bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Great Start-up Sellout and the Rise of Oligopoly
Authors: Ederer Florian , Pellegrino Bruno
Published: May 2023

We document a secular shift from initial public offerings to acquisitions of venture capital-backed start-ups and show that this trend is accompanied by an increase in the opportunity cost of going public over the last quarter-century. Dominant companies that are disproportionately active in the corporate control market for start-ups have become more insulated from the pressures of product market competition over the same period. These facts are consistent with the hypothesis that start-up acquisitions have contributed to rising oligopoly power.
Quantifying the Inflationary Impact of Fiscal Stimulus under Supply Constraints
Authors: di Giovanni Julian , Kalemli-Özcan Şebnem , Silva Alvaro , Yıldırım Muhammed A.
Published: May 2023

This paper builds on Baqaee and Farhi (2022) and di Giovanni et al. (2022) to quantify the contribution of fiscal policy on US inflation over the December 2019 to June 2022 period. Model calibrations show that aggregate demand shocks explain roughly two-thirds of total model-based inflation and that the fiscal stimulus contributed half or more of the total aggregate demand effect.
Blockchain Private Pools and Price Discovery
Authors: Capponi Agostino , Jia Ruizhe , Wang Ye
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we examine the balance between allocative efficiency and price discovery in blockchain-based finance. Our analysis reveals that the use of private pools, while improving blockspace allocation efficiency, negatively impacts price discovery. We show that the presence of private pools limits the amount of information revealed through pending orders and increases the execution risk of informed orders. We argue that price discovery can be improved by increasing the number of validators monitoring private pools or the block production rate on the chain.
Financial Bubbles in Infinitely Repeated Auctions with Tokens
Authors: Canidio Andrea
Published: May 2023

An auctioneer holds an infinite sequence of private value auctions. He can accept payments in a blockchain-based token that he creates and initially owns. I show that relative to a standard auction with dollars, the present-discounted value of the expected revenues is higher whenever financial bubbles on tokens emerge, which happens when the rate at which investors use their tokens for bidding is sufficiently low. Financial bubbles can also emerge if the auctioneer uses dollars and issues equity. But in this case, a bubble is possible only if an increasing amount of aggregate wealth is invested in equity, which seems counterfactual.
Competition, Motivation, and Student Engagement
Authors: Felkey Amanda J. , Dziadula Eva , Chiang Eric
Published: May 2023

We consider the gamification aspect of a technology that delivers small daily tasks to students to analyze how competition motivates engagement. We randomly assigned 400 students into teams of up to 10, who compete by committing to the daily task and then acknowledging their completion later in the day. Using data collected from the leaderboard, we test whether student engagement with respect to competition varies systematically by gender and by the level of anonymity. Not surprisingly, being ranked in the top three is highly motivating. However, among lower-ranked students, male students tend to disengage when usernames are not anonymous.
Knowledge about Federal Employment Nondiscrimination Protections on the Basis of Sexual Orientation
Authors: Aksoy Billur , Carpenter Christopher S. , Sansone Dario
Published: May 2023

Using a US nationally representative online sample, we measure the level of knowledge on employment nondiscrimination laws. Although Americans are well informed about sex, race, and disability being protected characteristics, only about 71 percent think that sexual orientation is a protected characteristic. Sexual minorities are as uninformed as heterosexual individuals that sexual orientation is legally protected from employment discrimination. Furthermore, sexual minorities living in states that did not previously have statewide employment nondiscrimination protections prior to the 2020 Supreme Court ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County are less likely to think that sexual orientation is a protected characteristic.
Policies for Electrifying the Light-Duty Vehicle Fleet in the United States
Authors: Cole Cassandra , Droste Michael , Knittel Christopher , Li Shanjun , Stock James H.
Published: May 2023

Decarbonization of light-duty vehicles (LDVs) in the United States is an important policy priority. We investigate the roles of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act in accelerating the transition of LDVs to electric vehicles. We additionally consider alternate allocations of government funds for subsidized construction of charging stations and refundable tax credits for electric vehicles. We find that charging station subsidies are extremely effective as measured by impact for a given fiscal expenditure. All of the policies we consider have estimated costs below the most recent estimate of the social cost of carbon.
Do Government Spending Multipliers Depend on the Sign of the Shock?
Authors: Ben Zeev Nadav , Ramey Valerie A. , Zubairy Sarah
Published: May 2023

We analyze whether government spending multipliers differ by the sign of the shock. Using aggregate historical US data, we apply Ben Zeev's (2020) nonlinear diagnostic tests and find evidence of nonlinearities in the impulse response functions of both government spending and GDP. We then extend Ramey and Zubairy's (2018) framework to allow for asymmetric effects as a type of state dependence to estimate multipliers. While we find differences in the impulse response functions, the resulting multipliers do not differ by sign of the shock. Thus, declines in government spending do not have different effects on economic activity than rises in spending.
Measuring the Share of Imports in Final Consumption
Authors: Dhyne Emmanuel , Kikkawa Ayumu Ken , Mogstad Magne , Tintelnot Felix
Published: May 2023

We use Belgian data on domestic firm-to-firm transactions and ask how the measurement of the share of imports in final consumption is affected when one uses data recorded at higher levels of aggregation. We find that aggregating detailed firm-to-firm transaction data to the firm level and imposing homogeneity assumptions in the composition of firms' input and output do not substantially affect the measurement of the share of imports in final consumption. However, using the national input-output tables alone may understate the share of imports in final consumption and, thereby, the gains from trade.
New Measurement of Export Participation in US Manufacturing
Authors: Boehm Christoph E. , Flaaen Aaron , Pandalai-Nayar Nitya
Published: May 2023

We measure export participation rates in the US manufacturing sector using a new administrative dataset and compare them to participation rates constructed from the commonly used census of manufacturers (CM). At both the establishment and firm levels, export participation rates are near 40 percent in the administrative data, almost twice as high as in the CM. The discrepancy appears to result predominantly from undercounting of small exporters in the CM. Our findings call for reconsidering the conventional wisdom that around 20 percent of manufacturing firms export.
Data Markets with Privacy-Conscious Consumers
Authors: Argenziano Rossella , Bonatti Alessandro
Published: May 2023

We study data linkages among heterogeneous firms and examine how they shape the outcome of privacy regulation. A single consumer interacts sequentially with two firms: one firm collects data on consumer behavior, and the other firm leverages the data to set a quality level and a price. Privacy-conscious consumers distort their purchases from a data-collecting firm to manipulate the data-using firm's beliefs. We identify conditions under which data linkages increase total firm profits. Therefore, if firms can trade consumer data efficiently, our setting provides a rationale for the existence of data markets even with privacy-conscious consumers.
The 2021 Child Tax Credit: Who Received It and How Did They Spend It?
Authors: Michelmore Katherine , Pilkauskas Natasha V.
Published: May 2023

In March of 2021, Congress passed a one-year expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC), creating a temporary, near-universal child benefit. Despite expanding eligibility to millions of previously ineligible children living in low-income households, only two-thirds received the monthly benefit. We illustrate that some historic gaps in receipt of the CTC remain despite the efforts to make the credit more universal: prior tax filing, household income, and survey language were among the strongest predictors of monthly receipt. More work is needed to understand why families did not receive the CTC and how to reach these vulnerable populations.
Efficient Adaptation to Flood Risk
Authors: Hovekamp Winston P. , Wagner Katherine R.H.
Published: May 2023

This paper studies whether private adaptation to flood risk is economically efficient. We estimate the return to elevating houses, one of the most significant private defensive investments against flooding, using two decades of microdata on the universe of houses and flood damages in high-risk flood zones in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast United States. We find that undertaking adaptation is socially optimal in the highest-risk areas over a house's lifetime but that individual homeowners may underinvest in flood protection because the benefits do not accrue over their average tenure. We identify conditions under which adaptation yields the highest returns.
Can High School Counselors Help the Economics Pipeline?
Authors: Gentry Melissa , Meer Jonathan , Serra Danila
Published: May 2023

We evaluate the impact of an intervention aimed at informing high school counselors about the field of economics, with the aim of attracting a more diverse student population into the major. Our study involves 234 Texas high schools that send a large number of students to Texas A&M University. Half of the schools were randomly selected and invited to send a guidance counselor to an in-person informational counselor workshop. While the intervention did not significantly increase applications into the major in the full student population, it significantly increased the economics applications of top-performing women and underrepresented minority students.
Fully Promoted: The Distribution and Determinants of Full Professorship in the Economics Profession
Authors: Kleemans Marieke , Thornton Rebecca
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we document the distribution and determinants of full professorship in the economics profession. Using department-level data from the Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession, we show that while the share of female full professors has increased over time, doctoral departments still only have 2 female full professors on average, and liberal arts departments 1.14. Moreover, 25 percent of doctoral departments and 32 percent of liberal arts departments don't have any female full professors. Using individual-level data from Academic Analytics combined with survival analysis, we find that women are 18 percent less likely to be promoted to full professor, after controlling for institution and individual characteristics.
Reconstruction of a soft tissue defect in the toe using a serratus anterior fascia free flap: a case report
Authors: Kim Dae Kwan , Kim Youn Hwan
Published: May 2023

Toe injuries frequently occur as traumatic or oncologic defects. Compared with finger reconstruction, toe reconstruction has been rarely reported in the literature, because of the difficulty of toes’ relatively thin soft tissue envelope, their requirement for relatively challenging surgical techniques, and the slight improvements in gait. Therefore, toe reconstruction can be challenging for plastic surgeons, especially in cases with exposure of a tendon, bone, or joint. Herein, we present a case study of a 54-year-old woman with squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen disease) that subsequently resulted in a defect on her second toe. A serratus anterior fascia free flap could be a good option for toe reconstruction due to its large caliber, lengthy pedicle, relatively easy dissection, and thin muscle bulk. We present our unique experience using the serratus anterior fascia free flap for the reconstruction of an oncologic toe defect.
Caring for patients with periprosthetic femoral fractures across England and Wales in 2021
Authors: Jones Conor S. , Eardley William G. P. , Johansen Antony , Inman Dominic S. , Evans Jonathan T.
Published: May 2023

Aims

The aim of this study was to describe services available to patients with periprosthetic femoral fracture (PPFF) in England and Wales, with focus on variation between centres and areas for care improvement.

Methods

This work used data freely available from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) facilities survey in 2021, which asked 21 questions about the care of patients with PPFFs, and nine relating to clinical decision-making around a hypothetical case.

Results

Of 174 centres contributing data to the NHFD, 161 provided full responses and 139 submitted data on PPFF. Lack of resources was cited as the main reason for not submitting data. Surgeon (44.6%) and theatre (29.7%) availability were reported as the primary reasons for surgical delay beyond 36 hours. Less than half had a formal process for a specialist surgeon to operate on PPFF at least every other day. The median number of specialist surgeons at each centre was four (interquartile range (IQR) 3 to 6) for PPFF around both hips and knees. Around one-third of centres reported having one dedicated theatre list per week. The routine discussion of patients with PPFF at local and regional multidisciplinary team meetings was lower than that for all-cause revision arthroplasties. Six centres reported transferring all patients with PPFF around a hip joint to another centre for surgery, and this was an occasional practice for a further 34. The management of the hypothetical clinical scenario was varied, with 75 centres proposing ORIF, 35 suggested revision surgery and 48 proposed a combination of both revision and fixation.

Conclusion

There is considerable variation in both the organization of PPFF services England and Wales, and in the approach taken to an individual case. The rising incidence of PPFF and complexity of these patients highlight the need for pathway development. The adoption of networks may reduce variability and improve outcomes for patients with PPFF.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(5):378–384.
Russia’s and America’s 21st-century wars: Mirror images?
Authors: Hamourtziadou Lily , Jackson Jonathan , Winch Ron
Published: May 2023

In this article, we look at 21st-century warfare in the context of two great powers: Russia and America. Russian and American invasions and subsequent wars are evaluated in terms of why and how they are fought, legal and moral considerations, impact, outcomes, and consequences. The article examines similarities and differences in strategy and methods, expanding on the increasingly popular remote warfare. Finally, we assess the decisive role of science and technology in war, raising questions about the future of AI warfare.
The forgotten war: Yemen and human security
Authors: Abdulkader Maram
Published: May 2023

This research examines the significance of having all seven aspects of human security. A series of questions were directed toward a sample of Yemeni participants living inside and outside of Yemen in order to get an insight into the daily struggles they face as a result of conflict. The interviews reveal the impact war has on human security and the absence of all seven components of human security put forward by the United Nations. This research argues that security in every shape and form is extremely important as all seven components are interlinked. As the world’s attention is on Ukraine and the impact of the Russia–Ukraine War on civilians, this article pushes the reader to question the deafening silence of the world when it comes to the situation in Yemen. Without acknowledgment, raising awareness, and holding those in charge of the war accountable for their wrongdoings, change will never prevail.
Policing third-world countries through a system of lending: The socioeconomic and political implications for Nigeria
Authors: Kehinde-Balogun Olasunkanmi
Published: May 2023

One common economic phenomenon of third-world countries is the high tendency not to be able to financially sustain themselves. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (2022), a plethora of these countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Congo, Sierra Leone, and Equatorial Guinea, among others, tend to continually borrow funds from countries with developed economies and other global financial institutions. In other words, many African countries continue to depend on the Western powers for survival (Mhango, 2017). This has been a growing trend since many of the developing countries attained the status of political independence some four to six decades ago. There are realities around the core inability of the governments of developing countries to finance many state-owned projects, including recurrent expenditures. Since the genesis of Nigeria’s public debt in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the country has been through economic hardship with poverty and stagnation to show for the humongous loans taken year-in, year-out. Oftentimes, going by the Western powers’ analysis, fingers have been pointed at the country’s corrupt leadership, while feasible lessons from the soil have indicated colonialism, neo-colonialism, and imperialism of Western domination. Isiani et al. (2021) maintained that the most pressing position has been Nigeria’s economic linkage with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other instrumentalities of external loans that have over the years enmeshed the country in deeper debts through their imposed conditionality, and in addition submitted the example that the Structural Adjustment Program of IMF loans in the 1990s cemented Nigeria’s economic doom until today.
Association of white blood cell count-to-mean platelet volume ratio with the risk of fatal stroke occurrence in older Chinese
Authors: Hu Zhi-bing , Lu Ze-xiong , Chen Ying , Zhu Tong , Jin Ya-li , Pan Jing , Zhong Qiong-qiong , Li Jun-xiao , Zhu Feng
Published: May 2023

White blood cell (WBC) and mean platelet volume (MPV) counts are related to stroke events, but relationship between their combined indicator (WBC count-to-MPV count ratio (WMR)) and the risk of fatal stroke occurrence is unclear so far. In this prospective analysis, we enrolled 27,163 participants aged 50 years or older without a stroke history in the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. After a mean follow-up time of 15.0 (SD = 2.2) years with 389,242 person-years, 816 stroke (401 ischaemic, 259 haemorrhagic and 156 unclassified) deaths were recorded. Cox’s proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Compared with those in the lowest quartile, participants with the highest WMR had different risks for fatal all stroke and fatal ischaemic stroke, respectively, although an increased risk for fatal ischaemic stroke was observed among participants in the fourth WMR quartile and further hs-CRP adjustment; those in the WMR change with 10% increase had a 36% increased risk of fatal all stroke and a 79% increased risk of fatal haemorrhagic stroke, compared to those in a stable (the WMR change between −10% and 10%). Our findings suggest that higher WMR and its longitudinal change were associated with an increased risk of fatal stroke occurrence in middle-aged to older Chinese; it may be a potential indicator for the future fatal stroke occurrence in relatively healthy elderly populations.
‘Caring beyond capacity’ during the COVID-19 pandemic: resilience and family carers of people with dementia from the IDEAL cohort
Authors: Stapley Sally , Pentecost Claire , Collins Rachel , Quinn Catherine , Dawson Eleanor , Thom Jeanette M. , Clare Linda
Published: May 2023

Family carers of people with dementia have reported increased caring demands during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore seven family carers’ accounts of dementia caregiving one year into the COVID-19 pandemic in England in relation to carer resilience. Themes describe the complex challenges of caring during the pandemic, with interviewees burned out and ‘caring beyond capacity’ due to unmet needs within the caring role, therein highlighting the limitations of building individual resilience only. Timely practical support for carers is essential to protect their well-being and to ward against the potential consequences of carer burnout.
Capitalist diversity or unevenness? Uneven and combined development, growth models and the crisis in the eurozone periphery
Authors: Dooley Neil
Published: May 2023

The ‘unevenness’ of European capitalism has been well established by Comparative Political Economy (CPE) as central to the origins of the eurozone crisis. The influential ‘growth models’ perspective has shown how the integration of export-led models in the ‘core’ with demand-led models in the periphery has led to the build-up of destructive current and capital account imbalances. However, CPE approaches are limited by their methodological nationalism, which stands in their way of adequately theorising the international dimensions of the crisis. In contrast, recent scholarship on Uneven and Combined Development (U&CD) and the global financial crash is more suited to overcome methodological nationalism, but existing contributions are let down by their lack of mid-range International Political Economy (IPE) concepts and their limited engagement with CPE. The main contribution of this article is to develop a new account of the origins of the eurozone crisis in Portugal and Ireland, by developing a framework that synthesises recent U&CD scholarship on the eurozone crisis and new developments in CPE, namely, the growth models perspective (GMP). This article shows how the GMP provides U&CD with two key mid-range analytical tools, namely the notion of the ‘dominant growth coalition’ (DGC), and a wider conception of European multiplicity. The DGC concept makes it possible for U&CD analysis to account for peripheral politics, while also recognising the wider multiplicity beyond relations of core-periphery dependency. In turn, U&CD makes it possible for the GMP to take the international more seriously in its analysis of the political economy of capitalist diversity.
Raman spectromics method for fast and label-free genotype screening
Authors: Zhu Shanshan , Li Yanjian , Zhang Fengdi , Xiong Changchun , Gao Han , Yao Yudong , Qian Wei , Ding Chen , Chen Shuo
Published: May 2023

It is now understood that genes and their various mutations are associated with the onset and progression of diseases. However, routine genetic testing techniques are limited by their high cost, time consumption, susceptibility to contamination, complex operation, and data analysis difficulties, rendering them unsuitable for genotype screening in many cases. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a rapid, sensitive, user-friendly, and cost-effective method for genotype screening and analysis. In this study, we propose and investigate a Raman spectroscopic method for achieving fast and label-free genotype screening. The method was validated using spontaneous Raman measurements of wild-type Cryptococcus neoformans and its six mutants. An accurate identification of different genotypes was achieved by employing a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN), and significant correlations between metabolic changes and genotypic variations were revealed. Genotype-specific regions of interest were also localized and visualized using a gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM)-based spectral interpretable analysis method. Furthermore, the contribution of each metabolite to the final genotypic decision-making was quantified. The proposed Raman spectroscopic method demonstrated huge potential for fast and label-free genotype screening and analysis of conditioned pathogens.
Flexible long-wave infrared snapshot multispectral imaging with a pixel-level spectral filter array
Authors: Hao Han , Jin Jinjin , Li Xiong , Pu Mingbo , Ma Xiaoliang , Luo Xiangang
Published: May 2023

This paper proposes and demonstrates a flexible long-wave infrared snapshot multispectral imaging system consisting of a simple re-imaging system and a pixel-level spectral filter array. A six-band multispectral image in the spectral range of 8-12 µm with full width at half maximum of about 0.7 µm each band is acquired in the experiment. The pixel-level multispectral filter array is placed at the primary imaging plane of the re-imaging system instead of directly encapsulated on the detector chip, which diminishes the complexity of pixel-level chip packaging. Furthermore, the proposed method possesses the merit of flexible functions switching between multispectral imaging and intensity imaging by plugging and unplugging the pixel-level spectral filter array. Our approach could be viable for various practical long-wave infrared detection applications.
Super-resolution multimode fiber imaging with an untrained neural network
Authors: Li Wei , Abrashitova Ksenia , Amitonova Lyubov V.
Published: May 2023

Multimode fiber endoscopes provide extreme miniaturization of imaging components for minimally invasive deep tissue imaging. Typically, such fiber systems suffer from low spatial resolution and long measurement time. Fast super-resolution imaging through a multimode fiber has been achieved by using computational optimization algorithms with hand-picked priors. However, machine learning reconstruction approaches offer the promise of better priors, but require large training datasets and therefore long and unpractical pre-calibration time. Here we report a method of multimode fiber imaging based on unsupervised learning with untrained neural networks. The proposed approach solves the ill-posed inverse problem by not relying on any pre-training process. We have demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally that untrained neural networks enhance the imaging quality and provide sub-diffraction spatial resolution of the multimode fiber imaging system.
Plasmonic grating H2S sensor based on a chitosan-polyaniline-nano-composite
Authors: Hamidi Seyedeh Mehri , Amouyan Farnaz , Sadrolhosseini Amir Reza , Ghahrizjani Reza Taheri , Kazemzad Mahmood
Published: May 2023

In this study, a plasmonic sensor was designed based on the grating coupling to detect the low concentration of H2S as a toxic chemical. The polyaniline nanostructure was prepared using the laser ablation technique in a chitosan solution and the final products were tested using analytical methods. The chitosan-polyaniline nanocomposite layer was used as a sensing layer and coated on the surface of 1D polydimethylsiloxane grating. The variation of reflectivity with different concentrations of H2S was registered from the surface of the grating for evaluating the sensor’s response. Finally, it was explained using the Langmuir isotherm absorption model. The limit of detection and the sensitivity of chitosan-polyaniline-nanocomposite were about 1 ppm and 0.10767 for the detection of H2S, respectively.
Optical and electrical properties characterisation of photovoltaic spatial-light modulators
Authors: Brouckaert Nicolas , Bankova Denitsa , Heiser Thomas , D’Alessandro Giampaolo , Kaczmarek Malgosia
Published: May 2023

Liquid crystal photovoltaic spatial-light modulators use photovoltaic
layers as an integrated power source to switch from a transparent to
an opaque state depending on the ambient illumination. We use
non-invasive cross-polarised intensity measurements, to fit
photovoltaic parameters, namely photo-generated voltage and
photoconductivity, in a sealed device and map their variation across
its surface. This methodology was used to estimate the effect of light
intensity on these devices and to monitor changes of the photovoltaic
parameters over a nine-month period.
A study on the limits of imaging capability due to water scattering effects in underwater ghost imaging
Authors: Li Yuliang , Chen Mingliang , Qi Jinquan , Deng chenjin , Du Longkun , Bo Zunwang , Han Chang , mao zhihua , He Yan , Shao Xuehui , Han Shensheng
Published: May 2023

Underwater ghost imaging is an effective method of underwater detection. In this research, theoretical and experimental investigations were conducted on underwater ghost imaging, combining the underwater optical field transmission model with the inherent optical parameters of a water body. In addition, the Wells model and the approximate Sahu-Shanmugam(S-S) scattering phase function were used to create a model for underwater optical transmission. The second-order Glauber function of the optical field was then employed to analyze the scattering field degradation during the transmission process. The simulation and experimental results verified that the proposed underwater model could better reveal the degrading effect of a water body on ghost imaging. A further series of experiments comparing underwater ghost imaging at different detection distances was also conducted. Cooperative targets were imaged up to 65.2 m (9.3 attenuation lengths (ALs), attenuation coefficient c = 0.1426 m-1, and scattering coefficient b = 0.052 m-1) and non-cooperative targets up to 41.2 m (6.4 ALs, c = 0.1569 m-1, and b = 0.081 m-1). From equating the experimental maximum imaged AL for cooperative targets with Jerlov-I water (c = 0.048 m-1 and b = 0.002 m-1), the system has the maximum imaging distance of 193.7 m.
Optimal restoration for pollination services increases forest cover while doubling agricultural profits
Authors: López-Cubillos Sofía , McDonald-Madden Eve , Mayfield Margaret M. , Runting Rebecca K.
Published: May 2023

Pollinators are currently facing dramatic declines in abundance and richness across the globe. This can have profound impacts on agriculture, as 75% of globally common food crops benefit from pollination services. As many native bee species require natural areas for nesting, restoration efforts within croplands may be beneficial to support pollinators and enhance agricultural yields. Yet, restoration can be challenging to implement due to large upfront costs and the removal of land from production. Designing sustainable landscapes will require planning approaches that include the complex spatiotemporal dynamics of pollination services flowing from (restored) vegetation into crops. We present a novel planning framework to determine the best spatial arrangement for restoration in agricultural landscapes while accounting for yield improvements over 40 years following restoration. We explored a range of production and conservation goals using a coffee production landscape in Costa Rica as a case study. Our results show that strategic restoration can increase forest cover by approximately 20% while doubling collective landholder profits over 40 years, even when accounting for land taken out of production. We show that restoration can provide immense economic benefits in the long run, which may be pivotal to motivating local landholders to undertake conservation endeavours in pollinator-dependent croplands.
Hold me or stroke me? Individual differences in static and dynamic affective touch
Authors: Ali S. Hasan , Makdani Adarsh D. , Cordero Maria I. , Paltoglou Aspasia E. , Marshall Andrew G. , McFarquhar Martyn J. , McGlone Francis P. , Walker Susannah C. , Trotter Paula D.
Published: May 2023

Low-threshold mechanosensory C-fibres, C-tactile afferents (CTs), respond optimally to sensations associated with a human caress. Additionally, CT-stimulation activates brain regions associated with processing affective states. This evidence has led to the social touch hypothesis, that CTs have a key role in encoding the affective properties of social touch. Thus, to date, the affective touch literature has focussed on gentle stroking touch. However, social touch interactions involve many touch types, including static, higher force touch such as hugging and holding. This study aimed to broaden our understanding of the social touch hypothesis by investigating relative preference for static vs dynamic touch and the influence of force on these preferences. Additionally, as recent literature has highlighted individual differences in CT-touch sensitivity, this study investigated the influence of affective touch experiences and attitudes, autistic traits, depressive symptomology and perceived stress on CT-touch sensitivity. Directly experienced, robotic touch responses were obtained through a lab-based study and vicarious touch responses through an online study where participants rated affective touch videos. Individual differences were determined by self-report questionnaire measures. In general, static touch was preferred over CT-non-optimal stroking touch, however, consistent with previous reports, CT-optimal stroking (velocity 1–10 cm/s) was rated most pleasant. However, static and CT-optimal vicarious touch were rated comparably for dorsal hand touch. For all velocities, 0.4N was preferred over 0.05N and 1.5N robotic touch. Participant dynamic touch quadratic terms were calculated for robotic and vicarious touch as a proxy CT-sensitivity measure. Attitudes to intimate touch significantly predict robotic and vicarious quadratic terms, as well as vicarious static dorsal hand touch ratings. Perceived stress negatively predicted robotic static touch ratings. This study has identified individual difference predictors of CT-touch sensitivity. Additionally, it has highlighted the context dependence of affective touch responses and the need to consider static, as well as dynamic affective touch.
Rapid genotyping of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) using MinION nanopore sequencing
Authors: Caserta Leonardo Cardia , Zhang Jianqiang , Piñeyro Pablo , Diel Diego G.
Published: May 2023

The global distribution and constant evolution are challenges for the control of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), one of the most important viruses affecting swine worldwide. Effective control of PRRSV benefits from genotyping, which currently relies on Sanger sequencing. Here we developed and optimized procedures for real-time genotyping and whole genome sequencing of PRRSV directly from clinical samples based on targeted amplicon- and long amplicon tiling sequencing using the MinION Oxford Nanopore platform. Procedures were developed and tested on 154 clinical samples (including lung, serum, oral fluid and processing fluid) with RT-PCR Ct values ranging from 15 to 35. The targeted amplicon sequencing (TAS) approach was developed to obtain sequences of the complete ORF5 (main target gene for PRRSV genotyping) and partial ORF4 and ORF6 sequences of both PRRSV-1 and PRRSV-2 species. After only 5 min of sequencing, PRRSV consensus sequences with identities to reference sequences above 99% were obtained, enabling rapid identification and genotyping of clinical PRRSV samples into lineages 1, 5 and 8. The long amplicon tiling sequencing (LATS) approach targets type 2 PRRSV, the most prevalent viral species in the U.S. and China. Complete PRRSV genomes were obtained within the first hour of sequencing for samples with Ct values below 24.9. Ninety-two whole genome sequences were obtained using the LATS procedure. Fifty out of 60 sera (83.3%) and 18 out of 20 lung samples (90%) had at least 80% of genome covered at a minimum of 20X sequence depth per position. The procedures developed and optimized in this study here are valuable tools with potential for field application during PRRSV elimination programs.
The effects of postoperative treadmill exercise on rats with secondary lymphedema
Authors: Kim Sang Ah , Gelvosa Ma. Nessa , Cheon Hwayeong , Jeon Jae Yong
Published: May 2023

Cancer-related lymphedema (LE) is often caused by radiotherapy and surgery such as lymph node dissection (LND). Previous studies have reported that exercise is beneficial to relieve LE, but the changes in the lymphatic system following exercise are still unclear. This study aimed to examine the changes in lymphatic drainage pathways over the exercise period and beneficial effects of exercise in rats with LE. Twelve rats were randomly allocated into exercise and control groups (EG and CG; n = 6 each). To obtain LE, inguinal and popliteal LND followed by 20 Gy irradiation was performed. Treadmill exercise was 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week over the four-week period. Consecutive indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography images were collected and classified into five patterns: i) linear; ii) splash; iii) stardust; iv) diffuse, and v) none. Ankle thickness was measured weekly. Histopathological evaluation was performed to examine the skin thickness, collagen area fraction (%) and lymphatic vessel density in harvested tissue. ICG lymphography exhibited more linear and splash patterns in the EG at week 3. The difference of swelling between both groups was significantly different at week 4 (p = 0.016). Histopathologic data revealed a thinner epidermis (p = 0.041) and dermis (p = 0.002), lower collagen area fraction (%, p = 0.002), and higher lymph vessel density (p = 0.002) in the EG than the CG. In conclusion, we found that postoperative exercise can facilitate improvement in lymphatic fluid retention in the lymphedema rat model, resulting in improvement of pathological conditions in the lymphatic system.
Pervasive mRNA uridylation in fission yeast is catalysed by both Cid1 and Cid16 terminal uridyltransferases
Authors: Lipińska-Zubrycka Lidia , Grochowski Maciej , Bähler Jürg , Małecki Michał
Published: May 2023

Messenger RNA uridylation is pervasive and conserved among eukaryotes, but the consequences of this modification for mRNA fate are still under debate. Utilising a simple model organism to study uridylation may facilitate efforts to understand the cellular function of this process. Here we demonstrate that uridylation can be detected using simple bioinformatics approach. We utilise it to unravel widespread transcript uridylation in fission yeast and demonstrate the contribution of both Cid1 and Cid16, the only two annotated terminal uridyltransferases (TUT-ases) in this yeast. To detect uridylation in transcriptome data, we used a RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) library preparation protocol involving initial linker ligation to fragmented RNA—an approach borrowed from small RNA sequencing that was commonly used in older RNA-seq protocols. We next explored the data to detect uridylation marks. Our analysis show that uridylation in yeast is pervasive, similarly to the one in multicellular organisms. Importantly, our results confirm the role of the cytoplasmic uridyltransferase Cid1 as the primary uridylation catalyst. However, we also observed an auxiliary role of the second uridyltransferase, Cid16. Thus both fission yeast uridyltransferases are involved in mRNA uridylation. Intriguingly, we found no physiological phenotype of the single and double deletion mutants of cid1 and cid16 and only minimal impact of uridylation on steady-state mRNA levels. Our work establishes fission yeast as a potent model to study uridylation in a simple eukaryote, and we demonstrate that it is possible to detect uridylation marks in RNA-seq data without the need for specific methodologies.
Effects of glycosaminoglycan content in extracellular matrix of donor cartilage on the functional properties of osteochondral allografts evaluated by micro-CT non-destructive analysis
Authors: Jin Yong Jun , Park Do Young , Noh Sujin , Kwon HyeonJae , Shin Dong Il , Park Jin Ho , Min Byoung-Hyun
Published: May 2023

Osteochondral allograft (OCA) is an important surgical procedure used to repair extensive articular cartilage damage. It is known that chondrocyte viability is crucial for maintaining the biochemical and biomechanical properties of OCA, which is directly related to the clinical success of the operation and is the only standard for preoperative evaluation of OCA. However, there is a lack of systematic research on the effect of the content of cellular matrix in OCA cartilage tissue on the efficacy of transplantation. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of different GAG contents on the success of OCA transplantation in a rabbit animal model. Each rabbit OCA was treated with chondroitinase to regulate glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in the tissue. Due to the different action times of chondroitinase, they were divided into 4 experimental groups (including control group, 2h, 4h, and 8h groups). The treated OCAs of each group were used for transplantation. In this study, transplant surgery effects were assessed using micro-computed tomography (μCT) and histological analysis. Our results showed that tissue integration at the graft site was poorer in the 4h and 8h groups compared to the control group at 4 and 12 weeks in vivo, as were the compressive modulus, GAG content, and cell density reduced. In conclusion, we evaluated the biochemical composition of OCAs before and after surgery using μCT analysis and demonstrated that the GAG content of the graft decreased, it also decreased during implantation; this resulted in decreased chondrocyte viability after transplantation and ultimately affected the functional success of OCAs.
Continuous extracorporeal femoral perfusion model for intravascular ultrasound, computed tomography and digital subtraction angiography
Authors: Gruschwitz Philipp , Hartung Viktor , Kleefeldt Florian , Peter Dominik , Lichthardt Sven , Huflage Henner , Grunz Jan-Peter , Augustin Anne Marie , Ergün Süleyman , Bley Thorsten Alexander , Petritsch Bernhard
Published: May 2023

Objectives

We developed a novel human cadaveric perfusion model with continuous extracorporeal femoral perfusion suitable for performing intra-individual comparison studies, training of interventional procedures and preclinical testing of endovascular devices. Objective of this study was to introduce the techniques and evaluate the feasibility for realistic computed tomography angiography (CTA), digital subtraction angiography (DSA) including vascular interventions, and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).

Methods

The establishment of the extracorporeal perfusion was attempted using one formalin-fixed and five fresh-frozen human cadavers. In all specimens, the common femoral and popliteal arteries were prepared, introducer sheaths inserted, and perfusion established by a peristaltic pump. Subsequently, we performed CTA and bilateral DSA in five cadavers and IVUS on both legs of four donors. Examination time without unintentional interruption was measured both with and without non-contrast planning CT. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting was performed by two interventional radiologists on nine extremities (five donors) using a broad spectrum of different intravascular devices.

Results

The perfusion of the upper leg arteries was successfully established in all fresh-frozen but not in the formalin-fixed cadaver. The experimental setup generated a stable circulation in each procedure (ten upper legs) for a period of more than six hours. Images acquired with CT, DSA and IVUS offered a realistic impression and enabled the sufficient visualization of all examined vessel segments. Arterial cannulating, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty as well as stent deployment were feasible in a way that is comparable to a vascular intervention in vivo. The perfusion model allowed for introduction and testing of previously not used devices.

Conclusions

The continuous femoral perfusion model can be established with moderate effort, works stable, and is utilizable for medical imaging of the peripheral arterial system using CTA, DSA and IVUS. Therefore, it appears suitable for research studies, developing skills in interventional procedures and testing of new or unfamiliar vascular devices.
Development and characterization of nanobodies that specifically target the oncogenic Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver-3 (PRL-3) and impact its interaction with a known binding partner, CNNM3
Authors: Smith Caroline N. , Kihn Kyle , Williamson Zachary A. , Chow K. Martin , Hersh Louis B. , Korotkov Konstantin V. , Deredge Daniel , Blackburn Jessica S.
Published: May 2023

Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver-3 (PRL-3) is associated with cancer progression and metastasis. The mechanisms that drive PRL-3’s oncogenic functions are not well understood, partly due to a lack of research tools available to study this protein. We have begun to address these issues by developing alpaca-derived single domain antibodies, or nanobodies, targeting PRL-3 with a KD of 30–300 nM and no activity towards highly homologous family members PRL-1 and PRL-2. We found that longer and charged N-terminal tags on PRL-3, such as GFP and FLAG, changed PRL-3 localization compared to untagged protein, indicating that the nanobodies may provide new insights into PRL-3 trafficking and function. The nanobodies perform equally, if not better, than commercially available antibodies in immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation. Finally, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) showed that the nanobodies bind partially within the PRL-3 active site and can interfere with PRL-3 phosphatase activity. Co-immunoprecipitation with a known PRL-3 active site binding partner, the CBS domain of metal transporter CNNM3, showed that the nanobodies reduced the amount of PRL-3:CBS inter-action. The potential of blocking this interaction is highly relevant in cancer, as multiple research groups have shown that PRL-3 binding to CNNM proteins is sufficient to promote metastatic growth in mouse models. The anti-PRL-3 nanobodies represent an important expansion of the research tools available to study PRL-3 function and can be used to define the role of PRL-3 in cancer progression.
Protein energy wasting in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients in Benin City, Nigeria: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Osunbor Osariemen Augustine , Unuigbe Evelyn Irobere , Okaka Enajite Ibiene , Adejumo Oluseyi Ademola
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Protein energy wasting (PEW) is common among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, especially those with advanced stage. It worsens frailty, sarcopenia and debility in CKD patients. Despite the importance of PEW, it is not routinely assessed during management of CKD patients in Nigeria. The prevalence of PEW and its associated factors were determined in pre-dialysis CKD patients.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study that involved 250 pre-dialysis CKD patients and 125 age- and sex- matched healthy controls. Body mass index (BMI), subjective global assessment (SGA) scores and serum albumin levels were used in PEW assessment. The factors associated with PEW were identified. P-value of < 0.05 was taken as significant.

Results

The mean age of CKD and control group were 52.3±16.0 years and 50.5±16.0 years, respectively. The prevalence of low BMI, hypoalbuminaemia and malnutrition defined by SGA in pre-dialysis CKD patients were 42.4%, 62.0% and 74.8%, respectively. The overall prevalence of PEW among the pre-dialysis CKD patients was 33.3%. On multiple logistic regression, the factors associated with PEW in CKD were being middle aged (adjusted odds ratio: 12.50; confidence interval: 3.42–45.00; p <0.001), depression (adjusted odds ratio: 2.34; confidence interval: 1.02–5.40; p = 0.046) and CKD stage 5 (adjusted odds ratio: 12.83; confidence interval: 3.53–46.60; p <0.001).

Conclusion

PEW is common in pre-dialysis CKD patients and it was associated with middle age, depression and advanced CKD. Early intervention aimed at addressing depression in early stages of CKD may prevent PEW and improve overall outcome in CKD patients.