bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trade can buffer climate-induced risks and volatilities in crop supply
Authors: Haqiqi Iman
Published: September 2024

Climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of extreme events, posing challenges to food security. Corn, a staple crop for billions, is particularly vulnerable to heat stress, a primary driver of yield variability. While many studies have examined the climate impact on average corn yields, little attention has been given to the climate impact on production volatility. This study investigates the future volatility and risks associated with global corn supply under climate change, evaluating the potential benefits of two key adaptation strategies: irrigation and market integration. A statistical model is employed to estimate corn yield response to heat stress and utilize NEX-GDDP-CMIP6 climate data to project future production volatility and risks of substantial yield losses. Three metrics are introduced to quantify these risks: Sigma (σ), the standard deviation of year-on-year yield change, which reflects overall yield volatility; Rho (ρ), the risk of substantial loss, defined as the probability of yield falling below a critical threshold; and beta (β), a relative risk coefficient that captures the volatility of a region’s corn production compared to the globally integrated market. The analysis reveals a concerning trend of increasing year-on-year yield volatility (σ) across most regions and climate models. This volatility increase is significant for key corn-producing regions like Brazil and the United States. While irrigated corn production exhibits a smaller rise in volatility, suggesting irrigation as a potential buffer against climate change impacts, it is not a sustainable option as it can cause groundwater depletion. On the other hand, global market integration reduces overall volatility and market risks significantly with less sustainability concerns. These findings highlight the importance of a multidimensional approach to adaptation in the food sector. While irrigation can benefit individual farmers, promoting global market integration offers a broader solution for fostering resilience and sustainability across the entire food system.
Animal Matter
Authors: Sugiyama Nawa
Published: September 2024

This chapter introduces the main protagonists and the theoretical framework underpinning the study of nearly two hundred faunal remains retrieved from the offertory caches at the Moon Pyramid of Teotihuacan, Mexico. Animal matter, both corporeal animal forms (animal bodies and by-products) and their representation, are understood within a relational ontology as active persons with social positionality. Corporeal animal forms materially record diachronic and synchronic patterns of interpersonal relationships between humans and animals. Thus, they provide optimal contextually situated reconstructions of how corporeal animal forms participated in ritual performances. State ritualized performances are particularly effective sites of engagement to retrieve the social transactions among humans, animals, and other agentive persons during the process of sovereignty formations at Teotihuacan.
Ritualization of Animal Matter
Authors: Sugiyama Nawa
Published: September 2024

This chapter introduces the main protagonists and the theoretical framework underpinning the study of nearly two hundred faunal remains retrieved from the offertory caches at the Moon Pyramid of Teotihuacan, Mexico. Animal matter, both corporeal animal forms (animal bodies and by-products) and their representation, are understood within a relational ontology as active persons with social positionality. Corporeal animal forms materially record diachronic and synchronic patterns of interpersonal relationships between humans and animals. Thus, they provide optimal contextually situated reconstructions of how corporeal animal forms participated in ritual performances. State ritualized performances are particularly effective sites of engagement to retrieve the social transactions among humans, animals, and other agentive persons during the process of sovereignty formations at Teotihuacan.
The Spectral Lineage
Authors: Kishi Madoka
Published: September 2024

This chapter moves from the previous chapters’ focus on women to the crisis of white manhood that race suicide fomented, tracking its manifestation in Teutonism. Even though Teutonism is often conflated with Anglo-Saxonism, this chapter argues that US Teutonism was constructed as whiteness’s atavistic return to a Viking-age northern European origin, aiming to disidentify from a neurasthenic Anglo-Saxon heritage. Jack London’s works stage this phantasmal revivification of the primordial virile tribe, superimposing the image of Viking-age Scandinavia onto the American Northland as the symbolic homeland of the Teutons. Crucially, in London’s settler-colonist imagination, this transmutation of whiteness is effectuated through the massacre of Indigenous people in Alaska. While the appropriation of the Native practice of totemic kinship opens up a queer space of interspecies intimacy for London, the murderousness of such appropriation haunts his work, culminating in the suicide of the eponymous hero of his autobiographical novel, Martin Eden (1909).
Comprehending Cinema
Authors: MacDonald Scott
Published: September 2024

Comprehending Cinema: Panoramic Audiovisioning, the third book in Scott MacDonald's "Avant-Doc" trilogy (with Avant-Doc: Intersections of Documentary and Avant-Garde Cinema, 2015; and The Sublimity of Document: Cinema as Diorama, 2019) is a collection of 15 in-depth interviews and 3 essays. Central themes include modern uses of the cinematic archive and varieties of filmmaker collaboration. Interviewees include Su Friedrich, Guy Maddin and Evan and Galen Johnson, poet John Ashbery, Tadhg O'Sullivan, Jennifer West, Penny Lane, Dean Fleischer Camp, Daniel Lindsay/TJ Martin, Jennifer Anderson/Vernon Lott, Paul Cronin, Bill Morrison, Lucien Castaing-Taylor/Véréna Paravel, Erin Espelie, and Chloé Galibert-Laîné. Three panoramic essays function as entr'acts within the drama of filmmaker voices. In “Night Light: The Modern Cine-Nocturne,” MacDonald discusses a range of filmmakers who have brought the tradition of musical and painterly nocturne into modern cinema: Kenneth Anger, Peter Hutton, Barry Jenkins, Abbas Kiarostami, Rebecca Meyers, Mary Beth Reed, Phil Solomon, Chick Strand, and Laura Washington. In “Loznitsa X 4” MacDonald surveys the wide-ranging filmmaking of Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, who has worked in four different cinematic modes: archival filmmaking, cinema-verité documentary, quiet meditation, and political horror film. “Recent Archival Engagements with ‘The War to End All Wars,’” explores responses to the anniversary of World War 1 by Bill Morrison, Yervant Gianikian/Angela Ricci Lucchi, and Peter Jackson. Comprehending Cinema concludes with an interview with the group that Roger Ebert called, “the best in the world at accompanying silent film”: the Alloy Orchestra (Terry Donahue, Roger Miller and Ken Winokur), at the conclusion of their 30-year run.
Two Decades of Collaboration
Authors: MacDonald Scott
Published: September 2024

Prolific indie filmmaker Guy Maddin and his young collaborators, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson, discuss their burlesque of Hyena Road (2015), and their attempts to bring imagined lost films to life in The Forbidden Room (2015) and in Seances, a National Film Board of Canada website where a cinephile can see a film made specifically for them, created on the spot, and existing for only that one viewing. Recently, the three collaborators also created The Green Fog (2017), a remake of Vertigo, using only clips of other films and TV shows shot in the Bay Area; Accidence (2018), a digitally constructed film that feels like Rear Window gone mad; and dream films evoked by Fellini. Their methods of working as a collaborative team are discussed at some length.
Environmental History of Madagascar
Authors: Sodikoff Genese Marie
Published: September 2024

The environmental history of Madagascar traces the effects of climate change and human activity on landscapes and biodiversity as well as the ways societies have adapted to their evolving material conditions. Drawing from diverse fields such as archaeology, history, sociocultural anthropology, ecological sciences, linguistics, agriculture, archaeobotany, and genetics, the historiography of human–environment interaction has been rich and multifaceted.

While disagreements over the interpretation of findings have been inherent to the production of historical knowledge, corroborative evidence across multiple disciplines has established a generally accepted chronology of environmental change. Periodically, however, new discoveries and advancements in dating technology have reignited debates.

Environmental history encompasses not only the tangible changes to the biogeographical environment but also the evolution of ideas about the environment itself. Debates surrounding Madagascar’s precolonial past have revolved around several key themes, including the origins and arrival dates of the earliest settlers, the extent of their overlap with declining megafaunal populations, and the composition of the island’s prehistoric land cover. This article highlights dominant themes and debates in the environmental history of Madagascar.
Critiques of Trauma-Informed Systems
Authors: Shaia Wendy , Bailey Temeka S. , Beegle Christopher , Tennor Maura
Published: September 2024

Much of the trauma experienced by individuals, families, and communities, especially in historically marginalized areas, has been created by a series of social phenomena such as structural oppression, racism, and discrimination. Public-serving systems are uniquely positioned to counter the perpetuation of retraumatization that disproportionately impacts oppressed groups. Therefore, trauma-informed care (TIC) and trauma-responsive care (TRC) must evolve through the conscious application of an antiracist and antioppressive approach, thereby preventing the further harming of already marginalized groups. Macro accountability is established by analyzing power systems through a culturally responsive lens rather than blaming and pathologizing individuals impacted by historical and persistent racialized trauma. Applied to TIC and TRC, the SHARP framework renders more effective social work services at the personal and individual, professional and organizational, and political and societal levels more just and humane. A compare and contrast analysis of adverse childhood experience studies, summarizing TIC and TRC, and a case study of the application of the SHARP framework to human services work may shed light on guiding public-serving systems and promoting opportunities for posttraumatic growth and transformative change necessary for dismantling policies, protocols, and practices that increase vulnerability and long-term adverse outcomes in socially disadvantaged communities.
The Normative Space of Musical Performance: Expertise and the Symbolic Body
Authors: Finke Ståle , Solli Mattias
Published: September 2024

This article proposes a communicative, imitative, and reflective account of musical learning and expertise. It starts from an affirmative yet critical reading of Høffding and collaborators, notably their idea of a musical arch, meant to bridge distinctions between low-level procedural enactment and high-level reflective cognition. While we embrace much of their analysis, we argue that they uphold tensions between these levels. Drawing on recent enactivist thought, phenomenological and hermeneutic resources, and developmental psychology, we propose a ‘linguistic turn’ that allows us to situate the enactive body in what has been called an ‘original communication-situation’. The original communication-situation encompasses procedural proto-linguistic behaviour and a reflexive level of linguistic co-intentionality procedurally coupled with other bodies. From this perspective, musical co-creation within the normative space of the musical arch is a dialectical actualization of vertical and horizontal experience, reflecting transformative accomplishments of symbolic bodies within a linguistic field of participatory sense-making. The normative space of musical performance is the result of emergent features of music as embodied social practice.
Epstein-Barr virus–positive, primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma, with transformation: Case report and review of the literature
Authors: Soma Lori , Crisan Liliana , Reid Jack , Lee Winston , Song Joo , Afkhami Michelle , Shouse Geoffrey , Fei Fei , Danilova Olga , Pillai Raju , Zain Jasmin , Querfeld Christiane
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) positive primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma (PCMZL) is uncommon and subsequent transformation is rare.

Methods

We report a patient with EBV positive PCMZL with subsequent transformation to plasmablastic lymphoma and review the literature for transformed PCMZL to assess clinical and pathologic characteristics. In the case we describe, the patient presented with multifocal PCMZL, developed large B cell transformation with plasmacytic differentiation, followed by plasmablastic transformation (PBL), and ultimately died of disease progression despite multiple lines of therapy. Past history was significant for psoriatic arthritis (multiple prior lines of immunomodulatory therapy). The lymphomas and non-involved bone marrow share the same somatic DNMT3A and TET2 mutations, suggesting clonal relatedness and an association with clonal hematopoiesis (CH).

Results

Eighteen cases comprised the cohort (seventeen cases from the literature and the case reported herein). Nearly half of the eighteen cases of PCMZL with transformation died of progressive disease (44%). Transformed cases were more commonly seen in patients with >2 sites at initial diagnosis. EBV was assessed in 5 patients, 3 were positive (all died of disease). Two patients with NGS studies demonstrated TET2 and DNMT3A mutations.

Conclusions

Transformation of EBV positive PCMZL appears to be a poor prognostic indicator, with our reported case being the first well defined case transformed to PBL, suspected to arise from myeloid-CH.
An evolved interpretation of Austin Bradford Hill’s causal viewpoints and their influence on epidemiologic methods
Authors: Lesko Catherine R , Fox Matthew P
Published: September 2024

In 1965, Sir Austin Bradford Hill articulated nine viewpoints for evaluating whether a body of evidence about the relationship between an exposure and outcome should be interpreted causally. In this commentary, we highlight a selection of the ways in which these viewpoints have had an impact on the field of epidemiology in terms of methods development, study design, and interpretation of results. Additionally, we opine on how the viewpoints relate to our understanding of basic epidemiologic concepts – for example, our choice of absolute or relative measures of effect, our evolving understanding of the role of context in the generalizability of study results, and modern epistemologies for causal inference (i.e., the potential outcomes framework and graphical causal models). Hill cautioned his audience that evidence should be weighed according to the policy choice it would inform and the context in which that policy would be implemented. We root our remarks in considerations of the public health impact of our conclusions about the causal nature of an observed relationship.
PGBind: pocket-guided explicit attention learning for protein–ligand docking
Authors: Shen Ao , Yuan Mingzhi , Ma Yingfan , Du Jie , Wang Manning
Published: September 2024

As more and more protein structures are discovered, blind protein–ligand docking will play an important role in drug discovery because it can predict protein–ligand complex conformation without pocket information on the target proteins. Recently, deep learning-based methods have made significant advancements in blind protein–ligand docking, but their protein features are suboptimal because they do not fully consider the difference between potential pocket regions and non-pocket regions in protein feature extraction. In this work, we propose a pocket-guided strategy for guiding the ligand to dock to potential docking regions on a protein. To this end, we design a plug-and-play module to enhance the protein features, which can be directly incorporated into existing deep learning-based blind docking methods. The proposed module first estimates potential pocket regions on the target protein and then leverages a pocket-guided attention mechanism to enhance the protein features. Experiments are conducted on integrating our method with EquiBind and FABind, and the results show that their blind-docking performances are both significantly improved and new start-of-the-art performance is achieved by integration with FABind.
Novel systems biology experimental pipeline reveals matairesinol’s antimetastatic potential in prostate cancer: an integrated approach of network pharmacology, bioinformatics, and experimental validation
Authors: Rajadnya Rama , Sharma Nidhi , Mahajan Akanksha , Ulhe Amrita , Patil Rajesh , Hegde Mahabaleshwar , Mali Aniket
Published: September 2024

Matairesinol (MAT), a plant lignan renowned for its anticancer properties in hormone-sensitive cancers like breast and prostate cancers, presents a promising yet underexplored avenue in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer (mPC). To elucidate its specific therapeutic targets and mechanisms, our study adopted an integrative approach, amalgamating network pharmacology (NP), bioinformatics, GeneMANIA-based functional association (GMFA), and experimental validation. By mining online databases, we identified 27 common targets of mPC and MAT, constructing a MAT-mPC protein–protein interaction network via STRING and pinpointing 11 hub targets such as EGFR, AKT1, ERBB2, MET, IGF1, CASP3, HSP90AA1, HIF1A, MMP2, HGF, and MMP9 with CytoHuba. Utilizing DAVID, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis highlighted metastasis-related processes such as epithelial–mesenchymal transition, positive regulation of cell migration, and key Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, including cancer, prostate cancer, PI3K-Akt, and MAPK signaling, while the web resources such as UALCAN and GEPIA2 affirmed the clinical significance of the top 11 hub targets in mPC patient survival analysis and gene expression patterns. Our innovative GMFA enrichment method further enriched network pharmacology findings. Molecular docking analyses demonstrated substantial interactions between MAT and 11 hub targets. Simulation studies confirmed the stable interactions of MAT with selected targets. Experimental validation in PC3 cells, employing quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR and various cell-based assays, corroborated MAT’s antimetastatic effects on mPC. Thus, this exhaustive NP analysis, complemented by GMFA, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental validations, underscores MAT’s multifaceted role in targeting mPC through diverse therapeutic avenues. Nevertheless, comprehensive in vitro validation is imperative to solidify these findings.
Loss of CCDC188 causes male infertility with defects in the sperm head–neck connection in mice
Authors: Qiu Yumiao , Shimada Keisuke , Yamamoto Kaito , Ikawa Masahito
Published: September 2024

Acephalic spermatozoa syndrome represents a rare genetic and reproductive disease, which is defined as semen composed of mostly headless spermatozoa. The connecting piece in the neck region, also known as the head-to-tail coupling apparatus, plays a crucial role in the tight linkage between the sperm head and tail. Dysfunction of this structure can lead to separation of sperm heads and tails, and male infertility. Using the mouse as an experimental model, several proteins have been identified as associated with the head-to-tail coupling apparatus and disruption of these proteins causes acephalic spermatozoa. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this morphologic anomaly and head-to-tail coupling apparatus remains elusive. In this study, we focused on coiled-coil domain containing 188 (Ccdc188), which shows testis-enriched expression. To elucidate the physiological role of CCDC188, we generated a knockout mouse line using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Ccdc188 knockout male mice were sterile, indicating that CCDC188 is indispensable for male fertility. Most Ccdc188-null spermatozoa were acephalic. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that while the sperm head-to-tail coupling apparatus could assemble properly without CCDC188, the head-to-tail coupling apparatus failed to attach to the nucleus during spermiogenesis, leading to sperm head and neck separation. In addition, we found almost all of the spermatozoa in the cauda epididymis lacked a mitochondrial sheath. Taken together, we demonstrated that CCDC188 plays a crucial role in forming a tight sperm head–neck junction.
Biallelic EPB41L3 variants underlie a developmental disorder with seizures and myelination defects
Authors: Werren Elizabeth A , Rodriguez Bey Guillermo , Majethia Purvi , Kaur Parneet , Patil Siddaramappa J , Kekatpure Minal V , Afenjar Alexandra , Qebibo Leila , Burglen Lydie , Tomoum Hoda , Demurger Florence , Duborg Christele , Siddiqui Shahyan , Tsan Yao-Chang , Abdullah Uzma , Ali Zafar , Saadi Saadia Maryam , Baig Shahid Mahmood , Houlden Henry , Maroofian Reza , Padiath Quasar Saleem , Bielas Stephanie L , Shukla Anju
Published: September 2024

Erythrocyte membrane protein band 4.1 like 3 (EPB41L3: NM_012307.5), also known as DAL1, encodes the ubiquitously expressed, neuronally enriched 4.1B protein, part of the 4.1 superfamily of membrane-cytoskeleton adaptors. The 4.1B protein plays key roles in cell spreading, migration and cytoskeletal scaffolding that support oligodendrocyte axon adhesions essential for proper myelination.

We herein describe six individuals from five unrelated families with global developmental delay, intellectual disability, seizures, hypotonia, neuroregression and delayed myelination. Exome sequencing identified biallelic variants in EPB41L3 in all affected individuals: two nonsense [c.466C>T, p.(R156*); c.2776C>T, p.(R926*)] and three frameshift [c.666delT, p.(F222Lfs*46); c.2289dupC, p.(V764Rfs*19); c.948_949delTG, p.(A317Kfs*33)].

Quantitative-real time PCR and western blot analyses of human fibroblasts harbouring EPB41L3:c.666delT, p.(F222Lfs*46) indicated ablation of EPB41L3 mRNA and 4.1B protein expression. Inhibition of the nonsense mediated decay (NMD) pathway led to an upregulation of EPB41L3:c.666delT transcripts, supporting NMD as a pathogenic mechanism. Epb41l3-deficient mouse oligodendroglia cells showed significant reduction in mRNA expression of key myelin genes, reduced branching and increased apoptosis.

Our report provides the first clinical description of an autosomal recessive disorder associated with variants in EPB41L3, which we refer to as EPB41L3-associated developmental disorder (EADD). Moreover, our functional studies substantiate the pathogenicity of EPB41L3 hypothesized loss-of-function variants.
Clinical and patient reported treatment outcomes of livedoid vasculopathy: a systematic review
Authors: Gipple Mackenzie O , Throckmorton Shannon K , Gabo Virginia B , Htet Kyaw Zin , Ortega-Loayza Alex G
Published: September 2024

Livedoid vasculopathy (LV) is a rare condition affecting the lower extremities, often linked to hypercoagulable states or vascular disorders, and despite increasing treatment options, patients frequently experience suboptimal outcomes. Our systematic review of 44 studies, involving 216 patients, found that rivaroxaban was the most common treatment, with complete (n = 18, 31%) or partial (n = 40, 68%) ulcer healing and complete pain resolution in the 19% reported, while intravenous immunoglobulin also showed promise, although results were mixed. The review highlights the need for further research to identify optimal treatments for LV and establish a standard of care for future clinical trials.
Solitary erythematous nodule on the breast
Authors: Block Brandon R , Powers Camille M , Zhou Lisa , Piontkowski Austin J , Orloff Jeremy , Petersen Bruce E , Gulati Nicholas
Published: September 2024

In this clinicopathological case, we describe the case of a woman in her 60s with a past medical history of plasma cell myeloma, commonly known as multiple myeloma, who presented to dermatology with a solitary erythematous nodule on her right breast, which was biopsied. We include clinical, dermoscopic and histopathological images of the patient’s striking lesion, and a discussion of the differential of this skin lesion.
Oral Versus Intravenous Antibiotic Therapy for Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia or Endocarditis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Controlled Trials
Authors: Mourad Ahmad , Nwafo Nnamdi , Skalla Lesley , Holland Thomas L , Jenkins Timothy C
Published: September 2024

Background

We conducted a systematic review of randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) to generate more precise estimates of the efficacy and safety of oral versus intravenous antibiotic therapy for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia or endocarditis.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched through February 2024. RCTs were included if they compared oral versus intravenous antibiotic therapy for S. aureus bacteremia or endocarditis and appropriately reported outcomes for each group. Risk of bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias in randomized trials. Heterogeneity between studies was evaluated with Cochran's Q-statistic and I2 test. Treatment effects were summarized with pooled risk ratios using a random effects model meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42024481512).

Results

Only four RCTs met criteria for inclusion in meta-analysis. Among participants assessed for treatment failure, there was no difference between oral and intravenous therapy groups (risk ratio [RR], 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], .63–1.57; I2 = 0%). There was also no significant difference in adverse events between oral and intravenous therapy groups (RR, 0.65; 95% CI, .07–5.94; I2 = 74%); however, the confidence interval was wide, and heterogeneity was high.

Conclusions

In this systematic review of RCTs comparing oral with intravenous antibiotic therapy for S. aureus bacteremia or endocarditis, few studies met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Meta-analysis of these studies suggests that transitioning from intravenous to oral therapy is likely effective in a subgroup of carefully selected patients. Additional randomized trials are necessary before transition to oral therapy can be routinely recommended.
Higher peak height velocity in early maturing girls depends on insulin rather than fat mass or IGF-I
Authors: Sørensen Kaspar , Hagen Casper P , Juul Anders
Published: September 2024

Objective

Age at pubertal onset has decreased over the recent decades. Early maturing girls have longer puberty duration, and higher peak height velocity (PHV) than late maturing girls. To what extent this is generated by increased insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), fat mass, or fasting insulin levels is currently unknown.

Design, setting, participants

A population-based study—part of the COPENHAGEN puberty study—longitudinal part. Eighty-one girls evaluated biannually for a median of 10 (2-15) visits for a total of 815 evaluations.

Methods

Pubertal staging, anthropometric measures, PHV, skin fold thickness (SFT), and IGF-I and fasting insulin levels were measured.

Results

Early maturing girls achieved similar final height compared to late maturing girls (166.1 vs 167.1 cm, P = .36). Early pubertal onset was associated with significantly greater PHV (8.7 vs 7.4 cm/year, P < .001) and a longer puberty duration (age at onset of breast development to age at PHV [1.8 vs 1.1 years, P < .001]) compared with late maturation. After correcting for age at pubertal onset, neither body mass index, SFT, nor IGF-I levels differed between early vs late maturing girls. By contrast, fasting insulin levels were significantly higher in early compared with late maturing girls 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 years after pubertal onset (all P = .039).

Conclusion

Growth velocity was higher and more prolonged in early compared with late maturing girls and associated with higher insulin levels. Thus, the higher insulin levels may compensate for the shorter total growth period by intensifying the pubertal growth period.

Clinical trial registration number

NCT01411527.
Phosphatidylserine synthase plays a critical role in the utilization of n-alkanes in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica
Authors: Matsuse Katsuro , Hara Mariho , Iwama Ryo , Horiuchi Hiroyuki , Fukuda Ryouichi
Published: September 2024

The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica can assimilate n-alkane as a carbon and energy source. To elucidate the significance of phosphatidylserine (PS) in the utilization of n-alkane in Y. lipolytica, we investigated the role of the Y. lipolytica ortholog (PSS1) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae PSS1/CHO1, which encodes a PS synthase. The PSS1 deletion mutant (pss1Δ) of Y. lipolytica could not grow on minimal medium in the absence of ethanolamine and choline but grew when either ethanolamine or choline was supplied to synthesize phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. The pss1Δ strain exhibited severe growth defects on media containing n-alkanes even in the presence of ethanolamine and choline. In the pss1Δ strain, the transcription of ALK1, which encodes a primary cytochrome P450 that catalyses the hydroxylation of n-alkanes in the endoplasmic reticulum, was upregulated by n-alkane as in the wild-type strain. However, the production of functional P450 was not detected, as indicated by the absence of reduced CO-difference spectra in the pss1Δ strain. PS was undetectable in the lipid extracts of the pss1Δ strain. These results underscore the critical role of PSS1 in the biosynthesis of PS, which is essential for the production of functional P450 enzymes involved in n-alkane hydroxylation in Y. lipolytica.
The structural role of Skp1 in the synaptonemal complex is conserved in nematodes
Authors: Kursel Lisa E , Goktepe Kaan , Rog Ofer
Published: September 2024

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a meiotic interface that assembles between parental chromosomes and is essential for gamete formation. While the dimensions and ultrastructure of the SC are conserved across eukaryotes, its protein components are highly divergent. Recently, an unexpected component of the SC has been described in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans: the Skp1-related proteins SKR-1/2, which are components of the Skp1, Cullin, F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligase. Here, we find that the role of SKR-1 in the SC is conserved in Pristionchus pacificus. The P. pacificus Skp1 ortholog, Ppa-SKR-1, colocalizes with other SC proteins throughout meiotic prophase, where it occupies the middle of the SC. Like in C. elegans, the dimerization interface of Ppa-SKR-1 is required for its SC function. A dimerization mutant, ppa-skr-1F105E, fails to assemble SC and produces almost no progeny. Interestingly, the evolutionary trajectory of SKR-1 contrasts with other SC proteins. Unlike most SC proteins, SKR-1 is highly conserved in nematodes. Our results suggest that the structural role of SKR-1 in the SC has been conserved since the common ancestor of C. elegans and P. pacificus, and that rapidly evolving SC proteins have maintained the ability to interact with SKR-1 for at least 100 million years.
Modelling of non-linear elastic constitutive relationship and numerical simulation of rocks based on the Preisach–Mayergoyz space model
Authors: Bai Han , Feng Xuan , Wang Xin , Ding Mengyan , Zheng Xiaoshi
Published: September 2024

The existence of pores, cracks and cleavage in rocks results in significant non-linear elastic phenomena. One important non-linear elastic characteristic is the deviation of the stress–strain curve from the linear path predicted by Hooke's law. To provide a more accurate description of the non-linear elastic characteristics of rocks and to characterize the propagation of non-linear elastic waves, we introduce the Preisach–Mayergoyz space model. This model effectively captures the non-linear mesoscopic elasticity of rocks, allowing us to observe the stress–strain and modulus–stress relationships under different stress protocols. Additionally, we analyse the discrete memory characteristics of rocks subjected to cyclic loading. Based on the Preisach–Mayergoyz space model, we develop a new non-linear elastic constitutive relationship in the form of an exponential function. The new constitutive relationship is validated through copropagating acousto-elastic testing, and the experimental result is highly consistent with the data predicted by the theoretical non-linear elastic constitutive relationship. By combining the new non-linear elastic constitutive relationship with the strain–displacement formula and the differential equation of motion, we derive the non-linear elastic wave equation. We numerically solve the non-linear elastic wave equation with the finite difference method and observe two important deformations during the propagation of non-linear elastic waves: amplitude attenuation and dispersion. We also observe wave front discontinuities and uneven energy distribution in the 2D wavefield snapshot, which are different from those of linear elastic waves. We qualitatively explain these special manifestations of non-linear elastic wave propagation.
Factors associated with low health literacy in unpaid caregivers of older people: a systematic review
Authors: Maximiano-Barreto Madson Alan , Alves Ludmyla Caroline de Souza , Monteiro Diana Quirino , Matias Marisa , Montayre Jed , Luchesi Bruna Moretti
Published: September 2024

Health literacy is a public health issue. Unpaid caregivers of older people with low health literacy may have difficulties providing care, exerting a negative impact on the care process. The aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review of the literature on factors associated with low health literacy in unpaid caregivers of older people. Searches for relevant articles were conducted in the Cochrane Library, Embase, LILACS, PubMed and Web of Science databases. A total of 1440 articles were identified, nine of which met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review, which was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024522986). A total of 2209 unpaid caregivers participated in the studies selected for this review. Most were women (67.2%). The average frequency of inadequate health literacy was 27.1%. Sociodemographic characteristics (i.e. advanced age, low educational level, the female sex), factors related to the care process (i.e. low acculturation, low empowerment, poor ability to read medication package inserts, lower care capacity, greater disease severity, hospitalization of care recipients), cognitive factors and factors related to quality of life/well-being (i.e. less social support, poorer quality of life, greater cognitive impairment, higher levels of burden) were associated with low health literacy. In conclusion, low health literacy in unpaid caregivers of older people is associated with sociodemographic, care-related and cognitive factors as well as factors related to quality of life/well-being. Low health literacy may exert a negative impact on the health of caregivers and, consequently, the quality of care provided to older people.
The impact of confinement on the deformation of an elastic particle under axisymmetric tube flow
Authors: Finney Simon M , G Hennessy Matthew , Münch Andreas , Waters Sarah L
Published: September 2024

We study an elastic particle translating axially along the centre-line of a rigid cylindrical tube filled with a Newtonian viscous fluid. The flow is pressure-driven and an axial body force is applied to the particle. We consider the regime in which the ratio of typical viscous fluid stress to elastic stiffness is small, leading to small elastic strains in the particle. In this case, there is a one-way decoupling of the fluid–structure interaction problem. The leading-order fluid problem is shown to be pressure-driven Stokes flow past a rigid sphere, and is solved using the semi-analytical method of reflections. The traction exerted by the fluid on the particle can be computed and used to formulate a pure solid-mechanics problem for the deformation of the particle, which can be solved analytically. This framework is used to investigate the role of the background flow, an axial body force and the tube wall on the particle’s leading-order translational velocity, resulting deformation and induced solid stress. By considering the first-order fluid problem the next-order correction to the translational velocity of the particle is shown to be zero. Depending on the magnitude of the ratio of applied body force to viscous forces, the particle can either have a bullet-like shape, an anti-bullet shape, or retain its original spherical shape. A non-linear arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian finite element implementation is used, in conjunction with various existing results from the literature, to validate the method of reflections solutions and interrogate their range of validity.
Behind the scenes: metagenomic analysis of bacterial communities in sustainable depilation of sheepskin
Authors: Liu Yang , Ong Siew Ling , Gedye Kristene , Truglio Mauro , Prabakar Sujay
Published: September 2024

Aim

The leather industry is embracing eco-friendly technologies for both regulatory compliance and sustainable growth. While enzymatic depilation provides a greener alternative to traditional beamhouse methods, its complexity often leads to higher costs. To address this, we examined the performance of sheepskins' native bacterial flora in acetic acid conditions with low-environmental impact.

Methods and results

Utilizing metagenomic techniques, we analyzed the bacterial community dynamics during the depilation process. This investigation revealed a notable increase in microbial diversity and richness in acetic acid treatments compared to water treatments. At the class level, a post-processing decrease in Gammaproteobacteria dominance was observed, while Actinomycetia numbers surged in the acetic acid group. In contrast, the water group showed an increase in Bacteroidia. Order-level analysis indicated reductions in Pseudomonadales and increases in Actinomycetales with acetic acid treatment, whereas Flavobacteriales was more prevalent in water-treated liquors. At the family level, Moraxellaceae decreased and Micrococcaceae increased in the acetic acid group, in contrast to the marked rise of Weeksellaceae in the water group. Temporal analyses further highlighted the evolving bacterial landscapes under different treatments. Moreover, acetic acid treatment fostered a stable microbial community, beneficial for sustainable leather processing. Functional pathways were predicted using PICRUSt2. It showed that significantly enriched degradation pathways in the water group were less abundant in the acetic acid group, potentially preventing substrate matrix damage during depilation.

Conclusion

The study underscores the transformative potential of acetic acid for the leather industry, offering a pathway to reduce pollution while maintaining economic viability. By enhancing our understanding of microbial interactions during depilation, this study opens avenues for refining these eco-friendly techniques. Our findings advocate for a shift towards greener depilation methods and contribute to the broader dialogue on sustainable manufacturing practices, emphasizing the importance of leveraging indigenous microbial communities for environmental and economic gains.
Duckweed protein as an alternative plant-based protein source for dog and cat dry diets
Authors: Lin Ching-Yen , Kerr Katherine R , Panasevich Matthew R , Daristotle Leighann , Frantz Nolan Z
Published: September 2024

Duckweed has attracted increasing attention as a high-quality and sustainable novel plant-based protein source. However, little research has been conducted in dogs and cats. We evaluated the effects of inclusion of duckweed protein (Lemna; MCSelect; Parabel; Vero Beach, FL) primarily in replacement of pea protein in dog diets at 0%, 5%, and 10% and cat diets at %, 10%, and 15% on stool quality, nutrient digestibility, and palatability. We hypothesized that duckweed protein would be a viable protein source in both dog and cat diets by showing no detriment to nutritional outcomes. All feeding tests were conducted at an independent research facility (Susquehanna, PA). A standard 2-bowl palatability test over a 2-d period was conducted with adult animals (n = 30 each) to determine intake ratio between test diets (duckweed-containing diets) and control diets (0% duckweed protein). Apparent total tract nutrient digestibility was conducted with 18 adult dogs and 21 adult cats (n = 6 to 7 per diet) with 5 d of diet acclimation followed by 5 d of total fecal collection. Stool quality was evaluated on a 1 to 5 scale where 1 = non-formed or diarrhea and 5 = hard, formed. Palatability data were analyzed using paired t-test (daily consumption) and chi-square test (first choice). All other data were analyzed by ANOVA and contrast (SAS version 9.4). For cats, 10% duckweed had greater (P < 0.05) palatability than control, while no difference was observed between 15% duckweed protein and control. For dogs, 5% and 10% duckweed protein had (P < 0.05) lower palatability, demonstrating a preference to control. Both cats and dogs fed duckweed diets had acceptable stool quality (Mean = 3.4 and 3.3, respectively). No detriments in nutrient digestibility were observed in dogs fed 5% and 10% duckweed protein; however, cats fed 10% and 15% duckweed protein had (P < 0.05) lower dry matter, protein, and energy digestibility vs. control. In conclusion, the data collected indicate that duckweed can be a viable replacement for other plant-based proteins in dog diets at inclusion levels up to 10%; more development is needed for duckweed protein inclusion into cat diets.
A microencapsulated blend of botanicals supports weaning piglets during a lipopolysaccharide challenge by modulating liver inflammation and intestinal integrity
Authors: Bonetti Andrea , Tugnoli Benedetta , Ghiselli Federico , Markley Grace , Cooper Elizabeth , Piva Andrea , Stahl Chad H , Grilli Ester
Published: September 2024

This study examined the action of a blend of botanicals (BOT) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation on cultured hepatocytes and weaning piglets. In vitro studies examined HepG2 cells treated with BOT and challenged with Escherichiacoli LPS for 8 d. BOT treatment reduced IL-6 concentration in cell culture media across time (P < 0.05) and decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine expression on days 1 and 8 of experiment (TNFα, IL-1β; P < 0.05). BOT also increased the expression of antioxidant enzymes (GPX-2, SOD, CAT) on day 8 (P < 0.05), which was supported by lowered reactive oxygen species concentration after LPS challenge (P < 0.1). The in vivo study was conducted with 72 weaning pigs, allotted into 24 pens and divided into 3 groups: a negative control (CTR−, basal diet), a challenged control (CTR+) that received an intraperitoneal injection of E. coli O55:B5 LPS on days 14 and 16, and a challenged treated group which received a diet containing 1.5 g/kg of microencapsulated BOT (BOT+) for the whole duration of the study. Growth performance was determined weekly and, on days 21 (1 animal per pen) and 28 (remaining animals), pigs were sacrificed to collect liver and jejunal tissues. After the challenge, BOT+ pigs had increased BW on days 21 (P < 0.05) and 28 (P < 0.1) compared to CTR+. Similar improvements in average daily gain and FCR on days 14 to 21 (P < 0.05) and 21 to 28 (P < 0.1) were also seen in BOT+ group. In the liver, compared to CTR+ pigs, BOT+ pigs had downregulated expression of TLR-4, IL-6, IFN-γ on day 21 (P < 0.05), and TLR-4, TNF-α, IL-8 on day 28 (P < 0.05). BOT+ also increased GPX-2 expression on days 21 and 28 (P < 0.05), while also upregulating SOD-1 and SOD-2 on day 21 (P < 0.05) and CAT on day 28 (P < 0.05) compared to CTR+. In the jejunum, BOT+ reduced inflammation by affecting cytokine expression (P < 0.05) and increasing the expression of tight-junction proteins, ZO-1 on day 21 and CLD-1 on day 28 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, BOT+ pigs had lower crypt depth on days 21 (P < 0.1) and 28 (P < 0.05), and increased villi-to-crypt ratio on days 21 and 28 (P < 0.05). By day 28, BOT+ intestinal measurements were restored to values similar to the CTR−. Finally, BOT+ also reduced mast cell activation on day 21 (P < 0.05) compared to CTR+. Considering all the findings, BOT controlled inflammatory activation and oxidative stress in liver cells, enhanced intestinal integrity, and as a result improved the growth performance of weaning piglets challenged with LPS.
Treating osteoporosis in patients with atypical femoral fracture
Authors: Adler Robert A
Published: September 2024

Patients who have suffered an atypical femoral fracture while on bisphosphonates or denosumab may continue to be at risk for typical osteoporotic fractures. There are no studies to provide guidance on safe treatment for such patients. Instead, using an illustrative case, 5 principles of management are provided that may lead to decreased osteoporotic fracture risk. The first principle is to discontinue the anti-resorptive medications, which may be challenging for the patient on denosumab because of rebound vertebral fractures reported in patients stopping denosumab. The second principle is to maximize non-pharmacologic management to reduce falls and fractures. Home safety, other methods of fall risk reduction, adequate nutrition, and an exercise prescription should help reduce fracture risk. Investigating potential secondary causes of osteoporosis, particularly if the original workup was not comprehensive, is the third principle because treatment of some specific causes may lower fracture risk. Reviewing the medication list is the fourth principle, with the goal of eliminating drugs that may increase fracture risk, and considering thiazides for some patients, which may lower fracture risk. Finally, some patients may benefit from anabolic therapy. One potential (but not FDA-approved) method is to use long-term cyclic teriparatide or abaloparatide on a 3-mo on, 3-mo off schedule. Tailoring the approach to each patient is important, based on the 5 clinical principles, in the absence of evidence-based management recommendations.
Protocol digest of a phase III randomized trial of gross total resection versus possible resection of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery-hyperintense lesion on MRI for newly diagnosed supratentorial glioblastoma: JCOG2209 (FLAMINGO)
Authors: Sekino Yuta , Sonoda Yukihiko , Shibahara Ichiyo , Mizusawa Junki , Sasaki Keita , Sekita Tetsuya , Ichikawa Mayumi , Igaki Hiroshi , Kinoshita Manabu , Kumabe Toshihiro , Shibahara Junji , Ichimura Koichi , Arakawa Yoshiki , Fukuda Haruhiko ,   the Brain Tumor Study Group (BTSG) of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG), Narita Yoshitaka
Published: September 2024

The goal of surgery for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) is maximum safe resection of the contrast-enhancing (CE) lesion on magnetic resonance imaging. However, there is no consensus on the efficacy of FLAIRectomy, which is defined as the possible resection of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR)-hyperintense lesions surrounding the CE lesion. Although retrospective analyses suggested the potential benefits of FLAIRectomy, such outcomes have not been confirmed by prospective studies. Therefore, we planned a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled phase III trial to evaluate the efficacy of FLAIRectomy compared with gross total resection of CE lesions in patients with newly diagnosed GBM. The primary endpoint is overall survival. In total, 130 patients will be enrolled from 47 institutions over 5 years. This trial has been registered at the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (study number jRCT1031230245).