bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future: Aboriginal parents’ views of what helps support recovery from complex trauma
Authors: Chamberlain Catherine , Clark Yvonne , Hokke Stacey , Hampton Angela , Atkinson Caroline , Andrews Shawana ,   for the HPNF investigator group
Published: September 2021

We aimed to understand support needs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents experiencing complex trauma.Becoming a parent is an exciting yet challenging transition, particularly for parents who have experienced past hurt in their own childhood which can have long lasting effects, including complex trauma. Complex trauma-related distress can make it harder to care for a baby, but the parenting transition offers unique opportunities for recovery.

This formative research is part of a community-based participatory action research project which aims to co-design perinatal awareness, recognition, assessment and support strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents experiencing complex trauma. We used an Indigenist approach and grounded theory methods. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents who were pregnant and/or have children up to two years old were recruited through perinatal care services and community networks in three Australian sites (Alice Springs, Adelaide and Melbourne). Parents were offered a group discussion or individual interview, facilitated by Aboriginal researchers. Third-person scenarios and visual tools were used to facilitate reflections about the impact of past experiences, what keeps parents strong, hopes and dreams, and what is needed to achieve those dreams. Parents were also shown themes from a previous systematic review of parents’ experiences as a prompt to identify any additional key issues.

Seventeen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents participated in August to September 2019. Most were mothers (n = 15).  The study’s grounded theory methods provided the foundation of a theoretical supposition that positions the transformation of the compounding cycle of trauma, to a reinforcing cycle of nurturing at the intersection of: 1) parents’ connectedness; 2) social and emotional wellbeing; and 3) the transition to parenting. Unique opportunities and challenges situated at the interface are bound to the compounding or reinforcing nature of the intersecting factors. Findings reveal complexity, differing experiences by gender and age, as well as within and between communities.
Relationship between the depression levels and nutritional statuses of advanced stage cancer patients
Authors: Yildirim Dilek
Published: September 2021

Objective

This study aimed to determine the depression and nutritional statuses of advanced stage cancer patients and investigate the relationship between depression and malnutrition.

Method

The descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted with 245 patients with advanced cancer. The data were collected by using an Information Form, the Visual Analog Scale, the NRS-2002-Nutritional Risk Score, and the Beck Depression Inventory.

Results

The mean NRS-2002 score of the patients was 2.22, and when the cutoff value was accepted as 3, it was determined that 39.2% of the patients had malnutrition. The mean Beck Depression Inventory score of the patients was 35.06, and they were found to experience severe depression. There was a positive and significant relationship between the NRS-2002 scores and the Beck Depression Inventory scores (r= 0.409;p< 0.001).

Significance of results

These results showed that there was a strong relationship between the depression and malnutrition levels of advanced stage cancer patients. Deterioration in the nutritional status of the advanced stage cancer patients was associated with a significant worsening effect in terms of depression and pain.
Hannah Arendt Encounters Friedrich von Gentz: On Revolution, Preservation, and European Unity
Authors: Jurkevics Anna
Published: September 2021

This article contextualizes Hannah Arendt's complex and sometimes contradictory views on the Prussian statesman and balance-of-power theorist Friedrich von Gentz. A narration of Arendt's encounter with Gentz, to whom she devoted considerable space in her biography of Rahel Varnhagen and about whom she wrote two additional early essays, can illuminate the elusive contours of her international political thought as they developed from her early career to mature works likeThe Origins of Totalitarianism(1951) andOn Revolution(1963). I argue that a better grasp of Arendt's encounter with Gentz will shed light on the following: Arendt's complex relationship with conservatism, the early influences on her commitment to European unity and federation, and the early development of her conviction that the pathologies of the nation-state system require a revolutionary, cosmopolitan answer. Moreover, understanding this early encounter and its lasting traces will clarify why Gentz, who himself was active at the height of the “Age of Revolution,” once again became an important interlocutor for Arendt as she explored the possibility of a new age of revolutions inOn Revolution.
Introducing cover crops as a fallow replacement in the Northern Great Plains: I. Evaluation of cover crop mixes as a forage source for grazing cattle
Authors: Wyffels Samuel A. , Bourgault Maryse , Dafoe Julia M. , Lamb Peggy F. , Boss Darrin L.
Published: September 2021

Crop-livestock integration has demonstrated that cover crops can be terminated using livestock grazing with minimal negative impacts on soil health, however, provides little information on system-level approaches that mutually benefit soil health and both crop and livestock production. Therefore, the objective of this research was to examine the effects of cover crop mixtures on biomass production, quality and the potential for nitrate toxicity on a dryland wheat-cover crop rotation. This research was conducted at the Montana State University-Northern Agricultural Research Center near Havre, MT (48°29′N, −109°48′W) from 2012 to 2019. This experiment was conducted as a randomized-complete-block design, where 29 individual species were utilized in 15 different cover crop mixtures in a wheat-cover crop rotation. Cover crop mixtures were classified into four treatment groups, including (1) cool-season species, (2) warm-season species dominant, (3) cool and warm-season species mixture (mid-season), and (4) a barley (Hordeum vulgare) control. All cover crop mixtures were terminated at anthesis of cool-season cereal species to avoid volunteer cereal grains in the following wheat crop. At the time of cover crop termination, dry matter forage production was estimated and analyzed for crude protein, total digestible nutrients and nitrates as indicators of forage quality. All mixtures containing oats (Avena sativa) had greater (P⩽ 0.03) biomass production than other mixtures within their respective treatment groups (cool- and mid-season). Forage biomass was influenced by cover crop treatment group, with the barley producing the greatest (P< 0.01) amount of forage biomass when compared to cool-, mid- and warm-season cover crop treatments. Total digestible nutrients were greater (P< 0.01) in the barley control compared to the cool- and mid-season treatment groups. Crude protein was greatest in the warm-season treatment group (P< 0.01) compared to the barley control, cool- and mid-season treatment groups. The barley control produced fewer nitrates (P⩽ 0.05) than the cool-, mid- and warm-season treatment groups; however, all cover crop mixtures produced nitrates at levels unsafe for livestock consumption at least one year of the study. The relatively high and variable nitrate levels of all cover crop mixtures across years in this study suggest that forage should be tested for nitrates before grazing. In conclusion, our research suggests that in a dryland wheat-cover crop rotation that requires early-July termination, cool-season cover crop mixtures are the most suitable forage source for livestock grazing most years.
Discrimination Among Youth of Immigrant Descent in Germany
Authors: Kunyu David , Juang Linda P. , Schachner Maja K. , Schwarzenthal Miriam
Published: September 2021

Abstract. Ethnic discrimination has a negative impact on the socioemotional, behavioral, relational, and academic adjustment of adolescents, while belonging with classmates, teachers, heritage, and national group may promote positive socioemotional and academic adjustment. We investigate (1) whether greater discrimination by peers and a lower sense of belonging with classmates, teachers, heritage group, and national group are associated with lower socioemotional and academic adjustment of adolescents of immigrant descent in Germany; and (2) whether a sense of belonging with these different sources acts as a protective factor lowering the negative effects of discrimination on adjustment. Our sample included 439 7th-grade adolescents (51 % female, Mage= 12.4 years) of immigrant descent from 15 Berlin secondary schools. Results showed that higher discrimination was related to greater physiological stress, depressive symptoms, and disruptive school behavior. Higher heritage (but not national) identity, a higher sense of belonging with classmates and with teachers were associated with better socioemotional and academic adjustment. An examination of interaction effects between discrimination and forms of belonging on adjustment revealed that, while the association between discrimination and poorer adjustment weakened for those with higher heritage identity, the association between discrimination and physiological stress increased for those with higher teacher relatedness. We conclude that heritage identity (but not national identity or sense of belonging with classmates) can indeed be a protective factor against the negative effects of discrimination for adolescents of immigrant descent in Germany. Even though belonging with teachers may exacerbate discrimination effects, further investigation with longitudinal data is needed. The findings underline the important role of heritage ties among adolescents of immigrant descent as a source of adjustment, especially in light of discrimination experiences.
Orogen‐Parallel Migration of Exhumation in the Eastern Aar Massif Revealed by Low‐T Thermochronometry
Authors: Nibourel L. , Rahn M. , Dunkl I. , Berger A. , Herman F. , Diehl T. , Heuberger S. , Herwegh M.
Published: September 2021

New and published (U‐Th)/He data on zircon, apatite, and zircon fission track ages constrain the thermal overprint and cooling history of the eastern Aar Massif, Switzerland. The timing and pattern of cooling is in agreement with independent kinematic and age constraints from exposed shear zones. This suggests that the cooling ages mainly reflect exhumation and that long‐term exhumation‐dynamics were mainly controlled by crustal‐scale tectonic processes. Results of a statistical inverse model reveal significant diachrony in the timing of exhumation in the along‐strike direction. Maximum exhumation rates (1 mm/yr) were initially located in the central Aar Massif (from 22 to 10 Ma), then gradually migrated to the east between 10 Ma and present, while the central Aar Massif continued to exhume at slower rates (0.5 mm/yr). The diachrony in the timing of exhumation may be explained by lateral variations in the inherited thickness or the density of the accreted European crust. We attribute the increase in exhumation rates between 2 Ma and present to enhanced glacial erosion. Nevertheless, the post 2 Ma exhumation pattern reflects a continuation of noncylindrical massif “growth” in the eastward orogen‐parallel direction. This indicates that—although at slow rates—thick‐skinned and buoyancy‐driven compressional deformation, likely enhanced by the presence of easily erodible flysch units at the surface, might still be ongoing especially in the eastern Aar Massif. Noncylindrical massif‐growth is likely to also affect other External Crystalline Massifs or orogens, but may be overlooked because studies often focus on single orogen‐perpendicular transects.
The Stress‐Memory Effect of Fracture Stiffness During Cyclic Loading in Low‐Permeability Sandstone
Authors: Kluge Christian , Blöcher Guido , Hofmann Hannes , Barnhoorn Auke , Schmittbuhl Jean , Bruhn David
Published: September 2021

The hydraulic performance and mechanical stability of open fractures are crucial for several subsurface applications including fractured geothermal reservoirs or nuclear waste repositories. Their hydraulic and mechanical properties (fluid flow and fracture stiffness) are both strongly dependent on the fracture geometry. Any change in effective stress impacts aperture and thus the ability of fractures to promote flow. Here, we carried out flow experiments with shear displaced tensile fractures in pre‐loaded, low‐permeability sandstones with two different cyclic loading scenarios with up to 60 MPa hydrostatic confining pressure. During “constant cyclic loading” (CCL) experiments, the fracture was repeatedly loaded to the same peak stress (up to 60 MPa). During “progressive cyclic loading” (PCL) experiments, the confining pressure was progressively increased in each cycle (up to 15, 30, 45, and 60 MPa). The matrix and fracture deformation was monitored using axial and circumferential LVDT extensometers to obtain the fracture stiffness. The fracture geometry before and after the experiment was compared by calculating the aperture distribution from 3D surface scans. Initial loading with confining pressure of the fracture leads to a linear fracture specific stiffness evolution. For any subsequent stress cycles fracture stiffness shifts to a nonlinear behavior. The transition is shown to be related to a stress memory effect, similar to the “Kaiser Effect” for acoustic emissions. Progressive loading of fractures possibly leads to less permeability reduction compared to continuous cyclic loading.
Source Region Geochemistry From Unmixing Downstream Sedimentary Elemental Compositions
Authors: Lipp Alex G. , Roberts Gareth G. , Whittaker Alexander C. , Gowing Charles J. B. , Fernandes Victoria M.
Published: September 2021

The geochemistry of river sediments is routinely used to obtain information about geologic and environmental processes occurring upstream. For example, downstream samples are used to constrain chemical weathering and physical erosion rates upstream, as well as the locations of mineral deposits or contaminant sources. Previous work has shown that, by assuming conservative mixing, the geochemistry of downstream samples can be reliably predicted given a known source region geochemistry. In this study, we tackle the inverse problem and “unmix” the composition of downstream river sediments to produce geochemical maps of drainage basins (i.e., source regions). The scheme is tested in a case study of rivers draining the Cairngorms, UK. The elemental geochemistry of the μm fraction of 67 samples gathered from the beds of channels in this region is used to invert for concentrations of major and trace elements upstream. A smoothed inverse problem is solved using the Nelder‐Mead optimization algorithm. Predictions of source region geochemistry are assessed by comparing the spatial distribution of 22 elements of different affinities (e.g., Be, Li, Mg, Ca, Rb, U, V) using independent geochemical survey data. The inverse approach makes reliable predictions of the major and trace element concentration in first order river sediments. We suggest this scheme could be a novel means to generate geochemical baselines across drainage basins and within river channels.
Breaking Down the Computational Barriers to Real‐Time Urban Flood Forecasting
Authors: Ivanov Valeriy Y. , Xu Donghui , Dwelle M. Chase , Sargsyan Khachik , Wright Daniel B. , Katopodes Nikolaos , Kim Jongho , Tran Vinh Ngoc , Warnock April , Fatichi Simone , Burlando Paolo , Caporali Enrica , Restrepo Pedro , Sanders Brett F. , Chaney Molly M. , Nunes Ana M. B. , Nardi Fernando , Vivoni Enrique R. , Istanbulluoglu Erkan , Bisht Gautam , Bras Rafael L.
Published: September 2021

Flooding impacts are on the rise globally, and concentrated in urban areas. Currently, there are no operational systems to forecast flooding at spatial resolutions that can facilitate emergency preparedness and response actions mitigating flood impacts. We present a framework for real‐time flood modeling and uncertainty quantification that combines the physics of fluid motion with advances in probabilistic methods. The framework overcomes the prohibitive computational demands of high‐fidelity modeling in real‐time by using a probabilistic learning method relying on surrogate models that are trained prior to a flood event. This shifts the overwhelming burden of computation to the trivial problem of data storage, and enables forecasting of both flood hazard and its uncertainty at scales that are vital for time‐critical decision‐making before and during extreme events. The framework has the potential to improve flood prediction and analysis and can be extended to other hazard assessments requiring intense high‐fidelity computations in real‐time.
Mechanisms of Dune Growth and Decay in Rivers
Authors: Bradley Ryan W. , Venditti Jeremy G.
Published: September 2021

The mechanisms responsible for dune growth and decay remain a major unknown in river dynamics. Two theories have been supported by experiments and numerical models. A hydrodynamic explanation suggests that growth and decay occur due to phase lags between bed topography and sediment flux. Alternatively, kinematic processes have been invoked to explain growth by merger and decay by superimposed bedforms cannibalizing larger dunes. Demonstration of either mechanism in natural rivers has been lacking due to a paucity of high‐resolution topography. Here, we provide the first observations of rapid dune growth by kinematic processes during a rising hydrograph limb, followed by gradual adjustments likely through hydrodynamic processes at high flow. As flow wanes, smaller dunes develop and cannibalize larger features, eventually creating a flattened bed near base flow. Kinematic processes occur at a common threshold shear stress. Superimposed dunes formed during falling limbs of hydrographs are signatures of dune decay.
Global Survey of the MJO and Extreme Precipitation
Authors: Schreck Carl J.
Published: September 2021

This study examines the modulation of land‐based extreme precipitation around the globe by the Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO). The upper‐level convergent phase of the MJO inhibits extreme events over most regions but enhancement in other phases falls in three categories. Over Brazil, Southeast Asia, and Australia, 2‐year rainfall events are most common near the core of the upper‐level divergence as expected. For most other regions in the tropics and subtropics, the extreme events occur along the periphery of the MJO's envelope. Previous regional studies suggest these extremes are driven by the MJO's low‐level circulation either advecting moisture or interacting with orography rather than directly increasing the vertical convection. Finally, extratropical extreme events are more likely associated with the MJO's impact on extratropical wave trains or tropical cyclones. Given the increasing skill of numerical models for predicting the MJO, these results could lead to subseasonal forecasts of extreme events.
Broadband Imaging to Study the Spectral Distribution of Meteor Radio Afterglows
Authors: Varghese S. S. , Dowell J. , Obenberger K. S. , Taylor G. B. , Malins J.
Published: September 2021

We present observations of 86 meteor radio afterglows (MRAs) using the new broadband imager at the Long Wavelength Array Sevilleta (LWA‐SV) station. The MRAs were detected using the all‐sky images with a bandwidth up to 20 MHz. We fit the spectra with both a power law and a log‐normal function. When fit with a power law, the spectra varied from flat to steep and the derived spectral index distribution from the fit peaked at −1.73. When fit with a log‐normal function, the spectra exhibits turnovers at frequencies between 30 and 40 MHz, and appear to be a better functional fit to the spectra. We compared the spectral parameters from the two fitting methods with the physical properties of MRAs. We observe a weak correlation between the log‐normal turnover frequency and the altitude of MRAs. The spectral indices from the power law fit do not show any strong correlations with the physical properties of MRAs. However, the full width half maximum (FWHM) duration of MRAs is correlated with the local time, incidence angle, luminosity and optically derived kinetic energy of parent meteoroid. Also, the average luminosity of MRAs seems to be correlated with the kinetic energy of parent meteoroid and the altitude at which they occur.
Modified Parker's Method for Gravitational Forward and Inverse Modeling Using General Polyhedral Models
Authors: Wu Leyuan
Published: September 2021

We propose a new modified Parker's method for efficient gravitational forward modeling and inversion using general polyhedral models. We have made several important modifications to the classical method, including: (a) The new method is now applicable to a general polyhedron represented by triangulated surface or tetrahedral mesh, and with arbitrarily variable 3D density distribution. (b) An optimal Fourier‐domain sampling strategy is used to improve the numerical accuracy of the new algorithm significantly. (c) A simple and effective automatic layering technique is introduced to accelerate the convergence rate of Parker's method. The method is demonstrated using both synthetic and real polyhedral models, including a sphere model approximated by a polyhedron, two asteroids, a digital elevation model in the Himalaya region, and the Yucca Flat basin model in Nevada. The numerical results show that, compared with analytical solutions of polyhedral models in the space domain, the modified Parker's method can improve the computational efficiency by several orders of magnitude while obtaining almost the same simulation results. The difference is well below existing instrumentation error level. By embedding the new forward algorithm into an iterative process, it can be used for fast inversion of density interfaces. Our new method is suitable for the efficient modeling and inversion of gravitational potential, gravitational vector, and gravitational gradient tensor caused by polyhedral models with a large number of faces, representing geological abnormal bodies, asteroids, and single or multilayer density interface models with triangulated surfaces.
A Theory of Inter‐Granular Transient Dislocation Creep: Implications for the Geophysical Studies on Mantle Rheology
Authors: Karato Shun‐ichiro
Published: September 2021

Transient creep may play an important role in short‐term (small strain) time‐dependent deformation such as the post‐glacial rebound and the post‐seismic deformation. Among various mechanisms of transient creep, I focus on inter‐granular transient dislocation creep caused by plastic anisotropy in each grain. The essence of this process is the evolution of strain accommodation across grain‐boundaries from elastic to plastic (viscous) accommodation. Extending the previous studies, I show that evolution of strain accommodation leads to two asymptotic behaviors: at small strain, strain accommodation across grain‐boundaries is by elastic deformation and the strength is controlled largely by that of the soft slip system. In contrast, when strain exceeds a threshold value, strain accommodation occurs mostly by plastic deformation and the strength is largely controlled by that of the hard slip system. The model predicts that the threshold strain is on the order of elastic strain (depending also on the degree of plastic anisotropy) and the strength contrast between transient and steady‐state creep depends on the degree of plastic anisotropy of the crystal. Consequently, transient creep plays an important role in these short‐term time‐dependent processes. Since the soft and the hard slip systems have different properties, applications of rheological properties inferred from short‐term time‐dependent deformation to long‐term geodynamic processes needs to be made with a great care.
The Cause of an Extremely Low Salinity Anomaly in the Bay of Bengal During 2012 Spring
Authors: Li Zhiyuan , Lian Tao , Ying Jun , Zhu Xiao‐Hua , Papa Fabrice , Xie Huawei , Long Yu
Published: September 2021

An extremely low salinity anomaly was observed in the Bay of Bengal (BoB) by various in situ and satellite observations during 2012 spring and ranked as the strongest anomaly in the last two decades. By analyzing various observational and reanalysis datasets, we find that the reversing circulation anomalies caused by a rare co‐occurrence of positive Indian Ocean Dipole (pIOD) and La Niña in 2011 were the main cause of this extreme event. In the fall of 2011, the pIOD favored an anticyclonic circulation anomaly flowing from the BoB into the equatorial Indian Ocean, whereas the La Niña event, which matured in the following winter, sharply reversed the circulation anomaly to a cyclonic pattern. As a result, these reversing circulation anomalies inhibited the southward freshwater transport along the two sides of the BoB and trapped substantial freshwater to the northern bay by the end of winter. Thereafter, the strong seasonal anticyclonic circulation transported this freshwater into the central and southern bay from the northeastern BoB coastal area, forming the extremely low salinity anomaly during 2012 spring. The key process in forming the extremely low salinity anomaly was the modulation of the seasonal monsoon by interannual processes, specifically the rare combination of pIOD and La Niña in 2011. Our results highlight the important role of the oceanic circulation in the sea surface salinity (SSS) variability in the BoB. This study provides some new perspectives on the SSS interannual variability in the BoB and the freshwater exchange between the BoB and Arabian Sea.
A Global Thermal Conductivity Model for Lunar Regolith at Low Temperatures
Authors: Martinez A. , Siegler M. A.
Published: September 2021

Although some of the coldest surface temperatures in the entire Solar System are found near the poles of our own Moon, the thermophysical properties of lunar regolith at these ultracold temperatures (i.e., below ∼150 K) are not well understood. Standard lunar thermal models generally match the surface temperatures observed by global orbital remote sensing data but are inconsistent with infrared data collected from ultracold polar terrain. We build upon previous theoretical work on the low‐temperature physics of lunar regolith to introduce a global thermal conductivity model consistent with the temperature trends observed by the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (Diviner). This updated thermophysical model primarily affects nighttime surface temperatures, subsurface temperatures at high latitudes, and permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). An additional outcome of this thermophysical model is the ability to accommodate the surface temperature trends observed by Diviner both in warm low latitudes and cold high latitudes. Subsurface temperatures in near‐polar craters are ∼5–10 K warmer than previous thermal models, and cooler nighttime surface temperatures are observed globally. Model results of PSRs reveal larger surface temperature amplitudes (as observed by Diviner) and steeper geothermal gradients. A comprehensive understanding of lunar regolith's low‐temperature thermal behavior is an essential step in modeling the potential location and quantity of cold trapped volatiles in the lunar south pole. Here, we hope to provide theoretical support and motivation for more complete low‐temperature thermal conductivity laboratory measurements.
Neodymium Isotope Records From the Northwestern Pacific: Implication for Deepwater Ventilation at Heinrich Stadial 1
Authors: Horikawa Keiji , Kozaka Yukiko , Okazaki Yusuke , Sagawa Takuya , Onodera Jonaotaro , Asahi Hirofumi , Shin Ki‐Cheol , Asahara Yoshihiro , Takahashi Kozo
Published: September 2021

During Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1, 18.0–14.7 kyr ago), the Bering and Okhotsk Seas in the western Subarctic Pacific (SAP) exhibited boundary conditions that enhanced intermediate water convection. However, little is known about the quantitative contribution of the intermediate waters from the Bering and Okhotsk Sea (BSIW and OSIW) to ventilation in the open SAP intermediate–deep layers. In this study, we analyzed the neodymium (Nd) isotopes of fish debris (εNd‐FD) from sediment cores in the Northwestern Pacific, and observed a reduction in εNd (up to −2.6) from the Last Glacial Maximum to HS1 at Sites MD01‐2420 (2,101 m) and KH99‐3 ES (2,388 m). The relevance of reduced HS1 εNd‐FD shifts across the cores cannot be explained by the porewater influence, which generally changes authigenic εNd in opposite ways. Instead, as the εNd‐FD shifts concurred with a reduction in the 14C ventilation age, HS1 εNd‐FD shifts suggest the entrainment of younger and distinct εNd water mass sinking in the Okhotsk and/or Bering Seas. A mixing model applying Nd isotopes, their concentrations, and 14C ventilation ages of BSIW, OSIW, and the Lower Circumpolar Deep Water showed that during HS1, BSIW (36%–41%) was more conducive to the water mass at Site MD01‐2420, compared to OSIW (4%–8%). We argue that the Bering Sea has wider and deeper connections (Kamchatka and Near Straits, ∼4,400–2,200 m) with the western SAP, and the deep conduit would enable BSIW to more effectively flow out into the open Northwestern Pacific deep layer.
Predicting high-grade prostate cancer at initial biopsy: clinical performance of the ExoDx (EPI) Prostate Intelliscore test in three independent prospective studies
Authors: Margolis Erik , Brown Gordon , Partin Alan , Carter Ballentine , McKiernan James , Tutrone Ronald , Torkler Phillipp , Fischer Christian , Tadigotla Vasisht , Noerholm Mikkel , Donovan Michael J. , Skog Johan
Published: September 2021

Background

The ability to discriminate indolent from clinically significant prostate cancer (PC) at the initial biopsy remains a challenge. The ExoDx Prostate (IntelliScore) (EPI) test is a noninvasive liquid biopsy that quantifies three RNA targets in urine exosomes. The EPI test stratifies patients for risk of high-grade prostate cancer (HGPC; ≥ Grade Group 2 [GG] PC) in men ≥ 50 years with equivocal prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (2–10 ng/mL). Here, we present a pooled meta-analysis from three independent prospective-validation studies in men presenting for initial biopsy decision.

Methods

Pooled data from two prospective multi-site validation studies and the control arm of a clinical utility study were analyzed. Performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity, and specificity for discriminating ≥ GG2 from GG1 and benign pathology.

Results

The combined cohort (n = 1212) of initial-biopsy subjects had a median age of 63 years and median PSA of 5.2 ng/mL. The EPI AUC (0.70) was superior to PSA (0.56), Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial Risk Calculator (PCPT-RC) (0.62), and The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) (0.59), (all p-values <0.001) for discriminating GG2 from GG1 and benign histology. The validated cutoff of 15.6 would avoid 23% of all prostate biopsies and 30% of “unnecessary” (benign or Gleason 6/GG1) biopsies, with an NPV of 90%.

Conclusions

EPI is a noninvasive, easy-to-use, urine exosome–RNA assay that has been validated across 3 independent prospective multicenter clinical trials with 1212 subjects. The test can discriminate high-grade (≥GG2) from low-grade (GG1) cancer and benign disease. EPI effectively guides the biopsy-decision process independent of PSA and other standard-of-care factors.
Neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19, potential neurotropic mechanisms, and therapeutic interventions
Authors: Han Ying , Yuan Kai , Wang Zhe , Liu Wei-Jian , Lu Zheng-An , Liu Lin , Shi Le , Yan Wei , Yuan Jun-Liang , Li Jia-Li , Shi Jie , Liu Zhong-Chun , Wang Gao-Hua , Kosten Thomas , Bao Yan-Ping , Lu Lin
Published: September 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused large-scale economic and social losses and worldwide deaths. Although most COVID-19 patients have initially complained of respiratory insufficiency, the presence of neuropsychiatric manifestations is also reported frequently, ranging from headache, hyposmia/anosmia, and neuromuscular dysfunction to stroke, seizure, encephalopathy, altered mental status, and psychiatric disorders, both in the acute phase and in the long term. These neuropsychiatric complications have emerged as a potential indicator of worsened clinical outcomes and poor prognosis, thus contributing to mortality in COVID-19 patients. Their etiology remains largely unclear and probably involves multiple neuroinvasive pathways. Here, we summarize recent animal and human studies for neurotrophic properties of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and elucidate potential neuropathogenic mechanisms involved in the viral invasion of the central nervous system as a cause for brain damage and neurological impairments. We then discuss the potential therapeutic strategy for intervening and preventing neuropsychiatric complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Time-series monitoring of clinical–neurochemical–radiological progress of neuropsychiatric and neuroimmune complications need implementation in individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2. The development of a screening, intervention, and therapeutic framework to prevent and reduce neuropsychiatric sequela is urgently needed and crucial for the short- and long-term recovery of COVID-19 patients.
Exposure of a specific pleioform of multifunctional glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase initiates CD14-dependent clearance of apoptotic cells
Authors: Chaudhary Surbhi , Patidar Anil , Dhiman Asmita , Chaubey Gaurav Kumar , Dilawari Rahul , Talukdar Sharmila , Modanwal Radheshyam , Raje Manoj
Published: September 2021

Rapid clearance of apoptotic cells by phagocytes is crucial for organogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and resolution of inflammation. This process is initiated by surface exposure of various ‘eat me’ligands. Though phosphatidylserine (PS) is the best recognized general recognition ligand till date, recent studies have shown that PS by itself is not sufficient for clearance of apoptotic cells. In this study, we have identified a specific pleioform of GAPDH (Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) that functions as an ‘eat me’signal on apoptotic cell surface. This specific form of GAPDH which is exposed on surface of apoptotic cells was found to interact with CD14 present on plasma membrane of phagocytes leading to their engulfment. This is the first study demonstrating the novel interaction between multifunctional GAPDH and the phagocytic receptor CD14 resulting in apoptotic cell clearance (efferocytosis).
JCGA: the Japanese version of the Cancer Genome Atlas and its contribution to the interpretation of gene alterations detected in clinical cancer genome sequencing
Authors: Serizawa Masakuni , Mizuguchi Maki , Urakami Kenichi , Nagashima Takeshi , Ohshima Keiichi , Hatakeyama Keiichi , Ohnami Sumiko , Ohnami Shumpei , Maruyama Koji , Ashizawa Tadashi , Iizuka Akira , Horiuchi Yasue , Naruoka Akane , Kenmotsu Hirotsugu , Akiyama Yasuto , Yamaguchi Ken
Published: September 2021

With the emergence of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based cancer gene panel tests in routine oncological practice in Japan, an easily interpretable cancer genome database of Japanese patients in which mutational profiles are unaffected by racial differences is needed to improve the interpretation of the detected gene alterations. Considering this, we constructed the first Japanese cancer genome database, called the Japanese version of the Cancer Genome Atlas (JCGA), which includes multiple tumor types. The database includes whole-exome sequencing data from 4907 surgically resected primary tumor samples obtained from 4753 Japanese patients with cancer and graphically provides genome information on 460 cancer-associated genes, including the 336 genes that are included in two NGS-based cancer gene panel tests approved by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency. Moreover, most of the contents of this database are written in Japanese; this not only helps physicians explain the results of NGS-based cancer gene panel tests but also enables patients and their families to obtain further information regarding the detected gene alterations.
Chromatin accessibility associates with protein-RNA correlation in human cancer
Authors: Sanghi Akshay , Gruber Joshua J. , Metwally Ahmed , Jiang Lihua , Reynolds Warren , Sunwoo John , Orloff Lisa , Chang Howard Y. , Kasowski Maya , Snyder Michael P.
Published: September 2021

Although alterations in chromatin structure are known to exist in tumors, how these alterations relate to molecular phenotypes in cancer remains to be demonstrated. Multi-omics profiling of human tumors can provide insight into how alterations in chromatin structure are propagated through the pathway of gene expression to result in malignant protein expression. We applied multi-omics profiling of chromatin accessibility, RNA abundance, and protein abundance to 36 human thyroid cancer primary tumors, metastases, and patient-match normal tissue. Through quantification of chromatin accessibility associated with active transcription units and global protein expression, we identify a local chromatin structure that is highly correlated with coordinated RNA and protein expression. In particular, we identify enhancers located within gene-bodies as predictive of correlated RNA and protein expression, that is independent of overall transcriptional activity. To demonstrate the generalizability of these findings we also identify similar results in an independent cohort of human breast cancers. Taken together, these analyses suggest that local enhancers, rather than distal enhancers, are likely most predictive of cancer gene expression phenotypes. This allows for identification of potential targets for cancer therapeutic approaches and reinforces the utility of multi-omics profiling as a methodology to understand human disease.
High-level cognition during story listening is reflected in high-order dynamic correlations in neural activity patterns
Authors: Owen Lucy L. W. , Chang Thomas H. , Manning Jeremy R.
Published: September 2021

Our thoughts arise from coordinated patterns of interactions between brain structures that change with our ongoing experiences. High-order dynamic correlations in neural activity patterns reflect different subgraphs of the brain’s functional connectome that display homologous lower-level dynamic correlations. Here we test the hypothesis that high-level cognition is reflected in high-order dynamic correlations in brain activity patterns. We develop an approach to estimating high-order dynamic correlations in timeseries data, and we apply the approach to neuroimaging data collected as human participants either listen to a ten-minute story or listen to a temporally scrambled version of the story. We train across-participant pattern classifiers to decode (in held-out data) when in the session each neural activity snapshot was collected. We find that classifiers trained to decode from high-order dynamic correlations yield the best performance on data collected as participants listened to the (unscrambled) story. By contrast, classifiers trained to decode data from scrambled versions of the story yielded the best performance when they were trained using first-order dynamic correlations or non-correlational activity patterns. We suggest that as our thoughts become more complex, they are reflected in higher-order patterns of dynamic network interactions throughout the brain.
Time-varying data processing with nonvolatile memristor-based temporal kernel
Authors: Jang Yoon Ho , Kim Woohyun , Kim Jihun , Woo Kyung Seok , Lee Hyun Jae , Jeon Jeong Woo , Shim Sung Keun , Han Janguk , Hwang Cheol Seong
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Recent advances in physical reservoir computing, which is a type of temporal kernel, have made it possible to perform complicated timing-related tasks using a linear classifier. However, the fixed reservoir dynamics in previous studies have limited application fields. In this study, temporal kernel computing was implemented with a physical kernel that consisted of a W/HfO2/TiN memristor, a capacitor, and a resistor, in which the kernel dynamics could be arbitrarily controlled by changing the circuit parameters. After the capability of the temporal kernel to identify the static MNIST data was proven, the system was adopted to recognize the sequential data, ultrasound (malignancy of lesions) and electrocardiogram (arrhythmia), that had a significantly different time constant (10−7 vs. 1 s). The suggested system feasibly performed the tasks by simply varying the capacitance and resistance. These functionalities demonstrate the high adaptability of the present temporal kernel compared to the previous ones.
Elucidating gene expression adaptation of phylogenetically divergent coral holobionts under heat stress
Authors: Avila-Magaña Viridiana , Kamel Bishoy , DeSalvo Michael , Gómez-Campo Kelly , Enríquez Susana , Kitano Hiroaki , Rohlfs Rori V. , Iglesias-Prieto Roberto , Medina Mónica
Published: September 2021

As coral reefs struggle to survive under climate change, it is crucial to know whether they have the capacity to withstand changing conditions, particularly increasing seawater temperatures. Thermal tolerance requires the integrative response of the different components of the coral holobiont (coral host, algal photosymbiont, and associated microbiome). Here, using a controlled thermal stress experiment across three divergent Caribbean coral species, we attempt to dissect holobiont member metatranscriptome responses from coral taxa with different sensitivities to heat stress and use phylogenetic ANOVA to study the evolution of gene expression adaptation. We show that coral response to heat stress is a complex trait derived from multiple interactions among holobiont members. We identify host and photosymbiont genes that exhibit lineage-specific expression level adaptation and uncover potential roles for bacterial associates in supplementing the metabolic needs of the coral-photosymbiont duo during heat stress. Our results stress the importance of integrative and comparative approaches across a wide range of species to better understand coral survival under the predicted rise in sea surface temperatures.
NG2 glia-derived GABA release tunes inhibitory synapses and contributes to stress-induced anxiety
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Liu Yao , Hong Xiaoqi , Li Xia , Meshul Charles K. , Moore Cynthia , Yang Yabing , Han Yanfei , Li Wei-Guang , Qi Xin , Lou Huifang , Duan Shumin , Xu Tian-Le , Tong Xiaoping
Published: September 2021

NG2 glia, also known as oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), play an important role in proliferation and give rise to myelinating oligodendrocytes during early brain development. In contrast to other glial cell types, the most intriguing aspect of NG2 glia is their ability to directly sense synaptic inputs from neurons. However, whether this synaptic interaction is bidirectional or unidirectional, or its physiological relevance has not yet been clarified. Here, we report that NG2 glia form synaptic complexes with hippocampal interneurons and that selective photostimulation of NG2 glia (expressing channelrhodopsin-2) functionally drives GABA release and enhances inhibitory synaptic transmission onto proximal interneurons in a microcircuit. The mechanism involves GAD67 biosynthesis and VAMP-2 containing vesicular exocytosis. Further, behavioral assays demonstrate that NG2 glia photoactivation triggers anxiety-like behavior in vivo and contributes to chronic social defeat stress.
Environmental eustress modulates β-ARs/CCL2 axis to induce anti-tumor immunity and sensitize immunotherapy against liver cancer in mice
Authors: Liu Chaobao , Yang Yang , Chen Cheng , Li Ling , Li Jingquan , Wang Xiaonan , Chu Qiao , Qiu Lin , Ba Qian , Li Xiaoguang , Wang Hui
Published: September 2021

Although psycho-social stress is a well-known factor that contributes to the development of cancer, it remains largely unclear whether and how environmental eustress influences malignant diseases and regulates cancer-related therapeutic responses. Using an established eustress model, we demonstrate that mice living in an enriched environment (EE) are protected from carcinogen-induced liver neoplasia and transplantable syngeneic liver tumors, owning to a CD8+ T cell-dependent tumor control. We identify a peripheral Neuro-Endocrine-Immune pathway in eustress, including Sympathetic nervous system (SNS)/β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs)/CCL2 that relieves tumor immunosuppression and overcomes PD-L1 resistance to immunotherapy. Notably, EE activates peripheral SNS and β-ARs signaling in tumor cells and tumor infiltrated myeloid cells, leading to suppression of CCL2 expression and activation of anti-tumor immunity. Either blockade of CCL2/CCR2 or β-AR signaling in EE mice lose the tumor protection capability. Our study reveales that environmental eustress via EE stimulates anti-tumor immunity, resulting in more efficient tumor control and a better outcome of immunotherapy.
Substrate colonization by an emulsion drop prior to spreading
Authors: Borkar Suraj , Ramachandran Arun
Published: September 2021

In classical wetting, the spreading of an emulsion drop on a surface is preceded by the formation of a bridge connecting the drop and the surface across the sandwiched film of the suspending medium. However, this widely accepted mechanism ignores the finite solubility of the drop phase in the medium. We present experimental evidence of a new wetting mechanism, whereby the drop dissolves in the medium, and nucleates on the surface as islands that grow with time. Island growth is predicated upon a reduction in solubility near the contact line due to attractive interactions between the drop and the surface, overcoming Ostwald ripening. Ultimately, wetting is manifested as a coalescence event between the parent drop and one of the islands, which can result in significantly large critical film heights and short hydrodynamic drainage times prior to wetting. This discovery has broad relevance in areas such as froth flotation, liquid-infused surfaces, multiphase flows and microfluidics.
Cell membrane coating integrity affects the internalization mechanism of biomimetic nanoparticles
Authors: Liu Lizhi , Bai Xuan , Martikainen Maria-Viola , Kårlund Anna , Roponen Marjut , Xu Wujun , Hu Guoqing , Tasciotti Ennio , Lehto Vesa-Pekka
Published: September 2021

Cell membrane coated nanoparticles (NPs) have recently been recognized as attractive nanomedical tools because of their unique properties such as immune escape, long blood circulation time, specific molecular recognition and cell targeting. However, the integrity of the cell membrane coating on NPs, a key metrics related to the quality of these biomimetic-systems and their resulting biomedical function, has remained largely unexplored. Here, we report a fluorescence quenching assay to probe the integrity of cell membrane coating. In contradiction to the common assumption of perfect coating, we uncover that up to 90% of the biomimetic NPs are only partially coated. Using in vitro homologous targeting studies, we demonstrate that partially coated NPs could still be internalized by the target cells. By combining molecular simulations with experimental analysis, we further identify an endocytic entry mechanism for these NPs. We unravel that NPs with a high coating degree (≥50%) enter the cells individually, whereas the NPs with a low coating degree (<50%) need to aggregate together before internalization. This quantitative method and the fundamental understanding of how cell membrane coated NPs enter the cells will enhance the rational designing of biomimetic nanosystems and pave the way for more effective cancer nanomedicine.