bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soil erosion and sediment transport modelling using hydrological models and remote sensing techniques in Wadi Billi, Egypt
Authors: Almasalmeh O. , Saleh Ahmed Adel , Mourad Khaldoon A.
Published: March 2021

Modelling soil erosion and sediment transport are vital to assess the impact of the flash floods. However, limited research works have studied sediment transport, especially in Egypt. This paper employs the HEC-HMS lumped hydrological model to predict the sediment load due to the flood event of 9th March 2014 in Wadi Billi, Egypt. The Modified USLE model has been used to calculate the total upland erosion, while Laursen-Copeland has been used to simulate load streams’ sediment transport potential. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) has been applied over Landsat 8 image captured on 20th February 2014 using ArcMap 10.5 to determine the vegetation cover based on its spectral footprint. The resulted sedigraph showed accumulation of more than five thousand tons of sediments at the Wadi’s outlet. The results are crucial to design a suitable stormwater management system to protect the downstream urban area and to use flood water for groundwater recharge.
Advances in ethics education in the history classroom: after intersections of moral and historical consciousness
Authors: Löfström Jan , Ammert Niklas , Edling Silvia , Sharp Heather
Published: March 2021

Using the history classroom as a context for ethics and moral education is a long, but also contested, tradition. Recently, more emphasis has been put on how to incorporate ethics education, with this paper exploring the spaces of ethics and moral education in the history classroom. It is argued here that insights from moral philosophy and theories of historical consciousness, but – importantly – also moral psychology and the study of moral emotions, are needed to realise the potential of history teaching and learning to support ethics education. Following this line, three spaces of ethics education in the history classroom are identified in this paper, including: reasoning about the moral quality of historical actors’ conduct; the use of historical empathy (perspective-taking); and reflection of the past’s moral meaning to the present and the future. As an example of how to implement this, a set of stimulus activities is presented that is designed for the classroom and a qualitative analysis of students’ responses that explicate expressions of students’ moral reasoning, perspective-taking, and historical consciousness.
Difference in mood at work and home. An additional indicator of job satisfaction
Authors: Gaucher Renaud , Burger Martijn , Veenhoven Ruut
Published: March 2021

New techniques for multiple moment assessment allow us to assess how people feel at different times of the day. These techniques are mostly used to assess how well people feel during particular activities, such as during work or childcare. In this paper we focus on thedifferencein how well people feel at work and at home. The following questions are addressed: 1) How large is the difference in mood at work and at home? 2) How much does the difference in mood at work and at home vary across kinds of people and occupations? 3) Is the difference in mood at work and at home associated with job satisfaction as measured using common general retrospective ratings or does it tap another aspect of job satisfaction? We explore answers to these questions, using data from a diary study in the Netherlands, done using an e-application of the Day Reconstruction Method (DRM) in which 1,410 people provided information about mood experienced in 32,000 episodes. We found that the average difference in mood at work and at home is small in this sample but that it varies across people and occupations. We found a low correlation of the difference in mood with the respondent’s retrospective ratings of their general job satisfaction, which suggests that there is more in the phenomena of job satisfaction than is measured using the usual questions on general job satisfaction. This, as yet unrecognized, aspect of job satisfaction is likely to add to information demands behind common measurements of job satisfaction, that is, to indicate the quality of the work conditions and estimate chances to improve worker performance and reduce turnover by making work more satisfying. We suggest an agenda for research in these areas of possible gains.
Operating an HPC/HTC Cluster with Fully Containerized Jobs Using HTCondor, Singularity, CephFS and CVMFS
Authors: Freyermuth Oliver , Wienemann Peter , Bechtle Philip , Desch Klaus
Published: March 2021

High performance and high throughput computing (HPC/HTC) is challenged by ever increasing demands on the software stacks and more and more diverging requirements by different research communities. This led to a reassessment of the operational concept of HPC/HTC clusters at the Physikalisches Institut at the University of Bonn. As a result, the present HPC/HTC cluster (named BAF2) introduced various conceptual changes compared to conventional clusters. All jobs are now run in containers and a container-aware resource management system is used which allowed us to switch to a model without login/head nodes. Furthermore, a modern, feature-rich storage system with powerful interfaces has been deployed. We describe the design considerations, the implemented functionality and the operational experience gained with this new-generation setup which turned out to be very successful and well-accepted by its users.
Comparative seasonal assessment of pollution and health risks associated with heavy metals in water, sediment and Fish of Buriganga and Turag River in Dhaka City, Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain M. N. , Rahaman Ashiqur , Hasan Md. Jawad , Uddin Md. Minhaz , Khatun Nazma , Shamsuddin Sayed Md.
Published: March 2021

Heavy-metal pollution of surface water, sediment and fish have been seen as a major global problem, with a significant proportion of developing countries like Bangladesh. This study assessed the intensity of alarming six toxic substances (Cr, Zn, Fe, Cu, Pb and Ni) throughout the River water, sediments as well as soft tissues of three widely consumed fishes (Heteropneustes fossilis, Channa punctatus and Channa striata) obtained from two urban streams of the Buriganga and Turag in the Dhaka metropolitan. For evaluating the comparative seasonal variation of heavy-metal concentration, water and sediment samples were collected from five selected sites for two different seasons (viz. 10 from winter seasons and 10 from summer seasons). Finally, a total of 20 water samples, 20 sediment and 12 fish samples were investigated by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (GFAAS) corrected with the Zeeman effect background correction system. The hierarchy of mean concentration of selected heavy metals in Buriganga water is found to be Fe > Cr > Ni > Zn > Cu > Pb in the winter season whereas during the summer season the order is Fe > Cr > Zn > Ni > Cu > Pb. For the River Turag, the order is Fe > Zn > Cu > Ni > Cr > Pb and Fe > Zn > Ni > Cu > Cr > Pb during winter and summer season, respectively. The level of metals studied surpassed the acceptable level of drinkable water, implying the ineptitude of drinking and cooking water from these Rivers. However, this hierarchy of heavy metals for sediments of Buriganga River changed to Fe > Cr > Ni > Zn > Cu > Pb for the winter season and Fe > Cr > Ni > Cu > Zn > Pb for the summer season. Whereas, for the Turag River, the decreasing trend of metal concentration found in sediment was Fe > Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Pb for both seasons. For probable human health hazard implications, contamination factor (CF) and pollution load index (PLI) were studied. The CF values revealed the low-to-moderate pollution of sediment. The PLI value above one shows the degradation of the consistency of the sediments. Fe, Ni, Pb, Cr, Zn and Cu concentrations in fish species were found to be 19.66–45.1, 0.07–12.18, 1.2–10.18, 20.18–187.07, 11.08–68.25, 2.07–10.4 mg/kg, respectively. The metals studied differed considerably among organisms and seasons. Bioconcentration factor (BCF), the daily average consumption of metal (EDI), as well as target threat quotients (THQs) for specific metal indicated that Cr and Pb are harmful in fish muscles and possible risks remain for fish consumers. The obtained concentrations of some metals are higher than the WHO/FAO’s permissible limit, suggesting that the water and fish found in these Rivers are like to be harmful to the human being. This study shows that attention should be given to the risk assessment for heavy metals in these Rivers.
Two novel protocols for optimizing energy consumption in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks using fuzzy logic for monitoring, diagnosis and target tracking
Authors: Koosheshi Kambiz
Published: March 2021

In this study, we present two novel protocols for optimizing energy consumption in heterogeneous wireless sensor networks for supervising the environment and multi-target detecting and tracking in real large-scale areas. The use of mobile sink in wireless sensor networks, despite its numerous advantages, is impossible in the majority of environments. Hence, by utilization of a novel scheme for duty cycle integrated with fuzzy logic, despite using a fixed base station, the propose protocol can enhance network lifetime even more than those protocols which use mobile sink for data collection. In this protocol, by introducing an unequal clustering method based on fuzzy logic, the possibility of energy holes problem is very far from expectation. Simulation of the proposed protocol through Matlab indicated that the proposed method outperformed other available methods with regard to preventing energy hole. Consequently, network lifetime is enhanced even in large-sized networks.
Community capability building for environmental conservation in Lake Biwa (Japan) through an adaptive and abductive approach
Authors: Kondo Yasuhisa , Fujisawa Eiichi , Ishikawa Kanako , Nakahara Satoe , Matsushita Kyohei , Asano Satoshi , Kamatani Kaoru , Suetsugu Satoko , Kano Kei , Kumazawa Terukazu , Sato Kenichi , Okuda Noboru
Published: March 2021

In the south basin of Lake Biwa, Shiga, Japan, overgrown aquatic weeds (submerged macrophytes) impede cruising boats and cause unpleasant odors and undesirable waste when washed ashore. To address this socio-ecological problem, Shiga Prefectural Government implemented a public program to remove overgrown weeds and compost them ashore to conserve the lake environment, while coastal inhabitants and occasional volunteers remove weeds from the beaches to maintain the quality of the living environment. However, these effects are limited because of disjointed social networks. We applied an adaptive and abductive approach to develop community capability to jointly address this problem by sharing academic knowledge with local actors and empowering them. The initial multifaceted reviews, including interviews and postal questionnaire surveys, revealed that the agro-economic value of composted weeds declined in historical and socio-psychological contexts and that most of the unengaged public relied on local governments to address environmental problems. These findings were synthesized and assessed with workshop participants, including local inhabitants, governmental agents, businesspeople, social entrepreneurs, and research experts, to unearth the best solution. The workshops resulted in the development of an e-point system, calledBiwa Point, to promote and acknowledge voluntary environmental conservation activities, including beach cleaning. It may contribute to enhancing the socio-ecological capability of communities. Additionally, ethical issues, such as publication of inconvenient truths, undesired interpretation by the researchers, and social constraints in research methods, arose through our research practice.
The Momo Challenge: measuring the extent to which YouTube portrays harmful and helpful depictions of a suicide game
Authors: Kobilke Lara , Markiewitz Antonia
Published: March 2021

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents (15 to 29 years), who are in a life stage of exceptional vulnerability and susceptibility to depictions of non-suicidal self-injury and suicide. Allegedly, the suicide game Momo Challenge used this vulnerability to demand their players to perform self-harming dares and, ultimately, commit suicide. This study gives insight into the content, engagement rates and community formation of Momo Challenge videos on YouTube. We combine a network analysis (n = 209) with a manual content analysis of the videos (n = 105; 50%). Results show that more than two thirds of the videos include some form of harmful depiction. In addition, videos with a higher extent of harmful depictions are more likely to be engaged with, e.g., through likes (ρ = 0.332, p < 0.001). We discuss how YouTube has responded to the challenge and which implications arise for practice and theory.
The effect of nursing self-care educational intervention on depression in women with breast cancer undergoing post-mastectomy chemotherapy: A quasi-experimental study
Authors: Bouya Salehoddin , Barahoie Zeynab , Kiani Fatemeh
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACT

Background and objective:

Depression is one of the most common psychological reactions that patients show during diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of nursing self-care educational intervention on reducing depression in women with breast cancer undergoing post-mastectomy chemotherapy.

Methods:

This quasi-experimental study (pre-test-post-test) was performed on 90 women with breast cancer undergoing post-mastectomy chemotherapy referred to two teaching hospitals in southeastern Iran from September 1, 2019, to December 1, 2020. Patients were selected using the convenience sampling method and randomly assigned into intervention (nursing self-care educational intervention) and control (routine care) groups. The standard BDI-13 instrument was used to assess depression.

Results:

In this study, the mean age of patients in the intervention and control groups was 46.20 and 44.64, respectively. The results showed that the nursing self-care educational intervention in the intervention group compared to the control group significantly reduced depression in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy after mastectomy (p = 0.001).

Conclusion:

According to the results of the present study, nursing self-care educational intervention can be used as an effective and cost-effective adjunctive therapy along with common treatments to reduce depression in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy after mastectomy.

Highlights
REFLEXIVITY INDEX AND IRRATIONAL ROTATIONS
Authors: MA BINGZHANG , HARRISON K. J.
Published: March 2021

We determine the reflexivity index of some closed set lattices by constructing maps relative to irrational rotations. For example, various nests of closed balls and some topological spaces, such as even-dimensional spheres and a wedge of two circles, have reflexivity index 2. We also show that a connected double of spheres has reflexivity index at most 2.
Angkor Wat: A transcultural history of heritages
Authors: Chen Chanratana
Published: March 2021

In December 2019, Michael Falser, of the University of Heidelberg, a specialist on heritage preservation and the art and architectural history of South and Southeast Asia, published his two-volume study, Angkor Wat: A transcultural history of heritages, which he had spent almost ten years researching. The volumes cover the history of research of the most famous monument in Cambodia, Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious monument, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992. The two volumes include more than 1,400 black-and-white and colour illustrations, including historical photographs and the author's own photographs, architectural plans and samples of tourist brochures and media clips about Angkor Wat, which has been represented as a national and international icon for almost 150 years, since the 1860s.
Articulation of geminate obstruents in the Ikema dialect of Miyako Ryukyuan: A real-time MRI analysis
Authors: Fujimoto Masako , Shinohara Shigeko , Mochihashi Daichi
Published: March 2021

The Ikema dialect of Miyako Island in Okinawa, Japan, has typologically rare word-initial and voiced geminate obstruents (e.g. /vva/ ‘you’, /ffa/ ‘child’, /tta/ ‘tongue’, /badda/ ‘side’). These sounds are marked in two ways: Voicing through geminate obstruents is hard to produce and initial voiceless plosives seem to be difficult to perceive. This study investigated real-time magnetic resonance imaging (rt-MRI) to examine the articulatory settings underlying contrasts between singleton and geminate obstruents. Our analyses of two male speakers’ utterances showed the following five characteristics: (i) geminate obstruents in Ikema have longer duration of articulatory constrictions regardless of position and consonant types; (ii) the voiced alveolar plosive geminate /dd/ is articulated with a larger linguopalatal contact than its singleton counterpart but such difference depends on the speaker for the voiceless plosive pair /tt/–/t/ and the fricative pairs /ss/–/s/ and /zz/–/z/; (iii) alveolar voiceless plosives /t/ and /tt/ have a greater degree of linguopalatal contact than their voiced counterparts /d/ and /dd/, respectively, but fricatives show inter-speaker variation; (iv) fricatives do not show any systematic difference in degree of (midsagittal) linguopalatal contact between geminates and singletons, or between voiceless and voiced consonants; and (v) voiced geminate obstruents are accompanied by pharyngeal expansion for both speakers and by lowering the larynx for one speaker, and never by lowering of the velum. We also observed that voiced fricatives tend to realize as affricates, which we interpret as part of the articulatory adjustments for (full) voicing of phonologically voiced geminate fricatives.
Prenatal maternal transdiagnostic, RDoC-informed predictors of newborn neurobehavior: Differences by sex
Authors: Gao Mengyu (Miranda) , Ostlund Brendan , Brown Mindy A. , Kaliush Parisa R. , Terrell Sarah , Vlisides-Henry Robert D. , Raby K. Lee , Crowell Sheila E. , Conradt Elisabeth
Published: March 2021

We examined whether Research Domain Criteria (RDoC)-informed measures of prenatal stress predicted newborn neurobehavior and whether these effects differed by newborn sex. Multilevel, prenatal markers of prenatal stress were obtained from 162 pregnant women. Markers of the Negative Valence System included physiological functioning (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] and electrodermal [EDA] reactivity to a speech task, hair cortisol), self-reported stress (state anxiety, pregnancy-specific anxiety, daily stress, childhood trauma, economic hardship, and family resources), and interviewer-rated stress (episodic stress, chronic stress). Markers of the Arousal/Regulatory System included physiological functioning (baseline RSA, RSA, and EDA responses to infant cries) and self-reported affect intensity, urgency, emotion regulation strategies, and dispositional mindfulness. Newborns’ arousal and attention were assessed via the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Network Neurobehavioral Scale. Path analyses showed that high maternal episodic and daily stress, low economic hardship, few emotion regulation strategies, and high baseline RSA predicted female newborns’ low attention; maternal mindfulness predicted female newborns’ high arousal. As for male newborns, high episodic stress predicted low arousal, and high pregnancy-specific anxiety predicted high attention. Findings suggest that RDoC-informed markers of prenatal stress could aid detection of variance in newborn neurobehavioral outcomes within hours after birth. Implications for intergenerational transmission of risk for psychopathology are discussed.
Ronald Blythe: ‘Just a voice for his time’
Authors: Snell K. D. M.
Published: March 2021

Ronald Blythe is often seen as Britain’s finest living rural writer. He has published over thirty books, some of them, like Akenfield and The View in Winter, widely acknowledged as classics, inspiring a film and follow-up books by others. His literary output has been extraordinary: novels, short stories, poetry, rural documentary writing, oral history, ‘parish’ writing, religious books, his own autobiographical work (among a remarkable milieu of creative people), and historical studies ranging from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. He has also edited a great range of authors and types of writing. Ronald Blythe is especially an East Anglian author, writing about that English region, in whose work the local and the religious are often to the fore. As this famous author approaches one hundred years of age, this article is a forthright academic appreciation of his work, a discussion of its themes and impressive variety, and an analysis of the meanings and importance of his writing to modern readerships.
CARLESON INTERPOLATING SEQUENCES FOR BANACH SPACES OF ANALYTIC FUNCTIONS
Authors: Lindström Mikael , Mastyło Mieczysław , Mleczko Paweł , Norrbo David , Rzeczkowski Michał
Published: March 2021

This paper presents an approach, based on interpolation theory of operators, to the study of interpolating sequences for interpolation Banach spaces between Hardy spaces. It is shown that the famous Carleson result forH∞can be lifted to a large class of abstract Hardy spaces. A description is provided of the range of the Carleson operator defined on interpolation spaces between the classical Hardy spaces in terms of uniformly separated sequences. A key role in this description is played by some general interpolation results proved in the paper. As by-products, novel results are obtained which extend the Shapiro–Shields result on the characterisation of interpolation sequences for the classical Hardy spacesHp. Applications to Hardy–Lorentz, Hardy–Marcinkiewicz and Hardy–Orlicz spaces are presented.
Classification and photometric redshift estimation of quasars in photometric surveys
Authors: Izuti Nakazono L. M. , Mendes de Oliveira C. , Hirata N. S. T. , Jeram S. , Gonzalez A. , Eikenberry S. , Queiroz C. , Abramo R. , Overzier R.
Published: March 2021

We present a machine learning methodology to separate quasars from galaxies and stars using data from S-PLUS in the Stripe-82 region. In terms of quasar classification, we achieved 95.49% for precision and 95.26% for recall using a Random Forest algorithm. For photometric redshift estimation, we obtained a precision of 6% using k-Nearest Neighbour.
Supermassive Black Hole feedback in early type galaxies
Authors: Forman W. , Jones C. , Bogdan A. , Kraft R. , Churazov E. , Randall S. , Sun M. , O’Sullivan E. , Vrtilek J. , Nulsen P.
Published: March 2021

Optically luminous early type galaxies host X-ray luminous, hot atmospheres. These hot atmospheres, which we refer to as coronae, undergo the same cooling and feedback processes as are commonly found in their more massive cousins, the gas rich atmospheres of galaxy groups and galaxy clusters. In particular, the hot coronae around galaxies radiatively cool and show cavities in X-ray images that are filled with relativistic plasma originating from jets powered by supermassive black holes (SMBH) at the galaxy centers. We discuss the SMBH feedback using an X-ray survey of early type galaxies carried out using Chandra X-ray Observatory observations. Early type galaxies with coronae very commonly have weak X-ray active nuclei and have associated radio sources. Based on the enthalpy of observed cavities in the coronae, there is sufficient energy to “balance” the observed radiative cooling. There are a very few remarkable examples of optically faint galaxies that are 1) unusually X-ray luminous, 2) have large dark matter halo masses, and 3) have large SMBHs (e.g., NGC4342 and NGC4291). These properties suggest that, in some galaxies, star formation may have been truncated at early times, breaking the simple scaling relations.
A compact low-noise frontend for interleaved Rx/Tx arrays at K-/Ka-Band
Authors: Sieganschin Anton , Jaschke Thomas , Jacob Arne F.
Published: March 2021

This contribution deals with a frontend for interleaved receive (Rx)-/transmit (Tx)-integrated phased arrays at K-/Ka-band. The circuit is realized in printed circuit board technology and feeds dual-band Rx/Tx- and single-band Tx-antenna elements. The dual-band element feed is composed of a substrate-integrated waveguide (SIW) diplexer with low insertion loss, a low-noise amplifier (LNA), a bandpass filter, and several passive transitions. The compression properties of the LNA are identified through two-tone measurements. The results dictate the maximum allowable output power of the power amplifier. The single band feed consists of a SIW with several transitions. Simulation and measurement results of the individual components are presented. The frontend is assembled and measured. It exhibits an Rx noise figure of 2 dB, a Tx insertion loss of ~ 2.9 dB, and an Rx/Tx-isolation of 70 dB. The setup represents the unit cell of a full array and thus complies with the required half-wave spacing at both Rx and Tx.
Global Trends in Air‐Water CO2 Exchange Over Seagrass Meadows Revealed by Atmospheric Eddy Covariance
Authors: Van Dam Bryce , Polsenaere Pierre , Barreras‐Apodaca Aylin , Lopes Christian , Sanchez‐Mejia Zulia , Tokoro Tatsuki , Kuwae Tomohiro , Loza Lucia Gutiérrez , Rutgersson Anna , Fourqurean James , Thomas Helmuth
Published: March 2021

Coastal vegetated habitats like seagrass meadows can mitigate anthropogenic carbon emissions by sequestering CO2 as “blue carbon” (BC). Already, some coastal ecosystems are actively managed to enhance BC storage, with associated BC stocks included in national greenhouse gas inventories. However, the extent to which BC burial fluxes are enhanced or counteracted by other carbon fluxes, especially air‐water CO2 flux (FCO2) remains poorly understood. In this study, we synthesized all available direct FCO2 measurements over seagrass meadows made using atmospheric Eddy Covariance, across a globally representative range of ecotypes. Of the four sites with seasonal data coverage, two were net CO2 sources, with average FCO2 equivalent to 44%–115% of the global average BC burial rate. At the remaining sites, net CO2 uptake was 101%–888% of average BC burial. A wavelet coherence analysis demonstrated that FCO2 was most strongly related to physical factors like temperature, wind, and tides. In particular, tidal forcing was a key driver of global‐scale patterns in FCO2, likely due to a combination of lateral carbon exchange, bottom‐driven turbulence, and pore‐water pumping. Lastly, sea‐surface drag coefficients were always greater than the prediction for the open ocean, supporting a universal enhancement of gas‐transfer in shallow coastal waters. Our study points to the need for a more comprehensive approach to BC assessments, considering not only organic carbon storage, but also air‐water CO2 exchange, and its complex biogeochemical and physical drivers.
Kinematics of Footwall Exhumation at Oceanic Detachment faults: Solid‐Block Rotation and Apparent Unbending
Authors: Sandiford Dan , Brune Sascha , Glerum Anne , Naliboff John , Whittaker Joanne M.
Published: March 2021

Seafloor spreading at slow rates can be accommodated on large‐offset oceanic detachment faults (ODFs), that exhume lower crustal and mantle rocks in footwall domes termed oceanic core complexes (OCCs). Footwall rocks experience large rotation during exhumation, yet important aspects of the kinematics—particularly the relative roles of solid‐block rotation and flexure—are not clearly understood. Using a high‐resolution numerical model, we explore the exhumation kinematics in the footwall beneath an emergent ODF/OCC. A key feature of the models is that footwall motion is dominated by solid‐block rotation, accommodated by the nonplanar, concave‐down fault interface. A consequence is that curvature measured along the ODF is representative of a neutral stress configuration, rather than a “bent” one. Instead, it is in the subsequent process of “apparent unbending” that significant flexural stresses are developed in the model footwall. The brittle strain associated with apparent unbending is produced dominantly in extension, beneath the OCC, consistent with earthquake clustering observed in the Trans‐Atlantic Geotraverse at the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge.
Ahi1 regulates the nuclear translocation of glucocorticoid receptor to modulate stress response
Authors: Wang Bin , Xin Ning , Qian Xuanchen , Zhai Lijing , Miao Zhigang , Yang Yong , Li Shihua , Sun Miao , Xu Xingshun , Li Xiao-Jiang
Published: March 2021

Stress activates the nuclear translocation of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) to trigger gene expression. Abnormal GR levels can alter the stress responses in animals and therapeutic effects of antidepressants. Here, we reported that stress-mediated nuclear translocation of GR reduced Ahi1 in the stressed cells and mouse brains. Ahi1 interacts with GR to stabilize each other in the cytoplasm. Importantly, Ahi1 deficiency promotes the degradation of GR in the cytoplasm and reduced the nuclear translocation of GR in response to stress. Genetic depletion of Ahi1 in mice caused hyposensitivity to antidepressants under the stress condition. These findings suggest that AHI1 is an important regulator of GR level and may serve as a therapeutic target for stress-related disorders.
Genetic factors influencing a neurobiological substrate for psychiatric disorders
Authors: Andlauer Till F. M. , Mühleisen Thomas W. , Hoffstaedter Felix , Teumer Alexander , Wittfeld Katharina , Teuber Anja , Reinbold Céline S. , Grotegerd Dominik , Bülow Robin , Caspers Svenja , Dannlowski Udo , Herms Stefan , Hoffmann Per , Kircher Tilo , Minnerup Heike , Moebus Susanne , Nenadić Igor , Teismann Henning , Völker Uwe , Etkin Amit , Berger Klaus , Grabe Hans J. , Nöthen Markus M. , Amunts Katrin , Eickhoff Simon B. , Sämann Philipp G. , Müller-Myhsok Bertram , Cichon Sven
Published: March 2021

A retrospective meta-analysis of magnetic resonance imaging voxel-based morphometry studies proposed that reduced gray matter volumes in the dorsal anterior cingulate and the left and right anterior insular cortex—areas that constitute hub nodes of the salience network—represent a common substrate for major psychiatric disorders. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that the common substrate serves as an intermediate phenotype to detect genetic risk variants relevant for psychiatric disease. To this end, after a data reduction step, we conducted genome-wide association studies of a combined common substrate measure in four population-based cohorts (n = 2271), followed by meta-analysis and replication in a fifth cohort (n = 865). After correction for covariates, the heritability of the common substrate was estimated at 0.50 (standard error 0.18). The top single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs17076061 was associated with the common substrate at genome-wide significance and replicated, explaining 1.2% of the common substrate variance. This SNP mapped to a locus on chromosome 5q35.2 harboring genes involved in neuronal development and regeneration. In follow-up analyses, rs17076061 was not robustly associated with psychiatric disease, and no overlap was found between the broader genetic architecture of the common substrate and genetic risk for major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. In conclusion, our study identified that common genetic variation indeed influences the common substrate, but that these variants do not directly translate to increased disease risk. Future studies should investigate gene-by-environment interactions and employ functional imaging to understand how salience network structure translates to psychiatric disorder risk.
Cryo-EM structures of HIV-1 trimer bound to CD4-mimetics BNM-III-170 and M48U1 adopt a CD4-bound open conformation
Authors: Jette Claudia A. , Barnes Christopher O. , Kirk Sharon M. , Melillo Bruno , Smith Amos B. , Bjorkman Pamela J.
Published: March 2021

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), the causative agent of AIDS, impacts millions of people. Entry into target cells is mediated by the HIV-1 envelope (Env) glycoprotein interacting with host receptor CD4, which triggers conformational changes allowing binding to a coreceptor and subsequent membrane fusion. Small molecule or peptide CD4-mimetic drugs mimic CD4’s Phe43 interaction with Env by inserting into the conserved Phe43 pocket on Env subunit gp120. Here, we present single-particle cryo-EM structures of CD4-mimetics BNM-III-170 and M48U1 bound to a BG505 native-like Env trimer plus the CD4-induced antibody 17b at 3.7 Å and 3.9 Å resolution, respectively. CD4-mimetic-bound BG505 exhibits canonical CD4-induced conformational changes including trimer opening, formation of the 4-stranded gp120 bridging sheet, displacement of the V1V2 loop, and formation of a compact and elongated gp41 HR1C helical bundle. We conclude that CD4-induced structural changes on both gp120 and gp41 Env subunits are induced by binding to the gp120 Phe43 pocket.
Profiling PRMT methylome reveals roles of hnRNPA1 arginine methylation in RNA splicing and cell growth
Authors: Li Wen-juan , He Yao-hui , Yang Jing-jing , Hu Guo-sheng , Lin Yi-an , Ran Ting , Peng Bing-ling , Xie Bing-lan , Huang Ming-feng , Gao Xiang , Huang Hai-hua , Zhu Helen He , Ye Feng , Liu Wen
Published: March 2021

Numerous substrates have been identified for Type I and II arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). However, the full substrate spectrum of the only type III PRMT, PRMT7, and its connection to type I and II PRMT substrates remains unknown. Here, we use mass spectrometry to reveal features of PRMT7-regulated methylation. We find that PRMT7 predominantly methylates a glycine and arginine motif; multiple PRMT7-regulated arginine methylation sites are close to phosphorylations sites; methylation sites and proximal sequences are vulnerable to cancer mutations; and methylation is enriched in proteins associated with spliceosome and RNA-related pathways. We show that PRMT4/5/7-mediated arginine methylation regulates hnRNPA1 binding to RNA and several alternative splicing events. In breast, colorectal and prostate cancer cells, PRMT4/5/7 are upregulated and associated with high levels of hnRNPA1 arginine methylation and aberrant alternative splicing. Pharmacological inhibition of PRMT4/5/7 suppresses cancer cell growth and their co-inhibition shows synergistic effects, suggesting them as targets for cancer therapy.
Electrochemical reduction of acetonitrile to ethylamine
Authors: Xia Rong , Tian Dong , Kattel Shyam , Hasa Bjorn , Shin Haeun , Ma Xinbin , Chen Jingguang G. , Jiao Feng
Published: March 2021

Electrifying chemical manufacturing using renewable energy is an attractive approach to reduce the dependence on fossil energy sources in chemical industries. Primary amines are important organic building blocks; however, the synthesis is often hindered by the poor selectivity because of the formation of secondary and tertiary amine byproducts. Herein, we report an electrocatalytic route to produce ethylamine selectively through an electroreduction of acetonitrile at ambient temperature and pressure. Among all the electrocatalysts, Cu nanoparticles exhibit the highest ethylamine Faradaic efficiency (~96%) at −0.29 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Under optimal conditions, we achieve an ethylamine partial current density of 846 mA cm−2. A 20-hour stable performance is demonstrated on Cu at 100 mA cm−2 with an 86% ethylamine Faradaic efficiency. Moreover, the reaction mechanism is investigated by computational study, which suggests the high ethylamine selectivity on Cu is due to the moderate binding affinity for the reaction intermediates.
Gallstone disease, diabetes, calcium, triglycerides, smoking and alcohol consumption and pancreatitis risk: Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Yuan Shuai , Giovannucci Edward L. , Larsson Susanna C.
Published: March 2021

We conducted a Mendelian randomization study to determine the potential causal associations of gallstone disease, diabetes, serum calcium, triglyceride levels, smoking and alcohol consumption with acute and chronic pancreatitis. Genetic variants associated with the exposures at p < 5 × 10−8 were selected from corresponding genome-wide association studies. Summary-level data for pancreatitis were obtained from the FinnGen consortium and UK Biobank. Univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization analyses were performed and results from FinnGen and UK Biobank were combined using the fixed-effects meta-analysis method. Genetic predisposition to gallstone disease, type 2 diabetes and smoking initiation was associated with an increased risk of acute pancreatitis. The combined odds ratios (ORs) were 1.74 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.57, 1.93) for gallstone disease, 1.14 (95% CI, 1.06, 1.21) for type 2 diabetes and 1.56 (95% CI, 1.32, 1.83) for smoking initiation. The association for type 2 diabetes attenuated after adjustment for gallstone disease. Genetic predisposition to gallstone disease and smoking initiation as well as higher genetically predicted serum calcium and triglyceride levels were associated with an increased risk of chronic pancreatitis. The combined ORs of chronic pancreatitis were 1.27 (95% CI, 1.08, 1.50) for gallstone disease, 1.86 (95% CI, 1.43, 2.43) for smoking initiation, 2.20 (95% CI, 1.30, 3.72) for calcium and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.23, 1.76) for triglycerides. This study provides evidence in support that gallstone disease, type 2 diabetes, smoking and elevated calcium and triglyceride levels are causally associated with the risk of acute or chronic pancreatitis.
Author Correction: Pallidal stimulation as treatment for camptocormia in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Lai Yijie , Song Yunhai , Su Daoqing , Wang Linbin , Zhang Chencheng , Sun Bomin , Nonnekes Jorik , Bloem Bastiaan R. , Li Dianyou
Published: March 2021

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-021-00178-7
Scaffold-free cell-based tissue engineering therapies: advances, shortfalls and forecast
Authors: De Pieri Andrea , Rochev Yury , Zeugolis Dimitrios I.
Published: March 2021

Cell-based scaffold-free therapies seek to develop in vitro organotypic three-dimensional (3D) tissue-like surrogates, capitalising upon the inherent capacity of cells to create tissues with efficiency and sophistication that is still unparalleled by human-made devices. Although automation systems have been realised and (some) success stories have been witnessed over the years in clinical and commercial arenas, in vitro organogenesis is far from becoming a standard way of care. This limited technology transfer is largely attributed to scalability-associated costs, considering that the development of a borderline 3D implantable device requires very high number of functional cells and prolonged ex vivo culture periods. Herein, we critically discuss advancements and shortfalls of scaffold-free cell-based tissue engineering strategies, along with pioneering concepts that have the potential to transform regenerative and reparative medicine.
Characterization of antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative bacteria that cause neonatal sepsis in seven low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Sands Kirsty , Carvalho Maria J. , Portal Edward , Thomson Kathryn , Dyer Calie , Akpulu Chinenye , Andrews Robert , Ferreira Ana , Gillespie David , Hender Thomas , Hood Kerenza , Mathias Jordan , Milton Rebecca , Nieto Maria , Taiyari Khadijeh , Chan Grace J. , Bekele Delayehu , Solomon Semaria , Basu Sulagna , Chattopadhyay Pinaki , Mukherjee Suchandra , Iregbu Kenneth , Modibbo Fatima , Uwaezuoke Stella , Zahra Rabaab , Shirazi Haider , Muhammad Adil , Mazarati Jean-Baptiste , Rucogoza Aniceth , Gaju Lucie , Mehtar Shaheen , Bulabula Andre N. H. , Whitelaw Andrew ,   BARNARDS Group, Walsh Timothy R.
Published: March 2021

Antimicrobial resistance in neonatal sepsis is rising, yet mechanisms of resistance that often spread between species via mobile genetic elements, ultimately limiting treatments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), are poorly characterized. The Burden of Antibiotic Resistance in Neonates from Developing Societies (BARNARDS) network was initiated to characterize the cause and burden of antimicrobial resistance in neonatal sepsis for seven LMICs in Africa and South Asia. A total of 36,285 neonates were enrolled in the BARNARDS study between November 2015 and December 2017, of whom 2,483 were diagnosed with culture-confirmed sepsis. Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 258) was the main cause of neonatal sepsis, with Serratia marcescens (n = 151), Klebsiella michiganensis (n = 117), Escherichia coli (n = 75) and Enterobacter cloacae complex (n = 57) also detected. We present whole-genome sequencing, antimicrobial susceptibility and clinical data for 916 out of 1,038 neonatal sepsis isolates (97 isolates were not recovered from initial isolation at local sites). Enterobacterales (K. pneumoniae, E. coli and E. cloacae) harboured multiple cephalosporin and carbapenem resistance genes. All isolated pathogens were resistant to multiple antibiotic classes, including those used to treat neonatal sepsis. Intraspecies diversity of K. pneumoniae and E. coli indicated that multiple antibiotic-resistant lineages cause neonatal sepsis. Our results will underpin research towards better treatments for neonatal sepsis in LMICs.
Standardization of microbiome studies for urolithiasis: an international consensus agreement
Authors: Kachroo Naveen , Lange Dirk , Penniston Kristina L. , Stern Joshua , Tasian Gregory , Bajic Petar , Wolfe Alan J. , Suryavanshi Mangesh , Ticinesi Andrea , Meschi Tiziana , Monga Manoj , Miller Aaron W.
Published: March 2021

Numerous metagenome-wide association studies (MWAS) for urolithiasis have been published, leading to the discovery of potential interactions between the microbiome and urolithiasis. However, questions remain about the reproducibility, applicability and physiological relevance of these data owing to discrepancies in experimental technique and a lack of standardization in the field. One barrier to interpreting MWAS is that experimental biases can be introduced at every step of the experimental pipeline, including sample collection, preservation, storage, processing, sequencing, data analysis and validation. Thus, the introduction of standardized protocols that maintain the flexibility to achieve study-specific objectives is urgently required. To address this need, the first international consortium for microbiome in urinary stone disease — MICROCOSM — was created and consensus panel members were asked to participate in a consensus meeting to develop standardized protocols for microbiome studies if they had published an MWAS on urolithiasis. Study-specific protocols were revised until a consensus was reached. This consensus group generated standardized protocols, which are publicly available via a secure online server, for each step in the typical clinical microbiome–urolithiasis study pipeline. This standardization creates the benchmark for future studies to facilitate consistent interpretation of results and, collectively, to lead to effective interventions to prevent the onset of urolithiasis, and will also be useful for investigators interested in microbiome research in other urological diseases.
STAT3 governs the HIF-1α response in IL-15 primed human NK cells
Authors: Coulibaly Anna , Velásquez Sonia Y. , Kassner Nina , Schulte Jutta , Barbarossa Maria Vittoria , Lindner Holger A.
Published: March 2021

Natural killer (NK) cells mediate innate host defense against microbial infection and cancer. Hypoxia and low glucose are characteristic for these tissue lesions but do not affect early interferon (IFN) γ and CC chemokine release by interleukin 15 (IL-15) primed human NK cells in vitro. Hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) mediates cellular adaption to hypoxia. Its production is supported by mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). We used chemical inhibition to probe the importance of mTORC1 and STAT3 for the hypoxia response and of STAT3 for the cytokine response in isolated and IL-15 primed human NK cells. Cellular responses were assayed by magnetic bead array, RT-PCR, western blotting, flow cytometry, and metabolic flux analysis. STAT3 but not mTORC1 activation was essential for HIF-1α accumulation, glycolysis, and oxygen consumption. In both primed normoxic and hypoxic NK cells, STAT3 inhibition reduced the secretion of CCL3, CCL4 and CCL5, and it interfered with IL-12/IL-18 stimulated IFNγ production, but it did not affect cytotoxic granule degranulation up on target cell contact. We conclude that IL-15 priming promotes the HIF-1α dependent hypoxia response and the early cytokine response in NK cells predominantly through STAT3 signaling.
Early escitalopram administration as a preemptive treatment strategy against spasticity after contusive spinal cord injury in rats
Authors: Ryu Youngjae , Ogata Toru , Nagao Motoshi , Sawada Yasuhiro , Nishimura Ryohei , Fujita Naoki
Published: March 2021

In the majority of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, spasticity develops in the subacute phase and chronically persists with muscle hypertonia. Among various pathological conditions underlying spasticity, upregulated expression of 5-HT receptors (5-HTR) on the spinal motor neurons due to 5-HT denervation is considered one of crucial factors for hyperexcitability of the spinal circuit. As a 5-HT signal modulator, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are ordinarily prescribed for diseases associated with 5-HT in the CNS, and are known for their ability to increase 5-HT levels as well as to desensitize 5-HTR. Here, we hypothesized that early SSRI administration as a preemptive treatment strategy would effectively prevent the onset of spasticity. We used a rat model of contusive SCI and administered escitalopram during the first 4 weeks after injury, which is the period required for spasticity development in rodent models. We performed a swimming test to quantify spastic behaviors and conducted the Hoffman reflex test as well as histological analyses for 5-HT2AR and KCC2 expressions. Four weeks of escitalopram administration suppressed spastic behaviors during the swimming test and reduced the population of spasticity-strong rats. Moreover, the treatment resulted in decreased immunoreactivity of 5-HT2AR in the spinal motor neurons. Result of the H-reflex test and membrane expression of KCC2 were not significantly altered. In summary, early escitalopram administration could prevent the onset of spastic behaviors via regulation of 5-HT system after SCI, but could not modulate exaggerated spinal reflex. Our results suggest a novel application of SSRIs for preventative treatment of spasticity.