bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transition of social organisations driven by gift relationships
Authors: Itao Kenji , Kaneko Kunihiko
Published: April 2023

Anthropologists have observed that gifts bring goods to the recipient and honour to the donor in many human societies. The totality of such social relationships constitutes a network. Social networks characterise different types of social organisations including bands of small kin groups, tribal unions of families, and hierarchically organised chiefdoms. However, the factors and mechanisms that cause the transition between these types have hardly been explained. Here, we focus on gifts as the driving force for such changes. We build the model by idealising gift interactions and simulating the consequent social changes due to long-term massive interactions. In the model, people give their wealth to each other, produce wealth, and reciprocate for the gift. Gifts and reciprocation strengthen relationships. Through simulation, we demonstrate that, as the frequency and scale of gifts increase, economic and social disparities successively arise. Simultaneously, network structures shift from bands to tribes and then, chiefdoms. Statistical analysis using the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample, a global ethnographic database, empirically verifies the theoretical results. The constructive simulation study, as presented here, explains how people’s interactions shape various social structures in response to environmental conditions. It provides the basic mechanistic explanation for social evolution and integrates microscopic and macroscopic theories in social sciences.
Association Between Prenatal and Early Postnatal Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and IQ Score in 7-Year-Old Children From the Odense Child Cohort
Authors: Beck Iben Have , Bilenberg Niels , Möller Sören , Nielsen Flemming , Grandjean Philippe , Højsager Frederik Damsgaard , Halldorsson Thorhallur Ingi , Nielsen Christel , Jensen Tina Kold
Published: April 2023

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent chemicals capable of crossing the placenta and passing into breast milk. Evidence suggests that PFAS exposure may affect brain development. We investigated whether prenatal or early postnatal PFAS exposure was associated with intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in schoolchildren from the Odense Child Cohort (Denmark, 2010–2020). We assessed concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) in maternal serum collected during the first trimester of pregnancy and in child serum at age 18 months. At 7 years of age, children completed an abbreviated version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition, from which Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) and Verbal Comprehension Index scores were estimated. In multiple linear regression analyses conducted among 967 mother-child pairs, a doubling in maternal PFOS and PFNA concentrations was associated with a lower FSIQ score, while no significant associations were observed for PFOA, PFHxS, or PFDA. PFAS concentrations at age 18 months and duration of breastfeeding were strongly correlated, and even in structural equation models it was not possible to differentiate between the opposite effects of PFAS exposure and duration of breastfeeding on FSIQ. PFAS exposure is ubiquitous; therefore, an association with even a small reduction in IQ is of public health concern.
Plant diversity increases above- and below-ground biomass by regulating multidimensional functional trait characteristics
Authors: Wang Chao , Hou Yanhui , Hu Yanxia , Zheng Ruilun , Li Xiaona
Published: April 2023

Background and Aims

Nitrogen enrichment affects biodiversity, plant functional traits and ecosystem functions. However, the direct and indirect effects of nitrogen addition and biodiversity on the links between plant traits and ecosystem functions have been largely overlooked, even though multidimensional characteristics of plant functional traits are probably critical predictors of ecosystem functions.

Methods

To investigate the mechanism underlying the links between plant trait identity, diversity, network topology and above- and below-ground biomass along a plant species richness gradient under different nitrogen addition levels, a common garden experiment was conducted in which those driving factors were manipulated.

Key Results

The study found that nitrogen addition increased above-ground biomass but not below-ground biomass, while species richness was positively associated with above- and below-ground biomass. Nitrogen addition had minor effects on plant trait identity and diversity, and on the connectivity and complexity of the trait networks. However, species richness increased above-ground biomass mainly by increasing leaf trait diversity and network modularity, and enhanced below-ground biomass through an increase in root nitrogen concentration and network modularity.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate the mechanistic links between community biomass and plant trait identity, diversity and network topology, and show that the trait network architecture could be an indicator of the effects of global changes on ecosystem functions as importantly as trait identity and diversity.
Spatiotemporal variation of chasmogamy and cleistogamy in a native perennial grass: fecundity, reproductive allocation and allometry
Authors: Cheplick Gregory P
Published: April 2023

It is difficult to assess the relative variability or stability of chasmogamous (CH) and cleistogamous (CL) reproduction in perennial herbs with mixed mating because long-term data in natural populations are unavailable. Here, the aim was to quantify and compare spatial (between-habitat) and temporal (among-year) variation in CH and CL reproduction over 5 years in two subpopulations of the native perennial grass Danthonia compressa. This species produces CH spikelets on terminal panicles in early summer, while axillary CL spikelets, including a basal cleistogene, mature into the autumn. Flowering tillers were collected from a sunny woodland edge and an adjacent shady interior habitat for 5 consecutive years (2017–21). Seed set, fecundity, seed mass and biomass allocation were recorded for the two floral types along with tiller vegetative mass. Bivariate line fitting was used for allometric analysis of CH and CL fecundity. Seed set, fecundity, mass per seed and allocation to seeds differed between floral types and showed significant variation between habitats and among years. Seed set and fecundity in CH panicles were greater than that of axillary CL panicles in most years. Tiller mass positively affected axillary CL seed production and mass of the basal cleistogene. Fecundity and allocation among years were more variable for CH compared to CL reproduction. High seed set and fecundity of CH spikelets suggest that pollination does not limit reproduction via chasmogamy. Late maturation of axillary CL spikelets provides additional fecundity, especially in larger plants along sunny woodland edges. The heavy cleistogene at the tiller base could be important to population persistence, analogous to the axillary bud bank of other perennial grasses that are not cleistogamous. The spatiotemporal stability of CL reproduction underscores the ecological significance of cleistogamy to reproductive fitness.
Relationships of the competitor, stress tolerator, ruderal functional strategies of grass species with lifespan, photosynthetic type, naturalization and climate
Authors: Wingler Astrid , Sandel Brody
Published: April 2023

Grass species (family Poaceae) are globally distributed, adapted to a wide range of climates and express a diversity of functional strategies. We explored the functional strategies of grass species using the competitor, stress tolerator, ruderal (CSR) system and asked how a species’ strategy relates to its functional traits, climatic distribution and propensity to become naturalized outside its native range. We used a global set of trait data for grass species to classify functional strategies according to the CSR system based on leaf traits. Differences in strategies in relation to lifespan (annual or perennial), photosynthetic type (C3 or C4), or naturalisation (native or introduced) were investigated. In addition, correlations with traits not included in the CSR classification were analyzed, and a model was fitted to predict a species’ average mean annual temperature and annual precipitation across its range as a function of CSR scores. Values for competitiveness were higher in C4 species than in C3 species, values for stress tolerance were higher in perennials than in annuals, and introduced species had more pronounced competitive-ruderal strategies than native species. Relationships between the CSR classification, based on leaf traits, and other functional traits were analyzed. Competitiveness was positively correlated with height, while ruderality was correlated with specific root length, indicating that both above- and belowground traits underlying leaf and root economics contribute to realized CSR strategies. Further, relationships between climate and CSR classification showed that species with competitive strategies were more common in warm climates and at high precipitation, whereas species with stress tolerance strategies were more common in cold climates and at low precipitation. The findings presented here demonstrate that CSR classification of functional strategies based on leaf traits matches expectations for the adaptations of grass species that underlie lifespan, photosynthetic type, naturalization and climate.
Machine learning applications on intratumoral heterogeneity in glioblastoma using single-cell RNA sequencing data
Authors: Arteaga-Arteaga Harold Brayan , Candamil-Cortés Mariana S , Breaux Brian , Guillen-Rondon Pablo , Orozco-Arias Simon , Tabares-Soto Reinel
Published: April 2023

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing all fields that affect people’s lives and health. One of the most critical applications is in the study of tumors. It is the case of glioblastoma (GBM) that has behaviors that need to be understood to develop effective therapies. Due to advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), it is possible to understand the cellular and molecular heterogeneity in the GBM. Given that there are different cell groups in these tumors, there is a need to apply Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. It will allow extracting information to understand how cancer changes and broaden the search for effective treatments. We proposed multiple comparisons of ML algorithms to classify cell groups based on the GBM scRNA-seq data. This broad comparison spectrum can show the scientific-medical community which models can achieve the best performance in this task. In this work are classified the following cell groups: Tumor Core (TC), Tumor Periphery (TP) and Normal Periphery (NP), in binary and multi-class scenarios. This work presents the biomarker candidates found for the models with the best results. The analyses presented here allow us to verify the biomarker candidates to understand the genetic characteristics of GBM, which may be affected by a suitable identification of GBM heterogeneity. This work obtained for the four scenarios covered cross-validation results of $93.03\% \pm 5.37\%$, $97.42\% \pm 3.94\%$, $98.27\% \pm 1.81\%$ and $93.04\% \pm 6.88\%$ for the classification of TP versus TC, TP versus NP, NP versus TP and TC (TPC) and NP versus TP versus TC, respectively.
Accurate prediction and key protein sequence feature identification of cyclins
Authors: Yu Shaoyou , Liao Bo , Zhu Wen , Peng Dejun , Wu Fangxiang
Published: April 2023

Cyclin proteins are a group of proteins that activate the cell cycle by forming complexes with cyclin-dependent kinases. Identifying cyclins correctly can provide key clues to understanding the function of cyclins. However, due to the low similarity between cyclin protein sequences, the advancement of a machine learning-based approach to identify cycles is urgently needed. In this study, cyclin protein sequence features were extracted using the profile-based auto-cross covariance method. Then the features were ranked and selected with maximum relevance-maximum distance (MRMD) 1.0 and MRMD2.0. Finally, the prediction model was assessed through 10-fold cross-validation. The computational experiments showed that the best protein sequence features generated by MRMD1.0 could correctly predict 98.2% of cyclins using the random forest (RF) classifier, whereas seven-dimensional key protein sequence features identified with MRMD2.0 could correctly predict 96.1% of cyclins, which was superior to previous studies on the same dataset both in terms of dimensionality and performance comparisons. Therefore, our work provided a valuable tool for identifying cyclins. The model data can be downloaded from https://github.com/YUshunL/cyclin.
Building a Research Community to Bring Evidence into Practice: Case Study
Authors: McGlade Anne , Pollock Elaine , Bunting Lisa , Taylor Brian , McGuckin Sonya , Patton Sonia , Burns Patricia , Wilson Emily , Devlin Tricia , Alkiviadou Andriana
Published: April 2023

This case study drawn from our collective experience in Northern Ireland presents a relatively unique approach that considers the role of wider contextual and organisational factors in supporting or inhibiting research into social work and social care practice. It has been written by members of the Building A Research Community Group (hereafter referred to as Research Community) established in 2019. The Research Community was built on the premise that partnership and co-production working between service delivery organisations, researchers and academia, and service users and carers is an essential underpinning to effective ‘practitioner research’, just as it is to the development of robust practitioner-relevant education and training. Using our experience over the last decade, we argue that bridging the gap between scientific evidence and practice requires leadership and the development of a supportive organisational culture that is receptive to learning and change. Highlighting both successes and challenges, along a journey spanning from 2014, we focus on the importance of developing a research strategy and realistic implementation plan accompanied by resource allocation. By sharing our journey in this case study, we hope that others across other geographical contexts can learn from our experience and are encouraged to share their own experiences.
Exposure to smoky coal combustion emissions and leukocyte Alu retroelement copy number
Authors: Blechter Batel , Wong Jason Y Y , Hu Wei , Cawthon Richard , Downward George S , Portengen Lützen , Zhang Yongliang , Ning Bofu , Rahman Mohammad L , Ji Bu-Tian , Li Jihua , Yang Kaiyun , Dean Hosgood H , Silverman Debra T , Huang Yunchao , Rothman Nathaniel , Vermeulen Roel , Lan Qing
Published: April 2023

Household air pollution (HAP) from indoor combustion of solid fuel is a global health burden that has been linked to multiple diseases including lung cancer. In Xuanwei, China, lung cancer rate for non-smoking women is among the highest in the world and largely attributed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are produced from combustion of smoky (bituminous) coal. Alu retroelements, repetitive mobile DNA sequences that can somatically multiply and promote genomic instability have been associated with risk of lung cancer and diesel engine exhaust exposure. We conducted analyses for 160 non-smoking women in an exposure assessment study in Xuanwei, China with a repeat sample from 49 subjects. Quantitative PCR was used to measure Alu repeat copy number relative to albumin gene copy number (Alu/ALB ratio). Associations between clusters derived from predicted levels of 43 HAP constituents, 5-methylchrysene (5-MC), a PAH previously associated with lung cancer in Xuanwei and was selected a priori for analysis, and Alu repeats were analyzed using generalized estimating equations. A cluster of 31 PAHs reflecting current exposure was associated with increased Alu copy number (β:0.03 per standard deviation change; 95% confidence interval (CI):0.01,0.04; P-value = 2E-04). One compound within this cluster, 5-MC, was also associated with increased Alu copy number (P-value = 0.02). Our findings suggest that exposure to PAHs due to indoor smoky coal combustion may contribute to genomic instability. Additionally, our study provides further support for 5-MC as a prominent carcinogenic component of smoky coal emissions. Further studies are needed to replicate our findings.
Spike-based coupling between single neurons and populations across rat sensory cortices, perirhinal cortex, and hippocampus
Authors: Dorman Reinder , Bos Jeroen J , Vinck Martin A , Marchesi Pietro , Fiorilli Julien , Lorteije Jeanette A M , Reiten Ingrid , Bjaalie Jan G , Okun Michael , Pennartz Cyriel M A
Published: April 2023

Cortical computations require coordination of neuronal activity within and across multiple areas. We characterized spiking relationships within and between areas by quantifying coupling of single neurons to population firing patterns. Single-neuron population coupling (SNPC) was investigated using ensemble recordings from hippocampal CA1 region and somatosensory, visual, and perirhinal cortices. Within-area coupling was heterogeneous across structures, with area CA1 showing higher levels than neocortical regions. In contrast to known anatomical connectivity, between-area coupling showed strong firing coherence of sensory neocortices with CA1, but less with perirhinal cortex. Cells in sensory neocortices and CA1 showed positive correlations between within- and between-area coupling; these were weaker for perirhinal cortex. All four areas harbored broadcasting cells, connecting to multiple external areas, which was uncorrelated to within-area coupling strength. When examining correlations between SNPC and spatial coding, we found that, if such correlations were significant, they were negative. This result was consistent with an overall preservation of SNPC across different brain states, suggesting a strong dependence on intrinsic network connectivity. Overall, SNPC offers an important window on cell-to-population synchronization in multi-area networks. Instead of pointing to specific information-coding functions, our results indicate a primary function of SNPC in dynamically organizing communication in systems composed of multiple, interconnected areas.
Distributed and hierarchical neural encoding of multidimensional biological motion attributes in the human brain
Authors: Wang Ruidi , Lu Xiqian , Jiang Yi
Published: April 2023

The human visual system can efficiently extract distinct physical, biological, and social attributes (e.g. facing direction, gender, and emotional state) from biological motion (BM), but how these attributes are encoded in the brain remains largely unknown. In the current study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate this issue when participants viewed multidimensional BM stimuli. Using multiple regression representational similarity analysis, we identified distributed brain areas, respectively, related to the processing of facing direction, gender, and emotional state conveyed by BM. These brain areas are governed by a hierarchical structure in which the respective neural encoding of facing direction, gender, and emotional state is modulated by each other in descending order. We further revealed that a portion of the brain areas identified in representational similarity analysis was specific to the neural encoding of each attribute and correlated with the corresponding behavioral results. These findings unravel the brain networks for encoding BM attributes in consideration of their interactions, and highlight that the processing of multidimensional BM attributes is recurrently interactive.
Deformalizing International Organizations Law: The Risk Appetite of Anne-Marie Leroy
Authors: Van Den Meerssche Dimitri
Published: April 2023

Taking on this Symposium’s invitation to rethink international organizations law by focusing on scholars and practitioners outside the mainstream, this article explores and evaluates the legacy of Anne-Marie Leroy, the World Bank General Counsel from 2009 to 2016. In her attempt to trade the formal, rigid language of law for the deformalized routine of risk management – described as a ‘paradigm shift’ from ‘rules to principles’ – Leroy could be portrayed as an antipode to those who developed or nurtured the discipline of international organizations law. Yet it is precisely by focusing on figures working outside (and against) the diagrams of the discipline that we can gain a critical perspective on the evolving life of law in international institutions. The article specifically focuses on how Leroy’s paradigm shift sought to bypass, manage, and overcome problems of operational expansion and institutional accountability to the outside world – perhaps the two frontiers where the conceptual normative confidence of mainstream, functionalist approaches most manifestly hit their limits. In both domains, the article shows, the principled (occasionally prohibitive) posture of liberal legalism instilled by some of Leroy’s predecessors had to be traded for an attitude of ‘agility’ and enhanced ‘risk appetite’. This article traces these changes in the professional sensibility and material practice of international law(yering) and critically evaluates the ‘new normative architecture’ of ‘risk’ that underpins it. It is by dwelling in this disjunction between familiar doctrinal dilemmas and mundane material practices of lawyering – a space teeming with unexpected rules and routines – that a critical reinvigoration, reorientation, and re-theorization of international organizations law can emerge.
Minorities moving out from minority-rich neighbourhoods: does school ethnic context matter in inter-generational residential desegregation?
Authors: Kalm Kadi , Leonard Knapp David , Kährik Anneli , Leetmaa Kadri , Tammaru Tiit
Published: April 2023

This paper aims to develop a fuller understanding of the relationship between the ethnic composition of childhood residential neighbourhoods, schools, and residential neighbourhoods later in life in producing and reproducing segregation. We apply a longitudinal research design on linked individual-level data from Estonia. Estonia is an interesting case because of the Soviet era population distribution policies and its ubiquitous state-funded educational system where minority parents can choose in which school—Russian-language or Estonian-language—their children study. We find that minority parents mostly opt for minority-dense schools and, if they do so, their children who grew up in minority-dense neighbourhoods also end up living in minority-dense neighbourhoods as adults. An inter-generational vicious circle of segregation forms. However, minority children who live in minority-dense neighbourhoods but study in majority-dense schools are more likely to end up living in majority-dense neighbourhoods later in life. Hence, intervening in school choice has the potential to contribute to inter-generational residential desegregation.
Attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination and intention to get vaccinated in Western Balkans: cross-sectional survey
Authors: Jeremic Stojkovic Vida , Cvjetkovic Smiljana , Jankovic Janko , Mandic-Rajcevic Stefan , Matovic Miljanovic Sanja , Stevanovic Aleksandar , Jovic Vranes Aleksandra , Stamenkovic Zeljka
Published: April 2023

Background

Introduction of vaccines against COVID-19 has not encountered expected acceptance. The uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Western Balkans countries is lagging behind the European Union average. The aim of our study was to assess the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in the population of unvaccinated adult citizens of five Western Balkans countries, and to explore factors that influence the vaccination intention.

Methods

Cross-sectional study was conducted in the period from July to October 2021. The questionnaire was shared through online social media. Intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 was measured by a single item assessing the likelihood of getting vaccinated on a 5-points Likert scale. Linear regressions were conducted with socio-demographic characteristics, presence of chronic diseases and attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination as independent factors.

Results

The largest proportion of unvaccinated respondents willing to get vaccinated in the future was observed in Montenegro and Albania (40.4% in each country), while in the Serbian sample, the willingness to get vaccinated was the lowest (22.6%). Socio-demographic characteristics were not significantly associated with the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in most of the countries. In Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia the strongest determinant of COVID-19 vaccination intention was the higher sense of social responsibility.

Conclusions

Vaccination interventions and campaigns aiming to improve the COVID-19 vaccine uptake should be focussed on specific set of factors in each country, appealing to social responsibility as most prevalent determinant of vaccination intention in Western Balkans.
Evolution of a new form of haploid-specific gene regulation appearing in a limited clade of ascomycete yeast species
Authors: Del Frate Francesca , Garber Megan E , Johnson Alexander D
Published: April 2023

Over evolutionary timescales, the logic and pattern of cell-type specific gene expression can remain constant, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying such regulation can drift between alternative forms. Here, we document a new example of this principle in the regulation of the haploid-specific genes in a small clade of fungal species. For most ascomycete fungal species, transcription of these genes is repressed in the a/α cell type by a heterodimer of two homeodomain proteins, Mata1 and Matα2. We show that in the species Lachancea kluyveri, most of the haploid-specific genes are regulated in this way, but repression of one haploid-specific gene (GPA1) requires, in addition to Mata1 and Matα2, a third regulatory protein, Mcm1. Model building, based on x-ray crystal structures of the three proteins, rationalizes the requirement for all three proteins: no single pair of the proteins is optimally arranged, and we show that no single pair can bring about repression. This case study exemplifies the idea that the energy of DNA binding can be “shared out” in different ways and can result in different DNA-binding solutions across different genes—while maintaining the same overall pattern of gene expression.
Rare disease research resources at the Rat Genome Database
Authors: Kaldunski Mary L , Smith Jennifer R , Brodie Kent C , De Pons Jeffrey L , Demos Wendy M , Gibson Adam C , Hayman G Thomas , Lamers Logan , Laulederkind Stanley J F , Thorat Ketaki , Thota Jyothi , Tutaj Marek A , Tutaj Monika , Vedi Mahima , Wang Shur-Jen , Zacher Stacy , Dwinell Melinda R , Kwitek Anne E
Published: April 2023

Rare diseases individually affect relatively few people, but as a group they impact considerable numbers of people. The Rat Genome Database (https://rgd.mcw.edu) is a knowledgebase that offers resources for rare disease research. This includes disease definitions, genes, quantitative trail loci (QTLs), genetic variants, annotations to published literature, links to external resources, and more. One important resource is identifying relevant cell lines and rat strains that serve as models for disease research. Diseases, genes, and strains have report pages with consolidated data, and links to analysis tools. Utilizing these globally accessible resources for rare disease research, potentiating discovery of mechanisms and new treatments, can point researchers toward solutions to alleviate the suffering of those afflicted with these diseases.
Predicting Endoscopic Improvement in Ulcerative Colitis Using the Ulcerative Colitis Severity Index
Authors: Wong Emily C L , Dulai Parambir S , Marshall John K , Jairath Vipul , Reinisch Walter , Narula Neeraj
Published: April 2023

Introduction

We developed and internally validated a prognostic scoring index for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients that includes baseline patient-reported outcomes (PROs), biomarkers, endoscopy, and histology for achieving 1-year endoscopic improvement (EI).

Methods

This post hoc analysis included 644 patients treated with ustekinumab induction therapy. Data were randomly split to obtain a 70% training and 30% testing cohort. Multivariate analyses assessed baseline variables and those with P < .05 were assigned weights based on their relative prognostic value from logistic regression modeling for predicting 1-year EI (Mayo endoscopic score ≤1). A cutoff was obtained by calculating the maximum Youden index and validated in the testing cohort.

Results

Prior biologic failure, albumin <40 g/L, C-reactive protein >5 mg/L, Mayo stool frequency subscore, endoscopic erosions/ulcerations, and chronic histologic structural/architectural changes demonstrated significant associations with 1-year EI and were included in the final model. The Ulcerative Colitis Severity Index (UCSI) had acceptable discriminative ability for 1-year EI in the training (area under the curve [AUC], 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.86) and testing cohort (AUC, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.68-0.85). Compared with the UCSI, the Mayo Clinic score demonstrated poor accuracy (AUC, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.40-0.58) for predicting 1-year EI (P = .0006). The UCSI predicted 1-year endoscopic healing (Mayo endoscopic score = 0), clinical remission (total Mayo Clinic score ≤2 and no subscore >1), partial Mayo score remission <2, and 2-item Patient-Reported Outcome score (Mayo stool frequency and rectal bleeding subscore = 0) with significantly greater accuracy compared with the Mayo Clinic score.

Discussion

The UCSI is an internally validated prognostic scoring tool that accurately predicts 1-year EI at baseline among moderate-to-severe UC patients initiating therapy. Further validation with additional datasets is needed.
Feed Thy Neighbour: How Social Ties Shape Spillover Effects of Cash Transfers on Food Security and Nutrition
Authors: Carraro Alessandro , Ferrone Lucia
Published: April 2023

Economic development in Sub Saharan African countries is strongly tied to households' ability to cope with exogenous events affecting their well-being. Using data from the Lesotho Child Grant Program (CGP) we provide evidence on the presence of any spillover effect of the program on non-eligible households living in treated villages and whether households' food security and nutrition are influenced by the presence of a particular network structure. We take advantage of information on each household's received and disbursed monetary transfers to build a set of indicators representing quantitatively and qualitatively the network architecture of each household. We find relevant spillover effects of the CGP on the food security and nutrition of non-eligible households living in treated villages and embedded in a social network. Geographical proximity seems to be strongly tied to positive spillover effects for food security and access to food.
Glucose metabolic reprogramming and modulation in glycerol biosynthesis regulates drug resistance in clinical isolates ofCandida
Authors: Padder Sajad Ahmad , Padder Rayees Ahmad , Ramzan Asiya , Bashir Gulnaz , Tahir Inayatullah , Rehman Reiaz Ul , Shah Abdul Haseeb
Published: April 2023

Aims

The study is aimed at understanding the novel molecular mechanisms governing drug resistance in the opportunistic fungi belonging to the genus Candida.

Methods and results

This is a multipronged study wherein different assays like drug susceptibility and whole cell proteome analysis, stress tolerance assay, measurement of total internal glycerol content, western blot analysis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurement, glucose uptake, lactate production, ATP generation, and NADPH measurements were made.

The study reveals an incidence of different species of Candida in the northern most part of India (Kashmir valley). Resistant isolates, mostly resistant to azoles were reported across all the species. The study revealed a difference in resistance mechanisms between Candida albicans and C. glabrata clinical isolates. Further, such resistance mechanism (in the case of C. albicans) was mostly mediated by Hexokinase 2 (Hxk2) and Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6pd). Increased expression of Hxk2 was associated with increased glucose uptake, more lactate production, and more ATP generation in drug-resistant C. albicans. At the same time, increased G6pd expression was responsible for the increased production of NADPH, which imparts a better ROS scavenging potential. While in C. glabrata the resistance was linked with glycerol metabolism, where the drug-resistant isolate tends to accumulate more glycerol as an osmolyte in response to external stresses. This glycerol accumulation was found to be triggered by the HOG1-MAPK pathway.

Conclusion

The study concludes that, like various human malignant tumors, there is a strong correlation between drug resistance and aberrant cellular metabolism in the opportunistic fungi belonging to the genus Candida.
Reference genome of the black rail, Laterallus jamaicensis
Authors: Hall Laurie A , Wang Ian J , Escalona Merly , Beraut Eric , Sacco Samuel , Sahasrabudhe Ruta , Nguyen Oanh , Toffelmier Erin , Shaffer H Bradley , Beissinger Steven R
Published: April 2023

The black rail, Laterallus jamaicensis, is one of the most secretive and poorly understood birds in the Americas. Two of its five subspecies breed in North America: the Eastern black rail (L. j. jamaicensis), found primarily in the southern and mid-Atlantic states, and the California black rail (L. j. coturniculus), inhabiting California and Arizona, are recognized across the highly disjunct distribution. Population declines, due primarily to wetland loss and degradation, have resulted in conservation status listings for both subspecies. To help advance understanding of the phylogeography, biology, and ecology of this elusive species, we report the first reference genome assembly for the black rail, produced as part of the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP). We produced a de novo genome assembly using Pacific Biosciences HiFi long reads and Hi-C chromatin-proximity sequencing technology with an estimated sequencing error rate of 0.182%. The assembly consists of 964 scaffolds spanning 1.39 Gb, with a contig N50 of 7.4 Mb, scaffold N50 of 21.4 Mb, largest contig of 44.8 Mb, and largest scaffold of 101.2 Mb. The assembly has a high BUSCO completeness score of 96.8% and represents the first genome assembly available for the genus Laterallus. This genome assembly can help resolve questions about the complex evolutionary history of rails, assess black rail vagility and population connectivity, estimate effective population sizes, and evaluate the potential of rails for adaptive evolution in the face of growing threats from climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, and disease.
Management of diversity and inbreeding when importing new stock into an inbred population
Authors: Kinghorn Brian , Kinghorn Alexander
Published: April 2023

This article relates to breeding programs that seek to manage genetic diversity. The method maximizes a multicomponent objective function, applicable across breeding scenarios. However, this paper focuses on breeding decisions following immigration of 10 unrelated individuals into a highly inbred simulated population (F ≈ 0.34). We use Optimal Contribution Selection to maximize retention of genetic diversity. However, some treatments add Coancestry Assortative Mating (CAM). This helps to avoid early dilution of immigrant genetic material, maximizing its ability to contribute to genetic diversity in the longer term. After 20 generations, this resulted in considerably increased genetic diversity, with mean coancestries 59% of what random pairing gave. To manage progeny inbreeding, common practice is to reject matings above an upper limit. As a suboptimal rules-based approach, this resulted in 26% decreased genetic diversity and 8% increased inbreeding in the long term, compared with random pairing. In contrast, including mean progeny inbreeding as a continuous variable in the overall objective function decreased final inbreeding by 37% compared with random pairing. Adding some emphasis on selection for a single trait resulted in a similar pattern of effects on coancestry and inbreeding, with 12% higher trait response under CAM. Results indicate the properties of alternative methods, but we encourage users to do their own investigations of particular scenarios, such as including inbreeding depression. Practical implementation of these methods is discussed: they have been widely adopted in domestic animal breeding and are highly flexible to accommodate a wide range of technical and logistical objectives and constraints.
Interstitial deletion of the Apc locus in β-catenin-overexpressing cells is a signature of radiation-induced intestinal tumors in C3B6F1 ApcMin/+ mice
Authors: Yanagihara Hiromi , Morioka Takamitsu , Yamazaki Shunsuke , Yamada Yutaka , Tachibana Hirotaka , Daino Kazuhiro , Tsuruoka Chizuru , Amasaki Yoshiko , Kaminishi Mutsumi , Imaoka Tatsuhiko , Kakinuma Shizuko
Published: April 2023

Recent studies have identified interstitial deletions in the cancer genome as a radiation-related mutational signature, although most of them do not fall on cancer driver genes. Pioneering studies in the field have indicated the presence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) spanning Apc in a subset of sporadic and radiation-induced intestinal tumors of ApcMin/+ mice, albeit with a substantial subset in which LOH was not detected; whether copy number losses accompany such LOH has also been unclear. Herein, we analyzed intestinal tumors of C3B6F1 ApcMin/+ mice that were either left untreated or irradiated with 2 Gy of γ-rays. We observed intratumor mosaicism with respect to the nuclear/cytoplasmic accumulation of immunohistochemically detectable β-catenin, which is a hallmark of Apc+ allele loss. An immunoguided laser microdissection approach enabled the detection of LOH involving the Apc+ allele in β-catenin-overexpressing cells; in contrast, the LOH was not observed in the non-overexpressing cells. With this improvement, LOH involving Apc+ was detected in all 22 tumors analyzed, in contrast to what has been reported previously. The use of a formalin-free fixative facilitated the LOH and microarray-based DNA copy number analyses, enabling the classification of the aberrations as nondisjunction/mitotic recombination type or interstitial deletion type. Of note, the latter was observed only in radiation-induced tumors (nonirradiated, 0 of 8; irradiated, 11 of 14). Thus, an analysis considering intratumor heterogeneity identifies interstitial deletion involving the Apc+ allele as a causative radiation-related event in intestinal tumors of ApcMin/+ mice, providing an accurate approach for attributing individual tumors to radiation exposure.
A novel use of PICO dressing with sterile sponge for the treatment of a deep ulcerated wound in a breast cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy
Authors: Soh Chien Lin , Tafazal Habib
Published: April 2023

Wound management in patients with deep ulcerated wounds can be challenging, especially in the context of an outpatient setting. This is further confounded in patients undergoing chemotherapy. There is a lack of literature on the outpatient management of ulcerated breast wounds in patients having neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. This case report describes the use of a negative pressure wound treatment system leading to satisfactory wound healing and ultimately improving a patient’s quality-of-life during chemotherapy.
Promotion of tree in the compounds of Central-Benin cities (West Africa): an assessment of its assets and constraints
Authors: Zohoun Prucelle Elisée , Azalou-Tingbé Emilia M , Zakari Soufouyane , Yabi Ibouraïma
Published: April 2023

Nature-based solutions hold promise for cities, given their development challenges and vulnerability to climate change. This research is based on the fact that knowledge of public perceptions of trees is necessary for planning tree conservation and planting initiatives in rapidly changing landscapes. This article aims to identify the assets and constraints related to the promotion of trees in the compounds of the cities of Central Benin (cities of Parakou, Dassa-Zoumè and Savalou) based on the perceptions of urban residents. Samples of 370, 365 and 360 inhabitants respectively in Parakou, Dassa-Zoumè and Savalou are used to collect information. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis was performed on the responses obtained to identify assets (strengths and opportunities) and constraints (weaknesses and threats). The decision of the landowner, the lack of place, the lack of technicality, the socio-economic problems constitute the main constraints of the promotion of the tree in the cities of Centre-Benin. To meet the challenge, these cities have assets such as the majority proportion of landowners, the high level of education, the presence of several socio-cultural groups, the climate and favorable soils, the presence of nurserymen and the availability of seedlings, the national tree day.
A von Mises–Fisher distribution for the orbital poles of the plutinos
Authors: Matheson Ian C , Malhotra Renu , Keane James T
Published: April 2023

Small Solar system bodies have widely dispersed orbital poles, posing challenges to dynamical models of Solar system origin and evolution. To characterize the orbit pole distribution of dynamical groups of small bodies it helps to have a functional form for a model of the distribution function. Previous studies have used the small-inclination approximation and adopted variations of the normal distribution to model orbital inclination dispersions. Because the orbital pole is a directional variable, its distribution can be more appropriately modelled with directional statistics. We describe the von Mises–Fisher (vMF) distribution on the surface of the unit sphere for application to small bodies’ orbital poles. We apply it to the orbit pole distribution of the observed Plutinos. We find a mean pole located at inclination i0 = 3.57° and longitude of ascending node Ω0 = 124.38° (in the J2000 reference frame), with a 99.7 per cent confidence cone of half-angle 1.68°. We also estimate a debiased mean pole located 4.6° away, at i0 = 2.26°, Ω0 = 292.69°, of similar-size confidence cone. The vMF concentration parameter of Plutino inclinations (relative to either mean pole estimate) is κ = 31.6. This resembles a Rayleigh distribution function, with width parameter σ = 10.2°. Unlike previous models, the vMF model naturally accommodates all physical inclinations (and no others), whereas Rayleigh or Gaussian models must be truncated to the physical inclination range 0–180°. Further work is needed to produce a theory for the mean pole of the Plutinos against which to compare the observational results.
The γ-ray deposition histories of calcium-rich supernovae
Authors: Sharon Amir , Kushnir Doron
Published: April 2023

Calcium-rich supernovae (Ca-rich SNe) are faint, rapidly evolving transients whose progenitor system is yet to be determined. We derive the γ-ray deposition histories of five Ca-rich SNe from the literature in order to place constraints on possible progenitor systems. We find that the γ-ray escape time, t0, of the Ca-rich SNe sample is $\approx 35\!-\!65 \, \rm {d},$ within the unoccupied region between Type Ia SNe and stripped-envelope supernovae (SESNe). The t0−MNi56 distribution of these SNe, where MNi56 is the synthesized 56Ni mass in the explosion, creates a continuum between the Type Ia and SESNe t0−MNi56 distribution, hinting at a possible connection between all the events. By comparing our results to models from the literature, we were able to determine that helium shell detonation models and core-collapse models of ultra-stripped stars are unlikely to explain Ca-rich SNe since the gamma-ray escape time in these models is smaller than the observed values. Models that agree with the observed t0−MNi56 distribution are explosions of low mass, $M\approx 0.75\!-\!0.8\, \mathrm{M}_\odot,$ white dwarfs and core-collapse models of stripped stars with an ejecta mass of $M\approx 1\!-\!3\, {\rm M}_{\odot}.$
A Qualitative Exploration of Music Therapist Beliefs, Education, and Uses of Hip Hop in Clinical Practice
Authors: Campbell Kailey S
Published: April 2023

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore music therapists’ beliefs, education, and uses of Hip Hop in clinical work through interviews with board-certified music therapists who incorporate elements of Hip Hop into their work. Specifically, the researcher sought to ascertain how music therapists use elements of Hip Hop culture in clinical practice, the training and education these music therapists received about Hip Hop culture, and the suggestions they have for professional and preprofessional music therapists who wish to incorporate elements of Hip Hop into their clinical work. Participants were board-certified music therapists who incorporate elements of Hip Hop into their work. These participants have either written scholarly, given presentations or contributed to the music therapy body of knowledge in this area through trainings such as continuing music therapy education courses or in-services. Participants completed semi-structured interviews that were recorded, transcribed, and coded. Four themes with eleven subthemes emerged. The themes included (a) motivations for incorporating Hip Hop (subthemes: responding to service users’ musical preference, and cultural responsiveness), (b) therapeutic goals in music therapy (subthemes: emotional processing, self-expression, and group support), (c) how participants learned about Hip Hop (subthemes: self-study, wisdom from service users, personal, and/or cultural connections), (d) recommendations from participants (subthemes: seek supervision, commit to reflexivity, and seek deeper knowledge). Implications gleaned from this study include the need for better university education in this area that centers cultural responsiveness and authenticity and issues of access in music therapy for service users, clinicians, and academics in the field.