bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
District nurses and general practitioners’ negotiation of responsibility for nutritional care for patients in palliative phases cared for at home
Authors: Berggren Erika , Törnkvist Lena , Ödlund Olin Ann , Orrevall Ylva , Strang Peter , Hylander Ingrid
Published: December 2020

Aim:

To explore district nurses and general practitioners (GPs) interaction in a case seminar when discussing nutritional care for patients in palliative phases cared for at home and to construct a theoretical model illuminating the professionals’ main concern.

Background:

Nutritional care for people who are frail and older requires collaboration between nurses and physicians in primary health care. However, both collaboration and knowledge need to be improved, and there is a lack of continuing interprofessional education to meet these needs. We therefore developed an interprofessional educational intervention about nutritional care for patients in palliative phases of disease that was adapted to primary home health care and ended with a case seminar. The case seminar discussions gave us the opportunity to study micro-level interactions between district nurses and GPs in a learning context.

Methods:

Grounded theory method was used to construct a theoretical model of the interactions between district nurses and GPs as they discussed an authentic case.

Findings:

A substantive grounded theory that illuminates how district nurses and GPs interacted, negotiating responsibility for nutritional care for patients in palliative phases cared for at home. The theory is described in a tentative theoretical model that delineates factors that facilitate interprofessional dialogue and lead to interprofessional learning, or block such dialogue and learning. The theoretical model illuminates the importance of a distinction between uniprofessional and interprofessional dialogue in interprofessional educational interventions. It suggests that interprofessional learning was generated directly from the interaction between district nurses and GPs in the case seminar discussions. The model can be used to promote better teamwork and collaboration in caring; for example, as a basis for reflection in collaborative and interprofessional learning interventions and as a tool for facilitators and teachers.
Home visits as an interprofessional learning activity for students in primary healthcare
Authors: Toth-Pal Eva , Fridén Cecilia , Asenjo Stefano Torres , Olsson Christina B.
Published: December 2020

Aim:

To evaluate person-centred home visits as an interprofessional learning (IPL) activity for undergraduate students during clinical placements in primary healthcare.

Background:

Interprofessional collaboration is known to improve patient safety, increase job satisfaction, and reduce stress among healthcare professionals. Students should already during their basic training experience interprofessional collaboration.

Methods:

Students from six different educational programmes and supervisors and adjunct clinical lecturers from different professions participated in the learning activity. The students read a description of the patient history before the visit together with a supervisor. During the home visit, the students were responsible for history-taking and for performing relevant examinations. Afterwards, the students made a joint care plan for the patient. Students, supervisors, and adjunct clinical lecturers discussed the outcomes in a seminar and reflected on each other’s professional roles. The students and the patients answered a questionnaire about the activity, and the supervisors and the adjunct clinical lecturers were interviewed in focus groups.

Findings:

Thirty interprofessional home visits were conducted, involving 109 students from six different healthcare professions. The students reported that they had gained insights into how different professions could collaborate and an increased understanding of teamwork. All patients were satisfied with the visits and felt that they had been listened to. The interview analysis showed one overarching theme: ‘Interprofessional home visits in primary healthcare were an appreciated and effective pedagogical learning activity with a sustainability dependent on organisational factors’.

Conclusions:

The students felt that participation in the activity increased their understanding of collaboration and of other professions’ skills. The supervisors found the home visits to be an appreciated and effective learning activity. The results indicate that this learning activity can be used in primary healthcare settings to promote students’ IPL, but organisational factors need to be considered in order to support sustainability.
Impact of home-based palliative care on health care costs and hospital use: A systematic review
Authors: Gonzalez-Jaramillo Valentina , Fuhrer Valérie , Gonzalez-Jaramillo Nathalia , Kopp-Heim Doris , Eychmüller Steffen , Maessen Maud
Published: December 2020

Objective

To assess the effectiveness of home-based palliative care (HBPC) on reducing hospital visits and whether HBPC lowered health care cost.

Method

We searched six bibliographic databases (Embase (Ovid); Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; Medline (Ovid); PubMed; Web of Science Core Collection; and, CINAHL) until February 2019 and performed a narrative synthesis of our findings.

Results

Of the 1,426 identified references, 21 articles based on 19 unique studies met our inclusion criteria, which involved 92,000 participants. In both oncological and non-oncological patients, HBPC consistently reduced the number of hospital visits and their length, as well as hospitalization costs and overall health care costs. Even though home-treated patients consumed more outpatient resources, a higher saving in the hospital costs counterbalanced this. The reduction in overall health care costs was most noticeable for study periods closer to death, with greater reductions in the last 2 months, last month, and last two weeks of life.

Significance of results

Stakeholders should recognize HBPC as an intervention that decreases patient care costs at end of life and therefore health care providers should assess the preferences of patients nearing the end-of-life to identify those who will benefit most from HBPC.
Pregnancy outcomes in women with preexisting thyroid diseases: a French cohort study
Authors: Lecorguillé Marion , Léger Juliane , Forhan Anne , Cheminat Marie , Dufourg Marie-Noëlle , Heude Barbara , Charles Marie-Aline
Published: December 2020

Women with thyroid diseases at the beginning of pregnancy may have suboptimal thyroid hormone levels because of potential difficulties in compensating for the physiological thyroid hormone changes occurring in pregnancy. Our objective was to study the association between preexisting thyroid diseases, pregnancy complications, and neonatal anthropometry. In total, 16,395 women from the ELFE French longitudinal birth cohort were included, and 273 declared pre-pregnancy thyroid diseases. Associations were investigated with multivariable regression models, with adjustment for relevant potential confounders. Body mass index (BMI) was additionally adjusted for in a second stage. As compared with other women, women with pre-pregnancy thyroid diseases were more frequently obese (19.6% vs. 9.8%) and had greater odds of gestational diabetes development (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08, 2.30]) or had undergone treatment for infertility (OR = 1.57 [95% CI 1.07, 2.31]). After adjustment for BMI, the association with gestational diabetes was no longer significant (OR = 1.27 [95% CI 0.86, 1.88]). After excluding women with another medical history, those with pre-pregnancy thyroid diseases had increased odds of premature rupture of membranes (OR = 1.51 [95% CI 1.01, 2.25]). Children born from mothers with hypothyroidism before conception due to a disease or as a potential side effect of treatment had a smaller head circumference at birth than other children (β = −0.23 [95% CI −0.44, −0.01] cm). In conclusion, pre-pregnancy thyroid diseases were associated with risk of infertility treatment, gestational diabetes, and premature rupture of membranes. The association between history of hypothyroidism and moderate adverse effects on fetal head circumference growth needs replication.
Spoken Latin in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance Revisited
Authors: Tunberg Terence
Published: December 2020

An article by Jerome Moran entitled ‘Spoken Latin in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance’ was published in the Journal of Classics Teaching in the autumn of 2019 (Moran, 2019). The author of the article contends that ‘actual real-life conversations in Latin about everyday matters’ never, or almost never took place among educated people in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. A long-standing familiarity with quite a few primary sources for the Latin culture of Renaissance and early modern period leads us to a rather different conclusion. The present essay, therefore, revisits the main topics treated by Moran.
Effective Hydrological Events in an Evolving Mid‐latitude Mountain River System Following Cataclysmic Disturbance—A Saga of Multiple Influences
Authors: Major J. J. , Spicer K. R. , Mosbrucker A. R.
Published: December 2020

Cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens (USA) in 1980 reset 30 km of upper North Fork Toutle River (NFTR) valley to a zero‐state fluvial condition. Consequently, a new channel system evolved. Initially, a range of streamflows eroded channels (tens of meters incision, hundreds of meters widening) and transported immense sediment loads. Now, single, large‐magnitude, or multiple moderate‐magnitude events are needed to accomplish substantial channel modification. Three large floods (two ≥100‐year events; one ∼10–25‐year event along lower Toutle River) from 1996 to 2015 indicate flood effectiveness in this environment is affected by both geomorphic and environmental factors. The largest and smallest of these floods (February 1996, November 2006) transported the most sediment by single floods since 1982; erosion and sediment transport by an ∼100‐year flood in December 2015 was not exceptional. Strong coupling between NFTR and its tall corridor banks, local geologic and hydraulic conditions promoting threshold erosion, event sequencing, and possibly a longitudinal gradient in stream power are important factors affecting event effectiveness on channel modification. In addition, environmental factors have also been influential, as variations in snowpack, storm trajectories and rainfall distributions, and episodic mobilization of debris flows have also influenced geomorphic response. Other factors such as vegetation anchoring, strong channel–hillside coupling, disparities between flood frequencies and perturbation relaxation times, and large variations in flood duration do not appear to be critical influences. Climate forecasts for warmer temperatures and a shift from snowfall to rainfall at high elevations may promote further acute geomorphic responses.
A Multiscale Approach to Shoreline Prediction
Authors: Montaño Jennifer , Coco Giovanni , Cagigal Laura , Mendez Fernando , Rueda Ana , Bryan Karin R. , Harley Mitchell D.
Published: December 2020

Shorelines respond to a number of “drivers” operating on a variety of time‐scales. For some time‐scales (e.g., seasonal), the driver‐shoreline relationship is often evident; however, at longer time‐scales (e.g., multiannual), the shoreline changes may be superimposed on changes at shorter time‐scales and thus are diﬃcult to identify. Here, we predict shoreline evolution from storm events to decadal time‐scales, using a novel approach based on the Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition. This approach identifies and links the primary time‐scales in the model drivers (large‐scale sea level pressure [SLP] and/or waves) with the same time‐scales in the shoreline position. The multiscale approach reproduced shoreline changes at two beaches more skillfully than a common shoreline model when SLP and wave information were used in combination. In addition, the analysis can be applied to climate indices, providing the opportunity to link longer time‐scales with climate patterns (e.g., El Niño Southern Oscillation).
Horizontal Internal Gravity Waves in the Mars Upper Atmosphere From MAVEN ACC and NGIMS Measurements
Authors: Li Yawen , Liu Jiandong , Jin Shuanggen
Published: December 2020

Internal gravity waves (IGWs) play an important role in the planetary atmospheres, which transfer energy and momentum from the lower layers to the upper atmosphere. However, the IGW perturbations and behaviors are not clear in the Mars upper atmosphere, particularly for the horizontal internal gravity waves (hIGWs). In this study, the hIGWs in the upper atmosphere of Mars are estimated and investigated for the first time using both accelerometer (ACC)‐derived mass density and Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer‐measured neutral density from Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. The results show that the amplitudes of hIGWs variations are significantly affected by the dust storms and increase with the altitudes. The larger amplitudes are triggered in Martian Year (MY) 34 during a global dust event. The characteristics of Ar and CO2 hIGWs variations are similar. Furthermore, the trend of the CO perturbations seems to follow the CO2. However, the dust storms play little role in shaping hIGWs of atomic O. The hIGWs show the stable waveform with the increasing altitudes.
Interdecadal Variation of Early Spring Rainfall Over the Southeastern Edge of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wen Dayong , Yang Yali , Cao Jie
Published: December 2020

This study investigates the interdecadal variation in early spring rainfall over the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau (SEETP) during 1979–2015 and its possible causes using mainly Asian Precipitation–Highly‐Resolved Observational Data Integration Toward Evaluation daily precipitation data set, ERA5 reanalysis data and the atmospheric general circulation model ECHAM6. A significant interdecadal change in early spring rainfall over the SEETP occurred with its node around 1998/1999. The early spring rainfall over the SEETP was heavier in 1979–1998 than in 1999–2015, reflecting a reduction in moderate and heavy rain during the early spring. The covariability of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and Indian Ocean Basin Mode (IOBM) is an important driver of the interdecadal decrease in early spring rainfall over the SEETP. When the PDO is in a cold phase, and the AMO and IOBM are in positive phases, an anomalous cyclone is excited over the Bay of Bengal‐western Pacific in the lower to middle troposphere. Anomalous easterly winds on the north flank of the anomalous cyclone lead to the interdecadal decrease in early spring rainfall over the SEETP by reducing water vapor transport from the Indian Ocean and producing divergence over the SEETP. This diagnosis of the key physical process linking the associated sea surface temperature anomalies with the interdecadal variation in early spring rainfall over the SEETP is supported by numerical experiments.
How Should Snowball Earth Deglaciation Start
Authors: Wu Jiacheng , Liu Yonggang , Zhao Zhouqiao
Published: December 2020

The formation of melt ponds is pervasive on sea ice and ice shelves prior to their disintegration. Such process should be critical for the deglaciation of a snowball Earth but has never been considered in previous studies. Here we develop a module to explicitly track the initiation, growth and refreezing of melt ponds on ice. Incorporation of the module into a climate model indicates that it provides a strong positive feedback to the climate. Deglaciation of a snowball Earth will start when the annual mean equatorial surface temperature is only −7.7°C rather than 0°C. At this point, seasonal melt ponds start to appear in the mid‐latitude region. Its positive feedback induces the appearance of perennial melt ponds within the equatorial region and can increase the annual mean temperature there to 6.1°C in less than 10 years. Thus, our results indicate that the threshold CO2 required to deglaciate a snowball Earth will be greatly overestimated (by a factor of ∼4 for the model we use) if the annual mean surface temperature reaching 0°C is used as the criteria. The results also demonstrate unambiguously that the deglaciation of snowball Earth should start from the equator. We then speculate on what will happen to the tropical sea glacier after the surface melting starts.
Landscape‐Scale Plant Water Content and Carbon Flux Behavior Following Moisture Pulses: From Dryland to Mesic Environments
Authors: Feldman Andrew F. , Chulakadabba Apisada , Short Gianotti Daniel J. , Entekhabi Dara
Published: December 2020

Rain pulses followed by interstorm drying periods are the fundamental units of water input into ecosystems on subweekly time scales. It is essential to understand landscape‐scale vegetation responses on these unit time scales as they may describe sensitivity of landscape water, carbon, and energy cycles to shifts in rainfall intensity and frequency, even if the average seasonal precipitation remains unchanged. Because pulse investigations are primarily carried out in drylands, little is known about the characteristics and extent of ecosystem plant pulse responses across the broader range of climates and biomes. Using satellite‐based plant water content (from vegetation optical depth) and plant carbon uptake observations from eddy covariance towers across the continental United States climate gradient (dry to humid), we characterize large‐scale plant carbon and water uptake responses to rain pulses during spring and summer months. We find that while all ecosystems in the study region show discernable plant water content and carbon flux responses to rain pulses, drier ecosystems exhibit more frequent and longer duration responses. Unlike mesic environments, drylands show significantly different responses under varying antecedent soil moisture and pulse magnitude conditions; the largest water and carbon uptakes follow large pulses on initially wet soils. We detect soil moisture thresholds primarily in drylands, which can partly explain dryland vegetation's different responses under dry and wet conditions. We conclude that vegetation responds to individual pulses of water availability across all climates and therefore a range of ecosystems are sensitive to rainfall distributions beyond simple seasonal precipitation totals.
A Quasi‐Newton Reformulated Geostatistical Approach on Reduced Dimensions for Large‐Dimensional Inverse Problems
Authors: Zhao Yue , Luo Jian
Published: December 2020

For classic geostatistical approaches relying on Gauss‐Newton or quasilinear methods, iterative evaluations of forward models to compute the Jacobians is a major computational challenge for large‐dimensional, underdetermined nonlinear inverse problems. Recent developments in dimension reduction based on principal component analysis have lower the number of forward model implementations in each iteration to the number of retained principal components given prior covariance or structural parameters. The present research develops a quasi‐Newton approach on reduced dimensions within the reformulated geostatistical approach framework to further lower the number of forward model calls and thus decrease the overall computational cost. The proposed algorithm uses Broyden's method to update the approximate Jacobian of the forward model with respect to the projections on the retained principal axes and the drift coefficients. When the secant condition is satisfied, no additional forward model runs or adjoint solver runs are needed. The efficiency and validity of the developed approach are tested by numerical experiments of large‐dimensional hydraulic tomography with true or biased prior information. Compared with Newton method using the full‐rank update of the Jacobians, the quasi‐Newton reformulated geostatistical approach provides similarly high‐quality inverse estimates with a 60–70% reduction of required forward model simulations. For inverse problems with biased prior information, the iterative correction of the principal axes or the update of the prior covariance may be influenced by the rank‐one update of the Jacobian, yielding slightly lower map accuracies, but still providing satisfactory inverse results with substantially reduced computational costs.
Nintedanib promotes antitumour immunity and shows antitumour activity in combination with PD-1 blockade in mice: potential role of cancer-associated fibroblasts
Authors: Kato Ryoji , Haratani Koji , Hayashi Hidetoshi , Sakai Kazuko , Sakai Hitomi , Kawakami Hisato , Tanaka Kaoru , Takeda Masayuki , Yonesaka Kimio , Nishio Kazuto , Nakagawa Kazuhiko
Published: December 2020

Background

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumour microenvironment (TME) suppress antitumour immunity, and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor nintedanib has antifibrotic effects.

Methods

We performed a preclinical study to evaluate whether nintedanib might enhance antitumour immunity by targeting CAFs and thereby improve the response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB).

Results

Whereas nintedanib did not suppress the growth of B16-F10 melanoma cells in vitro, it prolonged survival in a syngeneic mouse model of tumour formation by these cells, suggestive of an effect on the TME without direct cytotoxicity. Gene expression profiling indeed showed that nintedanib influenced antitumour immunity and fibrosis. Tumoural infiltration of CD8+ T cells and granzyme B production were increased by nintedanib, and its antitumour activity was attenuated by antibody-mediated depletion of these cells, indicating that nintedanib suppressed tumour growth in a CD8+ T cell-dependent manner. Moreover, nintedanib inhibited the proliferation and activation of fibroblasts. Finally, the combination of nintedanib with ICB showed enhanced antitumour efficacy in B16-F10 tumour-bearing mice.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that nintedanib targeted CAFs and thereby attenuated the immunosuppressive nature of the TME and promoted the intratumoural accumulation and activation of CD8+ T cells, with these effects contributing to enhanced antitumour activity in combination with ICB.
E6-mediated activation of JNK drives EGFR signalling to promote proliferation and viral oncoprotein expression in cervical cancer
Authors: Morgan Ethan L. , Scarth James A. , Patterson Molly R. , Wasson Christopher W. , Hemingway Georgia C. , Barba-Moreno Diego , Macdonald Andrew
Published: December 2020

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a major cause of malignancy worldwide, contributing to ~5% of all human cancers including almost all cases of cervical cancer and a growing number of ano-genital and oral cancers. HPV-induced malignancy is primarily driven by the viral oncogenes, E6 and E7, which manipulate host cellular pathways to increase cell proliferation and enhance cell survival, ultimately predisposing infected cells to malignant transformation. Consequently, a more detailed understanding of viral-host interactions in HPV-associated disease offers the potential to identify novel therapeutic targets. Here, we identify that the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signalling pathway is activated in cervical disease and in cervical cancer. The HPV E6 oncogene induces JNK1/2 phosphorylation in a manner that requires the E6 PDZ binding motif. We show that blockade of JNK1/2 signalling using small molecule inhibitors, or knockdown of the canonical JNK substrate c-Jun, reduces cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. We further demonstrate that this phenotype is at least partially driven by JNK-dependent activation of EGFR signalling via increased expression of EGFR and the EGFR ligands EGF and HB-EGF. JNK/c-Jun signalling promoted the invasive potential of cervical cancer cells and was required for the expression of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated transcription factor Slug and the mesenchymal marker Vimentin. Furthermore, JNK/c-Jun signalling is required for the constitutive expression of HPV E6 and E7, which are essential for cervical cancer cell growth and survival. Together, these data demonstrate a positive feedback loop between the EGFR signalling pathway and HPV E6/E7 expression, identifying a regulatory mechanism in which HPV drives EGFR signalling to promote proliferation, survival and EMT. Thus, our study has identified a novel therapeutic target that may be beneficial for the treatment of cervical cancer.
Diffuse neural coupling mediates complex network dynamics through the formation of quasi-critical brain states
Authors: Müller Eli J. , Munn Brandon R. , Shine James M.
Published: December 2020

The biological mechanisms that allow the brain to balance flexibility and integration remain poorly understood. A potential solution may lie in a unique aspect of neurobiology, which is that numerous brain systems contain diffuse synaptic connectivity. Here, we demonstrate that increasing diffuse cortical coupling within a validated biophysical corticothalamic model traverses the system through a quasi-critical regime in which spatial heterogeneities in input noise support transient critical dynamics in distributed subregions. The presence of quasi-critical states coincides with known signatures of complex, adaptive brain network dynamics. Finally, we demonstrate the presence of similar dynamic signatures in empirical whole-brain human neuroimaging data. Together, our results establish that modulating the balance between local and diffuse synaptic coupling in a thalamocortical model subtends the emergence of quasi-critical brain states that act to flexibly transition the brain between unique modes of information processing.
Scalable multiple whole-genome alignment and locally collinear block construction with SibeliaZ
Authors: Minkin Ilia , Medvedev Paul
Published: December 2020

Multiple whole-genome alignment is a challenging problem in bioinformatics. Despite many successes, current methods are not able to keep up with the growing number, length, and complexity of assembled genomes, especially when computational resources are limited. Approaches based on compacted de Bruijn graphs to identify and extend anchors into locally collinear blocks have potential for scalability, but current methods do not scale to mammalian genomes. We present an algorithm, SibeliaZ-LCB, for identifying collinear blocks in closely related genomes based on analysis of the de Bruijn graph. We further incorporate this into a multiple whole-genome alignment pipeline called SibeliaZ. SibeliaZ shows run-time improvements over other methods while maintaining accuracy. On sixteen recently-assembled strains of mice, SibeliaZ runs in under 16 hours on a single machine, while other tools did not run to completion for eight mice within a week. SibeliaZ makes a significant step towards improving scalability of multiple whole-genome alignment and collinear block reconstruction algorithms on a single machine.
Single-cell RNA landscape of intratumoral heterogeneity and immunosuppressive microenvironment in advanced osteosarcoma
Authors: Zhou Yan , Yang Dong , Yang Qingcheng , Lv Xiaobin , Huang Wentao , Zhou Zhenhua , Wang Yaling , Zhang Zhichang , Yuan Ting , Ding Xiaomin , Tang Lina , Zhang Jianjun , Yin Junyi , Huang Yujing , Yu Wenxi , Wang Yonggang , Zhou Chenliang , Su Yang , He Aina , Sun Yuanjue , Shen Zan , Qian Binzhi , Meng Wei , Fei Jia , Yao Yang , Pan Xinghua , Chen Peizhan , Hu Haiyan
Published: December 2020

Osteosarcoma is the most frequent primary bone tumor with poor prognosis. Through RNA-sequencing of 100,987 individual cells from 7 primary, 2 recurrent, and 2 lung metastatic osteosarcoma lesions, 11 major cell clusters are identified based on unbiased clustering of gene expression profiles and canonical markers. The transcriptomic properties, regulators and dynamics of osteosarcoma malignant cells together with their tumor microenvironment particularly stromal and immune cells are characterized. The transdifferentiation of malignant osteoblastic cells from malignant chondroblastic cells is revealed by analyses of inferred copy-number variation and trajectory. A proinflammatory FABP4+ macrophages infiltration is noticed in lung metastatic osteosarcoma lesions. Lower osteoclasts infiltration is observed in chondroblastic, recurrent and lung metastatic osteosarcoma lesions compared to primary osteoblastic osteosarcoma lesions. Importantly, TIGIT blockade enhances the cytotoxicity effects of the primary CD3+ T cells with high proportion of TIGIT+ cells against osteosarcoma. These results present a single-cell atlas, explore intratumor heterogeneity, and provide potential therapeutic targets for osteosarcoma.
Strain-activated light-induced halide segregation in mixed-halide perovskite solids
Authors: Zhao Yicheng , Miao Peng , Elia Jack , Hu Huiying , Wang Xiaoxia , Heumueller Thomas , Hou Yi , Matt Gebhard J. , Osvet Andres , Chen Yu-Ting , Tarragó Mariona , de Ligny Dominique , Przybilla Thomas , Denninger Peter , Will Johannes , Zhang Jiyun , Tang Xiaofeng , Li Ning , He Chenglin , Pan Anlian , Meixner Alfred J. , Spiecker Erdmann , Zhang Dai , Brabec Christoph J.
Published: December 2020

Light-induced halide segregation limits the bandgap tunability of mixed-halide perovskites for tandem photovoltaics. Here we report that light-induced halide segregation is strain-activated in MAPb(I1−xBrx)3 with Br concentration below approximately 50%, while it is intrinsic for Br concentration over approximately 50%. Free-standing single crystals of CH3NH3Pb(I0.65Br0.35)3 (35%Br) do not show halide segregation until uniaxial pressure is applied. Besides, 35%Br single crystals grown on lattice-mismatched substrates (e.g. single-crystal CaF2) show inhomogeneous segregation due to heterogenous strain distribution. Through scanning probe microscopy, the above findings are successfully translated to polycrystalline thin films. For 35%Br thin films, halide segregation selectively occurs at grain boundaries due to localized strain at the boundaries; yet for 65%Br films, halide segregation occurs in the whole layer. We close by demonstrating that only the strain-activated halide segregation (35%Br/45%Br thin films) could be suppressed if the strain is properly released via additives (e.g. KI) or ideal substrates (e.g. SiO2).
Iron mineral dissolution releases iron and associated organic carbon during permafrost thaw
Authors: Patzner Monique S. , Mueller Carsten W. , Malusova Miroslava , Baur Moritz , Nikeleit Verena , Scholten Thomas , Hoeschen Carmen , Byrne James M. , Borch Thomas , Kappler Andreas , Bryce Casey
Published: December 2020

It has been shown that reactive soil minerals, specifically iron(III) (oxyhydr)oxides, can trap organic carbon in soils overlying intact permafrost, and may limit carbon mobilization and degradation as it is observed in other environments. However, the use of iron(III)-bearing minerals as terminal electron acceptors in permafrost environments, and thus their stability and capacity to prevent carbon mobilization during permafrost thaw, is poorly understood. We have followed the dynamic interactions between iron and carbon using a space-for-time approach across a thaw gradient in Abisko (Sweden), where wetlands are expanding rapidly due to permafrost thaw. We show through bulk (selective extractions, EXAFS) and nanoscale analysis (correlative SEM and nanoSIMS) that organic carbon is bound to reactive Fe primarily in the transition between organic and mineral horizons in palsa underlain by intact permafrost (41.8 ± 10.8 mg carbon per g soil, 9.9 to 14.8% of total soil organic carbon). During permafrost thaw, water-logging and O2limitation lead to reducing conditions and an increase in abundance of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria which favor mineral dissolution and drive mobilization of both iron and carbon along the thaw gradient. By providing a terminal electron acceptor, this rusty carbon sink is effectively destroyed along the thaw gradient and cannot prevent carbon release with thaw.
Human gingival fibroblast secretome accelerates wound healing through anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic mechanisms
Authors: Ahangar Parinaz , Mills Stuart J. , Smith Louise E. , Gronthos Stan , Cowin Allison J.
Published: December 2020

Healing of the skin and oral mucosa utilises similar mechanisms of tissue repair, however, scarring and the rate of wound closure is vastly superior in the oral cavity suggesting differences between these two environments. One key difference is the phenotype of dermal fibroblasts compared to fibroblasts of gingival tissues. Human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) are undifferentiated cells with multi-differentiation and self-renewal capacities. This study aimed to examine if delivering hGFs or their secretome, contained in hGF-conditioned media (hGF-CM), would improve healing of the skin and recapitulate features of oral healing. Human fibroblasts, keratinocytes and endothelial cells were first treated with hGF-CM and showed improved migration, proliferation and angiogenic functions. A significant reduction in macroscopic wound area and histologic dermal wound width, as well as an increased rate of re-epithelialisation, were observed in both hGFs and hGF-CM treated murine excisional wounds. This improvement was associated with reduced inflammation, increased angiogenesis and elevated collagen deposition. These findings demonstrate that treatment of dermal wounds with either hGFs or hGF-CM may provide beneficial gingival-like properties to dermal wounds and may be a potential opportunity for improving healing of the skin.
Public perceptions of multiple risks during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and Sweden
Authors: Mondino Elena , Di Baldassarre Giuliano , Mård Johanna , Ridolfi Elena , Rusca Maria
Published: December 2020

Knowing how people perceive multiple risks is essential to the management and promotion of public health and safety. Here we present a dataset based on a survey (N = 4,154) of public risk perception in Italy and Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both countries were heavily affected by the first wave of infections in Spring 2020, but their governmental responses were very different. As such, the dataset offers unique opportunities to investigate the role of governmental responses in shaping public risk perception. In addition to epidemics, the survey considered indirect effects of COVID-19 (domestic violence, economic crises), as well as global (climate change) and local (wildfires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, terror attacks) threats. The survey examines perceived likelihoods and impacts, individual and authorities’ preparedness and knowledge, and socio-demographic indicators. Hence, the resulting dataset has the potential to enable a plethora of analyses on social, cultural and institutional factors influencing the way in which people perceive risk.
A core microbiota dominates a rich microbial diversity in the bovine udder and may indicate presence of dysbiosis
Authors: Porcellato Davide , Meisal Roger , Bombelli Alberto , Narvhus Judith A.
Published: December 2020

The importance of the microbiome for bovine udder health is not well explored and most of the knowledge originates from research on mastitis. Better understanding of the microbial diversity inside the healthy udder of lactating cows might help to reduce mastitis, use of antibiotics and improve animal welfare. In this study, we investigated the microbial diversity of over 400 quarter milk samples from 60 cows sampled from two farms and on two different occasions during the same lactation period. Microbiota analysis was performed using amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and over 1000 isolates were identified using MALDI-TOF MS. We detected a high abundance of two bacterial families, Corynebacteriaceae and Staphylococcaceae, which accounted for almost 50% of the udder microbiota of healthy cows and were detected in all the cow udders and in more than 98% of quarter milk samples. A strong negative correlation between these bacterial families was detected indicating a possible competition. The overall composition of the udder microbiota was highly diverse and significantly different between cows and between quarter milk samples from the same cow. Furthermore, we introduced a novel definition of a dysbiotic quarter at individual cow level, by analyzing the milk microbiota, and a high frequency of dysbiotic quarter samples were detected distributed among the farms and the samples. These results emphasize the importance of deepening the studies of the bovine udder microbiome to elucidate its role in udder health.
Automatic segmentation with detection of local segmentation failures in cardiac MRI
Authors: Sander Jörg , de Vos Bob D. , Išgum Ivana
Published: December 2020

Segmentation of cardiac anatomical structures in cardiac magnetic resonance images (CMRI) is a prerequisite for automatic diagnosis and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. To increase robustness and performance of segmentation methods this study combines automatic segmentation and assessment of segmentation uncertainty in CMRI to detect image regions containing local segmentation failures. Three existing state-of-the-art convolutional neural networks (CNN) were trained to automatically segment cardiac anatomical structures and obtain two measures of predictive uncertainty: entropy and a measure derived by MC-dropout. Thereafter, using the uncertainties another CNN was trained to detect local segmentation failures that potentially need correction by an expert. Finally, manual correction of the detected regions was simulated in the complete set of scans of 100 patients and manually performed in a random subset of scans of 50 patients. Using publicly available CMR scans from the MICCAI 2017 ACDC challenge, the impact of CNN architecture and loss function for segmentation, and the uncertainty measure was investigated. Performance was evaluated using the Dice coefficient, 3D Hausdorff distance and clinical metrics between manual and (corrected) automatic segmentation. The experiments reveal that combining automatic segmentation with manual correction of detected segmentation failures results in improved segmentation and to 10-fold reduction of expert time compared to manual expert segmentation.
The potential role of vitamin D supplementation as a gut microbiota modifier in healthy individuals
Authors: Singh Parul , Rawat Arun , Alwakeel Mariam , Sharif Elham , Al Khodor Souhaila
Published: December 2020

Vitamin D deficiency affects approximately 80% of individuals in some countries and has been linked with gut dysbiosis and inflammation. While the benefits of vitamin D supplementation on the gut microbiota have been studied in patients with chronic diseases, its effects on the microbiota of otherwise healthy individuals is unclear. Moreover, whether effects on the microbiota can explain some of the marked inter-individual variation in responsiveness to vitamin D supplementation is unknown. Here, we administered vitamin D to 80 otherwise healthy vitamin D-deficient women, measuring serum 25(OH) D levels in blood and characterizing their gut microbiota pre- and post- supplementation using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Vitamin D supplementation significantly increased gut microbial diversity. Specifically, the Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes ratio increased, along with the abundance of the health-promoting probiotic taxa Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium. Significant variations in the two-dominant genera, Bacteroides and Prevotella, indicated a variation in enterotypes following supplementation. Comparing supplementation responders and non-responders we found more pronounced changes in abundance of major phyla in responders, and a significant decrease in Bacteroides acidifaciens in non-responders. Altogether, our study highlights the positive impact of vitamin D supplementation on the gut microbiota and the potential for the microbial gut signature to affect vitamin D response.
In-situ quantification of microscopic contributions of individual cells to macroscopic wood deformation with synchrotron computed tomography
Authors: Sanabria Sergio J. , Baensch Franziska , Zauner Michaela , Niemz Peter
Published: December 2020

Wood-based composites hold the promise of sustainable construction. Understanding the influence on wood cellular microstructure in the macroscopic mechanical behavior is key for engineering high-performance composites. In this work, we report a novel Individual Cell Tracking (ICT) approach for in-situ quantification of nanometer-scale deformations of individual wood cells during mechanical loading of macroscopic millimeter-scale wood samples. Softwood samples containing > 104 cells were subjected to controlled radial tensile and longitudinal compressive load in a synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography (SRµCT) setup. Tracheid and wood ray cells were automatically segmented, and their geometric variations were tracked during load. Finally, interactions between microstructure deformations (lumen geometry, cell wall thickness), cellular arrangement (annual growth rings, anisotropy, wood ray presence) with the macroscopic deformation response were investigated. The results provide cellular insight into macroscopic relations, such as anisotropic Poisson effects, and allow direct observation of previously suspected wood ray reinforcing effects. The method is also appropriate for investigation of non-linear deformation effects, such as buckling and deformation recovery after failure, and gives insight into less studied aspects, such as changes in lumen diameter and cell wall thickness during uniaxial load. ICT provides an experimental tool for direct validation of hierarchical mechanical models on real biological composites.
Risk factors and mortality in patients with pneumonia and elevated troponin levels
Authors: Efros Orly , Soffer Shelly , Leibowitz Avshalom , Fardman Alexander , Klempfner Robert , Meisel Eshcar , Grossman Ehud
Published: December 2020

Pneumonia in hospitalized patients is associated with myocardial injury. In this study, we evaluated risk factors for myocardial injury in hospitalized patients with pneumonia and its prognostic value. We retrieved all patients who were hospitalized in internal medicine departments in a tertiary medical center between 2008 and 2019 with a diagnosis of pneumonia. From 2008 to 2019 a total of 20,683 adult patients were hospitalized in internal medicine wards in the Sheba Medical Center with a diagnosis of pneumonia, 8195 were tested for troponin levels, and 3207 had elevated levels. Risk factors for elevated troponin levels were age, prior diagnosis of ischemic heart disease, and elevated creatinine level upon admission. The in-hospital mortality and 1-year mortality rate were higher among patients who had elevated troponin levels when using a propensity score-based matched analysis. In conclusion, in hospitalized patients with pneumonia elevated troponin levels have a major impact on prognosis. Hence, troponin levels may be used as another tool of risk stratification for patients hospitalized with pneumonia.
Analysis of enteric nervous system and intestinal epithelial barrier to predict complications in Hirschsprung’s disease
Authors: Dariel Anne , Grynberg Lucie , Auger Marie , Lefèvre Chloé , Durand Tony , Aubert Philippe , Le Berre-Scoul Catherine , Venara Aurélien , Suply Etienne , Leclair Marc-David , de Vries Philine , Levard Guillaume , Parmentier Benoit , Podevin Guillaume , Schmitt Françoise , Couvrat Véronique , Irtan Sabine , Hervieux Erik , Villemagne Thierry , Lardy Hubert , Capito Carmen , Muller Cécile , Sarnacki Sabine , Mosnier Jean-François , Galmiche Louise , Derkinderen Pascal , Boudin Hélène , Brochard Charlène , Neunlist Michel
Published: December 2020

In Hirschsprung’s disease (HSCR), postoperative course remains unpredictable. Our aim was to define predictive factors of the main postoperative complications: obstructive symptoms (OS) and Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (HAEC). In this prospective multicentre cohort study, samples of resected bowel were collected at time of surgery in 18 neonates with short-segment HSCR in tertiary care hospitals. OS and HAEC were noted during postoperative follow-up. We assessed the enteric nervous system and the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) in ganglionic segments by combining immunohistochemical, proteomic and transcriptomic approaches, with functional ex vivo analysis of motility and para/transcellular permeability. Ten HSCR patients presented postoperative complications (median follow-up 23.5 months): 6 OS, 4 HAEC (2 with OS), 2 diarrhoea (without OS/HAEC). Immunohistochemical analysis showed a significant 41% and 60% decrease in median number of nNOS-IR myenteric neurons per ganglion in HSCR with OS as compared to HSCR with HAEC/diarrhoea (without OS) and HSCR without complications (p = 0.0095; p = 0.002, respectively). Paracellular and transcellular permeability was significantly increased in HSCR with HAEC as compared to HSCR with OS/diarrhoea without HAEC (p = 0.016; p = 0.009) and HSCR without complications (p = 0.029; p = 0.017). This pilot study supports the hypothesis that modulating neuronal phenotype and enhancing IEB permeability may treat or prevent postoperative complications in HSCR.
Multi-omic approach provides insights into osmoregulation and osmoconformation of the crab Scylla paramamosain
Authors: Niu Jiaojiao , Hu Xue Lei , Ip Jack C. H. , Ma Ka Yan , Tang Yuanyuan , Wang Yaqin , Qin Jing , Qiu Jian-Wen , Chan Ting Fung , Chu Ka Hou
Published: December 2020

Osmoregulation and osmoconformation are two mechanisms through which aquatic animals adapt to salinity fluctuations. The euryhaline crabScylla paramamosain,being both an osmoconformer and osmoregulator, is an excellent model organism to investigate salinity adaptation mechanisms in brachyurans. In the present study, we used transcriptomic and proteomic approaches to investigate the response ofS. paramamosainto salinity stress. Crabs were transferred from a salinity of 25 ppt to salinities of 5 ppt or 33 ppt for 6 h and 10 days. Data from both approaches revealed that exposure to 5 ppt resulted in upregulation of ion transport and energy metabolism associated genes. Notably, acclimation to low salinity was associated with early changes in gene expression for signal transduction and stress response. In contrast, exposure to 33 ppt resulted in upregulation of genes related to amino acid metabolism, and amino acid transport genes were upregulated only at the early stage of acclimation to this salinity. Our study reveals contrasting mechanisms underlying osmoregulation and osmoconformation within the salinity range of 5–33 ppt in the mud crab, and provides novel candidate genes for osmotic signal transduction, thereby providing insights on understanding the salinity adaptation mechanisms of brachyuran crabs.
Saturated fatty acids induce insulin resistance in podocytes through inhibition of IRS1 via activation of both IKKβ and mTORC1
Authors: Denhez Benoit , Rousseau Marina , Spino Crysta , Dancosst David-Alexandre , Dumas Marie-Ève , Guay Andréanne , Lizotte Farah , Geraldes Pedro
Published: December 2020

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a microvascular complication of diabetes, is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Multiple studies have shown that podocyte dysfunction is a central event in the progression of the disease. Beside chronic hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia can induce insulin resistance and dysfunction in podocytes. However, the exact mechanisms of free fatty acid (FFA)-induced podocyte insulin unresponsiveness are poorly understood. We used a type 2 diabetic mouse model (db/db) and mouse podocytes exposed to palmitic acid for 24 h followed by an insulin stimulation. Renal function and pathology were evaluated at 25 weeks of age to confirm the DN development. Our results demonstrate that saturated FFA activated the serine/threonine kinases IκB kinase (IKK)β/IκBα and mTORC1/S6K1, but not protein kinase C and c-jun N-terminal kinase, in podocytes and glomeruli of db/db mice. Activation of both kinases promoted serine 307 phosphorylation of IRS1, a residue known to provoke IRS1 inhibition. Using IKK, mTORC1 and ceramide production inhibitors, we were able to blunt IRS1 serine 307 phosphorylation and restore insulin stimulation of Akt. In conclusion, our results indicate that FFA and diabetes contribute to insulin resistance through the activation of IKKβ and S6K1 leading to podocyte dysfunction and DN.