bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns of care and survival of Chinese glioblastoma patients in the temozolomide era: a Hong Kong population-level analysis over a 14-year period
Authors: Woo Peter Y M , Yau Stephen , Lam Tai-Chung , Pu Jenny K S , Li Lai-Fung , Lui Louisa C Y , Chan Danny T M , Loong Herbert H F , Lee Michael W Y , Yeung Rebecca , Kwok Carol C H , Au Siu-Kie , Tan Tze-Ching , Kan Amanda N C , Chan Tony K T , Mak Calvin H K , Mak Henry K F , Ho Jason M K , Cheung Ka-Man , Tse Teresa P K , Lau Sarah S N , Chow Joyce S W , El-Helali Aya , Ng Ho-Keung , Poon Wai-Sang
Published: September 2022

Background

The aim of this study is to address the paucity of epidemiological data regarding the characteristics, treatment patterns and survival outcomes of Chinese glioblastoma patients.

Methods

This was a population-level study of Hong Kong adult (>18 years) Chinese patients with newly diagnosed histologically confirmed glioblastoma between 2006 and 2019. The age standardized incidence rate (ASIR), patient-, tumor- treatment-related characteristics, overall survival (OS) as well as its predictors were determined.

Results

One thousand and ten patients with a median follow-up of 10.0 months were reviewed. The ASIR of glioblastoma was 1.0 per 100 000 population with no significant change during the study period. The mean age was 57 + 14 years. The median OS was 10.6 months (IQR: 5.2–18.4). Independent predictors for survival were: Karnofsky performance score >80 (adjusted OR: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.6–0.9), IDH-1 mutant (aOR: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5–0.9) or MGMT methylated (aOR: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5–0.8) glioblastomas, gross total resection (aOR: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.5–0.8) and temozolomide chemoradiotherapy (aOR 0.4; 95% CI: 0.3–0.6). Despite the significant increased administration of temozolomide chemoradiotherapy from 39% (127/326) of patients in 2006–2010 to 63% (227/356) in 2015–2019 (P-value < .001), median OS did not improve (2006–2010: 10.3 months vs 2015–2019: 11.8 months) (OR: 1.1; 95% CI: 0.9–1.3).

Conclusions

The incidence of glioblastoma in the Chinese general population is low. We charted the development of neuro-oncological care of glioblastoma patients in Hong Kong during the temozolomide era. Although there was an increased adoption of temozolomide chemoradiotherapy, a corresponding improvement in survival was not observed.
Do US top executives benefit from market concentration?
Authors: Bas Maria , Paunov Caroline
Published: September 2022

The income share of the top 1% of earners in the USA increased to 20% in 2014. The increase in income inequalities is contemporaneous with the rising market concentration across industries. This article shows that both developments are linked: top executives in more concentrated markets receive more pay than those in less concentrated markets. Superstars—the best-paid and most experienced chief executive officers—are paid significantly more than other executives in concentrated markets. Investors also receive higher returns in more concentrated markets, while the average worker’s wage does not increase. The link between market concentration and top executive pay is higher in information-technology and R&D-intensive industries. While larger firms pay their executives more, they pay relatively less (more) than smaller firms if their market is more (less) concentrated. We do not find effects of the governance quality and trends in firm stock market valuation on the executive pay premium from concentration.
Language and Sexual Violence in the Legal System
Authors: Ehrlich Susan
Published: September 2022

This chapter reviews research on linguistic representations of sexual violence in the media and the legal system, illustrating how such representations can be informed by broader ideologies of gender and sexuality. In reviewing this literature, the chapter demonstrates, in particular, how discourses of normative heterosexuality help to give meaning to representations of sexual violence. The text then turns to a case study of the 2013 Steubenville (Ohio, U.S.A.) rape trial in order to show how the social media evidence in this case, specifically the photographic evidence, was able to unsettle these discourses in ways that the more typical “he said/she said” evidence of sexual assault trials may have had (more) difficulty doing.
Motor Function in Persons With Down Syndrome
Authors: Ringenbach Shannon D. R. , Arnold Nathaniel E. , Nam Kahyun , Holzapfel Simon D. , Chen Chih-Chia , Lopez Corinna , Szeto Monica
Published: September 2022

This chapter reviews fine- and gross-motor function research in persons with Down syndrome (DS) across the lifespan. Fine-motor function consists of movements of the small muscles in the body such as the fingers and hands used to perform many activities of daily living, including writing, using a zipper, tying shoe laces, eating with a spoon, and using scissors. In contrast, gross-motor function consists of movements of the larger muscles of the body such as the leg muscles to perform essential skills such as walking, jumping, climbing, and swimming. In general, both fine- and gross-motor function are slower, more variable, and delayed in persons with DS. Multiple movement interventions are available for individuals with DS, including physical therapy, equine therapy, virtual reality gaming, Assisted Cycling Therapy, walking, and aerobic and strength training. These as well as other exercise interventions and their results on fine- and gross-motor function in persons with DS across the lifespan were reviewed. In general, early research focused more on anatomical differences in persons with DS, whereas more recently the focus has been on differences in neural mechanisms and how they can be altered for the benefit of motor and cognitive improvements in persons with DS. Future research should rethink exercise interventions to require fast movements in young children with DS and to determine the lasting effects on motor and cognitive skills that will ultimately improve longevity and quality of life for persons with DS.
Future Directions
Authors: Burack Jacob A. , Stubbert Emily
Published: September 2022

This epilogue presents a collection of testimonials from a group of individuals whose lives have all been affected by Down syndrome. It provides a voice to the mothers, fathers, siblings, and to individuals with Down syndrome themselves, allowing them to recount their journeys with the condition. These real-life narratives also provide insight into different familial views on systemic supports, educational resources, and methods of diagnosis, among other things. Some of these individuals founded organizations to advocate for persons with Down syndrome, such as the Down Syndrome Information Alliance, Down Syndrome International, and the Down Syndrome Research Institute. These perceptions reflect the experiences of a very small number of people whose lives are affected by the condition. Nevertheless, these accounts can be sources of awareness and inspiration.
Playing and listening
Authors: Sharp Charles
Published: September 2022

This chapter examines improvisation through phenomenological hermeneutics to reveal the ontology of music that arises through play and demands a greater attention to listening. Improvisation provides unique insight into the temporality of play and the critical importance of listening. Hermeneutically, these concepts demand a rethinking of the way in which ethnomusicologists and other scholars construe the relationship between music and social experience, which is ensnared in a series of binary oppositions between composition and performance, mind and body, and objective and subjective inherited from and rooted in Western European philosophy. Working from within that tradition, Gadamer and Ricoeur challenge these oppositions and provide different ways of construing the relationship between work (as ontologically participatory) and world (as symbolically mediated and informed by work), ultimately leading to considering the transformative potential of musical experience and identity. These changes invite a refiguring of ethnographic methodology toward cultural critique and imagination.
Climate Governance and Justice
Authors: Faiyetole Ayodele Adekunle , Ihemeje Godwin Chinedum
Published: September 2022

This chapter seeks to contribute to the governance, justice, power pull, and unequal exchange discourse while exploring climate change response strategies in peripheral Africa through the lenses of power and imbalances. It reviews Africa’s efforts on mitigation, adaptation, and financing strategies in the contexts of sociotechnological and economic differentials. Governance remains central to managing climate change and mainstreaming justice globally, with the intention of reducing unequal exchanges concerning financing, mitigation, and adaptation mechanisms. Peripheral Africa has continued to bear the brunt of climate injustice and power pull from the Global North and the other core countries, despite being a minuscule emitter of carbon equivalent gases. The chapter recommends the formation of an intergovernmental panel on climate justice to make nation-states and organizations accountable for appropriate mitigation, adaptation, and financing commitments adequate for their emissions levels.
Large-scale magnetic fields enabling fitting of the high-frequency QPOs observed around supermassive black holes
Authors: Stuchlík Zdeněk , Kološ Martin , Tursunov Arman
Published: September 2022

Recently, it has been argued that the high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) observed in black hole systems of various scales in mass in cases of supermassive black holes (SMBH) are not consistent with any of the simple physical models, based on frequencies of the geodesic epicyclic motion (Smith et al. 2021, ApJ, 906, 92). We test if such a disease can be simply cured by geodesic models based on epicyclic frequencies modified by the effect of electromagnetic interaction of slightly charged orbiting matter, with large-scale magnetic fields with values observed around SMBHs in active nuclei. Inspired by GRAVITY/ESO observations, we assume a slightly charged hot spot, as the relativistic motion of a plasma in magnetic field leads to charge separation and non-negligible charge density in the orbiting plasma. Its electromagnetic interaction with the large-scale magnetic field around the black hole can be weak enough, allowing for nearly harmonic epicyclical oscillatory motion of the hot spot with frequencies given by modification of those applied in the geodesic model. Even the simplest epicyclic resonance variant of the geodesic model, modified by slight electromagnetic interaction admitted by observations, can fit the QPOs in the case of both stellar-mass and supermassive black holes. We have shown that even a tiny excess of charged particles in the quasi-neutral plasma of the radiating hot spot, allowed by observations, enable an explanation of QPOs observed in active galactic nuclei. We also estimate the effect of the electromagnetic interaction on the shift of the innermost stable circular orbits, implying the degeneracy in the measurements of spins of the black hole candidates.
MarpolBase Expression: A Web-Based, Comprehensive Platform for Visualization and Analysis of Transcriptomes in the Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha
Authors: Kawamura Shogo , Romani Facundo , Yagura Masaru , Mochizuki Takako , Sakamoto Mika , Yamaoka Shohei , Nishihama Ryuichi , Nakamura Yasukazu , Yamato Katsuyuki T , Bowman John L , Kohchi Takayuki , Tanizawa Yasuhiro
Published: September 2022

The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha is equipped with a wide range of molecular and genetic tools and resources that have led to its wide use to explore the evo-devo aspects of land plants. Although its diverse transcriptome data are rapidly accumulating, there is no extensive yet user-friendly tool to exploit such a compilation of data and to summarize results with the latest annotations. Here, we have developed a web-based suite of tools, MarpolBase Expression (MBEX, https://marchantia.info/mbex/), where users can visualize gene expression profiles, identify differentially expressed genes, perform co-expression and functional enrichment analyses and summarize their comprehensive output in various portable formats. Using oil body biogenesis as an example, we demonstrated that the results generated by MBEX were consistent with the published experimental evidence and also revealed a novel transcriptional network in this process. MBEX should facilitate the exploration and discovery of the genetic and functional networks behind various biological processes in M. polymorpha and promote our understanding of the evolution of land plants.
Chromatin-associated microprocessor assembly is regulated by the U1 snRNP auxiliary protein PRP40
Authors: Stepien Agata , Dolata Jakub , Gulanicz Tomasz , Bielewicz Dawid , Bajczyk Mateusz , Smolinski Dariusz J , Szweykowska-Kulinska Zofia , Jarmolowski Artur
Published: September 2022

In plants, microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis involves cotranscriptional processing of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII)-generated primary transcripts by a multi-protein complex termed the microprocessor. Here, we report that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) PRE-MRNA PROCESSING PROTEIN 40 (PRP40), the U1 snRNP auxiliary protein, positively regulates the recruitment of SERRATE, a core component of the plant microprocessor, to miRNA genes. The association of DICER-LIKE1 (DCL1), the microprocessor endoribonuclease, with chromatin was altered in prp40ab mutant plants. Impaired cotranscriptional microprocessor assembly was accompanied by RNAPII accumulation at miRNA genes and retention of miRNA precursors at their transcription sites in the prp40ab mutant plants. We show that cotranscriptional microprocessor assembly, regulated by AtPRP40, positively affects RNAPII transcription of miRNA genes and is important to reach the correct levels of produced miRNAs.
Dual-function DEFENSIN 8 mediates phloem cadmium unloading and accumulation in rice grains
Authors: Gu Tian-Yu , Qi Zi-Ai , Chen Si-Ying , Yan Jing , Fang Zi-Jun , Wang Jun-Min , Gong Ji-Ming
Published: September 2022

Grain cadmium (Cd) is translocated from source to sink tissues exclusively via phloem, though the phloem Cd unloading transporter has not been identified yet. Here, we isolated and functionally characterized a defensin-like gene DEFENSIN 8 (DEF8) highly expressed in rice (Oryza sativa) grains and induced by Cd exposure in seedling roots. Histochemical analysis and subcellular localization detected DEF8 expression preferentially in pericycle cells and phloem of seedling roots, as well as in phloem of grain vasculatures. Further analysis demonstrated that DEF8 is secreted into extracellular spaces possibly by vesicle trafficking. DEF8 bound to Cd in vitro, and Cd efflux from protoplasts as well as loading into xylem vessels decreased in the def8 mutant seedlings compared with the wild type. At maturity, significantly less Cd accumulation was observed in the mutant grains. These results suggest that DEF8 is a dual function protein that facilitates Cd loading into xylem and unloading from phloem, thus mediating Cd translocation from roots to shoots and further allocation to grains, representing a phloem Cd unloading regulator. Moreover, essential mineral nutrient accumulation as well as important agronomic traits were not affected in the def8 mutants, suggesting DEF8 is an ideal target for breeding low grain Cd rice.
RH: a genetic metric for measuring intrahostPlasmodium falciparumrelatedness and distinguishing cotransmission from superinfection
Authors: Wong Wesley , Volkman Sarah , Daniels Rachel , Schaffner Stephen , Sy Mouhamad , Ndiaye Yaye Die , Badiane Aida S , Deme Awa B , Diallo Mamadou Alpha , Gomis Jules , Sy Ngayo , Ndiaye Daouda , Wirth Dyann F , Hartl Daniel L
Published: September 2022

Multiple-strain (polygenomic) infections are a ubiquitous feature of Plasmodium falciparum parasite population genetics. Under simple assumptions of superinfection, polygenomic infections are hypothesized to be the result of multiple infectious bites. As a result, polygenomic infections have been used as evidence of repeat exposure and used to derive genetic metrics associated with high transmission intensity. However, not all polygenomic infections are the result of multiple infectious bites. Some result from the transmission of multiple, genetically related strains during a single infectious bite (cotransmission). Superinfection and cotransmission represent two distinct transmission processes, and distinguishing between the two could improve inferences regarding parasite transmission intensity. Here, we describe a new metric, RH, that utilizes the correlation in allelic state (heterozygosity) within polygenomic infections to estimate the likelihood that the observed complexity resulted from either superinfection or cotransmission. RH is flexible and can be applied to any type of genetic data. As a proof of concept, we used RH to quantify polygenomic relatedness and estimate cotransmission and superinfection rates from a set of 1,758 malaria infections genotyped with a 24 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) molecular barcode. Contrary to expectation, we found that cotransmission was responsible for a significant fraction of 43% to 53% of the polygenomic infections collected in three distinct epidemiological regions in Senegal. The prediction that polygenomic infections frequently result from cotransmission stresses the need to incorporate estimates of relatedness within polygenomic infections to ensure the accuracy of genomic epidemiology surveillance data for informing public health activities.
Precision beam telescope based on SOI pixel sensor technology for electrons in the energy range of sub-GeV to GeV
Authors: Suzuki Hisanori , Omori Takumi , Hara Kazuhiko , Yamauchi Hiroki , Yamada Miho , Tsuboyama Toru , Takeda Ayaki
Published: September 2022

We developed a beam telescope system comprising five layers of 300 μm thick INTPIX4NA monolithic pixel sensors, each with a pixel size of 17 μm square. The sensors were fabricated using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. The signal-to-noise ratio of 140–230 is realized at a bias voltage of 20 V. The tracker system was tested using a positron beam of 200–822 MeV/c, and various tracking methods are examined to optimize the spatial precision achievable at these energies. The best tracking precision including the precision of the sensor under test itself is 11.04 ± 0.10 μm for 822 MeV/c positrons for an equidistant sensor spacing of 32 mm. The achieved precision results combined with the intrinsic spatial resolution value obtained for a similar system using 120 GeV protons are used to estimate the tracking performance of electrons in the GeV energy range; a tracking precision of 2.22 μm is evaluated for 5 GeV electrons. The method to estimate the tracking performance is verified using a Geant4-based simulation. The developed high-precision tracker system enables us to map the detailed performance of sensors with pixel sizes of $\mathcal {O}$(10 μm) and will therefore be a powerful system for the development of devices targeting precision position resolutions.
The Evolution of Access to Public Accommodations in the United States
Authors: Cook Lisa D , Jones Maggie E C , Logan Trevon D , Rosé David
Published: September 2022

The economic analysis of racial discrimination in public accommodations is remarkably limited. To study this issue, we construct a national data set of nondiscriminatory establishments from the Negro Motorist Green Books, a travel guide published from 1936 to 1966 to aid Black Americans in finding nondiscriminatory retail and service establishments. We document patterns in the geographic spread and evolution of Green Book establishments, as well as the correlates of Green Book presence. We find that economic and social measures, as well as state laws relating to racial discrimination and antidiscrimination, were correlated with the provision of nondiscriminatory services. We then use the Green Book data to test whether market conditions and white consumer discrimination led businesses to bar Black customers prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We use plausibly exogenous variation from white World War II casualties and Black migration patterns to isolate the effect of a change in the racial composition of consumers on the growth of nondiscriminatory businesses. We find that the share of nondiscriminatory establishments grew faster in locations with larger increases in the share of the Black population, but the magnitudes were small. These results highlight the importance of federal legislation in ending racial discrimination in public accommodations.
On The Power Series Solution to The Nonlinear Pendulum
Authors: Reinberger W C , Holland M S , Barlow N S , Weinstein S J
Published: September 2022

The exact solution to the simple pendulum problem has long been known in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions, of which an efficient numerical evaluation is standard in most scientific computing software packages. Alternatively, and as done in V. Fairén, López and L. Conde (Power series approximation to solutions of nonlinear systems of differential equation, Am. J. Phys. 56 (1988) 57–61], the pendulum equation can be analytically solved exactly by the power series solution method. Although recursive formulae for the series coefficients were provided in V. Fairén et al., the series itself—as well as the optimal location about which an expansion should be chosen to maximize the domain of convergence—has not yet been examined, and this is provided here. By virtue of its representation as an elliptic function, the pendulum function has singularities that lie off of the real axis in the complex time plane. This, in turn, imposes a radius of convergence on the power series solution in real time. By choosing the expansion point at the top of the trajectory, the power series converges all the way to the bottom of the trajectory without being affected by these singularities. We provide an exact resummation of the pendulum series that accelerates the series’ convergence uniformly from the top to the bottom of the trajectory. We also provide the formulae needed to extend the pendulum series for all time via symmetry. The pendulum problem, in its relative simplicity, provides an explicit demonstration of the effect of singularity structure and initial condition location on convergence properties of power series solutions.
When Does Higher Firm Leverage Lead to Higher Employee Pay?
Authors: Dore Timothy E , Zarutskie Rebecca
Published: September 2022

We show that newly hired workers earn higher wages in response to higher firm leverage. Consistent with compensating differential models, these higher wages appear to reflect compensation for the risk of earnings losses in the event of financial distress. For tenured workers, increases in leverage are not associated with higher wages. Our findings suggest that the wage costs of debt and optimal capital structure for a firm depend on expected employee turnover, as well as on the firm’s future growth and hiring plans. Variation in local labor market conditions also significantly affects the relationship between firm leverage and employee pay. (JEL G32, G33, J21, J31, J61)

Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
Tuition, Debt, and Human Capital
Authors: Chakrabarti Rajashri , Fos Vyacheslav , Liberman Andres , Yannelis Constantine
Published: September 2022

This paper investigates the effects of college tuition on student debt and human capital accumulation. We exploit data from a random sample of undergraduate students in the United States and implement a research design that instruments for realized tuition with relatively large changes to the advertised tuition of students who enrolled at the same school in different cohorts. We find that $5,000 in higher tuition causally reduces the probability of graduating with a graduate degree by 3.1 percentage points and increases student debt by $1,480. Higher tuition also leads to a decline in mortgage balances and an increase in credit card delinquencies.

Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging before and after therapeutic interventions for systemic sclerosis-associated myocarditis
Authors: Panopoulos Stylianos , Mavrogeni Sophie , Vlachopoulos Charalambos , Sfikakis Petros P
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) is increasingly used to evaluate cardiac involvement in SSc. We assessed changes, including inflammatory and/or fibrotic myocardial lesions detected by CMRI, following therapeutic interventions for SSc-associated symptomatic myocarditis.

Methods

In this retrospective study, myocarditis was diagnosed by CMRI (2018 revised Lake Louise criteria) in 14 diffuse and 4 limited SSc patients [16/18 women, age 56 years (s.d. 11), disease duration 8 years (s.d. 11), 17/18 with lung involvement] with cardiac symptoms and abnormal findings on echocardiography (4/18) and/or in 24-hour Holter monitoring (12/14). CMRI was repeated after 8 months (s.d. 3) following administration of cyclophosphamide (n = 11, combined with corticosteroids in 3 and rituximab in 1), mycophenolate (n = 1), tocilizumab (n = 1), methotrexate/corticosteroids (n = 2), corticosteroids (n = 1) or autologous stem cell transplantation (n = 2).

Results

Functional cardiac improvement was evident by increases in left [by 5.8% (s.d. 7.8), P = 0.006] and right ventricular ejection fraction [by 4.5% (s.d. 11.4), P = 0.085] in the second CMRI compared with the first. Notably, late gadolinium enhancement, currently considered to denote replacement fibrosis, decreased by 3.1% (s.d. 3.8; P = 0.003), resolving in six patients. Markers of myocardial oedema, namely T2 ratio and T2 mapping, decreased by 0.27 (s.d. 0.40; P = 0.013) and 6.0 (s.d. 7; P = 0.025), respectively. Conversely, both T1 mapping, considered to reflect acute oedema and diffuse fibrosis, and extracellular volume fraction, reflecting diffuse fibrosis, remained unchanged.

Conclusions

CMRI may distinguish between reversible inflammatory/fibrotic and irreversible fibrotic lesions in SSc patients with active myocarditis, confirming the unique nature of primary cardiac involvement in SSc. Whether, and how, CMRI should be used to monitor treatment effects in SSc-associated myocarditis warrants further study.
Debt Renegotiations Outside Distress
Authors: Arnold Marc , Westermann Ramona
Published: September 2022

This article develops a model to explore the implications of nondistressed debt renegotiation on debt prices and corporate policies. The model incorporates the empirical observation that creditors can influence firms also outside corporate distress through debt covenant renegotiation and not only in distress. We find that considering both distressed and nondistressed creditor interventions is key to investigating how creditor governance affects firms. The model explains cross-sectional patterns of control premiums and credit spreads that traditional debt renegotiation models do not capture. We also derive novel implications for the impact of firm characteristics associated with renegotiation on debt prices and corporate policies.
Social Interaction in the Family: Evidence from Investors’ Security Holdings
Authors: Knüpfer Samuli , Rantapuska Elias , Sarvimäki Matti
Published: September 2022

We show that investors tend to hold the same securities as their parents. This intergenerational correlation is stronger for mothers and family members who are more likely to communicate with each other. An instrumental variables estimation and a natural experiment suggest that the correlation reflects social influence. This influence runs not only from parents to children, but also vice versa. The resulting holdings of identical securities increase intergenerational correlations in portfolio choice, exacerbate wealth inequality, and amplify the consequences of behavioral biases.
DISTRIBUTION OF RADIOCESIUM IN BLACK PINE TREE FORESTS IN ROKKASHO, AOMORI, JAPAN
Authors: Ohtsuka Yoshihito , Hasegawa Hidenao , Ayabe Yoshiko , Hisamatsu Shun’ichi
Published: September 2022

Since the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNNP) accident in 2011, 134Cs had been detected in atmospheric deposition samples collected in Rokkasho and Aomori in Japan, located ~400-km north of the FDNNP, during March 2011–May 2015. To study the distribution of radiocesium (134, 137Cs) in a Japanese black pine tree forest, we measured the activity concentration of 134, 137Cs in whole black pine trees, including roots collected during 2017–19 along with soil samples in 2015 and 2017–19. The results show that most of the deposited 134Cs was retained in the forest floor in 2015, with depth distribution different from that of the weapon testing fallout. Proportions of the weapon fallout 137Cs in trunks, branches, needles and roots were 44, 17, 13 and 26%, respectively, indicating that >50% of 137Cs in above-ground part existed in the trunks. The total inventories of 134Cs and 137Cs in the forest were estimated to be 8.9 and 2.5·103 Bq m−2, respectively, and ~4.8% of 137Cs inventory was originated from the accident. Inventory of 134Cs in the forest—including the black pine trees—was 1.6 times larger than cumulative deposition outside of the forest due to the canopy effect.
TEMPORAL VARIATION OF POST-ACCIDENT 129I IN ATMOSPHERIC PARTICULATE MATTER COLLECTED FROM AN EVACUATED AREA OF FUKUSHIMA PREFECTURE, JAPAN
Authors: Hasegawa Hidenao , Kakiuchi Hideki , Ochiai Shinya , Akata Naofumi , Ueda Shinji , Tokonami Shinji
Published: September 2022

To understand the behavior of atmospheric 129I that originated from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, activity concentrations of 129I in samples of atmospheric particulate matter (PM), comprising coarse (>1.1 μm) and fine (<1.1 μm) fractions (separated using a single stage impactor), were measured on a nearly monthly basis from October 2012 to October 2014 at a site in an area evacuated after the FDNPP accident. Total atmospheric 129I activity concentrations in PM at the site ranged between 0.15 and 2.17 nBq m−3. Specific activity concentration of 129I in total atmospheric PM ranged between 40.8 and 336 mBq kg−1, with a mean and standard deviation of 142 and 77.6 mBq kg−1, respectively. The specific activity in PM tended to be higher than not only the background values reported from soil collected before the FDNPP accident but also than those reported from the contaminated soil after the accident (range: 1.6–57 mBq kg−1; mean and standard deviation: 10.6 and 12.3 mBq kg−1, respectively). Total 129I/127I atomic ratios in PM ranged from 2.0 × 10−8 to 59.8 × 10−8, with a mean and standard deviation of 15.0 × 10−8 and 14.4 × 10−8, respectively. These ratios were generally lower than those of the contaminated soil collected after the FDNPP accident (range: 4.9 × 10−8–443 × 10−8; mean and standard deviation: 74.2 × 10−8 and 85.4 × 10−8, respectively). The 129I concentration and 129I/127I atomic ratio in atmospheric PM showed different characteristics from that of contaminated soils, suggesting that the presence of other atmospheric PMs plays a more important role as the host for 129I.
COMBINED ANALYSIS OF CANCER INCIDENCE AND LIFESPAN IN MICE EXPOSED TO CHRONIC LOW DOSE RATE RADIATION
Authors: Kinugawa Tetsuhiro , Wada Takahiro , Manabe Yuichiro , Sato Fuminobu , Tanaka Satoshi
Published: September 2022

The authors performed a combined analysis using the data obtained from continuous low dose rate irradiation experiments on mice conducted at the Institute for Environmental Sciences, namely, cancer incidence data and lifespan data. They estimated the length of cancer progression period, which is difficult to assess experimentally. The combined analysis showed that the mean cancer progression period is 173 d in the control group and 103 d in the irradiated group.
DEVELOPMENT OF IN-SITU SYSTEMS FOR 13CO2 EXPOSURE AND DETERMINATION OF 13C NET ASSIMILATION RATE OF FRUIT-BEARING SHOOTS AND WHOLE TREE AND CHAMBER FOR PRECISION 13CO2 EXPOSURE OF YOUNG POTTED TREES
Authors: Tako Yasuhiro , Arai Ryuji , Yanagawase Yoshiyuki , Nishikawa Syu-ichi , Fujimoto Koji , Imada Shogo , Moriya Yuki
Published: September 2022

14C is the most important radionuclide for assessing exposure dose around the Rokkasho nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. A simplified model with ample margins has been used so far for the assessment of the dose derived from 14C. Realistic dose estimate of 14C using more realistic model is necessary for safety. Apple production is an important core industry in Aomori Prefecture. To construct the dynamic model for apple, using 13C as a tracer to substitute for 14C, we collected data on 13C abundance in organs including fruit after 13CO2 exposure at various fruit growth stages. We developed 13CO2 exposure systems for three intact fruit-bearing shoots (1), whole mature tree (2) and young potted trees (3). Systems (1) and (2) also can determine net amounts of carbon and 13C photoassimilated. System (3) is capable of precise feedback control of 13CO2 and 12CO2 concentrations based on on-time determination.
TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT DEGRADATION OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER IN FARMLANDS AND PASTURES
Authors: Nagai Masaru , Suzuki Shizuo
Published: September 2022

To determine the rates of soil organic matter degradation in farmlands and pastures and their temperature dependency, soil samples collected in Aomori, Japan, were sieved and incubated at different temperatures (10, 20 and 30°C) for 700 d, with amounts of respired CO2 being measured during the incubation period. Results were analysed using a three-compartment model (active, intermediate and resistant compartment), and the decomposition rates of the two labile compartments were approximated using an exponential decay function. The Arrhenius equation was applied to the decay function rate constant to obtain rate constants at the examined temperatures. The estimated degradation rate constants of the most active compartment in pasture soil were more sensitive to temperature than the corresponding value in farmland. The seasonal changes in rate constants were consistent with each soil temperature. At both fields, it is estimated that the degradation of soil organic matter occurred from April to October.
EFFECT OF RICE PLANT ROOT TTC-REDUCING ACTIVITY ON THE CHEMICAL FORM OF IODINE IN CULTIVATED SOIL SOLUTIONS
Authors: Yamagami Mutsumi , Yanai Masumi
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of rice plant root activity on the chemical form of stable iodine (I) in a cultivated soil solution. Concentrations of I−, IO3− and organic-I were analyzed 4 days after exposure I− or IO3− solutions to each of the cultivated soil surface. When exposed to I−, its concentration in the cultivated soil was approximately the same as that in the non-planted soil. When the rhizosphere was exposed to IO3−, the I− concentration in the soil increased under cultivation conditions. IO3− remained undetected in the soil solution. The organic-I concentration in the cultivated soil solution was higher than that in the non-cultivated soil. Concentrations of organic-I increased under IO3− addition compared to I− addition. A weak positive correlation was observed between the TTC-reducing activity of plant roots, and the total and organic-I concentrations in the soil solution. It was suggested that the amount of organic I formed from IO3− was determined by the reducing activity of the roots.
ADAPTIVE RESPONSE IN MICE CONTINUOUSLY IRRADIATED WITH LOW DOSE-RATE RADIATION
Authors: Sugihara Takashi , Murano Hayato , Fujikawa Katsuyoshi , Tanaka Ignacia Braga , Komura Jun-ichiro
Published: September 2022

Previous reports showed a reduction in hematopoietic death in mice exposed to a high (challenge) radiation dose if exposed two weeks prior with a relatively small (priming) radiation dose (0.3–0.5 Gy). This in vivo acquisition of radioresistance, known as “adaptive response” or the “Yonezawa effect,” was shown in the experiments performed using high dose-rates (HDR) for priming. In the present study, we used low (LDR) and medium dose-rates (MDR) of radiation for priming in male C57BL mice. A total dose of 0.45–0.46 Gy (LDR, 20 mGy/day × 23 days or MDR, 18 mGy/hour × 25 hours) was used for priming, and was followed by challenge exposure 12 days later at an HDR (0.8 Gy/min) to a total dose of 6.75 Gy. Increased survival rates were observed in mice exposed to priming radiation delivered at LDR or MDR, suggesting that the adaptive responses induced are comparable with those induced at HDR.
Impacts of postpartum length at the initiation of the fixed-time artificial insemination protocol on pregnancy rates ofBos indicusbeef cows
Authors: Araújo Ana Clara R , Cooke Reinaldo F , Claro Junior Izaias , Sá Filho Ocilon G , Borges Carlos M S , Sampaio Paulo S L , Cocenza Benedito B , Romero Rodolfo S R , Tanner José Henrique L M , Vasconcelos José Luiz Moraes
Published: September 2022

The shortest interval between calving and initiation of fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) protocols recommended in Brazilian cow–calf systems is 30 d, based on research that characterized uterine involution and incidence of uterine disorders in Bos taurus females. Prevalence of uterine disorders such as subclinical endometritis is limited in Nelore (B. indicus) cows as early as 28 d after calving. We hypothesized that Nelore cows can receive an FTAI protocol as early as 20 d postpartum (DPP) and still experience satisfactory reproductive results. This study evaluated pregnancy rates in 5,258 Nelore cows (n = 1,703 primiparous and 3,555 multiparous) according to DPP at the initiation of the FTAI protocol. Cow body condition score (BCS) was recorded at FTAI, and pregnancy diagnosis was performed ~30 d after FTAI. Cows were ranked within parity by DPP at the initiation of the FTAI protocol and classified according to 5-d intervals (e.g., ≤15 DPP, 16 to 20 DPP, 21 to 26 DPP, until cows with ≥76 DPP). Data were analyzed within parity, using cow as experimental unit and orthogonal polynomial contrasts (linear, quadratic, or cubic) generated using the mean DPP of each DPP class. In both parities, cow BCS at FTAI decreased linearly (P ≤ 0.01) with the advance of DPP (e.g., 4.79, 4.00, and 3.73 in primiparous, and 4.95, 3.70, and 3.23 in multiparous cows classified as ≤15 DPP, 36 to 40 DPP, ≥76 DPP, respectively). The pregnancy rate to FTAI was affected quadratically (P < 0.01) by DPP for both parities. In primiparous cows, the pregnancy rate increased until 36 to 40 DPP (60%), remained near this level until 51 to 60 DPP, and then decreased with the advance of DPP, whereas cows classified as 21 to 25 DPP expressed satisfactory results (41.5%). In multiparous cows, the pregnancy rate increased until 46 to 50 DPP (70.8%), remained near this level until 56 to 60 DPP, and then decreased with the advance of DPP, whereas cows classified as 21 to 25 DPP also expressed satisfactory results (63.6%). Collectively, primiparous and multiparous Nelore cows evaluated herein experienced optimal pregnancy rates when the FTAI protocol was initiated within 30 to 60 DPP, although reasonable outcomes were observed when the FTAI protocol was initiated as early as 21 DPP. Hence, the interval between calving and initiation of the FTAI protocol can be shortened by 10 d in Nelore females and still yield acceptable pregnancy rates, which can be of great value to cows that calve immediately prior to or during the annual breeding season.
Evaluation of the effects of wood-sourced biochar as a feedlot pen surface amendment on manure nutrient capture
Authors: Sperber Jessica L , Erickson Galen E , Watson Andrea K
Published: September 2022

Feedstuffs utilized in U.S. feedlot finishing rations incorporate high concentrations of N and P, with less than 15% of fed N and P retained by the animal. The remaining N and P are excreted in the manure, where the opportunity for manure N loss via ammonia (NH3) volatilization from the feedlot pen surface is a risk to the environment and lowers the value of manure as a fertilizer. Two nutrient mass balance experiments were conducted during the winter and summer seasons to evaluate the effects of spreading unprocessed Eastern red cedar biochar onto the feedlot pen surface on manure nutrient capture and cattle performance. A 186-d feedlot finishing experiment was conducted from December to June (WINTER) and a subsequent 153-d finishing experiment was conducted from June to November (SUMMER). The WINTER experiment evaluated three treatments (5 pens per treatment; 10 steers per pen), including biochar spread on pen surface during the feeding period (1.40 kg biochar/m2; 17.6 m2/steer soil surface of the pen), hydrated lime spread on pen surface at end of feeding period (1.75 kg/m2) and control (no treatment applied). The SUMMER experiment evaluated biochar treatment (1.40 kg biochar/m2; 5 pens per treatment; 8 steers per pen; and 22 m2/steer soil surface of the pen) against control. There were no differences in N and P intake, retention, or excretion (P ≥ 0.38) between WINTER treatments. Steer performance (P ≥ 0.10) and carcass characteristics (P ≥ 0.50) were not impacted by pen treatment in WINTER. Nitrogen and P intake and excretion (P ≥ 0.35) were not different between treatments in SUMMER and retention of N and P was significantly greater for the biochar treatment (P ≤0.04) due to greater ADG (P = 0.05). There was no difference in DMI (P = 0.48) in SUMMER, steers on biochar pen treatment had heavier HCW (P = 0.05) and greater ADG, resulting in a tendency for greater feed efficiency (P = 0.08). In both experiments, biochar addition to the pen surface tended (P = 0.07) to increase manure N as a percent of manure DM, but this increase in N concentration did not impact kg of N removed from the feedlot pens (P ≥ 0.15) or N losses (P ≥ 0.68). The addition of red cedar biochar to the feedlot pen surface did not increase manure nutrient capture of N or P and did not reduce N losses associated with soil-based feedlot pens.
A scoping review of mycetoma profile in Egypt: revisiting the global endemicity map
Authors: Ahmed Sarah A , El-Sobky Tamer A , de Hoog Sybren , Zaki Sherif M , Taha Mohamed
Published: September 2022

Mycetoma is a chronic infectious disease endemic in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), India and parts of South and North America. The epidemiologic profile of the disease in Egypt, which neighbours SSA, has not been explored previously. Therefore we conducted a scoping review of the literature on mycetoma in Egypt. We searched the literature comprehensively on MEDLINE and Google Scholar using free-text words and Medical Subject Headings and terms. Both published and non-peer-reviewed (grey literature) articles were included. The initial search identified 133 reports. Of these, only eight were found to be relevant and were included in the study. The total number of mycetoma patients was 59, reported between 1949 and 2015. There was a predilection for eumycetoma (44 of 59) patients (75%), while actinomycetoma constituted 15 patients (25%). Six patients were female, 28 were male and 25 were unreported. Children and adolescents constituted 3 of 59 (5%), 52 (88%) were adults and age was not provided for 4 patients. Only four patients (7%) were non-autochthonous. The incidence of mycetoma in Egypt is higher than previously reported. Egypt is probably a low-endemic country. An accurate estimate of the prevalence and epidemiology of mycetoma necessitates further research collaboration.
Genetic evidence for the link of misophonia with psychiatric disorders and personality
Authors: Smit Dirk J.A. , Bakker Melissa , Abdellaoui Abdel , Hoetink Alex E. , Vulink Nienke C.C. , Denys Damiaan
Published: September 2022

Patients with misophonia experience strong negative emotional responses to human-produced sounds at a level disrupting normal social interaction. The exact nature of the disorder remains a matter of debate. Here, we investigated the genetic aetiology of misophonia in order to understand contributing factors and shed light on the nosology of the disorder. For misophonia, we used an unpublished genome-wide association study (GWAS) from 23andMe on a self-report item probing a common misophonic symptom: the occurrence of rage when others produce eating sounds.. We used gene-based and to functional annotation analyses to establish its neurobiological determinants. Next, we calculated genetic correlations (rG) of this misophonia GWAS with a wide range of traits and disorders from audiology (tinnitus, hearing performance and hearing trauma), psychiatry, neurology, and personality traits. Misophonia was significantly correlated with tinnitus, major depression disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder (0.12 < rG < 0.22). Stronger genetic correlations (0.21 < rG < 0.42) were observed for two clusters of personality traits: a neuroticism/guilt and an irritability/sensitivity cluster. Our results showed no genetic correlation with ADHD, OCD, and psychotic disorders. A negative correlation with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was found, which may be surprising given the previously reported comorbidities and the sensory sensitivity reported in ASD. Clustering algorithms showed that misophonia consistently clustered with MDD, generalized anxiety, PTSD and related personality traits. We conclude that — based on genetics — misophonia most strongly clusters with psychiatric disorders and specific personality profile that matches those for anxiety and PTSD.
(Pro)Renin Receptor Antagonism Attenuates High-Fat-Diet–Induced Hepatic Steatosis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Gayban Ariana Julia B. , Souza Lucas , Cooper Silvana G. , Regalado Erick , Kleemann Robert , Earley Yumei Feng
Published: September 2022

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) comprises a spectrum of liver damage directly related to diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. The (pro)renin receptor (PRR) has recently been demonstrated to play a role in glucose and lipid metabolism. Here, we hypothesized that inhibition of the PRR would prevent the development of diet-induced hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. To test our hypothesis, we fed wild-type mice on a C57Bl/6J background either a high-fat diet (HFD; 60% calories from fat) or normal fat diet (NFD; 10% calories from fat) with matching calories for 6 weeks. An 8-week methionine choline-deficient (MCD) diet was used to induce fibrosis in C57BL/6J mice. Two weeks following diet treatment, mice were implanted with a subcutaneous osmotic pump delivering either PRO20, a peptide PRR antagonist, or scrambled peptide (700 μg/kg/d) for 4 or 6 weeks. We found that a 6-week HFD significantly increased liver lipid accumulation, as detected by Oil Red O staining, and liver triglyceride content compared with NFD-fed mice. Importantly, PRO20 treatment significantly reduced hepatic lipid accumulation in HFD-fed mice without affecting body weight or glucose levels. Furthermore, PRR antagonism attenuated HFD-induced steatosis, particularly microvesicular steatosis. In the MCD diet model, the percentage of collagen area detected by Sirius Red staining was reduced in PRO20-treated compared with control mice. PRO20 treatment also significantly decreased levels of liver alanine aminotransferase (ALT), an indicator of liver damage, in MCD-fed mice compared with controls. Mechanistically, we found that PRR antagonism prevented HFD-induced increases in PPARγ and glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 3 expression in the liver. Taken together, our findings establish the mechanism by which PRR regulates lipid metabolism in the liver and suggest the therapeutic potential of PRR antagonism for the treatment of liver steatosis and fibrosis development in NAFLD.