bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interspecific and Seasonal Variation in Wingbeat Frequency Among Migratory Lepidoptera in Northern China
Authors: Yu Wenhua , Zhou Yan , Guo Jianglong , Wyckhuys Kris A G , Shen Xiujing , Li Xiaokang , Ge Shishuai , Liu Dazhong , Wu Kongming
Published: May 2020

Many lepidopteran species rely upon active flight to migrate over long distances, thus pursuing ephemeral resources, colonizing new habitats, or escaping adverse meteorological conditions. Though their biology and ecology are often well studied, there is only scant information on their wingbeat frequency (WBF), a key aerodynamic determinant of insect flight. In this study, we assessed interspecific and seasonal variability in WBF for 85 different migratory species of Lepidoptera (11 families) under the laboratory conditions of 25 ± 1°C and 75 ± 5% RH. WBF of migrant individuals ranged between 6.7 and 84.5 Hz and substantial interspecific differences were recorded, with members of the Bombycidae exhibiting the highest mean WBFs (i.e., 55.1 ± 1.0 Hz) and Saturniidae the lowest (8.5 ± 0.2 Hz). At a species level, seasonal variation was observed in WBF for Mythimna separata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Scotogramma trifolii Rottemberg (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Our findings add to the scientific knowledge on flight biology of migratory insects, facilitate (automatic) monitoring and population forecasting, and can have broader implications for insect pest management or biodiversity conservation.
Entomological Survey for the Detection of Sand Fly Fauna and Vector Species in the Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Endemic Area in East Mediterranean Region of Turkey, Mersin Province
Authors: Limoncu M Emin , Balcıoğlu İ Cüneyt , Töz Seray , Demir Samiye , Kavur Hakan , Karakuş Mehmet , Vardarlı Aslı Tetik , Özbel Yusuf
Published: May 2020

Cutaneous (CL) and visceral (VL) forms of leishmaniasis, transmitted by sand flies, are seen in all countries located in Mediterranean Basin including Turkey. In this study, we aimed to conduct an entomological survey for the detection of sand fly fauna and vector species in Mersin province, one of the important endemic areas for CL in Turkey. In total, 912 sand fly specimens were collected in 2010 and 2011 using CDC light traps. Nine Phlebotomus (Diptera: Psychodidae) and three Sergentomyia (Diptera: Psychodidae) species were detected. Of the collected Phlebotomus sand flies, P. sergenti Parrot, 1917 (30.1%) was the most dominant followed by P. alexandri Sinton, 1928 (18.2%), P. neglectus/syriacus Tonnoir Adler (12.0%), P. tobbi Adler & Theodor, 1930 (11.7%), and P. papatasi Scopoli, 1786 (10.2%), while S. minuta Rondani, 1843 (11.3%) was the dominant species among Sergentomyia. During the field work in 2011, female specimens (n = 81) were screened for the presence of Leishmania promastigotes by midgut dissection, and all were found negative. The rest of the collected female specimens (n = 334) were pooled according to species (P. alexandri, P. neglectus/syriacus, P. papatasi, P. sergenti, P. simici, and P. tobbi) and location (Mut, Silifke, and Anamur). In total, 29 pools were generated and real-time ITS1 PCR assay was performed to detect and identify natural Leishmania Ross, 1903 (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatida) infection. Two pools, both from Mut town, containing P. sergenti specimens were found positive and Leishmania tropica Ross, 1903 was identified as an infectious agent for both pools. In conclusion, the sand fly fauna was determined in an endemic area for CL. The detection of L. tropica DNA in P. sergenti specimens showed the possible vectorial role of this species in Mersin province.
The Association Between Glycemic Variability and Macronutrients in Young Children with T1D
Authors: Monzon Alexandra D , Smith Laura B , Powers Scott W , Dolan Lawrence M , Patton Susana R
Published: May 2020

Objective 

There is limited information regarding the potential effect macronutrients have on postprandial glycemic variability in young children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). To date, studies examining nutrition and glycemic outcomes either assess these factors at a single timepoint, or aggregate large datasets for group level analyses. This study examined how inter- and intraindividual fluctuations in carbohydrate, fat, and protein intake impact glycemic variability in the postprandial period for young children with T1D.

Methods 

Thirty-nine young children, aged 2–6 years, wore a continuous glucose monitor for 72 hr, while their parents completed detailed diet records of all food intake. The analyses tested three multilevel models to examine intra- and interindividual differences between food intake and postprandial glycemic variability.

Results 

The results suggest carbohydrate intake, relates to greater postprandial glycemic variability. In contrast, the results reveal the inverse effect for protein, suggesting a tendency for young children who ate more protein at some meals to have lower postprandial glycemic variability, with the exception of lunch. There was no effect for fat on postprandial glycemic variability.

Conclusion 

These results suggest protein consumption may be an important consideration when aiming for optimal glycemic levels for some meals. When counseling parents of young children with T1D on common behaviors underlying glycemic excursion, pediatric psychologists may consider discussing the nutritional make up of children’s meals. Further, the results demonstrate retaining longitudinal data at the person level, versus aggregating individual data for group level analyses, may offer new information regarding macronutrient intake and glycemic outcomes.
Ordered models for concept representation
Authors: Freund Michael
Published: May 2020

Basic notions linked with concept theory can be accounted for by partial order relations. These orders translate the fact that, for an agent, an object may be seen as a better or a more typical exemplar of a concept than anyother. They adequately model notions linked with categorial membership, typicality and resemblance, without any of the drawbacks that are classically encountered in conjunction theory. An interesting consequence of such a concept representation is the possibility of using the tools of non-monotonic logic to address some well-known problems of cognitive psychology. Thus, conceptual entailment and concept induction can be reexamined in the framework of preferential inference relations. This leads to a rigorous definition of the basic notions used in the study of category-based induction.
Efficiently estimating mean, uncertainty, and unconstrained large-scale fraction of local Universe simulations with paired fixed fields
Authors: Sorce J G
Published: May 2020

Provided a random realization of the cosmological model, observations of our cosmic neighbourhood now allow us to build simulations of the latter down to the non-linear threshold. The resulting local Universe models are thus accurate up to a given residual cosmic variance. Namely some regions and scales are apparently not constrained by the data and seem purely random. Drawing conclusions together with their uncertainties involves then statistics implying a considerable amount of computing time. By applying the constraining algorithm to paired fixed fields, this paper diverts the original techniques from their first use to efficiently disentangle and estimate uncertainties on local Universe simulations obtained with random fields. Paired fixed fields differ from random realizations in the sense that their Fourier mode amplitudes are fixed and they are exactly out of phase. Constrained paired fixed fields show that only 20 per cent of the power spectrum on large scales (> tens of megaparsecs) is purely random. Namely 80 per cent of it is partly constrained by the large-scale/ small-scale data correlations. Additionally, two realizations of our local environment obtained with paired fixed fields of the same pair constitute an excellent non-biased average or quasi-linear realization of the latter, namely the equivalent of hundreds of constrained simulations. The variance between these two realizations gives the uncertainty on the achievable local Universe simulations. These two simulations will permit enhancing faster our local cosmic web understanding thanks to a drastically reduced required computational time to appreciate its modelling limits and uncertainties.
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko’s dust activity from pre- to post-perihelion as detected by Rosetta/GIADA
Authors: Longobardo A , Della Corte V , Rotundi A , Fulle M , Rinaldi G , Formisano M , Zakharov V , Ivanovski S , Mannel T , Ciarniello M , Inno L , Rubin M , Palomba E , Cottin H , Dirri F , Palumbo P , Güttler C , Merouane S , Tubiana C , Pestoni B , Dionnet Z
Published: May 2020

We characterized the 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko’s dust activity, by analysing individual dust particle velocity and momentum measurements of Grain Impact Analyser and Dust Accumulator (GIADA), the dust detector onboard the ESA/Rosetta spacecraft, collecting dust from tens to hundreds of kilometres from the nucleus. Specifically, we developed a procedure to trace back the motion of dust particles down to the nucleus, identifying the surface’s region ejecting each dust particle. This procedure has been developed and validated for the first part of the mission by Longobardo et al. and was extended to the entire GIADA data set in this work. The results based on this technique allowed us to investigate the link between the dust porosity (fluffy/compact) and the morphology of the ejecting surface (rough/smooth). We found that fluffy and compact particles, despite the lack of correlation in their coma spatial distribution (at large nucleocentric distances) induced by their different velocities, have common ejection regions. In particular, the correlation between the distributions of fluffy and compact particles is maintained up to an altitude of about 10 km. Fluffy particles are more abundant in rough terrains. This could be the result of past cometary activity that resurfaced the smooth terrains and/or of the comet formation process that stored the fluffy particles inside the voids between the pebbles. The variation of fluffy particle concentration between rough and smooth terrains agrees with predictions of comet formation models. Finally, no correlation between dust distribution on the nucleus and surface thermal properties was found.
Simulating the complexity of the dark matter sheet I: numerical algorithms
Authors: Stücker Jens , Hahn Oliver , Angulo Raul E , White Simon D M
Published: May 2020

At early times, dark matter has a thermal velocity dispersion of unknown amplitude which, for warm dark matter (WDM) models, can influence the formation of non-linear structure on observable scales. We propose a new scheme to simulate cosmologies with a small-scale suppression of perturbations that combines two previous methods in a way that avoids the numerical artefacts which have so far prevented either from producing fully reliable results. At low densities and throughout most of the cosmological volume, we represent the dark matter phase sheet directly using high-accuracy interpolation, thereby avoiding the artificial fragmentation which afflicts particle-based methods in this regime. Such phase-sheet methods are, however, unable to follow the rapidly increasing complexity of the denser regions of dark matter haloes, so for these we switch to an N-body scheme which uses the geodesic deviation equation to track phase-sheet properties local to each particle. In addition, we present a novel high-resolution force calculation scheme based on an oct-tree of cubic force resolution elements which is well suited to approximate the force field of our combined sheet+particle distribution. Our hybrid simulation scheme enables the first reliable simulations of the internal structure of low-mass haloes in a WDM cosmology.
Investigating surface correction relations for RGB stars
Authors: Jørgensen Andreas Christ Sølvsten , Montalbán Josefina , Miglio Andrea , Rendle Ben M , Davies Guy R , Buldgen Gaël , Scuflaire Richard , Noels Arlette , Gaulme Patrick , García Rafael A
Published: May 2020

State-of-the-art stellar structure and evolution codes fail to adequately describe turbulent convection. For stars with convective envelopes such as red giants, this leads to an incomplete depiction of the surface layers. As a result, the predicted stellar oscillation frequencies are haunted by systematic errors, the so-called surface effect. Different empirically and theoretically motivated correction relations have been proposed to deal with this issue. In this paper, we compare the performance of these surface correction relations for red giant branch stars. For this purpose, we apply the different surface correction relations in asteroseismic analyses of eclipsing binaries and open clusters. In accordance with previous studies of main-sequence stars, we find that the use of different surface correction relations biases the derived global stellar properties, including stellar age, mass, and distance estimates. We, furthermore, demonstrate that the different relations lead to the same systematic errors for two different open clusters. Our results overall discourage from the use of surface correction relations that rely on reference stars to calibrate free parameters. Due to the demonstrated systematic biasing of the results, the use of appropriate surface correction relations is imperative to any asteroseismic analysis of red giants. Accurate mass, age, and distance estimates for red giants are fundamental when addressing questions that deal with the chemo-dynamical evolution of the Milky Way galaxy. In this way, our results also have implications for fields such as galactic archaeology that draw on findings from stellar physics.
Dynamic scheduling: target of opportunity observations of gravitational wave events
Authors: Almualla Mouza , Coughlin Michael W , Anand Shreya , Alqassimi Khalid , Guessoum Nidhal , Singer Leo P
Published: May 2020

The simultaneous detection of electromagnetic and gravitational waves from the coalescence of two neutron stars (GW170817 and GRB170817A) has ushered in a new era of ‘multimessenger’ astronomy, with electromagnetic detections spanning from gamma to radio. This great opportunity for new scientific investigations raises the issue of how the available multimessenger tools can best be integrated to constitute a powerful method to study the transient Universe in particular. To facilitate the classification of possible optical counterparts to gravitational wave events, it is important to optimize the scheduling of observations and the filtering of transients, both key elements of the follow-up process. In this work, we describe the existing workflow whereby telescope networks such as GRANDMA and GROWTH are currently scheduled; we then present modifications we have developed for the scheduling process specifically, so as to face the relevant challenges that have appeared during the latest observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. We address issues with scheduling more than one epoch for multiple fields within a skymap, especially for large and disjointed localizations. This is done in two ways: by optimizing the maximum number of fields that can be scheduled and by splitting up the lobes within the skymap by right ascension to be scheduled individually. In addition, we implement the ability to take previously observed fields into consideration when rescheduling. We show the improvements that these modifications produce in making the search for optical counterparts more efficient, and we point to areas needing further improvement.
Evidence of AGN feedback and sloshing in the X-ray luminous NGC 1550 galaxy group
Authors: Kolokythas Konstantinos , O’Sullivan Ewan , Giacintucci Simona , Worrall Diana M , Birkinshaw Mark , Raychaudhury Somak , Horellou Cathy , Intema Huib , Loubser Ilani
Published: May 2020

We present results from Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope and Chandra observations of the NGC 1550 galaxy group. Although previously thought of as relaxed, we show evidence that gas sloshing and active galactic nucleus (AGN) heating have affected the structure of the system. The 610 and 235 MHz radio images show an asymmetric jet–lobe structure with a total size of ∼33 kpc, with a sharp kink at the base of the more extended western jet, and bending of the shorter eastern jet as it enters the lobe. The 235–610 MHz spectral index map shows that both radio lobes have steep spectral indices ($\alpha _{235}^{610}\ge -1.5$), indicating the presence of an old electron population. The X-ray images reveal an asymmetric structure in the hot gas correlated with the radio structure, as well as potential cavities coincident with the radio lobes, with rims and arms of gas that may have been uplifted by the cavity expansion. The X-ray residual map reveals an arc-shaped structure to the east that resembles a sloshing cold front. Radio spectral analysis suggests a radiative age of about 33 Myr for the source, comparable to the sloshing time-scale and dynamical estimates of the age of the lobes. An estimate of the mechanical energy required to inflate the cavities suggests that the AGN of NGC 1550 is capable of balancing radiative losses from the intragroup medium (IGM) and preventing excessive cooling, providing that the AGN jets are efficiently coupled to the IGM gas. In conclusion, we find evidence of sloshing motions from both radio and X-ray structures, suggesting that NGC 1550 was perturbed by a minor merger or infalling galaxy about 33 Myr ago.
AlFoCS + Fornax3D: resolved star formation in the Fornax cluster with ALMA and MUSE
Authors: Zabel N , Davis T A , Sarzi M , Nedelchev Boris , Chevance M , Kruijssen J M Diederik , Iodice E , Baes M , Bendo G J , Corsini E Maria , De Looze I , de Zeeuw P Tim , Gadotti D A , Grossi M , Peletier R , Pinna F , Serra Paolo , van de Voort F , Venhola A , Viaene S , Vlahakis C
Published: May 2020

We combine data from ALMA and MUSE to study the resolved (∼300 pc scale) star formation relation (star formation rate, SFR, versus molecular gas surface density) in cluster galaxies. Our sample consists of nine Fornax cluster galaxies, including spirals, ellipticals, and dwarfs, covering a stellar mass range of ∼108.8–1011 M⊙. CO(1-0) and extinction corrected Hα were used as tracers for the molecular gas mass and SFR, respectively. We compare our results with Kennicutt and Bigiel et al. Furthermore, we create depletion time maps to reveal small-scale variations in individual galaxies. We explore these further in FCC290, using the ‘uncertainty principle for star formation’ (Kruijssen & Longmore) to estimate molecular cloud lifetimes, which we find to be short (<10 Myr) in this galaxy. Galaxy-averaged depletion times are compared with other parameters such as stellar mass and cluster-centric distance. We find that the star formation relation in the Fornax cluster is close to those from Kennicutt and Bigiel et al., but overlaps mostly with the shortest depletion times predicted by Bigiel et al. This slight decrease in depletion time is mostly driven by dwarf galaxies with disturbed molecular gas reservoirs close to the virial radius. In FCC90, a dwarf galaxy with a molecular gas tail, we find that depletion times are a factor ≳10 higher in its tail than in its stellar body.
Broad-band spectral analysis of LMXB XTE J1710−281 with Suzaku
Authors: Sharma Prince , Sharma Rahul , Jain Chetana , Dutta Anjan
Published: May 2020

This work presents the broad-band time-averaged spectral analysis of neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binary, XTE J1710−281 by using the Suzaku archival data. The source was in a hard or an intermediate spectral state during this observation. This is the first time that a detailed spectral analysis of the persistent emission spectra of XTE J1710−281 has been done up to 30 keV with improved constraints on its spectral parameters. By simultaneously fitting the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (0.6–9.0 keV) and the HXD-PIN (15.0–30.0 keV) data, we have modelled the persistent spectrum of the source with models comprising a soft component from accretion disc and/or NS surface/boundary layer and a hard Comptonizing component. The 0.6–30 keV continuum with neutral absorber can be described by a multicolour disc blackbody with an inner disc temperature of kTdisc = 0.28 keV, which is significantly Comptonized by the hot electron cloud with electron temperature of kTe ≈ 5 keV and described by photon index Γ = 1.86. A more complex three-component model comprising a multicolour disc blackbody ≈0.30 keV, single-temperature blackbody ≈0.65 keV, and Comptonization from the disc, partially absorbed (about 38 per cent) by an ionized absorber (log(ξ) ≈ 4) describes the broad-band spectrum equally well.
Upper boundaries of active galactic nucleus regions in optical diagnostic diagrams
Authors: Ji Xihan , Yan Renbin , Riffel Rogério , Drory Niv , Zhang Kai
Published: May 2020

The distribution of galaxies in optical diagnostic diagrams can provide information about their physical parameters when compared with ionization models under proper assumptions. By using a sample of central emitting regions from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory survey (MaNGA), we find evidence of the existence of upper boundaries for narrow-line regions (NLRs) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in optical Baldwin, Phillips & Terlevich (BPT) diagrams, especially in diagrams involving [S ii]λλ6716, 6731/Hα. Photoionization models can reproduce the boundaries well, as a consequence of the decrease of [S ii]λλ6716, 6731/Hα and [O iii]λ5007/Hβ ratios at very high metallicity. Whilst the exact location of the upper boundary in the [S ii] BPT diagram depends only weakly on the electron density of the ionized cloud and the secondary nitrogen prescription, its dependence on the shapes of the input spectral energy distributions (SEDs) is much stronger. This allows us to constrain the power-law index of the AGN SED between 1 Ryd and ∼100 Ryd to be less than or equal to −1.40 ± 0.05. The coverage of photoionization models in the [N ii] BPT diagram has a stronger dependence on the electron density and the secondary nitrogen prescription. With the density constrained by the [S ii] doublet ratio and the input SED constrained by the [S ii] BPT diagram, we find that the extent of the data in the [N ii] BPT diagram favours those prescriptions with high N/O ratios. Although shock-ionized clouds can produce line ratios similar to those from photoionization, the resulting shapes of the upper boundaries, if they exist, would likely be different from those of photoionizing origin.
Thermodynamics of dust condensation around the dimming Betelgeuse
Authors: Gupta Anuj , Sahijpal Sandeep
Published: May 2020

Betelgeuse is one of the brightest red supergiant (RSG) stars because of its proximity to the Solar system. This makes it important when deducing the features and evolutionary phases of RSG stars. Betelgeuse has always been a well-observed target but especially during the past year, because of the reduction in its brightness. It has been speculated that the star is in its last evolutionary stage(s), and that it is soon going to explode. However, in recent work, it has been proposed that the episodic mass loss and dust condensation around the star are major reasons for the reduction in its brightness. In this work, we have performed detailed thermodynamical equilibrium and non-equilibrium calculations of the condensation of dust grains around the cooling envelope of Betelgeuse. Based on the deduced chemical composition, we have ventured to determine the nature of dust that could condense in the stellar winds. The dust grains are essentially found to be oxides of Al, Ca and Ti, and silicates of Al, Ca, Mg and Fe-metal. Further, we have determined the normalized masses of the dust grains of various compositions that could be present around the star and could be causing the reduction in its brightness.
‘On the red supergiant problem’: a rebuttal, and a consensus on the upper mass cut-off for II-P progenitors
Authors: Davies Ben , Beasor Emma R
Published: May 2020

The ‘red supergiant (RSG) problem’ describes the claim that the brightest RSG progenitors to Type II-P supernovae (SNe) are significantly fainter than RSGs in the field. This mismatch has been interpreted by several authors as being a manifestation of the mass threshold for the production of black holes (BHs), such that stars with initial masses above a cut-off of Mhi = 17 M⊙ and below 25 M⊙ will die as RSGs, but with no visible SN explosion as the BH is formed. However, we have previously cautioned that this cut-off is more likely to be higher and has large uncertainties ($M_{\rm hi}=19^{+4}_{-2}\,\mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$), meaning that the statistical significance of the RSG problem is less than 2σ. Recently, Kochanek has claimed that our work is statistically flawed, and with his analysis has argued that the upper mass cut-off is as low as Mhi = 15.7 ± 0.8 M⊙, giving the RSG problem a significance of >10σ. In this letter, we show that Kochanek’s low cut-off is caused by a statistical misinterpretation, and the associated fit to the progenitor mass spectrum can be ruled out at the 99.6 per cent confidence level. Once this problem is remedied, Kochanek’s best fit becomes $M_{\rm hi} =19^{+4}_{-2}\,\mathrm{ M}_{\odot }$, in excellent agreement with our work. Finally, we argue that, in the search for an RSG ‘vanishing’ as it collapses directly to a BH, any such survey would have to operate for decades before the absence of any such detection became statistically significant.
Collagen Sequence Analysis Reveals Evolutionary History of Extinct West Indies Nesophontes (Island-Shrews)
Authors: Buckley Michael , Harvey Virginia L , Orihuela Johanset , Mychajliw Alexis M , Keating Joseph N , Milan Juan N Almonte , Lawless Craig , Chamberlain Andrew T , Egerton Victoria M , Manning Phillip L
Published: May 2020

Ancient biomolecule analyses are proving increasingly useful in the study of evolutionary patterns, including extinct organisms. Proteomic sequencing techniques complement genomic approaches, having the potential to examine lineages further back in time than achievable using ancient DNA, given the less stringent preservation requirements. In this study, we demonstrate the ability to use collagen sequence analyses via proteomics to assist species delimitation as a foundation for informing evolutionary patterns. We uncover biogeographic information of an enigmatic and recently extinct lineage of Nesophontes across their range on the Caribbean islands. First, evolutionary relationships reconstructed from collagen sequences reaffirm the affinity of Nesophontes and Solenodon as sister taxa within Solenodonota. This relationship helps lay the foundation for testing geographical isolation hypotheses across islands within the Greater Antilles, including movement from Cuba toward Hispaniola. Second, our results are consistent with Cuba having just two species of Nesophontes (N. micrus and N. major) that exhibit intrapopulation morphological variation. Finally, analysis of the recently described species from the Cayman Islands (N. hemicingulus) indicates that it is a closer relative to N. major rather than N. micrus as previously speculated. This proteomic sequencing improves our understanding of the origin, evolution, and distribution of this extinct mammal lineage, particularly with respect to the approximate timing of speciation. Such knowledge is vital for this biodiversity hotspot, where the magnitude of recent extinctions may obscure true estimates of species richness in the past.
ASTRAL-Pro: Quartet-Based Species-Tree Inference despite Paralogy
Authors: Zhang Chao , Scornavacca Celine , Molloy Erin K , Mirarab Siavash
Published: May 2020

Phylogenetic inference from genome-wide data (phylogenomics) has revolutionized the study of evolution because it enables accounting for discordance among evolutionary histories across the genome. To this end, summary methods have been developed to allow accurate and scalable inference of species trees from gene trees. However, most of these methods, including the widely used ASTRAL, can only handle single-copy gene trees and do not attempt to model gene duplication and gene loss. As a result, most phylogenomic studies have focused on single-copy genes and have discarded large parts of the data. Here, we first propose a measure of quartet similarity between single-copy and multicopy trees that accounts for orthology and paralogy. We then introduce a method called ASTRAL-Pro (ASTRAL for PaRalogs and Orthologs) to find the species tree that optimizes our quartet similarity measure using dynamic programing. By studying its performance on an extensive collection of simulated data sets and on real data sets, we show that ASTRAL-Pro is more accurate than alternative methods.
Use of the Coupler Microanastomotic Device for the Treatment of a Distal Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysm Via Excision and End-to-End Anastomosis—A Case Report
Authors: Goren Oded , Sampath Raghuram , Patel Akshal S , Griessenauer Christoph J , Schirmer Clemens M , Newell David W
Published: May 2020

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

The Coupler microanastomotic device (Medical Companies Alliance, Birmingham, Alabama) aims at facilitating safe and efficient end-to-end reconstruction of the native vessel ends following resection of intracranial aneurysms.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION

We report the first case of the Coupler device used to treat a ruptured posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm. Following aneurysmal trapping and excision, the native parent vessel ends were connected in an end-to-end fashion.

CONCLUSION

The microanastomotic Coupler device is an acceptable option for end-to-end anastomosis and was successfully applied in the management of a ruptured fusiform PICA aneurysm.
From Bench to Bedside, the Current State of Oncolytic Virotherapy in Pediatric Glioma
Authors: Soldozy Sauson , Skaff Anthony , Soldozy Kamron , Sokolowski Jennifer D , Norat Pedro , Yagmurlu Kaan , Sharifi Khadijeh A , Tvrdik Petr , Park Min S , Kalani M Yashar S , Jane John A , Syed Hasan R
Published: May 2020

Glioma continues to be a challenging disease process, making up the most common tumor type within the pediatric population. While low-grade gliomas are typically amenable to surgical resection, higher grade gliomas often require additional radiotherapy in conjunction with adjuvant chemotherapy. Molecular profiling of these lesions has led to the development of various pharmacologic and immunologic agents, although these modalities are not without great systemic toxicity. In addition, the molecular biology of adult glioma and pediatric glioma has been shown to differ substantially, making the application of current chemotherapies dubious in children and adolescents. For this reason, therapies with high tumor specificity based on pediatric tumor cell biology that spare healthy tissue are needed. Oncolytic virotherapy serves to fill this niche, as evidenced by renewed interest in this domain of cancer therapy. Initially discovered by chance in the early 20th century, virotherapy has emerged as a viable treatment option. With promising results based on preclinical studies, the authors review several oncolytic viruses, with a focus on molecular mechanism and efficacy of these viruses in tumor cell lines and murine models. In addition, current phase I clinical trials evaluating oncolytic virotherapy in the treatment of pediatric glioma are summarized.
Discretionary fiscal responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Devereux Michael P , Güçeri İrem , Simmler Martin , Tam Eddy H F
Published: May 2020

We analyse discretionary fiscal responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. We distinguish policies for three phases of the pandemic: (1) acute overall disruption, (2) initial recovery phase and (3) the longer term. We analyse measures already taken in (1) and consider measures relevant for (2). We distinguish between lump-sum subsidies, such as deferral of tax payments, which may ease financial constraints, and measures which intentionally affect incentives. We also identify factors that are important given the short-term nature of the measures.
Charged lepton flavor violating processes in neutrinophilic Higgs + seesaw model
Authors: Haba Naoyuki , Omija Tsuneharu , Yamada Toshifumi
Published: May 2020

We investigate charged lepton flavor violating (CLFV) processes in the “neutrinophilic Higgs + seesaw model”, in which right-handed neutrinos couple only with an extra Higgs field which develops a tiny vacuum expectation value and the right-handed neutrinos also have Majorana mass. The model realizes a seesaw mechanism around TeV scale without extremely small Dirac Yukawa couplings. A phenomenological feature of the model is CLFV processes induced by loop diagrams of the charged scalar particles and heavy neutrinos. Therefore, first we constrain the model’s parameter space from the search for $\mu\to e\gamma$. Next, we predict the branching ratios of other CLFV processes including the $\mu\to3e$, $\mu+{\rm Al}\to e+{\rm Al}$, $\mu+{\rm Ti}\to e+{\rm Ti}$, $Z\to e\mu$, $Z\to e\tau$, $Z\to \mu\tau$, $h\to e\tau$ and $h\to\mu\tau$ processes, and discuss their detectability in future experiments.
Attitudes toward Ethnocultural Diversity in Multilevel Political Communities: Comparing the Effect of National and Subnational Attachments in Canada
Authors: Bilodeau Antoine , Gagnon Audrey , White Stephen E , Turgeon Luc , Henderson Ailsa
Published: May 2020

It is well documented that the strength of national attachment relates to attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity, and that the direction of the relationship varies across national contexts. Yet, little attention has been given to the fact that attachments may not be expressed solely at the national level. In federal and multinational states, individuals can express attachment to the country and to its territorial units. This study investigates the relationship between (national and provincial) attachments and attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity in the Canadian federation. Our findings indicate that stronger attachments to Canada lead to more positive attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity in all provinces. They also demonstrate that provincial attachments relate to attitudes toward ethnocultural diversity both in a minority nation provincial context (Quebec) and in other provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan), but that the direction of this relationship can be of opposite direction than that for attachment to Canada.
Muriel Spark and the Art of Deception: Constructing Plausibility with the Methods of WWII Black Propaganda
Authors: Lopez Beatriz
Published: May 2020

From May to October 1944, Muriel Spark was employed by the Political Warfare Executive (PWE), a secret service created by Britain during the Second World War with the mission of spreading propaganda to enemy and enemy-occupied countries. This was a formative experience which allowed her to develop an understanding of literal truth as elusive and historically contingent—even a constructed effect—as well as an interest in fictional fabrication and deception. Drawing on an account of the methods of WWII British black propaganda, Spark’s biographical accounts, and heretofore untapped archival documents from the Political Warfare Executive Papers (National Archives), this essay analyses how Spark employs the fictional equivalent of the methods of WWII black propaganda in order to examine the creation of plausibility in her novels. It explores Spark’s deployment of verifiable facts, evidence, precise information, appropriate tone, narrative coherence, targeting, covert motives, chronological disruption and repetition to construct the key elements of fiction in her novels. I argue that such fictional strategies provide a political and moral antidote to totalitarian thinking by presenting reality as necessarily contingent, and therefore open to external contestation and democratic debate. Bringing together history, biography and literary criticism, this is the first systematic and archivally supported examination of how Spark’s work for the PWE opens up a way of rethinking her fascination with the art of deception.
Long-term outcome after perineural injection with 5% dextrose for carpal tunnel syndrome: a retrospective follow-up study
Authors: Li Tsung-Ying , Chen Si-Ru , Shen Yu-Ping , Chang Chih-Ya , Su Yu-Chi , Chen Liang-Cheng , Wu Yung-Tsan
Published: May 2020

Objective

Perineural injection therapy with 5% dextrose water is progressively becoming a mainstream method for treating carpal tunnel syndrome. However, its long-term outcome is still unknown. Hence, the purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the long-term outcome after perineural injection therapy using 5% dextrose water.

Methods

A total of 185 patients diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome at least 1 year post-therapy were enrolled. All the patients underwent ultrasound-guided perineural injection therapy using 10 ml of 5% dextrose water at the outpatient department. In a structured telephone interview, the patients were asked about the outcome post-therapy compared with pre-injection. A symptom relief ≥50% indicated effective outcome, and a symptom relief <50% was indicative of a poor outcome.

Results

In total, 88.6% patients reported an effective outcome, and 11.4% rated the outcome as poor, after a mean of 2.2 injections with a mean of 1–3 years’ post-injection follow-up. The outcome was significantly related with severity level, and the patients that reported a poor outcome had a significantly higher incidence of severe grade compared with those who reported an effective outcome (52.4% vs 31.7%, P = 0.03). Patients with mild, moderate and severe grades, respectively, required an average of 1.7 (0.1), 2.4 (0.2) and 2.6 (0.3) injections to reach an effective outcome (P = 0.006) (severe vs mild, P = 0.008; moderate vs mild, P = 0.062).

Conclusion

Perineural injection therapy is a novel approach for treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome with safe and outstanding long-term effects.
The role of right temporoparietal junction in processing social prediction error across relationship contexts
Authors: Park BoKyung , Fareri Dominic , Delgado Mauricio , Young Liane
Published: May 2020

How do people update their impressions of close others? Although people may be motivated to maintain their positive impressions, they may also update their impressions when their expectations are violated (i.e. prediction error). Combining neuroimaging and computational modeling, we test the hypothesis that brain regions associated with theory of mind, especially right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ), underpin both motivated impression maintenance and impression updating evoked by prediction error. Participants had money either given to or taken away from them by a friend or a stranger and were then asked to rate each partner on trustworthiness and closeness across trials. Overall, participants engaged in less impression updating for friends vs strangers. Decreased rTPJ activity in response to a friend’s negative behavior (taking money) was associated with reduced negative updating and increased positive ratings of the friend. However, to the extent that participants did update their impressions (more negative ratings) of friends, this behavioral pattern was explained by greater prediction error and greater rTPJ activity. These findings suggest that rTPJ recruitment represents the integration of prediction error signals and the capacity to overcome people’s motivation to maintain positive impressions of friends in the face of conflicting evidence.
The antioxidant defense system in Chinese jujube is triggered to cope with phytoplasma invasion
Authors: Xue Chaoling , Liu Zhiguo , Wang Lihu , Li Hongtai , Gao Weilin , Liu Mengjun , Zhao Zhihui , Zhao Jin
Published: May 2020

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants increase dramatically under pathogen attack, and the antioxidant defense system is then triggered to protect the plant against the ROS. Jujube witches’ broom disease (JWB), caused by phytoplasma, is a destructive disease of Chinese jujube. The results of fluorescence-based measurement revealed that ROS were overproduced within jujube leaves after phytoplasma invasion. Furthermore, analysis based on mRNA and metabolite levels revealed that ascorbic acid (AsA) metabolism was strengthened under phytoplasma stress. The high expression of genes involved in the AsA/glutathione (GSH) cycle and thioredoxin (Trx) synthesis in diseased leaves indicated that GSH and Trx actively respond to phytoplasma infection. Moreover, higher activities of enzymatic antioxidants and the upregulated expression of related genes were confirmed in diseased tissues. Both nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants in the host jujube were strongly stimulated to cope with ROS caused by phytoplasma stress. Compared with that in the susceptible variety, the activities of glutathione S-transferase and peroxidase in the resistant variety at the earlier infection stage were higher, indicating that enzymes might be involved in the resistance to phytoplasma. These results highlight the roles of the antioxidant defense system of the host plant in the tolerance to phytoplasma invasion.
A phylogeny for AfricanPipistrellusspecies with the description of a new species from West Africa (Mammalia: Chiroptera)
Authors: Monadjem Ara , Richards Leigh R , Decher Jan , Hutterer Rainer , Mamba Mnqobi L , Guyton Jen , Naskrecki Piotr , Markotter Wanda , Wipfler Benjamin , Kropff Anna S , Dalton Desire L
Published: May 2020

Pipistrelloid bats are among the most poorly known bats in Africa, a status no doubt exacerbated by their small size, drab brown fur and general similarity in external morphology. The systematic relationships of these bats have been a matter of debate for decades, and despite some recent molecular studies, much confusion remains. Adding to the confusion has been the recent discovery of numerous new species. Using two mitochondrial genes, we present a phylogeny for this group that supports the existence of three main clades in Africa: Pipistrellus, Neoromicia and the recently described Parahypsugo. However, the basal branches of the tree are poorly supported. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we describe a new species of Pipistrellus sp. nov. from West Africa, which has been cited as Pipistrellus cf. grandidieri in the literature. We demonstrate that it is not closely related to Pipistrellus grandidieri from East Africa, but instead is sister to Pipistrellus hesperidus. Furthermore, the species Pi. grandidieri appears to be embedded in the newly described genus Parahypsugo, and is therefore better placed in that genus than in Pipistrellus. This has important taxonomic implications, because a new subgenus (Afropipistrellus) described for Pi. grandidieri predates Parahypsugo and should therefore be used for the entire “Parahypsugo” clade. The Upper Guinea rainforest zone, and particularly the upland areas in the south-eastern Guinea—northern Liberia border region may represent a global hotspot for pipistrelloid bats and should receive increased conservation focus as a result.
Renal Angiomyolipoma: What the Radiologist Needs to Know
Authors: Rajebi Hamid , Katabathina Venkata
Published: May 2020

Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is the most common benign solid renal neoplasm seen in daily clinical practice, with an estimated prevalence of 0.2% to 0.6%.1 It is a triphasic mesenchymal neoplasm composed of varying amounts of dysmorphic vasculature, smooth muscle, and mature adipocytes. Pathologically, AML is now considered among the family of perivascular epithelioid cell tumors. Approximately 80% of cases are sporadic, with mean age at presentation being 43 years and most cases identified at fourth to sixth decades of life. There is also a strong female predilection, with female-to-male ratio of 4:1 in sporadic cases.1 Twenty percent of cases are associated with tuberous sclerosis (TS). Of note, AMLs may also be found in patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis. AMLs are often found incidentally in imaging done for other purposes, but if symptomatic, they present most frequently with retroperitoneal hemorrhage, which can be fatal. The shock due to severe hemorrhage from rupture has been described in the literature as Wunderlich syndrome. Patients may present with multiple other symptoms and signs, including palpable mass, flank pain, hematuria, or renal failure. Although AML is almost always benign, a rare potentially malignant variant named epithelioid angiomyolipoma is described, which may mimic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).2
Silencing of CEBPB-AS1 modulates CEBPB expression and resensitizes BRAF-inhibitor resistant melanoma cells to vemurafenib
Authors: Vidarsdottir Linda , Fernandes Rita Valador , Zachariadis Vasilios , Das Ishani , Edsbäcker Elin , Sigvaldadottir Ingibjorg , Azimi Alireza , Höiom Veronica , Hansson Johan , Grandér Dan , Egyházi Brage Suzanne , Pokrovskaja Tamm Katja
Published: May 2020

Introduction of targeted therapy in the treatment of metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) has improved clinical outcome during the last years. However, only in a subset of the CMM patients, this will lead to long-term effects. CEBPB is a transcription factor that has been implicated in various physiological and pathological processes, including cancer development. We have investigated its prognostic impact on CMM and unexpectedly found that higher CEBPB mRNA levels correlated with a longer overall survival. Furthermore, in a small cohort of patients with metastatic CMM treated with BRAF-inhibitors, higher levels of CEBPB mRNA expression in the tumor cells prior treatment correlated to a longer progression-free survival. We have characterized an overlapping antisense transcript, CEBPB-AS1, with the aim to investigate the regulation of CEBPB expression in CMM and its impact on BRAF-inhibitor sensitivity. We demonstrated that silencing of CEBPB-AS1 resulted in epigenetic modifications in the CEBPB promoter and in increased CEBPB mRNA and protein levels, inhibited proliferation and partially resensitized BRAF-inhibitor resistant CMM cells to this drug-induced apoptosis. Our data suggest that targeting CEBPB-AS1 may represent a valuable tool to sensitize CMM cells to the BRAF-inhibitor-based therapies.