bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel method to purify neutrophils enables functional analysis of zebrafish hematopoiesis
Authors: Konno Katsuhiro , Kulkeaw Kasem , Sasada Manabu , Nii Takenobu , Kaneyuki Ayako , Ishitani Tohru , Arai Fumio , Sugiyama Daisuke
Published: October 2020

Zebrafish is a useful model to study vertebrate hematopoiesis, but lack of antibodies to zebrafish proteins has limited purification of hematopoietic cells. Here, we purified neutrophils from larval and adult zebrafish using the lectin Phaseolus vulgaris erythroagglutinin (PHA‐E) and DRAQ5, a DNA‐staining fluorescent dye. In adult kidney marrow, we purified neutrophil‐like PHA‐E4low DRAQ5low cells, which neutrophil‐type granules. Specifically, at 96‐hr post‐fertilization, we sorted large‐sized cells from larvae using forward scatter and found that they consisted of PHA‐Elow DRAQ5low populations. These cells had myeloperoxidase activity, were Sudan Black B‐positive and expressed high levels of neutrophil‐specific (csf3r and mpx) mRNAs, all neutrophil characteristics. Using this method, we conducted functional analysis suggesting that zyxin (Zyx) plays a role in neutrophil generation in zebrafish larvae. Overall, PHA‐E and DRAQ5‐based flow cytometry serves as a tool to purify zebrafish neutrophils.
Characterization and prognostic significance of alternative splicing events in lower‐grade diffuse gliomas
Authors: Zhao Zheng , Li Guan‐Zhang , Liu Yu‐Qing , Huang Ruo‐Yu , Wang Kuan‐Yu , Jiang Hao‐Yu , Li Ren‐Peng , Chai Rui‐Chao , Zhang Chuan‐Bao , Wu Fan
Published: October 2020

Alternative splicing (AS) is assumed to play important roles in the progression and prognosis of cancer. Currently, the comprehensive analysis and clinical relevance of AS in lower‐grade diffuse gliomas have not been systematically addressed. Here, we gathered alternative splicing data of lower‐grade diffuse gliomas from SpliceSeq. Based on the Percent Spliced In (PSI) values of 515 lower‐grade diffuse glioma patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we performed subtype‐differential AS analysis and consensus clustering to determine robust clusters of patients. A total of 48 050 AS events in 10 787 genes in lower‐grade diffuse gliomas were profiled. Subtype‐differential splicing analysis and functional annotation revealed that spliced genes were significantly enriched in numerous cancer‐related biological phenotypes and signalling pathways. Consensus clustering using AS events identified three robust clusters of patients with distinguished pathological and prognostic features. Moreover, each cluster was also associated with distinct genomic alterations. Finally, we developed and validated an AS‐related signature with Cox proportional hazards model. The signature, significantly associated with clinical and molecular features, could serve as an independent prognostic factor for lower‐grade diffuse gliomas. Thus, our results indicated that AS events could discriminate molecular subtypes and have prognostic impact in lower‐grade diffuse gliomas.
Performance of Ooencyrtus kuvanae (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) on two host species, Halyomorpha halys and Philosamia ricini
Authors: Tunca Hilal , Cosic Benjamin , Colombel Etty‐Ambre , Venard Marine , Capelli Mathilde , Tabone Elisabeth
Published: October 2020

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is an invasive agricultural pest of fruit trees and vegetables. Egg parasitoids play a key role in the reducing of H. halys populations. Ooencyrtus kuvanae (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) can parasitize H. halys and complete its life cycle in this host species. Many factors can influence this parasitoid–host relationship. Of these factors, we evaluated the effect of female age, exposure time, and host species on the biological characteristics and fecundity of O. kuvanae reared on eggs of H. halys as well as another previously known host Philosamia ricini (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). In this study, we used a 3‐year‐old laboratory colony of O. kuvanae. Parasitism rates positively affected by exposure time in P. ricini. The highest parasitism rates were obtained in 5‐ and 7‐day‐old females of both hosts. The highest emergence rates were recorded on P. ricini for 5‐ and 7‐day‐old female P. ricini (81.8% and 84.8%, respectively). The development time of O. kuvanae ranged from 18.4 to 19.1 days on H. halys and 17.7 to 18.3 days on P. ricini. The longevity of O. kuvanae that were provided honey was 38.5 and 47.8 days on H. halys and P. ricini, respectively. The longevity of O. kuvanae that were not provided honey was 2.3 and 2.8 days on H. halys and P. ricini, respectively. The sex ratio was male‐biased (36.5% female) on H. halys and female‐biased (55.2% female) on P. ricini. Fecundity of O. kuvanae was 37.7 and 59.6 progeny per female for H. halys and P. ricini, respectively. The performance of O. kuvanae was lower when compared with its performance on the host P. ricini. Our results suggest that O. kuvanae has potential as new biological control agent for H. halys.
Assessing the impacts of skin mucus from Salmo salar and Oncorhynchus mykiss on the growth and in vitro infectivity of the fish pathogen Piscirickettsia salmonis
Authors: Levipan Héctor A. , Avendaño‐Herrera Ruben
Published: October 2020

Piscirickettsiosis is a fish disease caused by the facultative intracellular bacterium, Piscirickettsia salmonis. Even though entry routes of P. salmonis in fish are not fully clear yet, the skin seems to be the main portal in some salmonid species. Despite the importance of fish mucous skin barrier in fighting waterborne pathogens, the interaction between salmonid skin mucus and the bacterium is unknown. This study seeks to determine the in vitro changes in the growth of two Chilean P. salmonis strains (LF‐89‐like and EM‐90‐like genotypes) and the type strain LF‐89T under exposures to skin mucus from Salmo salar and Oncorhynchus mykiss, as well as changes in the cytotoxic effect of P. salmonis on the SHK‐1 cells following exposures. The results suggest that the growth of three P. salmonis strains was not significantly negatively affected under exposures to skin mucus (adjusted at 100 μg total protein ml−1) of O. mykiss (69 ± 18 U lysozyme ml−1) and S. salar (48 ± 33 U lysozyme ml−1) over time. However, the cytotoxic effect of P. salmonis, pre‐exposed to salmonid skin mucus, on the SHK‐1 cell line was reliably identified only towards the end of the incubation period, suggesting that the mucus had a delaying effect on the cytotoxic response of the cell line to the bacterium. These results represent a baseline knowledge to open new avenues of research intended to understand how P. salmonis faces the fish mucous skin barrier.
Participation in sport and physical activity in adults with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Borland R. L. , Hu N. , Tonge B. , Einfeld S. , Gray K. M.
Published: October 2020

Background

People with intellectual disability face a number of barriers to participation in physical activity. This paper aimed to determine rates of sport and physical activity participation in an Australian sample of adults with intellectual disability, compared with rates of participation in the general Australian population. A secondary aim was to investigate factors that may contribute to participation of adults with intellectual disability.

Method

Participants were part of the Australian Child to Adult Development (ACAD) study, consisting of a community sample with intellectual disability (n = 305), groups of adults with autism (n = 94), Down syndrome (n = 64), fragile X syndrome (n = 52), Williams syndrome (n = 45), and Prader–Willi syndrome (n = 30). Participation in sport/physical activity was reported over the past 3 months. Rates of participation were reported for adults with intellectual disability and compared with rates in a general Australian population sample. The relationship between participation in physical activity and age, degree of intellectual disability, physical mobility, living situation, socio‐economic disadvantage, and behaviour and emotional problems were also conducted.

Results

Participants in the ACAD community sample with intellectual disability participated in sport/physical activity at lower rates than the general Australian population (42% compared with 71%). Having no physical mobility impairment was significantly associated with higher rates of participation. Those with Down syndrome participated in sport/physical activity at higher rates than the community sample with intellectual disability, while no difference in sport/physical activity participation was observed in the groups with autism or other syndromes.

Conclusion

Australian adults with intellectual disability participate in sport and physical activity at lower rates than the general population. Having a physical mobility impairment was associated with lower rates of participation. However, people living in supported accommodation were more likely to participate than those in other living situations. Having Down syndrome was associated with a higher participation rate than the community sample.
Depression, psychiatric comorbidities, and psychosocial implications associated with acne vulgaris
Authors: Sood Sneha , Jafferany Mohammad , Vinaya kumar Sushruth
Published: October 2020

Background

Acne vulgaris is a highly prevalent skin condition associated with considerable psychological burden. Acne and its sequelae can affect many domains of life leading to social dysfunction, psychiatric issues and educational shortcomings. Psychiatric conditions like depression is found to be more prevalent in acne patients as compared to general population.

Aims

To evaluate importance of screening for depression in acne patients since screening tools in outpatient departments can help dermatologists assess the psychological state of the patient.

Method

Papers selected for the review included review articles in English language and all original research relevant to the topic, in the form of cohort studies, and case–control studies.

Conclusions

This article studies the impact of acne across the various aspects of life and highlights the importance of a timely diagnosis and referral. This can be helpful in preventing the long‐term consequences of acne in terms of physical as well as psychological health.
Strategies and resources for nurse leaders to use to lead with empathy and prudence so they understand and address sources of anxiety among nurses practising in the era of COVID‐19
Authors: Hofmeyer Anne , Taylor Ruth
Published: October 2020

Aims

Identify strategies and resources for nurse leaders to use to lead with empathy and prudence to improve quality of care and to ease the psychological toll on nurses caring for patients with COVID‐19.

Background

In a 2020 report, clinicians caring for patients during the COVID‐19 pandemic said their healthcare leaders needed to: ‘hear me, protect me, prepare me, support me, and care for me’. These words provide an action plan for nurse leaders to communicate, educate and support nurses to practice competently and safely (physically and mentally) in the context of COVID‐19.

Design

Discursive paper.

Method

Identification and inclusion of relevant international evidence with clinical discussion.

Findings

Nurse leaders can mobilise system and individual level strategies and resources to support nurses to manage pandemic‐related issues including: anxiety due to the risk of infection, supporting anxious children, mitigating moral injury; providing safe and quality nursing care for patients with COVID‐19 and end‐of‐life care as needed; supporting relatives who cannot be present with a dying relative and care for grieving relatives and colleagues. We categorise a selection of evidence‐based, online sources providing current COVID‐19 information, practice updates and resources to develop personalised self‐care plans to ease anxiety and support renewal and resilience.

Conclusions

Nurse leaders must ensure adequate PPE supply, upskill nurses to provide safe, quality care for patients with COVID‐19 and promote restorative self‐care plans.

Relevance to clinical practice

The strategic actions nurse leaders take today can positively impact nurses' well‐being and ability to provide safe and quality care for patients in the context of COVID‐19.
Speculative trade and the value of public information
Authors: Galanis Spyros
Published: October 2020

In environments with expected utility, it has long been established that speculative trade cannot occur and that the value of public information is negative in economies with risk‐sharing and no aggregate uncertainty. We show that these results are still true even if we relax expected utility, so that either Dynamic Consistency (DC) or Consequentialism is violated. We characterize no speculative trade in terms of a weakening of DC and find that Consequentialism is not required. Moreover, we show that a weakening of both DC and Consequentialism is sufficient for the value of public information to be negative. We therefore generalize these important results for convex preferences which contain several classes of ambiguity averse preferences.
Rates and characteristics of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in persons with hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Butt Adeel A. , Yan Peng
Published: October 2020

Background

Rate of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and impact of liver fibrosis stage upon infection rates in persons with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are unknown.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed the Electronically Retrieved Cohort of HCV Infected Veterans (ERCHIVES), a well‐established database of HCV‐infected Veterans in care. We excluded those with missing FIB‐4 score and those with HIV or hepatitis B virus co‐infection. We determined the number of persons tested, proportion who tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2 and the infection rate by age and liver fibrosis stage.

Results

Among 172,235 persons with HCV, 14,305 (8.3%) were tested for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and 892 (6.2%) tested positive. Those with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection were older, more likely to be Black (55.2% vs 37.8%), obese (body mass index >30 kg/m2 36.2% vs 29.7%) and have diabetes or stroke (P < .0001 for all comparisons). Mean FIB‐4 scores and proportion of persons with cirrhosis (based on a FIB‐4 > 3.25) were similar in both groups. Incidence rate/1,000 tested persons was much higher among Blacks (88.4; 95% CI 81.1, 96.2) vs Whites (37.5; 95% CI 33.1, 42.4) but similar among those with cirrhosis (FIB‐4 > 3.25). The rates were also similar among those who were untreated for HCV vs those treated with or without attaining a sustained virologic response.

Conclusions

Testing rates among persons with HCV are very low. Persons with infection are more likely to be Black, have a higher body mass index and diabetes or stroke. The degree of liver fibrosis does not appear to have an impact on infection rate.
Meeting breastfeeding intentions differ by race/ethnicity, Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study‐2
Authors: Hamner Heather C. , Beauregard Jennifer L. , Li Ruowei , Nelson Jennifer M. , Perrine Cria G.
Published: October 2020

Prenatal breastfeeding intentions impact breastfeeding practices. Racial/ethnic disparities exist in breastfeeding rates; it is unknown if prenatal intentions and meeting intentions differ by race/ethnicity. A longitudinal cohort of USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) which enrolled participants beginning in 2013 were used to estimate prenatal intentions for breastfeeding initiation, exclusive breast milk feeds at 1 and 3 months by race/ethnicity (n = 2070). Meeting intentions were determined by reported breast milk consumption at birth, 1 month and 3 months. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the association of race/ethnicity with meeting intentions. There were no differences in prenatal breastfeeding intentions between non‐Hispanic White and non‐Hispanic Black women (initiation: 86.9% and 87.2%; Month 1: 52.3% and 48.3%; Month 3: 43.8% and 40.9%; respectively), but a higher percentage of Hispanic women intended to breastfeed at all time points (95.5%, 68.3% and 56.4%; respectively, P < 0.05). Among women who intended to breastfeed at Month 1, non‐Hispanic Black and Hispanic women had significantly lower odds of meeting intentions compared with non‐Hispanic White women after adjusting for covariates (aORs: 0.63 [95% CI: 0.41, 0.98]; 0.64 [95% CI: 0.44, 0.92], respectively). Similar findings were seen for Month 3. Despite no differences in breastfeeding intentions, non‐Hispanic Black women were less likely to meet their breastfeeding intentions than non‐Hispanic White women. Hispanic women were more likely to intend to breastfeed yet were less likely to meet their intentions. This suggests that non‐Hispanic Black and Hispanic women face challenges to meeting their longer breastfeeding intentions. Understanding how racism, bias and discrimination contribute to women not meeting their breastfeeding intentions may help efforts to reduce breastfeeding disparities.
Are population isolations and declines a threat to island endemic water striders? A lesson from demographic and niche modelling of Metrocoris esakii (Hemiptera: Gerridae)
Authors: Ye Zhen , Chen Danyang , Yuan Juanjuan , Zheng Chenguang , Yang Xin , Wang Wenwu , Zhang Yaoyao , Wang Siqi , Jiang Kun , Bu Wenjun
Published: October 2020

Genetic stochasticity and bottlenecking in the course of Pleistocene glaciations have been identified as threatening the survival of local endemics. However, the mechanisms by which local endemic species balance the influences of these two events remain poorly understood. Here, we generated a double‐digest restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD‐seq) data set, mined mitochondrial sequences and constructed ecological niche models for the island endemic water strider Metrocoris esakii (Hemiptera: Gerridae). We found that M. esakii comprised three divergent lineages (i.e., north, central and south) isolated by geographical barriers and generally experienced population declines with the constriction of suitable areas during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Further demographic model testing and stairway plots revealed a history of recent gene flow among the neighbouring lineages and rapid recovery at the end of the LGM, indicating that M. esakii at least had the potential for an adaptive response to population fragmentation and bottlenecking. The northern lineage did not show genetic bottlenecking during the LGM, which was probably due to its large effective population size (Ne) from migration, which improved its adaptive potential. Relative to the ddRAD‐seq data set, the demographic results based on mitochondrial sequences were less conclusive, showing weak differentiation and oversimplified demographic trajectories for the three genetic lineages. Overall, this study provides some degree of optimism for the survival of island endemic water striders from a demographic perspective, but further evaluation of their extinction risk under the impacts of human activities is required.
Harnessing landscape genomics to identify future climate resilient genotypes in a desert annual
Authors: Shryock Daniel F. , Washburn Loraine K. , DeFalco Lesley A. , Esque Todd C.
Published: October 2020

Local adaptation features critically in shaping species responses to changing environments, complicating efforts to revegetate degraded areas. Rapid climate change poses an additional challenge that could reduce fitness of even locally sourced seeds in restoration. Predictive restoration strategies that apply seeds with favourable adaptations to future climate may promote long‐term resilience. Landscape genomics is increasingly used to assess spatial patterns in local adaption and may represent a cost‐efficient approach for identifying future‐adapted genotypes. To demonstrate such an approach, we genotyped 760 plants from 64 Mojave Desert populations of the desert annual Plantago ovata. Genome scans on 5,960 SNPs identified 184 potentially adaptive loci related to climate and satellite vegetation metrics. Causal modelling indicated that variation in potentially adaptive loci was not confounded by isolation by distance or isolation by habitat resistance. A generalized dissimilarity model (GDM) attributed spatial turnover in potentially adaptive loci to temperature, precipitation and NDVI amplitude, a measure of vegetation green‐up potential. By integrating a species distribution model (SDM), we find evidence that summer maximum temperature may both constrain the range of P. ovata and drive adaptive divergence in populations exposed to higher temperatures. Within the species’ current range, warm‐adapted genotypes are predicted to experience a fivefold expansion in climate niche by midcentury and could harbour key adaptations to cope with future climate. We recommend eight seed transfer zones and project each zone into its relative position in future climate. Prioritizing seed collection efforts on genotypes with expanding future habitat represents a promising strategy for restoration practitioners to address rapidly changing climates.
Negotiated Sharing of Pandemic Data, Models, and Resources
Authors: Cutcher‐Gershenfeld Joel , Baker Karen S. , Berente Nicholas , Berkman Paul Arthur , Canavan Pat , Feltus F. Alex , Garmulewicz Alysia , Hutchins Ron , King John Leslie , Kirkpatrick Christine , Lenhardt Chris , Lewis Spencer , Maffe Michael , Mittleman Barbara , Sampath Rajesh , Shin Namchul , Stall Shelley , Winter Susan , Veazey Pips
Published: October 2020

Urgent responses to the COVID‐19 pandemic depend on increased collaboration and sharing of data, models, and resources among scientists and researchers. In many scientific fields and disciplines, institutional norms treat data, models, and resources as proprietary, emphasizing competition among scientists and researchers locally and internationally. Concurrently, long‐standing norms of open data and collaboration exist in some scientific fields and have accelerated within the last two decades. In both cases—where the institutional arrangements are ready to accelerate for the needed collaboration in a pandemic and where they run counter to what is needed—the rules of the game are “on the table” for institutional‐level renegotiation. These challenges to the negotiated order in science are important, difficult to study, and highly consequential. The COVID‐19 pandemic offers something of a natural experiment to study these dynamics. Preliminary findings highlight: the chilling effect of politics where open sharing could be expected to accelerate; the surprisingly conservative nature of contests and prizes; open questions around whether collaboration will persist following an inflection point in the pandemic; and the strong potential for launching and sustaining pre‐competitive initiatives.
Root traits explain rhizosphere fungal community composition among temperate grassland plant species
Authors: Sweeney Christopher J. , de Vries Franciska T. , van Dongen Bart E. , Bardgett Richard D.
Published: October 2020

While it is known that interactions between plants and soil fungi drive many essential ecosystem functions, considerable uncertainty exists over the drivers of fungal community composition in the rhizosphere. Here, we examined the roles of plant species identity, phylogeny and functional traits in shaping rhizosphere fungal communities and tested the robustness of these relationships to environmental change.

We conducted a glasshouse experiment consisting of 21 temperate grassland species grown under three different environmental treatments and characterised the fungal communities within the rhizosphere of these plants.

We found that plant species identity, plant phylogenetic relatedness and plant traits all affected rhizosphere fungal community composition. Trait relationships with fungal communities were primarily driven by interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and root traits were stronger predictors of fungal communities than leaf traits. These patterns were independent of the environmental treatments the plants were grown under.

Our results showcase the key role of plant root traits, especially root diameter, root nitrogen and specific root length, in driving rhizosphere fungal community composition, demonstrating the potential for root traits to be used within predictive frameworks of plant–fungal relationships. Furthermore, we highlight how key limitations in our understanding of fungal function may obscure previously unmeasured plant–fungal interactions.
Erythema induratum of Bazin in a 10‐year‐old boy
Authors: Lee Yeon Seok , Lee June Hyunkyung , Choi Jae Eun , Kim Joo Young , Han Tae Young
Published: October 2020

Erythema induratum of Bazin (EIB) is a form of tuberculid resulting from hypersensitivity to tuberculosis antigen. EIB occurs most commonly in middle‐aged women and is not typically seen in children. Here, we present a rare case of EIB, presenting as a chronic nodular panniculitis, in a 10‐year‐old Korean boy.
Supplier Sustainability Assessments in Total‐Cost Auctions
Authors: Aral Karca D. , Beil Damian R. , Van Wassenhove Luk N.
Published: October 2020

Buyers are increasingly pressured to ensure sustainability of their suppliers, but they are also under pressure for low‐cost procurement. To make a more informed procurement decision, a buyer can choose to invest in sustainability assessments, and select a supplier based on their price bids and cost markup terms informed by the sustainability assessments. However, sustainability assessments are costly, and whether to use them is at the discretion of the buyer. Hence, the buyer can instead choose to forgo the assessments and select a supplier based on price only. In this study, we explore this trade‐off. We find that the value of assessments depends on the buyer’s business environment in some surprising ways. For example, although sustainability assessments are used to identify the suppliers’ sustainability levels, greater ex ante variability and a decrease in suppliers’ average sustainability levels (e.g., facing a supplier base in a country with looser sustainability regulations) can decrease the value of sustainability assessments. We find that the presence of an outside option (e.g., internal production) alters the assessment policy significantly. We also explore when the buyer may prefer to assess only a subset of her suppliers. Although motivated by the use of sustainability assessments, our results are generalizable to settings where the buyer has the option to invest in total‐cost assessments on her potential suppliers’ unknown, non‐biddable, differentiator‐type attributes.
Skill and Earnings Amongst Golfers on the Southern‐African Sunshine Tour
Authors: Botha Ferdi , Fraser Gavin , Rhoads Thomas A.
Published: October 2020

This paper estimates the determinants of the success of golfers on the Southern‐African Sunshine Tour. Using a simultaneous‐quantile regression approach and real earnings per tournament as a measure of success, a higher greens‐in‐regulation percentage and a lower number of putts per greens‐in‐regulation are associated with higher earnings. Calculations of the value of the marginal product of key golfer skills suggest a dynamic human capital acquisition process for many Sunshine Tour golfers at the earliest stages of their professional golf career.
Understanding Power‐Sharing Performance: A Lifecycle Approach
Authors: McCulloch Allison , McEvoy Joanne
Published: October 2020

Power‐sharing is a leading institutional strategy for the management of ethnic conflict. Yet its performance is uneven. It often delivers a peace dividend: stopping violence, avoiding minority exclusion, and reducing group‐based insecurity. Its decision‐making efficiency and governance record, however, have weaker evaluations. We conceptualize ‘the power‐sharing lifecycle’ to better understand the reasons for this uneven record. Exploring power‐sharing performance through a lifecycle lens helps illuminate the experiences of – and potential for – power‐sharing in the post‐uprisings Arab world and beyond.
Copy number variations in BOLA‐DQA2, BOLA‐DQB, and BOLA‐DQA5 show the genomic architecture and haplotype frequency of major histocompatibility complex class II genes in Holstein cows
Authors: Fukunaga Koya , Yamashita Yusuke , Yagisawa Takuya
Published: October 2020

Bovine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II region contains many genes. The bovine leukocyte antigen (BoLA)‐DRB3 was reportedly associated with susceptibility of various phenotypes of infections including bovine leukemia virus‐induced lymphoma. However, the association of the remaining genes with various phenotypes has not been clarified due to the complicated genomic structure of the MHC class II region. Thus, in this study, we elucidated the MHC class II genomic structure, including the novel alleles and copy number variations (CNVs). We determined the copy numbers of BOLA‐DQA2 (DQA2), BOLA‐DQB (DQB2), BOLA‐DQA5 (DQA5), BLA‐DQB (DQB1), LOC100848815 (DQA1), and BOLA‐DRB3 (DRB3) in 127 unrelated Holstein cows by TaqMan copy number assay. The genomes were sequenced using target next‐generation sequencing (NGS) based on multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Combining the results of the copy numbers and alleles, we identified the BoLA alleles directly without haplotype estimation. Pairwise linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis between alleles and genes were performed. The CNVs of DQA2, DQB2, and DQA5 in Holstein cows were detected. The frequency of the whole gene deletion in DQA2, DQB2, and DQA5 was 35.4%, 93.7%, and 93.7%, respectively. After target NGS, we identified 37 alleles in the six genes. Fifteen novel alleles (40.5%) were not registered in the IPD‐MHC Database. LD analysis showed strong LD among the DQB2*deletion, DQA5*deletion, and DRB3*27:03 alleles. Our findings will provide important insights into the identification of the BoLA genes associated with various infection‐related phenotypes.
Are Identities Unexplainable? Towards a Non‐causal Contrastive Explanation of Identities
Authors: Azzano Lorenzo , Carrara Massimiliano
Published: October 2020

Can an identity be the proper subject of an explanation? A popular stance, albeit not one often argued for, gives a negative answer to this question. Building from a contentious passage from Jaegwon Kim in this direction, we reconstruct an argument to the conclusion that identities, to the extent in which they are necessary, cannot be explained. The notion of contrastive explanation, characterized as difference‐seeking, will be crucial for this argument; however, we will eventually find the argument to be unsatisfactory. On the contrary, the discussion provides enough resources to sketch a very simple framework for a non‐causal contrastive explanation of identities. Many instances will be provided, with different varieties ofexplanans, ultimately suggesting that certain entailment or biconditional principles involving identities (first and foremost, so‐called two‐level identity criteria) may indeed be taken to have an inherent explanatory value.
What Makes Discrimination Morally Wrong? A Harm‐Based View Reconsidered
Authors: Ishida Shu
Published: October 2020

What is the morally significant feature of discrimination? All of the following seem plausible – (i) discrimination is a kind of wrongdoing and it wrongs discriminatees, which is a matter ofintrapersonalmorality; (ii) in view of cases of indirect discrimination, significant normative features of discrimination are best captured in a discriminatee‐focused, orharm‐based, way; and (iii) discrimination, as an act‐type, necessarily involvesinterpersonalcomparison. The first task of this article is to address which of intra‐ or interpersonal comparison is relevant to philosophical questions concerning discrimination. I submit that each of them has a place in the theory of discrimination; while interpersonal comparison is relevant in determining whether a differentiating act counts as discrimination, intrapersonal comparison is relevant in assessing whether it is morally wrong. The second task is to develop further a harm‐based answer to the latter question. My final proposal is as follows: discrimination ispro tantomorally wrong to the extent that it makes the discriminatees worse off than they would be were it not for the discrimination at issue, where one's well‐being is understood in terms of what one endorses in one's optimum form.
Clashing cyphers, contagious content: The digital geopolitics of grime
Authors: Woods Orlando
Published: October 2020

This paper seeks to expand popular geopolitics in line with the digital worlds in which many of us now live. By interpreting geopolitics as a method of cultural (re)production, it becomes a creative tool that can be used to shape and elevate the affective appeal of content. Digital technologies are centrally implicated in the production of such content. By decoupling space and time from their physical anchors in the real world, digital technologies imbue them with a creative latency that can be deployed in both agentic and affective ways. Specifically, decoupling creates spatio‐temporal openings that offer new opportunities for content to be territorialised, and for artists and audiences to be engaged. Digital geopolitics thus considers the ways in which the decoupling of space and time can foreground new types of digitally mediated geopolitical praxis. Through an analysis of music videos exchanged between two grime artists involved in a “clash,” I show how digital technologies enable them to mediate between the different spatio‐temporal logics of the digital and real worlds. Doing so reifies the affective power of space, and the expansive role of popular geopolitics in the digital age.
Fulfillment of river environmental flow: applying Nash theory for quantitative‐qualitative conflict resolution in reservoir operation
Authors: Farhadian Mostafa , Bozorg‐Haddad Omid , Loáiciga Hugo A.
Published: October 2020

The construction of reservoirs for water supply alters the riverine ecology and changes water quality. It is, therefore, imperative to estimate and provide the riverine environmental flow requirement to prevent irreversible environmental damage and to maintain suitable water quality. Water releases from reservoirs constitute the means for meeting environmental flow and water quality requirements downstream from reservoirs. These requirements can be realized through the modification of the reservoir operation programmes by reallocating a percentage of the reservoir releases otherwise dedicated to quantitative objectives. This is performed in this study by considering the qualitative (i.e. pertaining to water quality) objectives alongside quantitative objectives of reservoir releases in order to achieve a general coverage for an operating programme that balances in the most rational manner the interests of riverine environmental protection and quantitative functions. The case study area is located in the river reach between the Gotvand reservoir and Shooshtar city in the Gotvand‐Karoon reservoir‐river system in Iran. The range of riverine environmental flow is calculated in the study river reach with hydrologic methods. Water quality is simulated and included reservoir operation with the QUAL‐2K simulation model. The existing quantitative and qualitative objectives for reservoir operation are determined and classified. The best reservoir releases corresponding to three scenarios are determined by the Nash theory considering all possible objectives in the reservoir‐river system. These scenarios allocate relative weights to defined objectives and releases were determined to be equal to 183.8, 141.8 and 206.8 m3/s for three scenarios.
Parametric study on CO2 sequestration using cyanobacterial consortium and production of macromolecules: experimentation, modelling and optimization
Authors: Upendar Ganta , Singh Sunita , Chakrabarty Jitamanyu , Ghanta Kartik Chandra , Shahnawaz Md. , Lahiri Sandip Kumar , Dutta Susmita
Published: October 2020

Sequestration of CO2 using microalgae is one of the imperative, cost effective and environment‐friendly processes for carbon sequestration and for production of biomass. In the present study, a cyanobacterial consortium was used for the sequestration of CO2 at diverse initial CO2 concentrations (5–30%), pH of the medium (7–11) and inoculum sizes (5–12.5%). The cyanobacterial consortium showed sustainability in growth upto 30% CO2. The overall CO2 fixation capacity was found as 0.0692 and 0.071 mol CO2/g algae at 15% CO2, pH 9 and at 10% and 12.5% inoculum, respectively, after 14 days. Characterization of dry biomass before and after CO2 sequestration was done using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Various algorithm of artificial neural network (ANN) model and a number of activation functions were tried to arrive at best ANN model for such process. Finally, Particle swarm optimization was used for optimization of input variables for maximum sequestration of CO2.
International nursing students’ and new graduates’ experiences of transition to the nursing workforce: a scoping review protocol
Authors: John McKitterick Della , Peters Micah D.J. , Corsini Nadia , Chiarella Mary , Eckert Marion
Published: October 2020

Objective:

The objective of this scoping review is to identify and examine the available evidence of domestically trained international nursing students’ and new graduates’ experiences of transition to the nursing workforce.

Introduction:

International students’ workforce transition experiences are attracting researchers globally. One under-researched area relates to the workforce transition experiences of domestically trained international nursing students and new graduates. This scoping review will focus on identifying studies that examine factors that can directly or indirectly affect experiences of workforce transition.

Inclusion criteria:

This review will consider studies that include domestically trained international nursing students enrolled in an undergraduate/baccalaureate nursing program (outside their country of origin) and new graduates within their first year of completing an undergraduate/baccalaureate nursing program (outside their country of origin). Participants may be either employed or not employed in the host country's nursing workforce. Studies that include participants from any other nursing programs will be excluded.

Methods:

The JBI approach for conducting and reporting scoping reviews will be followed. The review will include both published and unpublished literature. Research from 2000 onward that is available in English will be included. Searches will be conducted in MEDLINE, Scopus, Emcare, ERIC, PsycINFO, ProQuest Central, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, and ScienceDirect. An assessment of methodological quality will be included, with results presented in the final report. One reviewer will carry out the data extraction process independently, which will be checked by another reviewer. Data will be presented in tabular form accompanied by a narrative summary that aligns with the objective of this scoping review.
Strategies for Speeding Up Manipulator Path Planning to Find High Quality Paths in Cluttered Environments
Authors: Rajendran Pradeep , Thakar Shantanu , Bhatt Prahar M. , Kabir Ariyan M. , Gupta Satyandra K.
Published: October 2020

In many manufacturing applications, robotic manipulators need to operate in cluttered environments. Quickly finding high-quality paths is very important in applications that require high part fix and frequent setup changes. This paper presents a point-to-point path planning framework for manipulators operating in cluttered environments. It uses a bi-directional tree-search to find path and facilitates finding a balance between path quality and planning time. The framework dynamically switches between search strategies based on the search progress to produce high-quality paths quickly. This paper three main contributions. First, we extend a previously developed sampling-based modular tree-search. Specifically, we present a strategy that can sample effectively in challenging regions of the search-space by using local approximations of the configuration space. Second, we add new strategies and scheduling logic that decreases the failure rate as well as the planning time compared to the prior work. We also present an inter-tree connection strategy that adapts to collision information gathered over time. We introduce a scheduling rule that regulates the exploitation of focusing hints derived from the workspace obstacles. Third, we present theoretical reasoning behind strategy switching and how it can help decrease planning times and increase path quality. Together, these new features the reduce average failure rate by a factor of 4 and improve the average planning time by 22% over the previous work.
Peptide-protein coassembling matrices as a biomimetic 3D model of ovarian cancer
Authors: Hedegaard Clara Louise , Redondo-Gómez Carlos , Tan Bee Yi , Ng Kee Woei , Loessner Daniela , Mata Alvaro
Published: October 2020

Bioengineered matrices from self-assembling peptides and extracellular matrix proteins can model the tumor microenvironment.
Nanoscale metal-organic frameworks for x-ray activated in situ cancer vaccination
Authors: Ni Kaiyuan , Lan Guangxu , Guo Nining , Culbert August , Luo Taokun , Wu Tong , Weichselbaum Ralph R. , Lin Wenbin
Published: October 2020

X-ray–activable metal-organic frameworks release tumor antigens and deliver immunoadjuvants for in situ cancer vaccination.
Evaluating Organism-Wide Changes in the Metabolome and Microbiome following a Single Dose of Antibiotic
Authors: Vrbanac Alison , Patras Kathryn A. , Jarmusch Alan K. , Mills Robert H. , Shing Samuel R. , Quinn Robert A. , Vargas Fernando , Gonzalez David J. , Dorrestein Pieter C. , Knight Rob , Nizet Victor
Published: October 2020

We are just beginning to understand the unintended effects of antibiotics on our microbiomes and health. In this study, we aimed to define an approach by which one could obtain a comprehensive picture of (i) how antibiotics spatiotemporally impact commensal microbes throughout the gut and (ii) how these changes influence host chemistry throughout the body. We found that just a single dose of antibiotic altered host chemistry in a variety of organs and that microbiome alterations were not uniform throughout the gut. As technological advances increase the feasibility of whole-organism studies, we argue that using these approaches can provide further insight on both the wide-ranging effects of antibiotics on health and how to restore microbial communities to mitigate these effects.
Beneficial Chromosomal Integration of the Genes for CTX-M Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase in
Klebsiella pneumoniae
for Stable Propagation
Authors: Yoon Eun-Jeong , Gwon Bareum , Liu Changseung , Kim Dokyun , Won Dongju , Park Sung Gyun , Choi Jong Rak , Jeong Seok Hoon
Published: October 2020

Dominant F-type plasmids harboring the gene have been pointed out to be responsible for the dissemination of the CTX-M extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing
K. pneumoniae
. Recently, the emergence of
K. pneumoniae
isolates with the
bla
CTX-M
gene in their chromosomes has been reported occasionally worldwide. Such a chromosomal location of the resistance gene could be beneficial for stable propagation, as was the
Acinetobacter baumannii
ST191 harboring chromosomal
bla
OXA-23
that is endemic to South Korea. Through the present study, particular clones were identified as having built-in resistance genes in their chromosomes, and the chromosomal integration events were tracked by assessing their genomes. The cefotaxime-resistant
K. pneumoniae
clones of this study were particularized as results of the fastidiousness for plasmids to acquire the
bla
CTX-M
gene for securing the diversity and of the chromosomal addiction of the
bla
CTX-M
gene for ensuring propagation.
Is our bTB policy one of the worst attempts to control a major notifiable disease ever seen?
Authors: Gallagher John , Blowey Roger W. , Sainsbury Roger , Farrant Linda , Head John , Howie Neil M. , Thomas Richard H.
Published: October 2020

A group of experienced vets argue that the lack of control of endemically TB‐infected communities of badgers has resulted in a bovine TB dilemma that is worse now than it was 50 years ago.
Roy Paxton Anderson
Authors: Paterson Ian , Bruce Alasdair , Trees Sandy
Published: October 2020

A vet with a no‐nonsense, good‐humoured approach to practice, he had a loyal following of clients. He was very active in the local community and was proud to serve as Deputy Lieutenant for Stirling and Falkirk.
Soft landing of metal clusters on graphite: a molecular dynamics study
Authors: Verkhovtsev Alexey V. , Erofeev Yury , Solov’yov Andrey V.
Published: October 2020

Structure and stability of nanometer-sized Ag887, Au887 and Ti787 clusters soft-landed on graphite (at deposition energies Edep = 0.001 − 5.0 eV per atom) are studied by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Parameters for the cluster–surface interactions are derived from complementary ab initio calculations. The shape and the contact angle of deposited clusters are systematically analyzed for different deposition energies and temperature regimes. The Ag887 cluster deposited at Edep ≲ 0.1 eV/atom undergoes collision-induced plastic deformation, thus acquiring an ellipsoidal shape with the contact angle close to 180°. In contrast, Au887 and Ti787 clusters undergo a collision-induced melting phase transition followed by their recrystallization; these processes lead to the formation of the droplet-like shapes of the clusters in a form of truncated spheroids. At larger deposition energies all clusters flatten over the surface and eventually disintegrate at Edep ≈ 0.75 − 1.0 eV/atom (for Ag887 and Au887) and ≈3 eV/atom (for Ti787). It is found also that the shape of deposited clusters is strongly influenced by the strength of cluster–substrate interaction and the corresponding interaction mechanism, namely the weak van der Waals interaction between metal and carbon atoms or the van der Waals interaction with an onset of covalent bonding. Similar phenomena should arise in the deposition of clusters made of other elements, which interact with a substrate by one of the above-described mechanisms.

Graphical abstract
Theoretical study on the change of thermoelectric properties by substitution of group 4 elements in Fe2TiSn
Authors: Kim Chol-Jin , Jong Ju-Yong , Kim Jong-Hyok , Song Yong-Hyok , Ri Kum-Chol , Jong Yong-Son
Published: October 2020

In this study, substitution effects of group 4 elements in Fe2TiSn thermoelectric material are studied by using density functional theory (DFT) and semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. All of the substitution elements showed the most thermodynamic preference for the Sn site, and these substitutions for Fe2TiSn did not give much influence in the stability and mechanical property of Fe2TiSn. e2TiSn[Formula: see text]Pb[Formula: see text], and thermoelectric calculations showed the prominence of [Formula: see text]-type on [Formula: see text]-type dopingin these materials. The highest Seebeck coefficients of these compounds were −148, −228, −165 and −120 [Formula: see text]V/K for [Formula: see text]-type of Fe2TiSn, Fe2TiSn[Formula: see text]Si[Formula: see text], Fe2TiSn[Formula: see text]Ge[Formula: see text] and Fe2TiSn[Formula: see text]Pb[Formula: see text], respectively. The results showed that Si and Ge partial substitutions for Fe2TiSn could be the effective methods to enhance the thermoelectric property, and the maximum dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) at room temperature reached about 0.7 ([Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]-type doping concentration) in Fe2TiSn[Formula: see text]Si[Formula: see text] and 0.6 ([Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]-type doping concentration) in Fe2TiSn[Formula: see text]Ge[Formula: see text].