bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What kind of home is your care home? A typology of personalised care provided in residential and nursing homes
Authors: Ettelt Stefanie , Williams Lorraine , Damant Jacqueline , Perkins Margaret , Wittenberg Raphael
Published: October 2020

This paper examines how care home managers in England conceptualised the approach to delivering personalised care in the homes they managed. We conducted interviews with care home managers and mapped the approaches they described on two distinct characterisations of personalised care prominent in the research and practitioner literature: the importance of close care relationships and the degree of resident choice and decision-making promoted by the care home. We derived three ‘types’ of personalised care in care homes. These conceptualise the care home as an ‘institution’, a ‘family’ and a ‘hotel’. We have added a fourth type, the ‘co-operative’, to propose a type that merges proximate care relationships with an emphasis on resident choice and decision-making. We conclude that each approach involves trade-offs and that the ‘family’ model may be more suitable for people with advanced dementia, given its emphasis on relationships. While the presence of a range of diverse approaches to personalising care in a care home market may be desirable as a matter of choice, access to care homes in England is likely to be constrained by availability and cost.
The Right to Come and Go
Authors: Spieler Miranda
Published: October 2020

Other participants in this forum will have addressed the way American common law shaped the meaning of public rights in postbellum Louisiana. Here I expand on Rebecca Scott's intuition about the transnational character of Louisiana's 1868 Constitution. I do so by suggesting a resonance between French legal writing and the Louisianan understanding of public rights. The innovative spirit of Edward Tinchant becomes all the more striking when his ideas are put into conversation with the language of rights in postrevolutionary France.
Introduction: Rebecca Scott's History of Public Rights
Authors: Chazkel Amy
Published: October 2020

This brief article introduces the responses to Rebecca J. Scott's “Discerning a Dignitary Offense.”
Medically unexplained symptoms in children: an experimental investigation of the impact of internet searching on parental responses
Authors: Hughes Tyler , Meredith Francesca , Monteregge Sabrina , Bennett Sophie D. , Shafran Roz
Published: October 2020

Background:

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are symptoms for which no medical cause can be identified. For children and adolescents, symptoms can be maintained through parental responses.

Aims:

The present study investigated the impact that internet searching of symptoms has on parental responses to MUS.

Method:

One hundred and twenty-seven adult participants read a vignette in which they were asked to imagine they were a parent of a young person with MUS and completed visual analogue scales (VAS) reporting their beliefs, emotions and behavioural intentions about the MUS. Participants were then randomly assigned to one of three conditions: searching reputable websites for further information about the symptoms (n = 47), free search of any websites for further information about the symptoms (n = 38) or a control condition (n = 42) during which participants spent 10 minutes doing their usual behaviour on the internet, for example checking email and social media. Participants then completed the VAS for a second time.

Results:

Searching reputable websites led to a significantly greater decrease in behaviour VAS scores compared with the free search condition [F (1,123) = 11.374, p < .001], indicating that participants were less likely to seek a second opinion and to advise the child to avoid usual activities.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrated that internet searching reputable sites for information regarding physical symptoms can be positive and it may therefore be advisable for health professionals meeting children with MUS to provide the family with information links to reputable sources.
Designing a healthy, low-cost and environmentally sustainable food basket: an optimisation study
Authors: Eini-Zinab Hassan , Sobhani Seyyed Reza , Rezazadeh Arezoo
Published: October 2020

Objective:

Sustainable diets are diets with low environmental impacts and high affordability which contribute to food and nutrition security. The present study aimed to develop a healthy, low-cost and environmental-friendly food basket for Iran based on current consumption.

Design:

The Households Income and Expenditure Survey data were used. Linear Programming was utilised to obtain the optimal diets, separately, for each goal of the sustainable food basket: (1) Diet with maximum Nutrient Rich Food (NRF) index, (2) Diet with minimum cost, (3) Diet with the minimum water footprint and (4) Diet with the minimum carbon footprint. Goal Programming techniques were used to optimise the sustainable food basket by considering all goals simultaneously.

Setting:

Iran.

Participants:

Households (n 100 500) in urban and rural areas of Iran, nationally representative.

Results:

In the ‘optimal model’, compared with the usual consumption, the amount of the ‘bread, cereal, rice, and pasta’, ‘meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, and nuts’ and ‘fats, oils, sugars, and sweets’ groups was decreased. Inside those food groups, cereals, poultry and vegetable oil subgroups were increased. Also, dairy, fruits and vegetable groups were increased. In this model, there was a 14 % reduction in the total water footprint, a 14 % decrease in the total carbon footprint, a 23 % decrease in the cost and a 7 % increase in NRF of diet compared with the usual consumption.

Conclusions:

Increasing the consumption of dairy, fruits and vegetables and reducing the consumption of bread, rice, pasta, meat, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, hydrogenated fats and sugars are required to achieve a sustainable food basket.
Parental feeding practices across child’s weight status: Evidence of the Italian validation of the Child Feeding Questionnaire
Authors: Buratta Livia , Delvecchio Elisa , Germani Alessandro , Mazzeschi Claudia
Published: October 2020

Objective:

The main aim of this study was to assess the psychometric proprieties of the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) in Italian mothers.

Design:

Mothers completed the Italian version of the CFQ, and children’s anthropometric data were collected. Construct validity of the CFQ was assessed by comparing three different models: (a) a seven correlated factors model in which all items were analysed; (b) a seven correlated factors model with composite items based on the Restriction factor and (c) an eight correlated factors model with a separate Reward factor. Measurement invariance using BMI categories and gender was evaluated. Furthermore, discriminant validity with group comparison was performed between BMI categories and gender.

Setting:

Italy.

Participants:

A total of 1253 6-year-old Italian children (53·9 % male) attending elementary school (1st grade) and their mothers (mean age = 38·22 years;sd= 4·89) participated in this study.

Results:

The eight-factor model with a separate reward factor provided the best fit for the data. The strict invariance of the CFQ across child BMI categories and gender was confirmed. The CFQ internal consistency was acceptable for most subscales. However, two subscales showed no adequate values. As expected, the CFQ scales showed significant differences between BMI categories, while no gender-related differences were found.

Conclusions:

The study indicated the Italian version of the CFQ to be factorially valid for assessing parental feeding practices of 6-year-old children across BMI categories. Future research should address low internal consistency in some of the CFQ subscales.
Prediction of Northern Hemisphere Regional Sea Ice Extent and Snow Depth Using Stratospheric Ozone Information
Authors: Stone Kane A. , Solomon Susan , Kinnison Douglas E.
Published: October 2020

The forecast potential of springtime ozone on April surface temperatures at particular locations in the Northern Hemisphere has been previously reported. Evidence suggests that early springtime Arctic stratospheric ozone acts as a proxy for extreme events in the winter polar vortex. Here, using a state‐of‐the‐art chemistry‐climate model, reanalysis and observations, we extend the forecast potential of ozone on surface temperatures to aspects of the Northern Hemisphere cryosphere. Sea ice fraction and sea ice extent differences between years of March high and low Arctic stratospheric ozone extremes show excellent agreement between an ensemble of chemistry‐climate model simulations and observations, with differences occurring not just in April but extending through to the following winter season in some locations. Large snow depth differences are also obtained in regional locations in Russia and along the southeast coast of Alaska. These differences remain elevated until early summer, when snow cover diminishes. Using a conditional empirical model in a leave‐three‐out cross validation method, March total column ozone is able to accurately predict the sign of the observed sea ice extent and snow depth anomalies over 70% of the time during an ozone extreme year, especially in the region of the Bering strait and the Greenland Sea, which could be useful for shipping routes and for testing climate models.
ENSO and Pacific Decadal Variability in the Community Earth System Model Version 2
Authors: Capotondi A. , Deser C. , Phillips A. S. , Okumura Y. , Larson S. M.
Published: October 2020

This study presents a description of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Variability (PDV) in a multicentury preindustrial simulation of the Community Earth System Model Version 2 (CESM2). The model simulates several aspects of ENSO relatively well, including dominant timescale, tropical and extratropical precursors, composite evolution of El Niño and La Niña events, and ENSO teleconnections. The good model representation of ENSO spectral characteristics is consistent with the spatial pattern of the anomalous equatorial zonal wind stress in the model, which results in the correct adjustment timescale of the equatorial thermocline according to the delayed/recharge oscillator paradigms, as also reflected in the realistic time evolution of the equatorial Warm Water Volume. PDV in the model exhibits a pattern that is very similar to the observed, with realistic tropical and South Pacific signatures which were much weaker in some of the CESM2 predecessor models. The tropical component of PDV also shows an association with ENSO decadal modulation which is similar to that found in observations. However, the ENSO amplitude is about 30% larger than observed in the preindustrial CESM2 simulation, and even larger in the historical ensemble, perhaps as a result of anthropogenic influences. In contrast to observations, the largest variability is found in the central Pacific rather than in the eastern Pacific, a discrepancy that somewhat hinders the model's ability to represent a full diversity in El Niño spatial patterns and appears to be associated with an unrealistic confinement of the precipitation anomalies to the western Pacific.
Greenland Ice Sheet Elevation Change: Direct Observation of Process and Attribution at Summit
Authors: Hawley Robert L. , Neumann Thomas A. , Stevens C. Max , Brunt Kelly M. , Sutterley Tyler C.
Published: October 2020

Greenland Ice Sheet surface elevation is changing as mass loss accelerates. In understanding elevation change, the magnitudes of physical processes involved are important for interpretation of altimetry and assessing changes in these processes. The four key processes are surface mass balance (SMB), firn densification, ice dynamics, and isostatic adjustment. We quantified these processes at Summit, Greenland, where monthly Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) snowmobile traverses measured elevation change from 2008 to 2018. We find an elevation increase of 0.019 m a−1. The sum of the effects of the four processes reproduces the measured elevation time series, in linear trend and in intra‐annual variability. The short‐term variability in elevation is primarily explained by the variability in SMB. Since SMB has not changed significantly over the last century, and the other processes change over longer time scales, the elevation change likely has been ongoing for at least the last 100 years.
Potential Precipitation Predictability Decreases Under Future Warming
Authors: Xu Lei , Zhang Chong , Chen Nengcheng , Moradkhani Hamid , Chu Pao‐Shin , Zhang Xiang
Published: October 2020

Precipitation predictability is likely to decrease with water cycle intensification under global warming, yet how much it will change spatiotemporally is unclear. We quantify the precipitation predictability changes under future warming using model simulations from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5. The global‐averaged potential precipitation predictability (PPP) is likely to decrease 0.3% per 1°C increase of global sea surface temperature (SST), with a decrease of 0.8% and 0.1% in tropical and extratropical regions, respectively, under future warming scenarios. The PPP changes are divergent among different models with considerable uncertainty. The estimated declining PPP is closely related to the increase of SST and the decrease of potential SST predictability based on a statistical regression analysis. These results unravel the changing pattern of precipitation predictability under future warming.
A micromirror array with annular partitioning for high-speed random-access axial focusing
Authors: Ersumo Nathan Tessema , Yalcin Cem , Antipa Nick , Pégard Nicolas , Waller Laura , Lopez Daniel , Muller Rikky
Published: October 2020

Dynamic axial focusing functionality has recently experienced widespread incorporation in microscopy, augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), adaptive optics and material processing. However, the limitations of existing varifocal tools continue to beset the performance capabilities and operating overhead of the optical systems that mobilize such functionality. The varifocal tools that are the least burdensome to operate (e.g. liquid crystal, elastomeric or optofluidic lenses) suffer from low (≈100 Hz) refresh rates. Conversely, the fastest devices sacrifice either critical capabilities such as their dwelling capacity (e.g. acoustic gradient lenses or monolithic micromechanical mirrors) or low operating overhead (e.g. deformable mirrors). Here, we present a general-purpose random-access axial focusing device that bridges these previously conflicting features of high speed, dwelling capacity and lightweight drive by employing low-rigidity micromirrors that exploit the robustness of defocusing phase profiles. Geometrically, the device consists of an 8.2 mm diameter array of piston-motion and 48-μm-pitch micromirror pixels that provide 2π phase shifting for wavelengths shorter than 1100 nm with 10–90% settling in 64.8 μs (i.e., 15.44 kHz refresh rate). The pixels are electrically partitioned into 32 rings for a driving scheme that enables phase-wrapped operation with circular symmetry and requires <30 V per channel. Optical experiments demonstrated the array’s wide focusing range with a measured ability to target 29 distinct resolvable depth planes. Overall, the features of the proposed array offer the potential for compact, straightforward methods of tackling bottlenecked applications, including high-throughput single-cell targeting in neurobiology and the delivery of dense 3D visual information in AR/VR.
Immune checkpoint molecules in natural killer cells as potential targets for cancer immunotherapy
Authors: Cao Yuqing , Wang Xiaoyu , Jin Tianqiang , Tian Yu , Dai Chaoliu , Widarma Crystal , Song Rui , Xu Feng
Published: October 2020

Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of natural killer (NK) cells in immunotherapy to treat multiple types of cancer. NK cells are innate lymphoid cells that play essential roles in tumor surveillance and control that efficiently kill the tumor and do not require the major histocompatibility complex. The discovery of the NK’s potential as a promising therapeutic target for cancer is a relief to oncologists as they face the challenge of increased chemo-resistant cancers. NK cells show great potential against solid and hematologic tumors and have progressively shown promise as a therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy. The effector role of these cells is reliant on the balance of inhibitory and activating signals. Understanding the role of various immune checkpoint molecules in the exhaustion and impairment of NK cells when their inhibitory receptors are excessively expressed is particularly important in cancer immunotherapy studies and clinical implementation. Emerging immune checkpoint receptors and molecules have been found to mediate NK cell dysfunction in the tumor microenvironment; this has brought up the need to explore further additional NK cell-related immune checkpoints that may be exploited to enhance the immune response to refractory cancers. Accordingly, this review will focus on the recent findings concerning the roles of immune checkpoint molecules and receptors in the regulation of NK cell function, as well as their potential application in tumor immunotherapy.
Acetyl-bufalin shows potent efficacy against non-small-cell lung cancer by targeting the CDK9/STAT3 signalling pathway
Authors: Yang Lehe , Zhou Feng , Zhuang Yan , Liu Yanan , Xu Lingyuan , Zhao Haiyang , Xiang Youqun , Dai Xuanxuan , Liu Zhiguo , Huang Xiaoying , Wang Liangxing , Zhao Chengguang
Published: October 2020

Background

Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target in cancers. Bufalin is an effective anti-tumour agent; however, the clinical application of bufalin is limited due to its high toxicity. Acetyl-bufalin, the bufalin prodrug, was designed and synthesised with higher efficiency and lower toxicity.

Methods

Three non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, a xenograft model and a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model were used to examine the effects of acetyl-bufalin. CDK9/STAT3 involvement was investigated by knockdown with siRNA, proteome microarray assay, western blot analysis and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Acute toxicity test and pharmacokinetics (PK) study were conducted to assess the safety and PK. The human NSCLC tissues were analysed to verify high CDK9 expression.

Results

We showed that CDK9 induced NSCLC cell proliferation and that this effect was associated with STAT3 activation, specifically an increase in STAT3 phosphorylation and transcription factor activity. Acetyl-bufalin is an effective and safety inhibitor of the CDK9/STAT3 pathway, leading to the impediment of various oncogenic processes in NSCLC. Molecular docking and high-throughput proteomics platform analysis uncovered acetyl-bufalin directly binds to CDK9. Consequently, acetyl-bufalin impaired the complex formation of CDK9 and STAT3, decreased the expressions of P-STAT3, and transcribed target genes such as cyclin B1, CDC2, MCL-1, Survivin, VEGF, BCL2, and it upregulated the expression levels of BAX and caspase-3 activity. Acetyl-bufalin inhibited tumour growth in NSCLC xenograft and PDX models.

Conclusions

Acetyl-bufalin is a novel blocker of the CDK9/STAT3 pathway thus may have potential in therapy of NSCLC and other cancers.
Patient-derived SARS-CoV-2 mutations impact viral replication dynamics and infectivity in vitro and with clinical implications in vivo
Authors: Yao Hangping , Lu Xiangyun , Chen Qiong , Xu Kaijin , Chen Yu , Cheng Minghui , Chen Keda , Cheng Linfang , Weng Tianhao , Shi Danrong , Liu Fumin , Wu Zhigang , Xie Mingjie , Wu Haibo , Jin Changzhong , Zheng Min , Wu Nanping , Jiang Chao , Li Lanjuan
Published: October 2020

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread globally with more than 33 million patients diagnosed, taking more than a million lives. Abundant mutations were observed but the functional consequences of these mutations are largely unknown. We report the mutation spectrum, replication dynamics, and infectivity of 11 patient-derived viral isolates in diverse cell lines, including the human lung cancer cell line Calu-3. We observed 46 mutations, including 9 different mutations in the spike gene. Importantly, these viral isolates show significant and consistent variations in replication dynamics and infectivity in tested cell lines, up to a 1500-fold difference in viral titers at 24 h after infecting Calu-3 cells. Moreover, we show that the variations in viral titers among viral isolates are positively correlated with blood clotting function but inversely correlated with the amount of red blood cell and hemoglobin in patients. Therefore, we provide direct evidence that naturally occurring mutations in SARS-CoV-2 can substantially change its replication dynamics and infectivity in diverse human cell lines, with clinical implications in vivo.
Engineering active sites on hierarchical transition bimetal oxides/sulfides heterostructure array enabling robust overall water splitting
Authors: Zhai Panlong , Zhang Yanxue , Wu Yunzhen , Gao Junfeng , Zhang Bo , Cao Shuyan , Zhang Yanting , Li Zhuwei , Sun Licheng , Hou Jungang
Published: October 2020

Rational design of the catalysts is impressive for sustainable energy conversion. However, there is a grand challenge to engineer active sites at the interface. Herein, hierarchical transition bimetal oxides/sulfides heterostructure arrays interacting two-dimensional MoOx/MoS2 nanosheets attached to one-dimensional NiOx/Ni3S2 nanorods were fabricated by oxidation/hydrogenation-induced surface reconfiguration strategy. The NiMoOx/NiMoS heterostructure array exhibits the overpotentials of 38 mV for hydrogen evolution and 186 mV for oxygen evolution at 10 mA cm−2, even surviving at a large current density of 500 mA cm−2 with long-term stability. Due to optimized adsorption energies and accelerated water splitting kinetics by theory calculations, the assembled two-electrode cell delivers the industrially relevant current densities of 500 and 1000 mA cm−2 at record low cell voltages of 1.60 and 1.66 V with excellent durability. This research provides a promising avenue to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of the catalysts by engineering interfacial active sites toward large-scale water splitting.
Fibrinogen function achieved through multiple covalent states
Authors: Butera Diego , Hogg Philip J.
Published: October 2020

Disulfide bonds link pairs of cysteine amino acids and their formation is assumed to be complete in the mature, functional protein. Here, we test this assumption by quantifying the redox state of disulfide bonds in the blood clotting protein fibrinogen. The disulfide status of fibrinogen from healthy human donor plasma and cultured human hepatocytes are measured using differential cysteine alkylation and mass spectrometry. This analysis identifies 13 disulfide bonds that are 10–50% reduced, indicating that fibrinogen is produced in multiple disulfide-bonded or covalent states. We further show that disulfides form upon fibrin polymerization and are required for a robust fibrin matrix that withstands the mechanical forces of flowing blood and resists premature fibrinolysis. The covalent states of fibrinogen are changed by fluid shear forces ex vivo and in vivo, indicating that the different states are dynamic. These findings demonstrate that fibrinogen exists and functions as multiple covalent forms.
Leaf pigmentation, its profiles and radical scavenging activity in selected Amaranthus tricolor leafy vegetables
Authors: Sarker Umakanta , Oba Shinya
Published: October 2020

The selected A. tricolor accessions contained abundant color attributes, betacyanin, carotenoids, betalains, betaxanthins, and antioxidants potentiality that varied in terms of genotypes. For the first time, we identified 4 betacyanins, and 5 carotenoid compounds in A. tricolor genotypes. The genotype VA14 and VA16 had abundant color attributes, betacyanin such as amaranthine, iso-amaranthine, betanin, iso-betanin, and antioxidants potentiality. These two genotypes having an excellent source of color attributes, betacyanins, betalains, betaxanthins, and antioxidants potentiality could be used as potent antioxidant varieties. The genotype VA11 and VA16 had abundant carotenoid components, such as zeaxanthin, lutein, violaxanthin, neoxanthin, total xanthophylls, and beta-carotene. The genotype VA11 and VA16 had abundant carotenoid components that could be used as carotenoid enrich varieties. It revealed from the correlation study that pigment profiles of A. tricolor genotypes exhibited high quenching capacity of radicals. These accessions have high antioxidant potentials and great opportunity to make drinks, preservatives, and colorant of food products to feed the community deficient in antioxidants. The identified components of betacyanins and carotenoids in A. tricolor require comprehensive pharmacological study. The baseline data on color attributes, betacyanins profile, carotenoids profile, betaxanthins, betalains and antioxidant potentiality obtained in the present study could contribute to pharmacologists for evaluating these components scientifically in A. tricolor.
Comparing basal dendrite branches in human and mouse hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons with Bayesian networks
Authors: Mihaljević Bojan , Larrañaga Pedro , Benavides-Piccione Ruth , DeFelipe Javier , Bielza Concha
Published: October 2020

Pyramidal neurons are the most common cell type in the cerebral cortex. Understanding how they differ between species is a key challenge in neuroscience. A recent study provided a unique set of human and mouse pyramidal neurons of the CA1 region of the hippocampus, and used it to compare the morphology of apical and basal dendritic branches of the two species. The study found inter-species differences in the magnitude of the morphometrics and similarities regarding their variation with respect to morphological determinants such as branch type and branch order. We use the same data set to perform additional comparisons of basal dendrites. In order to isolate the heterogeneity due to intrinsic differences between species from the heterogeneity due to differences in morphological determinants, we fit multivariate models over the morphometrics and the determinants. In particular, we use conditional linear Gaussian Bayesian networks, which provide a concise graphical representation of the independencies and correlations among the variables. We also extend the previous study by considering additional morphometrics and by formally testing whether a morphometric increases or decreases with the distance from the soma. This study introduces a multivariate methodology for inter-species comparison of morphology.
DXA reference values and anthropometric screening for visceral obesity in Western Australian adults
Authors: Staynor Jonathan M. D. , Smith Marc K. , Donnelly Cyril J. , Sallam Amar El , Ackland Timothy R.
Published: October 2020

Limited reference values exist for visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass measured by DXA. The objectives of this study were to provide reference values for DXA-derived VAT mass and compare the association with anthropometry measures. The study cohort comprised 677 men and 738 women aged 18–65 years from Western Australia. Whole-body scans using a GE Lunar iDXA and anthropometry measures were collected. Reference percentile data were stratified by sex and age. Correlation analysis compared DXA-derived and anthropometry variables. Specificity, sensitivity, and Youden’s Index were used to evaluate the ability of anthropometric thresholds to predict individuals with high VAT. In men, waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio, and waist-height ratio (WHtR) had ‘high’ correlations with VAT mass. In women, only WHtR was ‘highly’ correlated with VAT mass. Overweight thresholds for WC, along with a body mass index of 25.0 kg/m2 in women, had the highest combination of sensitivity and specificity when using anthropometry measures to identify individuals with high VAT mass. We provide the first reference data sets for DXA-derived VAT mass among Western Australians. Excessive VAT mass may be identified in men using the overweight WC threshold and in women using both the overweight BMI and WC thresholds.
Comparison of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and near-infrared transillumination-backscattering sounding (NIR-T/BSS) methods
Authors: Gruszecka Agnieszka , Gruszecki Marcin , Neary J. Patrick , Singh Jyotpal , Teckchandani Taylor , Waskow Monika , Wszedybyl-Winklewska Magdalena , Guminski Wojciech , Frydrychowski Andrzej F. , Rumiński Jacek , Lass Piotr , Kratzig Gregory P. , Winklewski Pawel J.
Published: October 2020

The aim of the study was to compare simultaneously recorded a NIR-T/BSS and NIRS signals from healthy volunteers. NIR-T/BSS is a device which give an ability to non-invasively detect and monitor changes in the subarachnoid space width (SAS). Experiments were performed on a group of 30 healthy volunteers (28 males and 2 females, age 30.8 ± 13.4 years, BMI = 24.5 ± 2.3 kg/m2). We analysed recorded signals using analysis methods based on wavelet transform (WT) for the wide frequency range from 0.0095 to 2 Hz. Despite the fact that both devices use a similar radiation source both signals are distinct from each other. We found statistically significant differences for WT amplitude spectra between both signals. Additionally, we showed different relationships of both signals to blood pressure. Collectively, based on the present findings and those of previous studies, we can conclude that the combination of NIR-T/BSS or NIRS signals and time–frequency analysis opens new frontiers in science, and give possibility to understand and diagnosis of various neurodegenerative and ageing related diseases to improve diagnostic procedures and patient prognosis.
Characterisation and mapping of scattered radiation fields in interventional radiology theatres
Authors: Nowak M. , Carbonez P. , Krauss M. , Verdun F. R. , Damet J.
Published: October 2020

We used the Timepix3 hybrid pixel detector technology in order to determine the exposure of medical personnel to ionizing radiation in an interventional radiology room. We measured the energy spectra of the scattered radiation generated by the patient during X-ray image-guided interventional procedures. We performed measurements at different positions and heights within the theatre. We first observed a difference in fluence for each staff member. As expected, we found that the person closest to the X-ray tube is the most exposed while the least exposed staff member is positioned at the patient’s feet. Additionally, we observed a shift in energy from head to toe for practitioners, clearly indicating a non-homogenous energy exposure. The photon counting Timepix3 detector provides a new tool for radiation field characterisation that is easier-to-use and more compact than conventional X-ray spectrometers. The spectral information is particularly valuable for optimising the use of radiation protection gear and improving dosimetry surveillance programs. We also found the device very useful for training purposes to provide awareness and understanding about radiation protection principles among interventional radiology staff.
Climate-induced variability in South Atlantic wave direction over the past three millennia
Authors: Silva A. P. , Klein A. H. F. , Fetter-Filho A. F. H. , Hein C. J. , Méndez F. J. , Broggio M. F. , Dalinghaus C.
Published: October 2020

Through alteration of wave-generating atmospheric systems, global climate changes play a fundamental role in regional wave climate. However, long-term wave-climate cycles and their associated forcing mechanisms remain poorly constrained, in part due to a relative dearth of highly resolved archives. Here we use the morphology of former shorelines preserved in beach-foredune ridges (BFR) within a protected embayment to reconstruct changes in predominant wave directions in the Subtropical South Atlantic during the last ~ 3000 years. These analyses reveal multi-centennial cycles of oscillation in predominant wave direction in accordance with stronger (weaker) South Atlantic mid- to high-latitudes mean sea-level pressure gradient and zonal westerly winds, favouring wave generation zones in higher (lower) latitudes and consequent southerly (easterly) wave components. We identify the Southern Annular Mode as the primary climate driver responsible for these changes. Long-term variations in interhemispheric surface temperature anomalies coexist with oscillations in wave direction, which indicates the influence of temperature-driven atmospheric teleconnections on wave-generation cycles. These results provide a novel geomorphic proxy for paleoenvironmental reconstructions and present new insights into the role of global multi-decadal to multi-centennial climate variability in controlling coastal-ocean wave climate.
Cellular identity and Ca2+ signaling activity of the non-reproductive GnRH system in the Ciona intestinalis type A (Ciona robusta) larva
Authors: Okawa Nanako , Shimai Kotaro , Ohnishi Kohei , Ohkura Masamichi , Nakai Junichi , Horie Takeo , Kuhara Atsushi , Kusakabe Takehiro G.
Published: October 2020

Tunicate larvae have a non-reproductive gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) system with multiple ligands and receptor heterodimerization enabling complex regulation. In Ciona intestinalis type A larvae, one of the gnrh genes, gnrh2, is conspicuously expressed in the motor ganglion and nerve cord, which are homologous structures to the hindbrain and spinal cord, respectively, of vertebrates. The gnrh2 gene is also expressed in the proto-placodal sensory neurons, which are the proposed homologue of vertebrate olfactory neurons. Tunicate larvae occupy a non-reproductive dispersal stage, yet the role of their GnRH system remains elusive. In this study, we investigated neuronal types of gnrh2-expressing cells in Ciona larvae and visualized the activity of these cells by fluorescence imaging using a calcium sensor protein. Some cholinergic neurons and dopaminergic cells express gnrh2, suggesting that GnRH plays a role in controlling swimming behavior. However, none of the gnrh2-expressing cells overlap with glycinergic or GABAergic neurons. A role in motor control is also suggested by a relationship between the activity of gnrh2-expressing cells and tail movements. Interestingly, gnrh2-positive ependymal cells in the nerve cord, known as a kind of glia cells, actively produced Ca2+ transients, suggesting that active intercellular signaling occurs in the glia cells of the nerve cord.
Evaluating genotype imputation pipeline for ultra-low coverage ancient genomes
Authors: Hui Ruoyun , D’Atanasio Eugenia , Cassidy Lara M. , Scheib Christiana L. , Kivisild Toomas
Published: October 2020

Although ancient DNA data have become increasingly more important in studies about past populations, it is often not feasible or practical to obtain high coverage genomes from poorly preserved samples. While methods of accurate genotype imputation from > 1 × coverage data have recently become a routine, a large proportion of ancient samples remain unusable for downstream analyses due to their low coverage. Here, we evaluate a two-step pipeline for the imputation of common variants in ancient genomes at 0.05–1 × coverage. We use the genotype likelihood input mode in Beagle and filter for confident genotypes as the input to impute missing genotypes. This procedure, when tested on ancient genomes, outperforms a single-step imputation from genotype likelihoods, suggesting that current genotype callers do not fully account for errors in ancient sequences and additional quality controls can be beneficial. We compared the effect of various genotype likelihood calling methods, post-calling, pre-imputation and post-imputation filters, different reference panels, as well as different imputation tools. In a Neolithic Hungarian genome, we obtain ~ 90% imputation accuracy for heterozygous common variants at coverage 0.05 × and > 97% accuracy at coverage 0.5 ×. We show that imputation can mitigate, though not eliminate reference bias in ultra-low coverage ancient genomes.
Engineering a vector-based pan-Leishmania vaccine for humans: proof of principle
Authors: Cecílio Pedro , Oristian James , Meneses Claudio , Serafim Tiago D. , Valenzuela Jesus G. , Cordeiro da Silva Anabela , Oliveira Fabiano
Published: October 2020

Leishmaniasis is a spectrum of diseases transmitted by sand fly vectors that deposit Leishmania spp. parasites in the host skin during blood feeding. Currently, available treatment options are limited, associated with high toxicity and emerging resistance. Even though a vaccine for human leishmaniasis is considered an achievable goal, to date we still do not have one available, a consequence (amongst other factors) of a lack of pre-clinical to clinical translatability. Pre-exposure to uninfected sand fly bites or immunization with defined sand fly salivary proteins was shown to negatively impact infection. Still, cross-protection reports are rare and dependent on the phylogenetic proximity of the sand fly species, meaning that the applicability of a sand fly saliva-based vaccine will be limited to a defined geography, one parasite species and one form of leishmaniasis. As a proof of principle of a future vector saliva-based pan-Leishmania vaccine, we engineered through a reverse vaccinology approach that maximizes translation to humans, a fusion protein consisting of immunogenic portions of PdSP15 and LJL143, sand fly salivary proteins demonstrated as potential vaccine candidates against cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, respectively. The in silico analysis was validated ex vivo, through T cell proliferation experiments, proving that the fusion protein (administered as a DNA vaccine) maintained the immunogenicity of both PdSP15 and LJL143. Additionally, while no significant effect was detected in the context of L. major transmission by P. duboscqi, this DNA vaccine was defined as partially protective, in the context of L. major transmission by L. longipalpis sand flies. Importantly, a high IFNγ response alone was not enough to confer protection, that mainly correlated with low T cell mediated Leishmania-specific IL-4 and IL-10 responses, and consequently with high pro/anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios. Overall our immunogenicity data suggests that to design a potentially safe vector-based pan-Leishmania vaccine, without geographic restrictions and against all forms of leishmaniasis is an achievable goal. This is why we propose our approach as a proof-of principle, perhaps not only applicable to the anti-Leishmania vector-based vaccines’ field, but also to other branches of knowledge that require the design of multi-epitope T cell vaccines with a higher potential for translation.
N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine enhances in vitro pig embryo production and reduces oxidative stress
Authors: Cambra J. M. , Martinez C. A. , Rodriguez-Martinez H. , Martinez E. A. , Cuello C. , Gil M. A.
Published: October 2020

This study evaluated the effects of different concentrations (1, 10, 25, 50, and 100 µM) of the antioxidantN-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine (NMPG), during the culture of in vitro-fertilized porcine oocytes. While the highest concentrations of NMPG (50 and 100 µM) were toxic to the developing embryos during the first two days of culture, 25 µM NMPG achieved cleavage rates that were similar to those achieved by the control but did not sustain blastocyst production by Day 7 of culture. Compared to the control culture medium, the culture medium supplemented with 10 µM NMPG increased (P < 0.05) the rates of blastocyst formation, decreased (P < 0.05) the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen substances, and downregulated (P < 0.05) the expression of the oxidative stress related gene GPX1. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that supplementation of porcine embryo culture medium with 10 µM NMPG can attenuate oxidative stress and increase the yield of in vitro production of blastocysts.
Female-to-male sex conversion in Ceratitis capitata by CRISPR/Cas9 HDR-induced point mutations in the sex determination gene transformer-2
Authors: Aumann Roswitha A. , Häcker Irina , Schetelig Marc F.
Published: October 2020

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is based on the mass release of sterilized male insects to reduce the pest population size via infertile mating. Critical for all SIT programs is a conditional sexing strain to enable the cost-effective production of male-only populations. Compared to current female-elimination strategies based on killing or sex sorting, generating male-only offspring via sex conversion would be economically beneficial by doubling the male output. Temperature-sensitive mutations known from the D. melanogaster transformer-2 gene (tra2ts) induce sex conversion at restrictive temperatures, while regular breeding of mutant strains is possible at permissive temperatures. Since tra2 is a conserved sex determination gene in many Diptera, including the major agricultural pest Ceratitis capitata, it is a promising candidate for the creation of a conditional sex conversion strategy in this Tephritid. Here, CRISPR/Cas9 homology-directed repair was used to induce the D. melanogaster-specific tra2ts SNPs in Cctra2. 100% female to male conversion was successfully achieved in flies homozygous for the tra2ts2 mutation. However, it was not possible, to identify a permissive temperature for the mutation allowing the rearing of a tra2ts2 homozygous line, as lowering the temperature below 18.5 °C interferes with regular breeding of the flies.
Correlation between executive function and quantitative EEG in patients with anxiety by the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework
Authors: Bong Su Hyun , Choi Tae Young , Kim Kyoung Min , Lee Jaewon , Kim Jun Won
Published: October 2020

The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project was proposed by the National Institute of Mental Health in 2010 to create a new diagnostic system including symptoms and data from genetics, neuroscience, physiology, and self-reports. The purpose of this study was to determine the link between anxiety and executive functions through quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) based on the RDoC system. Nineteen-channel EEGs were recorded at the psychiatric clinic from 41 patients with symptoms of anxiety. The EEG power spectra were analysed. The Executive Intelligence Test (EXIT) including the K-WAIS-IV, Stroop, controlled oral word association, and the design fluency tests were performed. A partial, inversed, and significant association was observed between executive intelligence quotient (EIQ) and the absolute delta power in the central region. Similarly, a partial, inversed, and significant association was observed between design fluency and the absolute delta power in the left parietal area. Our findings suggest that the increase in delta power in the central region and left P3 was negatively correlated with the decrease in executive function. It is expected that the absolute delta power plays a specific role in the task-negative default mode network in the relationship between anxiety and executive function.
Numerical study of a highly efficient light trapping nanostructure of perovskite solar cell on a textured silicon substrate
Authors: Tooghi Alireza , Fathi Davood , Eskandari Mehdi
Published: October 2020

In this paper, a nanostructured perovskite solar cell (PSC) on a textured silicon substrate is examined, and its performance is analyzed. First, its configuration and the simulated unit cell are discussed, and its fabrication method is explained. In this proposed structure, poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is used instead of glass. It is shown that the use of PDMS dramatically reduces the reflection from the cell surface. Furthermore, the light absorption is found to be greatly increased due to the light trapping and plasmonic enhancement of the electric field in the active layer. Then, three different structures, are compared with the main proposed structure in terms of absorption, considering the imperfect fabrication conditions and the characteristics of the built PSC. The findings show that in the worst fabrication conditions considered structure (FCCS), short-circuit current density (Jsc) is 22.28 mA/cm2, which is 27% higher than that of the planar structure with a value of 17.51 mA/cm2. As a result, the efficiencies of these FCCSs are significant as well. In the main proposed structure, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) is observed to be improved by 32%, from 13.86% for the planar structure to 18.29%.
The impact of rising sea temperatures on an Arctic top predator, the narwhal
Authors: Chambault P. , Tervo O. M. , Garde E. , Hansen R. G. , Blackwell S. B. , Williams T. M. , Dietz R. , Albertsen C. M. , Laidre K. L. , Nielsen N. H. , Richard P. , Sinding M. H. S. , Schmidt H. C. , Heide-Jørgensen M. P.
Published: October 2020

Arctic top predators are expected to be impacted by increasing temperatures associated with climate change, but the relationship between increasing sea temperatures and population dynamics of Arctic cetaceans remains largely unexplored. Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are considered to be among the most sensitive of Arctic endemic marine mammals to climate change due to their limited prey selection, strict migratory patterns and high site fidelity. In the context of climate change, we assume that the population dynamics of narwhals are partly influenced by changes in environmental conditions, with warm areas of increasing sea temperatures having lower abundance of narwhals. Using a unique large dataset of 144 satellite tracked narwhals, sea surface temperature (SST) data spanning 25 years (1993–2018) and narwhal abundance estimates from 17 localities, we (1) assessed the thermal exposure of this species, (2) investigated the SST trends at the summer foraging grounds, and (3) assessed the relationship between SST and abundance of narwhals. We showed a sharp SST increase in Northwest, Mideast and Southeast Greenland, whereas no change could be detected in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) and in the Greenland Sea. The rising sea temperatures were correlated with the smallest narwhal abundance observed in the Mideast and Southeast Greenland (< 2000 individuals), where the mean summer sea temperatures were the highest (6.3 °C) compared to the cold waters of the CAA (0.7 °C) that were associated with the largest narwhal populations (> 40,000 individuals). These results support the hypothesis that warming ocean waters will restrict the habitat range of the narwhal, further suggesting that narwhals from Mideast and Southeast Greenland may be under pressure to abandon their traditional habitats due to ocean warming, and consequently either migrate further North or locally go extinct.