bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dupilumab facial redness: Clinical characteristics and proposed treatment in a cohort
Authors: Ordóñez‐Rubiano María Fernanda , Casas Mirian , Balaguera‐Orjuela Valentina
Published: September 2021

In this case series, we report for the first time in the literature in a cohort, the positive response to oral or topical antifungals for atopic dermatitis patients treated with Dupilumab that developed Dupilumab facial redness, supporting the Malassezia hypersensitivity theory.
Noncommunicable diseases, climate change and iniquities: What COVID‐19 has taught us about syndemic
Authors: Di Ciaula Agostino , Krawczyk Marcin , Filipiak Krzysztof J. , Geier Andreas , Bonfrate Leonilde , Portincasa Piero
Published: September 2021

Background

COVID‐19 is generating clinical challenges, lifestyle changes, economic consequences. The pandemic imposes to familiarize with concepts as prevention, vulnerability and resilience.

Methods

We analysed and reviewed the most relevant papers in the MEDLINE database on syndemic, noncommunicable diseases, pandemic, climate changes, pollution, resilience, vulnerability, health costs, COVID‐19.

Results

We discuss that comprehensive strategies must face multifactorial consequences since the pandemic becomes syndemic due to interactions with noncommunicable diseases, climate changes and iniquities. The lockdown experience, on the other hand, demonstrates that it is rapidly possible to reverse epidemiologic trends and to reduce pollution. The worst outcome is evident in eight highly industrialized nations, where 12% of the world population experienced about one‐third of all COVID‐19‐deaths worldwide. Thus, a great economic power has not been fully protective, and a change of policy is obviously needed to avoid irreversible consequences.

Conclusions

We are accumulating unhealthy populations living in unhealthy environments and generating unhealthy offspring. The winning policy should tackle structural inequities through a syndemic approach, to protect vulnerable populations from present and future harms.
Retaliatory use of public standards in trade
Authors: Nes Kjersti , Schaefer K. Aleks
Published: September 2021

This research investigates the extent to which countries use public standards as a means of political retaliation in the international policy arena. We match World Trade Organization notifications of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards with SPS committee data on Specific Trade Concerns and annual, bilateral trade flows to test whether countries targeted with a public standard respond with a trade barrier of their own. We find that this type of retaliatory behavior exists for economically strategic goods. Our results suggest that about 1000 bilateral trade flows globally—or just over $11.8 billion in trade—were subject to retaliatory standards in 2015.
SiteOpt: an open‐source R‐package for site selection and portfolio optimization
Authors: Ghasemi Saghand Payman , Haider Zulqarnain , Charkhgard Hadi , Eaton Mitchell , Martin Julien , Yurek Simeon , Udell Bradley J.
Published: September 2021

Conservation planning involves identifying and selecting actions to best achieve objectives for managing natural, social and cultural resources. Conservation problems are often high dimensional when specified as combinatorial or portfolio problems and when multiple competing objectives are considered at varying spatial and temporal scales. Although analytical techniques such as modern portfolio theory (MPT) have been developed to address these complex problems, open source computational platforms for executing these approaches are not readily available. We present a user‐friendly R‐package called SiteOpt for optimization of binary decisions while explicitly considering environmental or economic uncertainty and the risk tolerance of decision makers. We illustrate the package with spatially‐explicit site selection problems (i.e. spatial conservation planning), including an option for divestment (i.e. selling assets), when accounting for future uncertainties in designing conservation areas. The tool is applicable to both spatial and non‐spatial problems, such as budget allocation or species selection. Constraints for spatial design and spatial dependencies (e.g. connectivity among sites) can also be specified in SiteOpt. Users can optimize site selection based on two competing objectives by solving for the Nash bargaining solution. Importantly, by quantifying uncertainty and asset spatial correlation, a measure of risk can be included as one such objective to be traded off against portfolio benefits. Thus, SiteOpt can be used to explicitly manage risk in portfolio‐based spatial optimization. This tool facilitates decisions in a variety of problem settings, including reserve selection, invasive species management, allocation of law enforcement activities for conservation, budget allocation and asset selection under uncertainty and risk.
Selection on genes associated with the evolution of divergent life histories: Gamete recognition or something else?
Authors: Guerra Vanessa I. , Haynes Gwilym , Byrne Maria , Hart Michael W.
Published: September 2021

Gamete compatibility, and fertilization success, is mediated by gamete‐recognition genes (GRGs) that are expected to show genetic evidence of a response to sexual selection associated with mating system traits. Changes in the strength of sexual selection can arise from the resolution of sperm competition among males, sexual conflicts of interest between males and females, or other mechanisms of sexual selection. To assess these expectations, we compared patterns of episodic diversifying selection among genes expressed in the gonads of Cryptasterina pentagona and C. hystera, which recently speciated and have evolved different mating systems (gonochoric or hermaphroditic), modes of fertilization (outcrossing or selfing), and dispersal (planktonic larvae or internal brooding). Cryptasterina spp. inhabit the upper intertidal of the coast of Queensland and coral islands of the Great Barrier Reef. We found some evidence for positive selection on a GRG in the outcrossing C. pentagona, and we found evidence of loss of gene function in a GRG of the self‐fertilizing C. hystera. The modification or loss of gene functionality may be evidence of relaxed selection on some aspects of gamete interaction in C. hystera. In addition to these genes involved in gamete interactions, we also found genes under selection linked to abiotic stress, chromosomal regulation, polyspermy, and egg‐laying. We interpret those results as possible evidence that Cryptasterina spp. with different mating systems may have been adapting in divergent ways to oxidative stress or other factors associated with reproduction in the physiologically challenging environment of the high intertidal.

Research Highlights

Recent speciation between two sea stars was unlikely the result of selection on gamete‐recognition genes annotated in this study. Instead, our results point to selection on genes linked to the intertidal environment and reproduction.
Confirmation of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) report in the Russian Caucasus
Authors: Orlova‐Bienkowskaja Marina J. , Bieńkowski Andrzej O. , Taddei Andrea , Balmès Valérie
Published: September 2021

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii was previously found in Russia in the Primorie region in 2001. This record is included in the EPPO Global Database. In 2017 and 2020, the first two authors of the present paper found D. suzukii in the Russian Caucasus, namely in the city of Sochi, Krasnodar Territory. This report was published as a scientific article in November 2020.

The record from Krasnodar Territory was declared to be invalid before the confirmation of the species identification by official experts. Therefore, to verify the identification of this important pest of soft fruits, 10 specimens collected in Sochi were sent to international experts. Herewith the official confirmation of the identification of the specimens is presented.
Human muscle rigidity identification by human‐robot approximation characteristics framework on internet of things platform
Authors: Selvaraj Rajalakshmi , Kuthadi Venu Madhav , Baskar S.
Published: September 2021

In the health care system and Internet of Things (IoT) platform, medical care robotics is becoming one of the quickest expanding areas of robot technology. The integration of robotics and human knowledge identifies human muscle rigidity from the healthcare data obtained from the wearable sensor. In an IoT platform, Electromyography is a method used for evaluating and tracking the electrical activity of muscles. The transferring of human muscle rigidity to a robot facilitates the robot to obtain resistive management initiatives in a useful and effective way while carrying out physical interaction activities in unstructured surroundings. The major challenges to overcome the unpredictability during physical interaction allow a robot to realize the individual behaviour with adaptability and versatility of muscles. Therefore, in this article, Human‐Robot Approximation Characteristics Framework (HRACF) has been proposed for developing physiological communication between humans and robots. HRACF permits robots to understand differential resistive abilities of muscles from human presentations. The pulses collected from Electromyography are used to retrieve human arm muscle rigidity during activity presentation. The characteristics of motion and rigidity are concurrently modelled using an estimation and approximation model with a logistic regression obtained by IoT devices. The analysed human arm muscle rigidity is then connected to the robot impedance regulator. HR model uses an optimized resistive approximator to measure the creative variables of the robot and continue driving to monitor the quoted pathways at the time of interaction. The relationship between motion data and rigidity data is systematically coded in the HR model. HRACF makes it possible to detect uncertainties through space and time that facilitates the robot to meet rigidity specification to 98[Nm/Rad] and error rate to 0.15% during physical interaction.
Toward a broader understanding of split alliances in family therapy: Adding the therapist to the mix
Authors: Escudero Valentín , Friedlander Myrna L. , Kivlighan Dennis M. , Abascal Alberto , Orlowski Edmund
Published: September 2021

To broaden our understanding of a split alliance in family therapy, we investigated the frequencies and correlates of sessions in which therapists, youth, and caregivers reported markedly different perceptions of the alliance. The sample consisted of 156 Spanish families who received Alliance Empowerment Family Therapy (Escudero, Adolescentes y familias en conflicto, 2013) for child maltreatment. Family members and therapists rated the alliance on the SOFTA‐s (Friedlander et al., Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2006, 53, 214) after sessions 3, 6, and 9; family members rated their perceptions of treatment progress before sessions 4, 7, and 10. A cluster analysis differentiated sessions with a split adult‐youth alliance (27.7%) from a split family‐therapist alliance (44.1%), and a balanced alliance (similar ratings across the three perspectives; 28.2%). Client‐rated treatment progress was differentially associated with the type of alliance split and the average alliance rating, whereas better posttreatment outcomes (child functioning and family goal attainment) were associated with fewer sessions having either type of split alliance.
Characteristics associated with hospitalization within 30 days of geriatric intermediate care facility admission
Authors: Mitsutake Seigo , Ishizaki Tatsuro , Yano Shohei , Tsuchiya‐Ito Rumiko , Jin Xueying , Watanabe Taeko , Uda Kazuaki , Livingstone Ian , Tamiya Nanako
Published: September 2021

Aim

To identify facility‐level characteristics associated with hospitalization within 30 days after admission to a geriatric intermediate care facility (GICF) (30‐day hospitalization) in Japan.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study used nationwide long‐term care insurance claims data and a national survey of long‐term geriatric care facilities. The study population was residents admitted to GICFs between October 2016 and February 2018. The outcome variable was 30‐day hospitalization. The independent variables were facility‐level characteristics such as level of healthcare professionals.

Results

The final sample for analysis comprised 282 991 residents of mean age ± SD, 85.8 ± 7.2 years, of whom 12 814 (4.5%) experienced 30‐day hospitalization. In a multivariable logistic generalized estimating equation model adjusted for facility‐ and resident‐level characteristics, and clustering GICFs, the odds of 30‐day hospitalization were 0.906 times lower (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.857–0.958) among residents in a GICF with dental hygienist than in those in a facility without. Furthermore, the risk of 30‐day hospitalization was lower among residents who had been admitted to a GICF with higher staffing levels of pharmacists (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.941, 95% CI 0.899–0.985), registered nurses (aOR 0.931, 95% CI 0.880–0.986), care workers (aOR 0.920, 95% CI 0.879–0.964) and speech‐language pathologists (aOR 0.926, 95% CI 0.874–0.982) than in those who had been admitted to a GICF with fewer of these healthcare professionals.

Conclusions

Transitional care including dental hygienist or higher staffing levels of pharmacists, registered nurses, care workers and speech‐language pathologists may be a more effective way to prevent 30‐day hospitalization. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 1010–1017.
Feedback environment: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Katz Ian M. , Rauvola Rachel S. , Rudolph Cort W.
Published: September 2021

Feedback environment reflects the perceptions of the contextual, day‐to‐day feedback process within supervisor–subordinate relationships. Here, we present a comprehensive meta‐analysis of the feedback environment literature. On the basis of K = 112 independent samples, representing N = 31,089 workers, results suggest that feedback environment is positively related to feedback orientation (rc = .42), leader–member exchange (rc = .81), supervisor‐rated performance (rc = .29), and negatively related to burnout (rc = −.51). Moreover, we present multiple regression and relative weights analyses to consider the unique and incremental predictive power of feedback environment above and beyond two related constructs: leader–member exchange and feedback orientation. The results suggest that the feedback environment explains unique variance in several correlates and is a particularly important predictor of (lower) burnout.
Predictive factors of survival outcomes in first‐line therapy for metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Shiota Masaki , Blas Leandro , Kobayashi Satoshi , Matsumoto Takashi , Kashiwagi Eiji , Takeuchi Ario , Inokuchi Junichi , Shiga Ken‐ichiro , Yokomizo Akira , Eto Masatoshi
Published: September 2021

Objectives

To investigate predictive factors of survival of metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer patients undergoing first‐line treatment with androgen receptor pathway inhibitors or docetaxel.

Methods

Japanese patients with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer treated with androgen receptor pathway inhibitor or docetaxel between 2008 and 2018 were included. The differential impact of various clinicopathological factors on the outcome, including progression‐free survival and overall survival, was compared between treatment with androgen receptor pathway inhibitor and docetaxel.

Results

Of 254 patients with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer, 119 (46.9%) and 135 (53.2%) were treated with androgen receptor pathway inhibitor and docetaxel, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that androgen receptor pathway inhibitor was an independent prognostic factor for better progression‐free survival (hazard ratio 0.62, 95% confidence interval 0.42–0.92, P = 0.016) and overall survival (hazard ratio 0.61, 95% confidence interval 0.41–0.93, P = 0.021), compared with docetaxel. Pretreatment prostate‐specific antigen levels and time to castration‐resistant prostate cancer were differentially associated with progression‐free survival and overall survival between androgen receptor pathway inhibitor or docetaxel. In patients who presented <6 months to castration‐resistant prostate cancer, progression‐free survival was shorter in those treated with androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (median 1.1 months, 95% confidence interval 0.2–2.8 months) compared with those who received docetaxel (median 5.0 months, 95% confidence interval 1.8–6.7 months; P = 0.014).

Conclusions

First‐line therapy with androgen receptor pathway inhibitor is associated with a better prognosis when compared with docetaxel, even after adjustment for prognostic factors. However, a shorter time to castration‐resistant prostate cancer is associated with better progression‐free survival for patients receiving docetaxel, suggesting that docetaxel is the preferred option for patients with a shorter time to castration‐resistant prostate cancer.
The same but different: a comparison of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections in metropolitan and non‐metropolitan hospitals (2010–2020)
Authors: Bennett Noleen , Malloy Michael J. , Atkins Sue E. , Gonelli Susan , Worth Leon J.
Published: September 2021

Background

Variation of infection rates between hospitals must be identified; differences may highlight opportunities for quality improvement in healthcare delivery to specific hospitals groups.

Aims

To analyse burden, time trends and risks of healthcare‐associated (HA) Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections (SABSI) in patients admitted to Victorian metropolitan and non‐metropolitan public acute care hospitals.

Methods

SABSI surveillance data submitted between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2020 by all 118 Victorian public acute care hospitals were analysed. Aligned with the Australian Statistical Geography Standard Remoteness Structure, these hospitals were classified as metropolitan (major cities) or non‐metropolitan (inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote).

Results

Most SABSI were community associated: 66.9% and 75.0% of metropolitan (n = 9441) and non‐metropolitan (n = 2756) hospital SABSI respectively. The overall HA‐SABSI rate was statistically higher in metropolitan hospitals (1.13 per 10 000 occupied bed days (OBD)) compared with non‐metropolitan hospitals (0.82 per 10 000 OBD; P < 0.001). In metropolitan and non‐metropolitan hospitals, there was a statistically significant decline in the overall HA‐SABSI rate (incidence rate ratio = 0.96; 95% confidence interval: 0.95–0.97; P < 0.001; and incidence rate ratio = 0.98; 95% confidence interval: 0.97–1.00; P = 0.044, respectively). In metropolitan and non‐metropolitan hospitals, HA‐SABSI were frequently associated with central venous (52.8%) and peripheral intravenous (62.2%) catheter use respectively.

Conclusion

To reduce risks for SABSI and improve patient outcomes, hospital infection prevention and control programmes should be tailored according to local epidemiology. In common geographic locations, networking of hospitals should be considered as a means of strengthening delivery of these programmes.
Ecomorphs are not species: the case of locally adapted populations of red crossbills
Authors: Hill Geoffrey E. , Powers Matthew J.
Published: September 2021

The process of speciation remains poorly understood and hence definitions of species continue to be a focus of sharp debate. A key unresolved issue in speciation debates is whether local populations that are somewhat distinct from a parent population in morphology or genotype but that remain connected to the parent population via gene flow should be recognized as species. The species status of the Cassia crossbill Loxia sinesciuris, as well as other distinctive populations in the red crossbill Loxia curvirostra clade including the parrot crossbill L. pytyopsittacus and the Scottish crossbill L. scotica, are test cases for whether the hundreds of other avian ecomorphs should be taxonomically elevated to full species. We argue that these regional populations of red crossbills do not meet stated criteria for species designation under the Biological Species Concept and, regardless of species concept, fail as species simply following logic, parsimony, and consistency. There are no diagnostic morphological characteristics that definitively separate birds in the Cassia crossbill, parrot crossbill, or Scottish crossbill populations from birds in other sympatric crossbill populations. Call type, the behavioral characteristic that is proposed to distinguish Cassia crossbills, parrot crossbills and Scottish crossbills from other populations of crossbills, is learned and can change within the life of an individual. There is evidence of substantial on‐going gene flow between Cassia crossbills, parrot crossbills, and Scottish crossbill and other populations of red crossbills, and there is no divergence in mitochondrial genotype. Instead, there exist few fixed genetic differences in nuclear genotype between individuals from these local crossbill populations and individuals from other red crossbill populations. We propose that the recognition of the Cassia crossbill, parrot crossbill and Scottish crossbill as species sets a poor precedent in avian taxonomy and muddles understanding of the process of speciation.
NS398 as a potential drug for autosomal‐dominant polycystic kidney disease: Analysis using bioinformatics, and zebrafish and mouse models
Authors: Chen Sixiu , Huang Linxi , Zhou Shoulian , Zhang Qingzhou , Ruan Mengna , Fu Lili , Yang Bo , Xu Dechao , Mei Changlin , Mao Zhiguo
Published: September 2021

Autosomal‐dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by uncontrolled renal cyst formation, and few treatment options are available. There are many parallels between ADPKD and clear‐cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC); however, few studies have addressed the mechanisms linking them. In this study, we aimed to investigate their convergences and divergences based on bioinformatics and explore the potential of compounds commonly used in cancer research to be repurposed for ADPKD. We analysed gene expression datasets of ADPKD and ccRCC to identify the common and disease‐specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We then mapped them to the Connectivity Map database to identify small molecular compounds with therapeutic potential. A total of 117 significant DEGs were identified, and enrichment analyses results revealed that they are mainly enriched in arachidonic acid metabolism, p53 signalling pathway and metabolic pathways. In addition, 127 ccRCC‐specific up‐regulated genes were identified as related to the survival of patients with cancer. We focused on the compound NS398 as it targeted DEGs and found that it inhibited the proliferation of Pkd1−/− and 786‐0 cells. Furthermore, its administration curbed cystogenesis in Pkd2 zebrafish and early‐onset Pkd1‐deficient mouse models. In conclusion, NS398 is a potential therapeutic agent for ADPKD.
Circular RNA WHSC1 exerts oncogenic properties by regulating miR‐7/TAB2 in lung cancer
Authors: Guan Sisi , Li Li , Chen Wen‐Shu , Jiang Wen‐Yang , Ding Yun , Zhao Li‐Lan , Shi Yi‐Fan , Wang Jun , Gui Qi , Xu Cheng‐Cheng , Cheng Yang , Zhang Wenjuan
Published: September 2021

Circular RNA is a newly discovered member of non‐coding RNA (ncRNA) and regulates the target gene by acting as a micro‐RNA sponge. It plays vital roles in various diseases. However, the functions of circular RNA in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain still unclear. Our data showed that circ‐WHSC1 was highly expressed in NSCLC cells and tissues. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that circ‐WHSC1 promoted NSCLC proliferation. circ‐WHSC1 also promoted the migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. Through bioinformatic analysis and functional experiments, we showed that circ‐WHSC1 could act as a sponge for micro‐RNA‐7 (miR‐7) and regulate the expression of TAB2 (TGF‐beta activated kinase one binding protein two). Inhibition of the circ‐WHSC1/miR‐7/TAB2 pathway could effectively attenuate lung cancer progression. In summary, this study confirmed the existence and oncogenic function of circ‐WHSC1 in NSCLC. The research suggests that the circ‐WHSC1/miR‐7/TAB2 axis might be a potential target for NSCLC therapy.
Dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor and insulin combination treatment in type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhou Xianling , Shi Heng , Zhu Shiping , Wang Haixia , Sun Shengyun
Published: September 2021

Aims/Introduction

The union of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors and insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease provides satisfactory glucose management without increasing adverse events (AEs). This research appraised the therapeutic effect and safety of combination therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Materials and Methods

We carried out a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials to analyze AEs, hypoglycemia, serious AEs, severe hypoglycemia, estimated glomerular filtration rate, fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin dose, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, uric acid and weight between combination treatment groups and control groups by searching the Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica Database (Embase), PubMed and Web of Science databanks until October 2020.

Results

Five studies (6 trials, 1,278 participants) met the inclusion criteria. The evidence quality ranged from moderate to high. Glycated hemoglobin (standardized mean difference −0.29, 95% confidence interval −0.44 to −0.14) and insulin dose (standardized mean difference −0.16, 95% confidence interval −0.29 to −0.02) were obviously smaller in the combination cure patients than in the control patients. Compared with the control groups, combination treatment did not increase AEs, hypoglycemia, serious AEs or severe hypoglycemia.

Conclusions

This study showed the effectiveness and safety of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors bonded with insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, but the protective actions of this cure on kidney and cardiovascular outcomes, as well as the functions of other dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors, need to be affirmed by more good‐quality randomized controlled trials.
Epistatic interactions between sex chromosomes and autosomes can affect the stability of sex determination systems
Authors: Schenkel Martijn A. , Beukeboom Leo W. , Pen Ido
Published: September 2021

Sex determination (SD) is an essential and ancient developmental process, but the genetic systems that regulate this process are surprisingly variable. Why SD mechanisms vary so much is a longstanding question in evolutionary biology. SD genes are generally located on sex chromosomes which also carry genes that interact epistatically with autosomes to affect fitness. How this affects the evolutionary stability of SD mechanisms is still unknown. Here, we explore how epistatic interactions between a sexually antagonistic (SA) non‐SD gene, located on either an ancestral or novel sex chromosome, and an autosomal gene affect the conditions under which an evolutionary transition to a new SD system occurs. We find that when the SD gene is linked to an ancestral sex‐chromosomal gene which engages in epistatic interactions, epistasis enhances the stability of the sex chromosomes so that they are retained under conditions where transitions would otherwise occur. This occurs both when weaker fitness effects are associated with the ancestral sex chromosome pair or stronger fitness effects associated with a newly evolved SD gene. However, the probability that novel SD genes spread is unaffected if they arise near genes involved in epistasis. This discrepancy occurs because, on autosomes, SA allele frequencies are typically lower than on sex chromosomes. In our model, increased frequencies of these alleles contribute to a higher frequency of epistasis which may therefore more readily occur on sex chromosomes. Because sex chromosome–autosome interactions are abundant and can take several forms, they may play a large role in maintaining sex chromosomes.
Beyond Hermetia illucens: An investigation of the garden soldier fly Exaireta spinigera as a potential bioconverter of food waste
Authors: Mackillop Stephanie , Keitel Claudia , Latty Tanya
Published: September 2021

Using insects to convert food waste into useable products, such as livestock feed, is an elegant solution to the twin crises of waste disposal and food production. To date, the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) has garnered intense research interest as an excellent bioconverter that consumes wastes and converts them into high protein larval biomass that can be fed to livestock or used to make biodiesel. However, other members of the soldier fly family (Stratiomyidae) have received far less attention despite similar life‐history traits. Here, we examine the seasonality and performance (protein content and protein conversion efficiency) of larval Australian garden soldier flies, Exaireta spinigera. We first examined the state of knowledge about E. spinigera's biology and life history via a literature search. Next, we used a global biodiversity database to infer the seasonality of E. spinigera in Australia. Finally, we conducted outdoor feeding experiments to investigate protein content and protein conversion efficiency of larvae fed wastes ranging from 100% fruit and vegetable waste (low protein) to 100% poultry feed (higher protein). E. spinigera appears to be a autumn/spring active species, with reported sightings peaking during cooler months of the year. E. spinigera larvae also dominated outdoor bucket traps during the winter, when H. illucens was otherwise inactive. E. spinigera larvae had decreased protein content and decreased protein conversion efficiency when fed foods that contained a high proportion of low‐protein food waste. However, even in the 100% food waste treatment, the protein content of E. spinigera was relatively high at 38.6% crude protein. We suggest that E. spinigera is an excellent candidate for further research as it can convert low‐quality food waste into high protein larvae at colder temperatures than H. illucens. Our results highlight the benefits of investigating a wider range of dipteran species for their bioconversion abilities.
The Critical Role of Midwives in Safe Self‐Managed Abortion
Authors: Eagen‐Torkko Meghan , Yanow Susan
Published: September 2021

As access to legal abortion in the United States becomes more complex, there is increasing interest in self‐managed abortion. Choosing to seek abortion care outside the clinical setting can also help people marginalized or harmed by existing health care systems to access needed care in a way that feels safe and empowering. However, patients and midwives alike often have a lack of information about expected outcomes and potential complications that may arise, as well as how to manage these in a health care system that may make appropriate follow‐up difficult to access if needed. This article discusses patient education as a harm‐reduction approach, and reviews ways that midwives may strategically and ethically participate in this patient education need. As trusted health care providers who are expert in pregnancy and reproductive health, midwives are ideally positioned to meet patient knowledge needs around self‐managed abortion.
A feature‐based statistical shape model for geometric analysis of the human talus and development of universal talar prostheses
Authors: Vafaeian Behzad , Riahi Hossein Tajmir , Amoushahi Hossein , Jomha Nadr M. , Adeeb Samer
Published: September 2021

Statistical data pertaining to anatomic variations of the human talus contain valuable information for advances in biological anthropology, diagnosis of the talar pathologies, and designing talar prostheses. A statistical shape model (SSM) can be a powerful data analysis tool for the anatomic variations of the talus. The main concern in constructing an SSM for the talus is establishing the true geometric correspondence between the talar geometries. The true correspondence complies with biological and/or mathematical homologies on the talar surfaces. In this study, we proposed a semi‐automatic approach to establish a dense correspondence between talar surfaces discretized by triangular meshes. Through our approach, homologous salient surface features in the form of crest lines were detected on 49 talar surfaces. Then, the point‐wise correspondence information of the crest lines was recruited to create posterior Gaussian process morphable models that non‐rigidly registered the talar meshes and consequently established inter‐mesh dense correspondence. The resultant correspondence perceptually represented the true correspondence as per our visual assessments. Having established the correspondence, we computed the mean shape using full generalized Procrustes analysis and constructed an SSM by means of principal component analysis. Anatomical variations and the mean shape of the talus were predicted by the SSM. As a clinically related application, we considered the mean shape and investigated the feasibility of designing universal talar prostheses. Our results suggest that the mean shape of (the shapes of) tali can be used as a scalable shape template for designing universal talar prostheses.
Melatonin enhances cisplatin‐induced cell death through inhibition of DERL1 in mesenchymal‐like CD44high OSCC cells
Authors: Shigeishi Hideo , Yokoyama Sho , Murodumi Hiroshi , Sakuma Miyuki , Fukada Shohei , Okuda Satoshi , Yamakado Nao , Ono Shigehiro , Takechi Masaaki , Ohta Kouji
Published: September 2021

Background

Melatonin is a hormone that is primarily produced in the pineal gland and is involved in wide range of biological functions. However, the impact of melatonin on chemotherapy‐induced cell death remains to be elucidated in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. The objective of this study was to clarify the role of melatonin in cisplatin‐induced cytotoxicity in CD44high OSCC cells.

Methods

CD44high OSCC cells were cultured on fibronectin‐coated hydrogel. A lactate dehydrogenase cytotoxicity assay was performed to evaluate cisplatin‐induced cell death. The effect of melatonin on cisplatin‐induced cell death and Derlin‐1 (DERL1) endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein expression was investigated.

Results

CD44high OSCC cells exhibited mesenchymal‐like features when cultured on fibronectin‐coated hydrogel. Mesenchymal‐like CD44high OSCC cells demonstrated strong resistance to cisplatin‐induced cell death compared with epithelial‐like CD44high OSCC cells. DERL1 mRNA and DERL1 protein expression levels were significantly higher in mesenchymal‐like CD44high cells compared with epithelial‐like CD44high cells. Cisplatin‐induced cell death was significantly enhanced after DERL1 siRNA knockdown, suggesting that DERL1 is involved in resistance to cisplatin‐induced cell death. Melatonin significantly inhibited DERL1 expression and enhanced cisplatin‐induced cell death in mesenchymal‐like CD44high cells. miR‐181c‐5p expression was significantly upregulated in the presence of melatonin. Furthermore, melatonin‐inhibited DERL1 expression was significantly recovered by miR‐181c‐5p inhibitor. In addition, melatoninenhanced cisplatin‐induced cell death was attenuated by miR‐181c‐5p inhibitor. These results suggest that melatonin‐induced miR‐181c‐5p enhances cisplatin‐induced cell death through inhibition of DERL1 in mesenchymal‐like CD44high cells.

Conclusions

Melatonin plays a vital role in promoting cisplatin‐induced cytotoxicity in mesenchymal‐like CD44high OSCC cells.
What Promotes Transfer of Staff Training Related to Challenging Behavior Displayed by Adults With Intellectual Disabilities?
Authors: Martin Aisling , Tyrrell Sophie , Honey Emma , Rodgers Jacqui , Ingham Barry
Published: September 2021

Evidence is limited on the positive impact of staff training in challenging behavior of service users with ID; and the link between staff training and service user outcomes remains unclear. This review identified studies that investigate challenging behavior training for staff working with adults with ID within residential care settings to explore factors promoting transfer of training into practice. A mixed‐method review was adopted, and a systematic search identified 19 papers meeting the criteria for inclusion. The implicit themes involved in the transfer of training into practice were extracted from the literature and discussed in relation to: setting conditions; cognitive and emotional aspects; and organizational systems. As a first step toward moving forward with research in this relatively neglected area, key constructs were identified and a preliminary model of the transfer process proposed. Limitations of the review model were considered, and recommendations for future research discussed.
Shuffling between Cladocopium and Durusdinium extensively modifies the physiology of each symbiont without stressing the coral host
Authors: Abbott Evelyn , Dixon Groves , Matz Mikhail
Published: September 2021

As sea surface temperatures increase, many coral species that used to harbour symbionts of the genus Cladocopium have become colonized with the thermally tolerant genus, Durusdinium. Here, we asked how gene expression in the symbionts of one genus changes depending on the abundance of another symbiont genus within the same coral host, and what effect this interaction has on the host. Symbiont gene expression was overwhelmingly driven by whether the genus was the minority or the majority within the host, which affected 79% (Durusdinium) and 96% (Cladocopium) of all genes. Particularly strong effects in both genera were observed for photosynthesis components (upregulated in the minority state) and proteins putatively associated with cell motility (upregulated in the majority state). Importantly, there was no distinct gene expression signature associated with the mixed symbiosis state when both genera were represented in comparable proportions within the host, which could lead to more intense competition. The mixed symbiosis was also not associated with elevated host stress: in fact, after heat treatment, stress signatures were the lowest in mixed‐symbiosis corals compared to both Cladocopium‐ and Durusdinium‐dominated corals. In conclusion, during shuffling between Cladocopium and Durusdinium both symbiont genera go through extensive and largely reciprocal physiological transitions, but there is no evidence of intensifying antagonistic interactions that are detrimental to the host. Unless the mixed‐symbiosis corals in this study are not representative of the typical transition between Cladocopium and Durusdinium, the process of shuffling from one symbiont genus to another appears to be cost‐free for the coral host, and even appears to be associated with lower stress susceptibility. This raises optimism for the future corals, which will probably have to rely on symbiont shuffling more and more to withstand environmental challenges.
Strategic Depth Through Enclaves: Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah
Authors: Mason Robert
Published: September 2021

This article interrogates and extrapolates Iran's bilateral relationship with the Assad government and Hezbollah in the context of the so‐called Resistance Axis, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's objective of enhancing its strategic depth in Syria after the onset of conflict in 2011. Utilizing a complex realist conceptual framework, and with reference to constructivism, it argues that Iran's strategic depth in Syria could have been addressed as part of a dialogue on regional security after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the Iran nuclear deal) in 2015. However, it has been reinforced by the legacy of past warfare, the Trump administration's “maximum pressure” policy, and a regional trend toward the creation of enclaves in conflict zones. This trend, including Turkey's forward‐defense strategy in Syria, could create further instabilities as state and nonstate actors vie for security and political influence and as long as enclaves remain untethered to broader interests and alliances. The case of Pakistan highlights enduring themes such as how shifting US diplomatic and military strategy and dependency could impact strategic depth.
Characterisation of the nail microbiome in psoriatic and nonpsoriatic patients with onychomycosis
Authors: Wang Shiqi , Song Yinggai , Wan Zhe , Chen Wei , Wang Ruojun , Li Ruoyu
Published: September 2021

Background

Onychomycosis (OM) is the most common infectious nail disease, and it occurs frequently in patients with psoriasis. Microbial community shifts have been suggested to play a role in psoriasis and fungal infection occurrence.

Objectives

To investigate and compare nail microbial community compositions in psoriatic and nonpsoriatic patients with OM.

Methods

Toenail samples were collected from nonpsoriatic patients with OM, psoriatic patients with nail psoriasis (NP) and OM, patients with only NP and healthy controls. Bacterial and fungal community compositions were analysed by amplicon sequencing of the V3‐V4 regions of the 16S rDNA gene and the ITS1 region, respectively.

Results

Psoriatic OM patients had higher bacterial and fungal alpha diversities. Taxonomic analysis revealed a significantly lower relative abundance of Trichophyton rubrum (32.88% vs 82.18%, p < .001) and an increased trend of the abundance of Candida in psoriatic patients with OM than in nonpsoriatic patients. Nonpsoriatic patients with OM had a higher abundance of Staphylococcus than healthy controls (59.66% vs 45.76%, p < .05). Trichophyton, Alternaria and Malassezia could accurately differentiate psoriatic and nonpsoriatic patients with OM, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86. The severity of OM was positively correlated with the relative abundance of Trichophyton rubrum. Further, Trichophyton was positively correlated with Staphylococcus and negatively correlated with Corynebacterium, Anaerococcus, Malassezia and Alternaria.

Conclusions

The nail microbiome in psoriatic patients with OM has distinct bacterial and fungal signatures, suggesting that different dysbiosis is associated with the pathogenesis of OM in psoriatic and nonpsoriatic patients.
Lack of synchronized breeding success in a seabird community: extreme events, niche separation, and environmental variability
Authors: Youngflesh Casey , Li Yun , Lynch Heather J. , Delord Karine , Barbraud Christophe , Ji Rubao , Jenouvrier Stephanie
Published: September 2021

Synchrony in ecological systems, the degree to which elements respond similarly over time or space, can inform our understanding of how ecosystems function and how they are responding to global change. While studies of ecological synchrony are often focused on within‐species dynamics, synchrony among species may provide important insights into how dynamics of one species are indicative of conditions relevant to the larger community, with both basic and applied implications. Ecological theory suggests there may be conditions under which communities might exhibit increased synchrony, however, the degree to which these patterns are borne out in natural systems is currently unknown. We used long‐term breeding success data from a community of Antarctic seabirds to assess the degree of interspecific, community synchrony, and the role that extreme events play in driving these dynamics. We assessed theoretical links between community synchrony, niche separation, and environmental variability using data from this and three other seabird communities as well as a simulation study. Results show that reproductive success for individual species in the Antarctic seabird community fluctuated relatively independently from one another, resulting in little synchrony across this community, outside of extreme years. While an exceptionally poor year for a given species was not necessarily associated with an exceptionally poor year for any other species, one community‐wide extreme year existed. When compared to other seabird communities, this group of Antarctic seabirds exhibited lower overall synchrony and higher estimated niche separation, supporting theoretical predictions. Empirical and simulation‐derived results suggest that communities where temporal variation is small for conditions in which species respond substantially differently, and large for conditions in which species respond similarly, may exhibit more synchronous dynamics. Identifying where and why synchronous dynamics might be more apparent has the potential to inform how ecological communities might respond to future global change.
Do rectus muscle parameters vary between emmetropes and myopes?
Authors: Vasudeva Ashish , Dhakal Rohit , Vupparaboina Kiran Kumar , Verkicharla Pavan K
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This study investigated the thickness, area, and insertion site of the medial (MR) and lateral (LR) rectus muscles in individuals with emmetropia and different degrees of myopia.

Methods

Swept‐source optical coherence tomography images of the MR and LR muscles in 80 participants including emmetropes (spherical equivalent refractive error [SER] ±0.50 D, N = 14) and myopes (≤ −0.75 D, N = 66), were analysed. Custom‐designed, semi‐automated software was used to measure parameters such as insertion distance from limbus, muscle thickness at every 1 mm interval to 3 mm periphery and muscle area from insertion site to 3 mm.

Results

The median (Q1, Q3) SER error and axial length were −6.00 D (−13.25, −2.12) and 25.78 mm (23.78, 28.61), respectively. The MR was significantly thinner (mean ± SE: 137.7 ± 8.9 vs. 159.7 ± 8.9 µm, p < 0.01) and occupied less area than the LR (0.35 ± 0.01 vs. 0.42 ± 0.01 mm2, respectively, p < 0.01). The thickness of the MR gradually increased from the insertion site to a 3 mm peripheral eccentric location (106.5 3.8 µm at 1 mm, 135.5 ± 4.5 µm at 2 mm and 156.1 ± 5.9 µm at 3 mm, p < 0.01). The overall median thickness of the MR was significantly less in myopes (129 µm [111.5, 152.2]) than emmetropes (158.1 [134.3, 167.7] µm, p = 0.03). However, no such trend was seen in the LR muscle. Muscle area and insertion distance were not different between emmetropes and myopes in both horizontal rectus muscles.

Conclusion

Unlike the LR, the parameters of the MR (thin and occupying less area) show significant association with myopia. While the key finding of this study indicates the possible association of MR parameters with myopia, the clinical relevance of this finding and its role in myopiogenesis/progression needs to be investigated further.
OsPSKR15, a phytosulfokine receptor from rice enhances abscisic acid response and drought stress tolerance
Authors: Nagar Preeti , Sharma Namisha , Jain Muskan , Sharma Gauri , Prasad Manoj , Mustafiz Ananda
Published: September 2021

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a major phytohormone that acts as stimuli and plays an important role in plant growth, development, and environmental stress responses. Membrane‐localized receptor‐like kinases (RLKs) help to detect extracellular stimuli and activate downstream signaling responses to modulate a variety of biological processes. Phytosulfokine receptor (PSKR), a Leu‐rich repeat (LRR)‐RLK, has been characterized for its role in growth, development and biotic stress. Here, we observed that OsPSKR15, a rice PSKR, was upregulated by ABA in Oryza sativa. We demonstrated OsPSKR15 is a positive regulator in plant response to ABA. Ectopic expression of OsPSKR15 in Arabidopsis thaliana increased the sensitivity to ABA during germination, growth and stomatal closure. Consistently, the expression of ABA‐inducible genes was significantly upregulated in these plants. OsPSKR15 also regulated reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐mediated ABA signaling in guard cells, thereby governing stomatal closure. Furthermore, the constitutive expression of OsPSKR15 enhanced drought tolerance by reducing the transpirational water loss in Arabidopsis. We also reported that OsPSKR15 directly interacts with AtPYL9 and its orthologue OsPYL11 of rice through its kinase domain in the plasma membrane and nucleus. Altogether, these results reveal an important role of OsPSKR15 in plant response toward abiotic stress in an ABA‐dependent manner.