bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Induction immunosuppression and outcome in kidney transplant recipients with early COVID-19 after transplantation
Authors: Toapanta Néstor , Jiménez Sara , Molina-Gómez María , Maruri-Kareaga Naroa , Llinàs-Mallol Laura , Villanego Florentino , Facundo Carme , Rodríguez-Ferrero Marisa , Montero Nuria , Vázquez-Sanchez Teresa , Gutiérrez-Dalmau Alex , Beneyto Isabel , Franco Antonio , Hernández-Vicente Ana , Pérez-Tamajon M Lourdes , Martin Paloma , Ramos-Verde Ana María , Castañeda Zaira , Bestard Oriol , Moreso Francesc
Published: April 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in kidney transplant recipients has a high risk of complications and mortality, especially in older recipients diagnosed during the early period after transplantation. Management of immunosuppression has been challenging during the pandemic. We investigated the impact of induction immunosuppression, either basiliximab or thymoglobulin, on the clinical evolution of kidney transplant recipients developing COVID-19 during the early period after transplantation. We included kidney transplant recipients with ˂6 months with a functioning graft diagnosed with COVID-19 from the initial pandemic outbreak (March 2020) until 31 July 2021 from different Spanish centres participating in a nationwide registry. A total of 127 patients from 17 Spanish centres developed COVID-19 during the first 6 months after transplantation; 73 (57.5%) received basiliximab and 54 (42.5%) thymoglobulin. Demographics were not different between groups but patients receiving thymoglobulin were more sensitized [calculated panel reactive antibodies (cPRAs) 32.7 ± 40.8% versus 5.6 ± 18.5%] and were more frequently retransplants (30% versus 4%). Recipients ˃65 years of age treated with thymoglobulin showed the highest rate of acute respiratory distress syndrome [64.7% versus 37.1% for older recipients receiving thymoglobulin and basiliximab (P < .05), respectively, and 23.7% and 18.9% for young recipients receiving basiliximab and thymoglobulin (P > .05)], respectively, and the poorest survival [mortality rate 64.7% and 42.9% for older recipients treated with thymoglobulin and basiliximab, respectively (P < .05) and 8.1% and 10.5% for young recipients treated with thymoglobulin and basiliximab (P > .05), respectively]. Older recipients treated with thymoglobulin showed the poorest survival in the Cox regression model adjusted for comorbidities. Thus thymoglobulin should be used with caution in older recipients during the present pandemic era.
Deaf-Blindness through the Voices and Experiences of Parents and Educators
Authors: Intini Martina , Garrino Lorenza , Conti Alessio , Dimonte Valerio , Borraccino Alberto
Published: April 2022

This qualitative study used the experiences of parents and educators to explore the developmental processes and behaviors of deafblind people of different ages and with different etiologies. It also explored which strategies of intervention and care employed by parents and educators best promote and stimulate the abilities and the autonomy of deafblind people. Eligible parents and educators were identified and recruited from the New York Parents Association for Deafblind and the Helen Keller National Center on Long Island using purposeful sampling. Seven mothers, one father, and two educators were interviewed using a narrative method. Data analysis was performed using Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology. The themes that emerged concern communication, expression of emotions, sense of self and external reality, autonomy, and the sphere of educational intervention. This research goes beyond existing knowledge on the syndromes/disabilities related to deafblindness, focusing instead on the combinations of varying degrees of hearing and sight deprivation.
The Distinctive Plant and Insect Assemblages of An Experimental Forest in Northern Lower Michigan (United States)
Authors: Houghton David C , Erickson Lily G , Kintz Robert C , Rowland Kaitlyn L , Gipe Nathaniel C , Adams Charles
Published: April 2022

The effects of plants on insects are not completely clear due to potential covariation of weather or location affecting both assemblages. To address this question, plant and insect assemblages were described during summer 2019 and 2020 in two different forest habitats of northern Lower Michigan. The first habitat was a hardwood forest typical of secondary succession in the region. The second was a hydric forest located ~20 m from the hardwood forest which developed after lake sediment was deposited into a 10-ha area in the early 2000s. Reflecting this sediment deposition, soil of the hydric forest had higher water content and organic matter, and was dominated by the plant genera Solidago (Asterales: Asteraceae), Rubus (Rosales: Rosaceae), and Salix (Malpighiales: Salicaceae). In contrast, the hardwood forest had greater inorganic sediment and was dominated by Pteridium (Polypodiales: Dennstaedtiaceae), Carex (Poales: Cyperaceae), and Acer. Nearly 140,000 insect specimens were sampled using pitfall trapping, sweep netting, flight intercept trapping, ultraviolet light trapping, and yellow and blue pan trapping. The first three methods each sampled a unique insect assemblage, whereas the last three overlapped in taxa sampled. Insect assemblages of the two forests were distinct from each other using any of the six methods, with abundance of Pteridium and Salix (Sapindales: Sapindaceae) generally associating with changes in insect composition. A total of 41 insect taxa indicated the hydric forest and 14 indicated the hardwood forest. Insect richness increased with that of plants. These results demonstrate that differences in soil composition and plant assemblages associate with differences in forest insect assemblages, even of forests in very close proximity.
Integrated care for optimizing the management of stroke and associated heart disease: a position paper of the European Society of Cardiology Council on Stroke
Authors: Lip Gregory Y H , Lane Deirdre A , Lenarczyk Radosław , Boriani Giuseppe , Doehner Wolfram , Benjamin Laura A , Fisher Marc , Lowe Deborah , Sacco Ralph L , Schnabel Renate , Watkins Caroline , Ntaios George , Potpara Tatjana
Published: April 2022

The management of patients with stroke is often multidisciplinary, involving various specialties and healthcare professionals. Given the common shared risk factors for stroke and cardiovascular disease, input may also be required from the cardiovascular teams, as well as patient caregivers and next-of-kin. Ultimately, the patient is central to all this, requiring a coordinated and uniform approach to the priorities of post-stroke management, which can be consistently implemented by different multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, as part of the patient ‘journey’ or ‘patient pathway,’ supported by appropriate education and tele-medicine approaches. All these aspects would ultimately aid delivery of care and improve patient (and caregiver) engagement and empowerment. Given the need to address the multidisciplinary approach to holistic or integrated care of patients with heart disease and stroke, the European Society of Cardiology Council on Stroke convened a Task Force, with the remit to propose a consensus on Integrated care management for optimizing the management of stroke and associated heart disease. The present position paper summarizes the available evidence and proposes consensus statements that may help to define evidence gaps and simple practical approaches to assist in everyday clinical practice. A post-stroke ABC pathway is proposed, as a more holistic approach to integrated stroke care, would include three pillars of management: A: Appropriate Antithrombotic therapy.B: Better functional and psychological status.C: Cardiovascular risk factors and Comorbidity optimization (including lifestyle changes).
Dual targeting of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pso2 to mitochondria and the nucleus, and its functional relevance in the repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks
Authors: Somashekara Shravanahalli C , Muniyappa Kalappa
Published: April 2022

Repair of DNA interstrand crosslinks involves a functional interplay among different DNA surveillance and repair pathways. Previous work has shown that interstrand crosslink-inducing agents cause damage to Saccharomyces cerevisiae nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, and its pso2/snm1 mutants exhibit a petite phenotype followed by loss of mitochondrial DNA integrity and copy number. Complex as it is, the cause and underlying molecular mechanisms remains elusive. Here, by combining a wide range of approaches with in vitro and in vivo analyses, we interrogated the subcellular localization and function of Pso2. We found evidence that the nuclear-encoded Pso2 contains 1 mitochondrial targeting sequence and 2 nuclear localization signals (NLS1 and NLS2), although NLS1 resides within the mitochondrial targeting sequence. Further analysis revealed that Pso2 is a dual-localized interstrand crosslink repair protein; it can be imported into both nucleus and mitochondria and that genotoxic agents enhance its abundance in the latter. While mitochondrial targeting sequence is essential for mitochondrial Pso2 import, either NLS1 or NLS2 is sufficient for its nuclear import; this implies that the 2 nuclear localization signal motifs are functionally redundant. Ablation of mitochondrial targeting sequence abrogated mitochondrial Pso2 import, and concomitantly, raised its levels in the nucleus. Strikingly, mutational disruption of both nuclear localization signal motifs blocked the nuclear Pso2 import; at the same time, they enhanced its translocation into the mitochondria, consistent with the notion that the relationship between mitochondrial targeting sequence and nuclear localization signal motifs is competitive. However, the nuclease activity of import-deficient species of Pso2 was not impaired. The potential relevance of dual targeting of Pso2 into 2 DNA-bearing organelles is discussed.
Non-Pecuniary Remedies Revisited: Expanding Influence of the ILC Articles?
Authors: Bradfield Michelle , Attanasio David
Published: April 2022

Although non-monetary remedies for international law violations are a fixture of the International Law Commission’s Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (ILC Articles), investor-State arbitral tribunals have considered or ordered such remedies only rarely. This article surveys the role that the ILC Articles on non-monetary remedies have, and could have, in investor-State arbitration. It first reviews how tribunals have referenced and applied the ILC Articles, or the legal principles it codifies, when grappling with their power to award non-monetary remedies, the specific content of such non-monetary remedies, and the reasons not to award such remedies. It concludes that, while the ILC Articles have increasing significance, tribunals remain hesitant to award the full range of remedies provided for in the ILC Articles. The article then addresses considerations beyond the ILC Articles that tribunals have referenced in decisions on non-monetary remedies—usually as grounds to reject non-monetary remedies. The most common is concern for the effects of such remedies on State sovereignty, but considerations less frequently raised include questions about enforceability and the need for party consent. These features indicate that some tribunals remain willing to go beyond the ILC Articles in reaching decisions on non-monetary remedies. The article finally considers what lessons may be gleaned from human rights practice on non-monetary remedies. By contrast with investor-State tribunals, human rights adjudicators have enthusiastically embraced non-monetary remedies and their practice provides insights for how such remedies may be employed in disputes between private individuals and sovereign States.
Gestational age at birth, chronic conditions and school outcomes: a population-based data linkage study of children born in England
Authors: Libuy Nicolás , Gilbert Ruth , Mc Grath-Lone Louise , Blackburn Ruth , Etoori David , Harron Katie
Published: April 2022

Introduction

We aimed to generate evidence about child development measured through school attainment and provision of special educational needs (SEN) across the spectrum of gestational age, including for children born early term and >41 weeks of gestation, with and without chronic health conditions.

Methods

We used a national linked dataset of hospital and education records of children born in England between 1 September 2004 and 31 August 2005. We evaluated school attainment at Key Stage 1 (KS1; age 7) and Key Stage 2 (KS2; age 11) and any SEN by age 11. We stratified analyses by chronic health conditions up to age 2, and size-for-gestation, and calculated population attributable fractions (PAF).

Results

Of 306 717 children, 5.8% were born <37 weeks gestation and 7.0% had a chronic condition. The percentage of children not achieving the expected level at KS1 increased from 7.6% at 41 weeks, to 50.0% at 24 weeks of gestation. A similar pattern was seen at KS2. SEN ranged from 29.0% at 41 weeks to 82.6% at 24 weeks. Children born early term (37–38 weeks of gestation) had poorer outcomes than those born at 40 weeks; 3.2% of children with SEN were attributable to having a chronic condition compared with 2.0% attributable to preterm birth.

Conclusions

Children born with early identified chronic conditions contribute more to the burden of poor school outcomes than preterm birth. Evaluation is needed of how early health characteristics can be used to improve preparation for education, before and at entry to school.
Non-vanishing sharp-fronted travelling wave solutions of the Fisher–Kolmogorov model
Authors: El-Hachem Maud , McCue Scott W , Simpson Matthew J
Published: April 2022

The Fisher–Kolmogorov–Petrovsky–Piskunov (KPP) model, and generalizations thereof, involves simple reaction–diffusion equations for biological invasion that assume individuals in the population undergo linear diffusion with diffusivity $D$, and logistic proliferation with rate $\lambda $. For the Fisher–KPP model, biologically relevant initial conditions lead to long-time travelling wave solutions that move with speed $c=2\sqrt {\lambda D}$. Despite these attractive features, there are several biological limitations of travelling wave solutions of the Fisher–KPP model. First, these travelling wave solutions do not predict a well-defined invasion front. Second, biologically relevant initial conditions lead to travelling waves that move with speed $c=2\sqrt {\lambda D}> 0$. This means that, for biologically relevant initial data, the Fisher–KPP model cannot be used to study invasion with $c \ne 2\sqrt {\lambda D}$, or retreating travelling waves with $c < 0$. Here, we reformulate the Fisher–KPP model as a moving boundary problem and show that this reformulated model alleviates the key limitations of the Fisher–KPP model. Travelling wave solutions of the moving boundary problem predict a well-defined front that can propagate with any wave speed, $-\infty < c < \infty $. Here, we establish these results using a combination of high-accuracy numerical simulations of the time-dependent partial differential equation, phase plane analysis and perturbation methods. All software required to replicate this work is available on GitHub.
Elevated Plasma Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 Associates With Sputum Culture Positivity in Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Walker N F , Karim F , Moosa M Y S , Moodley S , Mazibuko M , Khan K , Sterling T R , van der Heijden Y F , Grant A D , Elkington P T , Pym A , Leslie A
Published: April 2022

Current methods for tuberculosis treatment monitoring are suboptimal. We evaluated plasma matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and procollagen III N-terminal propeptide concentrations before and during tuberculosis treatment as biomarkers. Plasma MMP-1, MMP-8, and MMP-10 concentrations significantly decreased during treatment. Plasma MMP-8 was increased in sputum Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture–positive relative to culture-negative participants, before (median, 4993 pg/mL [interquartile range, 2542–9188] vs 698 [218–4060] pg/mL, respectively; P = .004) and after (3650 [1214–3888] vs 720 [551–1321] pg/mL; P = .008) 6 months of tuberculosis treatment. Consequently, plasma MMP-8 is a potential biomarker to enhance tuberculosis treatment monitoring and screen for possible culture positivity.
In vitro interactions within a biofilm containing three species found in bacterial vaginosis (BV) support the higher antimicrobial tolerance associated with BV recurrence
Authors: Rosca Aliona S , Castro Joana , Sousa Lúcia G V , França Angela , Vaneechoutte Mario , Cerca Nuno
Published: April 2022

Background

Bacterial vaginosis (BV), the most common cause of vaginal discharge, is characterized by the presence of a polymicrobial biofilm on the vaginal epithelium, formed primarily by Gardnerella spp., but also other anaerobic species. Interactions between bacteria in multi-species biofilms are likely to contribute to increased virulence and to enhanced antimicrobial tolerance observed in vivo. However, functional studies addressing this question are lacking.

Objectives

To gain insights into the role that interactions between BV-associated species in multi-species BV biofilms might have on antimicrobial tolerance, single- and triple-species biofilms formed by Gardnerella vaginalis, Fannyhessea (Atopobium) vaginae and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius were characterized, before and after metronidazole or clindamycin treatment.

Methods

Total biofilm biomass, total cells and cfu counts prior to and after antibiotic treatment were first determined. In addition, bacterial populations in the triple-species biofilms were also quantified by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and peptide nucleic acid (PNA) fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

Results

Despite the effect observed in single-species biofilms, neither metronidazole nor clindamycin was effective in reducing triple-species biofilm biomass. Similar results were obtained when evaluating the number of total or culturable cells. Interestingly, despite differences between strain susceptibilities to antibiotics, the composition of the triple-species biofilms was not strongly affected by antibiotics.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results strengthen the idea that, when co-incubated, bacteria can interact synergistically, leading to increased tolerance to antimicrobial therapy, which helps explain the observed clinically high BV recurrence rates.
Selecting venues for AMIA events and conferences: guiding ethical principles
Authors: Lehmann Christoph U , Fultz Hollis Kate , Petersen Carolyn , DeMuro Paul R , Subbian Vignesh , Koppel Ross , Solomonides Anthony E , Berner Eta S , Pan Eric C , Adler-Milstein Julia , Goodman Kenneth W
Published: April 2022

A discussion and debate on the American Medical Informatics Association’s (AMIA) Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) Working Group listserv in 2021 raised important issues related to a forthcoming conference in Texas. Texas had recently enacted a restrictive abortion law and restricted voting rights. Several AMIA members advocated for a boycott of the state and the scheduled conference. The discussion led the AMIA Board of Directors to request that the organization’s Ethics Committee provide general guidance for principle-based venue selection. This document recommends overarching principles for the venue selection for future AMIA events and conferences. Discussions by the AMIA Board, the Ethics Committee, and the ELSI Working Group informed these recommendations, and this document on guiding principles was approved by the AMIA Board of Directors in April 2022.
Linear Support Vector Machine Classification of Plant Stress From Soybean Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Using Hyperspectral Reflectance
Authors: Marston Zachary P D , Cira Theresa M , Knight Joseph F , Mulla David , Alves Tavvs M , Hodgson Erin W , Ribeiro Arthur V , MacRae Ian V , Koch Robert L
Published: April 2022

Spectral remote sensing has the potential to improve scouting and management of soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura), which can cause yield losses of over 40% in the North Central Region of the United States. We used linear support vector machines (SVMs) to determine 1) whether hyperspectral samples could be classified into treat/no-treat classes based on the economic threshold (250 aphids per plant) and 2) how many wavelengths or features are needed to generate an accurate model without overfitting the data. A range of aphid infestation levels on soybean was created using caged field plots in 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018 in Minnesota and in 2017 and 2018 in Iowa. Hyperspectral measurements of soybean canopies in each plot were recorded with a spectroradiometer. SVM training and testing were performed using 15 combinations of normalized canopy reflectance at wavelengths of 720, 750, 780, and 1,010 nm. Pairwise Bonferroni-adjusted t-tests of Cohen’s kappa values showed four wavelength combinations were optimal, namely model 1 (780 nm), model 2 (780 and 1,010 nm), model 3 (780, 1,010, and 720 nm), and model 4 (780, 1,010, 720, and 750 nm). Model 2 showed the best overall performance, with an accuracy of 89.4%, a sensitivity of 81.2%, and a specificity of 91.6%. The findings from this experiment provide the first documentation of successful classification of remotely sensed spectral data of soybean aphid-induced stress into threshold-based classes.
Characterization of the Spectrum of Activity of IPD079Ea: A Protein Derived From Ophioglossum pendulum (Ophioglossales: Ophioglossaceae) With Activity Against Western Corn Rootworm [Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)]
Authors: Boeckman Chad J , Ballou Stephan , Gunderson Tim , Huang Emily , Linderblood Chris , Olson Taylor , Stolte Brian , LeRoy Kristine , Walker Carl , Wang Yiwei , Woods Rachel , Zhang John
Published: April 2022

Western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) is a major pest of corn in both North America and Europe and as such presents significant challenges for farmers. IPD079Ea protein is encoded by the ipd079Ea gene from Ophioglossum pendulum (a species of fern) and was found to have activity against western corn rootworm in multiple corn events transformed to express the IPD079Ea protein. In chronic laboratory hazard studies, IPD079Ea protein was fed to eleven species in the order Coleoptera and four species in the order Lepidoptera to assess the spectrum of activity. Activity was observed on certain species of the Chrysomelidae and Coccinellidae families, with western corn rootworm as the most sensitive insect tested. No adverse effects on mortality or other sublethal endpoints were observed on any species within Lepidoptera. Overall, IPD079Ea protein appears not to have broad insecticidal properties and has potential value as an effective trait to control western corn rootworm in agricultural systems.
DSU Article 11 Violations: A Statistical Exercise
Authors: Rovnov Yury
Published: April 2022

The article presents the results of an exhaustive statistical examination of 83 dispute settlement reports in which the Appellate Body addressed one or more claims under Article 11 of the DSU. In addition to identifying the Appellate Body’s grounds for upholding and rejecting Article 11 claims and assessing their weight in the total statistics, the analysis reveals that, perhaps contrary to received opinion, neither the average number of disputes in which one or more Article 11 were made nor the average number of allowed claims demonstrate pronounced growth while the bulk of the increase in the number of claims brought is attributable to a limited number of complex disputes.
Dietary diversity and niche partitioning of carnivores across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau of China using DNA metabarcoding
Authors: Hacker Charlotte E , Cong Wei , Xue Yadong , Li Jia , Zhang Yu , Wu Liji , Ji Yunrui , Dai Yunchuan , Li Ye , Jin Lixiao , Li Diqiang , Zhang Jingyu , Janecka Jan E , Zhang Yuguang
Published: April 2022

Understanding predator guild resource use is vital for carnivore species preservation and ecosystem function in high-altitude landscapes. We describe the dietary composition, similarity, and niche overlap for seven carnivore species across three regions of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (Qilian Shan, East Burhanbuda Mountain, Yushu) using DNA metabarcoding of 760 scat samples. Analyses found 33 unique prey items representative of the classes Mammalia, Aves, and Actinopterygii. Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) and pika (Ochotona sp.) were most frequently detected. Livestock in carnivore diets ranged from 4% to 7% depending on site, but accounted for 21.7% of Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus) diet. Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata), Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul), and snow leopard (Panthera uncia) had highly uneven diets. Intraguild predation of mesocarnivores by apex carnivores was found. Analysis of dietary niche overlap using Pianka’s index showed that overlap was significantly greater than expected among all carnivores examined and between apex and mesocarnivores, though significant correlations between carnivore body mass and prey body mass suggested broad separation in consumed prey. Snow leopard and Tibetan wolf diets were consistently the most similar of any two given species pairs. This study provides evidence of high dietary overlap. Protection for species consumed by a wide variety of carnivores will benefit predator guilds in the area and assist in maintaining the relatively low frequency of livestock predation. This work provides insight into the dynamics of carnivore guilds living in an area that has worldwide impacts, and methods herein could be applied on global scales for conservation efforts.
A Pragmatic Guide to Qualitative Analysis for Pediatric Researchers
Authors: Thompson Debbe , Deatrick Janet A , Knafl Kathleen A , Swallow Veronica M , Wu Yelena P
Published: April 2022

Objective

To describe four approaches to qualitative analysis in order to provide a pragmatic, application-oriented guide to their use in research focused on children and their families.

Methods

Four commonly used approaches to qualitative analysis—framework analysis, rapid qualitative analysis, content analysis, and reflexive thematic analysis—are described and compared, including their analytic strategies, tips for use, terminology, and application to a hypothetical example.

Results

A pragmatic guide to each method is provided as well as examples of how each analytic approach could be utilized to analyze the same dataset.

Conclusions

A variety of approaches to qualitative analysis are available to both novice and experienced qualitative researchers. The approach selected from the options presented in this article will depend on numerous factors, such as the clinical problem being explored, research context, aims, objectives, research questions, and resources available such as time and funds, and the qualitative expertise of the team.
An Experimental Evaluation of Two Approaches for Improving Response to Household Screening Efforts in National Mail/Web Surveys
Authors: Wagner James , West Brady T , Couper Mick P , Zhang Shiyu , Gatward Rebecca , Nishimura Raphael , Saw Htay-Wah
Published: April 2022

Survey researchers have carefully modified their data collection operations for various reasons, including the rising costs of data collection and the ongoing Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, both of which have made in-person interviewing difficult. For large national surveys that require household (HH) screening to determine survey eligibility, cost-efficient screening methods that do not include in-person visits need additional evaluation and testing. A new study, known as the American Family Health Study (AFHS), recently initiated data collection with a national probability sample, using a sequential mixed-mode mail/web protocol for push-to-web US HH screening (targeting persons aged 18–49 years). To better understand optimal approaches for this type of national screening effort, we embedded two randomized experiments in the AFHS data collection. The first tested the use of bilingual respondent materials where mailed invitations to the screener were sent in both English and Spanish to 50 percent of addresses with a high predicted likelihood of having a Spanish speaker and 10 percent of all other addresses. We found that the bilingual approach did not increase the response rate of high-likelihood Spanish-speaking addresses, but consistent with prior work, it increased the proportion of eligible Hispanic respondents identified among completed screeners, especially among addresses predicted to have a high likelihood of having Spanish speakers. The second tested a form of nonresponse follow-up, where a subsample of active sampled HHs that had not yet responded to the screening invitations was sent a priority mailing with a $5 incentive, adding to the $2 incentive provided for all sampled HHs in the initial screening invitation. We found this approach to be quite valuable for increasing the screening survey response rate.
Low luminosity Type II supernovae – IV. SN 2020cxd and SN 2021aai, at the edges of the sub-luminous supernovae class
Authors: Valerin G , Pumo M L , Pastorello A , Reguitti A , Elias–Rosa N , Gútierrez C P , Kankare E , Fraser M , Mazzali P A , Howell D A , Kotak R , Galbany L , Williams S C , Cai Y-Z , Salmaso I , Pinter V , Müller-Bravo T E , Burke J , Padilla Gonzalez E , Hiramatsu D , McCully C , Newsome M , Pellegrino C
Published: April 2022

Photometric and spectroscopic data for two Low Luminosity Type IIP Supernovae (LL SNe IIP) 2020cxd and 2021aai are presented. SN 2020cxd was discovered 2 d after explosion at an absolute magnitude of Mr  = −14.02 ± 0.21 mag, subsequently settling on a plateau which lasts for ∼120 d. Through the luminosity of the late light curve tail, we infer a synthesized 56Ni mass of (1.8 ± 0.5) × 10−3 M⊙. During the early evolutionary phases, optical spectra show a blue continuum ($T\, \gt $8000 K) with broad Balmer lines displaying a P Cygni profile, while at later phases, Ca ii, Fe ii, Sc ii, and Ba ii lines dominate the spectra. Hydrodynamical modelling of the observables yields $R\, \simeq$ 575 R⊙ for the progenitor star, with Mej  = 7.5 M⊙ and $E\, \simeq$ 0.097 foe emitted during the explosion. This low-energy event originating from a low-mass progenitor star is compatible with both the explosion of a red supergiant (RSG) star and with an Electron Capture Supernova arising from a super asymptotic giant branch star. SN 2021aai reaches a maximum luminosity of Mr  = −16.57 ± 0.23 mag (correcting for AV = 1.92 mag), at the end of its remarkably long plateau (∼140 d). The estimated 56Ni mass is (1.4 ± 0.5) × 10−2 M⊙. The expansion velocities are compatible with those of other LL SNe IIP (few 103 km s−1). The physical parameters obtained through hydrodynamical modelling are $R\, \simeq$ 575 R⊙, Mej = 15.5 M⊙, and E = 0.4 foe. SN 2021aai is therefore interpreted as the explosion of an RSG, with properties that bridge the class of LL SNe IIP with standard SN IIP events.
DLEB: a web application for building deep learning models in biological research
Authors: Wy Suyeon , Kwon Daehong , Kwon Kisang , Kim Jaebum
Published: April 2022

Deep learning has been applied for solving many biological problems, and it has shown outstanding performance. Applying deep learning in research requires knowledge of deep learning theories and programming skills, but researchers have developed diverse deep learning platforms to allow users to build deep learning models without programming. Despite these efforts, it is still difficult for biologists to use deep learning because of limitations of the existing platforms. Therefore, a new platform is necessary that can solve these challenges for biologists. To alleviate this situation, we developed a user-friendly and easy-to-use web application called DLEB (Deep Learning Editor for Biologists) that allows for building deep learning models specialized for biologists. DLEB helps researchers (i) design deep learning models easily and (ii) generate corresponding Python code to run directly in their machines. DLEB provides other useful features for biologists, such as recommending deep learning models for specific learning tasks and data, pre-processing of input biological data, and availability of various template models and example biological datasets for model training. DLEB can serve as a highly valuable platform for easily applying deep learning to solve many important biological problems. DLEB is freely available at http://dleb.konkuk.ac.kr/.
Short- and Long-Term Cigarette and Tobacco Abstinence Among Daily and Nondaily Older Smokers
Authors: Avila Jaqueline C , Berg Carla J , Robinson Jason D , Ahluwalia Jasjit S
Published: April 2022

Introduction

There is mixed evidence regarding whether older (vs. younger) smokers are more or less likely to quit smoking. We examined how age is associated with cigarette and all tobacco product abstinence and the potential moderating effects of smoking frequency.

Aims and Methods

Data from a 4-year cohort of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study were used, including 7512 smokers at Wave 1 who had smoking status data at Wave 4. Logistic regression models were used to examine the effects of age (18–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, and ≥55 years) on Wave 4, 30-day and 12-month cigarette and all tobacco product abstinence, adjusting for covariates and the interaction between age and cigarette use frequency (nondaily, light daily, and heavy daily).

Results

Older smokers (≥55 years) were more likely to be heavy daily smokers than younger smokers 18–24 and 25–34 years, but were less likely to have a past-year cigarette quit attempt. Younger smokers 45–54 years were less likely to report 12-month cigarette abstinence than older smokers (odds ratio = 0.72 [0.54–0.95]). Younger smokers 18–24 and 45–54 years were less likely to report 12-month tobacco product abstinence than older smokers (odds ratio = 0.65 [0.45–0.93]; odds ratio = 0.73 [0.55–0.96], respectively). Thirty-day cigarette abstinence significantly decreased as age increased for nondaily smokers, significantly increased for heavier daily smokers, but remained similar across age for light daily smokers.

Conclusions

Older smokers were more likely to report 12-month cigarette and tobacco abstinence than younger smokers 45–54 years old, and the effect of age on abstinence differed by smoking frequency/intensity. Smoking cessation interventions need to be age specific and consider smoking frequency.

Implications

This study shows that although older smokers are more likely to be heavy smokers and less likely to have a quit attempt at baseline, they are more likely to have 12-month cigarette and tobacco abstinence than younger smokers. Furthermore, 30-day cigarette abstinence significantly decreases as age increases for nondaily smokers and significantly increases for heavy daily smokers, suggesting that the effect of cigarette smoking frequency and intensity changes with age. Smoking cessation interventions need to be age specific as well as consider the smoking frequency/intensity of each age group. Younger smokers may need more targeted cessation interventions to successfully quit.
Next-generation probiotics as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of phenylketonuria: a review
Authors: de Oliveira Filho Josemar Gonçalves , Carvalho Adriana Sousa e Silva , Alves Jordana dos Santos , Egea Mariana Buranelo
Published: April 2022

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare genetic disease that causes brain toxicity due to the inability of the body to convert dietary phenylalanine to tyrosine by the action of phenylalanine hydroxylase. The only treatment for PKU so far is lifelong dietary intervention to ensure normal human growth and neurodevelopment. However, in adults, low long-term adherence to this type of dietary intervention has been observed. Given the important role of the intestinal microbiota in the process of digestion and disease prevention, probiotics could be a therapeutic strategy to help degrade dietary phenylalanine, reducing its levels before ingestion. Genetically modified probiotics designed as live biotherapeutic agents for the treatment of specific diseases are sophisticated alternative therapeutic strategies. In this review, the focus is on demonstrating what has been elucidated so far about the use of next-generation probiotics as a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of individuals with PKU. The results described in the literature are encouraging and use genetically modified engineered probiotics showing efficacy both in vitro and in vivo. These probiotics appear to be suitable for meeting the unmet need for new drugs for PKU.
Conducting the Initial Therapeutic Assessment Session
Authors: David Raja M.
Published: April 2022

This chapter describes the initial session in Therapeutic Assessment (TA), a model of psychological assessment designed by Stephen Finn and colleagues. TA is an evidence-based approach in which psychological test results are explored with clients in a highly collaborative and individualized fashion. The approach has been found to be efficacious with a wide variety of populations and mental health issues. There are six steps in the TA model, beginning with the initial session, which is the focus of this chapter. The values, skills, and goals of the initial session are described, which help build a relationship with the client and allow them to identify questions they want answered through psychological assessment. The steps covered in the initial session are outlined, and techniques for developing the client’s questions and working with various types of clients and assessment questions are explained.
Personality Assessment Inventory
Authors: Morey Leslie C. , McCredie Morgan N.
Published: April 2022

The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) is a multiscale, standardized self-administered questionnaire designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of client personality and psychopathology. The measure demonstrates widespread use in clinical, research, and training settings, with practical applications across several assessment specialties, including forensics, neuropsychology, health, and personnel selection. This chapter provides an overview of the theory and development of the PAI, summarizes the psychometric literature, and highlights notable research findings and practical applications of the PAI. The PAI is additionally discussed with respect to its conceptual fit with contemporary dimensional models of personality and psychopathology, including the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology and the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders presented in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Student Threat Assessment
Authors: Cornell Dewey , Mehta Sharmila B. , Crichlow-Ball Caroline
Published: April 2022

This chapter distinguishes behavioral threat assessment from other forms of violence risk assessment and identifies some specific features of student threat assessment in schools. The Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) is presented as an evidence-based model for assessment and intervention with students who have threatened violence. The CSTAG model uses a five-step decision tree that allows multidisciplinary teams to take a problem-solving approach to violence prevention that involves gathering information, identifying problems or conflicts underlying a student’s threatening behavior, and taking actions to support the student and protect others from harm. Clinical interviewing of the threatening individual and corroborating sources is an essential component of the threat assessment process. Personality assessment instruments can help the team formulate an understanding of the student’s risk and protective factors and shape intervention strategies. A case example illustrates the threat assessment and intervention process.
Oceanic Zircon Records Extreme Fractional Crystallization of MORB to Rhyolite on the Alarcon Rise Mid-Ocean Ridge
Authors: Portner Ryan , Dreyer Brian M , Clague David A , Daczko Nathan R , Castillo Paterno R
Published: April 2022

The first known occurrence of rhyolite along the submarine segments of the mid-ocean ridge (MOR) system was discovered on Alarcon Rise, the northernmost segment of the East Pacific Rise (EPR), by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in 2012. Zircon trace element and Hf and O isotope patterns indicate that the rhyolite formed by extreme crystal fractionation of primary mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) sourced from normal to enriched MOR mantle with little to no addition of continental lithosphere or hydrated oceanic crust. A large range in zircon ɛHf spanning 11 ɛ units is comparable to the range of whole rock ɛHf from the entire EPR. This variability is comparable to continental granitoids that develop over long periods of time from multiple sources. Zircon geochronology from Alarcon Rise suggests that at least 20 kyr was needed for rhyolite petrogenesis. Grain-scale textural discontinuities and trace element trends from zircon cores and rims are consistent with crystal fractionation from a MORB magma with possible perturbations associated with mixing or replenishment events. Comparison of whole rock and zircon oxygen isotopes with modeled fractionation and zircon-melt patterns suggests that, after they formed, rhyolite magmas entrained hydrated mafic crust from conduit walls during ascent and/or were hydrated by seawater in the vent during eruption. These data do not support a model where rhyolites formed directly from partial melts of hydrated oceanic crust or do they require assimilation of such crust during fractional crystallization, both models being commonly invoked for the formation of oceanic plagiogranites and dacites. A spatial association of highly evolved lavas (rhyolites) with an increased number of fault scarps on the northern Alarcon Rise might suggest that low magma flux for ~20 kyr facilitated extended magma residence necessary to generate rhyolite from MORB.
The NAC transcription factor ANAC017 regulates aluminum tolerance by regulating the cell wall-modifying genes
Authors: Tao Ye , Wan Jiang Xue , Liu Yu Song , Yang Xiao Zheng , Shen Ren Fang , Zhu Xiao Fang
Published: April 2022

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is one of the key factors limiting crop production in acid soils; however, little is known about its transcriptional regulation in plants. In this study, we characterized the role of a NAM, ATAF1/2, and cup-shaped cotyledon 2 (NAC) transcription factors (TFs), ANAC017, in the regulation of Al tolerance in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). ANAC017 was localized in the nucleus and exhibited constitutive expression in the root, stem, leaf, flower, and silique, although its expression and protein accumulation were repressed by Al stress. Loss of function of ANAC017 enhanced Al tolerance when compared with wild-type Col-0 and was accompanied by lower root and root cell wall Al content. Furthermore, both hemicellulose and xyloglucan content decreased in the anac017 mutants, indicating the possible interaction between ANAC017 and xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH). Interestingly, the expression of XTH31, which is responsible for xyloglucan modification, was downregulated in the anac017 mutants regardless of Al supply, supporting the possible interaction between ANAC017 and XTH31. Yeast one-hybrid, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR analysis revealed that ANAC017 positively regulated the expression of XTH31 through directly binding to the XTH31 promoter region, and overexpression of XTH31 in the anac017 mutant background rescued its Al-tolerance phenotype. In conclusion, we identified that the tTF ANAC017 acts upstream of XTH31 to regulate Al tolerance in Arabidopsis.
Integrating GWAS and TWAS to elucidate the genetic architecture of maize leaf cuticular conductance
Authors: Lin Meng , Qiao Pengfei , Matschi Susanne , Vasquez Miguel , Ramstein Guillaume P , Bourgault Richard , Mohammadi Marc , Scanlon Michael J , Molina Isabel , Smith Laurie G , Gore Michael A
Published: April 2022

The cuticle, a hydrophobic layer of cutin and waxes synthesized by plant epidermal cells, is the major barrier to water loss when stomata are closed. Dissecting the genetic architecture of natural variation for maize (Zea mays L.) leaf cuticular conductance (gc) is important for identifying genes relevant to improving crop productivity in drought-prone environments. To this end, we performed an integrated genome- and transcriptome-wide association studies (GWAS and TWAS) to identify candidate genes putatively regulating variation in leaf gc. Of the 22 plausible candidate genes identified, 4 were predicted to be involved in cuticle precursor biosynthesis and export, 2 in cell wall modification, 9 in intracellular membrane trafficking, and 7 in the regulation of cuticle development. A gene encoding an INCREASED SALT TOLERANCE1-LIKE1 (ISTL1) protein putatively involved in intracellular protein and membrane trafficking was identified in GWAS and TWAS as the strongest candidate causal gene. A set of maize nested near-isogenic lines that harbor the ISTL1 genomic region from eight donor parents were evaluated for gc, confirming the association between gc and ISTL1 in a haplotype-based association analysis. The findings of this study provide insights into the role of regulatory variation in the development of the maize leaf cuticle and will ultimately assist breeders to develop drought-tolerant maize for target environments.
A comparative transcriptomics and eQTL approach identifiesSlWD40as a tomato fruit ripening regulator
Authors: Zhu Feng , Jadhav Sagar Sudam , Tohge Takayuki , Salem Mohamed A , Lee Je Min , Giovannoni James J , Cheng Yunjiang , Alseekh Saleh , Fernie Alisdair R
Published: April 2022

Although multiple vital genes with strong effects on the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ripening process have been identified via the positional cloning of ripening mutants and cloning of ripening-related transcription factors (TFs), recent studies suggest that it is unlikely that we have fully characterized the gene regulatory networks underpinning this process. Here, combining comparative transcriptomics and expression QTLs, we identified 16 candidate genes involved in tomato fruit ripening and validated them through virus-induced gene silencing analysis. To further confirm the accuracy of the approach, one potential ripening regulator, SlWD40 (WD-40 repeats), was chosen for in-depth analysis. Co-expression network analysis indicated that master regulators such as RIN (ripening inhibitor) and NOR (nonripening) as well as vital TFs including FUL1 (FRUITFUL1), SlNAC4 (NAM, ATAF1,2, and CUC2 4), and AP2a (Activating enhancer binding Protein 2 alpha) strongly co-expressed with SlWD40. Furthermore, SlWD40 overexpression and RNAi lines exhibited substantially accelerated and delayed ripening phenotypes compared with the wild type, respectively. Moreover, transcriptome analysis of these transgenics revealed that expression patterns of ethylene biosynthesis genes, phytoene synthase, pectate lyase, and branched chain amino transferase 2, in SlWD40-RNAi lines were similar to those of rin and nor fruits, which further demonstrated that SlWD40 may act as an important ripening regulator in conjunction with RIN and NOR. These results are discussed in the context of current models of ripening and in terms of the use of comparative genomics and transcriptomics as an effective route for isolating causal genes underlying differences in genotypes.