bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Orientalising the British Class System: Exploring the ‘Chinese’ Landscapes of Sir William Chambers, 1740–1775
Authors: Williams Laurence
Published: May 2023

This chapter explores the eighteenth-century tendency to imagine ‘China’ as an aestheticised space into which domestic debates about hierarchy, taste, and social class could be transferred, reconfigured, and developed. I explore the shifting articulations of China across the career of the Anglo-Swedish architect William Chambers (1723–96). Chambers was, in both social origins and career, located on the fault lines between middle and upper class interpretations of China. The son of a Scottish expatriate merchant, he strategically deployed his limited experiences – gained from time spent in Canton as an employee of the Swedish East India Company – to win elite acceptance as a China expert. As Royal Architect and chief designer of Kew Gardens from 1757 to 1762, he insinuated into this most rarefied of landscape gardens a more ordinary mercantile perspective.
Ecogothic Chinatown
Authors: Hsu Li-hsin
Published: May 2023

The chapter looks at the representations of Californian Chinatowns in the 1870s. The accounts of Robert Louis Stevenson and Mark Twain manifest a multi-layered urban space and a perverted Romantic landscape, in which Chinatown emerges as a haunting presence. In their depictions of Chinatown artefacts and commodities, as well as the living spaces and daily practices of Chinese immigrants, both writers deploy disgust as a literary device and as a political response to the rising anti-Chinese sentiment of the time. Historically, these engagements foresee the eventual restriction of Chinese immigration to the United States. With respect to the recurring theme of disgust, strategies of digression and distortion, as well as the lingering sense of doubleness, their writings can be retrospectively understood as part of a body of work on what Sarah Jaquette Ray terms ‘the ecological other’.
Climate Change, Inequality and Romantic Catastrophe
Authors: Higgins David
Published: May 2023

Byron’s ‘Darkness’ (1816), Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound (1820), and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and The Last Man (1826) understand catastrophe in environmental, political, and epistemological terms. They were all influenced by the stormy weather of 1816, one of the after-effects of the Tambora eruption the previous year, which triggered reflections on the vulnerability of human communities, including the possibility of human extinction. However, Byron and the Shelleys were privileged expatriates largely sheltered from the post-Tambora subsistence crisis that afflicted most Europeans. Investigating how these texts understand the relationship between politics, inequality and environmental catastrophe, this chapter claims there is a parallel between their elite perspectives on apocalypse, and present-day responses to climate change. That is, ecological optimism and pessimism have a long lineage, and, then as now, are most attractive to those least affected by climate disruption.
Exclusionary Landscapes: Shenstone and the Development of a Romantic Aesthetics of Enclosure
Authors: Tee Ve-Yin
Published: May 2023

This chapter takes a close look at William Shenstone’s management of The Leasowes, which – together with Enville and Hagley – exerted a programmatic influence on landscape thinking in the eighteenth century. Proceeding on to the poems of James Woodhouse, a labouring-class poet against emparkment, it reveals the oppressive nature of this landscape thinking on humans and nonhumans. Partly to outline the impact of Shenstone’s landscape thinking on the Romantic period, and partly to indicate the particularly pernicious permutation that arose among urban middle-class people, Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s prose and poetical writings on landscape are referred throughout. The land was never made quite as useless as it is now in the name of the public good and conservation, and the blame lies squarely at the door of people like Coleridge and their domination by a form of landscape thinking IDentified here as an aesthetics of enclosure. Through Shenstone, Woodhouse, and Coleridge, the chapter communicates the tragic consequences of this environmental aesthetics not only for the eighteenth century, but also for the relationship most English people have now with the land they live, play and work on.
A World of Fire and Drought: Ecosocialism, Improvement and Apocalypse in James Woodhouse’S Crispinus Scriblerus
Authors: Bridgen Adam
Published: May 2023

This chapter considers James Woodhouse’s ecosocialism in the context of eighteenth-century improvement through his verse autobiography The Life and Lucubrations of Crispinus Scriblerus. Focussing on his time as a land steward at Elizabeth Montagu’s country estate, it engages with Woodhouse’s views on agricultural improvement, as well as his criticism of Montagu’s exclusionary practices and unsustainable farming methods. Also discussed is Woodhouse’s awareness of Montagu’s coal-mining enterprise in the north of England, and how the profits were used to transform her estate into a Brownian landscape. Montagu’s novel twinning of aristocratic splendour with industrial enterprise is finally rejected as an upper-class back-to-nature fantasy, whose destructive impact on land and labour Woodhouse reinforced in the poem’s apocalyptic vision of capitalistic wealth extraction.
Untidying the Landscape: Romantic Poetics, Class and Non‑Human Nature
Authors: White Simon J.
Published: May 2023

This essay re-examines two, very different, class-orientated approaches to non-human nature that emerged from the Romantic period. First, the essay explores the way Wordsworthian poetics influenced, and continues to influence, our humanist sense of what constitutes nature, before considering the very different poetics of the non-human that emerge from the writings of the labouring-class poet John Clare. In Clare’s poetics non-human nature is often represented struggling against the human compulsion to order and contain it. This struggle sometimes manifests itself in a lack of formal control in Clare’s poetry, and I will argue that this lack of formal control over subject matter also enables his greater insight into the nature of the non-human.
Qur’anic Metaphors: Between the Historicity of Poetic Imagination and the Continuity of Context
Authors: Yousef Saad Mohammed Abdel-Ghaffar
Published: May 2023

Due to their contextual breadth and hermeneutic continuities, Qur’anic metaphors are held to be manifestations of Qur’anic iʿjāz that outshine the metaphors and imagery found in pre-Islamic poetry: they transcend temporal and spatial limits and are accessible to all languages and cultures.

The historicity of metaphors and rhetorical images that characterise the Arabic poetic heritage is contextualised by their location within the temporal and spatial regions in which they were produced, the conceptual connections to which have been lost due to changing cultural beliefs, ideas, and contexts. In contrast, Qur’anic rhetoric has enduring continuity due to its observance of similarities in the construction of its metaphors, as well as the fact these are revealed within a religious, legislative text, whose contexts enjoy a rich continuity that encompasses meaning and connotations that accommodate the knowledge paradigms of different cultures.
Of Utopia and utopias: traces of Thomas More’s Utopia in the enlightened project of the New Settlements of Sierra Morena and Andalusia (Spain, 1767–72)
Authors: García Luciano García
Published: May 2023

The influence of Thomas More on Spanish utopian intellectuals and social reformers extends well into the eighteenth century. This article undertakes a detailed survey and an updating of the textual parallelisms connecting Utopia with the foundation of the New Settlements of Andalusia in 1767. It also presents a socio-historical perspective, which evinces a line of continuity connecting the New Settlements with an early Spanish Christian (Catholic) utopian tradition and practice, as seen in the earlier promoters of settlement programs in Spanish America. This last point is well illustrated by a series of biographical parallelisms between Thomas More and Pablo de Olavide, the Superintendent of the New Settlements.
Given Up for You: A Memoir of Love, Belonging, and Belief
Authors: White Erin
Published: May 2023

In this candid and revelatory memoir, Erin O. White shares her hunger for both romantic and divine love, and how these desires transformed her life. In the late 1990s, she spent Saturday nights with her girlfriend and Sunday mornings in Catholic confirmation classes. But when the Church closed its doors to her, she was faced with a question: What does a lesbian believer do with her longing for God? Given Up for You explores these yearnings with bittersweet conviction, plumbing the depths of heart and soul.
You're Not from Around Here, Are You? A Lesbian in Small-Town America
Authors: Blum Louise
Published: May 2023

This is a funny, moving story about life in a small town, from the point of view of a pregnant lesbian. Louise A. Blum, author of the critically acclaimed novel Amnesty, now tells the story of her own life and her decision to be out, loud, and pregnant. Mixing humor with memorable prose, Blum recounts how a quiet, conservative town in an impoverished stretch of Appalachia reacts as she and a local woman, Connie, fall in love, move in together, and determine to live their life together openly and truthfully.
A Passion to Preserve: Gay Men as Keepers of Culture
Authors: Fellows Will
Published: May 2023

From large cities to rural communities, gay men have long been impassioned pioneers as keepers of culture: rescuing and restoring decrepit buildings, revitalizing blighted neighborhoods, saving artifacts and documents of historical significance. This penchant to preserve, though widely observed, is typically ignored or dismissed as a stereotypical gay cliché, even by many gay men themselves. A Passion to Preserve explores this authentic and complex dimension of gay men’s lives by profiling early and contemporary preservationists from throughout the United States. This eye-opening and provocative book illuminates neglected facets of what it means to be gay and highlights contributions to the larger culture that gays are exceptionally inclined to make.
PACT Tropical Moist Forest Accreditation Methodology
Authors: Balmford Andrew , Coomes David , Hartup James , Jaffer Sadiq , Keshav Srinivasan , Lam Miranda , Madhavapeddy Anil , Rau E-Ping , Swinfield Thomas , Wheeler Charlotte
Published: May 2023

This draft document describes the methodology developed by the Cambridge Center for Carbon Credits (4C) for estimating the number of credits to be issued to a project in the tropical moist forest (TMF) biome. It expands on the methodology outlined in (Swinfield and Balmford, 2023). We welcome comments and suggestions in the associated online document at https://tinyurl.com/cowgreport.
Technological and social adaptation to COVID-19: Food for Vulnerable Urban Groups in Six Global Cities
Authors: Johan Johan , Rotolo Martina , Sommar Carl-Johan , Li Yiran , Turcu Catalina , Li Bingqin , Byun Young-hwan , Qian Jiwei , Flores Soler Marc , Trebbien Nick
Published: May 2023

This report outlines the results from the research project Food for Urban Life and Localities (FULL) funded by Formas (2020-02864). The research set out to learn how COVID-19 response strategies in six cities (Stockholm, London, Wuhan, Singapore, Sydney, and Seoul) have facilitated access to food for vulnerable groups and how new food supply solutions have emerged through social and technological innovations. This report presents the case of each city in turn and pauses on the role of community-based organisations, ad- hoc community initiatives and municipalities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report provides a detailed discussion of local or community-level responses in cities that aim to provide access to food through social and/or technological innovations. The lessons learned are important for the Swedish context in the case of similar events that challenge local access to food. The research collected data through qualitative and quantitative methods, and also made use of the breadth of online data sources in response to COVID-19 restrictions on free movement and travelling. The overall finding is that in situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, local access to food is extremely challenging and cannot be addressed by existing welfare or state arrangements only;civil society organisations and voluntary community organizations (VCOs) step in to fill the gap in public provision; and the stricter the lockdown, the more dependent on civil society response urban areas and communities were.
HBoV-1: virus structure, genomic features, life cycle, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis and clinical manifestations
Authors: Mohammadi Mehrdad
Published: May 2023

The single-stranded DNA virus known as human bocavirus 1 (HBoV-1) is an icosahedral, linear member of the Parvoviridae family. In 2005, it was discovered in nasopharyngeal samples taken from kids who had respiratory tract illnesses. The HBoV genome is 4.7–5.7 kb in total length. The HBoV genome comprises three open-reading frames (ORF1, ORF2, and ORF3) that express structural proteins (VP1, VP2, and VP3), viral non-coding RNA, and non-structural proteins (NS1, NS1-70, NS2, NS3, and NP1) (BocaSR). The NS1 and NP1 are crucial for viral DNA replication and are substantially conserved proteins. Replication of the HBoV-1 genome in non-dividing, polarized airway epithelial cells. In vitro, HBoV-1 infects human airway epithelial cells that are strongly differentiated or polarized. Young children who have HBoV-1 are at risk for developing a wide range of respiratory illnesses, such as the common cold, acute otitis media, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis. The most common clinical symptoms are wheezing, coughing, dyspnea, and rhinorrhea. After infection, HBoV-1 DNA can continue to be present in airway secretions for months. The prevalence of coinfections is considerable, and the clinical symptoms can be more severe than those linked to mono-infections. HBoV-1 is frequently detected in combination with other pathogens in various reports. The fecal-oral and respiratory pathways are more likely to be used for HBoV-1 transmission. HBoV-1 is endemic; it tends to peak in the winter and spring. This Review summarizes the knowledge on HBoV-1.
Evaluation of a supportive care app for coordinating caring networks: an analysis of the first 19,000 users
Authors: Singh Ben , Palmer Susan , Maher Carol
Published: May 2023

Background

Major illnesses such as cancer, and other traumatic life events, can lead to sudden increases in supportive care needs. This study aimed to describe engagement, acceptability and satisfaction with a supportive care networking app under real-world conditions.

Methods

A total of 10,952 individuals used the app during the study period (2018–2022). The app is designed to enable “captains” to assemble a network of friends and family members to provide timely, and individually tailored, supportive care (including assistance with tasks such as taking children to school, cooking meals, grocery shopping, and transport to appointments). Engagement was determined from server data, whilst acceptability and satisfaction were captured using purposed-designed surveys.

Results

Users were mostly female (76%) and aged between 30 and 49 years (61%). The most common reason for using the app was sudden illness (web: 81%; mobile: 64%). An average of 42 tasks were requested per network, with a 32% acceptance rate. Significantly more tasks were requested (web: 52.2 tasks per network; mobile: 31.7 tasks per network; p < 0.001) and accepted (web: 43.2%; mobile: 20.2%; p < 0.001) in the web app vs. the mobile app. Task requests in the web app most commonly related to food (43% of requested tasks), social (15% of requested tasks) and children (13% of requested tasks). The task acceptance rate differed by task categories (p < 0.001), with tasks relating to transport, medical appointments and children accepted at the highest rates (56%, 52% and 49%, respectively). Acceptability and satisfaction data suggested that the app was well received and overall, participants were satisfied with the app.

Conclusion

Findings suggested that this support care networking app achieved widespread uptake for a wide variety of supportive care tasks. Future research focused on optimizing engagement with the mobile app and examining the effectiveness of the app for improving patient and hospital outcomes is warranted.
Radon on Mt. Etna (Italy): a useful tracer of geodynamic processes and a potential health hazard to populations
Authors: Giammanco Salvatore , Bonfanti Pietro , Neri Marco
Published: May 2023

Radon gas and its radioactive daughters have been extensively studied on Mt. Etna, both in local volcanic rocks and in all types of fluid emissions from the volcano (crater gases, fumaroles, mofettes, soil gases, groundwaters). The first measurements date back to 1976 and were carried out both in local volcanic rocks and in the crater plume. Since then, fifty-four scientific articles have been published. The largest majority of them (more than 50%) correlated radon emissions with volcanic activity and/or magma dynamics inside Mt. Etna. Many others were focused on possible correlations between time variations of in-soil radon and tectonic activity. The concentration of radionuclides in Etna volcanic rocks was measured on several occasions in order to set background values of radon parents and to study the dynamics of Etna magmas. Some articles analyzed the concentrations of radon in Etna groundwaters and their temporal changes in relation to volcanic activity. Only a few studies focused on methodological aspects of radon measurements in the laboratory. Finally, in recent years, geoscientists began to analyze the possible negative effects on human health from high concentrations of indoor radon in houses near active faults. The overall results show that, in most cases, it is possible to understand the endogenous mechanisms that cause changes in soil radon release from rocks and its migration to the surface. Several physical models were produced to explain how those changes were correlated with Etna’s volcanic activity, making them potential precursors, especially in the cases of eruptive paroxysms. More complex is the analysis of radon changes in relation to tectonic activity. Indeed, if measurements of radon in soil is now considered a robust methodology for identifying buried faults, radon time variations are not always clearly correlated with seismic activity. This difficulty is likely due to the complex interplay between tectonic stress, magma migration/eruption and gas release through faults. In any case, the potential high hazard for human health due to high concentrations of indoor radon in houses close to faults seems to be a well-established fact, which requires particular attention both from the scientific community and the public health authorities.
Telemedicine for diabetes management during COVID-19: what we have learnt, what and how to implement
Authors: Rosta Laszlo , Menyhart Adrienn , Mahmeed Wael Al , Al-Rasadi Khalid , Al-Alawi Kamila , Banach Maciej , Banerjee Yajnavalka , Ceriello Antonio , Cesur Mustafa , Cosentino Francesco , Firenze Alberto , Galia Massimo , Goh Su-Yen , Janez Andrej , Kalra Sanjay , Kapoor Nitin , Lessan Nader , Lotufo Paulo , Papanas Nikolaos , Rizvi Ali A. , Sahebkar Amirhossein , Santos Raul D. , Stoian Anca Pantea , Toth Peter P. , Viswanathan Vijay , Kempler Peter , Rizzo Manfredi
Published: May 2023

The past two decades have witnessed telemedicine becoming a crucial part of health care as a method to facilitate doctor-patient interaction. Due to technological developments and the incremental acquisition of experience in its use, telemedicine’s advantages and cost-effectiveness has led to it being recognised as specifically relevant to diabetology. However, the pandemic created new challenges for healthcare systems and the rate of development of digital services started to grow exponentially. It was soon discovered that COVID-19-infected patients with diabetes had an increased risk of both mortality and debilitating sequelae. In addition, it was observed that this higher risk could be attenuated primarily by maintaining optimal control of the patient’s glucose metabolism. As opportunities for actual physical doctor-patient visits became restricted, telemedicine provided the most convenient opportunity to communicate with patients and maintain delivery of care. The wide range of experiences of health care provision during the pandemic has led to the development of several excellent strategies regarding the applicability of telemedicine across the whole spectrum of diabetes care. The continuation of these strategies is likely to benefit clinical practice even after the pandemic crisis is over.
The influence of 17β-estradiol plus norethisterone acetate treatment on markers of glucose and insulin metabolism in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Cui Weijuan , Zhao Ling
Published: May 2023

Objective

Despite the fact that some evidence suggests that the administration of 17β-estradiol plus norethisterone acetate influences glucose and insulin metabolism in women, these findings are still contradictory. Thus, we aimed to examine the impact of the co-administration of 17β-estradiol and norethisterone acetate on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting glucose, insulin and C-peptide concentrations in females by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods

We searched four databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science) using specific keywords and word combinations. The random-effects model (DerSimonian and Laird model) was employed to compute the weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the variations from baseline of HbA1c, fasting glucose, insulin, and C-peptide concentrations.

Results

In total, 14 RCTs were entered into the quantitative synthesis. The combined administration of 17β-estradiol and norethisterone acetate decreased HbA1c (WMD: -0.65%, 95% CI: -1.15 to -0.15; P=0.011), fasting glucose (WMD: -11.05 mg/dL, 95% CI: -16.6 to -5.5; P<0.001) and insulin (WMD: -1.35 mIU/L, 95% CI: -2.20 to -0.50; P=0.001) levels. C-peptide concentrations’ declined only in females diagnosed with overweight/obesity or diabetes.

Conclusion

Evidence to date points out that the administration of 17β-estradiol and norethisterone acetate has a positive impact on glucose metabolism in women by reducing fasting glucose, HbA1c, and insulin values. Future studies need to confirm the potential benefits of this drug combination in the prevention and/or management of cardiometabolic disorders.
Sarcopenia and osteosarcopenia among patients undergoing hemodialysis
Authors: Xiang Ting , Fu Ping , Zhou Li
Published: May 2023

Background

Sarcopenia and osteoporosis are closely interconnected and associated with adverse health outcomes. Osteosarcopenia is the concurrent presence of the two conditions and has rarely been reported in hemodialysis patients. Whether hemodialysis patients with osteosarcopenia are at greater risk of mortality than those with either condition alone remains unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with osteoporosis and to determine its impact on survival risk in hemodialysis patients.

Methods

A total of 209 adults undergoing hemodialysis were enrolled from the dialysis center in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, and our study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Register (number: ChiCTR2100043932). Muscle mass, handgrip strength, bone mineral density (BMD), and biochemical parameters were assessed. All deaths were recorded during a follow-up of 35.15 ± 15.37 months.

Results

Seventy-eight patients were diagnosed with sarcopenia, with a prevalence of 37.3%. After adjustment for potential confounders, age (OR=1.094, P <0.001), female sex (OR= 3.44, P =0.005), diabetes (OR=3.756, P =0.008), CRP (OR=1.09, P =0.015), serum magnesium (OR=0.755, p=0.042) and BMI (OR=0.701, P <0.001) were independently associated with sarcopenia. Among the 209 patients, 103 patients completed the BMD assessment. The prevalence of osteosarcopenia was 22.3%, while 20.4% of participants had sarcopenia alone and 12.6% had osteoporosis alone. The proportions of patients who died were 13.0% for nonsarcopenia&nonosteoporosis, 15.4% for osteoporosis alone, 47.6% for sarcopenia alone, and 52.2% for osteosarcopenia. Cox regression analysis showed that osteosarcopenia was independently associated with all-cause mortality (HR=3.74, 95% CI: 1.172-11.938), while osteoporosis alone and sarcopenia alone were not.

Conclusion

Patients undergoing hemodialysis had a high incidence of sarcopenia and osteosarcopenia, muscle mass and strength showed a significant association with BMD, and osteosarcopenia might have a powerful impact on mortality in those patients.

Clinical trial registration

http://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2100043932.
Progress and obstacles in transplantation of brown adipose tissue or engineered cells with thermogenic potential for metabolic benefits
Authors: Zhu Tao , Chen Xu , Jiang Shenglu
Published: May 2023

Transplantation of brown adipose tissue (BAT), engineered thermogenic progenitor cells, and adipocytes have received much attention for the improvement of obesity and metabolic disorders. However, even though the thermogenic and metabolic potential exists early after transplantation, the whitening of the brown fat graft occurs with metabolic function significantly impaired. In this review, specific experiment designs, graft outcomes, and metabolic benefits for the transplantation of BAT or engineered cells will be discussed. The current advancements will offer guidance to further investigation, and the obstacles appearing in previous studies will require innovation of BAT transplantation methods.
The association between weight-adjusted-waist index and total bone mineral density in adolescents: NHANES 2011–2018
Authors: Wang Xiaohua , Yang Shuo , He Gansheng , Xie Lin
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) serves as an innovative obesity measure, seemingly surpassing body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in evaluating lean and fat mass. This study aimed to explore the relationship between WWI and total bone mineral density (BMD) in US adolescents.

Methods

This population-based study investigated adolescents aged 8–19 years with comprehensive WWI and total BMD data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2018. WWI was computed by dividing WC by the square root of body weight. Weighted multivariate linear regression and smoothed curve fitting were employed to examine linear and non-linear associations. Threshold effects were determined using a two-part linear regression model. Additionally, subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted.

Results

Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed a significant negative association between WWI and total BMD in 6,923 US adolescents aged 8–19 years [β = -0.03, 95% CI: (-0.03, -0.03)]. This negative correlation remained consistent across all subcategories, with the exception of age, encompassing gender,ethnicity, and diabetes status subgroups. Furthermore, a non-linear relationship and saturation effect between WWI and total BMD were identified, with an inflection point at 9.88 cm/√kg.

Conclusions

Our research demonstrated a notable negative relationship and saturation effect between WWI and total BMD among US adolescents.
Bioinformatics analysis reveals the landscape of immune cell infiltration and novel immune-related biomarkers in moyamoya disease
Authors: Cao Lei , Ai Yunzheng , Dong Yang , Li Dongpeng , Wang Hao , Sun Kaiwen , Wang Chenchao , Zhang Manxia , Yan Dongming , Li Hongwei , Liang Guobiao , Yang Bo
Published: May 2023

Objective: This study aimed to identify immune infiltration characteristics and new immunological diagnostic biomarkers in the cerebrovascular tissue of moyamoya disease (MMD) using bioinformatics analysis.

Methods: GSE189993 and GSE141022 were downloaded from the GEO database. Differentially expressed gene and PPI analysis were performed. After performing WGCNA, the most significant module associated with MMD was obtained. Next, functional pathways according to GSEA, GO, and KEGG were enriched for the aforementioned core genes obtained from PPI and WGCNA. Additionally, immune infiltration, using the CIBERSORT deconvolution algorithm, immune-related biomarkers, and the relationship between these genes, was further explored. Finally, diagnostic accuracy was verified with ROC curves in the validation dataset GSE157628.

Results: A total of 348 DEGs were screened, including 89 downregulated and 259 upregulated genes. The thistlel module was detected as the most significant module associated with MMD. Functional analysis of the core genes was chiefly involved in the immune response, immune system process, protein tyrosine kinase activity, secretory granule, and so on. Among 13 immune-related overlapping genes, 4 genes (BTK, FGR, PTPN11, and SYK) were identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers, where PTPN11 showed the highest specificity and sensitivity. Meanwhile, a higher proportion of eosinophils, not T cells or B cells, was demonstrated in the specific immune infiltration landscape of MMD.

Conclusion: Immune activities and immune cells were actively involved in the progression of MMD. BTK, FGR, PTPN11, and SYK were identified as potential immune diagnostic biomarkers. These immune-related genes and cells may provide novel insights for immunotherapy in the future.
Narratives of displacement and poverty: the intersections of policy and the shared experience of the everyday
Authors: Williams Lucy
Published: May 2023

An extensive, and growing, global literature on the experience of people subject to migration control shows how state actions to “manage” migration and human mobility results in poverty and destitution. There is also a large body of evidence indicating how neo-liberal policy, alongside deeply embedded structures of privilege and inequality lead to the economic deprivation of fully entitled, “citizen” populations. Despite the commonality of disadvantage between these two groups—migrants and citizens—the parallels in experience of structures that create and maintain their impoverishment have rarely been explored. Close attention to the stories told by people with lived experience of poverty, as citizens or as migrants, challenges the normative assumptions about belonging and entitlement, deservingness and opportunity that underpin policy-making on both migration and social inequality. This essay argues that listening to, and engaging with, the stories of people in poverty is an important corrective to normative ideas about who can benefit from state support. Focusing on the UK, my aim is to explore the position of people subject to migration control alongside others living in poverty—marginalized and made precarious not by displacement but by deprivation, stigma and punitive welfare systems. Paying close attention to the stories people tell cuts through the official, normative positioning of people as outsiders whether as foreigners or as marginalized citizens. Stories thus reveal the technologies of power and oppression at work in everyday settings. Drawing on concepts including Butler's ideas of grievability and Mbembe's necropolitics I reflect on how welfare management systems and the “so-called” hostile environment, reduce the capacity of migrants and others to act as purposeful human beings. I hope to reveal the technologies of power and oppression at work in everyday settings and will argue that careful, attentive listening to human stories can challenge the imposition of normative discourses on the voiceless and encourage narratives that embrace complexity.
Soluble monomeric human programmed cell death-ligand 1 inhibits the functions of activated T cells
Authors: Liang Zhaoduan , Chen Wenfang , Guo Yunzhuo , Ren Yuefei , Tian Ye , Cai Wenxuan , Bao Yifeng , Liu Qi , Ding Peng , Li Yi
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The presence of soluble human programmed cell death-ligand 1 (shPD-L1) in the blood of patients with cancer has been reported to be negatively correlated with disease prognosis. However, little information exists about the mechanisms underlying high levels of shPD-L1 for promoting disease progression.

Methods

In this study, we first analyzed the correlations between shPD-L1 and apoptosis of T cells in patients with cancer, then tested the effect of shPD-L1 on T-cell functions and the production of regulatory T cells.

Results

We found that the apoptosis of human peripheral PD-1+CD4+ T cells was significantly elevated in patients with cancer compared with healthy donors and was positively correlated with circulating PD-L1 levels in patients with cancer. In vitro, monomeric shPD-L1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, cytokine secretion, and cancer cell-killing activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) activated by either agonist antibodies or HATac (high-affinity T cell activation core)-NYE (NY-ESO-1 antigen). It also promoted CD4+ T cells to express forkhead family transcription factor 3 (FoxP3) for the conversion of induced T regulatory cells, which was more significant than that mediated by soluble human PD-L1 fusion protein (shPD-L1-Fc).

Discussion

These results confirm that soluble PD-L1 could be a candidate for inhibiting the functions of activated T cells, promoting peripheral tolerance to tumor cells, and implicating in system tumor immune escape in addition to the tumor microenvironment. This is an important mechanism explaining the negative correlation between peripheral blood PD-L1 levels and cancer prognosis. Therefore, understanding the roles of hPD-L1 in peripheral blood will be helpful for the development of precision immunotherapy programs in treating various tumors.
Five golden principles to advance marine reef restoration by linking science and industry
Authors: ter Hofstede Remment , Bouma Tjeerd J. , van Koningsveld Mark
Published: May 2023

Marine reef ecosystems have degraded massively worldwide, and restoration efforts have as yet not managed to realize the scale required to reverse continued degradation. To achieve effective scales, scientific insights in restoration methods should be paired with industry-based approaches used for infrastructural development. We illustrate by five principles how long-standing experience of marine contractors with executing large-scale projects, can support reef restoration: i) utilizing industrial techniques to achieve positive impact at scale, ii) landscaping infrastructure to optimize habitat for targeted species, iii) inducing life to overcome connectivity bottle-necks and steer community composition, iv) designing nature development efforts to be self-sustainable, and v) ensuring continuity beyond project boundaries by early stakeholder engagement. Consciously connecting scientific knowledge to industry-based activities increases the likelihood that marine infrastructure development and ecosystem rehabilitation can be aligned. We plead that synergizing practices by science and industry is needed to upscale restoration efforts and truly improve marine reef ecosystems.
Seasonal and vertical variations of nutrient cycling in the world’s deepest blue hole
Authors: Chen Lin , Yao Peng , Yang Zuosheng , Fu Liang
Published: May 2023

Nutrient cycling in anoxic seawaters is essential to marine ecosystem health and sustainability, yet it remains poorly understood. In this work, we analyzed dissolved inorganic nutrients as well as hydrochemical parameters in the Yongle Blue Hole (YBH) of the South China Sea in October 2019, which is the world’s deepest blue hole and is characterized by anoxia below the depth of 100 m. Nutrient data collected in two sampling campaigns in 2017 were also incorporated to examine the seasonal and vertical variations of nutrient cycling across steep redox gradients in the YBH. In response to the changes in redox conditions in different seasons, nutrients in the YBH showed significant seasonal variations. The nitrate maximum rose from a depth of 90 m in March 2017 to 60-80 m in October 2019, while the primary nitrite maximum concentration decreased from 0.5 μmol/L to 0.1 μmol/L. In October 2019, the nitrite decreased to below the detection limit at about 100 m, while in March 2017, it was 140 m. The regeneration of phosphate and silicate both started from around 40 m in October 2019 and from 80 m in March 2017. Silicate shows non-conservative adding behaviors relative to phosphate and DIN, and phosphate shows a similar but weaker adding behavior relative to DIN. The nutrient ratios also varied seasonally, especially for N/P, which fluctuated greatly on the surface at 80 m, while Si/N and Si/P fluctuated above 50 m. At the oxic-anoxic interface, extreme values of nutrient ratios were observed, and below 150 m, the N/P, Si/N, and Si/P were kept constant at about 17, 1.5, and 26, respectively. Seasonal and vertical variations of nutrient concentrations and ratios in the YBH reflect the impact of redox conditions on nutrient cycling in anoxic seawaters, especially during the transition from oxic to anoxic zone. And the high-resolution distributions of nutrients and hydrochemical parameters are helpful to better understand the nutrient cycling processes in highly dynamic coastal environments that are suffering deoxygenation.
Functional characterization of two corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors in Larimichthys crocea
Authors: Liu Xue , Feng Jiaqian , Jiang Zhijing , Zhang Guangbo , Xu Xiuwen , Wang Jixiu , Yang Jingwen , Wang Tianming
Published: May 2023

In the neuroendocrine system, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) plays an important role in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal/interrenal (HPA/HPI) axis. It exerts its effects by activating CRHRs, which belong to the class B G protein-coupled receptor family. Two characteristic genes of CRHR1 subtypes in theLarimichthys croceagenome were identified:LcCRHR1-1andLcCRHR1-2. Alignments indicated that they were highly homologous to known and validated teleost CRHR1s. The CDS sequences of the two receptors were cloned into the pEGFP-N1 plasmid, and membrane localization of the fusion expressing LcCRHR1-1-EGFP and LcCRHR1-2-EGFP was revealed in HEK293 cells. Treatment with LcCRH could lead to two receptors internalization and trigger a significant increase in the secondary messenger cAMP and Ca2+and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in an LcCRH dose-dependent manner. Based on quantitative real-time PCR, LcCRHR1s were expressed in all examined tissues and highly expressed in the brain and ovaries. Furthermore, immunohistochemical findings showed the specific localization of CRHR1s in ovarian follicle cells. Collectively, our study identified two CRH receptors inL. croceaand suggested that the CRH/CRHR1 system is potentially involved in the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction in this marine fish.
Effects of mulberry leaf extract on the intestinal health of spotted sea bass (Lateolabrax maculatus)
Authors: Zhou Sishun , Huang Zhangfan , Lin Hao , Kong Lumin , Ma Jianrong , Long Zhongying , Qin Huihui , Liu Longhui , Lin Yi , Li Zhongbao
Published: May 2023

Mulberry leaf extract (ELM) has the functions of promoting growth, antioxidant, improving intestinal microbial composition, thus providing a potential solution the occurrence of fish intestinal diseases. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to explore the effects of ELM on intestinal health of spotted sea bassLateolabrax maculatus. A total of 360 spotted sea bass (9.00 ± 0.02 g) were selected and randomly divided into 6 groups. Fish in each group were given feed with varying ELM concentration (0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 g/kg) for 52 days, respectively. Results show, dietary intake of 9 g/kg ELM increased the weight gain, specific growth ratio and feed intake of the spotted sea bass (P<0.05). Meanwhile, dietary intake of 9 g/kg ELM increased the activity of enteric trypsin, amylase and lipase (P<0.05). The enteric catalase activity was improved in fish fed with 3 g/kg ELM (P<0.05), while a limited effect of ELM on the activity of enteric superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and content of malonaldehyde was observed (P>0.05). ELM improved the morphology of fish intestine, as manifested in significant improvement in the length of intestinal villi, thereby increasing the surface area of the intestinal tract (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, dietary intake of ELM significantly increased the intestinal microbial ACE, Chao1, and Shannon indexes of fish (P<0.05), indicated that the intestinal microbial composition and the abundance of the dominant flora of fish were improved. The above results suggested that the dietary supplementation of about 9 g/kg ELM can improve the growth performance, enteric antioxidant capacity, and intestinal morphology and microbial composition, therefore improving the intestinal health of spotted sea bass. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the application of ELM in improving the enteric health of spotted sea bass, and providing a potential solution the occurrence of fish intestinal diseases.
Comparative assessment of small airway dysfunction by impulse oscillometry and spirometry in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma with and without fixed airflow obstruction
Authors: Liwsrisakun Chalerm , Chaiwong Warawut , Pothirat Chaicharn
Published: May 2023

Background

Small airways play a major role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. More data on small airway dysfunction (SAD) using spirometry and impulse oscillometry (IOS) in these populations are required. The objective of this study was to compare the two methods, spirometry and IOS, for SAD detection and its prevalence defined by spirometry and IOS in subjects with COPD and asthma with and without fixed airflow obstruction (FAO).

Design

This is a cross-sectional study.

Methods

Spirometric and IOS parameters were compared across four groups (COPD, asthma with FAO, asthma without FAO, and healthy subjects). SAD defined by spirometry and IOS criteria were compared.

Results

A total of 262 subjects (67 COPD, 55 asthma with FAO, 101 asthma without FAO, and 39 healthy controls) were included. The prevalence of SAD defined by using IOS and spirometry criteria was significantly higher in patients with COPD (62.7 and 95.5%), asthma with FAO (63.6 and 98.2%), and asthma without FAO (38.6 and 19.8%) in comparison with healthy control (7.7 and 2.6%). IOS is more sensitive than spirometry in the detection of SAD in asthma without FAO (38.6% vs. 19.8%, p = 0.003) However, in subjects with FAO (COPD and asthma with FAO), spirometry is more sensitive than IOS to detect SAD (95.5% vs. 62.7%, p < 0.001 and 98.2% vs. 63.6%, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Small airway dysfunction was significantly detected in COPD and asthma with and without FAO. Although IOS shows more sensitivity than spirometry in the detection of SAD in asthma without FAO, spirometry is more sensitive than IOS in patients with FAO including COPD and asthma with FAO.
Biocontrol potential of lipopeptides produced by Paenibacillus polymyxa AF01 against Neoscytalidium dimidiatum in pitaya
Authors: Lin Shanyu , Chen Xiaohang , Xie Ling , Zhang Yan , Zeng Fenghua , Long Yanyan , Ren Liyun , Qi Xiuling , Wei Jiguang
Published: May 2023

Pitaya canker, caused by Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, is one of the most important fungal diseases that cause significant losses in production. To replace chemical pesticides, the use of biocontrol strains to manage plant diseases has been the focus of research. In this study, the bacterial strain AF01, identified as Paenibacillus polymyxa, exhibited significant antifungal effects against N. dimidiatum and four other pitaya fungal pathogens. The strain P. polymyxa AF01 produces 13 fusaricidins, which directly inhibit mycelial growth, spore germination and germ tube elongation by causing the membrane integrity and cell ultrastructure to incur irreversible damage. Pot experiment and yield test confirmed that AF01 provided preservative effects by reducing the disease index. In comparison to the untreated control groups, RNA-seq data showed that P. polymyxa AF01 selectively blocked some transcription and translation processes and inhibited RNA and DNA structural dynamics, energy production and conversion, and signal transduction, particularly cell wall biosynthesis, changes in membrane permeability, and impairment of protein biosynthesis. Thus, P. polymyxa AF01 could be potentially useful as a suitable biocontrol agent for pitaya canker.
Shifting the balance: soluble ADAM10 as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Hershkovits Ayelet Sarah , Gelley Sivan , Hanna Rawad , Kleifeld Oded , Shulman Avidor , Fishman Ayelet
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Accumulation of amyloid β in the brain is regarded as a key initiator of Alzheimer's disease pathology. Processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the amyloidogenic pathway yields neurotoxic amyloid β species. In the non-amyloidogenic pathway, APP is processed by membrane-bound ADAM10, the main α-secretase in the nervous system. Here we present a new enzymatic approach for the potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease using a soluble form of ADAM10.

Methods

The ability of the soluble ADAM10 to shed overexpressed and endogenous APP was determined with an ADAM10 knockout cell line and a human neuroblastoma cell line, respectively. We further examined its effect on amyloid β aggregation by thioflavin T fluorescence, HPLC, and confocal microscopy. Using N-terminal and C-terminal enrichment proteomic approaches, we identified soluble ADAM10 substrates. Finally, a truncated soluble ADAM10, based on the catalytic domain, was expressed in Escherichia coli for the first time, and its activity was evaluated.

Results

The soluble enzyme hydrolyzes APP and releases the neuroprotective soluble APPα when exogenously added to cell cultures. The soluble ADAM10 inhibits the formation and aggregation of characteristic amyloid β extracellular neuronal aggregates. The proteomic investigation identified new and verified known substrates, such as VGF and N-cadherin, respectively. The truncated variant also exhibited α-secretase capacity as shown with a specific ADAM10 fluorescent substrate in addition to shedding overexpressed and endogenous APP.

Discussion

Our in vitro study demonstrates that exogenous treatment with a soluble variant of ADAM10 would shift the balance toward the non-amyloidogenic pathway, thus utilizing its natural neuroprotective effect and inhibiting the main neurotoxic amyloid β species. The potential of such a treatment for Alzheimer's disease needs to be further evaluated in vivo.