bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
City sanitation and socioeconomics predict rat zoonotic infection across diverse neighbourhoods
Authors: Murray Maureen H. , Fidino Mason , Fyffe Rebecca , Byers Kaylee A. , Pettengill James B. , Sondgeroth Kerry S. , Killion Halcyon , Magle Seth B. , Rios Maria Jazmin , Ortinau Nora , Santymire Rachel M.
Published: June 2020

Rat‐associated zoonoses transmitted through faeces or urine are of particular concern for public health because environmental exposure in homes and businesses may be frequent and undetected. To identify times and locations with greater public health risks from rats, we investigated whether rat characteristics, environmental features, socioeconomic factors, or season could predict rat infection risk across diverse urban neighbourhoods. In partnership with a pest management company, we sampled rats in 13 community areas along an income gradient in Chicago, a large city where concern about rats has increased in recent years. We collected kidneys for Leptospira spp. testing and colon contents for aerobic bacteria such as Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli. Of 202 sampled rats, 5% carried Leptospira spp. and 22% carried E. coli. Rats were significantly more likely to carry Leptospira spp. on blocks with more standing water complaints in higher‐income neighbourhoods (OR = 6.74, 95% CI: 1.54–29.39). Rats were significantly more likely to carry E. coli on blocks with more food vendors (OR = 9.94, 2.27–43.50) particularly in low‐income neighbourhoods (OR = 0.26, 0.09–0.82) and in the spring (OR = 15.96, 2.90–88.62). We detected a high diversity of E. coli serovars but none contained major virulence factors. These associations between environmental features related to sanitation and infection risk in rats support transmission through water for Leptospira spp. and faecal–oral transmission for E. coli. We also found opposing relationships between zoonotic infection risk and income for these two pathogens. Thus, our results highlight the importance of sanitation for predicting zoonotic disease risks and including diverse urban areas in pathogen surveillance to mitigate public health risks from rats.
Microfluidic accumulation assay to quantify the attachment of the marine bacterium Cobetia marina on fouling-release coatings
Authors: Schwarze Jana , Wanka Robin , Rosenhahn Axel
Published: June 2020

Testing the adhesion of marine biofilm formers on bioresistant coatings is important to determine their fouling-release and antifouling properties. A dynamic attachment assay for the marine bacterium Cobetia marina (C. marina) was developed to test the adhesion on coatings and bioresistant surfaces. With well-defined culture conditions, the reproducibility of the microfluidic accumulation experiments with C. marina was verified using self-assembling monolayers as model surfaces. The assay discriminated the attachment of C. marina on four different surfaces with different wettability and protein resistances. In addition to these benchmark experiments on self-assembled monolayers, the adhesion of C. marina on polyglycerol coatings with different thicknesses was investigated.
Hope grows for targeting the brain with ultrasound
Authors: Servick Kelly
Published: June 2020

Noninvasive method of tweaking neural activity enters new tests in humans.
Lawsuit alleges scientific misconduct at weapons lab
Authors: Cho Adrian
Published: June 2020

Dispute underscores the challenges of using simulations to "test" warheads.
Could a blood ‘observatory’ stop pandemics?
Authors: Bazell Robert
Published: June 2020

Proposal calls for screening blood from around the world for thousands of antibodies.
Martian chronicler
Authors: Voosen Paul
Published: June 2020

NASA's Perseverance rover aims to find out whether ancient Mars was warm and wet or cold and dry.
A view from my basement
Authors: Parikh Sudip S.
Published: June 2020

AAAS CEO reflects on his first 6 months on the job
A multiplanet system of super-Earths orbiting the brightest red dwarf star GJ 887
Authors: Jeffers S. V. , Dreizler S. , Barnes J. R. , Haswell C. A. , Nelson R. P. , Rodríguez E. , López-González M. J. , Morales N. , Luque R. , Zechmeister M. , Vogt S. S. , Jenkins J. S. , Palle E. , Berdi ñas Z. M. , Coleman G. A. L. , Díaz M. R. , Ribas I. , Jones H. R. A. , Butler R. P. , Tinney C. G. , Bailey J. , Carter B. D. , O’Toole S. , Wittenmyer R. A. , Crane J. D. , Feng F. , Shectman S. A. , Teske J. , Reiners A. , Amado P. J. , Anglada-Escudé G.
Published: June 2020

A nearby multiplanet system

Exoplanets can interact gravitationally with other objects orbiting the same star, affecting their evolution and stability. Studying these effects requires locating systems with multiple planets. Monitoring the nearby red dwarf star GJ 887, Jeffers
et al.
detected periodic radial velocity signals, indicating the presence of two planets on orbits with periods of about 9 and 22 days and a further candidate planet (see the Perspective by Davies). The inclinations of the orbits are unknown, so only minimum masses could be determined, but those were consistent with both planets being super-Earths—more massive than Earth but less than Neptune. This system is only 3.3 parsecs from the Sun, which should facilitate follow-up with other techniques.

Science
, this issue p.
1477
; see also p.
1432
Quieting a noisy antenna reproduces photosynthetic light-harvesting spectra
Authors: Arp Trevor B. , Kistner-Morris Jed , Aji Vivek , Cogdell Richard J. , van Grondelle Rienk , Gabor Nathaniel M.
Published: June 2020

Pairs of peaks stabilize output power

A counterintuitive feature of photosynthesis is that the primary pigments involved in absorbing light—for example, chlorophyll a and b in plants—do not all absorb right at the peak of the spectrum but instead are offset from the peak and each other. Arp
et al.
formulated a network model that explains how using pigments with this absorption-peak pattern can mitigate internal and external fluctuations in energy transfer, minimizing noise in output power (see the Perspective by Duffy). The model accurately reproduces absorption peaks for three diverse photosynthetic systems from different spectral environments. Such a mechanism may provide an underlying robustness to biological photosynthetic processes that can be further tuned and tweaked to adapt to longer-scale fluctuations in light intensity.

Science
, this issue p.
1490
; see also p.
1427
Multiple, quiet, and close by
Authors: Davies Melvyn B.
Published: June 2020

A planetary system around a nearby star offers the prospect for atmospheric study
Action spectra of chiral secondary structure
Authors: Barran Perdita
Published: June 2020

Mass spectra of DNA complexes photoreduced with polarized light reveal their handedness
Persuasive words are not enough
Authors: Thorp H. Holden
Published: June 2020

Communicating the findings of science plays a vital role in shaping our lives and the planet. From my vantage point at the
Science
family of journals, I witness daily how editors, journalists, and scientists work together to deliver scientific information to the world. Given the recent rapid pace of discovery, relaying remarkable findings has never been busier. So why aren't these efforts having a bigger positive effect on the public acceptance of science?
A Somatic Coliphage Threshold Approach To Improve the Management of Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents in Resource-Limited Regions
Authors: Chacón Luz , Barrantes Kenia , Santamaría-Ulloa Carolina , Solano Melissa , Reyes Liliana , Taylor Lizeth , Valiente Carmen , Symonds Erin M. , Achí Rosario
Published: June 2020

Effective wastewater management is crucial to ensure safe direct and indirect water reuse; nevertheless, few countries have adopted the virus log reduction value management approach established by the World Health Organization. In this study, we investigated an alternative and/or complementary approach to the virus log reduction value framework for the indirect reuse of activated sludge-treated wastewater effluent. Specifically, we employed a well-accepted statistical approach to identify a statistically sound somatic coliphage threshold value which corresponded to an increased likelihood of human enteric virus detection. This study demonstrates an alternative approach to the virus log reduction value framework which can be applied to improve wastewater reuse practices and effluent management.
Studies on Bd0934 and Bd3507, Two Secreted Nucleases from
Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus
, Reveal Sequential Release of Nucleases during the Predatory Cycle
Authors: Bukowska-Faniband Ewa , Andersson Tilde , Lood Rolf
Published: June 2020

Antibiotic resistance is a major global concern with few available new means to combat it. From a therapeutic perspective, predatory bacteria constitute an interesting tool. They not only eliminate the pathogen but also reduce the overall pool of antibiotic resistance genes through secretion of nucleases and complete degradation of exogenous DNA. Molecular knowledge of how these secreted DNases act will give us further insight into how antibiotic resistance, and the spread thereof, can be limited through the action of predatory bacteria.
Trauma-induced filtering bleb formation and blebitis 40 years following a penetrating eye injury
Authors: Wong Yee Ling , Shankar Vikas
Published: June 2020

A 49-year-old man presented to the emergency eye clinic with a 3-week history of redness, irritation and blurred vision in his right eye, with a noticeable lesion superotemporally on the conjunctiva. He had a previous ocular history of penetrating glass injury in the right eye at the age of 9 years (40 years ago), of which no surgical intervention was performed at that time, as his parents did not seek medical attention. Slit lamp examination revealed a thin, conjunctival cystic bleb at 10 o’clock position with surrounding conjunctival injection and chemosis at close proximity to the site of previous ocular trauma. Investigations confirmed a diagnosis of trauma-induced filtering bleb with blebitis (bleb inflammation). The patient was treated with a combination of steroid and antibiotic drops for duration of 2 weeks. Subsequent follow-up revealed marked improvement of symptoms with reduced inflammation. Patient is being monitored regularly to prevent recurrence of blebitis and bleb associated complications.
OCT changes in peri-tumour normal retina following ruthenium-106 and proton
beam radiotherapy for uveal melanoma
Authors: Hussain Rumana , Heussen Florian Moritz , Heimann Heinrich
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Uveal melanoma is most commonly treated with radiotherapy, destroying the
tumour cells with adequate safety margins and limiting collateral damage to
surrounding structures to preserve maximal vision. We used optical coherence
tomography (OCT) to study the effects of radiotherapy on the retina.

Methods

Patients with posteriorly located choroidal melanoma treated with proton
beam radiotherapy (PBR) and ruthenium-106 brachytherapy between January 2010
and June 2014 underwent spectral domain OCT.

Results

Images of 32 patients following ruthenium-106 brachytherapy and 44
patients following proton beam teletherapy were analysed. Following plaque
brachytherapy, an early marked disruption of the outer retinal layers could be
observed in 30 cases (94%) with retinal atrophy evident in 26 cases (81%). In
contrast, the images from patients who underwent PBR showed subtle outer
retinal layer change with 16 cases (36%) showing some inner-outer segment
junction disruption by 6 months and 63%  by 24 months with minimal atrophy. In
cases with tumours <2 mm from the fovea, the visual loss was significantly
less at 6 and 12 months in the proton beam group.

Conclusion

In comparison to ruthenium-106 plaque brachytherapy, PBR leads to more
subtle and slower changes in the outer retinal layers enabling retention of
visual function for longer. The difference in dosing regime and dose
distribution across the tumour is likely to be causative for this structural
differential.
Effect of baseline test selection on glaucoma progression detection by optical coherence tomography-guided progression analysis
Authors: Kang Dong Hyun , Hwang Young Hoon
Published: June 2020

Purpose

To evaluate the effect of baseline test selection on progression detection of circumpapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) in glaucomatous eyes by optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided progression analysis (GPA).

Methods

A total of 53 eyes with either RNFL or GCIPL progression determined using OCT-GPA were included. Three different baseline conditions were created by dividing eight serial OCT tests from each eye into three sets. Specifically, these sets presented baseline tests at exams 1–2 (1st set), 2–3 (2nd set) and 3–4 (3rd set), respectively. Agreement on progression detection was defined as the presence of ‘Possible Loss’ or ‘Likely Loss’ in the 2nd or 3rd sets at the same location in the 1st set.

Results

The proportion of eyes with agreement on progression detection was 47.1%, 20.0% and 31.0% for RNFL ‘thickness map progression’, ‘thickness profiles progression’ and ‘average thickness progression’, respectively. In GCIPL ‘thickness map progression’ and ‘average thickness progression’, 53.8% and 62.8% of eyes showed agreement, respectively. Eyes with disagreement showed a greater change in thickness (slope of change in the 3rd set−1st set) compared to the eyes with agreement (p<0.05), with the exception of RNFL ‘thickness profiles progression’ (p=0.064).

Conclusion

Glaucoma progression detection by OCT-GPA was affected by baseline test selection, especially in eyes with a greater reduction in progression. GCIPL thickness was less influenced by baseline test selection compared to RNFL thickness.
Epidemiology of injury and illness in 153 Australian international-level rowers over eight international seasons
Authors: Trease Larissa , Wilkie Kellie , Lovell Greg , Drew Michael , Hooper Ivan
Published: June 2020

Aim

To report the epidemiology of injury and illness in elite rowers over eight seasons (two Olympiads).

Methods

All athletes selected to the Australian Rowing Team between 2009 and 2016 were monitored prospectively under surveillance for injury and illness. The incidence and burden of injury and illness were calculated per 1000 athlete days (ADs). The body area, mechanism and type of all injuries were recorded and followed until the resumption of full training. We used interrupted time series analyses to examine the association between fixed and dynamic ergometer testing on rowers’ injury rates. Time lost from illness was also recorded.

Results

All 153 rowers selected over eight seasons were observed for 48 611 AD. 270 injuries occurred with an incidence of 4.1–6.4 injuries per 1000 AD. Training days lost totalled 4522 (9.2% AD). The most frequent area injured was the lumbar region (84 cases, 1.7% AD) but the greatest burden was from chest wall injuries (64 cases, 2.6% AD.) Overuse injuries (n=224, 83%) were more frequent than acute injuries (n=42, 15%). The most common activity at the time of injury was on-water rowing training (n=191, 68). Female rowers were at 1.4 times the relative risk of chest wall injuries than male rowers; they had half the relative risk of lumbar injuries of male rowers. The implementation of a dynamic ergometers testing policy (Concept II on sliders) was positively associated with a lower incidence and burden of low back injury compared with fixed ergometers (Concept II). Illness accounted for the greatest number of case presentations (128, 32.2% cases, 1.2% AD).

Conclusions

Chest wall and lumbar injuries caused training time loss. Policy decisions regarding ergometer testing modality were associated with lumbar injury rates. As in many sports, illness burden has been under-recognised in elite Australian rowers.
Osteoporosis: evidence for vitamin D and calcium in older people
Authors: Reid Ian R
Published: June 2020

Topics for DTB review articles are selected by DTB’s editorial board to provide concise overviews of medicines and other treatments to help patients get the best care. Articles include a summary of key points and a brief overview for patients. Articles may also have a series of multiple choice CME questions.
Association of attrition with mortality: findings from 11 waves over three decades of the Whitehall II study
Authors: Akasaki Mifuyu , Kivimäki Mika , Steptoe Andrew , Nicholas Owen , Shipley Martin J
Published: June 2020

Background

Attrition, the loss of participants as a study progresses, is a considerable challenge in longitudinal studies. This study examined whether two forms of attrition, ‘withdrawal’ (formal discontinued participation) and ‘non-response’ (non-response among participants continuing in the study), have different associations with mortality and whether these associations differed across time in a multi-wave longitudinal study.

Methods

Participants were 10 012 civil servants who participated at the baseline of the Whitehall II cohort study with 11 data waves over an average follow-up of 28 years. We performed competing-risks analyses to estimate sub-distribution HRs and 95% CIs, and likelihood ratio tests to examine whether hazards differed between the two forms of attrition. We then applied linear regression to examine any trend of hazards against time.

Results

Attrition rate at data collections ranged between 13% and 34%. There were 495 deaths recorded from cardiovascular disease and 1367 deaths from other causes. Study participants lost due to attrition had 1.55 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.89) and 1.56 (1.39 to 1.76) times higher hazard of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality than responders, respectively. Hazards for withdrawal and non-response did not differ for either cardiovascular (p value =0.28) or non-cardiovascular mortality (p value =0.38). There was no linear trend in hazards over the 11 waves (cardiovascular mortality p value =0.11, non-cardiovascular mortality p value =0.61).

Conclusion

Attrition can be a problem in longitudinal studies resulting in selection bias. Researchers should examine the possibility of selection bias and consider applying statistical approaches that minimise this bias.
Effect of vaccination on children’s learning achievements: findings from the India Human Development Survey
Authors: Arsenault Catherine , Harper Sam , Nandi Arijit
Published: June 2020

Background

Beyond the prevention of illness and death, vaccination may provide additional benefits such as improved educational outcomes. However, there is currently little evidence on this question. Our objective was to estimate the effect of childhood vaccination on learning achievements among primary school children in India.

Methods

We used cohort data from the India Human Development Survey. Vaccination status and confounders were measured among children who were at least 12 months old at baseline in 2004–2005. In 2011–2012, the same children completed basic reading, writing and math tests. We estimated the effect of full vaccination during childhood on learning achievements using inverse probability of treatment-weighted logistic regression models and results reported on the risk difference scale. The propensity score included 33 potential community-, household-, mother- and child-level confounders as well as state fixed effects.

Results

Among the 4877 children included in our analysis, 54% were fully vaccinated at baseline, and 54% could read by the age of 8–11 years. The estimated effect of full vaccination on learning achievements ranged from 4 to 6 percentage points, representing relative increases ranging from 6% to 12%. Bias analysis suggested that our observed effects could be explained by unmeasured confounding, but only in the case of strong associations with the treatment and outcome.

Conclusion

These results support the hypothesis that vaccination has lasting effects on children’s learning achievements. Further work is needed to confirm findings and elucidate the potential mechanisms linking vaccines to educational outcomes.
Simulating future public health benefits of tobacco control interventions: a systematic review of models
Authors: Singh Ankur , Wilson Nick , Blakely Tony
Published: June 2020

Background

To prioritise tobacco control interventions, simulating their health impacts is valuable. We undertook a systematic review of tobacco intervention simulation models to assess model structure and input variations that may render model outputs non-comparable.

Methods

We applied a Medline search with keywords intersecting modelling and tobacco. Papers were limited to those modelling health outputs (eg, mortality, health-adjusted life years), and at least two of cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Data were extracted for each simulation model with ≥3 arising papers, including: model type, untimed or with time steps and trends in business-as-usual (BAU) tobacco prevalence and epidemiology.

Results

Of 1911 papers, 186 met the inclusion criteria, including 13 eligible simulation models. The SimSmoke model had the largest number of publications (n=46), followed by Benefits of Smoking Cessation on Outcomes (n=12) and Tobacco Policy Model (n=10). Two of 13 models only estimated deaths averted, 1 had no time steps, 5 had no future trends in BAU tobacco prevalence, 9 had no future trends in BAU disease epidemiology and 7 had no time lags from quitting tobacco to reversal of health harm.

Conclusions

Considerable heterogeneity exists in simulation models, making outputs substantively non-comparable between models. Ranking of interventions by one model may be valid. However, this may not be true if, for example, interventions that differentially affect age groups (eg, a tobacco-free generation policy vs increased cessation among adults) do not account for plausible future trends. Greater standardisation of model structures and outputs will allow comparison across models and countries, and for comparisons of the impact of tobacco control interventions with other preventive interventions.
Genotypic and allelic frequencies of MDR1 gene in dogs in Italy
Authors: Marelli Stefano Paolo , Polli Michele , Frattini Stefano , Cortellari Matteo , Rizzi Rita , Crepaldi Paola
Published: June 2020

Background

A mutation in the canine multidrug resistance MDR1 gene (also referred as ABCB1), encoding for the multidrug resistance (MDR) P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) transponder, causes a pathological condition known as ‘ivermectin toxicosis’. The causative mutation, known since 2001, has been described to affects sheep herding breeds related to collie lineage. The present study is a retrospective investigation of the presence of MDR1 mutated allele in Italian dog populations in a 5 years’ time lapse. The aim of the research is to offer a deep knowledge in MDR1 allelic and genotypic frequencies in canine breeds and populations raised in Italy.

Methods

Genotype data for the 4‐bp deletion (c296_299del4) in MDR1 gene from 811 dogs belonging to 32 breeds/populations were collected.

Results

The mutated allele has been found in 9 out of 31 breeds: Rough Collie, Smooth Collie, Border Collie, Bearded Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Australian Shepherd, White Swiss Shepherd, Old English Sheepdog, Whippet and also in crossbreed. The breeds with the highest allelic mutation frequency are Smooth and Rough Collies with 75 per cent and 66 per cent of mutant MDR1 allele, respectively.

Conclusions

The results support the usefulness of this genetic analysis to optimise medical care in dogs at risk of multidrug resistance and to create an objective basis in breeding programme definition and in the risk evaluation in different breeds.
Lipid droplets are both highly oxidized and Plin2-covered in hepatocytes of diet-induced obese mice
Authors: Nocetti Diego , Espinosa Alejandra , Pino-De la Fuente Francisco , Sacristán Camila , Bucarey José Luis , Ruiz Paulina , Valenzuela Rodrigo , Chouinard-Watkins Raphaël , Pepper Inés , Troncoso Rodrigo , Puente Luis
Published: June 2020

Chronic high-fat diet feeding is associated with obesity and accumulation of fat in the liver, leading to the development of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This condition is characterized by the presence of a high number of intrahepatic lipid droplets (LDs), with changes in the perilipin pattern covering them. This work aimed to describe the distribution of perilipin (Plin) 2, an LD-associated protein involved in neutral lipid storage, and Plin5, which favors lipid oxidation in LD, and to evaluate lipid peroxidation through live-cell visualization using the lipophilic fluorescent probe C11-BODIPY581/591 in fresh hepatocytes isolated from mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Male C57BL/6J adult mice were divided into control and HFD groups and fed with a control diet (10% fat, 20% protein, and 70% carbohydrates) or an HFD (60% fat, 20% protein, and 20% carbohydrates) for 8 weeks. The animals fed the HFD showed a significant increase of Plin2 in LD of hepatocytes. LD from HFD-fed mice have a stronger lipid peroxidation level than control hepatocytes. These data provide evidence that obesity status is accompanied by a higher degree of lipid peroxidation in hepatocytes, both in the cytoplasm and in the fats stored inside the LD.

Novelty Our study shows that lipid droplets from isolated hepatocytes in HFD-fed mice have a stronger lipid peroxidation level than control hepatocytes. C11-BODIPY581/591 is a useful tool to measure the initial level of intracellular lipid peroxidation in single isolated hepatocytes. Perilipins pattern changes with HFD feeding, showing an increase of Plin2 covering lipid droplets.
Species-specific preferences drive the differential effects of lake factors on fish production
Authors: Jarvis Lauren A. , McMeans Bailey C. , Giacomini Henrique Corrêa , Chu Cindy
Published: June 2020

As the global human population grows, it remains a top priority for communities, managers, policymakers, and stakeholders to maintain healthy, sustainable, and productive fisheries under continued global change. Here we used a dataset consisting of fish and lake characteristics for 536 lakes across Ontario, Canada, to test whether multiple climate, human, and biological factors differentially affect fish production (i.e., population biomass per hectare per year). We tested the hypothesis that temperature is the key driver of fisheries production by testing for the effects of multiple factors on the production of three top predatory fish species: cold-water lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), cool-water walleye (Sander vitreus), and warm-water smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). Using boosted regression tree analyses, we found that lake trout production was most influenced by the volume of hypolimnetic habitat, walleye production was related to other climatic variables, and smallmouth bass production was most influenced by sampling day of the year followed by Secchi depth. Our results suggest that current fish production models — that only include temperature and body size — may oversimplify important ecological complexities and thus misinform management decisions because species respond differently to environmental drivers.
Can the toxicity of naphthenic acids in oil sands process-affected water be mitigated by a green photocatalytic method?
Authors: Madison Barry N. , Reynolds Jessie , Halliwell Lauren , Leshuk Tim , Gu Frank , Peru Kerry M. , Headley John V. , Orihel Diane M.
Published: June 2020

Our study evaluates the efficacy of a “green” (i.e., sustainable, recyclable, and reusable) technology to treat waste waters produced by Canada’s oil sands industry. We examined the ability of a novel advanced oxidative method—ultra-violet photocatalysis over titanium dioxide (TiO2)-coated microparticles—to reduce the toxicity of naphthenic acid fraction components (NAFC) to early life stages of the fathead minnow ( Pimephales promelas). Lengthening the duration of photocatalysis resulted in greater removal of NAFC from bioassay exposure waters; low- and high-intensity treatments reduced NAFC concentrations to about 20 and 3 mg/L (by Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, FTIR), respectively. Treatments reduced the acute lethality of NAFC to fathead minnows by over half after low-intensity treatment and three-fold after high-intensity treatment. However, incomplete degradation in low-intensity treatments increased the incidence of chronic toxicity relative to untreated NAFC solutions and cardiovascular abnormalities were common even with >80% of NAFC degraded. Our findings demonstrate that photocatalysis over TiO2 microparticles is a promising method for mitigating the toxicity of oil sands process-affected water-derived NAFC to fish native to the oil sands region, but the intensity of the photocatalytic treatment needs to be considered carefully to ensure adequate mineralization of toxic constituents.
An Adaptive Optimization Spiking Neural P System for Binary Problems
Authors: Zhu Ming , Yang Qiang , Dong Jianping , Zhang Gexiang , Gou Xiantai , Rong Haina , Paul Prithwineel , Neri Ferrante
Published: June 2020

Optimization Spiking Neural P System (OSNPS) is the first membrane computing model to directly derive an approximate solution of combinatorial problems with a specific reference to the 0/1 knapsack problem. OSNPS is composed of a family of parallel Spiking Neural P Systems (SNPS) that generate candidate solutions of the binary combinatorial problem and a Guider algorithm that adjusts the spiking probabilities of the neurons of the P systems. Although OSNPS is a pioneering structure in membrane computing optimization, its performance is competitive with that of modern and sophisticated metaheuristics for the knapsack problem only in low dimensional cases. In order to overcome the limitations of OSNPS, this paper proposes a novel Dynamic Guider algorithm which employs an adaptive learning and a diversity-based adaptation to control its moving operators. The resulting novel membrane computing model for optimization is here named Adaptive Optimization Spiking Neural P System (AOSNPS). Numerical result shows that the proposed approach is effective to solve the 0/1 knapsack problems and outperforms multiple various algorithms proposed in the literature to solve the same class of problems even for a large number of items (high dimensionality). Furthermore, case studies show that a AOSNPS is effective in fault sections estimation of power systems in different types of fault cases: including a single fault, multiple faults and multiple faults with incomplete and uncertain information in the IEEE 39 bus system and IEEE 118 bus system.
From classical to modern opinion dynamics
Authors: Noorazar Hossein , Vixie Kevin R. , Talebanpour Arghavan , Hu Yunfeng
Published: June 2020

In this age of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, there is rapidly growing interest in understanding network-enabled opinion dynamics in large groups of autonomous agents. The phenomena of opinion polarization, the spread of propaganda and fake news, and the manipulation of sentiment is of interest to large numbers of organizations and people. Whether it is the more nefarious players such as foreign governments that are attempting to sway elections or it is more open and above board, such as researchers who want to make large groups of people aware of helpful innovations, what is at stake is often significant.

In this paper, we review opinion dynamics including the extensions of many classical models as well as some new models that deepen understanding. For example, we look at models that track the evolution of an individual’s power, that include noise, and that feature sequentially dependent topics, to name a few.

While the first papers studying opinion dynamics appeared over 60 years ago, there is still a great deal of room for innovation and exploration. We believe that the political climate and the extraordinary (even unprecedented) events in the sphere of politics in the last few years will inspire new interest and new ideas.

It is our aim to help those interested researchers understand what has already been explored in a significant portion of the field of opinion dynamics. We believe that in doing this, it will become clear that there is still much to be done.
Hyperviscous stochastic Navier–Stokes equations with white noise invariant measure
Authors: Gubinelli M. , Turra M.
Published: June 2020

We prove existence and uniqueness of martingale solutions to a (slightly) hyper-viscous stochastic Navier–Stokes equation in 2d with initial conditions absolutely continuous with respect to the Gibbs measure associated to the energy, getting the results both in the torus and in the whole space setting.
Empirical Analysis of Students’ Behavior Towards Advance Traveler Information Systems
Authors: Kwateng Kwame Owusu , Okyere Rabbi Osei , Ottun Muizz Oluwatobiloba , Gadah Julius Nani
Published: June 2020

In spite of the benefits associated with Automated Traveler Information Systems (ATIS), little attention has been given to its implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the management of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has made efforts to implement this technology on their campus transport services. It is in this regard that the researchers sought to investigate the factors that will influence the student’s intention to adopt ATIS. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) with self-efficacy, system quality and gender as moderators were employed in the study. The results indicate that performance expectancy, facilitating conditions and habit are the true predictors of people’s intention to use ATIS. Moreover, self-efficacy and gender were also found to moderate the relationship between behavioral intention and use behavior. This is among the few attempts to examine the factors that may influence user’s adoption of ATIS in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Occupancy and Fractal Dimension Analyses of the Spatial Distribution of Cytotoxic (CD8+) T Cells Infiltrating the Tumor Microenvironment in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Wortman Juliana C. , He Ting-Fang , Rosario Anthony , Wang Roger , Schmolze Daniel , Yuan Yuan , Yost Susan E. , Li Xuefei , Levine Herbert , Atwal Gurinder , Lee Peter , Yu Clare C.
Published: June 2020

Favorable outcomes have been associated with high densities of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) such as cytotoxic ([Formula: see text]) T cells. However, the clinical significance of the spatial distribution of TILs is less well understood. We have developed novel statistical techniques to characterize the spatial distribution of TILs at various length scales. These include a box counting method that we call “occupancy” and novel applications of fractal dimensions. We apply these techniques to the spatial distribution of [Formula: see text] T cells in the tumor microenvironment of tissue resected from 35 triple negative breast cancer patients. We find that there is a distinct difference in the spatial distribution of [Formula: see text] T cells between good clinical outcome (no recurrence within at least 5 years of diagnosis) and poor clinical outcome (recurrence within 3 years of diagnosis). The statistical significance of the difference between good and poor outcome in the occupancy, fractal dimension (FD), and FD difference of [Formula: see text] T cells is comparable to that of the [Formula: see text] T cell density. Even when we randomly exclude some of the cells so that the images have the same cell density, we still find that the fractal dimension at short length scales is correlated with cancer recurrence, implying that the actual spatial distribution of [Formula: see text] cells, and not just the [Formula: see text] cell density, is associated with clinical outcome. The occupancy and FD difference indicate that the [Formula: see text] T cells are more spatially dispersed in good outcome and more aggregated in poor outcome. We discuss possible interpretations.
THE IMPACT OF TERRORISM ON TURKISH BANKS’ STOCKS AND CROSS-BANK VARIATION OF ABNORMAL RETURNS
Authors: ORHUN EDA
Published: June 2020

This paper investigates the impact of the recent terrorist attacks on the Turkish banking sector. Specifically, an event study analysis is executed to estimate the abnormal returns of banks’ stocks in Turkey. According to the results, negative and significant abnormal returns were observed on the event dates of terrorist attacks, those of which especially occurred at international points and touristic places. The study continues with a regression analysis that looks into the cross-bank variation of abnormal returns by using important bank characteristics as predictors. The regression analysis exhibits that banks with higher leverage and larger size are prone to getting more negatively affected by the terrorist attack. On the other hand, banks with higher liquidity and higher income level are likely to have less negative abnormal returns.
Graphene crumpling as a method of hydrogen storage: Simulation results
Authors: Baimova Julia A. , Krylova Karina A. , Lobzenko Ivan P.
Published: June 2020

Various carbon nanostructures, including graphene, are very promising for application in hydrogen storage. One of the promising ways to increase the hydrogen storage capacity of graphene is crumpling. In this work, an increase of hydrogen binding energy to graphene with ripple is studied by first-principle calculations. It is shown that binding energy can be considerably increased for hydrogen atom attached outside the cavity of graphene ripple. Further, by molecular dynamics simulation, it is shown that physisorption of hydrogen in the cavities of crumpled graphene is also very promising if hydrostatic compression is applied to the structure. The volumetric density of hydrogen storage can be increased for 14% for the compressed crumpled graphene in comparison with undeformed structure. Results obtained by two simulation techniques showed that crumpled graphene can be considered as a very promising media for hydrogen storage both by chemisorption and physisorption.
Worldwide examples of global heritage stones: an introduction
Authors: Hannibal Joseph T. , Kramar S. , Cooper B. J.
Published: June 2020

Heritage stones are stones that have special significance in human culture. The papers in this volume discuss a wide variety of such stones, including stones from Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa and Australia. Igneous (basalt, porphyry and a variety of granites), sedimentary (sandstone, limestone) and metamorphic (marble, quartzite, gneiss, slate, soapstone) stones are featured. These stones have been used over long periods of time for a wide range of uses, including monuments, buildings of architectural note, columns, roofing, tiling and lithography. A number of papers in this book provide information that is essential for eventual approval of stones as a Global Heritage Stone Resource or a group of stones as a Global Heritage Stone Province.
Two for the price of one: Doris Livesey Reynolds (1899–1985)
Authors: Lewis Cherry L. E.
Published: June 2020

Doris Reynolds, known less commonly by her married name Doris Holmes, was an English geologist and petrologist. She is best known for her role in the Granite Controversy that started in the late 1930s and continued throughout the 1940s and 1950s, and particularly for her contribution to the concept of ‘granitization’ in the formation of granites. She was greatly influenced by Catherine Raisin, who introduced her to petrology at Bedford College for Women where Reynolds studied for her first degree. Throughout her career Reynolds worked on igneous intrusions and their associated metamorphism, with particular emphasis on the Newry Igneous Complex in Ireland. In her papers she detailed the sequences of chemical changes that led to granitization which she postulated occurred as a series of ‘fronts’. She argued that these fronts altered the sedimentary rocks through which they passed, eventually turning the sediments into granites or other igneous rocks, depending on the ions carried by the front. In 1939, she married Arthur Holmes; in 1949, she was among the first five women to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and in 1960 she was awarded the Lyell Medal by the Geological Society of London for her research, her original mind and her refusal to be cowed by the Establishment.
Streams, Substructures, and the Early History of the Milky Way
Authors: Helmi Amina
Published: June 2020

The advent of the second data release of the Gaia mission, in combination with data from large spectroscopic surveys, is revolutionizing our understanding of the Galaxy. Thanks to these transformational data sets and the knowledge accumulated thus far, a new, more mature picture of the evolution of the early Milky Way is currently emerging. ▪  Two of the traditional Galactic components, namely, the stellar halo and the thick disk, appear to be intimately linked: Stars with halo-like kinematics originate in similar proportions from a heated (thick) disk and from debris from a system named Gaia-Enceladus. Gaia-Enceladus was the last big merger event experienced by the Milky Way and was completed around 10 Gyr ago. The puffed-up stars now present in the halo as a consequence of the merger have thus exposed the existence of a disk component at z ∼ 1.8. This is likely related to the previously known metal-weak thick disk and may be traceable to metallicities [Fe/H] [Formula: see text] −4. As importantly, there is evidence that the merger with Gaia-Enceladus triggered star formation in the early Milky Way, plausibly leading to the appearance of the thick disk as we know it. ▪  Other merger events have been characterized better, and new ones have been uncovered. These include, for example, the Helmi streams, Sequoia, and Thamnos, which add to the list of those discovered in wide-field photometric surveys, such as the Sagittarius streams. Current knowledge of their progenitors’ properties, star formation, and chemical evolutionary histories is still incomplete. ▪  Debris from different objects shows different degrees of overlap in phase-space. This sometimes confusing situation can be improved by determining membership probabilities via quantitative statistical methods. A task for the next few years will be to use ongoing and planned spectroscopic surveys for chemical labeling and to disentangle events from one another using dimensions other than phase-space, metallicity, or [α/Fe]. ▪  These large surveys will also provide line-of-sight velocities missing for faint stars in Gaia releases and more accurate distance determinations for distant objects, which in combination with other surveys could also lead to more accurate age dating. The resulting samples of stars will cover a much wider volume of the Galaxy, allowing, for example, the linking of kinematic substructures found in the inner halo to spatial overdensities in the outer halo. ▪  All the results obtained so far are in line with the expectations of current cosmological models. Nonetheless, tailored hydrodynamical simulations to reproduce in detail the properties of the merger debris, as well as constrained cosmological simulations of the Milky Way, are needed. Such simulations will undoubtedly unravel more connections between the different Galactic components and their substructures, and will aid in pushing our knowledge of the assembly of the Milky Way to the earliest times.
Anatomy and Function of the Primate Entorhinal Cortex
Authors: Garcia Aaron D. , Buffalo Elizabeth A.
Published: June 2020

The entorhinal cortex (EC) is a critical element of the hippocampal formation located within the medial temporal lobe (MTL) in primates. The EC has historically received attention for being the primary mediator of cortical information going into and coming from the hippocampus proper. In this review, we highlight the significance of the EC as a major player in memory processing, along with other associated structures in the primate MTL. The complex, convergent topographies of cortical and subcortical input to the EC, combined with short-range intrinsic connectivity and the selective targeting of EC efferents to the hippocampus, provide evidence for subregional specialization and integration of information beyond what would be expected if this structure were a simple conduit of information for the hippocampus. Lesion studies of the EC provide evidence implicating this region as critical for memory and the flexible use of complex relational associations between experienced events. The physiology of this structure's constituent principal cells mirrors the complexity of its anatomy. EC neurons respond preferentially to aspects of memory-dependent paradigms including object, place, and time. EC neurons also show striking spatial representations as primates explore visual space, similar to those identified in rodents navigating physical space. In this review, we highlight the great strides that have been made toward furthering our understanding of the primate EC, and we identify paths forward for future experiments to provide additional insight into the role of this structure in learning and memory.
Perinatal cardiopulmonary adaptation to the thin air of the Alto Andino by a native Altiplano dweller, the llama
Authors: Reyes R. V. , Herrera E. A. , Ebensperger G. , Sanhueza E. M. , Giussani D. A. , Llanos A. J.
Published: June 2020

Most mammals have a poor tolerance to hypoxia, and prolonged O2 restriction can lead to organ injury, particularly during fetal and early postnatal life. Nevertheless, the llama ( Lama Glama) has evolved efficient mechanisms to adapt to acute and chronic perinatal hypoxia. One striking adaptation is the marked peripheral vasoconstriction measured in the llama fetus in response to acute hypoxia, which allows efficient redistribution of cardiac output toward the fetal heart and adrenal glands. This strong peripheral vasoconstrictor tone is triggered by a carotid body reflex and critically depends on α-adrenergic signaling. A second adaptation is the ability of the llama fetus to protect its brain against hypoxic damage. During hypoxia, in the llama fetus there is no significant increase in brain blood flow. Instead, there is a fall in brain O2 consumption and temperature, together with a decrease of Na+-K+-ATPase activity and Na+ channels expression, protecting against seizures and neuronal death. Finally, the newborn llama does not develop pulmonary hypertension in response to chronic hypoxia. In addition to maintaining basal pulmonary arterial pressure at normal levels the pulmonary arterial pressor response to acute hypoxia is lower in highland than in lowland llamas. The protection against hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary contractile hyperreactivity is partly due to increased hemoxygenase-carbon monoxide signaling and decreased Ca2+ sensitization in the newborn llama pulmonary vasculature. These three striking physiological adaptations of the llama allow this species to live and thrive under the chronic influence of the hypobaric hypoxia of life at high altitude.
High-Dose Inhaled Nitric Oxide as Adjunct Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis Targeting Burkholderia multivorans
Authors: Bartley Bethany L. , Gardner Kelly J. , Spina Stefano , Hurley Bryan P. , Campeau David , Berra Lorenzo , Yonker Lael M. , Carroll Ryan W.
Published: June 2020

Background. Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) have persistent lung infections, necessitating the frequent use of antibiotics for pulmonary exacerbations. Some respiratory pathogens have intrinsic resistance to the currently available antibiotics, and any pathogen may acquire resistance over time, posing a challenge to CF care. Gaseous nitric oxide has been shown to have antimicrobial activity against a wide variety of microorganisms, including common CF pathogens, and offers a potential inhaled antimicrobial therapy. Case Presentation. Here, we present the case of a 16-year-old female with CF who experienced a precipitous decline in lung function over the prior year in conjunction with worsening antibiotic resistance of her primary pathogen, Burkholderia multivorans. She received 46 intermittent inhalations of 160 parts-per-million nitric oxide over a 28-day period. The gas was administered via a mechanical ventilator fitted with nitrogen dioxide scavenging chambers. Conclusions. High-dose inhaled nitric oxide was safe, well tolerated, and showed clinical benefit in an adolescent with cystic fibrosis and pulmonary colonization with Burkholderia multivorans.