bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic factors controlling nTiO
Authors: Thabet Samar G. , Sallam Ahmed , Moursi Yasser S. , Karam Mohamed A. , Alqudah Ahmad M.
Published: October 2021

Titanium dioxide nanoparticle (nTiO2) is one of the most produced nanoparticles worldwide. Its mechanism on crop development and performance is unclear as it is hard to predict their toxicity or benefit. Therefore, understanding the genetics of crop development under nTiO2 is a prerequisite for their applications in agriculture and crop improvement. Here, we aimed to examine the influnce of 300 ppm nTiO2 on seed germination, seedling morphology, root-related traits in 121 worldwide spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) accessions. Results show that nTiO2 significantley affected all traits scored in this study. Response to nTiO2 treatment, clear wide natural variation among accesions was detected. Remarkably, 10 genotypes showed increased root length under nTiO2 at the seedling stage indicating that nTiO2 enhanced the root elongation. Genome-wide association scan (GWAS) was applied using 9K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in a mixed-linear model that revealed 86 significant marker-trait associations with all traits scored in this study. Many significant SNPs were physically located near candidate genes, of which 191 genes were detected within the linkage disequilibrium and distributed over all barley chromosomes. Mostly, the genes harboured by chromosome 2H, specially calcium-binding genes family, regulate the variation of seedling length-related traits. Candidate genes on 7H encode zinc finger protein that controls the rate of germination. Therefore, these genomic regions at 2H and 7H can be targeted to select for improved seedling development and seed germination under nTiO2 stress in soils. These results improve understanding the genetic control of seed germination and seedling development under high levels of nTiO2 that can support plant breeding and crop improvement programmes.
Corrigendum: electronic transport calculations showing electron-phonon separation in directions transverse to high current (2021 J. Phys. Commun.
5 095007)
Authors: Patitsas S N
Published: October 2021

Some errors are reported here for recently published results [1]. The main conclusions concerning electron-phonon separation remain correct with equal and opposite forces on the electrons and phonons.
Universal points in the asymptotic spectrum of tensors
Authors: Christandl Matthias , Vrana Péter , Zuiddam Jeroen
Published: October 2021

Motivated by the problem of constructing fast matrix multiplication algorithms, Strassen (FOCS 1986, Crelle 1987–1991) introduced and developed the theory of asymptotic spectra of tensors. For any sub-semiringX\mathcal {X}of tensors (under direct sum and tensor product), the duality theorem that is at the core of this theory characterizes basic asymptotic properties of the elements ofX\mathcal {X}in terms ofthe asymptotic spectrum ofX\mathcal {X}, which is defined as the collection of semiring homomorphisms fromX\mathcal {X}to the non-negative reals with a natural monotonicity property. The asymptotic properties characterized by this duality encompass fundamental problems in complexity theory, combinatorics and quantum information.

Universal spectral pointsare elements in the asymptotic spectrum of the semiring ofalltensors. Finding all universal spectral points suffices to find the asymptotic spectrum ofanysub-semiring. The construction of non-trivial universal spectral points has been an open problem for more than thirty years. We construct, for the first time, a family of non-trivial universal spectral points over the complex numbers, calledquantum functionals. We moreover prove that the quantum functionals precisely characterise the asymptotic slice rank of complex tensors. Our construction, which relies on techniques from quantum information theory and representation theory, connects the asymptotic spectrum of tensors to the quantum marginal problem and entanglement polytopes.
A log-log speedup for exponent one-fifth deterministic integer factorisation
Authors: Harvey David , Hittmeir Markus
Published: October 2021

Building on techniques recently introduced by the second author, and further developed by the first author, we show that a positive integer 

N
N

may be rigorously and deterministically factored into primes in at most
\[
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper O left-parenthesis StartFraction upper N Superscript 1 slash 5 Baseline log Superscript 16 slash 5 Baseline upper N Over left-parenthesis log log upper N right-parenthesis Superscript 3 slash 5 Baseline EndFraction right-parenthesis">

O

(

N

1

/

5

log

16

/

5

⁡
N

(
log
⁡
log
⁡
N

)

3

/

5

)

O\left ( \frac {N^{1/5} \log ^{16/5} N}{(\log \log N)^{3/5}}\right )

\]
bit operations. This improves on the previous best known result by a factor of

(
log
⁡
log
⁡
N

)

3

/

5

(\log \log N)^{3/5}

.
On Hilbert coefficients and sequentially Cohen-Macaulay rings
Authors: Ozeki Kazuho , Truong Hoang , Yen Hoang
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we explore the relation between the index of reducibility and the Hilbert coefficients in local rings. Consequently, the main result of this study provides a characterization of a sequentially Cohen-Macaulay ring in terms of its Hilbert coefficients of non-parameter ideals. As corollaries to the main theorem, we obtain characterizations of a Gorenstein/Cohen-Macaulay ring in terms of its Chern coefficients of non-parameter ideals.
Hedgehog-induced ciliary trafficking of kinesin-4 motor KIF7 requires intraflagellar transport but not KIF7’s microtubule binding
Authors: Yue Yang , Engelke Martin F. , Blasius T. Lynne , Verhey Kristen J.
Published: October 2021

Hedgehog pathway activation results in accumulation of kinesin-4 KIF7 and Gli transcription factors at the tip of the primary cilium. This article shows that intraflagellar transport driven by heterotrimeric kinesin-2 is required for KIF7’s ciliary accumulation, suggesting that signal-induced loading of intraflagellar transport trains occur in mammalian cells.
James Joyce: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: MacCabe Colin
Published: October 2021

James Joyce: A Very Short Introduction highlights one of the most influential writers of the 20th century: James Joyce. He is best known for his complex style, reinvention of language, and depiction of contemporary Ireland. Yet at the time of writing his work faced intense criticism, and his modernist epic Ulysses was banned for over a decade in Britain and America for obscenity. This VSI explores Joyce’s major works including Ulysses, Dubliners, and Finnegans Wake. It considers the contemporary significance of Joyce’s examination of sexuality and nationalism, and places Joyce’s works in the context of his life as well as the historical moment in which they were written.
3. A Portrait
Authors: MacCabe Colin
Published: October 2021

‘A Portrait’ examines James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916). In January of 1904, Joyce wrote an autobiographical essay entitled ‘A Portrait of the Artist’. The essay sketches a life, complete with religious disillusion, romantic love, and visits to brothels, which is recognizably the life of Stephen Dedalus. After the essay was rejected for publication, Joyce sat down and began a long autobiographical novel with the provisional title Stephen Hero. This draft would become A Portrait, which is constructed on a dialectic of masculine identity and female disidentification.
Translation, production, and distribution of the Bible
Authors: Riches John
Published: October 2021

‘Translation, production, and distribution of the Bible’ examines the translation, production, and distribution of the Bible. For centuries, the religious texts were preserved in Hebrew on scrolls. By the 4th century ce, the whole of the Bible would be found in codex form. Later, the 15th century saw the growth of lay movements based on private prayer and bible reading. It also saw the development of printing using movable type, which made possible the production of cheaper bibles. This prepared the way for the Protestant Reformation with its powerful desire to make the Bible available to all. New methods of producing cheap bibles were developed in the 19th century and led to a remarkably dynamic process of distributing bibles across the world. In this the Bible societies played a vital role.
Galatians through history
Authors: Riches John
Published: October 2021

‘Galatians through history’ studies the rich reception history of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, which is one of the shorter works in the Bible. At the turn of the 4th century, it helped shape the new worlds which would emerge as the Roman Empire embraced Christianity. At the Reformation, it was one of the central texts for Martin Luther. Luther’s commentary was a key text for John Bunyan and for the Wesleys. It is important to look at how Paul deals in his letter with the central issue of Law observance and consider how later interpreters of his letter used his ideas and images to shape the life of the Churches in their very different situations.
Wavelet spectra for multivariate point processes
Authors: Cohen E A K , Gibberd A J
Published: October 2021

Wavelets provide the flexibility for analysing stochastic processes at different scales. In this article we apply them to multivariate point processes as a means of detecting and analysing unknown nonstationarity, both within and across component processes. To provide statistical tractability, a temporally smoothed wavelet periodogram is developed and shown to be equivalent to a multi-wavelet periodogram. Under a stationarity assumption, the distribution of the temporally smoothed wavelet periodogram is demonstrated to be asymptotically Wishart, with the centrality matrix and degrees of freedom readily computable from the multi-wavelet formulation. Distributional results extend to wavelet coherence, a time-scale measure of inter-process correlation. This statistical framework is used to construct a test for stationarity in multivariate point processes. The methods are applied to neural spike-train data, where it is shown to detect and characterize time-varying dependency patterns.
Personal Independence Payment Forms, a De/Re/Constructive Reading: Re/Positioning Claimants, Social Workers and Social Work Practice ‘through’ Policy Discourse
Authors: Cockain Alex
Published: October 2021

This article critically reads a Personal Independence Payment Claim Form. All agents implicated in this form (e.g. the Department of Work and Pensions, assessors, an Office Manager and health professionals) are contemplated although of central concern is the positioning of claimants—or the persons filling in the form on their behalf—and social workers, and the constructions of social work practice resulting from such positioning. This article investigates discourse in the form itself, the discourse claimants are obliged to supplement and the discursive formations this text registers/generates. To read this form, I distinguish between overt, declarative and manifest content and the covert, descriptive, latent, perhaps unintentional but violent content, accessing the latter through a symptomatic reading, which draws upon my interpretation of principles associated with deconstruction, critical discourse analysis, decentering and positioning. Conceiving of PIP-related practice as possessing the dynamic qualities of an ‘episode’, this article argues that although the text provides help with costs, a corollary or side-effect, is that claimants and social workers are made to inhabit problematic positions within discourse/practice. Textual analysis may, nevertheless, unsettle, and re/position and de/re/construct relations, thereby decentering institutionalised ways of being.
Information Asymmetry, Financial Intermediation, and Wealth Effects of Project Finance Loans
Authors: Ferguson Andrew , Lam Peter
Published: October 2021

Using a unique hand-collected sample, we study market reactions to mining developers announcing project finance loans. We document a significant three-day abnormal return of 2.6% and a 3.4% reduction in abnormal bid-ask spread around loan approvals, consistent with information transfer from private lenders to equity holders and reduction in asymmetric information. Cross-sectional analysis reveals a negative association between announcement return and hedging requirements specified in loan contracts, which becomes insignificant after controlling for treatment effects of hedging. Specialist banks do not charge lower rates but are more likely to impose hedging requirements, consistent with rent extraction due to bargaining power. (JEL G30, G32)
Defining Enhanced Recovery Pathway with or without Liposomal Bupivacaine in DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Haddock Nicholas T. , Garza Ricardo , Boyle Carolyn E. , Liu Yulun , Teotia Sumeet S.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) includes multiple interventions that have yielded positive outcomes in a number of surgical fields. The authors evaluated whether an ERAS protocol and the subsequent addition of liposomal bupivacaine affect patient outcomes specifically in deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction.

Methods:

All patients treated with DIEP flaps from January of 2016 to December of 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. The ERAS protocol was implemented midway through 2017; halfway through 2018, intraoperative transversus abdominis plane blocks with liposomal bupivacaine were added to the protocol. Such interventions allowed for comparison of three patient groups: before ERAS, during ERAS, and after ERAS plus liposomal bupivacaine. Primary outcomes observed were postoperative opioid consumption and length of stay. The p values were obtained using the Wilcoxon test for pairwise comparisons.

Results:

After adjusting for ERAS group compliance, 216 patients were analyzed. The pre-ERAS group was composed of 67 patients, the ERAS group was composed of 69 patients, and the ERAS plus liposomal bupivacaine group was composed of 80 patients. Postoperative opioid consumption was reduced when comparing the pre-ERAS and ERAS groups (from 275.7 oral morphine equivalents to 146.7 oral morphine equivalents; p < 0.0001), and also reduced with the addition of liposomal bupivacaine (115.3 oral morphine equivalents; p = 0.016). Furthermore, hospital length of stay was decreased from 3.6 days in the pre-ERAS group to 3.2 days (p = 0.0029) in the ERAS group, and to 2.6 days (p < 0.0001) in the ERAS group plus liposomal bupivacaine groups.

Conclusions:

Enhanced recovery after surgery protocols decrease postoperative opioid consumption and hospital length of stay in DIEP flap breast reconstruction. The addition of liposomal bupivacaine further strengthens the impact of the protocol.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Cost-Effectiveness of Lower Extremity Nerve Decompression Surgery in the Prevention of Ulcers and Amputations: A Markov Analysis
Authors: Rinkel Willem D. , Franks Billy , Birnie Erwin , Castro Cabezas Manuel , Coert J. Henk
Published: October 2021

Background:

The costs and health effects associated with lower extremity complications in diabetes mellitus are an increasing burden to society. In selected patients, lower extremity nerve decompression is able to reduce symptoms of neuropathy and the concomitant risks of diabetic foot ulcers and amputations. To estimate the health and economic effects of this type of surgery, the cost-effectiveness of this intervention compared to current nonsurgical care was studied.

Methods:

To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of lower extremity nerve decompression over a 10-year period, a Markov model was developed to simulate the onset and progression of diabetic foot disease in patients with diabetes and neuropathy who underwent lower extremity nerve decompression surgery, compared to a group undergoing current nonsurgical care. Mean survival time, health-related quality of life, presence or risk of lower extremity complications, and in-hospital costs were the outcome measures assessed. Data from the Rotterdam Diabetic Foot Study were used as current care, complemented with information from international studies on the epidemiology of diabetic foot disease, resource use, and costs, to feed the model.

Results:

Lower extremity nerve decompression surgery resulted in improved life expectancy (88,369.5 life-years versus 86,513.6 life-years), gain of quality-adjusted life-years (67,652.5 versus 64,082.3), and reduced incidence of foot complications compared to current care (490 versus 1087). The incremental cost-effectiveness analysis was −€59,279.6 per quality-adjusted life-year gained, which is below the Dutch critical threshold of less than €80,000 per quality-adjusted life-year.

Conclusions:

Decompression surgery of lower extremity nerves improves survival, reduces diabetic foot complications, and is cost saving and cost-effective compared with current care, suggesting considerable socioeconomic benefit for society.
Objectifying High-Definition Brazilian Buttock Lift Results Using the Buttock Assessment Tool
Authors: Mowlavi Arian , Berri Mariam , Talle Armin , Talle Mehdi
Published: October 2021

Background:

The buttock is an essential feature of the female silhouette. This has led to the rise of the Brazilian butt lift as one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures in recent years. Despite this popularity, there remains no prevailing standard for the ideal buttock size and shape. In fact, a wide range of preferred sizes and shapes among the authors’ patients has been observed. The authors hypothesized that age, religious affinity, and ethnic differences may demonstrate different buttock size and shape preferences.

Methods:

The authors designed the buttock assessment tool, which utilizes digitally altered buttock sizes and shapes to determine desired buttock shape (upper, middle, and lower pole maximum fullness) and buttock size (waist-to-hip width ratio) for both the posteroanterior and lateral views. A survey of 422 patients was completed, evaluating variation of desired buttock size and shape based on patient age, cultural, and ethnic differences.

Results:

There were significant differences in buttock size and buttock shape based on age, ethnicity, and religion. Hispanics and African Americans were twice as likely as Caucasians to request lower pole fullness in the posteroanterior view. Older respondents preferred a smaller buttock in both views. African Americans preferred a larger buttock compared to Caucasians in both views. Hispanics preferred a larger buttock in only the lateral view. Muslim respondents preferred a smaller buttock in the posteroanterior view.

Conclusion:

The Brazilian buttock assessment tool has become critical to understanding and delivering prospective Brazilian butt lift patients’ goals by objectifying buttock size and shapes.
Collagenase Tenotomy for Dupuytren Boutonniere
Authors: Denkler Keith A. , Vaughn Carolyn J. , Park Keon M. , Hansen Scott L.
Published: October 2021

Treatment of boutonniere Dupuytren disease is rare and is resistant to treatment because of altered tendon dynamics. The authors used a small dose of collagenase clostridium histolyticum for an enzymatic tenotomy of the distal interphalangeal joint and showed that hyperextension at the distal interphalangeal joint improved significantly. Fifteen patients with boutonniere Dupuytren disease with severe proximal interphalangeal joint contractures averaging −69 degrees of extension were included in the study. Ten patients had at least one previous intervention, including surgical fasciectomy, Digit Widget treatment, and needle aponeurotomy. Collagenase clostridium histolyticum enzymatic tenotomy was performed in-office as a wide-awake procedure. All patients received varying doses of collagenase clostridium histolyticum for volar Dupuytren disease enzymatic fasciotomy and 0.1 mg of collagenase clostridium histolyticum into the distal extensor tendon for tenotomy to treat boutonniere deformity at the same time. Collagenase clostridium histolyticum enzymatic tenotomy significantly improved total active motion of the finger by 41.0 degrees (p = 0.001). Loss of extension at both the metacarpophalangeal joint and the proximal interphalangeal joint also improved with gains of 11.7 (p = 0.04) and 20.7 degrees (p = 0.0005) of extension, respectively. The average distal interphalangeal joint hyperextension was improved from 29.7 degrees to 14.0 degrees (p = 0.002). The authors show that collagenase injection led to significant average improvement in joint contracture at all finger joints and significantly increased the arc of motion at the proximal interphalangeal joint and metacarpophalangeal joint. Although collagenase has been previously used for flexion contractures in Dupuytren disease, we believe it has a role in treating the distal interphalangeal joint hyperextension deformity associated with boutonniere deformity in Dupuytren disease as well.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, IV.
Physiologic Timeline of Cranial-Base Suture and Synchondrosis Closure
Authors: Vu Giap H. , Xu Wen , Go Beatrice C. , Humphries Laura S. , Kalmar Christopher L. , Taylor Jesse A. , Bartlett Scott P. , Vossough Arastoo , Nah-Cederquist Hyun-Duck , Swanson Jordan W.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Fusion of cranial-base sutures/synchondroses presents a clinical conundrum, given their often unclear “normal” timing of closure. This study investigates the physiologic fusion timelines of cranial-base sutures/synchondroses.

Methods:

Twenty-three age intervals were analyzed in subjects aged 0 to 18 years. For each age interval, 10 head computed tomographic scans of healthy subjects were assessed. Thirteen cranial-base sutures/synchondroses were evaluated for patency. Partial closure in greater than or equal to 50 percent of subjects and complete bilateral closure in less than 50 percent of subjects defined the fusion “midpoint.” Factor analysis identified clusters of related fusion patterns.

Results:

Two hundred thirty scans met inclusion criteria. The sutures’ fusion midpoints and completion ages, respectively, were as follows: frontoethmoidal, 0 to 2 months and 4 years; frontosphenoidal, 6 to 8 months and 12 years; and sphenoparietal, 6 to 8 months and 4 years. Sphenosquamosal, sphenopetrosal, parietosquamosal, and parietomastoid sutures reached the midpoint at 6 to 8 months, 8 years, 9 to 11 months, and 12 years, respectively, but rarely completed fusion. The occipitomastoid suture partially closed in less than or equal to 30 percent of subjects. The synchondroses’ fusion midpoints and completion ages, respectively, were as follows: sphenoethmoidal, 3 to 5 months and 5 years; spheno-occipital, 9 years and 17 years; anterior intraoccipital, 4 years and 10 years; and posterior intraoccipital, 18 to 23 months and 4 years. The petro-occipital synchondrosis reached the midpoint at 11 years and completely fused in less than 50 percent of subjects. Order of fusion of the sutures, but not the synchondroses, followed the anterior-to-posterior direction. Factor analysis suggested three separate fusion patterns.

Conclusions:

The fusion timelines of cranial-base sutures/synchondroses may help providers interpret computed tomographic data of patients with head-shape abnormalities. Future work should elucidate the mechanisms and sequelae of cranial-base suture fusion that deviates from normal timelines.
Nanofibrillar Collagen Scaffold Enhances Edema Reduction and Formation of New Lymphatic Collectors after Lymphedema Surgery
Authors: Nguyen Dung H. , Zhou Anna , Posternak Victoria , Rochlin Danielle H.
Published: October 2021

Background:

Treatment of secondary lymphedema remains challenging, with suboptimal rates of edema reduction following physiologic procedures (i.e., lymphaticovenous anastomosis and vascularized lymph node transfer). The objective of this study was to investigate the long-term effect of a nanofibrillar collagen scaffold on edema reduction in lymphedema patients treated with lymphaticovenous anastomosis or vascularized lymph node transfer.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was performed, comparing stage 1 to 3 lymphedema patients who underwent lymphaticovenous anastomosis and/or vascularized lymph node transfer with or without delayed implantation of nanofibrillar collagen scaffold (BioBridge) from 2016 to 2019. The primary endpoint was excess volume reduction. Indocyanine green lymphatic mapping was performed to evaluate superficial lymphatic flow.

Results:

Edema reduction was significantly greater for the BioBridge cohort (12-month follow-up, n = 18) compared to controls (18.2-month follow-up, n = 11) (111.5 ± 34.5 percent versus 70.0 ± 19.0 percent; p = 0.0004). This held true in lymphaticovenous anastomosis and vascularized lymph node transfer subgroup analysis. The average rate of edema reduction increased by 3.5-fold in lymphaticovenous anastomosis and 7.6-fold in vascularized lymph node transfer following BioBridge placement. Eighty-eight percent of patients with concurrent liposuction and BioBridge implantation maintained normal volumes at 13 months postoperatively. Lymphatic mapping following BioBridge placement showed significantly more new lymphatic collectors and decreased dermal backflow. The majority of patients (77.8 percent) achieved and maintained normal limb volume at an average total follow-up of 29 months.

Conclusion:

Nanofibrillar collagen scaffold implantation enhances overall effectiveness of physiologic procedures, even in the presence of liposuction, and is a promising adjunct therapy for treatment of lymphedema.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Application of fingerprint combined with quantitative analysis and multivariate chemometric methods in quality evaluation of dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum)
Authors: Li Chunying , Tian Yao , Zhao Chunjian , Li Shen , Wang Tingting , Qiao Bin , Fu Yujie
Published: October 2021

A quality assessment method based on quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS) and fingerprint was constructed from 15 batches of dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum), using multivariate chemometric methods (MCM). MCM were established by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and factor analysis (FA). HCA was especially performed using the R language and SPSS 22.0 software. The relative correction factors of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, luteolin and apigenin were calculated with cichoric acid as a reference, and their contents were determined. The differences between external standard method (ESM) and QAMS were compared. There was no significant difference (t-test,p> 0.05) in quantitative determination, proving the consistency of the two methods (QAMS and ESM). Dandelion material from Yuncheng, Shandong was used as a reference chromatogram. The fingerprints in 15 batches of dandelion were established by HPLC analysis. The similarity of the fingerprints in different batches of dandelion material was greater than or equal to 0.82. A total of 10 common peaks were identified. This strategy is simple, rapid and efficient in multiple component detection of dandelion. It is beneficial in simplifying dandelion's quality control processes and providing references to enhance quality control for other herbal medicines.
Parallel introgression, not recurrent emergence, explains apparent elevational ecotypes of polyploid Himalayan snowtrout
Authors: Chafin Tyler K. , Regmi Binod , Douglas Marlis R. , Edds David R. , Wangchuk Karma , Dorji Sonam , Norbu Pema , Norbu Sangay , Changlu Changlu , Khanal Gopal Prasad , Tshering Singye , Douglas Michael E.
Published: October 2021

The recurrence of similar evolutionary patterns within different habitats often reflects parallel selective pressures acting upon either standing or independently occurring genetic variation to produce a convergence of phenotypes. This interpretation (i.e. parallel divergences within adjacent streams) has been hypothesized for drainage-specific morphological ‘ecotypes’ observed in polyploid snowtrout (Cyprinidae:Schizothorax). However, parallel patterns of differential introgression during secondary contact are a viable alternative hypothesis. Here, we used ddRADseq (N= 35 319de novoandN= 10 884 transcriptome-aligned SNPs), as derived from Nepali/Bhutanese samples (N= 48 each), to test these competing hypotheses. We first employed genome-wide allelic depths to derive appropriate ploidy models, then a Bayesian approach to yield genotypes statistically consistent under the inferred expectations. Elevational ‘ecotypes’ were consistent in geometric morphometric space, but with phylogenetic relationships at the drainage level, sustaining a hypothesis of independent emergence. However, partitioned analyses of phylogeny and admixture identified subsets of loci under selection that retained genealogical concordance with morphology, suggesting instead that apparent patterns of morphological/phylogenetic discordance are driven by widespread genomic homogenization. Here, admixture occurring in secondary contact effectively ‘masks’ previous isolation. Our results underscore two salient factors: (i) morphological adaptations are retained despite hybridization and (ii) the degree of admixture varies across tributaries, presumably concomitant with underlying environmental or anthropogenic factors.
Building back fairer in Greater Manchester and the country
Authors: Marmot Michael
Published: October 2021

A summary of our analyses in Greater Manchester (GM), and the northwest (NW) region, might be: the NW is like England as a whole only more so. The life expectancy drop in England in 2020 was 1.2 years in men and 0.9 years in women—shocking, but not as high as in the NW. COVID-19 mortality rates were high in England; 25% higher in the NW. Inequalities in mortality are high in England; bigger in the NW. The title,
Build Back Fairer
, is a deliberate echo of the Build Back Better mantra, showing that the levels of social, environmental and economic inequality in society are damaging health and well-being. As the UK emerges from the pandemic, it would be a tragic mistake to re-establish the status quo that existed pre-pandemic—a status quo marked in England, over the decade from 2010, by a stagnation of health improvement that was more marked than in any rich country other than Iceland and the USA; by widening health inequalities; and by a fall in life expectancy in the most deprived 10% of areas outside London. That stagnation, those social and regional inequalities, and deterioration in health for the most deprived people are markers of a society that is not meeting the needs of its members.
Proposal of Zooshikellaceae fam. nov. to accommodate the genera Zooshikella and Spartinivicinus and reclassification of Zooshikella marina as a later heterotypic synonym of Zooshikella ganghwensis based on whole genome sequence analysis
Authors: Huang Zhaobin , Su Peiying , Lai Qiliang
Published: October 2021

The genus

Spartinivicinus

, affiliated to the class

Gammaproteobacteria

, is an important marine member that produces prodiginines. Currently, its taxonomic assignment to family level is not well presented. Phylogeny of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that

Spartinivicinus

forms a monophyletic clade with

Zooshikella

, which is neighboured by

Aestuariirhabdus

of the family

Aestuariirhabdaceae

and another monophyletic clade of the family

Endozoicomonadaceae

. The 16S rRNA gene of

Spartinivicinus ruber

S2-4-1HT had sequence similarities to those of

Aestuariirhabdus litorea

GTF13T,

Zooshikella

members and

Endozoicomonas

members of 93.4%, 93.2–93.4  and <92.5 %, respectively. Phylogenomic analysis based on 120 bacterial conserved single-copy genes highly supported placing

Spartinivicinus

as a sister member of

Zooshikella

, neighboured by

Aestuariirhabdaceae

and

Endozoicomonadaceae

members, indicating that

Spartinivicinus

and

Zooshikella

could be considered to belong to the same family. Thus,

Zooshikellaceae

fam. nov. is proposed to accommodate the two genera. Colonies of

Spartinivicinus

and

Zooshikella

are red-pigmented, which is different from

Aestuariirhabdus

(pale-yellow pigmented). The major respiratory quinone of

S. ruber

was ubiquinone (Q-9), similar to

Zooshikella

, but distinct from

Aestuariirhabdus

(Q-9 and Q-8). The predominant fatty acids and polar lipids of

Spartinivicinus

also showed a similar patterns to

Zooshikella

, but they were different from

Aestuariirhabdus

. Lastly,

Spartinivicinus

possessed a genome size of 6.68 Mbp and DNA G+C content of 40.1mol%, similar to

Zooshikella

, but much larger than

Aestuariirhabdus

. In addition, the 16S rRNA genes of

Z. ganghwensis

JC2044T and

Z. marina

JC333T possess sequence similarity of 99.79 %. Whole genome comparisons indicated that they shared 79.8 % digital DNA–DNA hybridization, 97.78 % average nucleotide identity and 97.31 % average amino acid identity values. Activities of catalase and oxidase for the two strains were positive. Hydrolysis of skimmed milk and Tweens (40, 60 and 80) was positive. Interestingly, the two strains produced different kinds of prodiginines. We propose that

Z. marina

is a later heterotypic synonym of

Zooshikella ganghwensis

.
Reclassification of Parvularcula flava as Aquisalinus luteolus nom. nov. and emended description of the genus Aquisalinus
Authors: Ying Jun-Jie , Wu Zhi-Cheng , Fang Yuan-Chun , Xu Lin , Sun Cong
Published: October 2021

Parvularcula flava

was proposed as a novel member of genus

Parvularcula

in 2016. Some time earlier,

Aquisalinus flavus

has been proposed as a novel species of a novel genus named

Aquisalinus

. When comparing the 16S rRNA gene sequences of type strains

P. flava

NH6-79T and

A. flavus

D11M-2T, they showed 97.9 % sequence identity, much higher than the sequence identities 92.7–94.3 % between

P. flava

NH6-79T and type strains in the genus

Parvularcula

, indicating that the later proposed novel taxon

Parvularcula flava

need reclassification. The phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and genome sequences both showed that

P. flava

NH6-79T and

A. flavus

D11M-2T formed a separated branch away from strains in the genera

Parvularcula

,

Marinicaulis

and

Amphiplicatus

. The average amino acid identity and average nucleotide identity values of

P. flava

NH6-79T and

A. flavus

D11M-2T were 87.9 and 85.0 %, respectively, much higher than the values between

P. flava

NH6-79T and other closely related type strains (54.3 %–58.1 % and 68.6–70.4 %, respectively).

P. flava

NH6-79T and

A. flavus

D11M-2T also contained summed feature 8 (C18 : 1
 ω6c and/or C18 : 1
 ω7c) and C16 : 0 as major fatty acids, distinguishing them from other closely related taxa. Based on the results of the phylogenetic, comparative genomic and phenotypic analyses,

Parvularcula flava

should be reclassified as Aquisalinus luteolus nom. nov. and the description of genus

Aquisalinus

is emended.
Modelling evolutionary pathways for commensalism and hypervirulence in Neisseria meningitidis
Authors: Mullally Christopher A. , Mikucki August , Wise Michael J. , Kahler Charlene M.
Published: October 2021

Neisseria meningitidis

, the meningococcus, resides exclusively in humans and causes invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). The population of

N. meningitidis

is structured into stable clonal complexes by limited horizontal recombination in this naturally transformable species.

N. meningitidis

is an opportunistic pathogen, with some clonal complexes, such as cc53, effectively acting as commensal colonizers, while other genetic lineages, such as cc11, are rarely colonizers but are over-represented in IMD and are termed hypervirulent. This study examined theoretical evolutionary pathways for pathogenic and commensal lineages by examining the prevalence of horizontally acquired genomic islands (GIs) and loss-of-function (LOF) mutations. Using a collection of 4850 genomes from the BIGSdb database, we identified 82 GIs in the pan-genome of 11 lineages (10 hypervirulent and one commensal lineage). A new computational tool, Phaser, was used to identify frameshift mutations, which were examined for statistically significant association with genetic lineage. Phaser identified a total of 144 frameshift loci of which 105 were shown to have a statistically significant non-random distribution in phase status. The 82 GIs, but not the LOF loci, were associated with genetic lineage and invasiveness using the disease carriage ratio metric. These observations have been integrated into a new model that infers the early events of the evolution of the human adapted meningococcus. These pathways are enriched for GIs that are involved in modulating attachment to the host, growth rate, iron uptake and toxin expression which are proposed to increase competition within the meningococcal population for the limited environmental niche of the human nasopharynx. We surmise that competition for the host mucosal surface with the nasopharyngeal microbiome has led to the selection of isolates with traits that enable access to cell types (non-phagocytic and phagocytic) in the submucosal tissues leading to an increased risk for IMD.
Relationship among work–treatment balance, job stress, and work engagement in Japan: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Ikegami Kazunori , Ando Hajime , Eguchi Hisashi , Tsuji Mayumi , Tateishi Seiichiro , Mori Koji , Muramatsu Keiji , Fujino Yoshihisa , Ogami Akira ,   for the CORoNaWork Project
Published: October 2021

There is a drive to support workers undergoing medical treatment who wish to continue working in Japan, known as the work–treatment balance. It is hoped that this support for the work–treatment balance could boost their mental health. This study examines the relationship among the work–treatment balance, job stress, and work engagement. This study was conducted in December 2020 in Japan, with 27,036 participants. We divided the participants into three groups by the receipt state of support for the work–treatment balance: control group (no need the support), unsupported group, and supported group. The scores of the parameters of the job content questionnaire and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-3) were compared among groups using a multilevel regression with age-sex or multivariate-adjusted models. In the two models, the job control score of the unsupported group was significantly lower than that of the control group. The two social support scores of the supported group were significantly higher than those of the control group. The scores of the UWES-3 of the unsupported group were significantly lower than those of the control group. The support of work–treatment balance for workers could have a positive impact on their mental health.
Factors Associated with Medicine Timing Effects: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Ruben Marc D. , Francey Lauren J. , Wu Gang , Smith David F. , FitzGerald Garret A. , Hughey Jacob J. , Hogenesch John B.
Published: October 2021

Importance

Clinical evidence suggests that the time of day of treatment can affect outcomes in many different diseases, but this information is dispersed, imprecise, and heterogeneous. Consequently, practice guidelines and clinical care recommendations seldom specify intervention time.

Objective

To understand the sources of variability and summarize clinical findings on the time of day effects of medicine.

Data Sources

A systematic search of Pubmed, Google Scholar, andClinicalTrials.govfor “chronotherapy” OR “time of administration”.

Study Selection

Any clinical study since 2000, randomized or observational, that compared the effects of treatment at different times of day. We included pharmacologic or surgical interventions having at least one continuous outcome.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

For selected studies, we extracted the mean and variance of each time-of-day treatment group. From these, we computed the standardized mean difference (SMD) as the measure of timing effect. Where a study reported multiple outcomes, we selected a single outcome based on a defined order of priority.

Main Outcomes and Measures

We estimated overall pooled effect size and heterogeneity by a random effects model, followed by outlier detection and subgroup analyses to evaluate how study factors, including drug, design, outcome, and source, associate with timing effect.

Results

78 studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 48 distinct interventions over many therapeutic areas. We found an overall effect of time on clinical outcomes but with substantial heterogeneity between studies. Predicted effects range from none to large depending on the study context. Study size, registration status, and source are associated with the magnitude of effect. Larger trials and those that were pre-registered have markedly smaller effects, suggesting that the published record overstates the effects of the timing of medicine on clinical outcomes. In particular, the notion that antihypertensives are more effective if taken at bedtime draws disproportionately from one source in the field, which consistently detects larger effects than the community average. Lastly, among the most highly studied drug timing relationships, aspirin’s anti-clotting effect stands out, consistently favoring evening over morning dosing.

Conclusions and Relevance

While accounts of drug timing effects have focused onyes/no, appreciating the range of probable effects may help clarify where ‘circadian medicine’ meets the threshold for clinical benefit.
Robotic walking for recovery of functional capacity in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury: A randomized pilot trial
Authors: Shackleton Claire , Evans Robert , West Sacha , Derman Wayne , Albertus Yumna
Published: October 2021

Objective

Activity-based Training (ABT) represents the current standard of neurological rehabilitation. Robotic Locomotor Training (RLT) is an innovative technique that aims to enhance rehabilitation outcomes, however, its efficacy in SCI rehabilitation, particularly within a low-middle income setting, is currently unclear. The primary aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of a locomotor training program within XX, in terms of recruitment, attendance, drop-out rates and safety. Secondary aims were to determine the effects of RLT compared to ABT on functional capacity in people with chronic SCI.

Design

Participants with chronic traumatic motor incomplete tetraplegia (n = 16) were recruited. Each intervention involved 60-minute sessions, 3x per week, over 24-weeks. RLT involved walking in the Ekso GT™ suit. ABT involved a combination of resistance, cardiovascular and weight-bearing exercise. Primary feasibility outcomes included recruitment rate, adherence rate, and adverse events. Validated tests were performed at baseline, 6, 12 and 24-weeks to assess the secondary outcomes of functional capacity.

Results

Out of 110 individuals who expressed interest in participating in the study, 17 initiated the program (recruitment rate = 15.4 %). Of these, 16 individuals completed the program (drop-out rate = 5.8 %) and attended sessions (attendance rate = 93.9%). There were no significant differences between the intervention groups for lower or upper extremity motor scores (UEMS effect size (ES) = 0.09; LEMS ES = 0.05), back strength (ES = 0.14) and abdominal strength (ES = 0.13) after training. However, both groups showed a significant increase of 2.00 points in UEMS and a significant increase in abdominal strength from pre- to post intervention. Only the RLT group showed a significant change in LEMS, with a mean increase of 3.00 [0.00; 16.5] points over time. Distance walked in the Functional Ambulatory Inventory (SCI-FAI) increased significantly (p = 0.02) over time only for the RLT group.

Conclusions

Recruitment, attrition and adherence rates of the intervention and outcomes justify a subsequent powered RCT comparing RLT to ABT as an effective rehabilitation tool for potentially improving functional strength and walking capacity in people with incomplete SCI.
Trends in social exposure to SARS-Cov-2 in France. Evidence from the national socio-epidemiological cohort – EPICOV
Authors: Warszawski Josiane , Meyer Laurence , Franck Jeanna-Eve , Rahib Delphine , Lydié Nathalie , Gosselin Anne , Counil Emilie , Kreling Robin , Novelli Sophie , Slama Remy , Raynaud Philippe , Bagein Guillaume , Costemalle Vianney , Sillard Patrick , Fourie Toscane , de Lamballerie Xavier , Bajos Nathalie ,   Epicov Team
Published: October 2021

Background

We aimed to study whether social patterns of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection changed in France throughout the year 2020, in light to the easing of social contact restrictions.

Methods

A population-based cohort of individuals aged 15 years or over was randomly selected from the national tax register to collect socio-economic data, migration history, and living conditions in May and November 2020. Home self-sampling on dried blood was proposed to a 10% random subsample in May and to all in November. A positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 ELISA IgG result against the virus spike protein (ELISA-S) was the primary outcome. The design, including sampling and post-stratification weights, was taken into account in univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

Of the 134,391 participants in May, 107,759 completed the second questionnaire in November, and respectively 12,114 and 63,524 were tested. The national ELISA-S seroprevalence was 4.5% [95%CI: 4.0%-5.1%] in May and 6.2% [5.9%-6.6%] in November. It increased markedly in 18-24-year-old population from 4.8% to 10.0%, and among second-generation immigrants from outside Europe from 5.9% to 14.4%. This group remained strongly associated with seropositivity in November, after controlling for any contextual or individual variables, with an adjusted OR of 2.1 [1.7-2.7], compared to the majority population. In both periods, seroprevalence remained higher in healthcare professions than in other occupations.

Conclusion

The risk of Covid-19 infection increased among young people and second-generation migrants between the first and second epidemic waves, in a context of less strict social restrictions, which seems to have reinforced territorialized socialization among peers.
Optimising the balance of acute and intermediate care capacity for the complex discharge pathway: computer modelling study during COVID-19 recovery in England
Authors: Onen-Dumlu Z , Harper AL , Forte PG , Powell AL , Pitt M , Vasilakis C , Wood RM
Published: October 2021

Objectives

While there has been significant research on the pressures facing acute hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been less interest in downstream community services which have also been challenged in meeting demand. This study aimed to estimate the theoretical cost-optimal capacity requirement for ‘step down’ intermediate care services within a major healthcare system in England, at a time when considerable uncertainty remained regarding vaccination uptake and the easing of societal restrictions.

Methods

Demand for intermediate care was projected using an epidemiological model (for COVID-19 demand) and regressing upon public mobility (for non-COVID-19 demand). These were inputted to a computer simulation model of patient flow from acute discharge readiness to bedded and home-based Discharge to Assess (D2A) intermediate care services. Cost-optimal capacity was defined as that which yielded the lowest total cost of intermediate care provision and corresponding acute discharge delays.

Results

Increased intermediate care capacity is likely to bring about lower system-level costs, with the additional D2A investment more than offset by substantial reductions in costly acute discharge delays (leading also to improved patient outcome and experience). Results suggest that completely eliminating acute ‘bed blocking’ is unlikely economical (requiring large amounts of downstream capacity), and that health systems should instead target an appropriate tolerance based upon the specific characteristics of the pathway.

Conclusions

Computer modelling can be a valuable asset for determining optimal capacity allocation along the complex care pathway. With results supporting a Business Case for increased downstream capacity, this study demonstrates how modelling can be applied in practice and provides a blueprint for use alongside the freely-available model code.