bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ady3p Links Spindle Pole Body Function to Spore Wall Synthesis inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Nickas Mark E , Neiman Aaron M
Published: April 2021

Spore formation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires the de novo synthesis of prospore membranes and spore walls. Ady3p has been identified as an interaction partner for Mpc70p/Spo21p, a meiosis-specific component of the outer plaque of the spindle pole body (SPB) that is required for prospore membrane formation, and for Don1p, which forms a ring-like structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane during meiosis II. ADY3 expression has been shown to be induced in midsporulation. We report here that Ady3p interacts with additional components of the outer and central plaques of the SPB in the two-hybrid assay. Cells that lack ADY3 display a decrease in sporulation efficiency, and most ady3Δ/ady3Δ asci that do form contain fewer than four spores. The sporulation defect in ady3Δ/ady3Δ cells is due to a failure to synthesize spore wall polymers. Ady3p forms ring-like structures around meiosis II spindles that colocalize with those formed by Don1p, and Don1p rings are absent during meiosis II in ady3Δ/ady3Δ cells. In mpc70Δ/mpc70Δ cells, Ady3p remains associated with SPBs during meiosis II. Our results suggest that Ady3p mediates assembly of the Don1p-containing structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane via interaction with components of the SPB and that this structure is involved in spore wall formation.
Polymorphism and Selection at theSerH Immobilization Antigen Locus in Natural Populations ofTetrahymena thermophila
Authors: Gerber Carri A , Lopez Alex B , Shook Steven J , Doerder F Paul
Published: April 2021

The SerH locus of Tetrahymena thermophila is one of several paralogous loci with genes encoding variants of the major cell surface protein known as the immobilization antigen (i-ag). The locus is highly polymorphic, raising questions concerning functional equivalency and selective forces acting on its multiple alleles. Here, we compare the sequences and expression of SerH1, SerH3, SerH4, SerH5, and SerH6. The precursor i-ags are highly similar. They are rich in alanine, serine, threonine, and cysteine and they share nearly identical ER translocation and GPI addition signals. The locations of the 39 cysteines are highly conserved, particularly in the 3.5 central, imperfect tandem repeats in which 8 periodic cysteines punctuate alternating short and long stretches of amino acids. Hydrophobicity patterns are also conserved. Nevertheless, amino acid sequence identity is low, ranging from 60.7 to 82.9%. At the nucleotide level, from 9.7 to 26.7% of nucleotide sites are polymorphic in pairwise comparisons. Expression of each allele is regulated by temperature-sensitive mRNA stability. H mRNAs are stable at <36° but are unstable at >36°. The H5 mRNA, which is less affected by temperature, has a different arrangement of the putative mRNA destabilization motif AUUUA. Statistical analysis of SerH genes indicates that the multiple alleles are neutral. Significantly low ratios of the rates of nonsynonymous to synonymous amino acid substitutions suggest that the multiple alleles are subject to purifying (negative) selection enforcing constraints on structure.
The gypsy Insulators Flanking yellow Enhancers Do Not Form a Separate Transcriptional Domain in Drosophila melanogaster: The Enhancers Can Activate an Isolated yellow Promoter
Authors: Melnikova Larisa , Gause Maria , Georgiev Pavel
Published: April 2021

The best-characterized insulator in Drosophila melanogaster is the Su(Hw)-binding region contained within the gypsy retrotransposon. In the y2 mutant, Su(Hw) protein partially inhibits yellow transcription by blocking the function of transcriptional enhancers located distally from the yellow promoter with respect to gypsy. Previously we have shown that yellow enhancers can overcome inhibition by a downstream insulator in the yrh1 allele, when a second gypsy element is located upstream of the enhancers. To understand how two insulators neutralize each other, we isolated various deletions that terminate in the regulatory region of the yrh1 allele. To generate these alleles we used DNA elongation by gene conversion of the truncated chromosomes at the end of the yellow regulatory region. We found that gypsy insulator can function at the end of the truncated chromosome. Addition of the gypsy insulator upstream of the yellow enhancers overcomes the enhancer-blocking activity of the gypsy insulator inserted between the yellow enhancers and promoter. These results suggest that the gypsy insulators do not form separate transcriptional domains that delimit the interactions between enhancers and promoters.
Invasive Filamentous Growth of Candida albicans Is Promoted by Czf1p-Dependent Relief of Efg1p-Mediated Repression
Authors: Giusani Angela D , Vinces Marcelo , Kumamoto Carol A
Published: April 2021

Filamentation of Candida albicans occurs in response to many environmental cues. During growth within matrix, Efg1p represses filamentation and Czf1p relieves this repression. We propose that Czf1p interacts with Efg1p, altering its function. The complex regulation of filamentation may reflect the versatility of C. albicans as a pathogen.
Regulation of Genome Stability by TEL1 and MEC1, Yeast Homologs of the Mammalian ATM and ATR Genes
Authors: Craven Rolf J , Greenwell Patricia W , Dominska Margaret , Petes Thomas D
Published: April 2021

In eukaryotes, a family of related protein kinases (the ATM family) is involved in regulating cellular responses to DNA damage and telomere length. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, two members of this family, TEL1 and MEC1, have functionally redundant roles in both DNA damage repair and telomere length regulation. Strains with mutations in both genes are very sensitive to DNA damaging agents, have very short telomeres, and undergo cellular senescence. We find that strains with the double mutant genotype also have ∼80-fold increased rates of mitotic recombination and chromosome loss. In addition, the tel1 mec1 strains have high rates of telomeric fusions, resulting in translocations, dicentrics, and circular chromosomes. Similar chromosome rearrangements have been detected in mammalian cells with mutations in ATM (related to TEL1) and ATR (related to MEC1) and in mammalian cells that approach cell crisis.
rugose (rg), a Drosophila A kinase Anchor Protein, Is Required for Retinal Pattern Formation and Interacts Genetically With Multiple Signaling Pathways
Authors: Shamloula Hoda K , Mbogho Mkajuma P , Pimentel Angel C , Chrzanowska-Lightowlers Zosia M A , Hyatt Vanneta , Okano Hideyuki , Venkatesh Tadmiri R
Published: April 2021

In the developing Drosophila eye, cell fate determination and pattern formation are directed by cell-cell interactions mediated by signal transduction cascades. Mutations at the rugose locus (rg) result in a rough eye phenotype due to a disorganized retina and aberrant cone cell differentiation, which leads to reduction or complete loss of cone cells. The cone cell phenotype is sensitive to the level of rugose gene function. Molecular analyses show that rugose encodes a Drosophila A kinase anchor protein (DAKAP 550). Genetic interaction studies show that rugose interacts with the components of the EGFR- and Notch-mediated signaling pathways. Our results suggest that rg is required for correct retinal pattern formation and may function in cell fate determination through its interactions with the EGFR and Notch signaling pathways.
Effective Size of Fluctuating Salmon Populations
Authors: Waples Robin S
Published: April 2021

Pacific salmon are semelparous but have overlapping year classes, which presents special challenges for the application of standard population genetics theory to these species. This article examines the relationship between the effective number of breeders per year (Nb) and single-generation and multigeneration effective population size (Ne) in salmon populations that fluctuate in size. A simple analytical model is developed that allows calculation of Ne on the basis of the number of spawners in individual years and their reproductive contribution (productivity) to the next generation. Application of the model to a 36-year time series of data for a threatened population of Snake River chinook salmon suggests that variation in population dynamic processes across years reduced the multigeneration Ne by ∼40–60%, and reductions may have been substantially greater within some generations. These reductions are comparable in magnitude to, and in addition to, reductions in Nb within a year due to unequal sex ratio and nonrandom variation in reproductive success. Computer simulations suggest that the effects of variable population dynamics on Ne observed in this dataset are not unexpected for species with a salmon life history, as random variation in productivity can lead to similar results.
The Coalescent in a Continuous, Finite, Linear Population
Authors: Wilkins Jon F , Wakeley John
Published: April 2021

In this article we present a model for analyzing patterns of genetic diversity in a continuous, finite, linear habitat with restricted gene flow. The distribution of coalescent times and locations is derived for a pair of sequences sampled from arbitrary locations along the habitat. The results for mean time to coalescence are compared to simulated data. As expected, mean time to common ancestry increases with the distance separating the two sequences. Additionally, this mean time is greater near the center of the habitat than near the ends. In the distant past, lineages that have not undergone coalescence are more likely to have been at opposite ends of the population range, whereas coalescent events in the distant past are biased toward the center. All of these effects are more pronounced when gene flow is more limited. The pattern of pairwise nucleotide differences predicted by the model is compared to data collected from sardine populations. The sardine data are used to illustrate how demographic parameters can be estimated using the model.
Nonequivalent Loci and the Distribution of Mutant Effects
Authors: Welch J J , Waxman D
Published: April 2021

It has been observed repeatedly that the distribution of new mutations of a quantitative trait has a kurtosis (a statistical measure of the distribution's shape) that is systematically larger than that of a normal distribution. Here we suggest that rather than being a property of individual loci that control the trait, the enhanced kurtosis is highly likely to be an emergent property that arises directly from the loci being mutationally nonequivalent. We present a method of incorporating nonequivalent loci into quantitative genetic modeling and give an approximate relation between the kurtosis of the mutant distribution and the degree of mutational nonequivalence of loci. We go on to ask whether incorporating the experimentally observed kurtosis through nonequivalent loci, rather than at locus level, affects any biologically important conclusions of quantitative genetic modeling. Concentrating on the maintenance of quantitative genetic variation by mutation-selection balance, we conclude that typically nonequivalent loci yield a genetic variance that is of order 10% smaller than that obtained from the previous approaches. For large populations, when the kurtosis is large, the genetic variance may be <50% of the result of equivalent loci, with Gaussian distributions of mutant effects.
A Cuticle Collagen Encoded by the lon-3 Gene May Be a Target of TGF-β Signaling in Determining Caenorhabditis elegans Body Shape
Authors: Suzuki Yo , Morris Gail A , Han Min , Wood William B
Published: April 2021

The signaling pathway initiated by the TGF-β family member DBL-1 in Caenorhabditis elegans controls body shape in a dose-dependent manner. Loss-of-function (lf) mutations in the dbl-1 gene cause a short, small body (Sma phenotype), whereas overexpression of dbl-1 causes a long body (Lon phenotype). To understand the cellular mechanisms underlying these phenotypes, we have isolated suppressors of the Sma phenotype resulting from a dbl-1(lf) mutation. Two of these suppressors are mutations in the lon-3 gene, of which four additional alleles are known. We show that lon-3 encodes a collagen that is a component of the C. elegans cuticle. Genetic and reporter-gene expression analyses suggest that lon-3 is involved in determination of body shape and is post-transcriptionally regulated by the dbl-1 pathway. These results support the possibility that TGF-β signaling controls C. elegans body shape by regulating cuticle composition.
A Genome Scan for Quantitative Trait Loci in a Wild Population of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)
Authors: Slate J , Visscher P M , MacGregor S , Stevens D , Tate M L , Pemberton J M
Published: April 2021

Recent empirical evidence indicates that although fitness and fitness components tend to have low heritability in natural populations, they may nonetheless have relatively large components of additive genetic variance. The molecular basis of additive genetic variation has been investigated in model organisms but never in the wild. In this article we describe an attempt to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for birth weight (a trait positively associated with overall fitness) in an unmanipulated, wild population of red deer (Cervus elaphus). Two approaches were used: interval mapping by linear regression within half-sib families and a variance components analysis of a six-generation pedigree of >350 animals. Evidence for segregating QTL was found on three linkage groups, one of which was significant at the genome-wide suggestive linkage threshold. To our knowledge this is the first time that a QTL for any trait has been mapped in a wild mammal population. It is hoped that this study will stimulate further investigations of the genetic architecture of fitness traits in the wild.
Genetic Analysis, Expression and Molecular Characterization of BoGSL-ELONG, a Major Gene Involved in the Aliphatic Glucosinolate Pathway of Brassica Species
Authors: Li Genyi , Quiros Carlos F
Published: April 2021

We cloned a major aliphatic glucosinolate (GSL) gene, BoGSL-ELONG in Brassica oleracea, using the Arabidopsis sequence database. We based our work on an Arabidopsis candidate gene forming part of a gene family coding for isopropyl malate synthetase-like enzymes (IPMS). This gene is presumably responsible for synthesis of GSL possessing side chains consisting of four carbons (4C). The similarity of the Brassica homolog IPMS-Bo from broccoli to its Arabidopsis counterpart IPMS-At was on the order of 78%, both sharing the same number of exons. A nonfunctional allele of the BoGSL-ELONG gene from white cauliflower, based on the absence of 4C GSL in this crop, displayed a 30-bp deletion, which allowed us to develop a codominant marker for 4C-GSL. Gene expression analysis based on RT-PCR revealed a splicing site mutation in the white cauliflower allele. This resulted in a longer transcript containing intron 3, which failed to excise. Perfect cosegregation was observed for broccoli and cauliflower alleles at the IPMS-Bo gene and 4C-GSL content, strongly indicating that this gene indeed corresponds to BoGSL-ELONG. Cloning of two other major genes, BoGSL-ALK and BoGSL-PRO, is underway. The availability of these genes and BoGSL-ELONG is essential for the manipulation of the aliphatic GSL profile of B. oleracea.
The SONBNUP98 Nucleoporin Interacts With the NIMA Kinase in Aspergillus nidulans
Authors: De Souza Colin P C , Horn Kevin P , Masker Kathryn , Osmani Stephen A
Published: April 2021

The Aspergillus nidulans NIMA kinase is essential for mitotic entry. At restrictive temperature, temperature-sensitive nimA alleles arrest in G2, before accumulation of NIMA in the nucleus. We performed a screen for extragenic suppressors of the nimA1 allele and isolated two cold-sensitive son (suppressor of nimA1) mutants. The sonA1 mutant encoded a nucleoporin that is a homolog of yeast Gle2/Rae1. We have now cloned SONB, a second nucleoporin genetically interacting with NIMA. sonB is essential and encodes a homolog of the human NUP98/NUP96 precursor. Similar to NUP98/NUP96, SONBNUP98/NUP96 is autoproteolytically cleaved to generate SONBNUP98 and SONBNUP96. SONBNUP98 localizes to the nuclear pore complex and contains a GLEBS domain (Gle2 binding sequence) that binds SONAGLE2. A point mutation within the GLEBS domain of SONB1NUP98 suppresses the temperature sensitivity of the nimA1 allele and compromises the physical interaction between SONAGLE2 and SONB1NUP98. The sonB1 mutation also causes sensitivity to hydroxyurea. We isolated the histone H2A-H2B gene pair as a copy-number suppressor of sonB1 cold sensitivity and hydroxyurea sensitivity. The data suggest that the nucleoporins SONAGLE2 and SONBNUP98 and the NIMA kinase interact and regulate nuclear accumulation of mitotic regulators to help promote mitosis.
Effect of the Suppressor of Underreplication (SuUR) Gene on Position-Effect Variegation Silencing in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Belyaeva E S , Boldyreva L V , Volkova E I , Nanayev R A , Alekseyenko A A , Zhimulev I F
Published: April 2021

It has been previously shown that the SuUR gene encodes a protein located in intercalary and pericentromeric heterochromatin in Drosophila melanogaster polytene chromosomes. The SuUR mutation suppresses the formation of ectopic contacts and DNA underreplication in polytene chromosomes; SuUR+ in extra doses enhances the expression of these characters. This study demonstrates that heterochromatin-dependent PEV silencing is also influenced by SuUR. The SuUR protein localizes to chromosome regions compacted as a result of PEV; the SuUR mutation suppresses DNA underreplication arising in regions of polytene chromosomes undergoing PEV. The SuUR mutation also suppresses variegation of both adult morphological characters and chromatin compaction observed in rearranged chromosomes. In contrast, SuUR+ in extra doses and its overexpression enhance variegation. Thus, SuUR affects PEV silencing in a dose-dependent manner. However, its effect is expressed weaker than that of the strong modifier Su(var)2-5.
Population Subdivision and Molecular Sequence Variation: Theory and Analysis ofDrosophila ananassaeData
Authors: Vogl Claus , Das Aparup , Beaumont Mark , Mohanty Sujata , Stephan Wolfgang
Published: April 2021

Population subdivision complicates analysis of molecular variation. Even if neutrality is assumed, three evolutionary forces need to be considered: migration, mutation, and drift. Simplification can be achieved by assuming that the process of migration among and drift within subpopulations is occurring fast compared to mutation and drift in the entire population. This allows a two-step approach in the analysis: (i) analysis of population subdivision and (ii) analysis of molecular variation in the migrant pool. We model population subdivision using an infinite island model, where we allow the migration/drift parameter 0398; to vary among populations. Thus, central and peripheral populations can be differentiated. For inference of 0398;, we use a coalescence approach, implemented via a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) integration method that allows estimation of allele frequencies in the migrant pool. The second step of this approach (analysis of molecular variation in the migrant pool) uses the estimated allele frequencies in the migrant pool for the study of molecular variation. We apply this method to a Drosophila ananassae sequence data set. We find little indication of isolation by distance, but large differences in the migration parameter among populations. The population as a whole seems to be expanding. A population from Bogor (Java, Indonesia) shows the highest variation and seems closest to the species center.
Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis of Leaf Dissection in Tomato Using Lycopersicon pennellii Segmental Introgression Lines
Authors: Holtan Hans E E , Hake Sarah
Published: April 2021

Leaves are one of the most conspicuous and important organs of all seed plants. A fundamental source of morphological diversity in leaves is the degree to which the leaf is dissected by lobes and leaflets. We used publicly available segmental introgression lines to describe the quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling the difference in leaf dissection seen between two tomato species, Lycopersicon esculentum and L. pennellii. We define eight morphological characteristics that comprise the mature tomato leaf and describe loci that affect each of these characters. We found 30 QTL that contribute one or more of these characters. Of these 30 QTL, 22 primarily affect leaf dissection and 8 primarily affect leaf size. On the basis of which characters are affected, four classes of loci emerge that affect leaf dissection. The majority of the QTL produce phenotypes intermediate to the two parent lines, while 5 QTL result in transgression with drastically increased dissection relative to both parent lines.
Evolution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Identification of Mutations Increasing Fitness in Laboratory Populations
Authors: Blanc Victoria M , Adams Julian
Published: April 2021

Since the publication of the complete sequence of the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a number of comprehensive investigations have been initiated to gain insight into cellular function. The focus of these studies has been to identify genes essential for survival in specific environments or those that when mutated cause gross phenotypic defects in growth. Here we describe Ty1-based mutational approaches designed to identify genes, which when mutated generate evolutionarily significant phenotypes causing small but positive increments on fitness. As expected, Ty1 mutations with a positive fitness effect were in the minority. However, mutations in two loci, one inactivating FAR3 and one upstream of CYR1, identified in evolving populations, were shown to have small but significantly positive fitness effects.
A giant left internal iliac artery aneurysm in a patient with Loeys–Dietz syndrome
Authors: Skopin Ivan I , Arakelyan Valerii S , Tchurikov Nickolai A , Belyaev Andrei M
Published: April 2021

A 16-year-old female presented with left iliac fossa pain. In January 2021, she was admitted to her local hospital with severe lower abdominal pain and the pelvic ultrasound demonstrated a 13-cm left internal iliac artery dissecting aneurysm with its partial thrombosis. On examination, she had a high-arched palate, multiple skin stretch marks, flat feet and a soft systolic ejection murmur at the left 5th mid-clavicular line. She had a mildly tender abdomen in the left iliac fossa. Computed tomography angiography demonstrated a 12.2 cm × 10.4 cm × 12.5 cm left internal iliac artery aneurysm. During surgery, the aneurysm was incised and the proximal and distal orifices of the internal iliac artery were ligated. Genetic testing yielded 2 mutations in the SMAD3 gene characteristic for Loeys–Dietz syndrome.
Can Consumers Learn Price Dispersion? Evidence for Dispersion Spillover across Categories
Authors: André Quentin , Reinholtz Nicholas , De Langhe Bart
Published: April 2021

Price knowledge is a key antecedent of many consumer judgments and decisions. This article examines consumers’ ability to form accurate beliefs about the minimum, the maximum, and the overall variability of prices for multiple product categories. Eight experiments provide evidence for a novel phenomenon we call dispersion spillover: Consumers tend to overestimate price dispersion in a category after encountering another category in which prices are more dispersed (vs. equally or less dispersed). Our experiments show that this dispersion spillover is consequential: It influences the likelihood that consumers will search for (and find) better prices and offers, and how much consumers bid in auctions. Finally, we disentangle two cognitive processes that might underlie dispersion spillover. Our results suggest that judgments of dispersion are not only based on specific prices stored in memory and that dispersion spillover does not simply reflect the inappropriate activation of prices from other categories. Instead, it appears that consumers also form “intuitive statistics” of dispersion: Summary representations that encode the dispersion of prices in the environment but that are insufficiently category specific.
Refining Pheromone Lures for the Invasive Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Through Collaborative Trials in the United States and Europe
Authors: Leskey Tracy C , Andrews Heather , Bády Angelika , Benvenuto Luca , Bernardinelli Iris , Blaauw Brett , Bortolotti Pier Paolo , Bosco Lara , Di Bella Emanuele , Hamilton George , Kuhar Thomas , Ludwick Dalton , Maistrello Lara , Malossini Giorgio , Nannini Roberta , Nixon Laura J , Pasqualini Edison , Preti Michele , Short Brent D , Spears Lori , Tavella Luciana , Vétek Gábor , Wiman Nik
Published: April 2021

Brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is native to Asia and has invaded North America and Europe inflicting serious agricultural damage to specialty and row crops. Tools to monitor the spread of H. halys include traps baited with the two-component aggregation pheromone (PHER), (3S,6S,7R,10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol and (3R,6S,7R,10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol, and pheromone synergist, methyl (2E,4E,6Z)-decatrienoate (MDT). Here, an international team of researchers conducted trials aimed at evaluating prototype commercial lures for H. halys to establish relative attractiveness of: 1) low and high loading rates of PHER and MDT for monitoring tools and attract and kill tactics; 2) polyethylene lure delivery substrates; and 3) the inclusion of ethyl (2E,4E,6Z)-decatrieonate (EDT), a compound that enhances captures when combined with PHER in lures. In general, PHER loading rate had a greater impact on overall trap captures compared with loading of MDT, but reductions in PHER loading and accompanying lower trap captures could be offset by increasing loading of MDT. As MDT is less expensive to produce, these findings enable reduced production costs. Traps baited with lures containing PHER and EDT resulted in numerically increased captures when EDT was loaded at a high rate, but captures were not significantly greater than those traps baited with lures containing standard PHER and MDT. Experimental polyethylene vial dispensers did not outperform standard lure dispensers; trap captures were significantly lower in most cases. Ultimately, these results will enable refinement of commercially available lures for H. halys to balance attraction and sensitivity with production cost.
Database ofSabethesandHaemagogus(Diptera: Culicidae) in Argentina: Sylvatic Vectors of the Yellow Fever Virus
Authors: Cano María Eugenia , Marti Gerardo Aníbal , Balsalobre Agustín , Muttis Evangelina , Bruno Emiliano Aldo , Rossi Gustavo , Micieli María Victoria
Published: April 2021

Yellow fever is an endemic disease in America caused by an arbovirus that circulates in the sylvatic cycle between nonhuman primates and mosquitoes of the genera Sabethes Robineau-Desvoidy and Haemagogus Williston. The main goal of this work is to report the distribution patterns of these genera in Argentina through an updated database built from published records as well as from own sample collections. These genera are represented in Argentina by a total of 18 species distributed in 14 provinces and 10 ecoregions. The ecoregions with greatest biodiversity were Paranense Forest, Yungas, Campos and Malezales. This database will also allow generating distribution maps for these mosquito genera, and their respective species in Argentina, to establish areas with high probability of viral circulation that are an essential input for vector surveillance, as a tool for public health decision-makers.
Changing Perceptions and Actions in Response to Forest Disturbance by Mountain Pine Beetles in North Central Colorado
Authors: Qin Hua , Brenkert-Smith Hannah , Vickery Jamie , Sanders Christine , Flint Courtney G
Published: April 2021

Forest disturbances caused by insects, pathogens, and fire continue to increasingly occur within forests across the United States and around the world. Given the dynamic nature of these forest disturbances and the role played by local residents in risk management, it is valuable to explore how the human experience, attitudes, and behaviors associated with these ecological processes may evolve over time. In this paper, we assess temporal changes in local residents’ perceptions and actions in response to the mountain pine beetle outbreak that affected large swaths of forests in north central Colorado. Through analyses of secondary and household survey data from 2007 and 2018, we note significant changes in these aspects and identify factors consistently associated with individual and community activeness. The study contributes to knowledge of dynamic socioecological considerations of forest disturbances and improves understanding of how social sciences can help to identify opportunities and barriers to effective forest ecosystem management.
H-2B Guest Workers and the Critical Role They Play in US Forests
Authors: Blinn Charles R , O’Hara Timothy J , Russell Matthew B
Published: April 2021

A survey of businesses that provide a variety of forest management services indicated the importance of H-2B guest workers in performing important tasks which facilitate management and sustainability of forest resources in the United States. Those workers accomplish a wide variety of tasks with tree planting being most common. Although the positions filled by those workers are first made available to US workers at government-mandated wage rates, few apply. Businesses reported that it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to secure all of their guest visas to fulfill their contacts. Although former President Donald J. Trump’s proclamation on June 22, 2020, suspending entry of workers with H-2B visas, would have resulted in approximately one million acres not being reforested by respondents in 2020, a National Interest Exemption process provided a reprieve through the end of 2020. A long-term solution is needed to ensure that there are enough H-2B workers available to continue providing these important services.
The Modern Organ
Authors: Gray Alan
Published: April 2021

The title of my paper is to some extent a misnomer, as from my own personal experience I can only speak of Modern English organs. It is probable, however, that these are at the present moment equal or superior to those of any other country. It has by no means been so in the past. For centuries we only practised what Germany taught us, while fifty years ago we owed much to Cavaillé, the great Frenchman.
The Toccatas of Bach
Authors: Fuller-Maitland J. A.
Published: April 2021

There are no fewer than twelve complete works of Sebastian Bach to which the name Toccata is applied, and in nearly all cases the title seems to have come from the composer himself. It is always worth while to trace, if we can, the reasons which led a great man to choose one name rather than another for his creations; and in the case of Bach, I think we are justified in supposing that the names he gave were not purely arbitrary, but were chosen for some good reason. Certain modern composers, notably Brahms, have shown a strange indifference to the effect wrought by a well-chosen name for their music. His later works for pianoforte, often grouped under the heading of “Fantasias,” are divided into “Intermezzi” and “‘Capricci” according to whether they are slow movements or fast. But Bach, with his methodical habits, never showed that kind of almost perverse nonchalance in regard to the names his works were to bear. Remember the “Partitas,” and how each of the six introductory movements had a different designation from all the rest. As a matter of fact, there is not much indication of any inner variety of structure among the six, for all are preludial in general character, and it is evidently only a whim of the composer to give the six different titles. One of these, the sixth by the way, is styled “Toccata,” but has none of the distinguishing marks which, I hope to persuade you, Bach had in his mind when he used the title for independent compositions. Mr. Albert Schweitzer in his exceedingly valuable book on Bach (I am speaking of the recent work in two volumes, translated from the French by Mr. Ernest Newman) says that these Toccatas might just as well have been called Sonatas, or by any other name. Here I cannot agree with him, and the main object of my remarks on the present occasion.is to examine into the structure and style of the pieces, and see if we cannot discern some characteristic common to them all, and not shared by any other compositions of Bach.
A fully labelled proof system for intuitionistic modal logics
Authors: Marin Sonia , Morales Marianela , Straßburger Lutz
Published: April 2021

Labelled proof theory has been famously successful for modal logics by mimicking their relational semantics within deductive systems. Simpson in particular designed a framework to study a variety of intuitionistic modal logics integrating a binary relation symbol in the syntax. In this paper, we present a labelled sequent system for intuitionistic modal logics such that there is not only one but two relation symbols appearing in sequents: one for the accessibility relation associated with the Kripke semantics for normal modal logics and one for the pre-order relation associated with the Kripke semantics for intuitionistic logic. This puts our system in close correspondence with the standard birelational Kripke semantics for intuitionistic modal logics. As a consequence, it can be extended with arbitrary intuitionistic Scott–Lemmon axioms. We show soundness and completeness, together with an internal cut elimination proof, encompassing a wider array of intuitionistic modal logics than any existing labelled system.
Ultrasound in Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Wide-Open Field
Authors: Hwang Brian Y , Mampre David , Ahmed A Karim , Suk Ian , Anderson William S , Manbachi Amir , Theodore Nicholas
Published: April 2021

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common and devastating condition. In the absence of effective validated therapies, there is an urgent need for novel methods to achieve injury stabilization, regeneration, and functional restoration in SCI patients. Ultrasound is a versatile platform technology that can provide a foundation for viable diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in SCI. In particular, real-time perfusion and inflammatory biomarker monitoring, focal pharmaceutical delivery, and neuromodulation are capabilities that can be harnessed to advance our knowledge of SCI pathophysiology and to develop novel management and treatment options. Our review suggests that studies that evaluate the benefits and risks of ultrasound in SCI are severely lacking and our understanding of the technology's potential impact remains poorly understood. Although the complex anatomy and physiology of the spine and the spinal cord remain significant challenges, continued technological advances will help the field overcome the current barriers and bring ultrasound to the forefront of SCI research and development.
ABCB1 inhibition provides a novel therapeutic target to block TWIST1-induced migration in medulloblastoma
Authors: Nasir Aishah , Cardall Alice , Othman Ramadhan T , Nicolaou Niovi , Lourdusamy Anbarasu , Linke Franziska , Onion David , Ryzhova Marina , Cameron Hanna , Valente Cara , Ritchie Alison , Korshunov Andrey , Pfister Stefan M , Grabowska Anna M , Kerr Ian D , Coyle Beth
Published: April 2021

Background

Therapeutic intervention in metastatic medulloblastoma is dependent on elucidating the underlying metastatic mechanism. We investigated whether an epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like pathway could drive medulloblastoma metastasis.

Methods

A 3D Basement Membrane Extract (3D-BME) model was used to investigate medulloblastoma cell migration. Cell line growth was quantified with AlamarBlue metabolic assays and the morphology assessed by time-lapse imaging. Gene expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR and protein expression by immunohistochemistry of patient tissue microarrays and mouse orthotopic xenografts. Chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to determine whether the EMT transcription factor TWIST1 bound to the promoter of the multidrug pump ABCB1. TWIST1 was overexpressed in MED6 cells by lentiviral transduction (MED6-TWIST1). Inhibition of ABCB1 was mediated by vardenafil, and TWIST1 expression was reduced by either Harmine or shRNA.

Results

Metastatic cells migrated to form large metabolically active aggregates, whereas non-tumorigenic/non-metastatic cells formed small aggregates with decreasing metabolic activity. TWIST1 expression was upregulated in the 3D-BME model. TWIST1 and ABCB1 were significantly associated with metastasis in patients (P = .041 and P = .04, respectively). High nuclear TWIST1 expression was observed in the invasive edge of the MED1 orthotopic model, and TWIST1 knockdown in cell lines was associated with reduced cell migration (P < .05). TWIST1 bound to the ABCB1 promoter (P = .03) and induced cell aggregation in metastatic and TWIST1-overexpressing, non-metastatic (MED6-TWIST1) cells, which was significantly attenuated by vardenafil (P < .05).

Conclusions

In this study, we identified a TWIST1–ABCB1 signaling axis during medulloblastoma migration, which can be therapeutically targeted with the clinically approved ABCB1 inhibitor, vardenafil.
The Longest Persistence of Viable SARS-CoV-2 With Recurrence of Viremia and Relapsing Symptomatic COVID-19 in an Immunocompromised Patient—A Case Study
Authors: Sepulcri Chiara , Dentone Chiara , Mikulska Malgorzata , Bruzzone Bianca , Lai Alessia , Fenoglio Daniela , Bozzano Federica , Bergna Annalisa , Parodi Alessia , Altosole Tiziana , Delfino Emanuele , Bartalucci Giulia , Orsi Andrea , Di Biagio Antonio , Zehender Gianguglielmo , Ballerini Filippo , Bonora Stefano , Sette Alessandro , De Palma Raffaele , Silvestri Guido , De Maria Andrea , Bassetti Matteo
Published: April 2021

Background

Immunocompromised patients show prolonged shedding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in nasopharyngeal swabs. We report a case of prolonged persistence of viable SARS-CoV-2 associated with clinical relapses of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a patient with mantle cell lymphoma who underwent treatment with rituximab, bendamustine, cytarabine with consequent lymphopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia.

Methods

Nasopharyngeal swabs and blood samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). On 5 positive nasopharyngeal swabs, we performed viral culture and next-generation sequencing. We analyzed the patient’s adaptive and innate immunity to characterize T- and NK-cell subsets.

Results

SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal swabs samples remained positive for 268 days. All 5 performed viral cultures were positive, and genomic analysis confirmed a persistent infection with the same strain. Viremia resulted positive in 3 out of 4 COVID-19 clinical relapses and cleared each time after remdesivir treatment. The T- and NK-cell dynamic was different in aviremic and viremic samples, and no SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies were detected throughout the disease course.

Conclusions

In our patient, SARS-CoV-2 persisted with proven infectivity for >8 months. Viremia was associated with COVID-19 relapses, and remdesivir treatment was effective in viremia clearance and symptom remission, although it was unable to clear the virus from the upper respiratory airways. During the viremic phase, we observed a low frequency of terminal effector CD8+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood; these are probably recruited in inflammatory tissue for viral eradication. In addition, we found a high level of NK-cell repertoire perturbation with relevant involvement during SARS-CoV-2 viremia.
Dupilumab: a new contestant to corticosteroid in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
Authors: Ali Muhammad , Green O’Neil
Published: April 2021

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a disease characterized by severe disability with recurrent wheezing and shortness of breath. The current recommended therapy is daily oral corticosteroids +/− oral antifungal therapy. Despite this, many patients continue to have severe symptoms, and others require fairly high daily oral corticosteroid dosing to achieve control, which in turn may induce the well-known effects of long term steroid use. The anti-interleukin drugs have been reported to help improve daily symptoms and reduce steroid requirements. Much of the literature highlights the benefit of omalizumab. We present a case of dupilumab as add-on therapy in a patient with ABPA, which allowed us to reduce daily steroid dosage.
Morphology, vocalizations, and mitochondrial DNA suggest that the Graceful Prinia is two species
Authors: Alström Per , Rasmussen Pamela C , Xia Canwei , Zhang Lijun , Liu Chengyi , Magnusson Jesper , Shafaeipour Arya , Olsson Urban
Published: April 2021

Prinias (Cisticolidae: Prinia) are resident warblers of open areas across Africa and Asia and include many polytypic species whose species limits have not been seriously reevaluated recently. Based on an integrative taxonomic analysis of morphology, song, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), we suggest that 2 species should be recognized in the Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis) complex. In addition, our morphological analyses show the existence of a well-marked undescribed form in southeastern Somalia, which we name herein as a new subspecies. Prinia gracilis is a small, drab, long-tailed species with streaking above and plain pale underparts that has been suggested to fall into 2 groups: the southwestern nominate group (from Egypt to Oman) and the northeastern lepida group (from Turkey through India). However, the characters presented to justify this grouping are variable and show a mosaic pattern, and whether genetic and vocal differences exist is unknown. We found consistent between-group song differences, with the nominate group giving consistently longer inter-phrase intervals, whereas the members of the lepida group sing an essentially continuous reel. An mtDNA tree suggests a deep split between the nominate and lepida groups, with a coalescence time between these clades of ~ 2.2 million years ago. Vocal and mtDNA analyses provided evidence that the northeastern Arabian Peninsula taxon carpenteri belongs to the lepida group. We found that, of all the morphological characters proposed, only proportions and tail barring and spotting relatively consistently distinguish the 2 groups. However, these characters strongly suggest that the eastern Arabian Peninsula is populated by taxa of both the gracilis and lepida groups, in different areas, but we lack genetic and bioacoustic data to corroborate this. Although further study is needed in potential contact zones, we suggest that 2 species should be recognized in the P. gracilis complex, and we propose the retention of the English name Graceful Prinia for P. gracilis sensu stricto, while we suggest that P. lepida be known as Delicate Prinia.
A machine-learning method to derive the parameters of contact binaries
Authors: Ding Xu , Ji Kai-Fan , Li Xu-Zhi
Published: April 2021

Contact binary stars are important research objects in astrophysics. The calculation speed of deriving the parameters of contact binaries with the Wilson–Devinney program and the Phoebe with Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) program is relatively slow. It is unrealistic to derive the parameters in batches with the program for sky survey data. We obtain a neural network model of supervised learning with the training of synthetic light curves with Phoebe. We calculate the parameters of eight special targets from the simulated data and the Kepler data. Then, we generate the new light curve to fit the light curve of the special target base on these parameters. The correlation index R2 of the fitting result is more than 0.98. The method can be used to fit the target which has orbital inclinations greater than 50°. By fitting the Kepler data and the observed data on the ground, the method has a good generalization ability to these targets, which have some noise and some starspots. The calculation speed of one light curve with this method is less than seconds. We can derive the parameters quickly in batches to undertake some statistical work for sky survey data with the method.
L’évaluation et la prise en charge des allergies alimentaires non induites par les IgE
Authors: Abrams Elissa M , Hildebrand Kyla J , Chan Edmond S
Published: April 2021

Le syndrome d’entérocolite induite par les protéines alimentaires et la proctocolite allergique induite par les protéines alimentaires sont les principaux types d’allergies alimentaires non induites par les immunoglobines E. Le syndrome d’entérocolite induit par les protéines alimentaires se manifeste par des vomissements réfractaires tardifs, tandis que la proctocolite allergique induite par les protéines alimentaires se révèle par une hématochézie chez des nourrissons autrement en santé. La prise en charge immédiate du syndrome d’entérocolite induite par les protéines alimentaires inclut la réhydratation, l’ondansétron ou ces deux traitements, mais est inutile pour soigner la proctocolite allergique induite par les protéines alimentaires. À long terme, il faut éviter l’aliment déclencheur pour prendre en charge ces deux affections, dont le pronostic est un fort taux de résolution au bout de quelques années.
Lisez, parlez, chantez : la promotion de l’alphabétisation précoce dans le milieu de la santé
Authors: Shaw Alyson
Published: April 2021

Le présent document de principes aidera les dispensateurs de soins à évaluer l’alphabétisation précoce dans les familles et à leur donner des conseils, et ce, dans presque tous les contextes d’exercice. On y définit les habiletés d’alphabétisation émergente, y compris l’apprentissage précoce du langage et des récits oraux, et on y explore les bienfaits de la lecture, de la parole et de la chanson auprès des nourrissons et des tout-petits, tant pour eux que pour les adultes qui en sont responsables. La lecture partagée au coucher et d’autres habitudes liées au langage ont un effet positif sur la santé familiale, relationnelle et socioaffective. L’exposition précoce à la langue parlée à la maison peut contribuer à l’alphabétisation dans les autres langues auxquelles l’enfant pourrait être exposé. On y trouve enfin des recommandations particulières pour les cliniciens qui conseillent les familles en matière d’alphabétisation précoce.
Poisson–Lie T-plurality for WZW backgrounds
Authors: Sakatani Yuho
Published: April 2021

Poisson–Lie $T$-plurality constructs a chain of supergravity solutions from a Poisson–Lie symmetric solution. We study the Poisson–Lie $T$-plurality for supergravity solutions with $H$-flux, which are not Poisson–Lie symmetric but admit non-Abelian isometries, £$_{v_a}g_{mn}=0$ and £$_{v_a}H_3=0$ with £$_{v_a}B_2\neq 0$. After introducing the general procedure, we study the Poisson–Lie $T$-plurality for two Wess–Zumino–Witten backgrounds, AdS$_3$ with $H$-flux and the Nappi–Witten background.
Voting Right? Analyzing Electoral Homonationalism of LGBTIQ* Voters in Austria and Germany
Authors: Hunklinger Michael , Ajanović Edma
Published: April 2021

Gender and sexuality have become increasingly relevant issues for right-wing populist parties. This article analyzes political attitudes of lesbian, gay, bi, trans*, inter, and queer (LGBTIQ*) voters of right-wing populist parties in local elections in Vienna (Austria) and Berlin (Germany). Right-wing LGBTIQ* voters display similar negative attitudes toward migrants, women, and other sexual minorities as the right-wing parties Alternative für Deutschland and Freiheitliche Partei Österreich they vote for. We argue that this “electoral homonationalism” is a bridge from the nationalist discourse of parties and political groups to the voting behavior of the electorate.