bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Migration and intercommunal relationships: an interdisciplinary and inter-regional dialogue
Authors: Thawnghmung Ardeth Maung , Fasolo Valeria 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe growing significance of migration on a global scale is generating increased scholarly interest in the subject, offering a fuller and more nuanced understanding of the nature and implications of different types of migration. However, research to date has presented divergent findings on the factors influencing the presence or absence of migration-induced conflicts, as most contributions are single-case studies focusing on different regions, levels of analysis, and measurements, whether applied to ‘objective’ or ‘subjective’ situations. We develop a framework to assess a wide spectrum of interactions between ‘local’ residents and ‘migrant populations’ by integrating the literature on ethnic conflict and considering the findings of studies that have investigated developed countries separately from developing countries; utilized a methodology specific to a particular discipline; or have focused on a single historical time frame or level of analysis. We propose a distinctive way of organizing and integrating the literature, incorporating three levels of analysis (independent variables) and a wide range of responses (dependent variables). We demonstrate that this framework enables researchers who employ one level of analysis at the expense of the others, or consider only one aspect or level of conflict, to assess the limitations and representativeness of their case studies; to identify gaps in operationalization and measurements of concepts and definitions; and to become aware of the trade-offs involved in their selection and scope of analysis.
Subsidiarity and the Moral Justification of Intergovernmental Equalization Grants to Decentralized Governments
Authors: Drew Joseph , Miyazaki Masato 
Published: May 2020

AbstractAn important problem with decentralized government relates to its tendency to create disparities between the various units with respect to their capability to provide public goods. In response to this problem, intergovernmental equalization grant transfers are a ubiquitous feature of many systems of decentralized government. However, since the earliest times, scholars of fiscal federalism have struggled to provide a convincing moral justification for providing intergovernmental equalization grants. We outline how the principle of subsidiarity might be employed to create a robust moral justification for providing equalization transfers. In addition, we explicate the steps required to operationalize a subsidiarity-based grant system and conclude with a consideration of some of the difficulties that might be encountered in doing so.
A common contaminant shifts impacts of climate change on a plant-microbe mutualism: effects of temperature, CO2and leachate from tire wear particles
Authors: O’Brien Anna M. , Lins Tiago F. , Yang Yamin , Frederickson Megan E. , Sinton David , Rochman Chelsea M. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractAnthropogenic stressors, such as climate change or chemical pollution, affect individual species and alter species interactions. Moreover, species interactions can modify effects of anthropogenic stressors on interacting species - a process which may vary amongst stressors or stressor combinations. Most ecotoxicological work focuses on single stressors on single species. Here, we test hypotheses about multiple stressors (climate change and tire wear particles) and interacting species, and whether species interactions modify responses. We use duckweed and its microbiome to model responses of plant-microbe interactions. Climate change is occurring globally, and with increasing urbanization, tire wear particles increasingly contaminate road runoff. Their leachate is associated with zinc, PAHs, plastic additives, and other toxic compounds. We crossed perpendicular gradients of temperature and CO2in a well plate with factorial manipulation of leachate from tire wear particles and presence of duckweed microbiomes. We measured duckweed and microbial growth, duckweed greenness, and plant-microbe growth correlations. We found that tire leachate and warmer temperatures enhanced duckweed and microbial growth, but microbes diminished positive responses in duck-weed, meaning microbiomes became costly for duckweed. These costs of microbiomes were less-than-additive with warming and leachate, and might be caused by leachate-disrupted endocrine signaling in duckweed. We observed reduced greenness at higher CO2without tire leachate, suggesting a relative increase in plant nutrient demand, and possibly underlying positive plant-microbe growth correlations in these conditions, as microbes presumably increase nutrient availability. However, with tire leachate, growth correlations were never positive, and shifted negative at lower CO2, further suggesting leachate favors mutualism disruption. In summary, while individual stressors of global change can affect individual species, in ecology we know species interact; and in ecotoxicology, we know stressors interact. Our results demonstrate this complexity: multiple stressors can affect species interactions, and species interactions can alter effects of multiple stressors.
SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and neutralizing activity in donor and patient blood from the San Francisco Bay Area
Authors: Ng Dianna L. , Goldgof Gregory M. , Shy Brian R. , Levine Andrew G. , Balcerek Joanna , Bapat Sagar P. , Prostko John , Rodgers Mary , Coller Kelly , Pearce Sandy , Franz Sergej , Du Li , Stone Mars , Pillai Satish K. , Sotomayor-Gonzalez Alicia , Servellita Venice , Martin Claudia Sanchez San , Granados Andrea , Glasner Dustin R. , Han Lucy M. , Truong Kent , Akagi Naomi , Nguyen David N. , Neumann Neil M. , Qazi Daniel , Hsu Elaine , Gu Wei , Santos Yale A. , Custer Brian , Green Valerie , Williamson Phillip , Hills Nancy K. , Lu Chuanyi M. , Whitman Jeffrey D. , Stramer Susan , Wang Candace , Reyes Kevin , Hakim Jill M.C. , Sujishi Kirk , Alazzeh Fariba , Pham Lori , Oon Ching-Ying , Miller Steve , Kurtz Theodore , Hackett John , Simmons Graham , Busch Michael P. , Chiu Charles Y. 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACTWe report very low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in two San Francisco Bay Area populations. Seropositivity was 0.26% in 387 hospitalized patients admitted for non-respiratory indications and 0.1% in 1,000 blood donors. We additionally describe the longitudinal dynamics of immunoglobulin-G, immunoglobulin-M, and in vitro neutralizing antibody titers in COVID-19 patients. Neutralizing antibodies rise in tandem with immunoglobulin levels following symptom onset, exhibiting median time to seroconversion within one day of each other, and there is >93% positive percent agreement between detection of immunoglobulin-G and neutralizing titers.
Analysis of Ultrasonic Vocalizations from Mice Using Computer Vision and Machine Learning
Authors: Fonseca Antonio H. O. , Santana Gustavo M. , Bampi Sérgio , Dietrich Marcelo O. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractMice emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) to transmit socially-relevant information. To detect and classify these USVs, here we describe the development of VocalMat. VocalMat is a software that uses image-processing and differential geometry approaches to detect USVs in audio files, eliminating the need for user-defined parameter tuning. VocalMat also uses computational vision and machine learning methods to classify USVs into distinct categories. In a dataset of >4,000 USVs emitted by mice, VocalMat detected more than >98% of the USVs and accurately classified ≈86% of USVs when considering the most likely label out of 11 different USV types. We then used Diffusion Maps and Manifold Alignment to analyze the probability distribution of USV classification among different experimental groups, providing a robust method to quantify and qualify the vocal repertoire of mice. Thus, VocalMat allows accurate and highly quantitative analysis of USVs, opening the opportunity for detailed and high-throughput analysis of this behavior.
SeSaMe PS Function: Functional Analysis of the Whole Metagenome Sequencing Data of the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
Authors: Kang Jee Eun , Ciampi Antonio , Hijri Mohamed 
Published: May 2020

AbstractIn this article, we introduce a novel bioinformatics program- SeSaMe PS Function (Spore associated Symbiotic Microbes Position Specific Function) - for position-specific functional analysis of short sequences derived from metagenome sequencing data of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The unique advantage of the program lies in databases created based on genus-specific sequence properties derived from protein secondary structure, namely amino acid usages, codon usages, and codon contexts of three codon DNA 9-mers. SeSaMe PS Function searches a query sequence against reference sequence database, identifies three codon DNA 9-mers with structural roles, and dynamically creates the comparative dataset of 54 microbial genera based on their codon usage biases. The program applies correlation Principal Component Analysis in conjunction with K-means clustering method to the comparative dataset. Three codon DNA 9-mers clustered as sole member or with only a few members are often structurally and functionally distinctive sites that provide useful insights into important molecular interactions. The program provides a versatile means for studying functions of short sequences from metagenome sequencing and has a wide spectrum of applications.
Modeling and Forecasting of Covid-19 growth curve in India
Authors: Sharma Vikas Kumar , Nigam Unnati 
Published: May 2020

AbstractIn this article, we analyze the growth pattern of Covid-19 pandemic in India from March 4th to July 11th using regression analysis (exponential and polynomial), auto-regressive integrated moving averages (ARIMA) model as well as exponential smoothing and Holt-Winters smoothing models. We found that the growth of Covid-19 cases follows a power regime of (t2,t,..) after the exponential growth. We found the optimal change points from where the Covid-19 cases shift their course of growth from exponential to quadratic and then from quadratic to linear. After that, we saw a sudden spike in the course of the spread of Covid-19 and the growth moved from linear to quadratic and then to quartic, which is alarming. We have also found the best fitted regression models using the various criteria such as significant p-values, coefficients of determination and ANOVA etc. Further, we search the best fitting ARIMA model for the data using the AIC (Akaike Information Criterion) and provide the forecast of Covid-19 cases for future days. It was noticed that the ARIMA model fits better the Covid-19 cases for small regions. ARIMA (5, 2, 5) and ARIMA (5, 2, 3) are the best possible models for modeling Covid-19 cases for March 4th to July 10th and June 1th to July 10th, respectively.
Modelling information–dependent social behaviors in response to lockdowns: the case of COVID–19 epidemic in Italy
Authors: Buonomo Bruno , Marca Rossella Della 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe COVID–19 pandemic started in January 2020 has not only threatened world public health, but severely impacted almost every facet of lives including behavioral and psychological aspects. In this paper we focus on the ‘human element’ and propose a mathematical model to investigate the effects on the COVID–19 epidemic of social behavioral changes in response to lockdowns. We consider a SEIR-like epidemic model where that contact and quarantine rates are assumed to depend on the available information and rumors about the disease status in the community. The model is applied to the case of COVID–19 epidemic in Italy. We consider the period that stretches between Bebruary 24, 2020 when the first bulletin by the Italian Civil Brotection was reported and May 18, 2020 when the lockdown restrictions have been mostly removed. The role played by the information–related parameters is determined by evaluating how they affect suitable outbreak–severity indicators. We estimated that citizens compliance with mitigation measures played a decisive role in curbing the epidemic curve by preventing a duplication of deaths and about 46% more contagions.Subject class:92D30, 34C60
Management of mild COVID-19: Policy implications of initial experience in India
Authors: Kumar Rohit , Bhattacharya Bisakh , Meena Ved Prakash , Aggarwal Anivita , Tripathi Manasi , Soneja Manish , Mittal Ankit , Singh Komal , Gupta Nishkarsh , Garg Rakesh Kumar , Ratre Brajesh Kumar , Kumar Balbir , Bhopale Shweta Arun , Tiwari Pavan , Verma Ankit , Bhatnagar Sushma , Mohan Anant , Wig Naveet , Guleria Randeep 
Published: May 2020

AbstractObjectivesOngoing pandemic due to COVID-19 has spread across countries, surprisingly with variable clinical characteristics and outcomes. This study was aimed at describing clinical characteristics and outcomes of admitted patients with mild COVID-19 illness in the initial phase of pandemic in India.DesignRetrospective (observational) study.SettingCOVID facilities under AIIMS, New Delhi, where, isolation facilities were designed to manage patients with mild illness and dedicated COVID ICUs was created to cater patients with moderate to severe illness.ParticipantsPatients aged 18 years or more, with confirmed illness were eligible for enrolment. Patients who were either asymptomatic or mildly ill at presentation were included. Patients with moderate to severe illness at admission, or incomplete clinical symptomatology records were excluded.MethodsData regarding demographic profile, comorbidities, clinical features, hospital course, treatment, details of results of RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 done at baseline and at day 14, chest radiographs (wherever available) as well as laboratory parameters was obtained retrospectively from the hospital records.Main outcome measuresFinal outcome was noted in terms of course of the disease, patients discharged, still admitted (at time of conclusion of study) or death.ResultsOut of 231 cases included, majority were males(78·3%) with a mean age of 39·8 years. Comorbidities were present in 21·2% of patients, diabetes mellitus and hypertension being most common. The most common symptoms were dry cough(81, 35%), fever(64, 27·7%), sore throat(36, 15·6%), and dyspnoea(24, 10·4%); asymptomatic infection was noted in 108(46.8%) patients. Presence of comorbidities was an independent predictor of symptomatic disease (OR- 2·66; 95% CI 1·08 to 6·53, p= 0·03). None of the patients progressed to moderate to severe COVID-19. There were no deaths in this cohort.ConclusionsPatients with mild disease at presentation had a stable disease course and therefore such cases can be managed outside hospital setting. A large proportion of patients remained asymptomatic throughout the course of infection and those with comorbidities are more likely to be symptomatic.Trial registrationNot applicable
Decentralized governance may lead to higher infection levels and sub-optimal releases of quarantines amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Lampert Adam 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has led countries worldwide to administer quarantine policies. However, each country or state decides independently what mobility restrictions to administer within its borders, while aiming to maximize its own citizens’ welfare. Since individuals travel between countries and states, the policy in one country affects the infection levels in other countries. Therefore, major question is whether the policies dictated by multiple governments could be efficient. Here we focus on the decision regarding the timing of releasing quarantines, which were common during the first year of the pandemic. We consider a game-theoretical epidemiological model in which each government decides when to switch from a restrictive to a non-restrictive quarantine and vice versa. We show that, if travel between countries is frequent, then the policy dictated by multiple governments is sub-optimal. But if international travel is restricted, then the policy may become optimal.
Comparison of induced neurons reveals slower structural and functional maturation in humans than in apes
Authors: Schörnig Maria , Ju Xiangchun , Fast Luise , Weigert Anne , Schaffer Theresa , Ebert Sebastian , Treutlein Barbara , Kasri Nael Nadif , Peter Benjamin , Hevers Wulf , Taverna Elena 
Published: May 2020

ABSTRACTWe generated induced excitatory sensory neurons (iNeurons, iNs) from chimpanzee, bonobo and human stem cells by expressing the transcription factor neurogenin-2 (NGN2). Single cell-RNA sequencing showed that genes involved in dendrite and synapse development are expressed earlier during iNs maturation in the chimpanzee than the human cells. In accordance, during the first two weeks of differentiation, chimpanzee and bonobo iNs showed repetitive action potentials and more spontaneous excitatory activity than human iNs, and extended neurites of higher total length. However, the axons of human iNs were slightly longer at 5 weeks of differentiation. The timing of the establishment of neuronal polarity did not differ between the species. Chimpanzee, bonobo and human neurites eventually reached the same level of structural complexity. Thus, human iNs develop slower than chimpanzee and bonobo iNs and this difference in timing likely depends on functions downstream of NGN2.
Controlling the switch from neurogenesis to pluripotency during marmoset monkey somatic cell reprogramming with self-replicating mRNAs and small molecules
Authors: Petkov Stoyan , Dressel Ralf , Rodriguez-Polo Ignacio , Behr Rüdiger 
Published: May 2020

SUMMARYInduced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold enormous potential for the development of cell-based therapies for many currently incurable diseases. However, the safety and efficacy of potential iPSC-based treatments need to be verified in relevant animal disease models before their application in the clinic. Moreover, in order to reduce possible risks for the patients, it is necessary to use reprogramming approaches that ensure to the greatest extent possible the genomic integrity of the cells. Here, we report the derivation of iPSCs from common marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) using self-replicating mRNA vectors based on the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEE-mRNAs). By transfection of marmoset fetal fibroblasts with Tomato-modified VEE-mRNAs carrying the humanOCT4, KLF4, SOX2, andc-MYC(VEE-OKS-iM-iTomato) and culture in medium supplemented with two small molecule inhibitors, we first established intermediate primary colonies with neural progenitor-like properties. In the second reprogramming step, we converted these colonies into transgene-free pluripotent stem cells by further culturing them with customized marmoset iPSC medium in feeder-free conditions. The resulting cell lines possess pluripotency characteristics, such as expression of various pluripotency markers, long-term self-renewal, stable karyotype, and ability to differentiate into derivatives of the three primary germ layersin vitroandin vivo. Our experiments reveal a novel paradigm for flexible reprogramming of somatic cells, where primary colonies obtained by a single VEE-mRNA transfection can be directed either towards the neural lineage or further reprogrammed to pluripotency. These results (i) will further enhance the role of the common marmoset as animal disease model for preclinical testing of iPSC-based therapies and (ii) establish an in vitro system to experimentally address developmental signal transduction pathways in primates.
Development of Microsatellite Markers for a Soricid Water ShrewChimarrogale platycephalus, and the Success of Individual Identification Using It
Authors: Yamazaki Haruka , Sekiya Tomohiro , Nagayama Shun , Hirasawa Kei , Tokura Keita , Sasaki Akio , Ichiyanagi Hidetaka , Tojo Koji 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe soricid water shrew,Chimarrogale platycephalus, is a mammal species endemic to the Japanese Islands. They inhabit the islands of Honshu and Kyushu, and are considered to be extinct in Shikoku. Information on this water shrew from Honshu and Kyushu is also scarce, andC. platycephalusis registered on the Japanese Government’s red list as an endangered species. Almost all study areas such as regarding their ethology, ecology, also their phylogenetics are lacking. The delay in these foundational studies is due to difficulties related to them being both nocturnal and aquatic. In order to study ofC. platycephalus, it is essential to conduct field research in mountain streams at night under such circumstances. In response to such difficult circumstances, we established a genetic analysis method using the feces ofC. platycephalus, and as a result the accumulation of data on their phylogenetic evolution and phylogeography has increased which has improved our understanding of this species. Furthermore in this study, development of microsatellite markers was carried out, and a total of 21 loci marker analyses were performed. In addition, in order to confirm the credibility of these 21 microsatellite markers, as being able to validly differentiate individuals, all markers were examined using the fecal and tissues specimens from verified separately reared individuals (12 individuals) with the known history of having been reared in an aquarium. As a result, it was revealed that if analyses of the 12 loci were possible, individual differentiation with 100% accuracy was possible. The development of microsatellite markers in this study, and the establishment of individual identification methods by means of this will be expected to greatly contribute to future ecological and ethological research, population genetics and biogeographical research of the water shrew,C. platycephalus.
Treatment with valproate downregulates theAgtr2mRNA in rat lungs
Authors: Seppa Kadri , Terasmaa Anton , Jagomäe Toomas , Innos Jürgen , Vasar Eero , Plaas Mario 
Published: May 2020

AbstractGLP1 receptor agonist liraglutide has been shown to upregulate ACE2 expressions in several animal studies and thereby mediate strong positive stress response1. On the other hand, two in silico studies suggest that valproate downregulates ACE2 and AGTR2 gene expressions2,3. In this study, we have evaluated how these two widely used drugs, liraglutide and valproate, change the expression pattern of RAS system genes in the rat lungs. Our results indicate that eight-day treatment with valproate significantly downregulates the gene expression ofAgtr2, Mas1andAgrt1bin the rat lungs. These effects are reversed by co-administration of liraglutide.