bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Loss of function of the carbon catabolite repressor CreA leads to low but inducer‐independent expression from the feruloyl esterase B promoter in Aspergillus niger
Authors: Reijngoud Jos , Arentshorst Mark , Ruijmbeek Claudine , Reid Ian , Alazi Ebru Demirci , Punt Peter J. , Tsang Adrian , Ram Arthur F. J. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractObjectiveWith the aim to decipher the mechanisms involved in the transcriptional regulation of feruloyl esterase encoded byfaeB, a genetic screen was performed to isolateA. nigermutants displaying inducer-independent expression from thefaeBpromoter.ResultPfaeB-amdSandPfaeB-luxdual reporter strains were constructed and used to isolate trans-acting mutants in which the expression of both reporters was increased, based on the ability to grow on acetamide plates and higher luciferase activity, respectively. The genetic screen on the non-inducing carbon source D-fructose yielded in total 111 trans-acting mutants. The genome of one of the mutants was sequenced and revealed several SNPs, including a point mutation in thecreAgene encoding a transcription factor known to be involved in carbon catabolite repression. Subsequently, all mutants were analyzed for defects in carbon catabolite repression by determining sensitivity towards allyl alcohol. All except four of the 111 mutants were sensitive to allyl alcohol, indicating that the vast majority of the mutants are defective in carbon catabolite repression. ThecreAgene of 32 allyl alcohol sensitive mutants was sequenced and 27 of them indeed contained a mutation in thecreAgene. Targeted deletion ofcreAin the reporter strain confirmed that the loss of CreA results in constitutive expression from thefaeBpromoter.ConclusionLoss of function of CreA leads to low but inducer-independent expression from thefaeBpromoter inA. niger.
Differing Time Courses of Reward-Related Attentional Processing: An EEG Source-Space Analysis
Authors: Lockhofen Denise E. L. , Hübner Nils , Hemdan Fatma , Sammer Gebhard , Henare Dion , Schubö Anna , Mulert Christoph 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSince our environment typically contains more information than can be processed at any one time due to the limited capacity of our visual system, we are bound to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information. This process, termed attentional selection, is usually categorized into bottom-up and top-down processes. However, recent research suggests reward might also be an important factor in guiding attention. Monetary reward can bias attentional selection in favor of task-relevant targets and reduce the efficiency of visual search when a reward-associated, but task-irrelevant distractor is present. This study is the first to investigate reward-related target and distractor processing in an additional singleton task using neurophysiological measures and source space analysis. Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that source space analysis would find enhanced neural activity in regions of the value-based attention network, such as the visual cortex and the anterior cingulate. Additionally, we went further and explored the time courses of the underlying attentional mechanisms. Our neurophysiological results showed that rewarding distractors led to a stronger attentional capture. In line with this, we found that reward-associated distractors (compared with reward-associated targets) enhanced activation in frontal regions, indicating the involvement of top-down control processes. As hypothesized, source space analysis demonstrated that reward-related targets and reward-related distractors elicited activation in regions of the value-based attention network. However, these activations showed time-dependent differences, indicating that the neural mechanisms underlying reward biasing might be different for task-relevant and task-irrelevant stimuli.
Analysis of left ventricular rotational deformation by 2D speckle tracking echocardiography: a feasibility study in athletes
Authors: Hofrichter Phillipp , Hagendorff Andreas , Laufs Ulrich , Fikenzer Sven , Hepp Pierre , Marshall Robert Percy , Tayal Bhupendar , Stöbe Stephan 
Published: March 2021

Abstract2D speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) is established to analyse left ventricular (LV) longitudinal function. The analysis of LV rotational deformation is challenging and requires standardization of image acquisition as well as postprocessing analysis. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility to analyse LV rotational deformation using 2DSTE by introducing a novel algorithm for the detection of artefacts. The study was performed in 20 healthy subjects serving as a control group and in 53 competitive sportsmen. Circumferential, radial strain (CS, RS) and LV rotation were analysed by 2DSTE in parasternal short axis views. The stepwise algorithm to exclude potential artefacts starts with the visual estimation of the image quality with respect to complete visualization of all myocardial segments during the entire cardiac cycle followed by the exclusion of data sets in participants with conduction abnormalities. The next step is the optimization of tracking areas and a cross-check of implausible strain waveforms in multiple acquired comparable cineloops. The last step is the exclusion of strain curves with persisting implausible waveforms if standardization failures and incorrect LV wall tracking are fixed. Plausible physiological strain curves were observed in 89% (n = 65/73) of all subjects. In controls all implausible waveforms could be verified as artefacts. The algorithm was applied in 53 professional athletes to test and confirm its feasibility. Abnormal CS waveforms were documented in 25 athletes, verified as artefacts due to tracking failures in 22 athletes and due to incorrect image acquisition in 3 athletes. CS artefacts were mostly located in the basal posterior and lateral LV segments. (endocardial: 6%, n = 4/70; p < 0.05) and basal posterior (endocardial: 8%, n = 5/70; p < 0.05) segments were highly susceptible to artefacts. 2DSTE of parasternal short axis views to analyse circumferential and radial deformation as well as LV rotation is feasible in athletes. The proposed algorithm helps to avoid artefacts and might contribute to standardization of this technique. 2DSTE might provide an interesting diagnostic tool for the detection of viral myocarditis, e.g. in athletes.
Transient electroretinographic abnormalities that mimic those of KCNV2 retinopathy: a case report
Authors: Kaizuka Chihiro , Hayashi Takaaki , Mizobuchi Kei , Kubota Masaomi , Ueno Shinji , Nakano Tadashi 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this report was to describe the case of a 68-year-old male patient with stage IV colon cancer who exhibited electroretinographic abnormalities that are similar to those of KCNV2 retinopathy.

Methods
The patient presenting with photophobia, reduced visual acuity, and poor general conditions, the onset of which occurred ten days before presentation, was examined using fundoscopy, full-field electroretinography, blood tests, and abdominal computed tomography.

Results
The patient’s decimal best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.4 in each eye. Fundoscopy showed bull's eye-like maculopathy in both eyes. Electroretinographic findings were similar to the characteristic findings of KCNV2 retinopathy: Rod electroretinogram showed delayed and preserved b-wave amplitudes; bright-flash electroretinogram showed double troughs of a-waves; b/a ratios shown by bright-flash electroretinogram were higher than those shown by standard-flash electroretinogram; and both cone and 30-Hz flicker electroretinograms showed extinguished responses. His serum potassium level increased to 6.2 mmol/L (normal range 3.6–4.8 mmol/L) owing to hydronephrosis resulting from disseminated carcinoma. After performing an emergency surgery to treat this condition, the serum potassium level immediately decreased to a normal range. Eleven days after presentation, rod and standard/bright-flash electroretinography showed improvement in the implicit time of the rod b-waves and the a-waves. Unexpectedly, the responses recorded by cone and 30-Hz flicker electroretinography became normal. The symptoms and maculopathy disappeared, and his BCVA improved to 1.2.

Conclusions
The abnormal electroretinographic findings might be associated with the transient increase in serum potassium level.
Lay Beliefs About Romantic Relationships: A Mediator of the Effect of Family Dysfunction on Romantic Relationship Satisfaction
Authors: Zagefka Hanna , Clarke Zofia , Kabeli Gabriella , Lundy Chloe , Plumtree Alexandra , Smith Grace 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis paper tested why people differ with regard to whether they believe it is possible to find enduring love. Variations were assumed to be due to differences in people’s experiences. Those who experienced dysfunction in their family of origin and who did not have positive relationships role-modelled to them were expected to be less likely to have positive lay beliefs about romantic relationships. Positive lay beliefs, in turn, were hypothesised to impact on dysfunction in own romantic relationships later on in life, which were in turn expected to affect relationship satisfaction. In other words, positive lay beliefs were tested as one potential mechanism through which family dysfunction whilst growing up impacts on relationship dysfunction in later adult life. This paper presents a pilot study (N = 176) which introduces a measure for ‘positive lay beliefs about romantic relationships’, and finds this measure to be associated, as expected, with dysfunction in the family of origin. The main study (N = 435) then tested the full hypothesised model (family-of-origin dysfunction → positive lay beliefs → romantic relationship dysfunction → relationship satisfaction) with structural equation modelling, and found that the model fitted the data very well, confirming the hypotheses. It was concluded that lay beliefs about whether or not it is possible to find enduring love are an important mediator of the effects of family-of-origin dysfunction on later romantic relationship satisfaction.
On the Social Shaping of Quantum Technologies: An Analysis of Emerging Expectations Through Grant Proposals from 2002–2020
Authors: Roberson Tara M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe term ‘quantum technology’ was first popularised by an Australian physicist in the mid-1990s. These technologies make use of the properties of quantum physics and are being developed and invested across the world, yet this emerging technology is understudied in science and technology studies. This article investigates the emergence of the notion of ‘quantum technologies’ and examines the expectations shaping this field through an analysis of research grants funded by a national research funder, the Australian Research Council between 2002 and 2020. I examine how ‘quantum technology’ and ‘quantum computing’ have come to dominate claims and expectations surrounding research in quantum science. These expectations do more than inform the scientific goals of the field. They also provide an overarching, uniting rhetoric for individual projects and people and shape the uses imagined for quantum technologies. This analysis shows how claims for this emerging technology draw on ‘breakthrough’ metaphors to engage researchers and marshal investment and concludes by highlighting the need for increased clarity regarding expectations for quantum technologies.
Characteristics of the preschool home literacy environment which predict writing skills at school
Authors: Adams Anne-Marie , Soto-Calvo Elena , Francis Hannah N. , Patel Hannah , Hartley Courtney , Giofrè David , Simmons Fiona R. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAspects of the preschool home learning environment which may foster reading development have been identified, although their relationships with spelling and writing remain unclear. The present study explored associations between the preschool home literacy environment (HLE), language and nonverbal abilities and children’s spelling and writing skills measured two years later. A parental questionnaire recorded the reported frequency of pre-schoolers’ code- and meaning-related home literacy experiences, alongside an index of book exposure. One hundred and twenty one children (60 female, Mage = 6:7, SD = 3.67 months) contributed data assessing their transcription skills, indexed by handwriting fluency and word spelling, and translation abilities, indexed by sentence generation and the ability to produce more extended text. Exploratory factor analyses confirmed distinct factors relating to the productivity and complexity of writing samples. Regression analyses revealed that the frequency of preschool code-related, letter-sound interactions explained significant variance in children’s transcription skills at school, independently of earlier language and nonverbal abilities. In contrast, experiences in the preschool HLE were not related to the higher level writing skills of translation and text production. The implications of the findings for our understanding of the cognitive and environmental factors associated with children’s early writing development are discussed.
Solar Irradiance Variability Due to Solar Flares Observed in Lyman-Alpha Emission
Authors: Milligan Ryan O. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAs the Lyman-alpha (Ly$\upalpha $
α
) line of neutral hydrogen is the brightest emission line in the solar spectrum, detecting increases in irradiance due to solar flares at this wavelength can be challenging due to the very high background. Previous studies that have focused on the largest flares have shown that even these extreme cases generate enhancements in Ly$\upalpha $
α
of only a few percent above the background. In this study, a superposed-epoch analysis was performed on ≈8500 flares greater than B1 class to determine the contribution that they make to changes in the solar EUV irradiance. Using the peak of the 1 – 8 Å X-ray emission as a fiducial time, the corresponding time series of 3123 B- and 4972 C-class flares observed in Ly$\upalpha $
α
emission by the EUV Sensor on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 15 (GOES-15) were averaged to reduce background fluctuations and improve the flare signal. The summation of these weaker events showed that they produced a 0.1 – 0.3% enhancement to the solar Ly$\upalpha $
α
irradiance on average. For comparison, the same technique was applied to 453 M- and 31 X-class flares, which resulted in a 1 – 4% increase in Ly$\upalpha $
α
emission. Flares were also averaged with respect to their heliographic angle to investigate any potential center-to-limb variation. For each GOES class, the relative enhancement in Ly$\upalpha $
α
at the flare peak was found to diminish for flares that occurred closer to the solar limb due to the opacity of the line and/or foreshortening of the footpoints. One modest event included in the study, a C6.6 flare, exhibited an unusually high increase in Ly$\upalpha $
α
of 7% that may have been attributed to a failed filament eruption. Increases of this magnitude have hitherto only been associated with a small number of X-class flares.
An audit experiment to investigate the “war on cops”: a research note
Authors: Kirk David S. , Rovira Marti 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Objectives
This study examines whether former police officers are stigmatized in the labor market, particularly following social unrest from lethal police violence.

Methods
We conduct an experimental audit study, both before and after heightened unrest from police violence. For service-related job openings, we compare the likelihood of getting an affirmative response from a prospective employer to a job application from a fictitious former police officer (the treatment condition) to the response to one of two control conditions: a former firefighter or a former code enforcement officer.

Results
We do not find evidence that former police officers are discriminated against in the labor market. This finding holds in periods characterized by relatively little social unrest due to police violence as well as periods of heightened protest activity.

Conclusions
At least with respect to the labor market for certain service-related professions, former police officers do not appear tainted by any stigma associated with their prior profession.
Tidal Asymmetry in Ocean-Boundary Flux and In-Estuary Trapping of Suspended Sediment Following Watershed Storms: San Francisco Estuary, California, USA
Authors: Downing-Kunz Maureen A. , Work Paul A. , Schoellhamer David H. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSuspended-sediment flux at the ocean boundary of the San Francisco Estuary—the Golden Gate—was measured over a tidal cycle following peak watershed runoff from storms to the estuary in two successive years to investigate sediment transport through the estuary. Observations were repeated during low-runoff conditions, for a total of three field campaigns. Boat-based measurements of velocity and acoustic backscatter were used to calculate water and suspended-sediment flux at a location 1 km landward of the Golden Gate. Suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) and salinity data from up-estuary sensors were used to track watershed-sourced sediment plumes through the estuary. Estimates of suspended-sediment load from the watershed and net suspended-sediment flux for one up-estuary subembayment were used to infer in-estuary trapping of sediment. For both post-storm field campaigns, observations at the ocean boundary were conducted on the receding limb of the watershed hydrograph. At the ocean boundary, peak instantaneous suspended-sediment flux was tidally asymmetric and was greater on flood tides than on ebb tides for all three field campaigns, due to higher average SSC in the cross-section on flood tides. Shear-induced sediment resuspension was greater on flood tides and suggests the presence of an erodible pool outside the estuary. The storms in 2016 led to less export of discharge and sediment from the watershed and greater sediment trapping within one up-estuary subembayment compared to that observed in 2017. Results suggest that substantial trapping of watershed sediments occurred during both storm events, likely due to the formation of estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) at different locations in the estuary. ETM locations were forced nearer the ocean boundary in 2017. Additional measurements and modeling are required to quantify the long-term sediment flux at the Golden Gate.
DSD - Dynamic Stack Decider
Authors: Poppinga Martin , Bestmann Marc 
Published: March 2021

AbstractWe present the Dynamic Stack Decider (DSD), a lightweight open-source control architecture. It combines different well-known approaches and is inspired by behavior trees as well as hierarchical state machines. The DSD allows to design and structure complex behavior of robots as well as software agents while providing easy maintainability. Challenges that often occur in robotics, i.e., a dynamic environment and situation uncertainty, remain well-manageable. Furthermore, it allows fast modifications of the control flow, while providing the state-fullness of a state machine. The approach allows developing software using a simple Domain Specific Language (DSL) which defines the control flow and two types of elements that contain the programmed parts. The framework takes care of executing the demanded portions of the code and gives, due to its stack-like internal representation, the ability to verify preconditions while maintaining a clear structure. The presented software was used in different robotic scenarios and showed great performance in terms of flexibility and structuredness.
Mobility patterns in inland southwestern Sweden during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age
Authors: Blank Malou , Sjögren Karl-Göran , Knipper Corina , Frei Karin M , Malmström Helena , Fraser Magdalena , Svensson Emma M. , Günther Torsten , Yngve Hannes , Jakobsson Mattias , Götherström Anders , Storå Jan 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIn this paper, we investigate population dynamics in the Scandinavian Neolithic and Early Bronze Age in southwestern Sweden. Human mobility patterns in Falbygden were studied by applying strontium isotope analysis combined with archaeological and bioarchaeological data, including mtDNA and sex assessment on a large dataset encompassing 141 individuals from 21 megalithic graves. In combination with other archaeological and anthropological records, we investigated the temporal and spatial scale of individual movement, mobility patterns of specific categories of people and possible social drivers behind them. Our results of strontium and biomolecular analyses suggest that mobility increased in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age compared to the earlier parts of the Neolithic. The data indicate individuals moving both into and away from Falbygden. Mobility patterns and contact networks also shift over time.
The Foodborne Transmission of Hepatitis E Virus to Humans
Authors: Treagus Samantha , Wright Conal , Baker-Austin Craig , Longdon Ben , Lowther James 
Published: March 2021

AbstractGlobally, Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes over 20 million cases worldwide. HEV is an emerging and endemic pathogen within economically developed countries, chiefly resulting from infections with genotype 3 (G3) HEV. G3 HEV is known to be a zoonotic pathogen, with a broad host range. The primary source of HEV within more economically developed countries is considered to be pigs, and consumption of pork products is a significant risk factor and known transmission route for the virus to humans. However, other foods have also been implicated in the transmission of HEV to humans. This review consolidates the information available regarding transmission of HEV and looks to identify gaps where further research is required to better understand how HEV is transmitted to humans through food.
A combined oro-nasopharyngeal swab is more sensitive than mouthwash in detecting SARS-CoV-2 by a high-throughput PCR assay
Authors: Michel Wiebke , Färber Jacqueline , Dilas Milica , Heuft Hans-Gert , Tammer Ina , Baar Jannik , Kaasch Achim J. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Objectives
The optimal diagnostic specimen to detect SARS-CoV-2 by PCR in the upper respiratory tract is unclear. Mouthwash fluid has been reported as an alternative to nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs. We compared mouthwash fluid with a combined oro-nasopharyngeal swab regarding test performance.

Methods
In a large refugee facility, we retested individuals with a previous positive test for SARS-CoV-2 and their quarantined close contacts. All individuals were asymptomatic at the time of testing. First, a mouthwash (gargling for at least 5 s) with sterile water was performed. Then, with a single flocked swab the back of the throat and subsequently the nasopharynx were sampled. Samples were inactivated and analysed on a Roche cobas 6800® system with the Roche SARS-CoV-2 test.

Results
Of 76 individuals, 39 (51%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by oro-nasopharyngeal swab. Mouthwash detected 13 of 76 (17%) infections, but did not detect any additional infection. Samples that were positive in both tests, had lower cycle threshold (Ct)-values for oro-nasopharyngeal samples, indicating a higher virus concentration, compared to samples only positive in oro-nasopharyngeal swabs.

Conclusion
Mouthwash is not as sensitive as combined oro-nasopharyngeal swab in detecting upper respiratory tract infection.