bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spring 2020 COVID-19 Surge: Prospective Relations between Demographic Factors, Personality Traits, Social Cognitions and Guideline Adherence, Mask Wearing, and Symptoms in a U.S. Sample
Authors: Milad Elizabeth , Bogg Tim
Published: May 2021

Background

To date, much of the research on individual difference correlates of coronavirus guideline adherence is cross-sectional, leaving prospective associations between these factors unaddressed. Additionally, investigations of prospective predictors of mask-wearing, COVID-19 symptoms, and viral testing remain wanting.

Purpose

The present study examined prospective relations between demographic factors, personality traits, social cognitions and guideline adherence, mask-wearing, symptoms, and viral testing in a U.S. sample (N = 500) during the initial surge of COVID-19 deaths in the United State between late March and early May 2020.

Methods

Guided by a disposition-belief-motivation framework, correlational analyses, and path models tested associations among baseline personality traits, guideline adherence social cognitions, health beliefs, guideline adherence and follow-up guideline adherence, mask-wearing, symptom counts, and 30-day viral testing.

Results

Modeling results showed greater baseline agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extraversion were associated with more frequent baseline guideline adherence. More liberal political beliefs, greater guideline adherence intentions, and more frequent guideline adherence at baseline predicted more frequent mask-wearing at follow-up. Sex (female), lower perceived health, and greater neuroticism at baseline predicted greater symptom counts at follow-up. Reports of viral testing were quite low (1.80%), yet were consistent with concurrent national reporting and limited availability of testing.

Conclusions

Results show how inconsistencies and politicization of health policy communication were concomitant with the effects of individual-level political beliefs on mask-wearing during the initial surge. The results further clarify how personality traits related to social responsibility (i.e., agreeableness, conscientiousness) are associated with following new norms for prescribed behaviors and how symptom reporting can be as much a marker of perceived health as emotional stability.
Association of Depressive Symptoms with Sleep Disturbance: A Co-twin Control Study
Authors: Huang Minxuan , Bliwise Donald L , Hall Martica H , Johnson Dayna A , Sloan Richard P , Shah Amit , Goldberg Jack , Ko Yi-An , Murrah Nancy , Levantsevych Oleksiy M , Shallenberger Lucy , Abdulbagki Rami , Bremner J Douglas , Vaccarino Viola
Published: May 2021

Background

Few studies have comprehensively evaluated the association of depression with sleep disturbance using a controlled twin study design.

Purpose

To cross-sectionally evaluate the association of depression with both objective and subjective sleep disturbance.

Methods

We studied 246 members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. We measured depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI) and assessed major depression using structured clinical interviews. Twins underwent one-night polysomnography and 7-day actigraphy to derive measures of objective sleep and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index for subjective sleep. Multivariable mixed-effects models were used to examine the association.

Results

Twins were all male, mostly white (97%), with a mean (SD) age of 68 (2). The mean (SD) BDI was 5.9 (6.3), and 49 (20%) met the criteria for major depression. For polysomnography, each 5-unit higher BDI, within-pair, was significantly associated with 19.7 min longer rapid eye movement (REM) sleep latency, and 1.1% shorter REM sleep after multivariable adjustment. BDI was not associated with sleep architecture or sleep-disordered breathing. For actigraphy, a higher BDI, within-pair, was significantly associated with lower sleep efficiency, more fragmentation and higher variability in sleep duration. BDI was associated with almost all dimensions of self-reported sleep disturbance. Results did not differ by zygosity, and remained consistent using major depression instead of BDI and were independent of the presence of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and antidepressant use.

Conclusions

Depression is associated with REM sleep disruption in lab and sleep fragmentation and sleep variability at home, but not with sleep architecture or sleep-disordered breathing.
DITHER: an algorithm for Defining IntraTumor Heterogeneity based on EntRopy
Authors: Li Lin , Chen Canping , Wang Xiaosheng
Published: May 2021

Intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) is associated with tumor development, prognosis, immune evasion and therapeutic effects. We proposed the Defining ITH based on EntRopy (DITHER) algorithm for evaluating ITH. We first evaluated the entropies of somatic mutation profiles and copy number alteration (CNA) profiles in a tumor, respectively, and defined their average as the ITH level for the tumor. Using DITHER, we analyzed 33 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program. We demonstrated that the ITH defined by DITHER had the typical properties of ITH, namely its strong correlations with tumor progression, unfavorable phenotype, genomic instability and immune evasion. Compared with two other ITH evaluation methods: MATH and PhyloWGS, the DITHER ITH had more prominent characteristics of ITH. Moreover, different from MATH and PhyloWGS, DITHER scores were positively correlated with tumor purity, suggesting that DITHER tends to capture the ITH between tumor cells. Interestingly, microsatellite instability (MSI)-high tumors had significantly lower DITHER scores than microsatellite stability (MSS)/MSI-low tumors, although the former had significantly higher tumor mutation loads than the latter. It suggests that the hypermutability of MSI is homogeneous between different cellular populations in bulk tumors. The DITHER ITH may provide novel insights into tumor biology and potential clinical applications.
More practical differentially private publication of key statistics in GWAS
Authors: Yamamoto Akito , Shibuya Tetsuo
Published: May 2021

Motivation: Analyses of datasets that contain personal genomic information are very important for revealing associations between diseases and genomes. Genome-wide association studies, which are large-scale genetic statistical analyses, often involve tests with contingency tables. However, if the statistics obtained by these tests are made public as they are, sensitive information of individuals could be leaked. Existing studies have proposed privacy-preserving methods for statistics in the χ2 test with a 3 × 2 contingency table, but they do not cover all the tests used in association studies. In addition, existing methods for releasing differentially private P-values are not practical.

Results: In this work, we propose methods for releasing statistics in the χ2 test, the Fisher’s exact test and the Cochran–Armitage’s trend test while preserving both personal privacy and utility. Our methods for releasing P-values are the first to achieve practicality under the concept of differential privacy by considering their base 10 logarithms. We make theoretical guarantees by showing the sensitivity of the above statistics. From our experimental results, we evaluate the utility of the proposed methods and show appropriate thresholds with high accuracy for using the private statistics in actual tests.

Availability and implementation

A python implementation of our experiments is available at https://github.com/ay0408/DP-statistics-GWAS.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
Brighter is darker: the Hamilton–Zuk hypothesis revisited in lizards
Authors: Megía-Palma Rodrigo , Barrientos Rafael , Gallardo Manuela , Martínez Javier , Merino Santiago
Published: May 2021

Several studies of lizards have made an erroneous interpretation of negative relationships between spectral brightness and parasite load, and thus provided misleading support for the Hamilton–Zuk hypothesis (HZH). The HZH predicts that infected hosts will produce poorer sexual ornamentation than uninfected individuals as a result of energetic trade-offs between immune and signalling functions. To test whether there is a negative relationship between spectral brightness and pigment content in the skin of lizards, we used spectrophotometry to quantify the changes in spectral brightness of colour patches of two species after chemically manipulating the contents of orange, yellow and black pigments in skin samples. Carotenoids were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition, we compared the spectral brightness in the colour patches of live individuals with differential expression of nuptial coloration. Overall, the analyses demonstrated that the more pigmented the colour patch, the darker the spectrum. We provide a comprehensive interpretation of how variation in pigment content affects the spectral brightness of the colour patches of lizards. Furthermore, we review 18 studies of lizards presenting 24 intraspecific tests of the HZH and show that 14 (58%) of the tests do not support the hypothesis.
Uncomfortably numb: how Nav1.7 mediates paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy
Authors: Silagi Elizabeth S , Segal Rosalind A
Published: May 2021

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Paclitaxel increases axonal localization and vesicular trafficking of Nav1.7’ by Akin et al. (doi: 10.1093/brain/awab113).
Could Broccoli and Cauliflower Influence the Dispersal Dynamics of Western Flower Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) to Lettuce in the Salinas Valley of California?
Authors: Joseph Shimat V , Koike Steven T
Published: May 2021

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is an important, worldwide vector of two tospoviruses (Family Bunyaviridae; Genus Tospovirus), Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) and Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). In the Salinas Valley of California, INSV causes severe necrosis, stunting, and crop losses to lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Because broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica L.) and cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) are major rotation crops with lettuce in the Salinas Valley, it is critical to understand if these Brassicas influence the dispersal dynamics of F. occidentalis. In 2013 and 2014, surveys were conducted evaluating yellow sticky cards and plant samples in lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower fields in three regions of the Salinas Valley. F. occidentalis were collected on sticky cards from April to November and on foliage in all three regions. Two-choice oviposition assays as well as no-choice and two-choice feeding assays were conducted where F. occidentalis adults were exposed to leaves of lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower. A significantly greater number of eggs was found on lettuce than on broccoli or cauliflower leaves in the choice assay, whereas for the broccoli and cauliflower choice assay, the number of eggs retrieved was low and not significantly different between hosts. The number of F. occidentalis feeding spots and leaf area injury ratings were similar on broccoli and lettuce leaves but were significantly lower on cauliflower than on lettuce and broccoli leaves. The implications of these results on thrips and plant virus management are discussed.
Pulmonary valve replacement may not restore ventricular volume and functional status in patients with pulmonary regurgitation after late tetralogy of Fallot repair
Authors: Kim Woojung , Kwak Jae Gun , Kwon Hye Won , Cho Sungkyu , Kim Woong-Han , Lee Jeong Ryul , Min Jooncheol
Published: May 2021

OBJECTIVES

Clinically, tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) patients who underwent repair late (older than 2 years) appears to have worse outcomes after pulmonary valve replacement than patients who underwent repair early. We proceeded to review the clinical features of late-repaired TOF patients who required pulmonary valve replacement.

METHODS

Fifty patients who underwent pulmonary valve replacement after TOF repair over the age of 2 years from 2000 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Pre- and postoperative cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, cardiopulmonary exercise tests, and cardiac catheterization were analysed.

RESULTS

The median age of patients at the time of TOF repair and pulmonary valve replacement was 3.6 and 23.4 years, respectively. The median interval from TOF repair to pulmonary valve replacement was 20.5 years. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and cardiopulmonary exercise tests were performed at a median of 5.9 and 3.7 years after pulmonary valve replacement, respectively. Cardiac magnetic resonance revealed that there were significant changes in the indexed values of the right ventricle end-diastolic volume (164.7–106.9 ml/m2, P < 0.001), end-systolic volume (101.4–64.9 ml/m2, P < 0.001), stroke volume (66.8–48.0 ml/m2, P = 0.007) and cardiac output (5.1–3.6 l/m2, P = 0.040). Twenty-eight percentage of patients achieved normalization of the right ventricular volume after pulmonary valve replacement. In the exercise test, the maximum rate of oxygen consumption (72.5–69.5%) and oxygen pulse (95.0–83.0%) changed without statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

Although pulmonary valve replacement after late TOF correction improves right ventricular volume status, only a minority of patients achieve normalization of right ventricular end systolic volume and a normal functional status.
Trends in the Use of Residential Settings Among Older Adults
Authors: Toth Matt , Palmer Lauren , Bercaw Lawren , Voltmer Helena , Karon Sarita L
Published: May 2021

Objectives

As the U.S. population ages, the prevalence of disability and functional limitations, and demand for long-term services and supports (LTSS), will increase. This study identified the distribution of older adults across different residential settings, and how their health characteristics have changed over time.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis of older adults residing in traditional housing, community-based residential facilities (CBRFs), and nursing facilities using 3 data sources: the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), 2008 and 2013; the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), 2008 and 2014; and the National Health and Aging Trends Study, 2011 and 2015. We calculated the age-standardized prevalence of older adults by setting, functional limitations, and comorbidities and tested for health characteristics changes relative to the baseline year (2002).

Results

The proportion of older adults in traditional housing increased over time, relative to baseline (p < .05), while the proportion of older adults in CBRFs was unchanged. The proportion of nursing facility residents declined from 2002 to 2013 in the MCBS (p < .05). The prevalence of dementia and functional limitations among traditional housing residents increased, relative to the baseline year in the HRS and MCBS (p < .05).

Discussion

The proportion of older adults residing in traditional housing is increasing, while the nursing facility population is decreasing. This change may not be due to better health; rather, older adults may be relying on noninstitutional LTSS.
What’s in a Name? The Journey of Geographical Indications from Paris 1883 to Geneva 2015
Authors: Lightbourne Muriel
Published: May 2021

While the negotiations on geographical indications within the World Trade Organization have been stalled since their inception in 1996, many new developments resulting from bilateral or regional endeavours may be observed in this field. The present article will first briefly retrace the evolution of the concept and recall the different entrenched positions within the World Trade Organization (WTO). It will then show the impact of WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) reports on the European Union system and discuss the recent bilateral agreements between China and the European Union on one side, and the United States of America on the other. It will also look at the entry into force of the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on appellations of origin and geographical indications. Whether the latter will manage to bridge the divide between the countries that promote the sui generis model of protection of indications of origin and common law jurisdictions remains to be seen, as does the outcome of the discussions on geographical indications and place names within the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
Critical collaboration model: an enhanced model to support public health collaboration
Authors: Nicholas Graeme , Sharma Sudesh , Walton Mat , Hepi Maria , Hide Sophie
Published: May 2021

Public health problems are often complex and ‘wicked’ in nature. Wicked problems have multi-factorial causation, are dynamic and often understood and acted upon differently by different actors. Multi-sectoral collaboration is increasingly emphasized for tackling wicked problems through developing a strategic multi-sectoral plan and then taking collective action. Critical systems thinking can support the development of a shared perspective of the problem, strengthen participation in collective action and foster reflective practices to continuously improve both problem understanding and action. In this paper, we present a critical collaboration model, drawing together two complementary theoretical frameworks, as well as insights from three case studies from New Zealand, to offer a systematic approach to adopting a critical systems perspective in public health collaboration. The model provides six questions to make explicit individuals’ understandings or assumptions about how others perceive an issue, problem or evidence, and the process of identifying answers strengthens the dialogical and reflective aspects of the collaboration. We indicate some potential areas for the application of the model to integrate critical systems thinking in collaborative practices.
Point Spectrum of Periodic Operators on Universal Covering Trees
Authors: Banks Jess , Garza-Vargas Jorge , Mukherjee Satyaki
Published: May 2021

For any multi-graph $G$ with edge weights and vertex potential, and its universal covering tree ${\mathcal{T}}$, we completely characterize the point spectrum of operators $A_{{\mathcal{T}}}$ on ${\mathcal{T}}$ arising as pull-backs of local, self-adjoint operators $A_{G}$ on $G$. This builds on work of Aomoto, and includes an alternative proof of the necessary condition for point spectrum derived in [ 5]. Our result gives a finite time algorithm to compute the point spectrum of $A_{{\mathcal{T}}}$ from the graph $G$, and additionally allows us to show that this point spectrum is itself contained in the spectrum of $A_{G}$. Finally, we prove that typical pull-back operators have a spectral delocalization property: the set of edge weight and vertex potential parameters of $A_{G}$ giving rise to $A_{{\mathcal{T}}}$ with purely absolutely continuous spectrum is open, and its complement has large codimension.
Breaking the Myth of Cyber Doom: Securitization and Normalization of Novel Threats
Authors: Gomez Miguel Alberto , Whyte Christopher
Published: May 2021

Physical damage resulting from cyber operations continues to reinforce the “cyber doom” narrative across societies dependent on information and communication technology. This is paradoxical given the absence of severe, lasting consequences from cyber operations and the relative restraint exercised by cyber-capable actors. Moreover, the mass adoption of vulnerable digital systems raises questions whether or not individuals’ dread cyber insecurity is as severe as we are often asked to believe. Employing a survey experiment, we find that the assumptions of the “cyber doom” narrative are misleading. While sensitivity to cybersecurity threats is shaped by negative information, the onset of panic and dread is not a given. The impact of novel environmental circumstances on opinion formation is shaped by the individuals’ embeddedness in modern digital society. Consequently, long-term exposure to any invasive development mitigates the emotional response associated with it, normalizing novel threats over time. We present evidence suggesting that the unique characteristics of a development (i.e., web-technology proliferation) matter in opinion formation, as sensitivity to digital threats to the polity is grounded on personal threat sensitivity. Thus, policymakers can expect to see public responses to new national security threats manifest through the lens of prevailing social and political narratives.
Why Does Aid Not Target the Poorest?
Authors: Briggs Ryan C
Published: May 2021

Foreign-aid projects typically have local effects, so they need to be placed close to the poor if they are to reduce poverty. I show that, conditional on local population levels, World Bank (WB) project aid targets richer parts of countries. This relationship holds over time and across world regions. I test five donor-side explanations for pro-rich targeting using a pre-registered conjoint experiment on WB Task Team Leaders (TTLs). TTLs perceive aid-receiving governments as most interested in targeting aid politically and controlling implementation. They also believe that aid works better in poorer or more remote areas, but that implementation in these areas is uniquely difficult. These results speak to debates in distributive politics, international bargaining over aid, and principal-agent issues in international organizations. The results also suggest that tweaks to WB incentive structures to make ease of project implementation less important may encourage aid to flow to poorer parts of countries.
Prevalence of genotypic baseline risk factors for cabotegravir + rilpivirine failure among ARV-naive patients
Authors: Charpentier Charlotte , Storto Alexandre , Soulié Cathia , Ferré Valentine Marie , Wirden Marc , Joly Véronique , Lambert-Niclot Sidonie , Palich Romain , Morand-Joubert Laurence , Landman Roland , Lacombe Karine , Katlama Christine , Ghosn Jade , Marcelin Anne-Geneviève , Calvez Vincent , Descamps Diane
Published: May 2021

Background

Multivariable baseline factor analysis across cabotegravir + rilpivirine clinical trials showed that HIV-1 subtypes A6/A1 and the presence of rilpivirine resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) were associated with an increased risk of virological failure of this dual therapy. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of genotypic baseline risk factors for cabotegravir + rilpivirine failure among ARV-naive patients.

Patients and methods

From 2010 to 2020, 4212 sequences from ARV-naive patients were collected from three large Parisian academic hospital genotypic databases. Cabotegravir and rilpivirine RAMs were defined according to the ANRS algorithm.

Results

Among 4212 ARV-naive patients, 38.6% were infected with subtype B, 32.4% with CRF02_AG (32.4%) and 5.1% with subtype A (85.5% being A6/A1 subtype). Overall, the presence of at least one cabotegravir or rilpivirine RAM was 16.2% and 14.3%, respectively. Considering genotypic resistance interpretation, using the ANRS algorithm, 0.74% (n = 31), 6.2% (n = 261) and 0.09% (n = 4) of sequences were resistant to cabotegravir, rilpivirine or both, respectively. The overall prevalence of L74I in integrase and E138A in RT was 13.0% and 3.2%, respectively, and stable over the decade. Thus, adding 183 subtype A6/A1 sequences to 244 sequences interpreted as resistant to rilpivirine led to 427 (10.1%) sequences combining both baseline virological risk factors for cabotegravir + rilpivirine dual-therapy failure.

Conclusions

Among large sequence databases, when adding prevalence of rilpivirine-resistant viruses and HIV-1 subtype A6/A1 sequences, 10.1% of patients would not be eligible for cabotegravir + rilpivirine dual therapy. These data re-emphasize the need for a pre-therapeutic genotypic resistance test to detect polymorphisms and transmitted drug resistance and to define HIV-1 subtype.
Clinical trials during pandemics and beyond: time for a more efficient pharmacological strategy
Authors: Lemaitre Florian , Locher Clara , Verdier Marie-Clémence , Naudet Florian
Published: May 2021

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, clinical trials on antiviral or symptomatic drugs have been conducted very rapidly even for drugs with a poor pharmacological rationale for efficacy on SARS-CoV-2. Despite lacking basic pharmacological information, most of these clinical trials were also extremely redundant. Applying simple rules, (such as identifying a mechanistic rationale, confirming the ability to reach exposure targets at therapeutic dosage and ensuring tests show drug efficacy in appropriate in vitro and animal models before entering clinical trials) might have saved considerable amounts of time and money, and might have avoided useless research. Moreover, combining these simple rules with the implementation of a relevant policy at both an international and a national level, by limiting studies with a poor methodological/scientific approach and aggregating studies with similar design into single clinical trials, is potentially a far more-efficient strategy.
Genetic potential for residual feed intake and diet fed during early- to mid-gestation influences post-natal DNA methylation of imprinted genes in muscle and liver tissues in beef cattle
Authors: Devos Julia , Behrouzi Amir , Paradis Francois , Straathof Christina , Li Changxi , Colazo Marcos , Block Hushton , Fitzsimmons Carolyn
Published: May 2021

Discovery of epigenetic modifications associated with feed efficiency or other economically important traits would increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits. In combination with known genetic markers, this would provide opportunity to improve genomic selection accuracy in cattle breeding programs. It would also allow cattle to be managed to improve favorable gene expression. The objective of this study was to identify variation in DNA methylation between beef cattle of differential pre-natal nutrition and divergent genetic potential for residual feed intake (RFI). Purebred Angus offspring with the genetic potential for either high (HRFI) or low (LRFI) RFI were prenatally exposed to either a restricted maternal diet of 0.5 kg/d average daily gain (ADG) or a moderate maternal diet of 0.7 kg/d ADG from 30 to 150 d of gestation. We performed DNA methylation analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMR) of imprinted genes (Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) DMR2, IGF2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) and IGF2 receptor (IGF2R) DMR2) using post-natal samples of longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle taken from male and female calves at birth and weaning, and of LD muscle, semimembranosus (SM) muscle, and liver samples collected from steers at slaughter (17 months of age). Interestingly, for all three DMR investigated in liver, LRFI steers had higher levels of methylation than HRFI steers. In LD muscle, IGF2/H19 ICR methylation differences for heifers at birth were due to pre-natal diet, while for steers at birth they were mostly the result of genetic potential for RFI with LRFI steers again having higher levels of methylation than HRFI steers. While results from repeated measures analysis of DNA methylation in steers grouped by RFI revealed few differences, in steers grouped by diet, we found higher methylation levels of IGF2 DMR2 and IGF2R DMR2 in LD muscle of restricted diet steers at weaning and slaughter than at birth, as well as increased methylation in LD muscle of restricted diet steers compared with moderate diet steers at weaning and/or slaughter. Our results suggest that differential pre-natal nutrition, and divergent genetic potential for RFI, induces tissue- and sex-specific alterations in post-natal IGF2 and IGF2R methylation patterns and that these patterns can vary with age in Angus beef cattle.
Oxidative stress and postmortem meat quality in crossbred lambs
Authors: Herrera Nicolas J , Bland Nicolas A , Ribeiro Felipe A , Henriott Morgan L , Hofferber Eric M , Meier Jakob , Petersen Jessica L , Iverson Nicole M , Calkins Chris R
Published: May 2021

The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of different levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated oxidative stress on fresh meat quality. Crossbred lambs (n = 29) were blocked by weight and fed a standard finishing ration for the duration of the study. Lambs were individually housed and treatment groups were administered one of three intravenous injections every 72 h across a three-injection (9-day) cycle: saline control (control), 50 ng LPS/kg body weight (BW) (LPS50), or 100 ng LPS/kg BW (LPS100). Rectal temperatures were measured to indicate inflammatory response. Lambs were harvested at the Loeffel Meat Laboratory and 80 mg of pre-rigor Longissimus lumborum were collected in control and LPS100 treatments within 30 min postmortem for RNA analysis. Wholesale loins were split and randomly assigned 1 or 14 d of wet aging. Chops were fabricated after aging and placed under retail display (RD) for 0 or 7 d. Animal was the experimental unit. LPS-treated lambs had increased (P < 0.05) rectal temperatures at 1, 2, 4, and 24 h post-injection. Transcriptomics revealed significant (Praw < 0.05) upregulation in RNA pathways related to generation of oxidative stress in LPS100 compared with control. A trend was found for tenderness (Warner–Bratzler shear force, WBSF; P = 0.10), chops from LPS50 having lower shear force compared with control at 1 d postmortem. Muscle from LPS50 treatment lambs exhibited greater troponin T degradation (P = 0.02) compared with all treatments at 1 d. Aging decreased WBSF (P < 0.0001), increased sarcoplasmic calcium concentration (P < 0.0001), pH (P < 0.0001), and proteolysis (P < 0.0001) across treatments. Following aging, chops increased discoloration as RD increased (P < 0.0001), with control chops aged 14 d being the most discolored. Chops from lambs given LPS had higher (P < 0.05) a* values compared with control at 14 d of aging. The L* values were greater (P < 0.05) in LPS100 compared with both LPS50 and control. Aging tended (P = 0.0608) to increase lipid oxidation during RD across either aging period. No significant differences (P > 0.05) in sarcomere length, proximate composition, fatty acid composition, or isoprostane content were found. These results suggest that defined upregulation of oxidative stress has no detriment on fresh meat color, but may alter biological pathways responsible for muscle stress response, apoptosis, and enzymatic processes, resulting in changes in tenderness early postmortem.
Population Dynamics and Reproductive Developmental Analysis ofHelicoverpa armigera(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Trapped Using Food Attractants in the Field
Authors: He Wei , Zhao Xincheng , Ali Abid , Ge Shishuai , Zhang Haowen , He Limei , Wu Kongming
Published: May 2021

Monitoring adult populations of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a major agricultural pest, provides data useful for its control. Food attractants, considered as adult insect behavior regulators based on the preference of an herbivorous pest for food sources or their volatiles, also have great potential for monitoring populations. To study the feasibility of monitoring the population dynamics and reproductive development of H. armigera in the field using food attractants, we quantitatively analyzed reproductive organ development of adults in a laboratory population as a way to predict the reproductive development of adults trapped using food attractants in the field in 2019 and 2020. The adults trapped using food attractants had obvious generational changes and the same trends in variation for females and males. The extent of ovarian development in trapped females tended to increase within each generation, and the major axis length of testis in trapped males tended to decrease. Reproductive developmental status of trapped adults also differed significantly among months. This study shows that by trapping H. armigera with food attractants, the population dynamics of adults in the field can be monitored, and reproductive anatomy can also be used to monitor adult reproductive status. These approaches are a new way to forecast the population dynamics of this pest.
Evaluating Flight Performance of Mass-Reared and Irradiated Navel Orangeworm (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) for Sterile Insect Technique
Authors: Reger Joshua , Wenger Jacob A , Brar Gurreet , Burks Charles , Wilson Houston
Published: May 2021

Navel orangeworm (Pyralidae: Amyelois transitella) is a key pest of almonds and pistachios in California. Moths directly infest nuts which leads to reduced crop yield and quality, and infestation can predispose nuts to fungal pathogens that produce aflatoxins. While several integrated pest management strategies have been developed for A. transitella, studies have recently been initiated to explore the use of sterile insect technique (SIT) as an additional control tool. Mass-rearing, sterilization, and transportation methods originally developed for Pectinophora gossypiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) are currently being used for production of A. transitella in a mass-rearing facility, but the impacts of these processes on performance of A. transitella remain unclear. In this study, computerized flight mills were used to evaluate multiple flight parameters of mass-reared and irradiated A. transitella males and females relative to non-irradiated mass-reared moths and two strains of locally reared moths which were neither mass-reared nor irradiated. Mass-reared non-irradiated females performed similarly to both strains of locally reared females, flying a mean 9.4–11.8 km per night, whereas mass-reared and irradiated males and mass-reared non-irradiated males all flew shorter distances, in the range of 3.0–6.7 km per night. All of the mass-reared moths compared to locally reared moths had significantly more non-fliers that did not engage in more than two minutes of continuous flight. Findings from this study suggest that mass-rearing conditions reduce A. transitella flight capacity, while irradiation interacts with moths in a sex-specific manner.
Cytoplasmic Mislocalization of RNA Polymerase II Subunit RPB1 in Alzheimer Disease Is Linked to Pathologic Tau
Authors: Dickson John R , Yoon Hyejin , Frosch Matthew P , Hyman Bradley T
Published: May 2021

Abnormal protein accumulation and mislocalization is a general hallmark of Alzheimer disease. Recent data suggest nucleocytoplasmic transport may be compromised by tau in Alzheimer disease. In this context, we have examined the RNA polymerase II subunit RPB1, which is the catalytic subunit that plays a critical role in transcription. Using immunofluorescence staining in control and Alzheimer disease hippocampal tissue, we show that 2 phosphoisoforms of RPB1 mislocalize from the nucleus to the cytoplasm of neurons in Alzheimer disease. The number of neurons with this cytoplasmic mislocalization is correlated with the burden of pathologic tau (AT8-immunopositive neurons). In order to test whether there is a causal relationship between pathologic tau and cytoplasmic RPB1 accumulation, we used the rTg4510 mouse model, which expresses a regulatable pathologic human tau species harboring the P301L mutation. Using immunofluorescence staining on brain tissue from young (2.5-month-old) and aged (8.5- to 10-month-old) rTg4510 mice, we found a tau- and age-dependent increase in cytoplasmic mislocalization of Rpb1. In summary, this study provides evidence that tau induces mislocalization of RPB1 in Alzheimer disease, and since RPB1 is essential for transcription, this raises the possibility that RPB1 mislocalization could lead to fundamental alterations in neuronal health.
Assessment of cellular and molecular changes in the rat brain after gamma radiation and radioprotection by anisomycin
Authors: Kočović Dušica M , Bajuk-Bogdanović Danica , Pećinar Ilinka , Nedeljković Biljana Božić , Daković Marko , Andjus Pavle R
Published: May 2021

The objective of the study was to describe cellular and molecular markers of radioprotection by anisomycin, focusing on the changes in rat brain tissue. Two-month-old Wistar rats were exposed to a 60Co radiation source at a dose of 6 Gy, with or without radioprotection with anisomycin (150 mg/kg) administered subcutaneously 30 min before or 3 or 6 h after irradiation. Survivors were analyzed 30 days after treatment. Astroglial and microglial responses were investigated based on the expression of glial markers assessed with immunohistochemistry, and quantitative changes in brain biomolecules were investigated by Raman microspectroscopy. In addition, blood plasma levels of pro-inflammatory (interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor α) and anti-inflammatory (interleukin 10) cytokines were assessed. We found that application of anisomycin either before or after irradiation significantly decreased the expression of the microglial marker Iba-1. We also found an increased intensity of Raman spectral bands related to nucleic acids, as well as an increased level of cytokines when anisomycin was applied after irradiation. This suggests that the radioprotective effects of anisomycin are by decreasing Iba-1 expression and stabilizing genetic material by increasing the level of nucleic acids.
Modified gastrostomy feeding tubes in patients with oesophageal cancer: our experience from Northern Tanzania
Authors: Lodhia Jay , Suleiman Jamil , Chipongo Hillary , Shadrack Mathayo , Msuya David , Chilonga Kondo
Published: May 2021

Surgeons in resource-limited settings have adapted to overcome the challenges of the limitations of resources using different available methods and inventions from the local environment. We report four cases of oesophageal cancer palliatively treated with improvised gastrostomy feeding tubes by using 24Fr urinary catheters, to optimize their nutritional status to withstand chemotherapy/radiotherapy. Two patients managed to begin chemo and radiotherapy, but only one out of the four survived. The aim of this report is to appraise the methods used by surgeons to overcome the challenges they face in clinical practice.
Single-dose pentamidine substantially reduces viability of trypanosomes in human East African trypanosomiasis
Authors: van Genderen Perry J J , Nouwen Jan L , De Mendonça Melo Mariana , Rijnders Bart J A , van Hellemond Jaap J
Published: May 2021

Examination of viability of trypomastigotes before and after single-dose pentamidine treatment demonstrated that single-dose pentamidine substantially affected motility of trypomastigotes, a proxy of drug efficacy. This suggests that single-dose pentamidine may be of added value to bridge time until suramin will be available for treatment of human East Africa trypanosomiasis.
AINTEGUMENTA and AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE6 directly regulate floral homeotic, growth, and vascular development genes in young Arabidopsis flowers
Authors: Krizek Beth A , Bantle Alexis T , Heflin Jorman M , Han Han , Freese Nowlan H , Loraine Ann E
Published: May 2021

Arabidopsis flower primordia give rise to organ primordia in stereotypical positions within four concentric whorls. Floral organ primordia in each whorl undergo distinct developmental programs to become one of four organ types (sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels). The Arabidopsis transcription factors AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) and AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE6 (AIL6) are required for correct positioning of floral organ initiation, contribute to the specification of floral organ identity, and regulate the growth and morphogenesis of developing floral organs. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms by which ANT and AIL6 contribute to floral organogenesis, we identified the genome-wide binding sites of both ANT and AIL6 in stage 3 flower primordia, the developmental stage at which sepal primordia become visible and class B and C floral homeotic genes are first expressed. AIL6 binds to a subset of ANT sites, suggesting that AIL6 regulates some but not all of the same target genes as ANT. ANT- and AIL6-binding sites are associated with genes involved in many biological processes related to meristem and flower organ development. Comparison of genes associated with both ANT and AIL6 ChIP-Seq peaks and those differentially expressed after perturbation of ANT and/or AIL6 activity identified likely direct targets of ANT and AIL6 regulation. These include class B and C floral homeotic genes, growth regulatory genes, and genes involved in vascular development.
Efficacy and safety of isavuconazole compared with voriconazole as primary antifungal prophylaxis in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients
Authors: Bogler Yael , Stern Anat , Su Yiqi , Lee Yeon Joo , Seo Susan K , Shaffer Brian , Perales Miguel-Angel , Papanicolaou Genovefa A , Neofytos Dionysios
Published: May 2021

Voriconazole is frequently discontinued prematurely as primary antifungal prophylaxis (AFP) in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients due to adverse events. Limited data exists for isavuconazole as AFP. We analyzed adult HCT recipients who received voriconazole or isavuconazole AFP to estimate rate of premature AFP discontinuation, identify risk factors for premature AFP discontinuation, and compare incidence of invasive fungal infection (IFI) and survival at day + 180 post-HCT between patients who received voriconazole/isavuconazole-AFP. This was a propensity score matched cohort analysis of 210 HCT-recipients who received voriconazole-AFP (9/1/2014-12/31/2016; voriconazole-cohort), and 95 HCT-recipients who received isavuconazole-AFP (5/1/2017-10/31/2018; isavuconazole-cohort). AFP discontinuation for any reason prior to completion was defined as “premature”. Median (interquartile range, IQR) duration of AFP was longer in the isavuconazole-cohort (94 days, 87–100) vs. the voriconazole-cohort (76 days, 23–94; P-value < 0.0001). Premature AFP discontinuation was more frequent in the voriconazole-cohort (92/210, 43.8%) vs. the isavuconazole-cohort (14/95, 14.7%; P-value < 0.0001). The most common reason for premature discontinuation was biochemical hepatotoxicity (voriconazole-cohort: 48/210, 22.8% vs. isavuconazole-cohort: 5/95, 5.26%; P-value = 0.0002). Transaminase values between baseline and end-of-treatment (EOT) and up to 14 days post-EOT significantly increased in the voriconazole-cohort, but remained unchanged in the isavuconazole-cohort. The incidence of IFI at day + 180 was 2.9% (6/210) and 3.2% (3/95) in the voriconazole-cohort and isavuconazole-cohort, respectively (P-value = 0.881). All-cause mortality at day + 180 was 2.4% (5/210) and 6.3% (6/95) in the voriconazole-cohort and isavuconazole-cohort, respectively (P-value = 0.089). When compared to voriconazole, isavuconazole was a safer and as effective primary AFP during the first 3 months after HCT.

Lay Summary

When compared to voriconazole, isavuconazole is a safer and as effective primary antifungal prophylaxis during the first 3 months after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant, with lower rates of hepatotoxicity, and similar rates of fungal infections and all-cause mortality.
Shattering as a source of small grains in the circum-galactic medium
Authors: Hirashita Hiroyuki , Lan Ting-Wen
Published: May 2021

Observed reddening in the circum-galactic medium (CGM) indicates a significant abundance of small grains, of which the origin is still to be clarified. We examine a possible path of small-grain production through shattering of pre-existing large grains in the CGM. Possible sites where shattering occurs on a reasonable time-scale are cool clumps with hydrogen number density nH ∼ 0.1 cm−3 and gas temperature Tgas ∼ 104 K, which are shown to exist through observations of Mg ii absorbers. We calculate the evolution of grain size distribution in physical conditions appropriate for cool clumps in the CGM, starting from a large-grain-dominated distribution suggested from theoretical studies. With an appropriate gas turbulence model expected from the physical condition of cold clumps (maximum eddy size and velocity of ∼100 pc and 10 km s−1, respectively), together with the above gas density and temperature and the dust-to-gas mass ratio inferred from observations (0.006), we find that small-grain production occurs on a time-scale (a few × 108 yr) comparable to the lifetime of cool clumps derived in the literature. Thus, the physical conditions of the cool clouds are favourable for small-grain production. We also confirm that the reddening becomes significant on the above time-scale. Therefore, we conclude that small-grain production by shattering is a probable cause for the observed reddening in the CGM. We also mention the effect of grain materials (or their mixtures) on the reddening at different redshifts (1 and 2).
Performing Identities and Performing Relationships: Community Music Therapy and Adolescent Mental Health
Authors: Mitchell Elizabeth
Published: May 2021

This article explores the “Coffee House,” a community music therapy performance event held biannually at an adolescent mental health treatment facility in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. In this paper, I draw upon techniques and theory from narrative inquiry in order to investigate the experiences and perspectives of 7 adolescent clients and 11 staff members who participated in the event as performers and audience members. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through qualitative coding; the participants’ voices are presented here. Building upon a previous article, in which I attribute the Coffee House’s success to its participatory ethos, this article examines the impact of performing upon participants’ musical and personal identities as well as upon their relationships with others at the facility. The shifts and transformations that took place within youths’ identities were interdependent with the relational features of the performance context; expansions in youths’ self-identities were indelibly connected to staff members’ expanded perspectives on these youths, afforded through witnessing their performances. Participants’ narratives validate not only the ways in which identity and relationship intersect, but also the way in which musical performance’s impact upon identity and relationship is uniquely musical.
Ubiquitin-dependent Argonauteprotein MEL1 degradation is essential for rice sporogenesis and phasiRNA target regulation
Authors: Lian Jian-Ping , Yang Yu-Wei , He Rui-Rui , Yang Lu , Zhou Yan-Fei , Lei Meng-Qi , Zhang Zhi , Huang Jia-Hui , Cheng Yu , Liu Yu-Wei , Zhang Yu-Chan , Chen Yue-Qin
Published: May 2021

MEIOSIS ARRESTED AT LEPTOTENE1 (MEL1), a rice (Oryza sativa) Argonaute (AGO) protein, has been reported to function specifically at premeiotic and meiotic stages of germ cell development and is associated with a novel class of germ cell-specific small noncoding RNAs called phased small RNAs (phasiRNAs). MEL1 accumulation is temporally and spatially regulated and is eliminated after meiosis. However, the metabolism and turnover (i.e. the homeostasis) of MEL1 during germ cell development remains unknown. Here, we show that MEL1 is ubiquitinated and subsequently degraded via the proteasome pathway in vivo during late sporogenesis. Abnormal accumulation of MEL1 after meiosis leads to a semi-sterile phenotype. We identified a monocot-specific E3 ligase, XBOS36, a CULLIN RING-box protein, that is responsible for the degradation of MEL1. Ubiquitination at four K residues at the N terminus of MEL1 by XBOS36 induces its degradation. Importantly, inhibition of MEL1 degradation either by XBOS36 knockdown or by MEL1 overexpression prevents the formation of pollen at the microspore stage. Further mechanistic analysis showed that disrupting MEL1 homeostasis in germ cells leads to off-target cleavage of phasiRNA target genes. Our findings thus provide insight into the communication between a monocot-specific E3 ligase and an AGO protein during plant reproductive development.