bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Forest Survey in the Bottomland Hardwoods of the Mississippi Delta
Authors: Lentz G. H.
Published: April 2024

A current major project of interest to foresters and lumbermen, especially those concerned with the economics of the forest industries, is the forest survey now being pushed so energetically by the Forest Service in several regions. The hardwoods have always received less attention than the conifers. It is gratifying, therefore, that this important group is to be included so early. Mr. Lentz describes the problems peculiar to the hardwood survey and offers classifications of sites and types. Mr. Putnam's comments which follow the principal paper enlarge upon and further clarify some of Mr. Lentz' statements.
Cutting Methods in Relation to Resource Use in Central Rocky Mountain Spruce-Fir Forests
Authors: Alexander Robert R.
Published: April 2024

In terms of any of the goods and services usually aimed for under multiple-use management, the spruce-fir type is the largest and most valuable forest resource in the central Rocky Mountains. Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry), the most desirable timber tree in the type, needs mineral soil seedbeds and partial shade for best establishment and early growth. Spruce can be harvested and regenerated by all silvicultural systems except the seed tree method--subject to limitations imposed by stand conditions.
Growth of Adjacent Red and Jack Pine Plantations in the Lake States
Authors: Alban David H.
Published: April 2024

In 25 pairs of adjacent plantations, mean annual increment of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) was greater than that of jack pine (P. banksiana Lamb.) for 24 comparisons on a volume basis and for 20 on a weight basis. In no case did jack pine significantly outproduce red pine. Red pine mean annual increment averaged 29 cubic feet per acre greater than that of jack pine irrespective of site index, and this species differential is expected to increase as the stands grow older. The plantations averaged 36 years of age and represented a wide range of site indexes and soils throughout the northern Lake States.
Habitat Effectiveness for Elk as Influenced by Roads and Cover
Authors: Lyon L. Jack
Published: April 2024

Pellet counts conducted over an eight-year period confirmed that elk in western Montana tend to avoid habitat adjacent to open forest roads. The area avoided increases where the density of tree cover is low. Forest roads open to traffic cause available habitat to be less than fully effective. A method for determining the losses of effective habitat is presented.
Determining Average Skidding Distance on Rough Terrain
Authors: Perkins R. H. , Lynn K. D.
Published: April 2024

A method has been developed for accurately determining average skidding distance and surface area as affected by roughness of terrain. The mathematical procedure is based on a geometrical approximation of sectors of circles and use of three-dimensional coordinate data from a topographic map. The methodology, applicable to tracts of either regular or irregular shape, is presented for use with pocket calculator or electronic computer.
Sealed Bids or Oral Auctions: Which Yield Higher Prices?
Authors: Wiener Alfred A.
Published: April 2024

When national forest timber is sold by sealed bid, prices tend to be higher than in sales by oral auction. This conclusion is derived from analyses of 1977 data from seven Forest Service regions (or zones)–all west of the Mississippi River--where both sales methods were used. The differential was greater for large sales than for small, and greater in regions where timber processors are numerous than where one-bid sales are common. The primary analysis was in terms of overbids, i.e., prices in excess of the Forest Service's appraised values; but comparisons of net and gross stumpage prices yielded the same conclusions. There was no strong indication that dependent mills changed their bidding patterns, or lost their timber supply, when sealed bids were used.
Forestry and Climatic Change
Authors: Layser Earle F.
Published: April 2024

The earth's climate appears to be in an unstable period and may be undergoing change. Climatic fluctuations over the relatively short period of decades have biological and socioeconomic ramifications of importance to foresters and other land managers. They may be a precursor for ecological events affecting length of growing season, precipitation distribution, species distribution and decline, marginal habitats, tree growth, pathogen activity, and possibly wildfire occurrence and intensity. Land management and planning precepts need to be evaluated in respect to recent findings of atmospheric research, and climatic change considered as a factor in forest planning and ecological mechanisms.
Backcountry as an Alternative to Wilderness?
Authors: Schomaker John H. , Glassford Thomas R.
Published: April 2024

Backcountry areas have been suggested as recreation alternatives to wilderness. A problem with the concept is that areas which could be managed as backcountry are already used by recreationists. Visitors to a wilderness in Oregon and to a nondesignated roadless area in northern Idaho hem many of the same values and sought the same kind of experiences. Therefore, redistribution, as proposed by backcountry proponents, may be equivalent to shifting use form officially designated wilderness to de facto wilderness rather than from wilderness to a backcountry, recreation area.
Redistributing Backcountry Use Through Information Related To Recreation Experiences
Authors: Krumpe Edwin E. , Brown Perry J.
Published: April 2024

A controlled experiment in Yellowstone National Park tested a "trail selector" consisting of a brochure and map containing information designed to enable visitors to select trails offering the type of recreation experience they desired and to provide alternatives to the most highly used trails. In decision-tree format, the trail selector gave information on specific backcountry characteristics for 28 lightly used trails. The experiment demonstrated that simple information about trail attributes could redistribute use. Recreationists considered the trail selector useful, most said they would use it in planning subsequent trips, main, had showed it to others planning a backcountry trip in the study area.
Photo Estimates of Upper Stem Diameters
Authors: Crosby P. , Barrett J. P. , Bocko R.
Published: April 2024

With a hand-held 35mm camera mounted with a 200mm lens, a field test was made on 40 white pine trees (Pinus strobus) to evaluate the feasibility of measuring upper stem diameters from photos. A section of the bole was referenced with a scale of known width and photographed with a hand-held camera at a horizontal distance of 10 m from the tree. The technique is simple and gave accurate and precise estimates. Either slides or black and white photos can be used.
Managers' Perceptions of Experiences Sought by Ski-Tourers
Authors: Rosenthal Donald H. , Driver B. L.
Published: April 2024

Recreation managers' perceptions of experiences desired by ski-tourers in the Colorado Rockies' Front Range were similar to preferences stated by the ski-tourers themselves. These findings contrast with the results of previous research on other forms of recreation.
Stand Changes on a Southwestern Mixed Conifer Watershed after Timber Harvesting
Authors: Gottfried Gerald J.
Published: April 2024

An old-growth, mixed conifer stand in eastern Arizona was operationally harvested by diameter-limit and selection methods. The diameter-limit treatment severely reduced the conifer component of the remaining stand. Losses of advance regeneration from both harvesting methods were heavy. The diameter-limit area was left understocked, but in six years a well-stocked young aspen (Populus tremuloides) stand regenerated from sprouts; conifer numbers and stocking also increased. The conversion is less desirable than the old stand by current conifer production guidelines but can be beneficial for wildlife and for water resources. The selection area remained satisfactorily stocked with overstory trees and regeneration after harvest. Conifer regeneration currently exceeds pre-cutting levels. Aspen sprouting was also heavy, but conifers should remain dominant if the overstory is not drastically reduced by future cuts and logging damage is minimized.
Recreation Management in Cooperation With Nonprofit Organizations: Pros and Cons
Authors: Jacobi Charles D. , Wellman J. Douglas
Published: April 2024

Public land managers faced with budget and manpower constraints are finding partnerships with nonprofit groups useful in meeting recreation management goals. Interviews with key personnel in five such partnerships in the East revealed a wide variety of pros and cons that managers should consider. On balance, interviewees felt that the possible benefits of partnerships outweigh the potential problems.
Removal of Woody Debris May Affect Stream Channel Stability
Authors: Bilby Robert E.
Published: April 2024

Several western states mandate the removal of logging debris from streams in order to prevent accumulations impassable to anadromous fish. Monitoring a small western Washington stream revealed large changes in channel structure during the first high flow after cleaning. Nearly 60 percent of the monitored pieces of debris moved during this storm, channel cross sections were substantially altered by movement of stored sediment, and the number, area, and volume of pools decreased. The degree of channel rearrangement was greater than in a comparable undisturbed stream. Subsequent storms caused much less debris movement and channel change than the first high flow, even though some of the later flows were of greater magnitude. An interim guide to stream cleaning is precribed.
Another Look at Leopold's Land Ethic
Authors: Zeide Boris
Published: April 2024

Leopold's teaching is based on the belief that "the land is one organism." Will an ecosystem collapse if a single species is removed, as would an organism without a single organ? What would happen if all native plants and the animals that depend on them were replaced by a single introduced species? The answer: a sustainable wheat field, without which Leopold would not be able to create his ethic, nor we conduct this discourse.
Professional Foresters and the Land Ethic, Revisited
Authors: Brown Gerg , Harris Chuck
Published: April 2024

Using a nationwide survey of Forest Service employees, this article compares the land ethic of foresters with that of other natural resource professionals and examines the relationship between one's land ethic and preferred forest policy options. Professional foresters embrace a more utilitarian land ethic than that expressed by biologists and other natural resource scientists in the agency. Because the number of foresters, engineers, and range managers in the Forest Service is declining while the ranks of natural resources scientists are growing, changes in the short-term management of national forest units may be forthcoming.
ICBEMP: Landscape Dynamics
Authors: Hann Wendel J. , Jones Jeffrey L. , Keane Robert E. , Hessburg Paul F. , Gravenmier Rebecca A.
Published: April 2024

Assessment of the landscape dynamics of the ecosystems within the interior Columbia River basin included both natural and human changes. We describe the relationships between land use, ecosystem health, species diversity, and interactions with inherent disturbance processes and biophysical capabilities. We found that both traditional commodity and reserve system management strategies cause short-term fragmentation leading to long-term simplification of biophysical and socioeconomic landscape systems; active ecological management, on the other hand, can sustain the capabilities of these systems.
ICBEMP: Social and Economic Systems
Authors: Haynes Richard W. , Reyna Nicholas E. , Allen Stewart D.
Published: April 2024

The social and economic assessments conducted for the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project characterized social and economic conditions and trends. The basin has a robust economy that is growing, diversifying, and reducing the importance of traditional resource industries. Even so, there remain many places that are not sharing in this prosperity or easily adapting to the changes to traditional rural lifestyles that growth brings.
Rural Communities in the Interior Columbia Basin: How Resilient Are They?
Authors: Harris Charles C. , McLaughlin William J. , Brown Greg
Published: April 2024

An assessment of rural communities in Inland Northwest forests, completed for the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project, reveals that although their populations and economic base are changing, many towns are less dependent on natural resources than their citizens believe. Economic diversification is one measure of resilience to change, and towns whose leaders are preparing for future change have the best chance of expanding opportunities for their residents.
Balance and Sustainability in Multiaged Stands: A Northern Conifer Case Study
Authors: Seymour Robert S. , Kenefic Laura S.
Published: April 2024

Classical silvicultural concepts of balance and sustainability in selection stands are examined using a 40-year case study in a mixed hemlock-spruce-fir stand. Although the stand initially conformed well to the target structure, deficits of poletimber and surpluses of sawtimber have since developed. Viewing stand structure in terms of area occupied by 10-year age classes, in addition to the diameter distribution, reveals important structural and species imbalances and suggests future management directions.
Gifford Pinchot: A Life in Progress
Authors: Miller Char , Sample V. Alaric
Published: April 2024

Gifford Pinchot's conservation principles evolved throughout his life. Born into a lumbering and mercantile family, he was trained in traditional European methods of forest management, a perspective central to his work as first chief of the USDA Forest Service. When, as Pennsylvania's governor, he protected old-growth forests and later urged Franklin Delano Roosevelt to buy up private timberlands, he broke ranks with many foresters. Always controversial, he acted as the Forest Service's conscience until his death in 1946.
Coarse Woody Debris: Humans and Nature Competing for Trees
Authors: Hagan John M. , Grove Stacie L.
Published: April 2024

Dead wood is usually the last thing foresters and forest products companies want to see in their forests. However, before humans discovered so many practical uses of wood, dead and dying trees were basic to forest development. Not surprisingly, many plants and animals evolved dependencies on dead wood. Today, with maintaining biodiversity a primary goal of forest management, foresters are confronted with seemingly contradictory goals: prevent or minimize agents that damage trees, but also maintain biodiversity, including the species that need dead wood.
Forestry Education: Adapting to the Changing Demands on Professionals
Authors: Sample V. Alaric , Ringgold Paul C. , Block Nadine E. , Giltmier James W.
Published: April 2024

Recent evolution in the practice of forestry can be linked to changes in the public's perception of sustainability and to developments in science, communications, and global markets. In response, when hiring graduates of professional forestry programs, forestry employers have changed the set of skills and competencies sought. A nationwide survey of forestry employers, educators, and recent graduates, conducted to assess how well US forestry programs are preparing professionals to practice forestry today, reveals some discrepancies between what employers want and what the schools provide. External financial and political pressures on higher education make it difficult for educators to close these gaps, but opportunities exist for employers to help.
Preventing Disaster: Home Ignitability in the Wildland-Urban Interface
Authors: Cohen Jack D.
Published: April 2024

Wildland-urban interface (W-UI) fires are a significant concern for federal, state, and local land management and fire agencies. Research using modeling, experiments, and W-UI case studies indicates that home ignitability during wildland fires depends on the characteristics of the home and its immediate surroundings. These findings have implications for hazard assessment and risk mapping, effective mitigations, and identification of appropriate responsibility for reducing the potential for home loss caused by W-UI fires.
Mixing Ethics & Management A Crisis in Our Profession
Authors: Humphries William C.
Published: April 2024

Because codes of ethics have their roots in the Judeo-Christian tradition, they are intended to guide people's relationships with one another. Because the "land ethic" describes people's relationship with the land, not with one another, it has no place in the SAF Code of Ethics. A separate set of forest practice standards could be devised to address these issues. To do otherwise is to create confusion and compromise the integrity of the code.
Ethical Conduct for Research A Code of Scientific Ethics
Authors: Patton-Mallory Marcia , Franzreb Kathleen , Carll Charles , Cline Richard
Published: April 2024

The USDA Forest Service recently developed and adopted a code of ethical conduct for scientific research and development. The code addresses issues related to research misconduct, such as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research or in reporting research results, as well as issues related to professional misconduct, such as authorship practices, conflict of interest, and responsible treatment of data and resources. The adoption of a code of scientific ethics is expected to foster fairness, accuracy, and integrity in the conduct and reporting of scientific research within the agency.
The Cost of Inventorying and Monitoring Carbon: Lessons from the Noel Kempff Climate Action Project
Authors: Boscolo M. , Powell M. , Delaney M. , Brown S. , Faris R.
Published: April 2024

The availability of cost-effective inventorying and monitoring systems is critical to the successful development of forest-based carbon offset projects. Based on our assessment of the Noel Kempff Climate Action Project in Bolivia, the largest pilot carbon offset project, we predict that monitoring costs are unlikely to exceed $0.25 per ton of offset. Yet this value will vary according to many site-specific characteristics, project scope, scale, and offset accounting methods.
Forest Stewardship Education: Fostering Positive Attitudes in Urban Youth
Authors: Broussard S.R. , Jones S.B. , Nielsen L.A. , Flanagan C.A.
Published: April 2024

Philadelphia middle school students participated in a forestry education program that involved activities in the classroom, an urban forest, and a demonstration forest. A better understanding of forest stewardship, as evidenced by students' increased knowledge and shifting attitudes, was the cumulative effect, but activities and discussions in the demonstration forest proved the most effective educational method for fostering positive attitudes toward forestry.
What Is the Price of Catastrophic Wildfire?
Authors: Butry D.T. , Mercer E.D. , Prestemon J.P. , Pye J.M. , Holmes T.P.
Published: April 2024

We modeled and analyzed the economic impacts of the six weeks of large, catastrophic wildfires in northeastern Florida in June and July 1998, among Florida's most devastating in recent history. The result of the unusually strong El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in 1998, the Florida wildfires produced economic impacts of at least $600 million, similar in scale to recent category-2 hurricanes. Improved understanding of the interactions between management, wildfire, and its costs may yield large payoffs to society by identifying optimal intervention activities.
Empowering Private Forest Landowners: Lessons from Pennsylvania, Alabama, and Oregon
Authors: Jones S.B. , Glover G.R. , Finley J.C. , Jacobson M.G. , Reed A.S.
Published: April 2024

This overview and the accompanying case studies (Finley and Jacobson, Glover and Jones, and Reed) showcase three models for encouraging forest stewardship through informal education. All three cases are rooted in a fundamental premise that knowledge leads to better forestry decisions by landowners. Each case characterizes and emphasizes the importance of partnerships and shared domains, generating leveraged resources and enhanced impact. Through forestry extension and the multiple partnerships involved with educating private forest landowners, we can achieve greater sustainability on the nation's 278 million acres of private forests.
Brief parenting intervention (Triple P) for families of children with eczema: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Mitchell Amy E , Morawska Alina , Casey Emily , Forbes Elana , Filus Ania , Fraser Jennifer , Rowell David , Johnston Aimee , Birch Stephen
Published: April 2024

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and costs of a brief, group-delivered parenting intervention for families of children with eczema.

Methods

A randomized controlled trial design was used. Families attending the Queensland Children’s Hospital and from the community (n = 257) were assessed for eligibility (child 2–10 years, diagnosed with eczema, prescribed topical corticosteroids). Families who consented to participate (N = 59) were assessed at baseline for clinician-rated eczema severity, parent-reported eczema symptom severity, and electronically-monitored topical corticosteroid adherence (primary outcomes); and parenting behavior, parents’ self-efficacy and task performance when managing eczema, eczema-related child behavior problems, and child and parent quality of life (secondary outcomes). Families were randomized (1:1, unblinded) to intervention (n = 31) or care-as-usual (n = 28). The intervention comprised two, 2-hr Healthy Living Triple P group sessions (face-to-face/online) and 28 intervention families attended one/both sessions. All families were offered standardized eczema education. Families were reassessed at 4-weeks post-intervention and 6-month follow-up, with clinician-raters blinded to condition. Costs of intervention delivery were estimated.

Results

Multilevel modeling across assessment timepoints showed significant intervention effects for ineffective parenting (d = .60), self-efficacy (d = .74), task performance (d = .81), and confidence with managing eczema-related child behavior (d = .63), but not disease/symptom severity, treatment adherence or quality of life. Mean cost per participating family with parenting behavior (clinically) improved was $159.

Conclusions

Healthy Living Triple P is effective in reducing ineffective parenting practices and improving parents’ self-efficacy and task performance when managing children’s eczema and eczema-related behavior difficulties. There was no effect on disease/symptom severity, treatment adherence, or quality of life.

Clinical Trial Registration

ACTRN12618001332213
“Too Clean, Too White”: Resistance to the Racial Politics of Hygiene in Helena María Viramontes’s Under the Feet of Jesus
Authors: Galentine Cassandra
Published: April 2024

The central characters of Helena María Viramontes’s 1996 novel about Mexican American farm workers, Under the Feet of Jesus, are plagued by dirt and grime wherever they go. Subsequently, these characters frequently face racial discourses of hygiene—popular forms of communication (advertisements, public health education, etc.) that associate cleanliness with whiteness and wealth, and dirtiness with poverty and nonwhite identity. Through their encounters with dirt, cleaning products, and racial discourses of hygiene, Viramontes’s characters demonstrate how ideas about cleanliness inform US racial formation. In particular, the novel’s engagement with the American ideals of white cleanliness foisted on the central teenage farm worker, Estrella, and her family reveals how personal hygiene is weaponized as a tool of neoliberalism to obscure the material conditions of laborers and the systemic environmental racism they face. In the novel, individual hygiene is presented, most often by white or white-coded characters, as the path toward environmental, racial, and economic justice in ways that distract from the structural roots of the environmental injustices nonwhite farm workers face daily. Through white color imagery and active engagement with dirty materiality, Under the Feet of Jesus challenges racial discourses of hygiene and demonstrates systemic and restorative ways of thinking about public health and the value of communal care.
Extending the chemical reach of the H3 survey: detailed abundances of the dwarf-galaxy stellar stream Wukong/LMS-1
Authors: Limberg Guilherme , Ji Alexander P , Naidu Rohan P , Chiti Anirudh , Rossi Silvia , Usman Sam A , Ting Yuan-Sen , Zaritsky Dennis , Bonaca Ana , Borbolato Lais , Speagle Joshua S , Chandra Vedant , Conroy Charlie
Published: April 2024

We present the first detailed chemical-abundance analysis of stars from the dwarf-galaxy stellar stream Wukong/LMS-1 covering a wide metallicity range ($-3.5 \lt \rm [Fe/H] \lesssim -1.3$). We find abundance patterns that are effectively indistinguishable from the bulk of Indus and Jhelum, a pair of smaller stellar streams proposed to be dynamically associated with Wukong/LMS-1. We confirmed a carbon-enhanced metal-poor star ($\rm [C/Fe] \gt +0.7$ and $\rm [Fe/H] \sim -2.9$) in Wukong/LMS-1 with strong enhancements in Sr, Y, and Zr, which is peculiar given its solar-level [Ba/Fe]. Wukong/LMS-1 stars have high abundances of α elements up to $\rm [Fe/H] \gtrsim -2$, which is expected for relatively massive dwarfs. Towards the high-metallicity end, Wukong/LMS-1 becomes α-poor, revealing that it probably experienced fairly standard chemical evolution. We identified a pair of N- and Na-rich stars in Wukong/LMS-1, reminiscent of multiple stellar populations in globular clusters. This indicates that this dwarf galaxy contained at least one globular cluster that was completely disrupted in addition to two intact ones previously known to be associated with Wukong/LMS-1, which is possibly connected to similar evidence found in Indus. From these ≥3 globular clusters, we estimate the total mass of Wukong/LMS-1 to be ${\approx }10^{10} \, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, representing ∼1 per cent of the present-day Milky Way. Finally, the [Eu/Mg] ratio in Wukong/LMS-1 continuously increases with metallicity, making this the first example of a dwarf galaxy where the production of r-process elements is clearly dominated by delayed sources, presumably neutron-star mergers.
The persistence of high altitude non-equilibrium diffuse ionized gas in simulations of star-forming galaxies
Authors: McCallum Lewis , Wood Kenneth , Benjamin Robert , Peñaloza Camilo , Krishnarao Dhanesh , Smith Rowan , Vandenbroucke Bert
Published: April 2024

Widespread, high altitude, diffuse ionized gas with scale heights of around a kiloparsec is observed in the Milky Way and other star-forming galaxies. Numerical radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations of a supernova-driven turbulent interstellar medium show that gas can be driven to high altitudes above the galactic mid-plane, but the degree of ionization is often less than inferred from observations. For computational expediency, ionizing radiation from massive stars is often included as a post-processing step assuming ionization equilibrium. We extend our simulations of an Milky Way-like interstellar medium to include the combined effect of supernovae and photoionization feedback from mid-plane OB stars and a population of hot evolved low mass stars. The diffuse ionized gas has densities below 0.1 ${\rm \,cm^{-3}}$, so recombination time-scales can exceed millions of years. Our simulations now follow the time-dependent ionization and recombination of low density gas. The long recombination time-scales result in diffuse ionized gas that persists at large altitudes long after the deaths of massive stars that produce the vast majority of the ionized gas. The diffuse ionized gas does not exhibit the large variability inherent in simulations that adopt ionization equilibrium. The vertical distribution of neutral and ionized gas is close to what is observed in the Milky Way. The volume filling factor of ionized gas increases with altitude resulting in the scale height of free electrons being larger than that inferred from H $\alpha$ emission, thus reconciling the observations of ionized gas made in H $\alpha$ and from pulsar dispersion measurements.
Development of anti-MDA5 autoantibody-positive dermatomyositis following the use of etanercept biosimilar in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Okazaki Soshi , Shirai Tsuyoshi , Sato Hiroko , Ishii Tomonori , Fujii Hiroshi
Published: April 2024

The induction of autoimmune diseases during tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor (TNFi) usage has been described. Herein, we report a rare case of a 49-year-old woman with antimelanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody (Ab)-positive dermatomyositis (DM), which developed 5 weeks after the introduction of an etanercept biosimilar to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Four of the five known cases, including ours, of anti-MDA5Ab-positive DM complicated with RA revealed anti-MDA5Ab-positive DM following TNFi usage. When patients with RA are diagnosed with interstitial lung disease during TNFi usage, anti-MDA5 Ab-positive DM could be a differential diagnosis.
Successful treatment of erythema nodosum with salazosulfapyridine in a 9-year-old patient with chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis
Authors: Shimomura Masaki , Okura Yuka , Takahashi Yutaka , Kobayashi Ichiro
Published: April 2024

We report a 9-year-old Japanese girl with chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) accompanied by recurrent erythema nodosum (EN) which was successfully treated with salazosulfapyridine (SASP). She was referred to our hospital because of recurrent erythema on her lower extremities and persistent knee and ankle arthralgia, which had been present for approximately 1 year. Although naproxen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was initiated, her symptoms frequently recurred. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated multiple distinct high-intensity signals in the talus bones suggestive of multiple bone oedemas. Additionally, a histological examination of erythematous lesions was consistent with the histopathological findings of EN. She was diagnosed as having CNO complicated by EN, and received 250 mg/day of SASP as a second-line treatment, which showed partial response of both skin and bone lesions. Following increase in the dose of SASP to 500 mg/day resulted in complete remission of her skin and bone lesions. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SASP is effective not only for CNO bone lesions but also for EN. SASP could serve as a second-line therapeutic option at least for some cases of CNO complicated by EN refractory to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
KDM5-mediated transcriptional activation of ribosomal protein genes alters translation efficiency to regulate mitochondrial metabolism in neurons
Authors: Yheskel Matanel , Hatch Hayden A M , Pedrosa Erika , Terry Bethany K , Siebels Aubrey A , Zheng Xiang Yu , Blok Laura E R , Fencková Michaela , Sidoli Simone , Schenck Annette , Zheng Deyou , Lachman Herbert M , Secombe Julie
Published: April 2024

Genes encoding the KDM5 family of transcriptional regulators are disrupted in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). To understand the link between KDM5 and ID, we characterized five Drosophila strains harboring missense alleles analogous to those observed in patients. These alleles disrupted neuroanatomical development, cognition and other behaviors, and displayed a transcriptional signature characterized by the downregulation of many ribosomal protein genes. A similar transcriptional profile was observed in KDM5C knockout iPSC-induced human glutamatergic neurons, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved role for KDM5 proteins in regulating this class of gene. In Drosophila, reducing KDM5 changed neuronal ribosome composition, lowered the translation efficiency of mRNAs required for mitochondrial function, and altered mitochondrial metabolism. These data highlight the cellular consequences of altered KDM5-regulated transcriptional programs that could contribute to cognitive and behavioral phenotypes. Moreover, they suggest that KDM5 may be part of a broader network of proteins that influence cognition by regulating protein synthesis.
Human AAA+ ATPase FIGNL1 suppresses RAD51-mediated ultra-fine bridge formation
Authors: Matsuzaki Kenichiro , Shinohara Akira , Shinohara Miki
Published: April 2024

RAD51 filament is crucial for the homology-dependent repair of DNA double-strand breaks and stalled DNA replication fork protection. Positive and negative regulators control RAD51 filament assembly and disassembly. RAD51 is vital for genome integrity but excessive accumulation of RAD51 on chromatin causes genome instability and growth defects. However, the detailed mechanism underlying RAD51 disassembly by negative regulators and the physiological consequence of abnormal RAD51 persistence remain largely unknown. Here, we report the role of the human AAA+ ATPase FIGNL1 in suppressing a novel type of RAD51-mediated genome instability. FIGNL1 knockout human cells were defective in RAD51 dissociation after replication fork restart and accumulated ultra-fine chromosome bridges (UFBs), whose formation depends on RAD51 rather than replication fork stalling. FIGNL1 suppresses homologous recombination intermediate-like UFBs generated between sister chromatids at genomic loci with repeated sequences such as telomeres and centromeres. These data suggest that RAD51 persistence per se induces the formation of unresolved linkage between sister chromatids resulting in catastrophic genome instability. FIGNL1 facilitates post-replicative disassembly of RAD51 filament to suppress abnormal recombination intermediates and UFBs. These findings implicate FIGNL1 as a key factor required for active RAD51 removal after processing of stalled replication forks, which is essential to maintain genome stability.
”It’s changed my life. I’m not smoking anymore. I don’t want to smoke anymore”: Exploring the Acceptability of Mailout Smoking Cessation Support for and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
Authors: Booth Kade , Roberts-Barker (Wiradjuri) Kayden , Foster (Worimi) Joley , Mersha Amanual Getnet , Maddox (Bagumani) Raglan , Bonevski Billie , Chamberlain (Palawa) Catherine , Clarke (Worimi/Gamilaroi) Kerindy , Segan Catherine , Kennedy (Wiradjuri) Michelle
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people want to quit smoking. There is global evidence of combination nicotine replacement therapy (c-NRT) alongside behavioral support as a best practice approach to smoking cessation care. However, there is limited adherence and acceptability research regarding NRT and behavioral supports for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Similarly, there is limited research on what is considered culturally appropriate and safe support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to quit smoking.

Aims and Methods

This Aboriginal-led qualitative study explored the acceptability of the Koori Quit Pack. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants shared their experiences of quitting with the mailout c-NRT program and behavioral cessation support through Yarning. Collaborative Yarning and reflexive thematic analysis was used to develop themes.

Results

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are motivated to quit smoking and have accessed cessation supports from health professionals. However, the support(s) received are not always appropriate or culturally safe. The Koori Quit Pack was deemed acceptable and useful for smoking cessation. Having access to smoking cessation care and knowledge of c-NRT helped people quit smoking and support others to quit too.

Conclusions

A combination of NRT products alongside culturally responsive behavioral support(s), delivered through a mailout package was a beneficial strategy to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people quit smoking. National implementation of such a package could assist to accelerate reductions in tobacco use, helping meet national smoking reduction targets and improve health outcomes.

Implications

Cessation supports offered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are not always culturally safe or effectively delivered. The Koori Quit Pack provided Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with culturally safe smoking cessation support delivered for and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, demonstrating mailout smoking cessation supports as acceptable and highly valued. Mailout support eliminates accessibility barriers to cessation care while providing tools and knowledge to quit can lead to smoke-free behaviors among individuals and communities. Country-wide availability of this program can accelerate reductions in tobacco use, helping meet national targets and improve health outcomes consistent with the National Tobacco Strategy and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
A process to reanalyze clinical DNA sequencing data for biomarker matching in the Lung-MAP Master Protocol
Authors: Neal Joel W , Minichiello Katherine , Brennick Ryan , Huang Richard S P , Hiemenz Matthew C , Amler Cornel , Patel Jyoti , Herbst Roy , Reckamp Karen L , Borghaei Hossein , Highleyman Louise , Redman Mary W , Pasquina Lincoln W , Kozono David E
Published: April 2024

For cancer clinical trials that require central confirmation of tumor genomic profiling, exhaustion of tissue from standard-of-care testing may prevent enrollment. For Lung-MAP, a master protocol that requires results from a defined centralized clinical trial assay to assign patients to a therapeutic substudy, we developed a process to repurpose existing commercial vendor raw genomic data for eligibility: genomic data reanalysis (GDR). Molecular results for substudy assignment were successfully generated for 369 of the first 374 patients (98.7%) using GDR for Lung-MAP, with a median time from request to result of 9 days. During the same period, 691 of 791 (87.4%) tissue samples received successfully yielded results, in a median of 14 days beyond sample acquisition. GDR is a scalable bioinformatic pipeline that expedites reanalysis of existing data for clinical trials in which validated integral biomarker testing is required for participation.
The Chaperone NASP Contributes to de Novo Deposition of the Centromeric Histone Variant CENH3 in Arabidopsis Early Embryogenesis
Authors: Takeuchi Hidenori , Nagahara Shiori , Higashiyama Tetsuya , Berger Frédéric
Published: April 2024

The centromere is an essential chromosome region where the kinetochore is formed to control equal chromosome distribution during cell division. The centromere-specific histone H3 variant CENH3 (also called CENP-A) is a prerequisite for the kinetochore formation. Since CENH3 evolves rapidly, associated factors, including histone chaperones mediating the deposition of CENH3 on the centromere, are thought to act through species-specific amino acid sequences. The functions and interaction networks of CENH3 and histone chaperons have been well-characterized in animals and yeasts. However, molecular mechanisms involved in recognition and deposition of CENH3 are still unclear in plants. Here, we used a swapping strategy between domains of CENH3 of Arabidopsis thaliana and the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha to identify specific regions of CENH3 involved in targeting the centromeres and interacting with the general histone H3 chaperone, nuclear autoantigenic sperm protein (NASP). CENH3’s LoopN-α1 region was necessary and sufficient for the centromere targeting in cooperation with the α2 region and was involved in interaction with NASP in cooperation with αN, suggesting a species-specific CENH3 recognition. In addition, by generating an Arabidopsis nasp knock-out mutant in the background of a fully fertile GFP-CENH3/cenh3-1 line, we found that NASP was implicated for de novo CENH3 deposition after fertilization and thus for early embryo development. Our results imply that the NASP mediates the supply of CENH3 in the context of the rapidly evolving centromere identity in land plants.
Environmental Sensitivity Scale for Social Workers: A Scale Development Study
Authors: Yanardağ Umut , Çay Murat , Zubaroğlu Yanardağ Melek
Published: April 2024

The objective of this quantitative study was to develop a valid and reliable scale to examine the environmental sensitivity of social workers, the Environmental Sensitivity Scale. First, the researchers created an item pool by considering the information in the literature. Then, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analyses were carried out. A total of 314 social workers practicing in the field in Türkiye (previosly referred to as Turkey) participated in the study. The EFA conducted for validity indicated an 11-item structure composed of two factors. The first factor provides information about environmental sensitivity in macro practices ; the second factor provides information about environmental sensitivity in micro and mezzo practices. The reliability analyses also revealed that the resulting structure was reliable. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients for the first factor, second factor, and total score were .830, .815, and .875, respectively. The developed scale can be utilized to figure out the attitudes of social workers about environmental sensitivity.
Civil Procedure Takes a Bold Step: Unravelling the changes to service out of the jurisdiction and the Civil Procedure Rules in the British Virgin Islands
Authors: Edwards Paul
Published: April 2024

Following years of consultation, the ECSC Civil Procedure Rules 2000 gave way to the revamped and refreshed ECSC Civil Procedure Rules, Revised Edition 2023 (Civil Procedure Rules, Revised 2023), which came into effect on 31 July 2023. The Civil Procedure Rules, Revised 2023, brought sweeping and significant changes to civil practice and procedure, particularly in the areas of service out of the jurisdiction, relief from sanctions, and costs. The Civil Procedure Rules, Revised 2023, gave birth to a novel alternative dispute resolution mechanism, the Judicial Settlement Conference, intended to complement the well-established out-of-court arrangement of court-ordered mediations.
The Power and Roots of Aspirations
Authors: Fruttero Anna , Muller Noël , Calvo-González Óscar
Published: April 2024

Aspirations have become a common theme in empirical economics studies but there is no unified understanding of the range of outcomes they influence, the factors that shape them, and how to measure them. We survey this growing literature. We argue that there is compelling evidence to consider aspirations as a useful lens to analyze human behavior and development outcomes, at the individual and aggregate levels, in poorer and richer countries. The empirical evidence aligns with the theory that high aspirations can lead individuals to achieve better educational, labor market, and other outcomes and can contribute to making countries more equal and prosperous. The empirical evidence also confirms that the mix of social and circumstantial factors shaping aspirations tends to hinder the aspirations of the disadvantaged—such as the poor, immigrants, and women—and can contribute to vicious circles of poverty, high inequality, low social mobility, and low growth. However, high aspirations should not be considered an end in themselves as they can backfire, with deleterious effects, if unmatched with opportunities. Further, we argue that definitional and measurement issues can affect the understanding of the topic and that studies should more explicitly describe their measures of aspirations to ensure that divergent underlying concepts are not mistaken.
Beyond muscles: Investigating immunoregulatory myokines in acute resistance exercise – A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ringleb Miriam , Javelle Florian , Haunhorst Simon , Bloch Wilhelm , Fennen Lena , Baumgart Sabine , Drube Sebastian , Reuken Philipp A. , Pletz Mathias W. , Wagner Heiko , Gabriel Holger H. W. , Puta Christian
Published: April 2024

Myokines, released from the muscle, enable communication between the working muscles and other tissues. Their release during physical exercise is assumed to depend on immune–hormonal–metabolic interactions concerning mode (endurance or resistance exercise), duration, and intensity. This meta‐analysis aims to examine the acute changes of circulating myokines inducing immunoregulatory effects caused by a bout of resistance exercise and to consider potential moderators of the results. Based on this selection strategy, a systematic literature search was conducted for resistance exercise intervention studies measuring interleukin (IL‐) 6, IL‐10, IL‐1ra, tumor necrosis factor (TNF‐) α, IL‐15, IL‐7, transforming growth factor (TGF‐) β1, and fractalkines (FKN) before and immediately after resistance exercise in healthy individuals. Random‐effects meta‐analysis was performed for each myokine. We identified a moderate positive effect of resistance exercise for IL‐6 and IL‐1ra. Regarding IL‐15 and TNF‐α, small to moderate effects were found. For IL‐10, no significant effect was observed. Due to no data, meta‐analyses for IL‐7, TGF‐β1, and FKN could not be performed. No moderators (training status, type of exercise, risk of bias, age, sex, time of day, exercise volume, exercise intensity, exercise dose) of the results were detected for all tested myokines. Taken together, this systematic review and meta‐analysis showed immediate positive effects of an acute resistance exercise session on IL‐6, IL‐1ra, TNF‐α, and IL‐15 levels.
Alteration of the intestinal microbiota and serum metabolites in a mouse model of Pon1 gene ablation
Authors: Li Jing , Yan Kaixin , Wang Siyuan , Wang Pan , Jiao Jie , Dong Ying
Published: April 2024

Mutations in the Paraoxonase 1 (Pon1) gene underlie aging, cardiovascular disease, and impairments of the nervous and gastrointestinal systems and are linked to the intestinal microbiome. The potential role of Pon1 in modulating the intestinal microbiota and serum metabolites is poorly understood. The present study demonstrated that mice with genomic excision of Pon1 by a multiplexed guide RNA CRISPR/Cas9 approach exhibited disrupted gut microbiota, such as significantly depressed alpha‐diversity and distinctly separated beta diversity, accompanied by varied profiles of circulating metabolites. Furthermore, genomic knock in of Pon1 exerted a distinct effect on the intestinal microbiome and serum metabolome, including dramatically enriched Aerococcus, linoleic acid and depleted Bacillus, indolelactic acid. Specifically, a strong correlation was established between bacterial alterations and metabolites in Pon1 knockout mice. In addition, we identified metabolites related to gut bacteria in response to Pon1 knock in. Thus, the deletion of Pon1 affects the gut microbiome and functionally modifies serum metabolism, which can lead to dysbiosis, metabolic dysfunction, and infection risk. Together, these findings put forth a role for Pon1 in microbial alterations that contribute to metabolism variations. The function of Pon1 in diseases might at least partially depend on the microbiome.
Managing major depressive disorder in adolescents in primary care
Authors: Martinez Don T.
Published: April 2024

Major depressive disorder (MDD) remains a significant risk to adolescent health and well-being, recently amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to adolescent mental health care services remains challenging in many areas, resulting in many adolescents diagnosed with MDD remaining untreated. Primary care providers are becoming increasingly crucial in promptly diagnosing and treating this concern. Various clinical guidelines can support clinicians in developing strategies for screening, diagnosing, and managing a vulnerable population with MDD. Standardized screenings, algorithms, and treatment guidelines can help improve the quality of life and functional impairment of those with MDD.