bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current improvement in substrate structured Sb2S3 solar cells with MoSe2 interlayer*
Authors: Liu Lu , Zhang Sheng-Li , Wu Jian-Yu , Wang Wei-Huang , Liu Wei , Wu Li , Zhang Yi
Published: March 2020

Sb2S3 solar cells with substrate structure usually suffer from pretty low short circuit current (J
SC) due to the defects and poor carrier transport. The Sb2S3, as a one-dimensional material, exhibits orientation-dependent carrier transport property. In this work, a thin MoSe2 layer is directly synthesized on the Mo substrate followed by depositing the Sb2S3 thin film. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm that a thin MoSe2 layer can improve the crystallization of the Sb2S3 film and induce (hk1) orientations, which can provide more carrier transport channels. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) results suggest that this modified Sb2S3 film has a benign surface with less defects and dangling bonds. The variation of the surface potential of Sb2S3 indicates a much more efficient carrier separation. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the substrate structured Sb2S3 thin film solar cell is improved from 1.36 % to 1.86 %, which is the best efficiency of the substrate structured Sb2S3 thin film solar cell, and J
SC significantly increases to 13.6 mA/cm2. According to the external quantum efficiency (EQE) and C–V measurements, the modified crystallization and elevated built-in electric field are the main causes.
A double win: new pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve water quality in New Zealand
Authors: Fernandez Mario A , Daigneault Adam J
Published: March 2020

This paper explores potential land-sector policies and practices that could help meet New Zealand’s 2030 Paris Agreement target of reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 30% from 2005 levels while simultaneous achieving improvements in freshwater quality. We use an integrated model of the country’s agricultural and forestry sectors to explore the economic and environmental outcomes for 21 freshwater and climate change policy alternatives and mitigation target scenarios. The agri-environmental model estimates are then included in a multidimensional decision space framework that incorporates the risk attitude of policy-makers and uses an ordered weighting average model to evaluate potential policy pathways. We find policies that feature afforestation of marginal land are often preferred over because they provide a range of co-benefits such as carbon sequestration and reduced sedimentation and nutrient loss at relatively low cost. On the contrary, policies that only target a specific practice or pollutant are often less preferred because they fail to provide ample spill overs relative to their cost savings.
Solidification microstructure of Cu–Cr and Cu–Cr-In alloys
Authors: Zhu Yunqing , Liao Jinfa , Chen Huiming , Wang Hang , Yang Bin
Published: March 2020

Solidification microstructure of Cu–Cr and Cu–Cr-In alloys has been characterized using scanning electron microscopy in the present work. Thermodynamic database has been established for the Cu–Cr binary system and Cu–Cr-In ternary system. Solidification behaviors of the two alloys have been simulated using the thermodynamic parameters based on Scheil model. The results show that the primary Cr phases with long and thin dendrites can be observed between Cu matrix grains for the Cu–Cr alloy, and the ‘flower-like’ coarsen dendrites primary Cr phases of the Cu–Cr-In alloy exist in the triangular grain boundary areas. The weight percent of indium element in the liquid phase of the Cu–Cr-In alloy during solidification continuously increases up. This will enlarge the solidification temperature range from 6 °C to 214 °C resulting in longer time for the dendrite growth and the alloying element indium with low melting point tends to segregate to the grain boundary region.
It’s (Not) All Good, Man:Better Call Sauland the Nostalgic Reconstruction of an Ever-Longing Character
Authors: Tedesco-Barlocco Brunella
Published: March 2020

Constantly faced with the lives they cannot lead, Saul Goodman’s alter-egos in Better Call Saul, Jimmy and Gene, are defined by a longing, a nostalgic desire for past identities displayed as recursive through the different periods of his life. Nonetheless, character construction is not the only locus of nostalgia within the universe of Better Call Saul: its condition as an audiovisual multiplicity (being a spin-off and a prequel) entails a nostalgia of its own towards the narrative and aesthetic devices of the Breaking Bad series, from which it stems. Thus, through character and narrative analysis, this essay will ascertain the resources behind Better Call Saul’s configuration as a series that establishes a dialogue with memories of diegetic and televisual pasts.
Participation in Multiparty Language Play: Navigating Sociability and Learning in Dinnertime Conversations
Authors: Moody Stephen J , Tsuchiya Shinsuke
Published: March 2020

This study examines participation in language play (LP) during spontaneous multiparty talk in a Foreign Language Housing (FLH) program. FLH programs represent hybrid spaces where talk emerges naturally for social reasons but is framed under an institutional purpose for language learning. Given its multifunctional ability to simultaneously coordinate both sociable humor and learning-in-interaction, LP emerges as a salient resource in such dual-purpose environments. Using a multimodal Conversation Analysis of two extended sequences of LP during mealtime conversations, this study analyzes how FLH participants deploy verbal and embodied resources to organize participation in LP. It then illustrates how these strategies dynamically orient to sociability and learning, thereby constructing a hybrid social-and-learning interactional space. As prior studies of LP and learning draw primarily from classroom dyadic conversations, this study sheds additional light on the role of LP in regulating multiparty social talk, with application to understanding the interactional organization of informal immersion-based language learning programs.
Low carbohydrate diets containing soy protein and fish oil slow the growth of established NNK-induced lung tumors
Authors: Elisia Ingrid , Hay Mariah , Cho Brandon , Yeung Michelle , Kowalski Sara , Wong Jennifer , Lam Vivian , Larsen Meegan , Krystal Gerald
Published: March 2020

We recently found that a diet composed of 15% of total calories as carbohydrate (CHO), primarily as amylose, 35% soy protein and 50% fat, primarily as fish oil (FO) (15%Amylose/Soy/FO) was highly effective at preventing lung nodule formation in a nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK)-induced lung cancer model. We asked herein whether adopting such a diet once cancers are established might also be beneficial. To test this, NNK-induced lung nodules were established in mice on a Western diet and the mice were then either kept on a Western diet or switched to various low CHO diets. Since we previously found that sedentary mice develop more lung nodules than active mice, we also compared the effect of exercise in this cancer progression model. We found that switching to a 15%Amylose/Soy/FO diet reduced lung nodules and slowed tumor growth with both ‘active’ and ‘sedentary’ mice. Ki67, cleaved caspase 3 and Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase-Mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling assays suggested that the efficacy of the 15%Amylose/Soy/FO in lowering tumor nodule count and size was not due to a reduction in tumor cell proliferation, but to an increase in apoptosis. The 15%Amylose/Soy/FO diet also significantly lowered liver fatty acid synthase and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 expression, pointing to a global metabolic switch from glycolysis to fatty acid oxidation. Mice fed the 15%Amylose/Soy/FO diet also had significantly reduced plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor α. These results suggest that the 15%Amylose/Soy/FO diet may slow tumor growth by suppressing proinflammatory cytokines, inducing a metabolic switch away from glycolysis and inducing apoptosis in tumors.
Rab27B enhances drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma by promoting exosome-mediated drug efflux
Authors: Li Rui , Dong Chengyong , Jiang Keqiu , Sun Rui , Zhou Yang , Yin Zeli , Lv Jiaxin , Zhang Junlin , Wang Qi , Wang Liming
Published: March 2020

Liver cancer is a major threat to human life and health, and chemotherapy has been the standard non-surgical treatment for liver cancer. However, the emergence of drug resistance of liver cancer cells has hindered the therapeutic effect of chemical drugs. The discovery of exosomes has provided new insights into the mechanisms underlying tumour cell resistance. In this study, we aimed to determine the proteins associated with drug resistance in tumour cells and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. We found that Rab27B expression in drug (5-fluorouracil, 5Fu)-resistant Bel7402 (Bel/5Fu) cells increased significantly compared with that in drug-sensitive Bel7402 cells. In addition, Bel/5Fu cells secreted more exosomes under 5Fu stimulation. The number of exosomes secreted by Bel/5Fu cells significantly reduced after knocking down Rab27B, and the cellular concentration of 5Fu increased, enhancing its therapeutic effect. We also found that the administration of classical drug efflux pump (P-glycoprotein, P-gp) inhibitors together with knockdown of Rab27B further improved the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy drugs. In conclusion, our findings suggest that Rab27B could be a new therapeutic target in liver cancer.
Jus Cogens Versus the Chapter VII Powers of the Security Council: With Particular References to Humanitarian Intervention and Terrorism
Authors: Lemos Miguel
Published: March 2020

The idea of the hierarchical superiority of jus cogens norms in relation to all other norms or actions has gained track. Hence, today, the widely held view is that even decisions of the Security Council cannot contravene imperative norms. This runs counter to the indispensable powers of this organ to do whatever it takes to maintain peace. The argument is that the Security Council can, in the face of a threat or breach of peace, one that, in extremis, has the potential to eradicate the human race, take or authorise necessary action even if this action collides with jus cogens. Such decisions of the Security Council may target every single world entity or individual. Moreover, the world peace body can also legislate and create peremptory norms that are binding upon the whole world. This Article fleshes out the constitutional framework in which the exercise of these powers should be understood and uses as illustrations the old alleged right of humanitarian intervention and the new jus cogens crime of terrorism.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Experienced Clinician Workforce Capacity: Urban–Rural Disparities in the Southern United States
Authors: Bono Rose S , Dahman Bassam , Sabik Lindsay M , Yerkes Lauren E , Deng Yangyang , Belgrave Faye Z , Nixon Daniel E , Rhodes Anne G , Kimmel April D
Published: March 2020

Background

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–experienced clinicians are critical for positive outcomes along the HIV care continuum. However, access to HIV-experienced clinicians may be limited, particularly in nonmetropolitan areas, where HIV is increasing. We examined HIV clinician workforce capacity, focusing on HIV experience and urban–rural differences, in the Southern United States.

Methods

We used Medicaid claims and clinician characteristics (Medicaid Analytic eXtract [MAX] and MAX Provider Characteristics, 2009–2011), county-level rurality (National Center for Health Statistics, 2013), and diagnosed HIV cases (AIDSVu, 2014) to assess HIV clinician capacity in 14 states. We assumed that clinicians accepting Medicaid approximated the region’s HIV workforce, since three-quarters of clinicians accept Medicaid insurance. HIV-experienced clinicians were defined as those providing care to ≥ 10 Medicaid enrollees over 3 years. We assessed HIV workforce capacity with county-level clinician-to-population ratios, using Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests to compare urban–rural differences.

Results

We identified 5012 clinicians providing routine HIV management, of whom 28% were HIV-experienced. HIV-experienced clinicians were more likely to specialize in infectious diseases (48% vs 6%, P < .001) and practice in urban areas (96% vs 83%, P < .001) compared to non–HIV-experienced clinicians. The median clinician-to-population ratio for all HIV clinicians was 13.3 (interquartile range, 38.0), with no significant urban–rural differences. When considering HIV experience, 81% of counties had no HIV-experienced clinicians, and rural counties generally had fewer HIV-experienced clinicians per 1000 diagnosed HIV cases (P < .001).

Conclusions

Significant urban–rural disparities exist in HIV-experienced workforce capacity for communities in the Southern United States. Policies to improve equity in access to HIV-experienced clinical care for both urban and rural communities are urgently needed.
Environmental change, risk and vulnerability: poverty, food insecurity and HIV/AIDS amid infrastructural development and climate change in Southern Africa
Authors: Braun Yvonne A
Published: March 2020

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is a transnational multi-dam infrastructural development project to sell water from Lesotho to South Africa. Based on field and secondary research in Lesotho, I demonstrate how infrastructural projects such as the LHWP shape a geography of risk and become a medium through which riskscapes are created or exacerbated in both South Africa and Lesotho. Project-induced changes interacted with and intensified co-occurring vulnerabilities for communities directly and indirectly affected by the LHWP over time. I focus specifically on risks to livelihood, food insecurity and health, within the context of increased climatic shocks in the region.
Follicular regulatory helper T cells control the response of regulatory B cells to a high-cholesterol diet
Authors: Burger Fabienne , Miteva Kapka , Baptista Daniela , Roth Aline , Fraga-Silva Rodrigo A , Martel Catherine , Stergiopulos Nikolaos , Mach François , Brandt Karim J
Published: March 2020

Aims

B cell functions in the process of atherogenesis have been investigated but several aspects remain to be clarified.

Methods and results

In this study, we show that follicular regulatory helper T cells (TFR) control regulatory B cell (BREG) populations in Apoe−/− mice models on a high-cholesterol diet (HCD). Feeding mice with HCD resulted in up-regulation of TFR and BREG cell populations, causing the suppression of proatherogenic follicular helper T cell (TFH) response. TFH cell modulation is correlated with the growth of atherosclerotic plaque size in thoracoabdominal aortas and aortic root plaques, suggesting that TFR cells are atheroprotective. During adoptive transfer experiments, TFR cells transferred into HCD mice decreased TFH cell populations, atherosclerotic plaque size, while BREG cell population and lymphangiogenesis are significantly increased.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that, through different strategies, both TFR and TFH cells modulate anti- and pro-atherosclerotic immune processes in an Apoe−/− mice model since TFR cells are able to regulate both TFH and BREG cell populations as well as lymphangiogenesis and lipoprotein metabolism.
Community curation in PomBase: enabling fission yeast experts to provide detailed, standardized, sharable annotation from research publications
Authors: Lock Antonia , Harris Midori A , Rutherford Kim , Hayles Jacqueline , Wood Valerie
Published: March 2020

Maximizing the impact and value of scientific research requires efficient knowledge distribution, which increasingly depends on the integration of standardized published data into online databases. To make data integration more comprehensive and efficient for fission yeast research, PomBase has pioneered a community curation effort that engages publication authors directly in FAIR-sharing of data representing detailed biological knowledge from hypothesis-driven experiments. Canto, an intuitive online curation tool that enables biologists to describe their detailed functional data using shared ontologies, forms the core of PomBase’s system. With 8 years’ experience, and as the author response rate reaches 50%, we review community curation progress and the insights we have gained from the project. We highlight incentives and nudges we deploy to maximize participation, and summarize project outcomes, which include increased knowledge integration and dissemination as well as the unanticipated added value arising from co-curation by publication authors and professional curators.
Causes and Prognosis of Intestinal Failure in Crohn’s Disease: An 18-year Experience From a National Centre
Authors: Soop Mattias , Khan Haroon , Nixon Emma , Teubner Antje , Abraham Arun , Carlson Gordon , Lal Simon
Published: March 2020

Background and Aims

Intestinal failure [IF] is a feared complication of Crohn’s disease [CD]. Although cumulative loss of small bowel due to bowel resections is thought to be the dominant cause, the causes and outcomes have not been reported.

Methods

Consecutive adult patients referred to a national intestinal failure unit over 2000–2018 with a diagnosis of CD, and subsequently treated with parenteral nutrition during at least 12 months, were included in this longitudinal cohort study. Data were extracted from a prospective institutional clinical database and patient records.

Results

A total of 121 patients were included. Of these, 62 [51%] of patients developed IF as a consequence of abdominal sepsis complicating abdominal surgery; small bowel resection, primary disease activity, and proximal stoma were less common causes [31%, 12%, and 6%, respectively]. Further, 32 had perianastomotic sepsis, and 15 of those had documented risk factors for anastomotic dehiscence. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, 40% of all patients regained nutritional autonomy within 10 years and none did subsequently; 14% of patients developed intestinal failure-associated liver disease. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, projected mean age of death was 74 years.2

Conclusions

IF is a severe complication of CD, with 60% of patients permanently dependent on parenteral nutrition. The most frequent event leading directly to IF was a septic complication following abdominal surgery, in many cases following intestinal anastomosis in the presence of significant risk factors for anastomotic dehiscence. A reduced need for abdominal surgery, an increased awareness of perioperative risk factors, and structured pre-operative optimisation may reduce the incidence of IF in CD.
Conceiving MitraClip as a tool: percutaneous edge-to-edge repair in complex mitral valve anatomies
Authors: Gavazzoni Mara , Taramasso Maurizio , Zuber Michel , Russo Giulio , Pozzoli Alberto , Miura Mizuki , Maisano Francesco
Published: March 2020

Improvements in procedural technique and intra-procedural imaging have progressively expanded the indications of percutaneous edge-to-edge technique. To date in higher volume centres and by experienced operators MitraClip is used for the treatment of complex anatomies and challenging cases in high risk-inoperable patients. This progressive step is superimposable to what observed in surgery for edge-to-edge surgery (Alfieri’s technique). Moreover, the results of clinical studies on the treatment of patients with high surgical risk and functional mitral insufficiency have confirmed that the main goal to be achieved for improving clinical outcomes of patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) is the reduction of MR itself. The MitraClip should therefore be considered as a tool to achieve this goal in addition to medical therapy. Nowadays, evaluation of patient’s candidacy to MitraClip procedure, discussed in local Heart Team, must take into account not only the clinical features of patients but even the experience of the operators and the volume of the centre, which are mostly related to the probability to achieve good procedural results. This ‘relative feasibility’ of challenges cases by experienced operators should always been taken into account in selecting patients for MitraClip. Here, we present a review of the literature available on the treatment of complex and challenging lesions.
Mechanical or chemical and mechanical pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax: what is the most effective approach in preventing recurrence? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Asban Ammar , Raza Syed Sikandar , McLeod Chandler , Donahue James , Wei Benjamin
Published: March 2020

OBJECTIVES

Surgical management of spontaneous pneumothorax typically involves wedge resection and mechanical pleurodesis. It is unclear whether combining mechanical and chemical pleurodesis can further reduce the recurrence rate. We have performed a meta-analysis of studies comparing the combined approach with mechanical pleurodesis alone.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of the existing literature was performed using PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science for all types of studies that compared combined pleurodesis to a single approach. We used the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and Strengthening The Reporting of OBservational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) to assess the quality of the studies. Relative risk of pneumothorax recurrence was calculated, and the differences between the studies were examined. The primary outcome was the recurrence of pneumothorax.

RESULTS

Of 2301 eligible studies, 5 studies were included. Five hundred sixty-one patients who received combined pleurodesis were compared to 286 patients who received mechanical pleurodesis only. Patients treated with combined intervention had a 63% lower risk of developing a recurrent pneumothorax compared to single intervention [relative risk 0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18–0.76; P = 0.006]. There were no statistically significant differences in the length of stay (standardized mean difference −0.17, 95% CI −0.39 to 0.05, P = 0.138), the duration of postoperative air leak (standardized mean difference 0.17, 95% CI −1.14 to 1.47, P = 0.804) or the duration of postoperative chest tube drainage (standardized mean difference −0.07, 95% CI −0.27 to 0.12, P = 0.471).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis demonstrated that combined intervention with mechanical and chemical pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax may be more effective in preventing recurrence than mechanical pleurodesis alone. These findings will provide some guidance to surgeons in the decision-making process.
Anger and long-term mortality and ventricular arrhythmias in patients with a first-time implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: data from the MIDAS study
Authors: Pedersen Susanne S , Andersen Christina Maar , Burg Matthew , Theuns Dominic A M J
Published: March 2020

Aims

Psychosocial factors increase risk for incident heart disease and poor prognosis. In patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), negative emotions have been associated with increased mortality risk, although the association with ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) is less consistent. Anger has been linked to incident ICD shocks, but no prospective study has examined the association of anger (state and trait) with mortality or VAs in the ICD population. In a consecutively recruited cohort of first-time ICD patients, we examined the association of state and trait anger with 7-year mortality risk and time to first VA.

Methods and results

A consecutive cohort of patients implanted with a first-time ICD (n = 388; 80% men) between 2003 and 2010 completed the State-Trait Anger Scale and were followed for 7 years. Outcomes were mortality and time to first appropriate ICD therapy. State anger at the time of implant was associated with increased mortality risk in adjusted analyses, with a 1-point increase in score on the state anger measures associated with a 5% [hazard ratio 1.05; 95% confidence interval 1.01–1.09; P = 0.015] increased 7-year mortality risk. We found no statistically significant differences in mortality risk for trait anger, nor an effect for state or trait anger on time to first treated VA (all ps > 0.05).

Conclusion

This is the first study to examine the association of state and trait anger with long-term clinical outcomes in ICD patients. Evaluating anger reduction strategies in newly implanted ICD patients, such as self-regulation or mindfulness techniques, may be warranted for reducing mortality risk.
Elucidation of the rhizosphere microbiome linked to Spartina alterniflora phenotype in a salt marsh on Skidaway Island, Georgia, USA
Authors: Kolton Max , Rolando José L , Kostka Joel E
Published: March 2020

Smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora, dominates salt marshes on the east coast of the United States. While the physicochemical cues affecting S. alterniflora productivity have been studied intensively, the role of plant–microbe interactions in ecosystem functioning remains poorly understood. Thus, in this study, the effects of S. alterniflora phenotype on the composition of archaeal, bacterial, diazotrophic and fungal communities were investigated. Overall, prokaryotic communities were more diverse and bacteria were more abundant in the areas colonized by the tall plant phenotype in comparison to those of short plant phenotype. Diazotrophic methanogens (Methanomicrobia) preferentially colonized the area of the short plant phenotype. Putative iron-oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria and sulfur-oxidizing Campylobacteria were identified as indicator species in the rhizosphere of tall and short plant phenotypes, respectively. Finally, while diazotrophic populations shaped microbial interactions in the areas colonized by the tall plant phenotype, fungal populations filled this role in the areas occupied by the short plant phenotype. The results here demonstrate that S. alterniflora phenotype and proximity to the root zone are selective forces dictating microbial community assembly. Results further reveal that reduction–oxidation chemistry is a major factor driving the selection of belowground microbial populations in salt marsh habitats.
The response of soil and phyllosphere microbial communities to repeated application of the fungicide iprodione: accelerated biodegradation or toxicity?
Authors: Katsoula A , Vasileiadis S , Sapountzi M , Karpouzas Dimitrios G
Published: March 2020

Pesticides interact with microorganisms in various ways with the outcome being negative or positive for the soil microbiota. Pesticides' effects on soil microorganisms have been studied extensively in soil but not in other pesticides-exposed microbial habitats like the phyllosphere. We tested the hypothesis that soil and phyllosphere support distinct microbial communities, but exhibit a similar response (accelerated biodegradation or toxicity) to repeated exposure to the fungicide iprodione. Pepper plants received four repeated foliage or soil applications of iprodione, which accelerated its degradation in soil (DT50_1st = 1.23 and DT50_4th = 0.48 days) and on plant leaves (DT50_1st > 365 and DT50_4th = 5.95 days). The composition of the epiphytic and soil bacterial and fungal communities, determined by amplicon sequencing, was significantly altered by iprodione. The archaeal epiphytic and soil communities responded differently; the former showed no response to iprodione. Three iprodione-degrading Paenarthrobacter strains were isolated from soil and phyllosphere. They hydrolyzed iprodione to 3,5-dichloraniline via the formation of 3,5-dichlorophenyl-carboxiamide and 3,5-dichlorophenylurea-acetate, a pathway shared by other soil-derived arthrobacters implying a phylogenetic specialization in iprodione biotransformation. Our results suggest that iprodione-repeated application could affect soil and epiphytic microbial communities with implications for the homeostasis of the plant–soil system and agricultural production.
Association of the prophage BTP1 and the prophage-encoded gene,bstA, with antivirulence ofSalmonellaTyphimurium ST313
Authors: Spiegelhauer Malene R , García Vanesa , Guerra Priscila R , Olsen John E , Herrero-Fresno Ana
Published: March 2020

The prophage BTP1 is highly conserved among strains of the pathogenic lineage Salmonella Typhimurium ST313. We aimed to analyze the role of BTP1 and the gene bstA(BTP1-encoded) in virulence of S. Typhimurium D23580, the ST313 lineage 2 reference strain. The deletion mutant D23580ΔbstA showed significantly higher replication and survival rates within human-derived THP-1 macrophages than the wild-type (WT) strain, while the mutant isolate ΔBTP1, lacking the full prophage, did not significantly differ from the WT. Interestingly, during mice infection, ΔBTP1 yielded significantly higher counts in all tested organs [spleens, livers and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN)] than the WT, and organs were significantly enlarged compared to WT-infected animals. D23580ΔbstA significantly outcompeted the WT during competitive infection of mice, and yielded significantly enlarged spleens and MLN compared to WT-infected animals during single strain infection. Moreover, increased cellular infiltration and focal necrosis were observed in the liver samples of mice infected with D23580ΔbstA and ΔBTP1 compared to WT-infected animals. In conclusion, removal of the gene bstA and the prophage BTP1 in S. Typhimurium D23580 led to increased virulence in mice, demonstrating that bstA is an antivirulence gene.
Divergence-Based Introgression Polarization
Authors: Forsythe Evan S , Sloan Daniel B , Beilstein Mark A
Published: March 2020

Introgressive hybridization results in the transfer of genetic material between species, often with fitness implications for the recipient species. The development of statistical methods for detecting the signatures of historical introgression in whole-genome data has been a major area of focus. Although existing techniques are able to identify the taxa that exchanged genes during introgression using a four-taxon system, most methods do not explicitly distinguish which taxon served as donor and which as recipient during introgression (i.e., polarization of introgression directionality). Existing methods that do polarize introgression are often only able to do so when there is a fifth taxon available and that taxon is sister to one of the taxa involved in introgression. Here, we present divergence-based introgression polarization (DIP), a method for polarizing introgression using patterns of sequence divergence across whole genomes, which operates in a four-taxon context. Thus, DIP can be applied to infer the directionality of introgression when additional taxa are not available. We use simulations to show that DIP can polarize introgression and identify potential sources of bias in the assignment of directionality, and we apply DIP to a well-described hominin introgression event.
The magnetization of the ocean floor: stress and fracturing of titanomagnetite particles by low-temperature oxidation
Authors: Fabian Karl , Shcherbakov Valera P
Published: March 2020

The natural remanent magnetization (NRM) of the ocean floor is carried by titanomagnetite grains that undergo low-temperature oxidation after initial cooling. Progressing oxidation is known to generate shrinkage cracks in grains larger than approximately 5 μm, and is suspected to control the long wavelength variation of NRM-intensity across the ocean floor. Here we develop a quantitative theory of single-phase oxidation and crack formation by solving the vacancy-diffusion equation that describes the oxidation process for spherical titanomagnetite particles, where the diffusion coefficient strongly decreases with vacancy concentration. The latter dependence has been experimentally demonstrated and is essential to explain the peculiarities of the observed variations of oxidation-degree with ocean-floor age. The calculated diffusion profiles provide the exact stress distributions inside oxidized titanomagnetite spheres, and predict a size limit for shrinkage-crack formation that agrees with microscopic observations of crack appearance in ocean-floor basalt samples. The new diffusion model provides a unified explanation of long-known experimental facts that (1) temperatures for the onset of low-temperature oxidation during laboratory heating are theoretically estimated as 200–400 ○C, depending on grain size and (2) that heating to 400–500 ○C is required to obtain a sufficiently high degree of oxidation z ≈ 0.8 for the development of high-temperature exsolution lamellae. Calculations for ocean-floor conditions quantitatively suggest that a rapid decrease of NRM intensity during the first 40 ka results from a deflection of magnetization by strong stresses that emerge in titanomagnetite grains of subcritical sizes, and randomization of domain-state by crack formation in larger grains.
Interannual glacier and lake mass changes over Scandinavia from GRACE
Authors: Jiao Jiashuang , Zhang Yongzhi , Bilker-Koivula Mirjam , Poutanen Markku , Yin Peng , Zhang Yingnan
Published: March 2020

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite gravimetry observations have been widely used in the study of glaciers. However, there is still no detailed GRACE-based study of the glaciers over the Scandinavian Mountains (SCAMs), where the glaciers are debris-covered and the effects of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) are significant. In this paper, GRACE observations are combined with climate data to analyse interannual mass changes in glacier and lake areas over Scandinavia during the period from 2003 to 2016. An inversion algorithm, the constrained forward modelling method, is used to recover the signals of glaciers and lakes from GRACE observations. Our results show that the total glacier mass loss rate over Scandinavia is –1.0 ± 1.1 Gt yr–1 during our study period. We find that the glacier accumulation regime in different subregions of the SCAMs may be different. The glacier mass change in the central SCAMs tends to be mainly driven by precipitation. Two rapid transitions from dry/wet years to wet/dry years in the lake area in south Scandinavia are identified by multiple data. The transitions are likely caused by changes in atmospheric circulation, that is surface wind. The mass changes of Scandinavia can be primarily explained by the influence of winds. We find that the glacier area is controlled by both the northerly and southerly winds, while the lake area is mainly driven by the southerly winds. This discrepancy leads to the different mechanisms of mass change in glacier and lake areas. We also discuss the influence of GIA, and suggest that the GRACE-derived long-term hydrology trends over Scandinavia may be unreliable and need to be verified. Our study indicates that GRACE data have potential in detecting small-scale glacier changes.
Strengthening mental health services in Sierra Leone: perspectives from within the health system
Authors: Fitts Jessica J , Gegbe Fatmata , Aber Mark S , Kaitibi Daniel , Yokie Musa Aziz
Published: March 2020

Though mental and substance use disorders are a leading cause of disability worldwide, mental health systems are vastly under-resourced in most low- and middle-income countries and the majority of people with serious mental health needs receives no formal treatment. Despite international calls for the integration of mental health into routine care, availability of outpatient mental health services and integration of mental health into the broader healthcare system remain weak in many countries. Efforts to strengthen mental healthcare systems must be informed by the local context, with attention to key health system components. The current study is a qualitative analysis of stakeholder perspectives on mental health system strengthening in one low-income country, Sierra Leone. It utilizes locally grounded knowledge from frontline healthcare providers to identify constraints and opportunities for strengthening mental health care within each component of the health system. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 43 participants including doctors, nurses, community health workers, mental health advocates, mental health specialists, and traditional healers recruited from the Bo, Moyamba and Western Area Urban Districts. Interview transcripts were content-coded in NVivo using both a priori and emergent codes and aggregated into broader themes, utilizing the World Health Organization Health Systems Framework. Participants described an extremely limited system of mental health care, with constraints and obstacles within each health system component. Participants identified potential strategies to help overcome these constraints. Findings reinforce the importance of factors outside of the healthcare system that shape the implementation of mental health initiatives, including pervasive stigma towards mental illness, local conceptualizations of mental illness and an emphasis on traditional treatment approaches. Implications for mental health initiatives in Sierra Leone and other low-income countries include a need for investment in primary care clinics to support integrated mental health services and the importance of engaging communities to promote the utilization of mental health services.
The influence of cement-based composite materials on the performance of bridges: modification and optimization by nano-SiO2 material
Authors: Zhu Cheng
Published: March 2020

Cement-based materials have been widely used in bridge construction. In order to further improve their performance, this study analyzed the modification and optimization functions of nano-SiO2 materials, designed test specimens with different content of nano-SiO2 and conducted experiments on their flow performance, compression resistance, bending resistance and impermeability. The results showed that the flow performance of the materials decreased and the impermeability decreased with the increase of nano-SiO2 content. The compressive strength and flexural strength are the best when the content of nano-SiO2 is 1%. On the whole, the best content of nano-SiO2 is 1%; when the content of nano-SiO2 is 1%, all the properties of the specimens are good, which is more conducive to the construction of bridges in various complex environments. The research in this paper has made some contributions to the further application of nano-SiO2 in the optimization of building materials, which is conducive to the better development of building materials.
Forecasting beef production and quality using large-scale integrated data from Brazil
Authors: Aiken Vera Cardoso Ferreira , Fernandes Arthur Francisco Araújo , Passafaro Tiago Luciano , Acedo Juliano Sabella , Dias Fábio Guerra , Dórea João Ricardo Rebouças , Rosa Guilherme Jordão de Magalhães
Published: March 2020

With agriculture rapidly becoming a data-driven field, it is imperative to extract useful information from large data collections to optimize the production systems. We compared the efficacy of regression (linear regression or generalized linear regression [GLR] for continuous or categorical outcomes, respectively), random forests (RF) and multilayer neural networks (NN) to predict beef carcass weight (CW), age when finished (AS), fat deposition (FD), and carcass quality (CQ). The data analyzed contained information on over 4 million beef cattle from 5,204 farms, corresponding to 4.3% of Brazil’s national production between 2014 and 2016. Explanatory variables were integrated from different data sources and encompassed animal traits, participation in a technical advising program, nutritional products sold to farms, economic variables related to beef production, month when finished, soil fertility, and climate in the location in which animals were raised. The training set was composed of information collected in 2014 and 2015, while the testing set had information recorded in 2016. After parameter tuning for each algorithm, models were used to predict the testing set. The best model to predict CW and AS was RF (CW: predicted root mean square error = 0.65, R2 = 0.61, and mean absolute error = 0.49; AS: accuracy = 28.7%, Cohen’s kappa coefficient [Kappa] = 0.08). While the best approach for FD and CQ was GLR (accuracy = 45.7%, Kappa = 0.05, and accuracy = 58.7%, Kappa = 0.09, respectively). Across all models, there was a tendency for better performance with RF and regression and worse with NN. Animal category, nutritional plan, cattle sales price, participation in a technical advising program, and climate and soil in which animals were raised were deemed important for prediction of meat production and quality with regression and RF. The development of strategies for prediction of livestock production using real-world large-scale data will be core to projecting future trends and optimizing the allocation of resources at all levels of the production chain, rendering animal production more sustainable. Despite beef cattle production being a complex system, this analysis shows that by integrating different sources of data it is possible to forecast meat production and quality at the national level with moderate-high levels of accuracy.
The Impact of Invisible Illness and Invisible Disability on Music Therapy Practica Students
Authors: Warren Rebecca J
Published: March 2020

A variety of factors affect the success of music therapy students in practica. Many music therapy students may have invisible illnesses or invisible disabilities (II/ID) that affect their work. II/ID have physical or psychological effects but are not apparent to an observer. Such illnesses may include chronic illnesses, mental illnesses, and developmental disabilities. Although researchers have studied the success of post-secondary students with II/ID and the success of music therapy students without II/ID, there is a lack of research on music therapy students who identify with having II/ID. This researcher used an exploratory online survey to investigate the prevalence of II/ID among music therapy students and how it may affect their success in music therapy practica. Quantitative responses were compiled and analyzed into frequencies and percentages, and open-ended responses were coded and analyzed for patterns and themes. Results indicated that music therapy students with II/ID have various reasons for disclosure or nondisclosure. Some music therapy students with II/ID required accommodations, while many did not. Additionally, the effects of II/ID on music therapy practica students included physical, psychosocial, and cognitive symptoms, which led to various choices for disclosure/nondisclosure and the request/use of individualized accommodations. Music therapy students with II/ID self-reported that making decisions regarding appropriate disclosure and determining their need for accommodations or not allowed them to be more successful in practica.
Global trends in winds of M dwarf stars
Authors: Mesquita A L , Vidotto A A
Published: March 2020

M dwarf stars are currently the main targets in searches for potentially habitable planets. However, their winds have been suggested to be harmful to planetary atmospheres. Here, in order to better understand the winds of M dwarfs and also infer their physical properties, we perform a one-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic parametric study of winds of M dwarfs that are heated by current biases in planet dissipation of Alfvén waves. These waves are triggered by sub-surface convective motions and propagate along magnetic field lines. Here, we vary the magnetic field strength B0 and density ρ0 at the wind base (chromosphere), while keeping the same relative wave amplitude (0.1B0) and dissipation length-scale. Our simulations thus range from low plasma-β to high plasma-β (0.005–3.7). We find that our winds very quickly reach isothermal temperatures with mass-loss rates $\skew{2}\dot{M} \propto \rho _0^2$. We compare our results with Parker wind (PW) models and find that, in the high-β regime, both models agree. However, in the low-β regime, the PW underestimates the terminal velocity by around one order of magnitude and $\skew{2}\dot{M}$ by several orders of magnitude. We also find that M dwarfs could have chromospheres extending to 18 to 180 per cent of the stellar radius. We apply our model to the planet-hosting star GJ 436 and find, from X-ray observational constraints, $\skew{2}\dot{M}\lt 7.6\times 10^{-15}\, {\rm M}_{\odot }~\text{yr}^{-1}$. This is in agreement with values derived from the Lyman-α transit of GJ 436b, indicating that spectroscopic planetary transits could be used as a way to study stellar wind properties.
Revealing the effects of galaxy interaction in the main galaxies of the southern group Arp 314
Authors: Torres-Flores S , Amram P , Olave-Rojas D , Muñoz-Elgueta N , Mendes de Oliveira C , de Mello D , Urrutia-Viscarra F
Published: March 2020

We present new Gemini imaging and spectroscopic data of the system Arp 314, which consists of a triplet of interacting galaxies. This new imagery exhibits tidal tails and stellar bridges between the galaxies' members and confirms the past interactions. Using this data set, we have analysed the physical properties of 22 star-forming regions located in the main disc of these galaxies, as well as in the intergalactic medium. All these regions have emission lines typical of young ages and a couple of them display very high Hα luminosities (LHα ∼ 1040 erg s−1). Using the star-forming regions located in Arp 314-1, we derive its gas-phase oxygen-abundance distribution, which suggests a flatter behaviour than the distribution shown by non-interacting systems. This is in agreement with results obtained for other interacting systems and simulations. The presence of gas flows, as indicated by its complex kinematics, could explain this finding. Most of the star formation in Arp 314-2 is located in a central starburst, where double Hα profiles can be identified, as shown by archival Fabry–Perot data. Additionally, we found that the irregular galaxy Arp 314-3 has a low oxygen abundance. Considering its luminosity, this object has a primordial origin, and it was not formed during the interaction event that this system has experienced.
Hunting dark matter in galaxy clusters with non-thermal electrons
Authors: Beck Geoff
Published: March 2020

The electron population inferred to be responsible for the mini-halo within the Ophiuchus galaxy cluster is a steep power law in energy with a slope of 3.8. This is substantially different to that predicted by dark matter (DM) annihilation models. In this work, we present a method of indirect comparison between the observed electron spectrum and that predicted for indirect DM emissions. This method utilizes differences in the consequences of a given electron distribution on the subsequent spectral features of synchrotron emissions. To fully exploit this difference, by leveraging the fact that the peak and cut-off synchrotron frequencies are substantially different to hard power-law cases for WIMP masses above ∼50 GeV, we find that we need μJy sensitivities at frequencies above 10 GHz while being sensitive to arcminute scales. We explore the extent to which this electron spectrum comparison can be validated with the up-coming next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) instrument. We show that, with the ngVLA, this method allows us to produce far stronger constraints than existing VLA data, indeed these exceed the Fermi-LAT dwarf searches in a wide variety of annihilation channels and for all studied magnetic field scenarios.