bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NUMERICAL RANGE AND POSITIVE BLOCK MATRICES
Authors: BOURIN JEAN-CHRISTOPHE , LEE EUN-YOUNG
Published: June 2020

We obtain several norm and eigenvalue inequalities for positive matrices partitioned into four blocks. The results involve the numerical range $W(X)$ of the off-diagonal block $X$, especially the distance $d$ from $0$ to $W(X)$. A special consequence is an estimate, $$\begin{eqnarray}\text{diam}\,W\left(\left[\begin{array}{@{}cc@{}}A & X\\ X^{\ast } & B\end{array}\right]\right)-\text{diam}\,W\biggl(\frac{A+B}{2}\biggr)\geq 2d,\end{eqnarray}$$ between the diameters of the numerical ranges for the full matrix and its partial trace.
Psychological, Political, and Situational Factors Combine to Boost COVID-19 Conspiracy Theory Beliefs
Authors: Miller Joanne M.
Published: June 2020

Conspiracy theories (CTs) are not solely the domain of extremists and paranoids. They cut across demographic and political differences (Uscinski and Parent, 2014) and can have negative social/political consequences. For example, Imhoff and Lamberty (2020) find that belief that the seriousness of COVID-19 is being exaggerated is negatively correlated with self-reported preventative behaviours such as hand washing and social distancing, and belief that the virus was intentionally created by humans is positively correlated with self-reported hoarding of food, sanitary products, and gasoline/oil, as well as stocking up on weapons.
Predicting the naturalistic course in anxiety disorders using clinical and biological markers: a machine learning approach
Authors: Bokma Wicher A. , Zhutovsky Paul , Giltay Erik J. , Schoevers Robert A. , Penninx Brenda W.J.H. , van Balkom Anton L.J.M. , Batelaan Neeltje M. , van Wingen Guido A.
Published: June 2020

Background

Disease trajectories of patients with anxiety disorders are highly diverse and approximately 60% remain chronically ill. The ability to predict disease course in individual patients would enable personalized management of these patients. This study aimed to predict recovery from anxiety disorders within 2 years applying a machine learning approach.

Methods

In total, 887 patients with anxiety disorders (panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, or social phobia) were selected from a naturalistic cohort study. A wide array of baseline predictors (N = 569) from five domains (clinical, psychological, sociodemographic, biological, lifestyle) were used to predict recovery from anxiety disorders and recovery from all common mental disorders (CMDs: anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, dysthymia, or alcohol dependency) at 2-year follow-up using random forest classifiers (RFCs).

Results

At follow-up, 484 patients (54.6%) had recovered from anxiety disorders. RFCs achieved a cross-validated area-under-the-receiving-operator-characteristic-curve (AUC) of 0.67 when using the combination of all predictor domains (sensitivity: 62.0%, specificity 62.8%) for predicting recovery from anxiety disorders. Classification of recovery from CMDs yielded an AUC of 0.70 (sensitivity: 64.6%, specificity: 62.3%) when using all domains. In both cases, the clinical domain alone provided comparable performances. Feature analysis showed that prediction of recovery from anxiety disorders was primarily driven by anxiety features, whereas recovery from CMDs was primarily driven by depression features.

Conclusions

The current study showed moderate performance in predicting recovery from anxiety disorders over a 2-year follow-up for individual patients and indicates that anxiety features are most indicative for anxiety improvement and depression features for improvement in general.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation and current restricted food expenditures: implications for policy
Authors: Leschewski Andrea , Kuhns Annemarie
Published: June 2020

Objective:

National concerns over food insecurity and obesity have prompted legislation seeking to further restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases. The objective of this study is to provide insight on the potential impact of proposed purchase restrictions by comparing SNAP participant and income-eligible non-participants’ expenditures on current SNAP-restricted foods, that is, hot foods, prepared foods, alcohol, vitamins and meal supplements.

Design:

Cross-sectional study. Bivariate analysis and multivariable regression analysis with an instrumental variables approach were employed to compare the probability of purchasing and expenditures on current SNAP-restricted foods among SNAP participants and income-eligible non-participants.

Setting:

National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey, 2012–2013.

Participants:

2513 households, of which 1316 were SNAP participants and 1197 were income-eligible non-participants.

Results:

Both the share of households purchasing and household expenditures on current SNAP-restricted foods were similar among SNAP participants and income-eligible non-participants.

Conclusions:

Results provide further empirical evidence that proposed SNAP purchase restrictions on sugar-sweetened beverages, snack foods and luxury foods are unlikely to have a meaningful effect on SNAP household food purchases.
Food and beverage advertising in Hong Kong mass transit railway stations
Authors: Lo Steven Ka Ho , O Billy Yin Sing , Louie Jimmy Chun Yu
Published: June 2020

Objectives:

To examine the extent and characteristics of food and beverage (F&B) promotion in Hong Kong mass transit railway (MTR) stations in districts with different socioeconomic statuses (SES) and school density.

Design:

All advertisements located in the eight selected MTR stations were recorded by photographs or videos, and classified into F&B and non-F&B. The percentage of F&B advertisements and unhealthy F&B being promoted, and common persuasive marketing strategies used in F&B advertisements were compared between low v. high SES districts and school zones v. non-school zones.

Setting:

MTR stations in Hong Kong.

Participants:

Not applicable.

Results:

Of the 8064 advertisements documented, 861 (10·7 %) were F&B advertisements, promoting 1860 F&B items. More than half of the these were unhealthy foods. Stations in high SES districts or school zones tend to advertise more unhealthy items (high v. low SES: 55·8 v. 50·8 %, P = 0·049; school v. non-school: 60·8 v. 49·3 %, P < 0·001). More than one-third of the F&B advertisements recorded did not utilise any of those persuasive marketing techniques that were examined, and using models (13·9 %) or providing discounts (8·8 %) were the two most frequently used non-festival-related persuasive marketing strategies.

Conclusions:

Unhealthy F&B advertising in MTR stations is prevalent regardless of SES and school density, and persuasive marketing strategies were infrequently used. These suggest that a ban on unhealthy F&B advertising around schools or the use of persuasive marketing strategies alone would be ineffective in Hong Kong. To align with the recommendation from WHO, a universal ban of junk food advertising should be enacted.
Parental depression and nutrition: findings from a cross-sectional household survey in Nepal
Authors: Adhikari Ramesh Prasad , Williamson Ryoko , Sparling Thalia M , Ferguson Elaine , Cunningham Kenda
Published: June 2020

Objective:

The present study aims to assess associations between parental depression and parental and child nutritional status and diets in Nepal.

Design:

A cross-sectional survey conducted from June to September 2017.

Setting:

This monitoring survey was conducted in sixteen of forty-two Suaahara intervention districts spanning mountains, hills and plains in Nepal. Multi-stage cluster sampling was used to sample communities in this survey.

Participants:

Women and men with a child 6–59 months of age were randomly selected (n 3158 mothers and children; n 826 fathers).

Results:

Overall, 36 % of mothers, 37 % of fathers and 55 % of children met minimum dietary diversity, indicating that they consumed foods from at least four of seven food groups (children) and at least five of ten food groups (adults) in the 24 h prior to the interview. The percentage of children stunted, wasted and underweight was 28, 11 and 23, respectively. Only 5 % of mothers and 3 % of fathers screened positive for moderate or severe depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥ 10). In adjusted models, we found maternal depression was positively associated with maternal underweight (OR = 1·48, 95 % CI 1·01, 2·17). Maternal and paternal depression, however, were not associated with other indicators of anthropometric status or dietary diversity.

Conclusions:

Maternal and paternal depression, measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, were not associated with dietary diversity or anthropometric status of fathers or children in Nepal, whereas depressed mothers were at increased risk of being underweight. Additional studies are needed to further assess relationships between mental health and nutritional outcomes.
Cognitive Dissonance and Fertility Rates: A Comparative Analysis of Attitudes toward the Gender Division of Labour in East Asian and Western Industrial Societies
Authors: Hong Cheng-Huei , Gilbert Neil
Published: June 2020

Based on data from the International Social Survey Program (ISSP), this study examines the extent to which cognitive dissonance regarding egalitarian attitudes toward the gender division of labour are associated with fertility rates in sixteen societies, representing Anglo American, Northern European, Western European and East Asian regimes. The findings show that although levels of support for gender equality in the realms of the family and the market are positively associated with fertility rates, an even stronger relationship to fertility emerges when weighing the differences between the levels of support for gender equality in each realm. The findings lend some corroboration to McDonald’s hypothesis, which suggests that declining fertility rates are influenced by contradictory expectations between gender equality for women in the home and market.
Spectrum anarchy: why self-governance of the radio spectrum works better than we think
Authors: Bustamante Pedro , Gomez Marcela , Murtazashvili Ilia , Weiss Martin
Published: June 2020

The exploitation of radio-electric spectrum bands for wireless transmission purposes has some features of the commons: it is subject to congestion and conflict without rules governing its use. The Coasean approach is to assign private property rights to overcome the tragedy of the spectrum commons. The process of assigning these rights is still centralized, with governments assigning property rights through agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission and National Telecommunications and Information Administration in the USA. We consider the possibility of self-governance of the spectrum. We use insights from the study of common pool resources governance to analyze the emergence of property rights to spectrum in a ‘government-less’ environment in which norms, rules, and enforcement mechanisms are solely the product of the repeated interactions among participants in the network. Our case study considers the spectrum-sharing arrangement in the 1,695–1,710 MHz band. Using agent-based modeling (ABM), we show that self-governance of the spectrum can work and under what conditions it is likely to improve the efficiency of the allocation of property rights.
Choosing low-cost institutions in global governance
Authors: Abbott Kenneth W. , Faude Benjamin
Published: June 2020

Contemporary global governance takes place not only throughs formal inter-governmental organizations and treaties, but increasingly through diverse institutional forms including informal inter-governmental organizations, trans-governmental networks, and transnational public–private partnerships. Although these forms differ in many ways, they are all what we call ‘low-cost institutions’ (LCIs): the costs of creating, operating, changing, and exiting them, and the sovereignty costs they impose, are substantially lower on average than those of treaty-based institutions. LCIs also provide substantive and political governance benefits based on their low costs, including reduced risk, malleability, and flexibility, as well as many of the general cooperation benefits provided by all types of institutions. LCIs are poorly-suited for creating and enforcing binding commitments, but can perform many other governance functions, alone and as complements to treaty-based institutions. We argue that the availability of LCIs changes the cost–benefit logic of institutional choice in a densely institutionalized international system, making the creation of new institutions, which existing research sees as the ‘last resort’, more likely. In addition, LCIs empower executive, bureaucratic, and societal actors, incentivizing those actors to favor creating LCIs rather than treaty-based institutions. The availability of LCIs affects global governance in multiple ways. It reduces the status quo bias of governance, changes its institutional and actor composition, enables (modest) cooperation in times of polarization and gridlock, creates beneficial institutional divisions of labor, and expands governance options. At the same time, the proliferation of LCIs reduces the focality of incumbent institutions, increasing the complexity of governance.
Death anxiety in the time of COVID-19: theoretical explanations and clinical implications
Authors: Menzies Rachel E. , Menzies Ross G.
Published: June 2020

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a surge in anxiety across the globe. Much of the public’s behavioural and emotional response to the virus can be understood through the framework of terror management theory, which proposes that fear of death drives much of human behaviour. In the context of the current pandemic, death anxiety, a recently proposed transdiagnostic construct, appears especially relevant. Fear of death has recently been shown to predict not only anxiety related to COVID-19, but also to play a causal role in various mental health conditions. Given this, it is argued that treatment programmes in mental health may need to broaden their focus to directly target the dread of death. Notably, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to produce significant reductions in death anxiety. As such, it is possible that complementing current treatments with specific CBT techniques addressing fears of death may ensure enhanced long-term symptom reduction. Further research is essential in order to examine whether treating death anxiety will indeed improve long-term outcomes, and prevent the emergence of future disorders in vulnerable populations.

Key learning aims

(1)

To understand terror management theory and its theoretical explanation of death anxiety in the context of COVID-19.

(2)

To understand the transdiagnostic role of death anxiety in mental health disorders.

(3)

To understand current treatment approaches for directly targeting death anxiety, and the importance of doing so to improve long-term treatment outcomes.
Long-term effects of early overfeeding and food restriction during puberty on cardiac remodeling in adult rats
Authors: Chavaglia Cavalet Letícia , dos Santos Ribeiro Larissa Cristina , Rosa Gustavo Bergoli , Sousa Kássia Kristina , de Melo Aryanne Batista Soares , Campos Dhiógenes Balsanufo Taveira , Ferreira Lucas Araújo , Amaral Nathalia Oda , Calisto Yasmin Teixeira Viana , de Castro Alessandra Gisele , de Castro Carlos Henrique , Pedrino Gustavo Rodrigues , Gomes Rodrigo Mello
Published: June 2020

Nutritional disorders during the perinatal period cause cardiometabolic dysfunction, which is observable in the early overfeeding (EO) experimental model. Therefore, severe caloric restriction has the potential of affecting homeostasis through the same epigenetic mechanisms, and its effects need elucidation. This work aims to determine the impact of food restriction (FR) during puberty in early overfed obese and non-obese animals in adult life. Three days after delivery (PN3), Wistar rats were separated into two groups: normal litter (NL; 9 pups) and small litter (SL; 3 pups). At PN30, some offspring were subjected to FR (50%) until PN60, or maintained with free access to standard chow. NL and SL animals submitted to food restriction (NLFR and SLFR groups) were kept in recovery with free access to standard chow from PN60 until PN120. Body weight and food intake were monitored throughout the experimental period. At PN120 cardiovascular parameters were analyzed and the animals were euthanized for sample collection. SLNF and SLFR offspring were overweight and had increased adiposity. Differences in blood pressure were observed only between obese and non-obese animals. Obese and FR animals have cardiac remodeling showing cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and the presence of interstitial and perivascular fibrosis. FR animals also show increased expression of AT1 and AT2 receptors and of total ERK and p-ERK. The present study showed that EO leads to the obese phenotype and cardiovascular disruptions. Interestingly, we demonstrated that severe FR during puberty leads to cardiac remodeling.
Anticipated Stigma and Dementia-Related Anxiety in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Authors: Maxfield Molly , Greenberg Jeff
Published: June 2020

Abstract. Heightened awareness and perceived negativity of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) may increase health-related concerns about developing ADRD, also called dementia-related anxiety. Anticipating greater levels of ADRD stigma was expected to be associated with greater dementia-related anxiety. Middle-aged and older adults ( N = 183, aged 40–80, M = 59.57) responded to online questionnaires about anticipated ADRD stigma, ADRD exposure, dementia-related anxiety, and potential psychosocial correlates of dementia-related anxiety. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that self-perceived ADRD risk, ADRD exposure, and anticipated stigma remained significantly associated with dementia-related anxiety, after controlling for demographic variables. Reducing ADRD stigma may ease dementia-related anxiety, an area for future research.
Sensitivity Analysis and Impact of the Kappa‐Correction of Residual Ionospheric Biases on Radio Occultation Climatologies
Authors: Danzer J. , Schwaerz M. , Kirchengast G. , Healy S. B.
Published: June 2020

A new model was recently introduced to correct for higher‐order ionospheric residual biases in radio occultation (RO) data. The model depends on the α1 and α2 dual‐frequency bending angle difference squared, and a factor κ, which varies with time, season, solar activity, and height, needing only the F10.7 solar radio flux index as additional background information. To date, this kappa‐correction was analyzed in simulation studies. In this study, we test it on real observed Metop‐A RO data. The goal is to improve the accuracy of monthly mean RO climate records, potentially raising the accuracy of RO data toward higher stratospheric altitudes. We performed a thorough analysis of the kappa‐correction, evaluating its ionospheric sensitivity during the solar cycle for monthly RO climatologies and comparing the kappa‐corrected RO stratospheric climatologies to three other data sets from reanalysis and passive infrared sounding. We find a clear dependence of the kappa‐correction on solar activity, geographic location, and altitude; hence, it reduces systematic errors that vary with the solar cycle. From low to high solar activity conditions, the correction can increase from values of about 0.2 K to more than 2.0 K at altitudes between 40 to 45 km. The correction shifts RO climatologies toward warmer temperatures. With respect to other data sets, however, we found it difficult to draw firm conclusions, because the biases in the other data sets appear to be at similar magnitude as the size of the kappa‐correction. Further validation with more accurate data will be useful.
Interannual Variability of Carbon Uptake of Secondary Forests in the Brazilian Amazon (2004‐2014)
Authors: Yang Yan , Saatchi Sassan , Xu Liang , Keller Michael , Corsini Christianne R. , Aragão Luiz E. O. C. , Aguiar Ana P. , Knyazikhin Yuri , Myneni Ranga B.
Published: June 2020

Tropical secondary forests (SF) play an important role in the global carbon cycle as a major terrestrial carbon sink. Here, we use high‐resolution TerraClass data set for tracking land use activities in the Brazilian Amazon from 2004–2014 to detect spatial patterns and carbon sequestration dynamics of secondary forests (SF). By integrating satellite lidar and radar observations, we found the SF area in the Brazilian Amazon increased from approximately 22 Mha (106 ha) in 2004 to 28 Mha in 2014. However, the expansion in area was also accompanied by a dynamic land use activity that resulted in about 50% recycling of SF area annually from frequent clearing and abandonment. Consequently, the average age of SF remained less than 10 years (age ~8.2 with one standard deviation of 3.2 spatially) over the period of the study. Estimation of changes of carbon stocks shows that SF accumulates approximately 8.5 Mg ha−1 year−1 aboveground biomass during the first 10 years after clearing and abandonment, 4.5 Mg ha−1 year−1 for the next 10 years followed by a more gradual increase of 3 Mg ha−1 year−1 from 20 to 30 years with much slower rate thereafter. The effective carbon uptake of SF in Brazilian Amazon was negligible (0.06 ± 0.03 PgC year−1) during this period, but the interannual variability was significantly larger (±0.2 PgC year−1). If the SF areas were left to grow without further clearing for 100 years, it would absorb about 0.14 PgC year−1 from the atmosphere, partially compensating the emissions from current rate of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.
Tidal Walking on Europa's Strike‐Slip Faults—Insight From Numerical Modeling
Authors: Sládková K. , Souček O. , Kalousová K. , Běhounková M.
Published: June 2020

Tidal walking has been proposed as a mechanism inducing lateral offset on preexisting strike‐slip faults on Europa by tidal forcing. We test this hypothesis numerically by modeling a part of Europa's ice shell with an embedded strike‐slip fault. Our model involves two coupled processes: (i) slip at the fault and deformation of the ice shell on the tidal timescale and (ii) thermal evolution of the ice shell on the timescale of tens of thousands of years. The fault is characterized by the Mohr‐Coulomb criterion allowing to determine self‐consistently the activation depth of the fault. On the tidal timescale, the ice shell is described by the Maxwell viscoelasticity; on the convection timescale, the ice is treated as a non‐Newtonian viscous fluid. We show that tidal walking is capable of producing surface lateral offset of the order of kilometers over 100 thousand years provided that the active part of the fault penetrates the high‐viscosity part of the shell. Such conditions are likely not met for the current amplitude of the tidal forcing and for the estimated ice shell thickness. We show that either larger forcing amplitude (e.g., due to higher eccentricity of the moon) or partial flooding of the fault zone by water from the ocean is required to produce the observed offset. We demonstrate that thermo‐mechanical coupling can significantly enhance the efficiency of tidal walking and we investigate conditions for which the fault's activity can result in observable surface thermal signatures.
Lyman‐alpha Variability During Solar Flares Over Solar Cycle 24 Using GOES‐15/EUVS‐E
Authors: Milligan Ryan O. , Hudson Hugh S. , Chamberlin Phillip C. , Hannah Iain G. , Hayes Laura A.
Published: June 2020

The chromospheric Lyman‐alpha line of neutral hydrogen (Lyα; 1216 Å) is the strongest emission line in the solar spectrum. Fluctuations in Lyα are known to drive changes in planetary atmospheres, although few instruments have had the ability to capture rapid Lyα enhancements during solar flares. In this paper, we describe flare‐associated emissions via a statistical study of 477 M‐ and X‐class flares as observed by the Extreme UltraViolet Sensor on board the 15th Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, which has been monitoring the full‐disk solar Lyα irradiance on 10‐s timescales over the course of Solar Cycle 24. The vast majority (95%) of these flares produced Lyα enhancements of 10% or less above background levels, with a maximum increase of ∼30%. The irradiance in Lyα was found to exceed that of the 1–8 Å X‐ray irradiance by as much as two orders of magnitude in some cases, although flares that occurred closer to the solar limb were found to exhibit less of a Lyα enhancement. This center‐to‐limb variation was verified through a joint, stereoscopic observation of an X‐class flare that appeared near the limb as viewed from Earth, but close to disk center as viewed by the MAVEN spacecraft in orbit around Mars. The frequency distribution of peak Lyα was found to have a power‐law slope of 2.8±0.27. We also show that increased Lyα flux is closely correlated with induced currents in the ionospheric E‐layer through the detection of the solar flare effect as observed by the Kakioka magnetometer.
Effects of GNSS Receiver Tuning on the PLL Tracking Jitter Estimation in the Presence of Ionospheric Scintillation
Authors: Guo K. , Aquino M. , Vadakke Veettil S.
Published: June 2020

Ionospheric scintillation is an interference characterized by rapid and random fluctuations in radio frequency signals when passing through irregularities in the ionosphere. It can severely degrade the performance of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, thus increasing positioning errors. Receivers with different tracking loop bandwidths and coherent integration times perform differently under scintillation. This study investigates the effects of GNSS receiver tracking loop tuning on scintillation monitoring and Phase Locked Loop (PLL) tracking jitter estimation using simulated GNSS data. The variation of carrier to noise density ratio (C/N0) under scintillation with different tracking loop settings is also studied. The results show that receiver tuning has a minor effect on scintillation indices calculation. The levels of C/N0 are also similar for different PLL bandwidths and integration times. Additionally, the tracking jitter is estimated by theoretical equations and verified using the relationship with the PLL discriminator output noise, which is calculated using the post‐correlation measurements. Novel approaches are further proposed to calculate 1‐s scintillation index, which enables to compute the tracking jitter at a rate of 1 s. It is found that 1‐s tracking jitter can successfully represent the signal fluctuations levels caused by scintillation. This work is valuable for developing scintillation sensitive tracking error models and is also of great significance for GNSS receiver design to mitigate scintillation effects.
Whole Atmosphere Model Simulations of Ultrafast Kelvin Wave Effects in the Ionosphere and Thermosphere
Authors: Yamazaki Y. , Miyoshi Y. , Xiong C. , Stolle C. , Soares G. , Yoshikawa A.
Published: June 2020

This paper examines the response of the upper atmosphere to equatorial Kelvin waves with a period of ∼3 days, also known as ultrafast Kelvin waves (UFKWs). The whole atmosphere model Ground‐to‐topside model of Atmosphere and Ionosphere for Aeronomy (GAIA) is used to simulate the UFKW events in the late summer of 2010 and 2011 as well as in the boreal winter of 2012/2013. When the lower layers of the model below 30‐km altitude are constrained with meteorological data, GAIA is able to reproduce salient features of the UFKW in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere as observed by the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder. The model also reproduces ionospheric response, as validated through comparisons with total electron content data from the Gravity field and steady‐state Ocean Circulation Explorer satellite as well as with earlier observations. Model results suggest that the UFKW produces eastward‐propagating ∼3‐day variations with zonal wavenumber 1 in the equatorial zonal electric field and F region plasma density. Model results also suggest that for a ground observer, identifying ionospheric signatures of the UFKW is a challenge because of ∼3‐day variations due to other sources. This issue can be overcome by combining ground‐based measurements from different longitudes. As a demonstration, we analyze ground‐based magnetometer data from equatorial stations during the 2011 event. It is shown that wavelet spectra of the magnetic data at different longitudes are only in partial agreement, with or without a ∼3‐day peak, but a spectrum analysis based on multipoint observations reveals the presence of the UFKW.
Anisotropic Tomography Beneath Northeast Tibet: Evidence for Regional Crustal Flow
Authors: Sun Anhui , Zhao Dapeng
Published: June 2020

We present high‐resolution tomographic images of isotropic P wave velocity and azimuthal anisotropy in the crust and uppermost mantle beneath NE Tibet by jointly inverting 62,339 arrival times of the first P and later PmP waves from 6,602 local earthquakes and 9 seismic explosions. Widespread low‐velocity zones in the middle crust contribute most of seismic anisotropy in the crust beneath NE Tibet. The predominant fast‐velocity directions of azimuthal anisotropy are closely correlated with the stress field revealed by GPS observations and focal mechanism solutions in the transition zones among the Alxa block, the Ordos basin, and the Tibetan Plateau. We attribute this feature to regional crustal flow that has intruded northeastward into NE Tibet and possibly affected vertical ground motions, whereas the flow has been resisted by the surrounding rigid blocks and so failed to further extrude eastward between the Ordos basin and the Sichuan basin. The crustal flow is responsible for the intracrust and crust‐mantle decoupling beneath the transition zones of NE Tibet. High‐velocity zones with depth‐consistent anisotropy are found to border the southwestern Ordos basin between 105° and 106°E. The rigid blocks, major active faults (e.g., the Haiyuan, Qinling, and Kunlun faults), and their interactions cause the regional tectonic features and seismic activities. Accommodation of the different deformation patterns and the tectonic interactions may explain the complicated geodynamic evolution of the crust beneath NE Tibet.
A Modified Time Domain Random Walk Approach for Simulating Colloid Behavior in Fractures: Method Development and Verification
Authors: Yosri Ahmed , Dickson‐Anderson Sarah , El‐Dakhakhni Wael
Published: June 2020

Colloids are ubiquitous in groundwater systems, and understanding their behavior is of critical importance as they can pose a threat to human and environmental health. Extensive research has been conducted to model colloid behavior in fractures leading to the development of a number of analytical solutions, albeit for single fractures. However, the application of these analytical solutions at the network scale has not yet been established; thus, fracture networks are modeled using numerical techniques that are verified in single fractures first. Time domain random walk (TDRW) is a Lagrangian‐based approach originally designed to simulate solute transport in single fractures considering advection, dispersion, and matrix diffusion. The present study develops a modified TDRW approach (MTDRW) to consider colloid‐specific transport mechanisms based on an analytical solution describing colloid behavior in single fractures. The MTDRW approach was validated through simulating the behavior of (i) monodisperse colloids in a synthetic, single fracture with and without matrix diffusion; (ii) polydisperse colloids in a synthetic, single fracture with impermeable matrix; and (iii) monodisperse colloids in a synthetic impermeable fracture network. In all three cases, the MTDRW approach replicated the results of analytical solutions in single fractures and the semianalytical solution in fracture networks. The MTDRW approach is expected to enhance the reliability of colloid transport modeling due to its capacity to simulate the physiochemical heterogeneity across the network. This is required to (i) evaluate the aquifer vulnerability to colloid migration; (ii) predict the aquifer resilience under contamination events; and (iii) develop effective planning, management, and remediation strategies.
Ibuprofen mediates histone modification to diminish cancer cell stemness properties via a COX2-dependent manner
Authors: Shen Wenzhi , Zhang Xiaoyuan , Du Renle , Gao Wenjuan , Wang Juan , Bao Yonghua , Yang Wancai , Luo Na , Li Jianjun
Published: June 2020

Background

The anticancer potential of ibuprofen has created a broad interest to explore the clinical benefits of ibuprofen in cancer therapy. However, the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the anticancer potential of ibuprofen remains limited.

Methods

Cancer stemness assays to validate ibuprofen function in vitro and in vivo. Histone modification assays to check the effect of ibuprofen on histone acetylation/methylation, as well as the activity of HDAC and KDM6A/B. Inhibitors’ in vivo assays to evaluate therapeutic effects of various inhibitors’ combination manners.

Results

In our in vitro studies, we report that ibuprofen diminishes cancer cell stemness properties that include reducing the ALDH + subpopulation, side population and sphere formation in three cancer types. In our in vivo studies, we report that ibuprofen decreases tumour growth, metastasis and prolongs survival. In addition, our results showed that ibuprofen inhibits inflammation-related stemness gene expression (especially ICAM3) identified by a high-throughput siRNA platform. In regard to the underlying molecular mechanism of action, we report that ibuprofen reduces HDACs and histone demethylase (KDM6A/B) expression that mediates histone acetylation and methylation, and suppresses gene expression via a COX2-dependent way. In regard to therapeutic strategies, we report that ibuprofen combined HDAC/HDM inhibitors prevents cancer progression in vivo.

Conclusions

The aforementioned findings suggest a molecular model that explains how ibuprofen diminishes cancer cell stemness properties. These may provide novel targets for therapeutic strategies involving ibuprofen in the prevention of cancer progression.
BIK drives an aggressive breast cancer phenotype through sublethal apoptosis and predicts poor prognosis of ER-positive breast cancer
Authors: Pandya Vrajesh , Githaka John Maringa , Patel Namrata , Veldhoen Richard , Hugh Judith , Damaraju Sambasivarao , McMullen Todd , Mackey John , Goping Ing Swie
Published: June 2020

Apoptosis is fundamental to normal animal development and is the target for many anticancer therapies. Recent studies have explored the consequences of “failed apoptosis” where the apoptotic program is initiated but does not go to completion and does not cause cell death. Nevertheless, this failed apoptosis induces DNA double-strand breaks generating mutations that facilitate tumorigenesis. Whether failed apoptosis is relevant to clinical disease is unknown. BCL-2 interacting killer (BIK) is a stress-induced BH3-only protein that stimulates apoptosis in response to hormone and growth factor deprivation, hypoxia, and genomic stress. It was unclear whether BIK promotes or suppresses tumor survival within the context of breast cancer. We investigated this and show that BIK induces failed apoptosis with limited caspase activation and genomic damage in the absence of extensive cell death. Surviving cells acquire aggressive phenotypes characterized by enrichment of cancer stem-like cells, increased motility and increased clonogenic survival. Furthermore, by examining six independent cohorts of patients (total n = 969), we discovered that high BIK mRNA and protein levels predicted clinical relapse of Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive cancers, which account for almost 70% of all breast cancers diagnosed but had no predictive value for hormone receptor-negative (triple-negative) patients. Thus, this study identifies BIK as a biomarker for tumor recurrence of ER-positive patients and provides a potential mechanism whereby failed apoptosis contributes to cancer aggression.
Zoledronic acid regulates the synthesis and secretion of IL-1β through Histone methylation in macrophages
Authors: Yang Xiaojie , Xu Xing , Chen Jun , Wang Qing , Wang Guangfei , Ai Xuemin , Wang Xu , Pan Jinsong
Published: June 2020

Long-term administration of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates increases the risk of detrimental side effects, such as bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ). BRONJ development is associated with inflammation, but its pathophysiology remains unknown. Here, we examined whether histone methylation is responsible for zoledronic acid (Zol)-induced inflammatory responses. We found that Kdm6a and Kdm6b markedly increased interleukin 1β expression and Gasdermin D cleavage, which are both activated by Caspase 1, in macrophages. Inhibitors of Kdm6a and Kdm6b robustly abolished Zol-enhanced interleukin 1β synthesis and secretion from macrophages. When Kdm6a and Kdm6b were pharmacologically inhibited in vivo, poor healing of the alveolar socket and inflammatory responses were ameliorated in Zol-treated mice. Taken together, we showed the pathologic role of Kdm6a and Kdm6b in Zol-promoted inflammatory responses and demonstrated that Kdm6a and Kdm6b are potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of BRONJ.
Interfacial atomic layers for full emergence of interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction
Authors: Park Yong-Keun , Kim Joo-Sung , Nam Yune-Seok , Jeon Seyyoung , Park Jung-Hyun , Kim Kyoung-Whan , Lee Hyun-Woo , Min Byoung-Chul , Choe Sug-Bong
Published: June 2020

Interfacial phenomena play decisive roles in modern science and technology as the scale of the material shrinks down to a few atomic layers. Such minute nanostructures require a more comprehensive understanding beyond the conventional concepts of interfaces and interfacial phenomena generated at interfaces. From a series of a few-atomic-layer-thick magnetic films, we experimentally demonstrate that, contrary to the common notion, interfacial phenomena require a finite thickness for their full emergence. The layer-thickness dependences reveal that the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) begins to appear with increasing thickness, and emerges completely at a thickness of 2–3 atomic layers, at which the magnitude is maximized. This result implies that the DMI is suppressed when the “bulk” layer adjacent to the interface is thinner than the threshold thickness. The existence of the threshold thickness indicates the need to refine conventional perspectives on interfacial phenomena, and imposes the lowest structural bound and optimum thickness to maximize interfacial effects for technological applications.
Real-time tracking reveals catalytic roles for the two DNA binding sites of Rad51
Authors: Ito Kentaro , Murayama Yasuto , Kurokawa Yumiko , Kanamaru Shuji , Kokabu Yuichi , Maki Takahisa , Mikawa Tsutomu , Argunhan Bilge , Tsubouchi Hideo , Ikeguchi Mitsunori , Takahashi Masayuki , Iwasaki Hiroshi
Published: June 2020

During homologous recombination, Rad51 forms a nucleoprotein filament on single-stranded DNA to promote DNA strand exchange. This filament binds to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), searches for homology, and promotes transfer of the complementary strand, producing a new heteroduplex. Strand exchange proceeds via two distinct three-strand intermediates, C1 and C2. C1 contains the intact donor dsDNA whereas C2 contains newly formed heteroduplex DNA. Here, we show that the conserved DNA binding motifs, loop 1 (L1) and loop 2 (L2) in site I of Rad51, play distinct roles in this process. L1 is involved in formation of the C1 complex whereas L2 mediates the C1–C2 transition, producing the heteroduplex. Another DNA binding motif, site II, serves as the DNA entry position for initial Rad51 filament formation, as well as for donor dsDNA incorporation. Our study provides a comprehensive molecular model for the catalytic process of strand exchange mediated by eukaryotic RecA-family recombinases.
Identification of interferon-stimulated genes that attenuate Ebola virus infection
Authors: Kuroda Makoto , Halfmann Peter J. , Hill-Batorski Lindsay , Ozawa Makoto , Lopes Tiago J. S. , Neumann Gabriele , Schoggins John W. , Rice Charles M. , Kawaoka Yoshihiro
Published: June 2020

The West Africa Ebola outbreak was the largest outbreak ever recorded, with over 28,000 reported infections; this devastating epidemic emphasized the need to understand the mechanisms to counteract virus infection. Here, we screen a library of nearly 400 interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) against a biologically contained Ebola virus and identify several ISGs not previously known to affect Ebola virus infection. Overexpression of the top ten ISGs attenuates virus titers by up to 1000-fold. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that three ISGs interfere with virus entry, six affect viral transcription/replication, and two inhibit virion formation and budding. A comprehensive study of one ISG (CCDC92) that shows anti-Ebola activity in our screen reveals that CCDC92 can inhibit viral transcription and the formation of complete virions via an interaction with the viral protein NP. Our findings provide insights into Ebola virus infection that could be exploited for the development of therapeutics against this virus.
Transfer functions linking neural calcium to single voxel functional ultrasound signal
Authors: Aydin Ali-Kemal , Haselden William D. , Goulam Houssen Yannick , Pouzat Christophe , Rungta Ravi L. , Demené Charlie , Tanter Mickael , Drew Patrick J. , Charpak Serge , Boido Davide
Published: June 2020

Functional ultrasound imaging (fUS) is an emerging technique that detects changes of cerebral blood volume triggered by brain activation. Here, we investigate the extent to which fUS faithfully reports local neuronal activation by combining fUS and two-photon microscopy (2PM) in a co-registered single voxel brain volume. Using a machine-learning approach, we compute and validate transfer functions between dendritic calcium signals of specific neurons and vascular signals measured at both microscopic (2PM) and mesoscopic (fUS) levels. We find that transfer functions are robust across a wide range of stimulation paradigms and animals, and reveal a second vascular component of neurovascular coupling upon very strong stimulation. We propose that transfer functions can be considered as reliable quantitative reporters to follow neurovascular coupling dynamics.
The global lake area, climate, and population dataset
Authors: Meyer Michael F. , Labou Stephanie G. , Cramer Alli N. , Brousil Matthew R. , Luff Bradley T.
Published: June 2020

An increasing population in conjunction with a changing climate necessitates a detailed understanding of water abundance at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Remote sensing has provided massive data volumes to track fluctuations in water quantity, yet contextualizing water abundance with other local, regional, and global trends remains challenging by often requiring large computational resources to combine multiple data sources into analytically-friendly formats. To bridge this gap and facilitate future freshwater research opportunities, we harmonized existing global datasets to create the Global Lake area, Climate, and Population (GLCP) dataset. The GLCP is a compilation of lake surface area for 1.42 + million lakes and reservoirs of at least 10 ha in size from 1995 to 2015 with co-located basin-level temperature, precipitation, and population data. The GLCP was created with FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) data principles in mind and retains unique identifiers from parent datasets to expedite interoperability. The GLCP offers critical data for basic and applied investigations of lake surface area and water quantity at local, regional, and global scales.
Characteristic patterns of EEG oscillations in sheep (Ovis aries) induced by ketamine may explain the psychotropic effects seen in humans
Authors: Nicol A. U. , Morton A. J.
Published: June 2020

Ketamine is a valuable anaesthetic and analgesic that in recent years has gained notoriety as a recreational drug. Recently, ketamine has also been proposed as a novel treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Beyond its anaesthetic actions, however, the effects of ketamine on brain activity have rarely been probed. Here we examined the cortical electroencephalography (EEG) response to ketamine of 12 sheep. Following ketamine administration, EEG changes were immediate and widespread, affecting the full extent of the EEG frequency spectrum measured (0–125 Hz). After recovery from sedation during which low frequency activity dominated, the EEG was characterised by short periods (2–3 s) of alternating low (<14 Hz) and high (>35 Hz) frequency oscillation. This alternating EEG rhythm phase is likely to underlie the dissociative actions of ketamine, since it is during this phase that ketamine users report hallucinations. At the highest intravenous dose used (24 mg/kg), in 5/6 sheep we observed a novel effect of ketamine, namely the complete cessation of cortical EEG activity. This persisted for up to several minutes, after which cortical activity resumed. This phenomenon is likely to explain the ‘k-hole’, a state of oblivion likened to a near death experience that is keenly sought by ketamine abusers.
Comparison of lung microbiota between antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis and sarcoidosis
Authors: Fukui Shoichi , Morimoto Shimpei , Ichinose Kunihiro , Nakashima Shota , Ishimoto Hiroshi , Hara Atsuko , Kakugawa Tomoyuki , Sakamoto Noriho , Tsuji Yoshika , Aramaki Toshiyuki , Koga Tomohiro , Kawashiri Shin-ya , Iwamoto Naoki , Tamai Mami , Nakamura Hideki , Origuchi Tomoki , Ueki Yukitaka , Suzuki Shino , Mukae Hiroshi , Kawakami Atsushi
Published: June 2020

Microbial involvement in the pathogenesis have been suggested in both antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) and sarcoidosis, both of which have lung involvement. However, exhaustive research to assess the bacteria in the lung in AAV and in sarcoidosis have not been performed. We sought to elucidate the distinct dysbiotic lung microbiota between AAV and sarcoidosis. We used 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to obtain the bacterial community composition of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in patients with AAV (n = 16) compared to patients with sarcoidosis (n = 21). The patients had not undergone therapy with immunosuppressive medication when their BALF was acquired. No difference was observed in α-diversity between patients with AAV and patients with sarcoidosis when using all the detected taxa. We defined the taxa of the oral cavity by using the data of oral microbiota of healthy individuals from the Human Microbiome Project (HMP). The analysis using only oral taxa made the difference in α-diversity between AAV and sarcoidosis clearer compared with those using all the detected taxa. Besides, the analysis using detected taxa except for oral taxa also made the difference in α-diversity between AAV and sarcoidosis clearer compared with those using all the detected taxa. A linear negative relationship between the α-diversity and Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS) was detected in the AAV group. The observed p-value for the effect of the disease groups on the ß-diversity was small while the effect of other factors including sex and smoking status did not have small p-values. By excluding oral taxa from all the detected taxa, we found a cluster mainly consisted of sarcoidosis patients which was characterized with microbial community monopolized by Erythrobacteraceae family. Our results suggested the importance of considering the influence of oral microbiota in evaluating lung microbiota.
Author Correction: Particular CSF sphingolipid patterns identify iNPH and AD patients
Authors: Torretta Enrica , Arosio Beatrice , Barbacini Pietro , Casati Martina , Capitanio Daniele , Mancuso Roberta , Mari Daniela , Cesari Matteo , Clerici Mario , Gelfi Cecilia
Published: June 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.