bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pollinator asynchrony drives the temporal stability of flower visitation rates, but not of plant reproductive success
Authors: Tobajas Estefanía , Domínguez‐García Virginia , Molina Francisco P. , Bartomeus Ignasi
Published: October 2023

The stability of ecological communities over time, often quantified using their aggregated abundance or biomass, is thought to be influenced by species richness and the asynchrony of species abundance fluctuations. However, the relationship between community stability and the stability of ecosystem functioning provided by this community has been little explored, especially for functions involving several trophic levels such as plant pollination. Understanding the mechanisms driving community stability and how this should be related to the stability of ecosystem functions is important to predict the resilience of communities in front of the increasing threats to biodiversity.

Using a 5‐year dataset across 13 Mediterranean shrublands and 12 plant species, we assessed the effect of pollinator richness and asynchrony as drivers of stability in plant visitation rates and plant reproductive success. Additionally, we analysed whether the effects of species richness and visitation rate on plant reproductive success were consistent over the years.

The stability of plant visitation rates is driven by the asynchrony of pollinator species abundances, but the effect of pollinator species richness is only indirect, as richer communities also tend to have more asynchronous populations. In contrast, the stability of plant reproductive success is not related to the stability of pollinator visitation rates. A year‐by‐year analysis reveals that plants in the studied system are unlikely to be limited by pollinator abundance except in specific years, blurring any potential effect of visitation rate stability on reproductive success stability.

Synthesis: We highlight the importance of asynchronous fluctuating species that are redundant in their function as an important factor for the stability of ecosystems. This is particularly important for pollinators with diverse responses to environmental fluctuations, as their asynchrony between years ensures stable levels of flower visitation rates. However, we warn that final ecosystem functions such as plant reproductive success, which depends not only on pollinators but on plant competition or resource availability, might be decoupled from first order ecosystem functions (i.e. visitation rates and pollen deposition) when pollination is not a limiting factor.
Reynolds phytoplankton functional classification approach helps evaluate the historical ecological status of the large European Southern Bug River (Ukraine)
Authors: Bilous Olena , Afanasyev Sergey , Abonyi András , Bondar‐Kunze Elisabeth , Hein Thomas
Published: October 2023

The phytoplankton functional group (FG) classification system sensu Reynolds enables evaluating the ecological status of rivers using the Q(r) compositional index. Here, we apply the Q(r) index to analyze the ecological conditions of the Southern Bug River, at the entire river length, in the early 20th century, testing it first on historic river phytoplankton data. Moreover, we combined the FG approach with the saprobic index and taxonomic richness to assess the ecological status of the river more reliably. The Bray–Curtis Similarity index highlighted the spatial clustering of river sites that corresponded well to the bioregions of the Eastern Lowlands and the Pontian Province. The Q(r) index revealed a higher variation in ecological status among sites than the saprobic index. Therefore, we argue that the FG approach provides a sensitive ecological status indication approach for river phytoplankton, including historical human impacts. The method may improve understanding of reference conditions and assessing the ecological status of Ukrainian rivers, as requested by the European Water Framework Directive.
Complying with COVID‐19 policy: The role of citizenship norms for young people's compliance with Sweden's voluntary COVID‐19 recommendations
Authors: Micheletti Michele , Verhaegen Soetkin
Published: October 2023

Sweden's COVID‐19 policy was characterized by reliance on voluntary compliance. Citizens were expected to act responsibly. Previous research has not focused on the role of citizenship norms (duty‐based, engaged, and critical) in the COVID‐19 crisis. This is an important omission, since citizenship norms are expected to raise social responsibility and trigger prosocial behavior. This article asks how important citizenship norms are for explaining voluntary COVID‐19 policy compliance. Additionally, it considers perceptions of how other people comply, individual background factors, and interpersonal and institutional trust. The study focuses on Swedish high school youth, a group reported to comply less with voluntary COVID‐19 measures. Using survey data (N = 1823), we find higher reported voluntary compliance by high school youth who adhere more strongly to the duty‐based citizenship norm. Importantly, believing that other people follow the COVID‐19 recommendations is strongly associated with following them. Thus, next to citizenship norms, “descriptive norms” (i.e., what other people are doing) are central for individuals to decide how they will comply. We further find that differences in worry about the pandemic and socioeconomic background factors (migration background and economic situation of the household) explain variation in compliance. Institutional and interpersonal trust play a less important role. These findings challenge the strong focus on trust in previous research. Our findings have implications for research on policy compliance in the context of crisis, and for public policy.
Differences of RUNX2 gene promoter methylation and transcription level in ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Wang Feier , Chen Yuting , Kong Jiangping , Xu Shanshan , Xu Shengqian , Shuai Zongwen , Cai Guoqi , Pan Faming
Published: October 2023

Background and Objective

Ankylosing spondylitis is a refractory immune disease that seriously affects the life and work of patients. Epigenetic modifications, especially DNA methylation, have become a research hotspot in complex diseases. We aim to explore the changes in runt‐related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) gene promoter methylation and transcription level in AS.

Method

We detected the RUNX2 gene promoter methylation in 83 AS patients and 83 healthy controls (HCs), then inspected the mRNA difference of RUNX2 between 30 AS patients and 30 HCs by the quantitative real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR).

Results

The RUNX2 gene promoter was hypomethylated in AS patients compared to HCs (p < .001). The research involved 4 CpG regions and 74 CpG sites of RUNX2, of which CpG‐2, CpG‐4 regions, and 18 CpG sites have been differentially methylated. The CpG‐4 island methylation was negatively correlated with C‐reactive protein (p < .05) in AS patients. In the qRT‐PCR validation phase, the mRNA level of RUNX2 in AS patients was significantly higher than HCs (p < .05), and in AS patients who were treated with biologics, the methylation level of CpG‐2 island showed a negative correlation to mRNA (p < .05). ROC results indicated that RUNX2 methylation and its transcription level have good potential to distinguish AS patients from HCs.

Conclusion

The RUNX2 gene promoter was hypomethylated in AS patients. Meanwhile, the qRT‐PCR verified the up‐regulated expression on the transcription level, suggesting the abnormal methylation of RUNX2 contributes to the pathogenesis of AS.
hydrographr: An R package for scalable hydrographic data processing
Authors: Schürz Marlene , Grigoropoulou Afroditi , García Márquez Jaime , Torres‐Cambas Yusdiel , Tomiczek Thomas , Floury Mathieu , Bremerich Vanessa , Schürz Christoph , Amatulli Giuseppe , Grossart Hans‐Peter , Domisch Sami
Published: October 2023

Freshwater ecosystems are considered biodiversity hotspots, but assessing the spatial distribution of species remains challenging. One major obstacle lies in the complex geospatial processing of large amounts of data, such as stream network, sub‐catchment and basin data, that are necessary for addressing the longitudinal connectivity among water bodies. Workflows thus need to be scalable, especially when working across large spatial extents and at high spatial resolution. This in turn requires advanced command‐line GIS skills and programming language integration, which often poses a challenge for freshwater researchers.

To address this challenge, we developed the package hydrographr that provides scalable hydrographic data processing in R. The package contains functions for downloading data of the high‐resolution Hydrography90m dataset, processing, reading and extracting information, as well as assessing network distances and connectivity. While the functions are, by default, tailored toward the Hydrography90m data, they can also be generalised toward other data and purposes, such as efficient cropping and merging of raster and vector data, point‐raster extraction, raster reclassification and data aggregation. The package depends on the open‐source software GDAL/OGR, GRASS‐GIS and the AWK programming language in the Linux environment, allowing a seamless language integration. Since the data is processed outside R, hydrographr allows creating scalable geo‐processing workflows.

We illustrate the hydrographr functions using two workflows that focus on (i) a freshwater species distribution modelling approach, and (ii) assessing stream connectivity given the fragmentation by dams. We also provide a detailed guide for the initial installation of the required software. Windows users need to first enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) feature, and can then follow the same software installation as Linux users. hydrographr is maintained on GitHub at https://github.com/glowabio/hydrographr.

hydrographr provides a set of key functions for processing freshwater geospatial data. We expect that the package will support the freshwater‐related research communities given the easy‐to‐use wrapper functions that allow capitalizing on powerful open‐source command‐line software, which may otherwise require a steep learning curve. Users can thus perform large‐scale freshwater‐specific longitudinal connectivity and network analyses across large geographic extents while staying within the R environment.
Exploring congruent diversification histories with flexibility and parsimony
Authors: Andréoletti Jérémy , Morlon Hélène
Published: October 2023

Using phylogenies of present‐day species to estimate diversification rate trajectories—speciation and extinction rates over time—is a challenging task due to non‐identifiability issues. Given a phylogeny, there exists an infinite set of trajectories that result in the same likelihood; this set has been coined a congruence class. Previous work has developed approaches for sampling trajectories within a given congruence class, with the aim to assess the extent to which congruent scenarios can vary from one another. Based on this sampling approach, it has been suggested that rapid changes in speciation or extinction rates are conserved across the class. Reaching such conclusions requires to sample the broadest possible set of distinct trajectories.

We introduce a new method for exploring congruence classes that we implement in the R package CRABS. Whereas existing methods constrain either the speciation rate or the extinction rate trajectory, ours provides more flexibility by sampling congruent speciation and extinction rate trajectories simultaneously. This allows covering a more representative set of distinct diversification rate trajectories. We also implement a filtering step that allows selecting the most parsimonious trajectories within a class.

We demonstrate the utility of our new sampling strategy using a simulated scenario. Next, we apply our approach to the study of mammalian diversification history. We show that rapid changes in speciation and extinction rates need not be conserved across a congruence class, but that selecting the most parsimonious trajectories shrinks the class to concordant scenarios.

Our approach opens new avenues both to truly explore the myriad of potential diversification histories consistent with a given phylogeny, embracing the uncertainty inherent to phylogenetic diversification models, and to select among these different histories. This should help refining our inference of diversification trajectories from extant data.
Clozapine augmentation with long‐acting antipsychotic injections: A case series and systematic review
Authors: Oloyede Ebenezer , Dima Aikaterini , Taylor David , Cheung Henry , Dzahini Olubanke , Shergill Sukhi , Whiskey Eromona
Published: October 2023

Background

Up to 30% of patients with a diagnosis of treatment‐resistant psychosis remain symptomatic despite an optimal trial with the gold standard treatment, clozapine. Emerging evidence suggests the clinical utility of long‐acting injections (LAI) in such clinical scenarios. In this study, we aimed to describe clozapine augmentation with LAIs in an inner London hospital and explore the literature on the clinical effectiveness of this treatment modality.

Methods

Patients prescribed clozapine, who were commenced on a LAI between 2007 and 2023 by the United Kingdom's largest mental health trust, were identified from electronic patient records. First, routine clinical data were used to describe the use, effectiveness, and safety of this augmentation strategy. Second, we conducted a literature search up to 1st June 2023 to identify published studies describing clinical outcomes after clozapine augmentation with a LAI. Clinical outcomes were collated and presented in a table, including hospitalisation rates and quantitative clinical assessments using validated scales.

Results

Of the 1248 patients prescribed clozapine in SLaM, three patients (0.2%) received augmentation with the following LAIs: olanzapine embonate, paliperidone palmitate and pipotiazine palmitate. This treatment strategy was clinically effective and generally well tolerated in all three cases. Twelve published studies between 2010 and 2022 were included in the review. Eight distinct LAIs were reported (4 first and 4 second generation antipsychotics), with risperidone and paliperidone most widely studied. All the identified studies were observational including mirror‐image studies, case series and case reports. Duration of follow up varied from 3 months to 3 years. There was evidence that the use of LAIs with clozapine can significantly reduce clinical symptoms, hospitalisation rates and bed days. No serious adverse effects were reported.

Conclusion

This preliminary evidence suggests clinical utility of LAIs in alleviating residual symptoms and subsequently reducing hospitalisation rates in patients optimised on clozapine treatment. The current study warrants further investigations including a randomised controlled study to establish the clinical efficacy, tolerability, and place in therapy of this treatment modality.
Talking to and around children: Socializing learners, participants, and speakers in an urban Zapotec community
Authors: Toledo Bustamante Nadxieli
Published: October 2023

This article examines caregivers' everyday language choices and interactions with children in an urban Zapotec community in Mexico, where Diidxazá is being displaced by Spanish in everyday use. It argues that caregivers' language choices and interactions get entangled in complex ways with the socio‐cultural organization of everyday life and with local pedagogies and understandings of children's development, which, in turn, shape children's participation roles and long‐term developmental trajectories as learners and speakers.
Is increased subjective thirst associated with greater interdialytic weight gains, extracellular fluid and dietary sodium intake?
Authors: Chhabra Roohi , Davenport Andrew
Published: October 2023

Background

Some previous studies have reported an effect of increasing subjective thirst and interdialytic weight gains (IDWG), and that this may be influenced by nonadherence to dietary sodium restrictions, whereas others reported no such association. As such we wished to review the effect of self‐reported thirst on IDWGs and dietary sodium intake.

Methods

Dialysis patients were asked to complete visual analogues thirst, distress thermometer (DT) scores and complete a sodium food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ). IDWG and pre and post dialysis volumes were measured with multifrequency bioelectrical impedance.

Results

One hundred and eleven patients completed the questionnaires and had bioimpedance measurements: 63% male, mean age 63.8 ± 16.1 years, 33% diabetic with a median thirst score 3 (0–5) and SFFQ 52.0 ± 18, and IDWG 2.1 ± 1.3%. Thirst was associated with DT (r = 0.28, p = 0.004) and negatively with age (r = −0.31, p < 0.001), but not SFFQ, IDWG, extracellular water, or dialysate sodium, or dialysate to plasma gradient. Patients with higher thirst scores were younger (58.0 ± 15.2 vs. 69.4 ± 15.0 years, p < 0.001) with higher DT scores (5 [2–7] vs. 2 [0–5], p < 0.001). On multivariate logistic analysis, only age was associated with self‐reported thirst (odds ratio 0.95, 95% confidence limits 0.92–0.98, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

We found that subjective thirst was greater for younger patients and those who reported higher levels of distress, but no association with IDWGs, dietary sodium intake, or dialysate sodium. However, most of our patients followed the dietary advice, as evidenced by the low SFFQ scores and % IDWGs. Whether thirst increases distress or distress increases subjective thirst remains to be determined.
Incidence and risk factors of heat‐related illness in dogs from New South Wales, Australia (1997–2017)
Authors: Tripovich JS , Wilson B , McGreevy PD , Quain A
Published: October 2023

Heat Related Illness (HRI) in dogs is expected to increase as heatwaves surge due to global warming. The most severe form of HRI, heat stroke, is potentially fatal in dogs. The current study investigated the incidence and risk factors for HRI in dogs in NSW, Australia, from 1997 to 2017. We identified 119 HRI cases during this period, with a fatality rate of 23%. Dog breeds at elevated risk of HRI were Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog, British Bulldog, French Bulldog, Maremma Sheepdog, Italian Greyhound, Chow Chow, Airedale Terrier, Pug, Samoyed, English Springer Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Border Collie, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and pooled non‐Australian National Kennel Council breeds (which included the American and Australian Bulldog) when compared with cross breeds (i.e., the reference variable). As expected, HRI cases were more likely in December and January, during the Australian summer and during hotter years (e.g., 2016). There were no differences in the risk of HRI between males and females nor between desexed or un‐desexed dogs; but older dogs were at increased risk of HRI. These findings underscore the need for data collection that will enable the incidence of HRI in dogs to be monitored and to better understand canine risk factors particularly as temperatures will continue to rise due to global warming. The risk of mortality from HRI underpins the need for education programs focussed on prevention and early identification of HRI so that owners present affected dogs to their veterinarian as promptly as possible.
The power of ethical words
Authors: Alda Mercedes , Muñoz Fernando , Vargas María
Published: October 2023

In this research, we analyse the impact of the inclusion of ethical expressions in the prospectuses of socially responsible (SR) mutual funds on money flows. We contribute to the existing literature by proposing a text‐based measure that integrates three attributes that are relevant to whether clients are attracted: exclusiveness, intensity and lexical diversity. We analyse a sample formed of 266 SR US equity mutual funds in the period 1999–2019. Our findings show that both the proposed indicator and other alternative partial proxies based on textual data have a positive impact on the money flows of the SR funds. This effect is more relevant in the case of SR mutual funds belonging to smaller families. Besides, persistence in money flows is more intense for SR mutual funds that are more attractive because of their ethical expressions. Another finding shows that return‐chaser behaviour occurs among all SR investors, independently of the level of text attractiveness of the mutual funds in which they invest, revealing that they take into account both financial and non‐financial outcomes. Our results indicate that policymakers should control fund prospectus information, given its importance for investors' decisions. In addition, managers should be especially cautious with the information provided in prospectuses because of its impact on investor decisions.
Factors associated with respectful maternity care and influence of HIV status among women giving birth in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Authors: Barabara Mariam L. , Cohen Susanna R. , Masenga Gileard , Minja Linda M. , Mlay Pendo S. , Stephens Maya J. , Olomi Gaudensia A. , Mlay Janeth , Marchand Virginie , Weglarz Anya , Hanson Olivia , Mmbaga Blandina T. , Watt Melissa H.
Published: October 2023

Background

Respectful maternity care (RMC) is a rights‐based approach to childbirth that centers the dignity, autonomy, and well‐being of birthing women. This study aimed to examine factors associated with RMC among women giving birth in Tanzania and to examine whether HIV status was associated with self‐reported RMC.

Methods

We enrolled 229 postpartum women in six clinics in the Kilimanjaro Region; of them, 103 were living with HIV. Participants completed a survey within 48 h after birth before being discharged. RMC was measured using a 30‐item scale with three subscales (dignity and respect; supportive care; communication and autonomy), each standardized from 0 to 100. Univariable and multivariable regression models examined factors associated with RMC.

Results

The median score of the full RMC score was 74, differing slightly by subscale: 83 for dignity and respect, 76 for supportive care, and 67 for communication and autonomy. RMC did not differ by HIV status (median 67.0 vs. 67.0, p = 0.89). In multivariable linear regression, women who would not recommend the birth facility to their friends and who did not receive breastfeeding education had significantly lower RMC scores on the full RMC scale. In the dignity and respect subscale, variables associated with significantly lower RMC scores were not being able to read and write, delivering in a public facility, and delivering vaginally.

Conclusions

Although self‐reported RMC was generally high, we identified areas for improvement. Practitioners need ongoing training on RMC principles and the delivery of equitable care.
Mentalistic and normative frameworks in children's explanations of others' behaviors
Authors: Brandone Amanda C. , Stout Wyntre
Published: October 2023

As they learn to navigate the social world, children construct frameworks to interpret others' behavior. The present studies examined two such frameworks: a mentalistic framework, which construes behavior as driven by internal mental states; and a normative framework, which presumes people act in accordance with social norms. Participants included 101 children (ages 4, 7, and 10; 81% White; 41% female) and 35 adults (66% female) tested in the northeastern United States from 2019 to 2021. Children and adults utilized both mentalistic and normative frameworks to explain others' behaviors. Framework use depended on features of the behavior being explained. Minimal developmental differences were observed. The relative independence and the utility of the mentalistic and normative frameworks for naïve reasoning about behavior are considered.
Antecedents to and outcomes associated with teacher–child relationship perceptions in early childhood: Further evidence for child‐driven effects
Authors: Dede Yildirim Elif , Frosch Cynthia A. , Santos António J. , Veríssimo Manuela , Bub Kristen , Vaughn Brian E.
Published: October 2023

Preschool teachers' perceptions about relationships with students (teacher–child relationships [TCRs]) predict children's subsequent social competence (SC) and academic progress. Why this is so remains unclear. Do TCRs shape children's development, or do child attributes influence both TCRs and subsequent development? Relations between TCRs and other measures were examined for 185 preschoolers (107 girls, 89 longitudinal, and ~75% European American). Teachers rated TCRs and child social/affective behaviors. Teacher–child interactions (TCIs) and children's affect expressiveness were observed. Child SC and receptive vocabulary were assessed. TCRs were significantly correlated with each type of outcome. TCIs, SC, expressed affect, and teacher‐rated behaviors also predicted TCRs longitudinally. Results suggest that TCR ratings predict subsequent adaptation because they summarize children's behavioral profiles rather than on TCR quality per se.
Is residential care a risk factor for teenage pregnancy? A study on the experiences of young women's discharge and transition from residential care in Trinidad and Tobago
Authors: Roberts Petra
Published: October 2023

Some English‐speaking Caribbean nations continue to maintain large residential homes for children and youth who need out‐of‐home care. My doctoral study with alumni from a number of these homes reported that their overall experiences were positive. However, transition and discharge were less favourable, with women suffering more hardships than men. These hardships included homelessness, which often led to sexual exploitation for women. A number of young women became pregnant within a year of discharge from the home (which normally happened at the age of 16 or 18). An unplanned pregnancy can have immediate and lasting consequences for a young woman's health, education, and income‐earning potential. It often alters the course of her entire life. This study provides information from a sample of 15 young adult women in Trinidad and Tobago on the risk factor of living in a residential care facility and unplanned teenage pregnancy. Recommendations are proposed to better prepare young women who grew up in residential care.
De novo enhancer deletion of LMX1B produces a mild nail‐patella clinical phenotype
Authors: Francis David , Lall Paula , Ayres Samantha , Van Bergen Nicole J. , Christodoulou John , Brown Natasha J. , Kalitsis Paul
Published: October 2023

Critical genes involved in embryonic development are often transcription factors, regulating many downstream genes. LMX1B is a homeobox gene that is involved in formation of the limbs, eyes and kidneys, heterozygous loss‐of‐function sequence variants and deletions cause Nail‐Patella syndrome. Most of the reported variants are localised within the gene's coding sequence, however, approximately 5%–10% of affected individuals do not have a pathogenic variant identified within this region. In this study, we present a family with four affected individuals across two generations with a deletion spanning a conserved upstream LMX1B‐binding sequence. This deletion is de novo in the mother of three affected children. Furthermore, in this family, the manifestations appear limited to the nails and limbs, and therefore may reflect an attenuated phenotype of the classic Nail‐Patella phenotype that includes ophthalmological and renal manifestations.
Carbon offsets and agriculture: Options, obstacles, and opinions
Authors: van Kooten G. Cornelis , Zanello Rebecca
Published: October 2023

While carbon offsets in agriculture can play a role in addressing climate change, they are not a perfect substitute for direct emission reductions. As shown in this paper through various arguments and case studies, climate policies in Canada have avoided the use of offsets to be sold in carbon markets, preferring instead to incentivize adoption of best management practices (BMPs) that provide environmental benefits along with climate mitigation benefits. We argue that this is a preferred policy option due to the perils and pitfalls inherent in the measurement and monitoring required to identify offset credits. While an appropriate approach might be to penalize Canadian farmers for any emissions their activities cause, this may do more harm than good. Canadian agricultural production is highly efficient and technologically advanced; therefore, reductions in Canada's contribution to the global food supply will result in less‐efficient production occurring elsewhere (i.e., leakage) that increases global greenhouse gas emissions.
Naturalization of introduced plants is driven by life‐form‐dependent cultivation biases
Authors: Dong Bi‐Cheng , Yang Qiang , Kinlock Nicole L. , Pouteau Robin , Pyšek Petr , Weigelt Patrick , Yu Fei‐Hai , van Kleunen Mark
Published: October 2023

Aims

Most naturalized plants are escapees from cultivation. Inventories of cultivated introduced species thus offer unique, still underutilized, opportunities to assess naturalization drivers of introduced plants. We used a comprehensive inventory of 13,718 introduced species cultivated in China's botanical gardens to test which species characteristics distinguish the 739 species that have naturalized.

Locations

China.

Methods

We used generalized linear models to test whether the naturalization of cultivated introduced plants in China is associated with functional traits, propagule pressure, environmental niche and introduction history. To test direct and indirect effects of those variables and their relative importance in driving naturalization, we used structural equation models.

Results

We showed that species were more likely to naturalize when they originate from the Americas, are more widely cultivated, and have a longer residence time. Moreover, species were more likely to naturalize if they have a good environmental match, are short‐lived herbs, are predominantly propagated from seeds, and, in the case of herbs, are relatively tall compared to other herbs. Part of the latter effects are mediated by how these variables relate to propagule pressure proxies, and this varies among short‐lived herbs, long‐lived herbs and woody plants.

Main Conclusions

Naturalization is partly driven by life‐form‐dependent cultivation biases.
Utilization and outcome disparities in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant in the United States
Authors: Ashok Kumar Prashanth , Ghimire Krishna , Haroun Elio , Kassab Joseph , Saba Ludovic , Gentile Teresa , Dutta Dibyendu , Lim Seah H.
Published: October 2023

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo‐HSCT) is increasingly being used in the United States (US) and across the world as a curative therapeutic option for patients with certain high‐risk hematologic malignancies and non‐malignant diseases. However, racial and ethnic disparities in utilization of the procedure and in outcome following transplant remain major problems. Racial and ethnic minority patients are consistently under‐represented in the proportion of patients who undergo allo‐HSCT in the US. The transplant outcomes in these patients are also inferior. The interrelated driving forces responsible for the differences in the utilization and transplant outcome of the medical intervention are socioeconomic status, complexity of the procedure, geographical barriers, and the results of differences in the genetics and comorbidities across different races. Bridging the disparity gaps is important not only to provide equity and inclusion in the utilization of this potentially life‐saving procedure but also in ensuring that minority groups are well represented for research studies about allo‐HSCT. This is required to determine interventions that may be more efficacious in particular racial and ethnic groups. Various strategies at the Federal, State, and Program levels have been designed to bridge the disparity gaps with varying successes. In this review paper, we will examine the disparities and discuss the strategies currently available to address the utilization and outcome gaps between patients of different races in the US.
Mechanistic insights into iron–sulfur clusters and flavin oxidation of a novel xanthine oxidoreductase from Sulfobacillus acidophilusTPY
Authors: Pimviriyakul Panu , Sucharitakul Jeerus , Maenpuen Somchart
Published: October 2023

Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) catalyzes the oxidation of purines (hypoxanthine and xanthine) to uric acid. XOR is widely used in various therapeutic and biotechnological applications. In this study, we characterized the biophysical and mechanistic properties of a novel bacterial XOR from Sulfobacillus acidophilus TPY (SaXOR). Our results showed that SaXOR is a heterotrimer consisting of three subunits, namely XoA, XoB, and XoC, which denote the molybdenum cofactor (Moco), 2Fe‐2S, and FAD‐binding domains, respectively. XoC was found to be stable when co‐expressed with XoB, forming an XoBC complex. Furthermore, we prepared a fusion of XoB and XoC via a flexible linker (fusXoBC) and evaluated its function in comparison to that of XoBC. Spectroscopic analysis revealed that XoB harbors two 2Fe‐2S clusters, whereas XoC bears a single‐bound FAD cofactor. Electron transfer from reduced forms of XoC, XoBC, and fusXoBC to molecular oxygen (O2) during oxidative half‐reaction yielded no flavin semiquinones, implying ultrafast single‐electron transfer from 2Fe‐2Sred to FAD. In the presence of XoA, XoBC and fusXoBC exhibited comparable XoA affinity and exploited a shared overall mechanism. Nonetheless, the linkage may accelerate the two‐step, single‐electron transfer cascade from 2Fe‐2Sred to FAD while augmenting protein stability. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into SaXOR properties and oxidation mechanisms divergent from prior mammalian and bacterial XOR paradigms.
New ways for (in)validating the forest carbon neutrality hypothesis
Authors: McGrath Matthew Joseph , Schulte‐Frohlinde Augustine , Luyssaert Sebastiaan
Published: October 2023

Over 50 years ago, Eugene Odum postulated that mature or climax forests reside in carbon neutrality. As climate change rose to prominence in the international environmental agenda, the neutrality hypothesis transformed from an ecological principle to a justification for using forest management in combating climate change. Despite persistent efforts, Odum's neutrality hypothesis has resisted both confirmation and refutation. In this opinion we show the limitations of past efforts to (in)validate Odum's neutrality hypothesis and propose new research directions for the community to permit a more general confirmation or refutation with current and near‐future observations. We then demonstrate such an approach by using metabolic theory to formulate testable predictions for the total sink strength considering soil, litter, and biomass of mature or climax forests based on observations of tree biomass and individual density. In doing so, we show that ecological theory can create additional relevant, testable hypotheses to provide timely support to decision‐makers seeking to address one of the world's most pressing environmental challenges.
Drought thresholds that impact vegetation reveal the divergent responses of vegetation growth to drought across China
Authors: Sun Mingze , Li Xiangyi , Xu Hao , Wang Kai , Anniwaer Nazhakaiti , Hong Songbai
Published: October 2023

Identifying droughts and accurately evaluating drought impacts on vegetation growth are crucial to understanding the terrestrial carbon balance across China. However, few studies have identified the critical drought thresholds that impact China's vegetation growth, leading to large uncertainty in assessing the ecological consequences of droughts. In this study, we utilize gridded surface soil moisture data and satellite‐observed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to assess vegetation response to droughts in China during 2001–2018. Based on the nonlinear relationship between changing drought stress and the coincident anomalies of NDVI during the growing season, we derive the spatial patterns of satellite‐based drought thresholds (T
SM) that impact vegetation growth in China via a framework for detecting drought thresholds combining the methods of feature extraction, coincidence analysis, and piecewise linear regression. The T
SM values represent percentile‐based drought threshold levels, with smaller T
SM values corresponding to more negative anomalies of soil moisture. On average, T
SM is at the 8.7th percentile and detectable in 64.4% of China's vegetated lands, with lower values in North China and Jianghan Plain and higher values in the Inner Mongolia Plateau. Furthermore, T
SM for forests is commonly lower than that for grasslands. We also find that agricultural irrigation modifies the drought thresholds for croplands in the Sichuan Basin. For future projections, Earth System Models predict that more regions in China will face an increasing risk for ecological drought, and the Hexi Corridor‐Hetao Plain and Shandong Peninsula will become hotspots of ecological drought. This study has important implications for accurately evaluating the impacts of drought on vegetation growth in China and provides a scientific reference for the effective ecomanagement of China's terrestrial ecosystems.
The march for gender equality of Algerian women: The struggle for spatial and historical recognition
Authors: Ourahmoune Nacima , Jurdi Hounaida El
Published: October 2023

Social and political anti‐government movements have been major headlines across the globe in recent years, with a noticeable participation of women. In the MENA region, such movements spanned Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Lebanon among others. Through an ethnographic inquiry into the Algerian pro‐democracy movement Hirak (2019–2021), we delve into women's experiences of the Hirak to show how women remain marginalized politically, economically, and socially despite their heavy and praised participation. Using a recognition theory lens, we unveil dialectics of unity and division in the struggle for recognition among women in Algeria, a post‐colonial context charged with conflicting ideological stances. We detect two structural dimensions of the struggle, a spatial/physical dimension and a historical/temporal dimension that help surface different gender positionalities and their dynamics as they vie for recognition. We stress the importance of not homogenizing women's political struggles, especially in the Global South.
Indonesian women leaders navigating hegemonic femininity: A Gramscian lens
Authors: Oktaviani Fitri Hariana
Published: October 2023

Hegemonic femininity is a concept beginning to receive scholarly attention, and this paper illustrates how it has become a critical factor hindering women's leadership opportunities in Indonesia. This study aims to understand how women leaders adopt, modify, or reject forms of hegemonic femininity that interpellate their constructions of subjectivity. This paper employs a discourse analysis of interview texts with 36 women in leadership positions in a Muslim‐majority country, Indonesia. The finding shows how participants navigate hegemonic femininity by constructing their version of feminine subjectivity to negotiate their gender‐leadership roles in several ways. This paper expands the critical discursive understanding of women's leadership by (1) theorizing how hegemonic femininity challenges the acceptance of women's leadership and (2) delineating the way construction of femininity affects the way women do leadership.
Plasma‐derived human factor X concentrate for the treatment of patients with hereditary factor X deficiency
Authors: Escobar Miguel A. , Kavakli Kaan
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Hereditary factor X (FX) deficiency (HFXD) is an autosomal recessive rare bleeding disorder that leads to defects in the FX protein. Depending on the degree of deficiency, patients may be at risk of life‐threatening bleeding episodes. Historical treatments for FX deficiency include prothrombin complex concentrates, which can increase the risk of thrombosis, and fresh frozen plasma, which can cause volume overload and transfusion reactions. Plasma‐derived FX (pdFX), a single‐factor, high‐purity, high‐potency human FX treatment, was approved in 2015 in the United States and in 2016 in Europe for on‐demand treatment and prophylaxis of bleeding episodes and perioperative management of patients with HFXD.

Methods

Five studies that examined the use of pdFX in patients with mild (plasma FX activity [FX:C] ≥5 IU/dL), moderate (FX:C ≥1 and <5 IU/dL), or severe (FX:C < 1 IU/dL) HFXD were reviewed: TEN01, TEN02 and TEN03 were prospective, open‐label, multicentre, nonrandomised studies, and TEN05 and TEN06 were multicentre retrospective studies.

Results

When used as an on‐demand treatment, pdFX was judged by investigators to be successful in treating 41/42 (97.6%), 2/3 (66.6%) and 79/79 (100%) bleeds in TEN01, TEN02 and TEN05, respectively. When used prophylactically, pdFX was judged ‘excellent’ for the prevention of bleeds in nine (100%) and eight (100%) patients in TEN02 and TEN05, respectively. Perioperative treatment and pharmacokinetics were also assessed. pdFX was safe and well tolerated.

Conclusions

Together, these studies support the use of pdFX for on‐demand treatment of bleeding, routine prophylaxis, and perioperative management of bleeding in patients with HFXD.
When Harry met Meghan (got married, had a baby, and “Megxited”): Intergroup anxiety, ingroup norms, and racialized categorization as predictors of receptivity to interracial romances
Authors: Paterson Jenny L. , Hodson Gordon , Turner Rhiannon N.
Published: October 2023

Despite being frequently met with disapproval, interracial romantic relationships have the potential to transform intergroup relations through marriage and children. However, relatively little is known about the receptivity to these important intergroup relationships. Capitalizing on three historical events involving a world‐famous interracial couple, Prince Harry and Meghan, we expand the intergroup relations literature by longitudinally and cross‐sectionally examining White Briton's perceptions and receptivity to interracial romances. Study 1 (N = 585) showed that intergroup anxiety around the couple's wedding was longitudinally associated with less receptivity to interracial dating and less favorable intergroup attitudes a month later, even when controlling for strong autoregressive paths. Study 2 (N = 402), conducted around the birth of the couple's son (Archie), found that intergroup anxiety (negatively) and favorable ingroup norms (positively) were longitudinally associated with receptivity to intergroup romances and favorable intergroup attitudes a month later in statistically conservative tests. Study 3 (N = 507), conducted at the time of the so‐called “Megxit,” cross‐sectionally found that media exposure to Meghan was positively associated with favorable ingroup norms which was, again, related to positive intergroup outcomes. However, these associations were suppressed by the perception that Meghan had tainted the Royal Family which was, in turn, negatively associated with the intergroup outcomes. Moderation analyses across the studies revealed these associations were often stronger for those who categorized the biracial Royals as more Black (vs. White). Together, the novel research highlights the often‐complex perceptions and longitudinal predictors of interracial romances and does so in historic social contexts.
Genomic background of biotypes related to growth, carcass and meat quality traits in Duroc pigs based on principal component analysis
Authors: Green Hannah E. , Oliveira Hinayah Rojas de , Alvarenga Amanda Botelho , Scramlin‐Zuelly Stacy , Grossi Daniela , Schinckel Allan P. , Brito Luiz F.
Published: October 2023

As the swine industry continues to explore pork quality traits alongside growth, feed efficiency and carcass leanness traits, it becomes imperative to understand their underlying genetic relationships. Due to this increase in the number of desirable traits, animal breeders must also consider methods to efficiently perform direct genetic changes for each trait and evaluate alternative selection indexes with different sets of phenotypic measurements. Principal component analysis (PCA) and genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) can be combined to understand the genetic architecture and biological mechanisms by defining biological types (biotypes) that relate these valuable traits. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to: (1) estimate genomic‐based genetic parameters; (2) define animal biotypes utilizing PCA; and (3) utilize GWAS to link the biotypes to candidate genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL). The phenotypic dataset included 2583 phenotypic records from female Duroc pigs from a terminal sire line. The pedigree file contained 193,764 animals and the genotype file included 21,309 animals with 35,651 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Eight principal components (PCs), accounting for a total of 99.7% of the population variation, were defined for three growth, eight conventional carcass, 10 pork quality and 18 novel carcass traits. The eight biotypes defined from the PCs were found to be related to growth rate, maturity, meat quality and body structure, which were then related to candidate genes. Of the 175 candidate genes found, six of them [LDHA (SSC1), PIK3C3 (SSC6), PRKAG3 (SSC15), VRTN (SSC7), DLST (SSC7) and PAPPA (SSC1)] related to four PCs were found to be associated with previously defined QTL, linking the biotypes with biological processes involved with muscle growth, fat deposition, glycogen levels and skeletal development. Further functional analyses helped to make connections between biotypes, relating them through common KEGG pathways and gene ontology (GO) terms. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the genetic relationships between growth, carcass and meat quality traits in Duroc pigs, enabling breeders to better understand the biological mechanisms underlying the phenotypic expression of these traits.
Sorafenib plus triplet therapy with venetoclax, azacitidine and homoharringtonine for refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia with FLT3‐ITD: A multicenter phase 2 study
Authors: Yu Sijian , Zhang Yu , Yu Guopan , Wang Yu , Shao Ruoyang , Du Xin , Xu Na , Lin Dongjun , Zhao Weihua , Zhang Xiong , Xiao Jie , Sun Zhiqiang , Deng Lan , Liang Xinquan , Zhang Hongyu , Guo Ziwen , Dai Min , Shi Pengcheng , Huang Fen , Fan Zhiping , Liu Qiong , Lin Ren , Jiang Xuejie , Xuan Li , Liu Qifa , Jin Hua
Published: October 2023

Background

Patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML) and FLT3‐internal tandem duplication (FLT3‐ITD) respond infrequently to salvage chemotherapy.

Objective

To investigate the efficacy of sorafenib plus triplet therapy with venetoclax, azacitidine, and homoharringtonine (VAH) as a salvage therapy in this population.

Methods

This multicenter, single‐arm, phase 2 study was conducted at 12 hospitals across China. Eligible patients had R/R AML with FLT3‐ITD (aged 18–65 years) who were treated with VAH. The primary endpoint was composite complete remission (CRc) after two cycles. Secondary outcomes included the overall response rate (ORR), safety, and survival.

Results

Between July 9, 2020, and March 19, 2022, 58 patients were assessed for eligibility, 51 of whom were enrolled. The median patient age was 47 years (interquartile range [IQR] 31–57). CRc was 76.5% with ORR of 82.4%. At a median follow‐up of 17.7 months (IQR, 8.7–24.7), the median duration of CRc was not reached (NR), overall survival was 18.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.8‐NR) and event‐free survival was 11.4 months (95% CI, 5.6‐NR). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurring in ≥10% of patients included neutropenia in 47 (92.2%), thrombocytopenia in 41 (80.4%), anemia in 35 (68.6%), febrile neutropenia in 29 (56.9%), pneumonia in 13 (25.5%), and sepsis in 6 (11.8%) patients. Treatment‐related death occurred in two (3.9%) patients.

Conclusions

The sorafenib plus VAH regimen was well tolerated and highly active against R/R AML with FLT3‐ITD. This regimen may be a suitable therapeutic option for this population, but larger population trials are needed to be explored.

Trial registration

Clinical Trials Registry: NCT04424147