
Published: September 2020

Elucidating the interdependence between particle size, poling and catalytic activity for highly active pyroelectric BaTiO3 powder catalysts.
The effect of elevated temperatures on excitonic emission and degradation processes of WS2 monolayers
Authors: Kaupmees Reelika , Walke Peter , Madauß Lukas , Maas Andre , Pollmann Erik , Schleberger Marika , Grossberg Maarja , Krustok Jüri
Published: September 2020

Controlled heating experiments in an inert environment have been performed on WS2 monolayers, in order to clarify the conflicting reports on the high-temperature photoluminescent response of 2D TMDs.
The impact of metal coordination on the assembly of bis(indolyl)methane-naphthalene-diimide amphiphiles
Authors: Bayindir Sinan , Lee Kwang Soo , Saracoglu Nurullah , Parquette Jon R.
Published: September 2020

In this work, we report the impact of pH and metal coordination on the self-assembly of amphiphiles comprised of naphthalenediimide (NDI)–bis(indolyl)methane (BIM) chromophores with a charged l-lysine head group.