bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temperature-dependent autoactivation associated with clinical variability of PDGFRB Asn666 substitutions
Authors: Bredrup Cecilie , Cristea Ileana , Safieh Leen Abu , Di Maria Emilio , Gjertsen Bjørn Tore , Tveit Kåre Steinar , Thu Frode , Bull Nils , Edward Deepak P , Hennekam Raoul C M , Høvding Gunnar , Haugen Olav H , Houge Gunnar , Rødahl Eyvind , Bruland Ove
Published: January 2021

Ocular pterygium-digital keloid dysplasia (OPDKD) presents in childhood with ingrowth of vascularized connective tissue on the cornea leading to severely reduced vision. Later the patients develop keloids on digits but are otherwise healthy. The overgrowth in OPDKD affects body parts that typically have lower temperature than 37°C. We present evidence that OPDKD is associated with a temperature sensitive, activating substitution, p.(Asn666Tyr), in PDGFRB. Phosphorylation levels of PDGFRB and downstream targets were higher in OPDKD fibroblasts at 37°C but were further greatly increased at the average corneal temperature of 32°C. This suggests that the substitution cause significant constitutive autoactivation mainly at lower temperature.

In contrast, a different substitution in the same codon, p.(Asn666Ser), is associated with Penttinen type of premature aging syndrome. This devastating condition is characterized by widespread tissue degeneration, including pronounced chronic ulcers and osteolytic resorption in distal limbs. In Penttinen syndrome fibroblasts, equal and high levels of phosphorylated PDGFRB was present at both 32°C and 37°C. This indicates that this substitution causes severe constitutive autoactivation of PDGFRB regardless of temperature. In line with this, most downstream targets were not affected by lower temperature. However, STAT1, important for tissue wasting, did show further increased phosphorylation at 32°C. Temperature-dependent autoactivation offers an explanation to the strikingly different clinical outcomes of substitutions in the Asn666 codon of PDGFRB.
Humanitarian challenges and the targeting of civilian infrastructure in the Yemen war
Authors: Sowers Jeannie , Weinthal Erika
Published: January 2021

Many modern conflicts, from Iraq to Yemen, have emerged as brutal wars in which state and non-state actors directly and indirectly target a wide array of civilian infrastructures, including water, energy and food systems. Similar to many twentieth-century wars, a common feature of the wars in the Middle East and North Africa in the twenty-first century has been the ‘civilianization’ of war, as civilian casualties far outnumbered battlefield deaths. We explore the targeting of civilian infrastructures in the Yemeni war (2011–2019) to explicate the connections between conflict, hunger and disease. We draw upon interviews with UN and humanitarian organizations, an original database tracking civilian infrastructure destruction, and a variety of print sources to document the extent and spatial distribution of the targeting of water, energy, agricultural and health systems in Yemen. We elucidate how the conduct of the Yemeni war has undermined human security and livelihoods and has created ethical, logistical and organizational challenges for humanitarian organizations and for advancing peacebuilding efforts. We find that after the 2011 popular uprising, some non-state actors targeted the energy sector; however, the scope and intensity of wartime targeting of civilian objects, particularly those associated with agriculture, fisheries and health, increased significantly once the Saudi-led coalition entered the war in 2015. Loss of livelihoods, internal displacement, currency depreciation, and blockades and sieges further intensified the wartime spread of hunger and disease. The targeting of civilian infrastructures significantly hinders peacebuilding efforts to restore basic services, rebuild livelihoods and strengthen governance mechanisms.
An uncommon cause of massive haemothorax and treatment under cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: Alptekin Erkul Gulen Sezer , Erkul Sinan , Parlar Ali İhsan , Çekirdekçi Ahmet
Published: January 2021

Pulmonary sequestration is defined as nonfunctioning lung tissue that is not in normal continuity with the tracheobronchial tree and that has a systemic arterial blood supply. Herein, we aimed to present a case of a 34-year-old male patient who had massive left-sided haemothorax on admission due to a giant intralobar pulmonary sequestration. An emergent repair was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass with axillofemoral cannulation.
A Menagerie of SU(2)-Cyclic 3-Manifolds
Authors: Sivek Steven , Zentner Raphael
Published: January 2021

We classify $SU(2)$-cyclic and $SU(2)$-abelian 3-manifolds, for which every representation of the fundamental group into $SU(2)$ has cyclic or abelian image, respectively, among geometric 3-manifolds that are not hyperbolic. As an application, we give examples of hyperbolic 3-manifolds that do not admit degree-1 maps to any Seifert Fibered manifold other than $S^3$ or a lens space. We also produce infinitely many one-cusped hyperbolic manifolds with at least four $SU(2)$-cyclic Dehn fillings, one more than the number of cyclic fillings allowed by the cyclic surgery theorem.
Asymptotics for Averages over Classical Orthogonal Ensembles
Authors: Claeys Tom , Glesner Gabriel , Minakov Alexander , Yang Meng
Published: January 2021

We study the averages of multiplicative eigenvalue statistics in ensembles of orthogonal Haar-distributed matrices, which can alternatively be written as Toeplitz+Hankel determinants. We obtain new asymptotics for symbols with Fisher–Hartwig singularities in cases where some of the singularities merge together and for symbols with a gap or an emerging gap. We obtain these asymptotics by relying on known analogous results in the unitary group and on asymptotics for associated orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle. As consequences of our results, we derive asymptotics for gap probabilities in the circular orthogonal and symplectic ensembles and an upper bound for the global eigenvalue rigidity in the orthogonal ensembles.
Conical Metrics on Riemann Surfaces, II: Spherical Metrics
Authors: Mazzeo Rafe , Zhu Xuwen
Published: January 2021

We continue our study, initiated in [34], of Riemann surfaces with constant curvature and isolated conic singularities. Using the machinery developed in that earlier paper of extended configuration families of simple divisors, we study the existence and deformation theory for spherical conic metrics with some or all of the cone angles greater than $2\pi $. Deformations are obstructed precisely when the number $2$ lies in the spectrum of the Friedrichs extension of the Laplacian. Our main result is that, in this case, it is possible to find a smooth local moduli space of solutions by allowing the cone points to split. This analytic fact reflects geometric constructions in [37, 38].
Lost in Translation: Lack of CD4 Expression due to a Novel Genetic Defect
Authors: Lisco Andrea , Ye Peiying , Wong Chun-Shu , Pei Luxin , Hsu Amy P , Mace Emily M , Orange Jordan S , Lage Silvia Lucena , Ward Addison Jon , Migueles Stephen A , Connors Mark , Anderson Megan V , Buckner Clarisa M , Moir Susan , Rupert Adam , Dulau-Florea Alina , Ogbogu Princess , Timberlake Dylan , Notarangelo Luigi D , Pittaluga Stefania , Abraham Roshini S , Sereti Irini
Published: January 2021

CD4 expression identifies a subset of mature T cells primarily assisting the germinal center reaction and contributing to CD8+ T-cell and B-cell activation, functions, and longevity. Herein, we present a family in which a novel variant disrupting the translation-initiation codon of the CD4 gene resulted in complete loss of membrane and plasma soluble CD4 in peripheral blood, lymph node, bone marrow, skin, and ileum of a homozygous proband. This inherited CD4 knockout disease illustrates the clinical and immunological features of a complete deficiency of any functional component of CD4 and its similarities and differences with other clinical models of primary or acquired loss of CD4+ T cells.
Regulation of the Acute Sickness Response by the P2RX7 Receptor
Authors: Li Hui , Cvejic Erin , Gu Ben , Vollmer-Conna Ute , Hickie Ian , Wakefield Denis , Davenport Tracey , Wiley James , Lloyd Andrew R
Published: January 2021

Background

The acute sickness response to infection is a stereotyped set of illness manifestations initiated by proinflammatory signals in the periphery but mediated centrally. P2RX7 is a highly polymorphic gene encoding an ATP-gated cationic pore, widely expressed on immune cells and the brain, and regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome, as well as diverse neural functions.

Methods

Associations between P2RX7 genotype, pore activity, and illness manifestations were examined in a cohort with acute viral and bacterial infections (n = 484). Genotyping of 12 P2RX7 function-modifying single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was used to identify haplotypes and diplotypes. Leucocyte pore activity was measured by uptake of the fluorescent dye, YO-PRO-1, and by ATP-induced interleukin-1β (IL-1β) release. Associations were sought with scores describing the symptom domains, or endophenotypes, derived from principal components analysis.

Results

Among the 12 SNPs, a 4-SNP haplotype block with 5 variants was found in 99.5% of the subjects. These haplotypes and diplotypes were closely associated with variations in pore activity and IL-1β production. Homozygous diplotypes were associated with overall illness severity as well as fatigue, pain, and mood disturbances.

Conclusions

P2RX7 signaling plays a significant role in the acute sickness response to infection, likely acting in both the immune system and the brain.
Pattern discovery, validation, and online experiments: a methodology for discovering television shows for public health announcements
Authors: Barfar Arash , Padmanabhan Balaji
Published: January 2021

Objective

Public Health Announcements (PHAs) on television are a means of raising awareness about risk behaviors and chronic conditions. PHAs’ scarce airtime puts stress on their target audience reach. We seek to help health campaigns select television shows for their PHAs about smoking, binge drinking, drug overdose, obesity, diabetes, STDs, and other conditions using available statistics.

Materials and Methods

Using Nielsen’s TV viewership database for the entire US panel, we presented a novel show discovery methodology for PHAs that combined (i) pattern discovery from high-dimensional data (ii) nonparametric tests for validation, and (iii) online experiments on Facebook.

Results

The nonparametric tests verified the robustness of the discovered associations between the popularity of certain shows and health conditions. Findings from fifty (independent) online experiments (where our awareness messages were seen by nearly 1.5 million American adults) empirically demonstrated the value of the methodology.

Discussion

For 2016, the methodology identified several shows whose popularities were genuinely associated with certain health conditions, opening up the possibility of health agencies embracing both big data and large-scale experimentation to address an old problem in a new way.

Conclusion

Policy makers can repeatedly apply the methodology as new data streams in, with perhaps different feature sets, pattern discovery techniques, and online experiments running over longer periods. The comparatively lower initial investment in the methodology can pay off by identifying several shows for a potentially national television campaign. As simply a by-product, the initial investment also results in awareness messages that might reach millions of individuals.
A Reference Genome Assembly of American Bison,Bison bison bison
Authors: Oppenheimer Jonas , Rosen Benjamin D , Heaton Michael P , Vander Ley Brian L , Shafer Wade R , Schuetze Fred T , Stroud Brad , Kuehn Larry A , McClure Jennifer C , Barfield Jennifer P , Blackburn Harvey D , Kalbfleisch Theodore S , Bickhart Derek M , Davenport Kimberly M , Kuhn Kristen L , Green Richard E , Shapiro Beth , Smith Timothy P L
Published: January 2021

Bison are an icon of the American West and an ecologically, commercially, and culturally important species. Despite numbering in the hundreds of thousands today, conservation concerns remain for the species, including the impact on genetic diversity of a severe bottleneck around the turn of the 20th century and genetic introgression from domestic cattle. Genetic diversity and admixture are best evaluated at genome-wide scale, for which a high-quality reference is necessary. Here, we use trio binning of long reads from a bison–Simmental cattle (Bos taurus taurus) male F1 hybrid to sequence and assemble the genome of the American plains bison (Bison bison bison). The male haplotype genome is chromosome-scale, with a total length of 2.65 Gb across 775 scaffolds (839 contigs) and a scaffold N50 of 87.8 Mb. Our bison genome is ~13× more contiguous overall and ~3400× more contiguous at the contig level than the current bison reference genome. The bison genome sequence presented here (ARS-UCSC_bison1.0) will enable new research into the evolutionary history of this iconic megafauna species and provide a new tool for the management of bison populations in federal and commercial herds.
Site of Recurrence and Survival After Surgery for Colorectal Peritoneal Metastasis
Authors: Breuer Eva , Hebeisen Monika , Schneider Marcel André , Roth Lilian , Pauli Chantal , Frischer-Ordu Katharina , Eden Janina , Pache Basile , Steffen Thomas , Hübner Martin , Villeneuve Laurent , Kepenekian Vahan , Passot Guillaume , Gertsch Philippe , Gupta Anurag , Glehen Olivier , Lehmann Kuno
Published: January 2021

Background

Multimodal treatment, including systemic treatment and surgery, improved the prognosis of peritoneal metastasis (PM). Despite all efforts, recurrence rates remain high, and little data are available about clinical behavior or molecular patterns of PM in comparison to hematogenous metastasis. Here, we aimed to analyze recurrence patterns after multimodal treatment for PM from colorectal cancer.

Methods

Patients with colorectal PM undergoing multimodal treatment including systemic chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) between 2005 and 2017 at 4 centers were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

A total of 505 patients undergoing CRS/HIPEC were analyzed. Of the patients, 82.1% received preoperative chemotherapy. Median peritoneal cancer index was 6 (interquartile range = 3-11). Median disease-free and overall survival was 12 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 11 to 14) months and 51 (95% CI = 43 to 62) months, respectively. Disease recurred in 361 (71.5%) patients, presenting as isolated peritoneal recurrence in 24.6%, isolated hematogenous recurrence in 28.3%, and mixed recurrence in 13.9% of patients. Recurrence to the peritoneum was associated with an impaired time from recurrence to death of 21 (95% CI = 18 to 31) months for isolated peritoneal and 22 (95% CI = 16 to 30) months for mixed recurrence, compared with 43 (95% CI = 31 to >121) months for hematogenous recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.27 to 2.53; P = .001; and HR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.61 to 3.79; P < .001). On multiple logistic regression analysis, RAS mutational status (odds ratio [OR] = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.11 to 5.47; P = .03) and positive nodal stage of the primary (OR = 3.88, 95% CI = 1.40 to 11.86; P = .01) were identified as predictive factors for peritoneal recurrence.

Conclusions

This study highlights the heterogeneity of peritoneal metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer. Recurrent peritoneal metastasis after radical treatment represents a more aggressive subset of metastatic colorectal cancer.
National Contestations of the Legal Reasoning of International Courts and Tribunals: A Gramscian Discourse Analysis Approach
Authors: Stoppioni Edoardo
Published: January 2021

National contestations against international courts and tribunals are a polymorph object to analyse. While they generally deal with the legitimacy of an international court or tribunal, manifesting discontent with its very existence or work, in some rare cases, national contestations focus on the legal reasoning developed in an international decision. This research will analyse this kind of national contestations in terms of ‘counterhegemonic’ reactions, using the works of Antonio Gramsci and their interpretation in neo-Gramscian scholarship. The purpose is to identify how national contestations articulate a counterhegemonic discourse to build an opposition to the reasoning of an international legal decision, and to deconstruct the linguistic tools that are adopted to facilitate this approach. Requiring a difficult exercise of welding present to future, for the counterhegemonic voice not to replicate a hegemonic discourse with simply different premisses and power intentions, the transformative project behind them is key.
Parental Psychosocial Distress in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease and Chronic Pain
Authors: Sil Soumitri , Woodward Kerri E , Johnson Yelena L , Dampier Carlton , Cohen Lindsey L
Published: January 2021

Background

Pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD) management can result in considerable caregiver distress. Parents of youth with chronic SCD pain may face the additional challenge of managing children’s chronic pain and chronic illness. This study examined associations between parent psychological distress and child functioning and the moderating role of chronic pain among youth with SCD.

Methods

Youth presenting to pediatric outpatient comprehensive SCD clinics and their primary caregivers completed a battery of questionnaires. Parents reported on parenting stress, parent mental and physical health, and family functioning. Children completed measures of pain characteristics, depressive symptoms, catastrophic thinking, functional disability, and quality of life.

Results

Patients (N = 73, Mage = 14.2 years, 57% female) and their caregivers (Mage = 41.1 years, 88% mothers, 88% Black) participated. Worse parent functioning was associated with worse child pain, functioning, quality of life, and depressive symptoms. Beyond the effects of SCD, chronic SCD pain magnified the negative associations between parenting stress frequency and child quality of life, parent physical health and child quality of life, and parent depressive symptoms and child depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Chronic pain may exacerbate the relations between parent and child functioning beyond the effects of SCD alone. The management of both SCD and chronic pain may present additional challenges for parents that limit their psychosocial functioning. Family-focused interventions to support parents and youth with chronic SCD pain are warranted to optimize health outcomes.
A RCT Testing If a Storybook Can Teach Children About Home Safety
Authors: Morrongiello Barbara A , Marquis Alexandra R , Cox Amanda
Published: January 2021

Objective

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children under 19 years of age. For preschoolers, many injuries occur in the home. Addressing this issue, this study assessed if a storybook about home safety could be effective to increase preschoolers’ safety knowledge and reduce their injury-risk behaviors.

Methods

Applying a randomized controlled trial design, normally developing English speaking preschool children (3.5–5.5 years) in Southwestern Ontario Canada were randomly assigned to the control condition (a storybook about healthy eating, N = 30) or the intervention condition (a storybook about home hazards, N = 29). They read the assigned storybook with their mother for 4 weeks; time spent reading was tracked, and fidelity checks based on home visits were implemented.

Results

Comparing postintervention knowledge, understanding score, and risk behaviors across groups revealed that children who received the intervention were able to identify more hazards, provide more comprehensive safety explanations, and demonstrate fewer risky behaviors compared with children in the control group (ηp2 = 0.13, 0.19, and 0.51, respectively), who showed no significant changes over time in safety knowledge, understanding, or risk behaviors. Compliance with reading the safety book and fidelity in how they did so were very good.

Conclusions

A storybook can be an effective resource for educating young children about home safety and reducing their hazard-directed risk behaviors.
Propofol suppresses osteosarcoma cell function by regulating FOXO1/TUSC7
Authors: Huang Xinhua , Liu Jing , Xie Hong
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Accumulated evidence demonstrates that propofol has antitumour roles in various cancers. However, the role of propofol in osteosarcoma is still unclear. Therefore, we aim to determine the role of propofol on osteosarcoma and further explore its potential mechanism.

Methods

Cell proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma were detected using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, wound healing and transwell assay, respectively. The interaction between FoxO1 and TUSC7 was determined using luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation.

Results

Propofol treatment significantly decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion in U2OS cells. Propofol promoted TUSC7 expression by enhancing transcriptional factor FOXO1 that leads to inactivation of AKT/GSK3β signalling resulting in the suppression of cell proliferation, migration and invasion.

Conclusions

Propofol suppresses cell proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells through FOXO1/TUSC7 axis by regulating AKT/GSK3β signalling.
Systemic administration of sunflower oil exerts neuroprotection in a mouse model of transient focal cerebral ischaemia
Authors: La Russa Daniele , Montesano Domenico , Pellegrino Daniela , Frisina Marialaura , Bagetta Giacinto , Fallarino Francesca , Amantea Diana
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Natural products are valuable sources of nutraceuticals for the prevention or treatment of ischemic stroke, a major cause of death and severe disability worldwide. Among the mechanisms implicated in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion damage, oxidative stress exerts a pivotal role in disease progression. Given the high antioxidant potential of most components of sunflower oil, we have explored its effects on ischemic brain injury produced in the mouse by transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAo).

Key findings

Intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of sunflower oil at doses of 3 ml/kg (48 h, 24 h and 1 h before MCAo) significantly reduced brain infarct volume and oedema assessed 24 h after the insult. This neuroprotective treatment schedule also prevented the elevation of brain lipid peroxidation produced by MCAo-reperfusion injury. By contrast, doses of 0.03 ml/kg of sunflower oil resulted ineffective on both cerebral damage and lipid peroxidation. Although sunflower oil did not affect serum levels of Diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs), both 0.03 and 3 ml/kg dosing regimens resulted in the preservation of serum biological antioxidant potential (BAP) that was otherwise dramatically reduced 24 h after MCAo.

Conclusions

Sunflower oil represents a promising source of neuroprotective extracts/compounds that can be exploited for the prevention and/or treatment of cerebral ischemia.
Unusual complication after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication
Authors: Pamart Wendy , Majerus Bernard
Published: January 2021

We describe a rare complication of Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication in the presence of a Gastric greater curvature Plication (LNFGP). An overweight 64-year-old woman was admitted for severe abdominal pain, dysphagia and fever 2 weeks after a Nissen fundoplication. She had pneumoperitoneum on scanner. At laparoscopy, we found a generalized peritonitis secondary to a perforated Nissen wrap in the presence of a gastric greater curvature plication. Gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy can be irrelevant in case of moderately and severely obese patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Four studies have investigated the risks and rewards of the LNFGP as an alternative. Only one case of leakage has been reported. We present another severe complication: the pylorus stenosis caused by a plication performed too close to the pylorus, causing gastric dilatation in the presence of the wrap, leading to wrap perforation.
Improved Spirodela polyrhiza genome and proteomic analyses reveal a conserved chromosomal structure with high abundance of chloroplastic proteins favoring energy production
Authors: Harkess Alex , McLoughlin Fionn , Bilkey Natasha , Elliott Kiona , Emenecker Ryan , Mattoon Erin , Miller Kari , Czymmek Kirk , Vierstra Richard D , Meyers Blake C , Michael Todd P
Published: January 2021

Duckweeds are a monophyletic group of rapidly reproducing aquatic monocots in the Lemnaceae family. Given their clonal, exponentially fast reproduction, a key question is whether genome structure is conserved across the species in the absence of meiotic recombination. Here, we studied the genome and proteome of Spirodela polyrhiza, or greater duckweed, which has the largest body plan yet the smallest genome size in the family (1C=150 Mb). Using Oxford Nanopore sequencing combined with Hi-C scaffolding, we generated a highly contiguous, chromosome-scale assembly of S. polyrhiza line Sp7498 (Sp7498_HiC). Both the Sp7498_HiC and Sp9509 genome assemblies reveal large chromosomal misorientations relative to a recent PacBio assembly of Sp7498, highlighting the need for orthogonal long-range scaffolding techniques such as Hi-C and BioNano optical mapping. Shotgun proteomics of Sp7498 verified the expression of ~2250 proteins and revealed a high abundance of proteins involved in photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism among other functions. In addition, a strong increase in chloroplast proteins was observed that correlated to chloroplast density. This Sp7498_HiC genome was generated cheaply and quickly with a single Oxford Nanopore MinION flow cell and one Hi-C library in a classroom setting. Combining these data with a mass spectrometry-generated proteome illustrates the utility of duckweed as a model for genomics- and proteomics-based education.
Repression of barley cathepsins, HvPap-19 and HvPap-1, differentially alters grain composition and delays germination
Authors: Gomez-Sanchez Andrea , Santamaria M Estrella , Gonzalez-Melendi Pablo , Muszynska Aleksandra , Matthess Christiane , Martinez Manuel , Diaz Isabel
Published: January 2021

During barley germination, cysteine proteases are essential in the mobilization of storage compounds providing peptides and amino acids to sustain embryo growth until photosynthesis is completely established. Knockdown barley plants, generated by artificial miRNA, for the cathepsins B- and F-like HvPap-19 and HvPap-1 genes, respectively, showed less cysteine protease activities and consequently lower protein degradation. The functional redundancy between proteases triggered an enzymatic compensation associated with an increase in serine protease activities in both knockdown lines, which was not sufficient to maintain germination rates and behaviour. Concomitantly, these transgenic lines showed alterations in the accumulation of protein and carbohydrates in the grain. While the total amount of protein increased in both transgenic lines, the starch content decreased in HvPap-1 knockdown lines and the sucrose concentration was reduced in silenced HvPap-19 grains. Consequently, phenotypes of HvPap-1 and HvPap-19 artificial miRNA lines showed a delay in the grain germination process. These data demonstrate the potential of exploring the properties of barley proteases for selective modification and use in brewing or in the livestock feeding industry.
Cell-Derived Microparticles in Blood Products from Blood Donors Deficient in Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase
Authors: Noulsri Egarit , Lerdwana Surada , Palasuwan Duangdao , Palasuwan Attakorn
Published: January 2021

Objective

To quantitate the microparticles (MPs) in whole blood and blood products obtained from blood donors who are deficient in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD).

Methods

The current study analyzed whole blood and blood components prepared from 49 blood donors with G6PD deficiencies and 98 with G6PD-normal results. Packed red blood cells (PRBCs), platelet concentrate (PC), and plasma were prepared according to transfusion laboratory procedures. MP concentrations were determined using a flow cytometer.

Results

Blood components prepared from donors with G6PD deficiency were characterized by higher red blood cell-derived MP (RMP) concentration in PRBCs (25,526 vs 18,738 particles/µL) but lower concentrations of platelet-derived MPs (PMPs; in whole blood and PC), leukocyte-derived MPs (LMP; in whole blood and plasma) and total MP (in PC), compared with those from donors with G6PD-normal test results.

Conclusions

These results suggest that differences in G6PD status may account for variation in RMP levels during processing.
How the Word Adjacency Network (WAN) works
Authors: Brown Paul , Eisen Mark , Segarra Santiago , Ribeiro Alejandro , Egan Gabriel
Published: January 2021

The Word Adjacency Network (WAN) method is a newly invented method for attributing the authorship of texts based on internal evidence about the proximities of high-frequency words in those texts. The method has been the subject of mathematically rigorous explanations in scientific journals and here is offered instead a relatively non-technical account for humanist readers unfamiliar with advanced mathematical nomenclature. The description will refer to the operation of the algorithm as it is implemented in a newly completed open-source, open-access version that the authors have made available for free unlimited download on the WorldWide Web.
Nerve Reconstruction Using Processed Nerve Allograft in the U.S. Military
Authors: Dunn John C , Tadlock Joshua , Klahs Kyle J , Narimissaei Danielle , McKay Patricia , Nesti Leon J
Published: January 2021

Background

Processed nerve allograft (PNA) is an alternative to autograft for the reconstruction of peripheral nerves. We hypothesize that peripheral nerve repair with PNA in a military population will have a low rate of meaningful recovery (M ≥ 3) because of the frequency of blasting mechanisms and large zones of injury.

Methods

A retrospective review of the military Registry of Avance Nerve Graft Evaluating Utilization and Outcomes for the Reconstruction of Peripheral Nerve Discontinuities database was conducted at the Walter Reed Peripheral Nerve Consortium. All adult active duty military patients who underwent any peripheral nerve repair with PNA for complete nerve injuries augmented with PNA visit were included. Motor strength and sensory function were reported as a consensus from the multidisciplinary Peripheral Nerve Consortium. Motor and sensory testing was conducted in accordance with the British Medical Research Council.

Results

A total of 23 service members with 25 nerve injuries (3 sensory and 22 mixed motor/sensory) underwent reconstruction with PNA. The average age was 30 years and the majority were male (96%). The most common injury was to the sciatic nerve (28%) from a complex mechanism (gunshot, blast, compression, and avulsion). The average defect was 77 mm. Twenty-four percent of patients achieved a meaningful motor recovery. Longer follow-up was correlated with improved postoperative motor function (r = 0.49 and P = .03).

Conclusions

The military population had complex injuries with large nerve gaps. Despite the low rate of meaningful recovery (27.3%), large gaps in motor and mixed motor/sensory nerves are difficult to treat, and further research is needed to determine if autograft would achieve superior results.

Type of study/Level of evidence

Therapeutic, Level III
Vancomycin enhances growth and virulence of Trichosporon spp. planktonic cells and biofilms
Authors: de Aguiar Cordeiro Rossana , da Silva Bruno Nascimento , de Aguiar Ana Luiza Ribeiro , Pereira Livia Maria Galdino , Portela Fernando Victor Monteiro , da Rocha Maria Gleiciane , Pergentino Mariana Lara Mendes , de Santos Sales Gyrliane , de Sousa José Kleybson , de Camargo Zoilo Pires , Brilhante Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira , Rocha Marcos Fábio Gadelha , Castelo-Branco Débora de Souza Collares Maia , Sidrim José Júlio Costa
Published: January 2021

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are important worldwide health problem, affecting the growing population of immunocompromised patients. Although the majority of IFIs are caused by Candida spp., other fungal species have been increasingly recognized as relevant opportunistic pathogens. Trichosporon spp. are members of skin and gut human microbiota. Since 1980’s, invasive trichosporonosis has been considered a significant cause of fungemia in patients with hematological malignancies. As prolonged antibiotic therapy is an important risk factor for IFIs, the present study investigated if vancomycin enhances growth and virulence of Trichosporon. Vancomycin was tested against T. inkin (n = 6) and T. asahii (n = 6) clinical strains. Planktonic cells were evaluated for their metabolic activity and virulence against Caenorhabditis elegans. Biofilms were evaluated for metabolic activity, biomass production, amphotericin B tolerance, induction of persister cells, and ultrastructure. Vancomycin stimulated planktonic growth of Trichosporon spp., increased tolerance to AMB, and potentiates virulence against C. elegans. Vancomycin stimulated growth (metabolic activity and biomass) of Trichosporon spp. biofilms during all stages of development. The antibiotic increased the number of persister cells inside Trichosporon biofilms. These cells showed higher tolerance to AMB than persister cells from VAN-free biofilms. Microscopic analysis showed that VAN increased production of extracellular matrix and cells in T. inkin and T. asahii biofilms. These results suggest that antibiotic exposure may have a direct impact on the pathophysiology of opportunistic trichosporonosis in patients at risk.

Lay abstract

This study showed that the vancomycin stimulated Trichosporon growth, induced morphological and physiological changes on their biofilms, and also enhanced their in vivo virulence. Although speculative, the stimulatory effect of vancomycin on fungal cells should be considered in a clinical scenario.
Stringent constraint on the radio signal from dark matter annihilation in dwarf spheroidal galaxies using the TGSS
Authors: Basu Arghyadeep , Roy Nirupam , Choudhuri Samir , Datta Kanan K , Sarkar Debajyoti
Published: January 2021

Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) are considered to be one of the favoured dark matter candidates. Searching for any detectable signal due to the annihilation and decay of WIMPs over the entire electromagnetic spectrum has become a matter of interest for the last few decades. WIMP annihilation to Standard Model particles gives rise to a possibility of detection of this signal at low radio frequencies via synchrotron radiation. Dwarf spheroidal (dSphs) galaxies are expected to contain a huge amount of dark matter which makes them promising targets to search for such large scale diffuse radio emission. In this work, we present a stacking analysis of 23 dSph galaxies observed at low frequency (147.5 MHz) as part of the TIFR-GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS). The non-detection of any signal from these stacking exercises put very tight constraints on the dark matter parameters. The best limit comes from the novel method of stacking after scaling the radio images of the individual dSph galaxy fields after scaling them by the respective half-light radius. The constraint on the thermally averaged cross-section is below the thermal relic cross-section value over a range of WIMP mass for reasonable choices of relevant astrophysical parameters. Such analysis, using future deeper observation of individual targets as well as stacking, can potentially reveal more about the WIMP dark matter properties.
Induction of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in granulosa cells by endoplasmic reticulum stress contributes to pathology of polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Kunitomi Chisato , Harada Miyuki , Kusamoto Akari , Azhary Jerilee Mk , Nose Emi , Koike Hiroshi , Xu Zixin , Urata Yoko , Takahashi Nozomi , Wada-Hiraike Osamu , Hirota Yasushi , Koga Kaori , Fujii Tomoyuki , Osuga Yutaka
Published: January 2021

Recent studies have uncovered the critical role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in various diseases, including obesity and cancer progression, independent of its previously identified role as a receptor for endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). We previously showed that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a newly recognized local factor in the follicular microenvironment, is activated in granulosa cells from patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and a mouse model of the disease. By affecting diverse functions of granulosa cells, ER stress contributes to PCOS pathology. We hypothesized that expression of AHR and activation of its downstream signaling were upregulated by ER stress in granulosa cells, irrespective of the presence of EDCs, thereby promoting PCOS pathogenesis. In this study, we found that AHR, AHR nuclear translocator (ARNT), and AHR target gene cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) were upregulated in the granulosa cells of PCOS patients and model mice. We examined CYP1B1 as a representative AHR target gene. AHR and ARNT were upregulated by ER stress in human granulosa-lutein cells (GLCs), resulting in an increase in the expression and activity of CYP1B1. Administration of the AHR antagonist CH223191 to PCOS mice restored estrous cycling and decreased the number of atretic antral follicles, concomitant with downregulation of AHR and CYP1B1 in granulosa cells. Taken together, our findings indicate that AHR activated by ER stress in the follicular microenvironment contributes to PCOS pathology, and that AHR represents a novel therapeutic target for PCOS.
Crocuta crocuta(Carnivora: Hyaenidae)
Authors: Hayssen Virginia , Noonan Paula
Published: January 2021

Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben, 1777), the spotted hyena, is a large, widespread, terrestrial carnivore with a female-dominant social system. It ranges from about 17°N to 28°S and lives in diverse habitats from savannas to swamps (but not rain forests) and up to 4,000 m in elevation. As assessed in 2014, C. crocuta is listed as “Least Concern” (LC) by The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species version 2016.1.
A native, highly activeTc1/marinertransposon from zebrafish (ZB) offers an efficient genetic manipulation tool for vertebrates
Authors: Shen Dan , Song Chengyi , Miskey Csaba , Chan Shuheng , Guan Zhongxia , Sang Yatong , Wang Yali , Chen Cai , Wang Xiaoyan , Müller Ferenc , Ivics Zoltán , Gao Bo
Published: January 2021

New genetic tools and strategies are currently under development to facilitate functional genomics analyses. Here, we describe an active member of the Tc1/mariner transposon superfamily, named ZB, which invaded the zebrafish genome very recently. ZB exhibits high activity in vertebrate cells, in the range of those of the widely used transposons piggyBac (PB), Sleeping Beauty (SB) and Tol2. ZB has a similar structural organization and target site sequence preference to SB, but a different integration profile with respect to genome-wide preference among mammalian functional annotation features. Namely, ZB displays a preference for integration into transcriptional regulatory regions of genes. Accordingly, we demonstrate the utility of ZB for enhancer trapping in zebrafish embryos and in the mouse germline. These results indicate that ZB may be a powerful tool for genetic manipulation in vertebrate model species.
Post-Meroe in Upper Nubia
Authors: El-Tayeb Mahmoud
Published: January 2021

Upper Nubia stretches from the Second Cataract upstream to the Gezira region south of Khartoum, including Sinnar-Roseires on the southern Blue Nile and Kosti on the White Nile, a distance of not less than 1,500 km. Close observation of the material culture excavated in this ample territory shows a subdivision of Upper Nubia into three zones after the Meroitic Period, in spite of the broad similarities within this cultural horizon. Aspects of regionalism are based on geographical and natural elements in addition to the variety of mortuary practice and pottery production, which are the main sources of information about the period under study. One of the major problems is the lack of organized comprehensive studies in Upper Nubia. Therefore, still debatable are the conventional theories on the Axumite and Noba invasions, while as demonstrated in this text, there is no tangible evidence for such theories in archaeological material. Still open for discussion is the term “Post-Meroe.”
Iron Production at Meroe
Authors: Humphris Jane
Published: January 2021

The archaeometallurgical remains evident at the Royal City of Meroe represent some of the most extensive evidence for ancient iron production in Africa. Recently, renewed investigations of these remains have generated a number of new insights into Kushite ferrous technology. The duration of iron production at Meroe is now known to span over one thousand years. Currently available data indicates a particularly intensive level of production during the early periods of Kush, while post-Meroitic iron production has been identified at Meroe and at the nearby site of Hamadab. Throughout the long history of iron production in the area, certain aspects of the technological process appear to have remained relatively constant, notably those associated with the acquisition and use of raw materials (iron ore and charcoal fuel). Other facets of the technological practice appear to have changed over time, for example the manufacture of technical ceramics and the design of the furnaces. Such levels of diachronic consistency and variability within technological practice potentially reflect the evolving social, political, and economic circumstances of Kush. Due to the socio-politically embedded nature of technology, interesting insights into broader Kushite history are becoming accessible through greater understandings of Meroe’s iron production remains.
The A-Group and 4th Millennium BCE Nubia
Authors: Gatto Maria Carmela
Published: January 2021

This chapter discusses the 4th millennium bce in Nubia, which was characterized by a further advance in the process of socio-economic complexity already underway during the previous Neolithic phase, undoubtedly enhanced by interaction with Predynastic Egypt. This ultimately produced the emergence of the A-Group, an indigenous complex polity that appeared at the end of the millennium and reached its climax about the time of the Egyptian unification, ca. 3100 bce. The A-Group was characterized by a fluid economic pattern that included more than one subsistence activity, with herding retaining a distinctive social value within the society; and by organizational differences resulting from mobile and flexible politics, which gave rise to a regional polity based on trade and control over its logistics, social networking and alliance building, and a distinct form of distributed authority.
Ben Sira
Authors: Wright Benjamin G.
Published: January 2021

The Wisdom of Ben Sira is the paradigmatic Wisdom text from the Second Temple period. Its author was a scribe/sage who lived in Jerusalem during the early part of the second century bce. It has a complicated history of transmission, originally written in Hebrew, but the Greek translation is its primary language of transmission. The book provides evidence for one elite Jew’s understanding of how to please God while living under the political domination of foreign powers. Ben Sira’s instruction has the goal of equipping his students to fear the Lord, fulfill the commandments, and acquire wisdom in order to achieve success in such an uncertain world.
Dargwa
Authors: Sumbatova Nina
Published: January 2021

This chapter is a description of Dargwa based on the data of the Tanti dialect. Dargwa, which is spoken in Central Dagestan, constitutes a separate branch of the Nakh-Dagestanian family. Dargwa is known for its dialectal variation: many researchers believe that it should be treated as a language group. Nouns in Dargwa have the category of gender (in the singular: masculine–feminine–neuter, in the plural: first/second person plural–human–non-human). Nominal forms are derived from two stems, direct and oblique, in both singular and plural. The nominal system includes five to seven forms of non-locative cases and a number of locative (spatial) forms opposed as to localization, orientation, and, in some dialects, direction. Most verbal roots have a perfective and an imperfective form within a single verbal paradigm. The verbal system is also rich with multiple TAM-paradigms and non-finite forms (participles, convers, deverbal nouns). An important syntactic feature of Dargwa is a well-developed system of person agreement with a typologically rare opposition of the second person singular versus first person (singular and plural) + second person plural (the third person is usually unmarked). Like other Nakh-Dagestanian languages, Dargwa is morphologically ergative, left-branching (SOV), with free word order. Clause coordination is relatively rare, most dependent clauses are headed by non-finite verb forms.
Nakh-Dagestanian Languages
Authors: Ganenkov Dmitry , Maisak Timur
Published: January 2021

The chapter is a survey of the Nakh-Daghestanian family (also known as East Caucasian), one of the indigenous language families spoken in the Caucasus. The family comprises more than 30 languages, some of which are spoken by only a few hundred people and remain unwritten and/or underdescribed. The chapter provides general information about the sociolinguistic status of Nakh-Daghestanian languages and the history of their research as well as their phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon. The languages of the family have rich consonant systems and are morphologically ergative, head-final, with rich case systems, complex verbal paradigms, and pervasive gender-number agreement. Alongside the major transitive and intransitive lexical verb classes, verbs of perception and cognition with the dative experiencer subject usually comprise one or more minor valency classes with non-canonically marked subjects. Among valency-increasing derivations, the causative is the most prominent. The most typical subordination strategies are non-finite, making use of participles, converbs, infinitives and verbal nouns.
Kartvelian (South Caucasian) Languages
Authors: Testelets Yakov G.
Published: January 2021

The chapter contains a description of the small Kartvelian, or South Caucasian, language family spoken in the Western part of Transcaucasia and consisting of four languages of which Georgian is the most known and culturally significant. It outlines the structure of the family and the problem of its further genetic affiliation and contains sociolinguistic information, history of its research, basic characteristics of phonology, including a rich consonantal system with unusual consonant clusters, lexical classes, morphology of nominals and verbs, with special emphasis on complexity of the verb and the syntactically motivated morphological classes and processes like valency-changing derivation (benefactive, causative), structure of noun phrases and the role of case marking, simple clause, word order, anaphora, complex sentence, and the role of the three major grammatical relations: Subject, Direct Object, and Indirect Object that dominate in the morphology and syntax; the areal and typological profile of the Kartvelian languages; and issues for further research.