bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revealing the microbial heritage of traditional Brazilian cheeses through metagenomics
Authors: Kothe Caroline Isabel , Mohellibi Nacer , Renault Pierre
Published: March 2022

Brazilian artisanal cheeses date from the first Portuguese settlers and evolved via local factors, resulting in unique products that are now part of the patrimony and identity of different Brazilian regions. In this study, we combined several culture-independent approaches, including 16S/ITS metagenetics, assembly- and deep profiling-metagenomics to characterize the originality of the microbiota of five varieties of Brazilian artisanal cheeses from the South and Southeast regions of Brazil. Their core microbiota contained mainly lactic acid bacteria (LAB), of which Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis was the most frequent, followed by Streptococcus thermophilus in the South region. Moreover, several samples from the Southeast region contained, as dominant LAB, two other food Streptococci belonging to a new species of the salivarius group and S. infantarius. Rinds of samples from the Southeast region were dominated by the halotolerant bacterium Corynebacterium variabile and the yeasts Diutina catenulata and, to a lesser extent, by Debaryomyces hansenii and Kodamaea ohmeri. Rinds from the South region contained mainly LAB due to their short ripening time, and the predominant yeast was D. hansenii. Phylogenomic analysis based on L. lactis metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) showed that most Brazilian strains are closely related and form a different clade from those whose genomes are available at this time, indicating that they belong to a specific group. Lastly, functional analysis showed that S. infantarius acquired a ∼26 kb DNA fragment from S. thermophilus starter strains that carry the LacSZ system, allowing fast lactose assimilation, an adaptation advantage for growth in milk. Finally, our study identified several areas of concern, such as the presence of somatic cell DNA and high levels of antibiotic resistance genes in several cheese microbiota, implying that the milk used was from diseased herds. Overall, the data from this study highlight the potential value of the traditional and artisanal cheese production network in Brazil, and provide a metagenomic-based scheme to help manage this resource safely.
Deterioration of the human transcriptome with age due to increasing intron retention and spurious splicing
Authors: Mariotti Marco , Kerepesi Csaba , Oliveros Winona , Mele Marta , Gladyshev Vadim N.
Published: March 2022

Adult aging is characterized by a progressive deterioration of biological functions at physiological, cellular and molecular levels, but its damaging effects on the transcriptome are not well characterized. Here, by analyzing splicing patterns in ∼1,000 human subjects sampled across multiple tissues, we found that splicing fidelity declines with age. Most prominently, genuine introns fail to be spliced out, manifesting as a broad surge in intron retention, and this is exacerbated by the increase in diverse spurious exon-exon junctions with age. Both of these effects are prominently detected in the majority of human tissues. Collectively, they result in the progressive deterioration of the active transcriptome, wherein functional mRNAs are increasingly diluted with non-functional splicing isoforms. We discuss the concept of “splicing damage” and formulate methods to quantify it. Using these tools, we show that splicing damage increases both with age and with the incidence of diseases. Altogether, this work uncovers transcriptome damage as a critical molecular indicator of human aging and healthspan.
An integrated single-cell atlas of the limb skeleton from development through adulthood
Authors: Herpelinck Tim , Ory Liesbeth , Verbraeken Tom , Nasello Gabriele , Barzegari Mojtaba , Bolander Johanna , Luyten Frank P. , Tylzanowski Przemko , Geris Liesbet
Published: March 2022

The recent growth of single-cell transcriptomics has turned single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) into a near-routine experiment. Breakthroughs in improving scalability have led to the creation of organism-wide transcriptomic datasets, aiming to comprehensively profile the cell types and states within an organism throughout its lifecycle. To date, however, the skeleton remains a majorly underrepresented organ system in organism-wide atlases. Considering how the skeleton not only serves as the central framework of the vertebrate body but is also the home of the hematopoietic niche and a central player in major metabolic and homeostatic processes, this presents a major deficit in current reference atlas projects. To address this issue, we integrated ten separate scRNA-seq datasets containing limb skeletal cells and their developmental precursors, generating an atlas of 133 332 cells. This limb skeletal cell atlas describes cells across the mesenchymal lineage from the induction of the limb to the adult bone and encompasses 39 different cell states. Furthermore, expanding the repertoire of available time points and cell types within a single dataset allowed for more complete analyses of cell-cell communication orin silicoperturbation studies. Taken together, we present a missing piece in the current atlas mapping efforts, which will be of value to researchers in the fields of skeletal biology, hematopoiesis, metabolism and regenerative medicine.
Patterns of rates of mortality in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink
Authors: Schmidt James C. F. , Lambert Paul C. , Gillies Clare , Sweeting Michael J.
Published: March 2022

The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) is a widely used data resource, representative in demographic profile, with accurate death recordings but it is unclear if mortality rates within CPRD are similar to rates in the general population. Rates may additionally be affected by selection bias caused by the requirement that a cohort have a minimum lookback window, i.e. observation time prior to start of at-risk follow-up.

Standardised Mortality Ratios (SMRs) were calculated incorporating published population reference rates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), using Poisson regression with rates in CPRD contrasted to ONS rates, stratified by age, calendar year and sex. An overall SMR was estimated along with SMRs presented for cohorts with different lookback windows (1, 2, 5, 10 years). SMRs were stratified by calendar year, length of follow-up and age group. Mortality rates in a random sample of 1 million CPRD GOLD patients were slightly lower than the national population [SMR=0.980 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.973, 0.987)]. Cohorts with observational lookback had SMRs below one [1 year of lookback; SMR=0.905 (0.898, 0.912), 2 years; SMR=0.881 (0.874, 0.888), 5 years; SMR=0.849 (0.841, 0.857), 10 years; SMR=0.837 (0.827, 0.847)]. Mortality rates in the first two years after patient entry into CPRD were higher than the general population, while SMRs dropped below one thereafter.

Mortality rates in CPRD, using simple entry requirements, are similar to rates seen in the English population. The requirement of at least a single year of lookback results in lower mortality rates compared to national estimates.
Vascular dysregulation following SARS-CoV-2 infection involves integrin signalling through a VE-Cadherin mediated pathway
Authors: Nader Danielle , Kerrigan Steve
Published: March 2022

The vascular barrier is heavily injured following SARS-CoV-2 infection and contributes enormously to life-threatening complications in COVID-19. This endothelial dysfunction is associated with the phlogistic phenomenon of cytokine storms, thrombotic complications, abnormal coagulation, hypoxemia, and multiple organ failure. The mechanisms surrounding COVID-19 associated endotheliitis have been widely attributed to ACE2-mediated pathways. However, integrins have emerged as possible receptor candidates for SARS-CoV-2, and their complex intracellular signalling events are essential for maintaining endothelial homeostasis. Here, we showed that the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 depends on its RGD motif to drive barrier dysregulation through hijacking integrin αVβ3. This triggers the redistribution and internalization of major junction protein VE-Cadherin which leads to the barrier disruption phenotype. Both extracellular and intracellular inhibitors of integrin αVβ3 prevented these effects, similarly to the RGD-cyclic peptide compound Cilengitide, which suggests that the spike protein – through its RGD motif – binds to αVβ3 and elicits vascular leakage events. These findings support integrins as an additional receptor for SARS-CoV-2, particularly as integrin engagement can elucidate many of the adverse endothelial dysfunction events that stem from COVID-19.
Omicron variant of SARS-COV-2 gains new mutations in New Zealand and Hong Kong
Authors: Yang Xiang-Jiao
Published: March 2022

Disclaimer statement

The authors have withdrawn this manuscript because an issue was raised about the SARS- COV-2 genome sequence data used in the study. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.
Polished diamond X-ray lenses
Authors: Celestre Rafael , Antipov Sergey , Gomez Edgar , Zinn Thomas , Barrett Raymond , Roth Thomas
Published: March 2022

High-quality bi-concave 2D focusing diamond X-ray lenses of apex-radius R = 100 µm produced via laser-ablation and improved via mechanical polishing are presented here. Both for polished and unpolished individual lenses and for stacks of ten lenses, the remaining figure errors determined using X-ray speckle tracking are shown and these results are compared with those of commercial R = 50 µm beryllium lenses that have similar focusing strength and physical aperture. For two stacks of ten diamond lenses (polished and unpolished) and a stack of eleven beryllium lenses, this paper presents measured 2D beam profiles out of focus and wire scans to obtain the beam size in the focal plane. These results are complemented with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements of a polished and an unpolished diamond lens. Again, this is compared with the SAXS of a beryllium lens. The polished X-ray lenses show similar figure errors to commercially available beryllium lenses. While the beam size in the focal plane is comparable to that of the beryllium lenses, the SAXS signal of the polished diamond lenses is considerably lower.
Simultaneous autonomous system and powerplant design for morphing quadrotors
Authors: Şahin Hüseyin , Kose Oguz , Oktay Tugrul
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This study aims to optimize autonomous performance (i.e. both longitudinal and lateral) and endurance of the quadrotor type aerial vehicle simultaneously depending on the autopilot gain coefficients and battery weight.

Design/methodology/approach

Quadrotor design processes are critical to performance. Unmanned aerial vehicle durability is an important performance parameter. One of the factors affecting durability is the battery. Battery weight, energy capacity and discharge rate are important design parameters of the battery. In this study, proper autopilot gain coefficients and battery weight are obtained by using a stochastic optimization method named as simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA). Because there is no direct correlation between battery weight and battery energy density, artificial neural network (ANN) is benefited to obtain battery energy density corresponding to resulted battery weight found from SPSA algorithm. By using the SPSA algorithm optimum performance index is obtained, then obtained data is used for longitudinal and lateral autonomous flight simulations.

Findings

With SPSA, the best proportional integrator and derivative (PID) coefficients and battery weight, energy efficiency and endurance were obtained in case of morphing.

Research limitations/implications

It takes a long time to find the most suitable battery values depending on quadrotor endurance. However, this situation can be overcome with the proposed SPSA.

Practical implications

It is very useful to determine quadrotor endurance, PID coefficients and morphing rate using the optimization method.

Social implications

Determining quadrotor endurance, PID coefficients and morphing rate using the optimization method provides advantages in terms of time, cost and practicality.

Originality/value

The proposed method improves quadrotor endurance. In addition, with the SPSA optimization method and ANN, the parameters required for endurance will be obtained faster and more securely. In addition, the energy density according to the battery weight also contributes to the clean environment and energy efficiency.
Prioritization of factors and selection of best business practice from bio-medical waste generated using best–worst method
Authors: Jangre Jogendra , Hameed Abdul Zubar , Srivastava Medha , Prasad Kanika , Patel Dharmendra
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Hospital activities restore health and save lives; yet they produce infectious waste that might harm people and the environment if not handled carefully. The sudden increase in bio-medical waste (BMW) generation was caused due to the outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the beginning of year 2020. There is a huge potential of businesses from BMW generated in the developing economies. The document destruction process would prove to be beneficial in determining the strategies and policies for the business from BMW. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate the factors that influence the business prospects from BMW in developing economies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study focuses on identifying 18 factors based on an extensive literature review, questionnaire, theoretical foundations and interviews with experts in the context of developing economies. These factors are categorized into four groups namely “Culture, education and microeconomics”, “Infrastructure, social provision, and technology”, “Policy and institution” and “Integrated waste management system”. Consequently, these factors are prioritized to assist the decision-maker in comprehending the most critical aspects of accomplishing the best business practices. A framework based on the Best–Worst Method (BWM) is applied to evaluate and determine the significance of each identified factor.

Findings

The major contribution of this paper is to identify key factors that are responsible for successful implementation of the business practices from the generated BMW. The study also explains their nature, significance and inter-relationship among them using BWM. Current study applied a distinctive modeling approach to examine the contextual relationship among the key factors and to rank them as per their importance. The findings of the study suggest that “Setup for collection and segregation is the best alternative for business from BMW produced”.

Originality/value

The paper also presents strategies, which can be adopted as a guiding step by the decision-makers to formulate policies for the effective business practice from BMW. This research is expected to stimulate future applications of the BWM to facilitate long-term decision-making.
At the end of the world, turn left: examining toxic leadership, team silence and success in mega construction projects
Authors: Zaman Umer , Florez-Perez Laura , Anjam Mahwish , Ghani Khwaja Muddasar , Ul-Huda Noor
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Failures in both followership and leadership become inevitable as mega construction projects are directed and controlled by toxic leaders. Consequently, team member's desire for knowledge hoarding silence is triggered and goal alignment between the leader and team members suddenly fades away to realize success in mega projects. Considering the growing importance of these rarely examined constructs and fragmented literature on toxic leadership (TL), team silence and mega project success (PS) in the global construction industry, the present study aimed to examine the effects of TL and project team member's silence (PTMS) on the success of mega construction projects. Moreover, the mediating influence of PTMS to link TL and mega construction PS has also been explored.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on survey data of 326 project professionals directly associated with mega construction projects worth US$62bn under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the conceptual model was tested with covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) using Mplus program. Scales were adapted from previous research to measure TL (with its five-dimensions including abusive supervision, authoritarian leadership, self-promotion, narcissism and unpredictability), PS (with its three-dimensions including project management success, project ownership success and project investment success) and project team members' silence. Reflective–formative second order assessments were specifically applied to measure the multi-dimensional nature of TL and PS, respectively.

Findings

Mplus estimations revealed that TL negatively influences PS, besides forcing a culture of silence among project team members. Interestingly, the relationship between TL and PS is also negatively mediated by the PTMS.

Research limitations/implications

The present study's findings are derived from data of project professionals (N = 326) to examine success in megaprojects under the CPEC. Hence, these findings may be re-validated through future studies on similar megaprojects (e.g. China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) worth US$8tn) that may also be predicated by TL tendencies, silent cultures and high-stakes involved to seize PS.

Practical implications

Policymakers, construction practitioners and other key stakeholders (e.g. departmental heads/supervisors) can take advantage of this new evidence to better interpret the success paradox in mega projects, and to reduce the spread and long-term damage of TL on team members and eventually create opportunities for PS.

Originality/value

The present study's novelty is manifested within this first empirical evidence on TL that breeds team silence in underperforming mega projects. Notably, present study offers alarming evidence on mega projects that can be easily derailed from success, as they continue to suffer from team silence and TL.
Regulatory examinations and life insurance development
Authors: Srbinoski Bojan , Poposki Klime , Born Patricia , Van Hulle Karel
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Solvency and market conduct regulations play a crucial role in supporting life insurance development by boosting consumer confidence and securing a stable environment for insurers to write business. The regulation encapsulates not only the legal framework but also its enforcement. This study aims to focus on the latter and investigate the impact of solvency and market conduct examinations on life insurance development within a homogenous legal environment in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the relationship between the regulatory examinations and life insurance development, this study uses annual data for 51 US states over the period 2013–2018 and uses fixed and random effects panel regressions controlling for the possible omitted variables bias and serial correlation. This study constructs two groups of indicators to measure the robustness and ability of regulators to prevent insolvencies and opportunistic market practices and estimate their effects on market development.

Findings

The results show that more stringent regulators with respect to solvency examinations deter life insurers from their markets and channel to those markets with lenient examiners, hurting the development of life insurance in the stringent states. Additionally, regulators boost consumer confidence by providing robust market conduct practices, which results in higher life insurance demand.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the debates about the pros and cons of the current state-led regulation in the USA and the general benefits/costs of regulation for insurance market development.
Neurophysiological responses to robot–human interactions in retail stores
Authors: Rancati Gaia , Maggioni Isabella
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Retailers are increasingly considering the introduction of service robots in their stores to support or even replace service staff. Service robots can execute service scripts during the service encounter that can influence customer interactions and the overall experience. While the role of service agents is well documented, more research is needed to understand customer responses to a technology-infused servicescape and to investigate the value of service robots as interaction partners. The purpose of this study is to examine the degree of customer immersion in human-human or human-robot interactions across different stages of the service experience and to understand how immersion affects store visit duration under each condition.

Design/methodology/approach

An experimental field study was developed to test the research hypotheses. The study was conducted in a retail store selling premium Italian leather goods with 50 respondents randomly allocated to one of two experimental conditions, interaction with a service robot or interaction with a human sales associate. Participants’ biometrics were collected to measure their immersion in the service encounter and to assess its impact on store visit duration.

Findings

The interaction with a service robot increases the level of customer immersion during the service encounter’s welcome and surprise moments. Immersion positively affects visit duration. However, participants exposed to a robot sales associate reported a shorter visit duration as compared to those who interacted with a human sales associate.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the emerging service and retail marketing literature on service robot applications applying a neuroscientific approach to the study of human–robot interactions across different moments of the service encounter. For managers, this study shows the conditions under which service robots can be successfully implemented in retail stores in accordance with the type of task performed and the degree of immersion generated in customers.
The impact of CSR on the financing cost of Jordanian firms
Authors: AlKhouri Ritab , Suwaidan Mishiel Said
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure on the firms’ weighted average cost of capital (WACC) of Jordanian industrial firms listed in the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE) over the 2009–2019 period. In particular, this paper examines whether stockholders and creditors value CSR information disclosure positively when they decide to provide financing to the firm.

Design/methodology/approach

To investigate the relationship between the firm's disclosure of CSR and its WACC within Jordanian industrial firms, this study used the generalized method of moments. This study first describes the variables and then the model specification. The dependent variable is the WACC, calculated as the weighted average cost of debt and the cost of equity. For the main independent variable, this study used the CSR disclosure index developed by Abu Qa'adan and Suwaidan (2019), which includes 42 items of information classified into four categories: environmental information, human resources information, community involvement information and product/services to customer information. The sample includes 42 industrial firms listed in the ASE over the period 2009–2019.

Findings

This study finds find that there is no impact of total CSR disclosure on the WACC. However, firms that do not disclose enough information and engage in socially responsible activities related to the environment and the human resources are considered high risk to the market participants (i.e. creditors and equity holders) and consequently are penalized by being charged high financing costs. Furthermore, profitable firms that engage in CSR activities are seen to be highly risky.

Research limitations/implications

As the period chosen for the study is considered a period of an economic slowdown in Jordan, it is highly likely that the impact of the economic slowdown increased the required return on investment by equity holders. The results of the study are consistent with the idea that managers regard CSR as philanthropy rather than as a necessary activity that leads to the sustainability of their businesses. On the other hand, it could be that investors do not give any attention to the CSR information provided by the firm, and hence, their required return is determined by other factors.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the literature on CSR in the following: first, contrary to previous research that examines the impact of CSR on a firm's value or its cost of equity capital, this study will examine the effect of CSR disclosures on the company’s WACC. Second, this research examines the CSR disclosure in a small market where information asymmetry is high, thus the authors suggest that their CSR disclosure is one channel through which firms can reduce this information asymmetry and improve their performance.
Surgical management of pudendal nerve entrapment after sacrospinous ligament fixation
Authors: Vodegel Eva V. , van Delft Kim W. M. , Nuboer Charlotte H. C. , Kowalik Claudia R. , Roovers Jan‐Paul W. R.
Published: March 2022

Objective

To analyse the efficacy of sacrospinous ligament (SSL) suture removal on the reduction of pain symptoms in the case of suspected pudendal nerve entrapment after sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF).

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary referral centre, the Netherlands.

Population

A cohort of 21 women having their SSLF sutures removed because of SSLF‐related pain symptoms.

Methods

Clinical record review.

Main outcome measures

The primary outcome was reduction of pain after SSL suture removal. Secondary outcome measures were time interval between suture placement and suture removal, complete suture removal, adverse events and recurrence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Results

A total of 21 women underwent SSL suture removal for severe and/or persistent pain, which was confirmed on clinical examination: 95% of the women (20/21) reported pain reduction after suture removal, and 57% reported complete pain relief. The time interval between suture placement and suture removal was at a median of 414 days (range 8–1855 days). Sutures could be completely removed in 86% of cases (18/21). One woman had excessive blood loss (520 ml) without blood transfusion. At 6–8 weeks after surgery, 10% of the women (2/21) had renewed symptomatic POP, stage ≥ 2, for which additional POP surgery was indicated.

Conclusions

When performed by an experienced clinician, SSL suture removal is feasible and efficacious, with low morbidity. In addition, the risk of recurrent POP in the short term appeared to be low.

Tweetable abstract

The surgical removal of sacrospinous ligament sutures is safe and efficacious for pain relief, even remote from initial placement.
A secretory phospholipase A2 of a fungal pathogen contributes to lipid droplet homeostasis, assimilation of insect‐derived lipids, and repression of host immune responses
Authors: Deng Juan , Lu Zhuoyue , Wang Huifang , Li Ning , Song Guimei , Zhu Qiankuan , Sun Jingxin , Zhang Yongjun
Published: March 2022

Secretory phospholipase A2s (sPLA2s) are found in a wide range of organisms from bacteria to higher plants and animals and are involved in varied and cellular processes. However, roles of these enzymes in microbial pathogens remain unclear. Here, an sPLA2 (BbPLA2) was characterized in the filamentous insect pathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana. BbPLA2 was exclusively expressed in insect hemolymph‐derived cells (hyphal bodies), and its expression was induced by insect‐derived nutrients and lipids, and nutrient starvation. High levels of secretion of BbPLA2 were observed as well as its distribution in hyphal body lipid drops (LDs). Overexpression of BbPLA2 increased the ability of B. bassiana to utilize insect‐derived nutrients and lipids, and promoted LD accumulation, indicating functions for BbPLA2 in mediating LD homeostasis and assimilation of insect‐derived lipids. Strains overexpressing BbPLA2 showed moderately increased virulence, including more efficient penetration of the insect cuticle and evasion of host immune responses as compared to the wild type strain. In addition, B. bassiana‐activated host immune genes were downregulated in the BbPLA2 overexpression strain, but upregulated by infections with a ΔBbPLA2 strain. These data demonstrate that BbPLA2 contributes to LD homeostasis, assimilation of insect‐derived lipids, and repression of host immune responses.
What a few hairs can tell us about the resource use of giant armadillos
Authors: MAGIOLI Marcelo , ATTIAS Nina , MASSOCATO Gabriel , KLUYBER Danilo , MOREIRA Marcelo Zacharias , FERRAZ Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros , CHIARELLO Adriano Garcia , DESBIEZ Arnaud L. J.
Published: March 2022

Understanding of resource requirements of vulnerable species is key for conservation planning. Here, we used stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) of hair from giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) to understand individual resource use. We collected hair from 19 giant armadillos analyzing 34 samples from the Brazilian Pantanal and compared the resource use between sexes and age classes. We also assessed the relationship of isotopic values with individuals’ body mass and the habitat type used. We observed a wide variation in resource use by giant armadillos, showing that individuals consume prey that feeds on distinct resources and occupies different habitat types, indicating that there is individual variation in foraging behavior. Most giant armadillos presented a mixed diet (C3/C4 resources, forests/open areas), but a quarter of individuals had strictly C4 diets (open areas). Males are more prone to forage on C4 resources, presenting an isotopic niche 2.6‐times larger than that of females. Subadults presented diets more associated with habitats with high arboreal cover (C3 resources, forests), while adults foraged more in open areas (C4 resources). This result is mirrored by the positive relationship between δ13C values and body mass, suggesting that larger giant armadillos tend to feed more in open areas. We observed that δ13C values decreased as individuals increased the use of habitats with high arboreal cover. We stress the importance of conserving the natural mosaic in the Pantanal landscape for the species persistence, given that giant armadillos require all habitat types to fulfill their dietary, spatial, and developmental needs.
Does α‐lipoic acid therapeutically effective against experimentally induced‐acute pulpitis in rats?
Authors: Kermeoğlu Fatma , Sayıner Serkan , Şehirli Ahmet Özer , Savtekin Gökçe , Aksoy Umut
Published: March 2022

The purpose of the study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of α‐lipoic acid (ALA) on an induced‐acute pulpitis model in rats. Twenty‐four Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, induced‐acute pulpitis (PULP) and PULP + ALA groups. In the PULP and PULP + ALA groups, the crowns of the maxillary left incisors were removed horizontally. All exposed pulp tissues were treated with 5 µL LPS solution. In the PULP + ALA group, the rats were treated intraperitoneally with a single dose of ALA (100 mg/kg). The rats were sacrificed 24 h after pulp injury, and the trunk blood and pulp samples were collected and then determined using ELISA assay kits. TNF‐α, IL‐1β, MMP‐1 and MMP‐2 levels in the serum and pulp tissues were considerably higher in the PULP group than the control group (p < 0.01–0.001). In the PULP + ALA group, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, MMP‐1 and MMP‐2 levels in the serum and pulp tissues decreased significantly compared to the PULP group (p < 0.05–0.001). ALA decreases pro‐inflammatory mediators and proteolytic enzymes, which might relieve acute inflammation.
Genome‐wide analysis suggests multiple domestication events of Chinese local pigs
Authors: Peng Yebo , Cai Xinyu , Wang Yuzhan , Liu Zexuan , Zhao Yiqiang
Published: March 2022

Chinese local pigs have abundant phenotypes as a result of different cultures and habits of Chinese populations, geographic constraints and the long history of pig domestication. A comprehensive investigation of local Chinese pigs will benefit biodiversity research and future breeding practices. However, their classification and demographic history are not yet clear. We studied 91 Chinese local pigs from 14 breeds and 15 Chinese wild boars to reveal the dispersal of Chinese pigs, genetic groups and the demographic history. Based on spatial feature analyses, we believe that the geographic landscape played an important role in the dispersal of local pigs. According to genetic studies, Chinese pigs are divided into three groups where each group appears to have a distinct background. The nucleotide diversity, observed heterozygosity, runs of homozygosity and inbreeding coefficient varied among the groups and widespread migration also existed between the groups. Furthermore, demographic models have been constructed to explain the evolutionary relationship between the groups using the approximate Bayesian computation approach. These suggested that Chinese local pigs are inherited from an extinct Sus scrofa population from ~22 000 years ago. Then, the three groups diverged from ancestors ~16 000, ~11 000 and ~8700 years ago respectively. This study advances our understanding of the genetic variation and demographic history of Chinese local pigs.
The Variable Persuasiveness of Political Rhetoric
Authors: Blumenau Jack , Lauderdale Benjamin E.
Published: March 2022

Which types of political rhetoric are most persuasive? Politicians make arguments that share common rhetorical elements, including metaphor, ad hominem attacks, appeals to expertise, moral appeals, and many others. However, political arguments are also highly multidimensional, making it difficult to assess the relative persuasive power of these elements. We report on a novel experimental design which assesses the relative persuasiveness of a large number of arguments that deploy a set of rhetorical elements to argue for and against proposals across a range of UK political issues. We find modest differences in the average effectiveness of rhetorical elements shared by many arguments, but also large variation in the persuasiveness of arguments of the same rhetorical type across issues. In addition to revealing that some argument‐types are more effective than others in shaping public opinion, these results have important implications for the interpretation of survey‐experimental studies in the field of political communication.
Electrochemical methods to discriminate technology and provenance of Apulian red‐figured pottery. II: EIS
Authors: Doménech‐Carbó Antonio , Giannuzzi Michele , Mangone Annarosa , Giannossa Lorena Carla
Published: March 2022

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was applied to a set of microsamples of Apulian red‐figured pottery coming from the archaeological sites of Altamura, Arpi, Conversano, Monte Sannace, Taranto, and Pella. EIS data using Fe (CN)63−/Fe (CN)64− as a redox probe yields information on the roughness, porosity, shape, and size distribution of inclusions in the clay body. Impedance parameters after equivalent circuit modeling permit the discrimination of manufacturing in Apulian and Attic modes as well as the characterization of the different archaeological sites.
Effects of calcium salt of linseed oil fatty acid with different oil adsorbents on in vitro gas production and ruminal fermentation characteristics
Authors: Aoki Hirotatsu , Sato Yoshiaki , Katsumata Sachi , Yamauchi Momo , Yamanaka Sayaka , Kishi Yousuke , Oishi Kazato , Hirooka Hiroyuki , Kumagai Hajime
Published: March 2022

We investigated the effects of supplementary calcium salt of fatty acid (CSFA) from linseed oil with different oil adsorbents on in vitro gas production and rumen fermentation characteristics in barley substrate condition. A non‐supplementation treatment (CONT) and treatments of six products, CSFA without oil adsorbent (2.1 fatty acid/Ca molar ratio) and CSFAs with silica gel, zeolite, bentonite, diatomite, and vermiculite (2.8 fatty acid/Ca molar ratio), were prepared. The supplementary 2% and 4% CSFA with silica gel (+S) in the substrate reduced CH4 production 56% and 79%, respectively, compared with that in CONT (p < 0.01). The products, except for +S, did not decrease CH4 production. The dry matter (DM) disappearance in CSFAs with oil adsorbents was lower than that in the CSFA without oil adsorbent (74.8%–77.3% vs. 79.3%, p < 0.01), and crude protein (CP) disappearance in +S supplementation was lower than that of the other products (53.5% vs. 57.2%–59.1%, p < 0.01). The +S supplementation decreased acetate proportion and increased propionate proportion (p < 0.01). Our study indicated that although the disappearance of DM and CP might decrease, using silica gel as an oil adsorbent of linseed oil calcium salt with high fatty acid/Ca molar ratio has the potential to mitigate CH4 emissions from ruminants.
Cross-Trait Prediction Accuracy of Summary Statistics in Genome-Wide Association Studies
Authors: Zhao Bingxin , Zou Fei , Zhu Hongtu
Published: March 2022

In the era of big data, univariate models have widely been used as a workhorse tool for quickly producing marginal estimators; and this is true even when in a high-dimensional dense setting, in which many features are “true,” but weak signals. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) epitomize this type of setting. Although the GWAS marginal estimator is popular, it has long been criticized for ignoring the correlation structure of genetic variants (i.e., the linkage disequilibrium [LD] pattern). In this paper, we study the effects of LD pattern on the GWAS marginal estimator and investigate whether or not additionally accounting for the LD can improve the prediction accuracy of complex traits. We consider a general high-dimensional dense setting for GWAS and study a class of ridge-type estimators, including the popular marginal estimator and the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) estimator as two special cases. We show that the performance of GWAS marginal estimator depends on the LD pattern through the first three moments of its eigenvalue distribution. Furthermore, we uncover that the relative performance of GWAS marginal and BLUP estimators highly depends on the ratio of GWAS sample size over the number of genetic variants. Particularly, our finding reveals that the marginal estimator can easily become near-optimal within this class when the sample size is relatively small, even though it ignores the LD pattern. On the other hand, BLUP estimator has substantially better performance than the marginal estimator as the sample size increases toward the number of genetic variants, which is typically in millions. Therefore, adjusting for the LD (such as in the BLUP) is most needed when GWAS sample size is large. We illustrate the importance of our results by using the simulated data and real GWAS.
Rural Mobilisation and Agrarian Political Economy in Argentina, 2001–2020
Authors: Lapegna Pablo , Palmisano Tomás
Published: March 2022

In this article, we reconstruct the mobilisations of rural actors both from ‘below’ and from ‘above’ and their connections to Argentina's agrarian political economy between 2001 and 2020. We divide the analysis into three periods and review key protest events and the actions of movements and organisations, paying special attention to two dimensions. First, we consider how rural movements and organisations engaged with institutional politics and the state. Second, we analyse the collective identifications and claims at the basis of coalitions forged within and beyond the rural sector.
Debate: Young people with personality disorder should be recognised and appropriately managed
Authors: Tyrer Peter
Published: March 2022

The characteristic features of personality disorder that are found in older people are also present in young people. These features are currently not diagnosed as personality problems by most UK practitioners, through a mixture of fear and prejudice, which is used to justify this avoidant diagnostic behaviour. A simple solution is offered. State that personality function is ‘disordered’ in those who cross the threshold for diagnosis but emphasise that it is often ephemeral and can be managed.
Impact of the COVID‐19 virus outbreak on 24‐h movement behaviours among children in Saudi Arabia: A cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Alanazi Yazeed A. , Parrish Anne‐Maree , Okely Anthony D.
Published: March 2022

Background

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus (COVID‐19) outbreak as a pandemic. This led many governments to place restrictions on population movement to aid in pandemic control. These restrictions were expected to produce some type of impact on the daily lives of children and their families. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID‐19 on 24‐h movement behaviours among Saudi children aged 6–12 years, during the pandemic.

Methods

An online survey of Saudi parents (n = 1021) was conducted between 1 October to 11 November 2020 to gather information about the impact of the COVID‐19 outbreak on children's 24‐h movement behaviours, parent and child factors that may be associated with movement behaviours, and perceived changes in children's movement behaviours.

Results

Only 3.4% of Saudi children met all components of 24‐h movement guidelines. Compared with before COVID‐19, children's PA levels declined, they slept more, and their use of electronic screen devices significantly increased. The perceived changes in PA and SB were more unfavourable among girls than boys. Children of older parents, mothers, and those with lower education levels and lower monthly incomes were more likely to meet 24‐h movement guidelines.

Conclusion

The COVID‐19 virus outbreak unfavourably affected Saudi children's movement behaviours, more specifically, girls, which should be taken into account in future research. The results provide an insight into what has changed because of the COVID‐19 restrictions and could be considered as part of the response strategies in Saudi Arabia.
Age and spatial distribution of the world's oldest trees
Authors: Liu Jiajia , Xia Shangwen , Zeng Di , Liu Cong , Li Yingjun , Yang Wenjing , Yang Bao , Zhang Jian , Slik Ferry , Lindenmayer David B.
Published: March 2022

Extremely old trees have important roles in providing insights about historical climatic events and supporting cultural values, yet there has been limited work on their global distribution and conservation. We extracted information on 197,855 tree cores from 4854 sites and combined it with other tree age (e.g., the OLDLIST) data from a further 156 sites to determine the age of the world's oldest trees and quantify the factors influencing their global distribution. We found that extremely old trees >1000 years were rare. Among 30 individual trees that exceeded 2000 years old, 27 occurred in high mountains. We modeled maximum tree age with climatic, soil topographic, and anthropogenic variables, and our regression models demonstrated that elevation, human population density, soil carbon content, and mean annual temperature were key determinants of the distribution of the world's oldest trees. Specifically, our model predicted that many of the oldest trees will occur in high‐elevation, cold, and arid mountains with limited human disturbance. This pattern was markedly different from that of the tallest trees, which were more likely to occur in relatively more mesic and productive locations. Global warming and expansion of human activities may induce rapid population declines of extremely old trees. New strategies, including targeted establishment of conservation reserves in remote regions, especially those in western parts of China and the United States, are required to protect these trees.
Civil society organizations and managerialism: On the depoliticization of the adaptive management agenda
Authors: Gutheil Lena , Koch Dirk‐Jan
Published: March 2022

Motivation

In the last decade, a movement formed around making aid delivery more adaptive, relying on principles such as context sensitivity, flexibility, and ownership. The approaches seem promising for civil society organizations (CSOs) to fulfil their mission of fostering social transformation. While several donor agencies have started engaging with such approaches, the authors hardly see their political implications in practice.

Purpose

The article aims to provide evidence on an adaptive project and demonstrate how the social transformative and political nature of adaptive development management is rendered technical and depoliticized in practice.

Methods and approach

We use a case study of a development programme based on a social transformative policy framework that is implemented through CSOs in Uganda and Vietnam. Data were collected by means of interviews, participant observation and document analysis.

Findings

We find that, in practice, the social transformative policy framework is competing with managerial logics. We compare this process with the depoliticization of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, finding striking similarities. By using practice theory, we show how managerialism remains the dominant paradigm in the civil society aid sector, fuelling the “anti‐politics machine.”

Policy implications

The article shows that policy frameworks do not always work as intended. Donors should therefore not only change policy frameworks, but also start addressing institutional and operational requirements.
Sustained seizure freedom with adjunctive brivaracetam in patients with focal onset seizures
Authors: Lattanzi Simona , Ascoli Michele , Canafoglia Laura , Paola Canevini Maria , Casciato Sara , Cerulli Irelli Emanuele , Chiesa Valentina , Dainese Filippo , De Maria Giovanni , Didato Giuseppe , Di Gennaro Giancarlo , Falcicchio Giovanni , Fanella Martina , Gangitano Massimo , La Neve Angela , Mecarelli Oriano , Montalenti Elisa , Morano Alessandra , Piazza Federico , Pizzanelli Chiara , Pulitano Patrizia , Ranzato Federica , Rosati Eleonora , Tassi Laura , Di Bonaventura Carlo ,   BRIVAFIRST Group
Published: March 2022

The maintenance of seizure control over time is a clinical priority in patients with epilepsy. The aim of this study was to assess the sustained seizure frequency reduction with adjunctive brivaracetam (BRV) in real‐world practice. Patients with focal epilepsy prescribed add‐on BRV were identified. Study outcomes included sustained seizure freedom and sustained seizure response, defined as a 100% and a ≥50% reduction in baseline seizure frequency that continued without interruption and without BRV withdrawal through the 12‐month follow‐up. Nine hundred ninety‐four patients with a median age of 45 (interquartile range = 32–56) years were included. During the 1‐year study period, sustained seizure freedom was achieved by 142 (14.3%) patients, of whom 72 (50.7%) were seizure‐free from Day 1 of BRV treatment. Sustained seizure freedom was maintained for ≥6, ≥9, and 12 months by 14.3%, 11.9%, and 7.2% of patients from the study cohort. Sustained seizure response was reached by 383 (38.5%) patients; 236 of 383 (61.6%) achieved sustained ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency by Day 1, 94 of 383 (24.5%) by Month 4, and 53 of 383 (13.8%) by Month 7 up to Month 12. Adjunctive BRV was associated with sustained seizure frequency reduction from the first day of treatment in a subset of patients with uncontrolled focal epilepsy.