bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Importance conditional sampling for Pitman–Yor mixtures
Authors: Canale Antonio , Corradin Riccardo , Nipoti Bernardo
Published: May 2022

Nonparametric mixture models based on the Pitman–Yor process represent a flexible tool for density estimation and clustering. Natural generalization of the popular class of Dirichlet process mixture models, they allow for more robust inference on the number of components characterizing the distribution of the data. We propose a new sampling strategy for such models, named importance conditional sampling (ICS), which combines appealing properties of existing methods, including easy interpretability and a within-iteration parallelizable structure. An extensive simulation study highlights the efficiency of the proposed method which, unlike other conditional samplers, shows stable performances for different specifications of the parameters characterizing the Pitman–Yor process. We further show that the ICS approach can be naturally extended to other classes of computationally demanding models, such as nonparametric mixture models for partially exchangeable data.
Thromboembolic prevention and anticoagulant therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic: updated clinical guidance from the anticoagulation forum
Authors: Barnes Geoffrey D , Burnett Allison , Allen Arthur , Ansell Jack , Blumenstein Marilyn , Clark Nathan P , Crowther Mark , Dager William E , Deitelzweig Steven B. , Ellsworth Stacy , Garcia David , Kaatz Scott , Raffini Leslie , Rajasekhar Anita , Beek Andrea Van , Minichiello Tracy
Published: May 2022

Thromboembolism is a common and deadly consequence of COVID-19 infection for hospitalized patients. Based on clinical evidence pre-dating the COVID-19 pandemic and early observational reports, expert consensus and guidance documents have strongly encouraged the use of prophylactic anticoagulation for patients hospitalized for COVID-19 infection. More recently, multiple clinical trials and larger observational studies have provided evidence for tailoring the approach to thromboprophylaxis for patients with COVID-19. This document provides updated guidance for the use of anticoagulant therapies in patients with COVID-19 from the Anticoagulation Forum, the leading North American organization of anticoagulation providers. We discuss ambulatory, in-hospital, and post-hospital thromboprophylaxis strategies as well as provide guidance for patients with thrombotic conditions who are considering COVID-19 vaccination.
Non-native plant species integrate well into plant-pollinator networks in a diverse man-made flowering plant community
Authors: Kovács-Hostyánszki Anikó , Piross Imre Sándor , Shebl Mohamed A.
Published: May 2022

Urban green areas offer diverse flower resources for pollinators. Yet, the role of non-native plant species in local plant-pollinator networks is understudied. We explored the effects of plant origin, nationwide distribution, flower color and type on flower visitation by wild bees and honey bees as well as the structure of a plant-pollinator network in a botanical garden in Hungary. Honey bee preferred North American plants over Europeans; it had the highest degree and topological centrality value. The network had similar compactness with its simulated removal from the network model. The species richness and abundance of flower-visiting wild bees did not differ among the plants of different origins and flower color and type. Plant species of different origin, nationwide distribution, and flower color and type had the highest number of direct and indirect links. Our results suggest that non-native plant species can integrate well in diverse botanical gardens and wild bees can adopt these new foraging resources.
Promising Endophytic Alternaria alternata from Leaves of Ziziphus spina-christi: Phytochemical Analyses, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities
Authors: Elghaffar Rasha Y. Abd , Amin Basma H. , Hashem Amr H. , Sehim Amira E.
Published: May 2022

Fungal endophytes are considered one of the most important reservoirs of bioactive compounds which defeat resistant microbes. In our study, endophyticAlternaria alternatawas isolated fromZiziphus spina-christiand identified morphologically and genetically with accession number OM 331,682. Preliminary phytochemical screening of ethyl acetate (EA) crude extract ofA. alternatarevealed that this extract contains alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, and terpenoids. Moreover, the extract was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) which verified the presence of numerous bioactive compounds. Antimicrobial results illustrated that EA crude extract exhibited promising antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coliATCC 11229,Proteus vulgarisRCMB 004,Pseudomonas aeruginosaATCC 27853, andKlebsiella pneumoniaRCMB 003), Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilisRCMB 015,Staphylococcus aureusATCC 25923, andStaphylococcus epidermidisATCC 14990), and unicellular fungi (Candida albicansATCC 90028). Ultrastructure study of treatedK. pneumoniashowed remarkably elucidated destruction of the cell wall and cell membrane and leakage of cytoplasmic materials. Furthermore, the extract has potential antioxidant activity where IC50was 409 µg/mL. Moreover, this extract did not show any toxicity on Vero normal cell line. These findings confirmed that the endophyticA. alternatafromZ. spina-christiis a promising source of bioactive compounds which can be used in different biological applications.
Beauty: Synthesis of Intellect and Senses Commentary on the Biosemiotic Fundamentals of Aesthetics
Authors: Ireland Tim
Published: May 2022

In The Biosemiotic Fundamentals of Aesthetics: Beauty is the Perfect Semiotic Fitting Kull makes a foray into the concept of Beauty. His target article is a welcome contribution not only for providing a biosemiotic notion of beauty but also as a trigger for further enquiry into the matter. Additionally, Kull delivers a new concept: Semiotic Fitting, shining new light on the Umwelt theory. My commentary embraces the challenge Kull presents (that beauty is a semiotic problem). Offering an alternate view on beauty, as a matter, and product, of cognition, I suggest reflecting on the philosophy of Alexander von Baumgarten, who coined the term “aesthetics”, offers rich insight that could extend and enrich the definition of beauty Kull presents.
Global maize production, consumption and trade: trends and R&D implications
Authors: Erenstein Olaf , Jaleta Moti , Sonder Kai , Mottaleb Khondoker , Prasanna B.M.
Published: May 2022

Since its domestication some 9,000 years ago, maize (Zea maysL.; corn) has played an increasing and diverse role in global agri-food systems. Global maize production has surged in the past few decades, propelled by rising demand and a combination of technological advances, yield increases and area expansion. Maize is already the leading cereal in terms of production volume and is set to become the most widely grown and traded crop in the coming decade. It is a versatile multi-purpose crop, primarily used as a feed globally, but also is important as a food crop, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, besides other non-food uses. This paper reviews maize production, consumption, and international trade to examine the changing trends in global supply and demand conditions over the past quarter century and the implications for research and development (R&D), particularly in the Global South. The inclusiveness and sustainability of the ongoing transformation of agri-food systems in the Global South merit particular attention. There is a need for further investments in R&D, particularly to enhance maize’s food and livelihood security roles and to sustainably intensify maize production while staying within the planetary boundaries.
Runtime bounds prediction for the Kemeny problem
Authors: Rico Noelia , Vela Camino R. , Díaz Irene
Published: May 2022

The time required for solving the ranking aggregation problem using the Kemeny method increases factorially with the number of alternatives to be ranked, which prevents its use when this number is large. Exact algorithms use domain information to discard rankings as possible solution, thus saving runtime. The amount of rankings that can be discarded varies for each profile and cannot be known beforehand. For profiles of rankings with large number of alternatives, the amount of rankings discarded highly affects the feasibility of the computation of Kemeny ranking. How to identify the profiles that are more time-consuming when finding the Kemeny ranking is not trivial. In this work we propose the use of machine learning models to predict how difficult is to obtain the Kemeny ranking in terms of runtime. The results obtained are promising, with values of the area under the curve metric over 80%. Furthermore, it is possible to extract from the proposed models the characteristics of the profile of rankings that impact on the runtime.
Characterisation of Sweet potato collusive virus (SPCV) isolates from sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) in Australia
Authors: Sukal Amit C. , Dennien Sandra , Kidanemariam Dawit B. , Norkunas Karlah , Coleman Eric , Harding Robert M. , James Anthony P.
Published: May 2022

Sweet potato collusive virus (SPCV) is a member of the genus Cavemovirus, family Caulimoviridae, for which only one full-length genome sequence has been reported. SPCV was first detected in Australia in 2007 in two sweet potato accessions using the nitrocellulose membrane ELISA kit developed by the International Potato Centre (CIP). Infected plants were also shown to contain isometric virions of ~ 50 nm, typical of members of the genera Cavemovirus, Caulimovirus, Petuvirus and Soymovirus. We have now sequenced and characterised the complete genomes of the two SPCV isolates (designated SPCV-Aus1 and -Aus2) using a combination of next-generation sequencing and PCR/Sanger sequencing. The sequences of both isolates encode three major ORFs with a genome organisation typical of cavemoviruses. However, isolate SPCV-Aus2 possesses a considerably shorter genome length of 7275 bp compared to SPCV-Aus1 (7712 bp) and the only available full-length sequence from a Portuguese isolate (7723 bp; GenBank accession number NC_015328). Further, ORF 1 of SPCV-Aus2 is considerably shorter than the ORF 1 length of both SPCV-Aus1 and SPCV-Mad1. Phylogenetic and PASC analysis showed that SPCV-Aus1 is closely related to SPCV isolates from North and Central America, whereas SPCV-Aus2 clustered together with isolates from Portugal and Africa.
Evangelical Organizations’ Responses to Domestic Violence: How the Cultural Production of Religious Beliefs Challenges or Enshrines Patriarchy
Authors: Whitnah Meredith
Published: May 2022

Background

A significant body of research has established the central role of religion in creating and preserving cultural beliefs about gender. But existing studies have tended to focus more on the multiplicity and flexibility of religious beliefs about gender, and less on the ways in which the cultural production of varying religious beliefs about gender can involve active conflict. Attending to the institutional processes that shape the production of competing beliefs is important for considering how religion can challenge or enshrine patriarchy.

Purpose

This paper examines how religiously formed beliefs about gender are produced through organizational conflict to shape varying public responses to survivors of domestic violence.

Methods

The paper employs a qualitative, comparative research design to analyze the public discourse of two evangelical organizations that were founded to produce and promote two competing gender ideologies in the contemporary evangelical movement: complementarianism and egalitarianism. Analyzing the public discourse of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and Christians for Biblical Equality from 1987 to 2018, I coded for the ways in which both their beliefs about creation, sin, and submission and their references to one another's ideologies shape their different attention to abused women's experiences.

Results

Christians for Biblical Equality both presents domestic violence as a distortion of God-ordained equality and critiques patriarchal theology for contributing to domestic violence. The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood both presents domestic violence as a distortion of God-ordained male authority and defends their ideology against criticisms that it promotes abuse. This intersection of beliefs and organizational conflict results in either centering or pivoting away from abused women's experiences.

Conclusions and Implications

This study illustrates the importance of examining how the institutional processes that produce hegemonic and alternative religious belief systems about gender are marked by the negotiation of both organizational and gendered power. In making this argument, the paper contributes to our understanding of how religiously formed cultural belief systems can challenge or reinforce patriarchy.
Built and Social Environments, Environmental Justice, and Maternal Pregnancy Complications
Authors: Butler Brittney , Gripper Ashley , Linos Natalia
Published: May 2022

Purpose of Review

The Environmental Justice Movement centers on addressing inequitable distribution of environmental harms in marginalized communities. It has been commonly understood as the disproportionate concentration of environmental pollutants or hazards. As such, much of the work on environmental harms and maternal pregnancy complications have focused on environmental toxins. This scoping review surveyed the literature exploring the built and social environment factors and maternal pregnancy complications among racially marginalized women and highlights how an environmental justice framework can inform policy interventions for maternal health inequities caused by structural racism in built and social environments.

Recent Findings

The literature examining the association between neighborhood level built and social environment factors and maternal pregnancy complications in the last five years is sparse. When excluding environmental toxins, we identified 16 studies that fit our criteria of neighborhood-level environmental exposure, with the majority focused on built environment factors, specifically proximity to greenspace and food environment.

We identified a few important gaps and opportunities for future research in this area. First is a need to explore additional built environment elements. Secondly, extensive research is needed on the social environment. Third is a critical understanding to incorporate structural racism and cultural perspectives to better understand these relationships in minoritized populations and highlight the intersection between environmental hazards concentration and their structural causes. Finally, an environmental justice framework is critically needed in the interpretation and translation of this literature to inform policy solutions that can counteract the harms in racially marginalized communities and improve health.
One Health: areas in the living environment of people and animals and their effects on allergy and asthma
Authors: Zednik Katharina , Pali-Schöll Isabella
Published: May 2022

Background

In a world with rapidly increasing urbanization and loss of closeness to nature and biodiversity, the question arises to what extent our environment influences the health of people and animals. Moreover, in recent decades, the prevalence of respiratory diseases such as asthma and allergies has risen sharply. In this context, a direct link between the health of people and their environment seems plausible.

Results

Recent studies indicate that spending time in and being in contact with natural environments such as green spaces and associated soils is highly relevant to the health of people and companion animals. Green spaces in the environment of homes and schools of children and adults could contribute to the reduction of asthma and allergies. Especially the number and the structure of green spaces seems to be crucial. Home gardens and regular contact with animals can also reduce the risk of asthmatic and allergic diseases. In contrast, the increasing number of gray areas (roads, highways, construction sites, etc.) is likely to increase the risk of asthma and allergies. In the case of blue areas (rivers, lakes, sea), no correlation with atopic diseases has been found so far.

Conclusion

Biodiverse green spaces, especially forests and meadows, may offer some protection against asthma and allergies. Contact with soil and ground also seems important for the diverse skin microbiome, especially in childhood, and thus presumably beneficial for the immune system. Therefore, people and man’s best friend, the dog, should spend sufficient time in green, biodiverse environments, despite—or perhaps because—of rapid urbanization. People should also actively create such biodiverse surroundings in their closer living environment. On a broader level, in the spirit of the One Health concept, those responsible for city planning and transportation must take these connections into account.
Figuring out what is happening: the discovery of two electrophysiological phenomena
Authors: Bechtel William , Vagnino Richard
Published: May 2022

Research devoted to characterizing phenomena is underappreciated in philosophical accounts of scientific inquiry. This paper develops a diachronic analysis of research over 100 years that led to the recognition of two related electrophysiological phenomena, the membrane potential and the action potential. A diachronic perspective allows for reconciliation of two threads in philosophical discussions of phenomena—Hacking’s treatment of phenomena as manifest in laboratory settings and Bogen and Woodward’s construal of phenomena as regularities in the world. The diachronic analysis also reveals the epistemic tasks that contribute to establishing phenomena, including the development of appropriate investigative techniques and concepts for characterizing them.
Efforts to curb the proliferation of small arms and light weapons: from persistent crisis to norm failure?
Authors: Wisotzki Simone
Published: May 2022

More than 20 years since its negotiation in 2001, the UN Program of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA) is failing to fulfill the expectations of states and civil society alike. Considering the absolute numbers of military and civilian possession, the aim of tackling the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in “all its aspects” is currently likely to fail. Studies show that civilian ownership has increased dramatically since 2006. The estimated stocks of SALW in sub-Saharan Africa are 11 million state-owned SALW and 40 million SALW in the hands of civilians. Legal arms exports between states remain another source. This article seeks to identify the different facets of the continuous crisis of SALW control by relying on a global governance perspective as well as on norm research in international relations. The sources of illicit SALW proliferation are manifold and often exceed the capabilities of arms control and disarmament. The present article focuses on the external and internal dimensions for the crisis of illicit SALW proliferation. However, when looking at the internal dimension of the SALW crisis, the UNPoA itself is also partly to blame for the inadequate and ineffective arms control and disarmament efforts. This gloomy picture is exacerbated by statistics indicating that the numbers of newly manufactured SALW are still growing more rapidly than worldwide disarmament efforts. It is more important than ever to ensure that prescriptive norms are translated into everyday practical political and social realities to meet the needs of people struggling with the dire consequences of illicit SALW proliferation.
Unpacking the function(s) of discourse markers in academic spoken English: a corpus-based study
Authors: Farahani Mehrdad Vasheghani , Ghane Zahra
Published: May 2022

Discourse markers can have various functions depending on the context in which they are used. Taking this into consideration, in this corpus-based research, we analyzed and unveiled quantitatively and qualitatively the functions of four discourse markers in academic spoken English. To this purpose, four discourse markers, i.e., “I mean,” “I think,” “you see,” and “you know,” were selected for the study. The British Academic Spoken English (BASE) corpus was used as the data gathering source. To detect the discourse markers, concordance lines of the corpus were carefully read and analyzed. The quantitative analysis demonstrated that from among the four discourse markers, “you know” and “you see” were the most and the least frequent ones in the corpus, respectively. In line with the quantitative analysis, the qualitative analysis of the concordance lines demonstrated that there were various functions with regard to each of the four discourse markers. The findings of this study can have implications in fields such as corpus-based studies, genre analysis, and contrastive linguistics.
Russula subnigricans Poisoning Causes Severe Rhabdomyolysis That Could be Misdiagnosed as Non-ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Min Mun Ki , Lee Daesup , Shon Seung Woo , Ryu Ji Ho , Wang Iljae , Lee Min Jee , Chun Mose , Hyun Taegyu
Published: May 2022

Mushroom poisoning and subsequently the number of patients visiting emergency rooms are increasing, as well as the proportion of fatal mushroom poisonings. Myocytic mushroom poisoning is one of the new clinical classifications. This report documents the course of a family with Russula subnigricans poisoning complicated by severe rhabdomyolysis, including a case that was misdiagnosed as myocardial infarction. A 64-y-old man visited our hospital with symptoms including substernal chest discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and myalgia, lasting for 12 h. His laboratory tests showed elevated serum high-sensitive troponin I. He was diagnosed with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. After that, 2 family members who ate mushrooms together were transferred from a local emergency room with the diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis. Consequently, rhabdomyolysis due to mushroom poisoning was diagnosed. They were hospitalized in the intensive care unit. After admission, conservative management, including primary fluid resuscitation, was performed, and the patients were discharged without complications. R subnigricans poisoning was revealed after investigation and should be considered in mushroom poisoning with rhabdomyolysis. Early recognition and intensive supportive care are important for mushroom poisoning patients.
The Fundamentals of Heavy Tails
Authors: Nair Jayakrishnan , Wierman Adam , Zwart Bert
Published: May 2022

Heavy tails –extreme events or values more common than expected –emerge everywhere: the economy, natural events, and social and information networks are just a few examples. Yet after decades of progress, they are still treated as mysterious, surprising, and even controversial, primarily because the necessary mathematical models and statistical methods are not widely known. This book, for the first time, provides a rigorous introduction to heavy-tailed distributions accessible to anyone who knows elementary probability. It tackles and tames the zoo of terminology for models and properties, demystifying topics such as the generalized central limit theorem and regular variation. It tracks the natural emergence of heavy-tailed distributions from a wide variety of general processes, building intuition. And it reveals the controversy surrounding heavy tails to be the result of flawed statistics, then equips readers to identify and estimate with confidence. Over 100 exercises complete this engaging package.
Banking Sector Reforms
Authors: Hassan M. Kabir , Miah Mohammad Dulal
Published: May 2022

China registered double-digit GDP growth for more than three decades. Recently, the rate has slowed down considerably. The slow growth period, which Chinese policymakers refer to as the 'new-normal', has created enormous curiosity among scholars and policymakers. In particular, scholars often tend to project if China is destined to follow Japan's fate. Insufficient reforms in the banking sector in commensuration with the real economy in Japan resulted in an unprecedented financial catastrophe. Similarly, an asymmetric development between the Chinese banking sector and the real economy is observed. This leads to an interesting question: is China destined to meet Japan's legacy? This Element attempts to answer this question. In so doing, it delves deep into the banking sector reforms of China. The Element concludes that China is not on course to meet an immediate financial chaos, but the country needs further banking reforms to avoid a potential crisis.
Interferometric detection of hydrodynamic bubble–bubble interactions
Authors: Raciti D. , Brocca P. , Raudino A. , Corti M.
Published: May 2022

We report a new interferometric method to study the interactions between two gas bubbles undergoing small-amplitude oscillations in a liquid, based on the extension of a previously developed one-bubble set-up. Nanometric oscillations of millimetre-sized supported bubbles are excited acoustically; the response of each bubble is recorded interferometrically, as a function of the mutual distance (from quasi-contact to greater than the bubbles radii). The interferometric nature of the technique and the resonant nature of the vibration modes enable the accurate measurement of the amplitude (with sub-nanometric sensitivity), frequency and mutual phase of oscillation, whose variations over the bubble–bubble distance range allow the interactions to be probed. The bubbles oscillate at the same frequencies, exhibiting a low-frequency, in-phase and a high-frequency, out-of-phase resonance peak, whose separation is a function of distance, in good agreement with the theory for free interacting bubbles. The technique, here demonstrated for the volume modes of air bubbles in water, can be extended to other gas–liquid and liquid–liquid interfaces, bare or adsorbate-covered, as well as to shape oscillations.
Economic Directness in the Western Andes: A New Model of Socioeconomic Organization for the Paracas Culture in the First Millennium BC
Authors: Mader Christian , Reindel Markus , Isla Johny
Published: May 2022

Economic directness is a new model of socioeconomic organization for the Paracas culture (800–200 BC) in southern Peru, with wider implications for economic theory of the prehispanic Andean past. Using an archaeoeconomic approach to analyze settlement patterns, obsidian artifacts, malacological material, and camelid skeletal remains, this study reconstructs the Paracas economy by using primary archaeological data from the northern Nasca Drainage. Its results force reconsideration of existing socioeconomic models for the ancient Andes such as verticality, circuit mobility, llama caravan mobility, transhumance, and market concepts. Whereas components typical of these models are often absent in the case of the Paracas economy, our new proposal of economic directness integrates their relevant aspects. Economic directness is defined essentially by direct access to important resources from diverse ecological tiers, direct and down-the-line exchanges, reduced transaction costs, llama caravan transport, unbalanced commodity flows across the western Andes, and forces of supply and demand with major consumption on the coast. These features formed under conditions of population growth, generating a continuous and dense settlement pattern from the Pacific coast to the highland puna zone.
The Effect of Pregnancy on Engagement with Politics. Toward a Model of the Political Consequences of the Earliest Stages of Parenthood
Authors: NAURIN ELIN , STOLLE DIETLIND , MARKSTEDT ELIAS
Published: May 2022

How do pregnancy and childbirth affect engagement in politics and society? Our data from a large-scale citizen panel record political engagement before, during, and after pregnancy for (future) mothers and fathers. We find that women demobilize from politics and societal issues during pregnancy. This disengagement is strongest for indicators of political participation and seeking of political news. Our analysis also shows that gender gaps in political engagement are not only strengthened but also partly created in the earliest stages of parenthood. Although the effects are relatively minor, they are robust to various analysis techniques. Some effects also last until the child grows older. Pregnancy and childbirth rarely lead to political mobilization, and when they do, they concern child-related activities, such as attempts to change daycare providers, but only at later stages of early parenthood.
Experimental study on the control of a suspended cable-driven parallel robot for object tracking purpose
Authors: Zare Soroush , Yazdi Mohammad Reza Hairi , Masouleh Mehdi Tale , Zhang Dan , Ajami Sahand , Afkhami Ardekani Amirhossein
Published: May 2022

In this paper, control of a suspended cable-driven parallel robot has been experimentally investigated based on the dynamic model of the robot for object tracking purpose. In order to improve the tracking ability of the robot, three control approaches, namely kinematic PID, dynamic PD, and a kinematic sliding mode control (SMC), have been implemented, both on the Simscape and on the robot constructed at the Human and Robot Interaction Laboratory. Neural network controller and dynamic SMC have been implemented on the Simscape model. Afterward, the effectiveness of each approach has been investigated by employing the root mean square error (RMSE) index. Simulation and experimental results reveal the ability of each controller for precise and smooth control. For precise and real-time object tracking, YOLOv5-s and YOLOv4-tiny model are trained. By comparing the obtained index values, the kinematic PID demonstrates the best performance with the maximum RMSE value of 0.018 compared to other methods.
To Unite and Divide: Canals,Tinku, Liquids and Time in the Moche World
Authors: Koons Michele L.
Published: May 2022

Here I evaluate Andean concepts understood from the Quechua and Aymara languages to test their applicability to Moche archaeology—a region where the languages once spoken are now extinct. By focusing on geographical features common to the highlands and the coast (mountains and rivers) and archaeological evidence, I look at broad patterns of Moche material culture and consider how these relate to canal-fed irrigation systems, ceramic spatial patterning and fractaline socio-political organization documented in the colonial-era Chicama Valley. I then present a case study from Licapa II in the Chicama Valley to show that the physical components of the site's layout and the spatial patterns of artifact distribution relate to temporal and socio-political divisions that have their roots in long-standing ideas in Andean thought. Overall, this study shows that through careful evaluation some Quechua and Aymara concepts, namelytinku—or two parts coming together to make a whole—is relevant to the Moche worldview. This concept is manifest through canals uniting and dividing physical space, both socio-politically and temporally. Liquids running through the canals ensure the well-being and energetic flow of Moche society.
Contour: A semi-automated segmentation and quantitation tool for cryo-soft-X-ray tomography
Authors: Nahas Kamal L. , Fernandes João Ferreira , Vyas Nina , Crump Colin , Graham Stephen , Harkiolaki Maria
Published: May 2022

Cryo-soft-X-ray tomography is being increasingly used in biological research to study the morphology of cellular compartments and how they change in response to different stimuli, such as viral infections. Segmentation of these compartments is limited by time-consuming manual tools or machine learning algorithms that require extensive time and effort to train. Here we describe Contour, a new, easy-to-use, highly automated segmentation tool that enables accelerated segmentation of tomograms to delineate distinct cellular compartments. Using Contour, cellular structures can be segmented based on their projection intensity and geometrical width by applying a threshold range to the image and excluding noise smaller in width than the cellular compartments of interest. This method is less laborious and less prone to errors from human judgement than current tools that require features to be manually traced, and it does not require training datasets as would machine-learning driven segmentation. We show that high-contrast compartments such as mitochondria, lipid droplets, and features at the cell surface can be easily segmented with this technique in the context of investigating herpes simplex virus 1 infection. Contour can extract geometric measurements from 3D segmented volumes, providing a new method to quantitate cryo-soft-X-ray tomography data. Contour can be freely downloaded at github.com/kamallouisnahas/Contour.
Summertime High Abundances of Succinic, Citric, and Glyoxylic Acids in Antarctic Aerosols: Implications to Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation
Authors: Boreddy Suresh K. R. , Hegde Prashant , Aswini A. R.
Published: May 2022

Observations of organic compounds associated with natural sources are scarce in Antarctica, which limits our understanding of their sources and formation processes over the pristine region. Summertime Antarctic PM10 samples collected from Bharati station were studied for a homologous series of dicarboxylic acids (C2‐C12), ω‐oxoacids (C2‐C9), α‐dicarbonyls (C2‐C3) as well as citric and pyruvic acids by employing a water‐extraction followed by dibutyl ester derivatization technique and analyzed using capillary gas chromatography (GC). Results show that succinic (C4) and citric acids are the foremost abundant among the measured organic acids followed by glyoxylic (ωC2), azelaic (C9), and adipic (C6) acids. Such a typical molecular distribution of organic acids suggests the dominance of natural sources over the Antarctic. Two distinct air masses arrived from different altitudes, high and low altitude‐troposphere (HTAs and LTAs), showed a significant difference in mass concentrations of organic acids with higher values in LTAs. Total diacids‐C accounted for ∼9% of total carbon in HTAs, which is linked to chemical aging during long‐range transport. The higher abundance of C4 and citric acids are likely produced through secondary photooxidation of marine‐derived organic precursors, such as unsaturated fatty acids, phenolic, and biogenic isoprene compounds enriched in sea‐surface microlayer, via sea‐to‐air emission as confirmed by the significant (p < 0.05) correlations among the organic tracer compounds. Minor concentrations of oxalic and malonic (C2 and C3) acids were attributed to photo iron‐complex reactions in the aqueous‐phase atmosphere. These findings may help in reducing model uncertainties and present new insights into the secondary formation of organic aerosols in the polar environment.
Impacts of Lake Surface Temperature on the Summer Climate Over the Great Lakes Region
Authors: Wang Jiali , Xue Pengfei , Pringle William , Yang Zhao , Qian Yun
Published: May 2022

The surface of the Great Lakes interacts with the atmosphere, influencing the weather and climate over the Great Lakes Region (GLR). However, most climate models were not designed with sufficient emphasis on lake–atmosphere interactions, which could potentially cause model biases over the GLR. To understand how lake surface temperature (LST) affects the regional summer climate over the GLR, we conducted twin experiments using the Weather Research and Forecasting model at a spatial resolution of 4 km using two different LST data sets as the bottom boundary condition over the Great Lakes. Our simulations include 10 ensemble members for the summer of 2018 and a single multiyear run for the summers of 2014–2020. Results show that variations in LST influence atmospheric temperature and moisture at a local scale—while affecting the convective environment and precipitation processes over a much larger spatial scale. In particular, an LST that is only 1°C–3°C warmer (depending on the lake) increases near‐surface air temperature by 1.93°C and 0.97°C over Lake Superior and Lake Erie, respectively, and increases evaporation over the lakes by 0.23 and 1.1 mm day−1. The warmer LST reduces mesoscale convective precipitation upstream of the GLR; however, it increases isolated deep convective precipitation and nonconvective precipitation downstream of GLR due to increased local instability and enhancement of moisture transport. Our analyses confirm the robustness of these impacts, which is at least 2 times larger than the model internal variability and is seen across all simulated summer seasons.
Recruitment of monocytes primed to express heme oxygenase-1 ameliorates pathological lung inflammation in cystic fibrosis
Authors: Di Pietro Caterina , Öz Hasan H. , Zhang Ping-xia , Cheng Ee-chun , Martis Valentino , Bonfield Tracey L. , Kelley Thomas J. , Jubin Ronald , Abuchowski Abraham , Krause Diane S. , Egan Marie E. , Murray Thomas S. , Bruscia Emanuela M.
Published: May 2022

Overwhelming neutrophilic inflammation is a leading cause of lung damage in many pulmonary diseases, including cystic fibrosis (CF). The heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)/carbon monoxide (CO) pathway mediates the resolution of inflammation and is defective in CF-affected macrophages (MΦs). Here, we provide evidence that systemic administration of PP-007, a CO releasing/O2 transfer agent, induces the expression of HO-1 in a myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)-dependent manner. It also rescues the reduced HO-1 levels in CF-affected cells induced in response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). Treatment of CF and muco-obstructive lung disease mouse models with a single clinically relevant dose of PP-007 leads to effective resolution of lung neutrophilia and to decreased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in response to LPS. Using HO-1 conditional knockout mice, we show that the beneficial effect of PP-007 is due to the priming of circulating monocytes trafficking to the lungs in response to infection to express high levels of HO-1. Finally, we show that PP-007 does not compromise the clearance of PA in the setting of chronic airway infection. Overall, we reveal the mechanism of action of PP-007 responsible for the immunomodulatory function observed in clinical trials for a wide range of diseases and demonstrate the potential use of PP-007 in controlling neutrophilic pulmonary inflammation by promoting the expression of HO-1 in monocytes/macrophages.
Direct demonstration of triplet excimer in purely organic room temperature phosphorescence through rational molecular design
Authors: Liu Zhenjiang , Tian Yu , Yang Jie , Li Aisen , Wang Yunsheng , Ren Jia , Fang Manman , Tang Ben Zhong , Li Zhen
Published: May 2022

Organic luminogens with room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) have been paid great attention and developed rapidly for their wide application values. Until now, the internal mechanism and source of phosphorescence are still obscure, especially for the relationship between molecular dimer and RTP emission. Hence, we designed and synthesized eight phenothiazine 5,5-dioxide derivatives to directly reveal how the monomer and dimer in packing affect the RTP behavior. Dimers with strong π-π stacking (θ < 20.66°; d < 3.86 Å) lead to pure triplet excimer emission, while those with weak π-π stacking (27.02°< θ < 40.64°; 3.84 Å < d < 4.41 Å) contribute to dual RTP emissions of both monomer and triplet excimer. The valuable information of this work would promote the further development of this research field, as well as others in aggregate.
Silent microscopy to explore a brain that hears butterflies’ wings
Authors: Terada Shin-Ichiro , Matsuzaki Masanori
Published: May 2022

A silent two-photon laser-scanning microscopy system, which eliminates mechanical vibrations in the audible range, has enabled the detection of auditory cortical neurons with responses at sound pressure levels as low as 5 dB in nonhuman primates
Gestational immune activation disrupts hypothalamic neurocircuits of maternal care behavior
Authors: Zambon Alice , Rico Laura Cuenca , Herman Mathieu , Gundacker Anna , Telalovic Amina , Hartenberger Lisa-Marie , Kuehn Rebekka , Romanov Roman A. , Hussaini S. Abid , Harkany Tibor , Pollak Daniela D.
Published: May 2022

Immune activation is one of the most common complications during pregnancy, predominantly evoked by viral infections. Nevertheless, how immune activation affects mother–offspring relationships postpartum remains unknown. Here, by using the polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) model of gestational infection we show that viral-like immune activation at mid-gestation persistently changes hypothalamic neurocircuit parameters in mouse dams and, consequently, is adverse to parenting behavior. Poly I:C-exposed dams favor non-pup-directed exploratory behavior at the expense of pup retrieval. These behavioral deficits are underlain by dendrite pruning and lesser immediate early gene activation in Galanin (Gal)+ neurons with dam-specific transcriptional signatures that reside in the medial preoptic area (mPOA). Reduced activation of an exclusively inhibitory contingent of these distal-projecting Gal+ neurons allows for increased feed-forward inhibition onto putative dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in Poly I:C-exposed dams. Notably, destabilized VTA output specifically accompanies post-pup retrieval epochs. We suggest that gestational immunogenic insults bias both threat processing and reward perception, manifesting as disfavored infant caregiving.
Immune response in COVID-19: what is next?
Authors: Li Qing , Wang Ying , Sun Qiang , Knopf Jasmin , Herrmann Martin , Lin Liangyu , Jiang Jingting , Shao Changshun , Li Peishan , He Xiaozhou , Hua Fei , Niu Zubiao , Ma Chaobing , Zhu Yichao , Ippolito Giuseppe , Piacentini Mauro , Estaquier Jerome , Melino Sonia , Weiss Felix Daniel , Andreano Emanuele , Latz Eicke , Schultze Joachim L. , Rappuoli Rino , Mantovani Alberto , Mak Tak Wah , Melino Gerry , Shi Yufang
Published: May 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a global pandemic for more than 2 years and it still impacts our daily lifestyle and quality in unprecedented ways. A better understanding of immunity and its regulation in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection is urgently needed. Based on the current literature, we review here the various virus mutations and the evolving disease manifestations along with the alterations of immune responses with specific focuses on the innate immune response, neutrophil extracellular traps, humoral immunity, and cellular immunity. Different types of vaccines were compared and analyzed based on their unique properties to elicit specific immunity. Various therapeutic strategies such as antibody, anti-viral medications and inflammation control were discussed. We predict that with the available and continuously emerging new technologies, more powerful vaccines and administration schedules, more effective medications and better public health measures, the COVID-19 pandemic will be under control in the near future.
Dynamics of sex-biased gene expression during development in the stick insect Timema californicum
Authors: Djordjevic Jelisaveta , Dumas Zoé , Robinson-Rechavi Marc , Schwander Tanja , Parker Darren James
Published: May 2022

Sexually dimorphic phenotypes are thought to arise primarily from sex-biased gene expression during development. Major changes in developmental strategies, such as the shift from hemimetabolous to holometabolous development, are therefore expected to have profound consequences for the dynamics of sex-biased gene expression. However, no studies have previously examined sex-biased gene expression during development in hemimetabolous insects, precluding comparisons between developmental strategies. Here we characterized sex-biased gene expression at three developmental stages in a hemimetabolous stick insect (Timema californicum): hatchlings, juveniles, and adults. As expected, the proportion of sex-biased genes gradually increased during development, mirroring the gradual increase of phenotypic sexual dimorphism. Sex-biased genes identified at early developmental stages were generally consistently male- or female-biased at later stages, suggesting their importance in sexual differentiation. Additionally, we compared the dynamics of sex-biased gene expression during development inT. californicumto those of the holometabolous flyDrosophila melanogasterby reanalyzing publicly available RNA-seq data from third instar larval, pupal and adult stages. InD. melanogaster, 84% of genes were sex-biased at the adult stage (compared to only 20% inT. californicum), and sex-biased gene expression increased abruptly at the adult stage when morphological sexual dimorphism is manifested. Our findings are consistent with the prediction that the dynamics of sex-biased gene expression during development differ extensively between holometabolous and hemimetabolous insect species.
A rare homozygous missense mutation of COL7A1 in a Vietnamese family
Authors: Duong Nguyen Thuy , Anh Luong Thi Lan , Sau Nguyen Huu , Anh Nguyen Bao , Miyake Noriko , Van Hai Nong , Matsumoto Naomichi
Published: May 2022

We present a homozygous missense mutation in the COL7A1 gene (NM_000094.4: c.6262G>A, p.G2088R) in a case of inversa recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB-I) from a nonconsanguineous Vietnamese family. Although a heterozygous form of this mutation in combination with a premature termination codon allele has been shown to cause RDEB-I, this is the first report of homozygosity of this mutation as the etiology. Here, we investigated the molecular basis of the patient’s disease for prenatal diagnosis after genetic counseling of the parents.
Novel COL2A1 variants in Japanese patients with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita
Authors: Akahira-Azuma Moe , Enomoto Yumi , Nakamura Naoyuki , Yokoi Takayuki , Minatogawa Mari , Harada Noriaki , Tsurusaki Yoshinori , Kurosawa Kenji
Published: May 2022

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDC) is a multisystemic skeletal disorder caused by pathogenic variants inCOL2A1. Here, we report the genotype-phenotype correlations in five Japanese patients with SEDC based on their clinical and radiological findings. All five patients had novel missense variants resulting in glycine substitutions (G474V, G543E, G567S, G594R, and G1170R). Genetic testing is important for early intervention for the extraskeletal complications of SEDC. Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDC) (OMIM#183900) is an autosomal dominant chondrodysplasia characterized by disproportionate short stature, abnormal epiphyses, flattened vertebral bodies (skeletal abnormalities), and extraskeletal features, including myopia, retinal degeneration with retinal detachment, and cleft palate. SEDC is caused by a heterozygous variant in the collagen II alpha 1 (COL2A1) gene.
Clinical course of a Japanese patient with developmental delay linked to a small 6q16.1 deletion
Authors: Okazaki Tetsuya , Kawaguchi Tatsuya , Saiki Yusuke , Aoki Chisako , Kasagi Noriko , Adachi Kaori , Saida Ken , Matsumoto Naomichi , Nanba Eiji , Maegaki Yoshihiro
Published: May 2022

There is only one report of patients with developmental delay due to a 6q16.1 deletion that does not contain the SIM1 gene. A 3-year-old female showed strabismus, cleft soft palate, hypotonia at birth, and global developmental delay. Exome sequencing detected a de novo 6q16.1 deletion (chr6: 99282717–100062596) (hg19). The following genes were included in this region: POU3F2, FBXL4, FAXC, COQ3, PNISR, USP45, TSTD3, CCNC, and PRDM13.