bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perspectives on strengthening local food systems in Small Island Developing States
Authors: Guell Cornelia , Brown Catherine R. , Navunicagi Otto W. , Iese Viliamu , Badrie Neela , Wairiu Morgan , Saint Ville Arlette , Unwin Nigel ,   the Community Food and Health (CFaH) team, Kiran Sashi , Samuels T. Alafia , Hambleton Ian , Tukuitonga Colin , Donato-Hunt Connie , Kroll Florian , Nugent Rachel , Forouhi Nita G. , Benjamin-Neelon Sara
Published: May 2022

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) share high burdens of nutrition-related conditions, including non-communicable diseases, associated with an increasing reliance on imported, processed foods. Improving health through increasing the production and consumption of local, nutritious foods is a policy objective of many SIDS governments. This study aimed to understand contemporary challenges and opportunities to strengthening local food systems in two case study settings, Fiji and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Fifty-two in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders involved in local food production. Interviews were analysed by both country teams using thematic analysis. Local food production networks in both settings included formal governance bodies as well as more informal connections through civil society and communities. Their main function was the sharing of resources and knowledge, but levels of trust and cooperation between the stakeholders varied in a market open to intense competition from imports. Local food production was hindered by few and slow investments by local governments, dated technology, and lack of knowledge. Stakeholders believed this marginalisation was occurring against a background of rising preferences for imported foods in the population, and increasing disinterest in employment in the sector. Despite the challenges, strong narratives of resilience and opportunity were highlighted such as national pride in local produce for commercialisation and local diets. Efforts to support local food production in SIDS should focus on strengthening governance structures to prioritise local produce over corporate and import markets, assist collaboration and co-learning, and support alternative agro-food practices.
Life Satisfaction among the Poorest of the Poor: A Study in Urban Slum Communities in India
Authors: Sulkers Esther , Loos Jasmijn
Published: May 2022

This study investigates the level and predictors of life satisfaction in people living in slums in Kolkata, India. Participants of six slum settlements (n = 164; 91% female) were interviewed and data on age, gender, poverty indicators and life satisfaction were collected. The results showed that the level of global life satisfaction in this sample of slum residents did not significantly differ from that of a representative sample of another large Indian city. In terms of life-domain satisfaction, the slum residents were most satisfied with their social relationships and least satisfied with their financial situation. Global life satisfaction was predicted by age, income and non-monetary poverty indicators (deprivation in terms of health, education and living standards) (R2 15.4%). The current study supports previous findings showing that people living in slums tend to report higher levels of life satisfaction than one might expect given the deprivation of objective circumstances of their lives. Furthermore, the results suggest that factors other than objective poverty make life more, or less, satisfying. The findings are discussed in terms of theory about psychological adaptation to poverty.
COVID-19 vaccine-induced lymphadenopathies: incidence, course and imaging features from an ultrasound prospective study
Authors: Romeo Valeria , Stanzione Arnaldo , D’Auria Divina , Fulgione Ludovica , Giusto Fabio , Maurea Simone , Brunetti Arturo
Published: May 2022

Aims

lymphadenopathy can occur after COVID-19 vaccination and when encountered at ultrasound examinations performed for other reasons might pose a diagnostic challenge. Purpose of the study was to evaluate the incidence, course and ultrasound imaging features of vaccine-induced lymphadenopathy.

Methods

89 healthy volunteers (median age 30, 76 females) were prospectively enrolled. Vaccine-related clinical side effects (e.g., fever, fatigue, palpable or painful lymphadenopathy) were recorded. Participants underwent bilateral axillary, supraclavicular and cervical lymph node stations ultrasound 1–4 weeks after the second dose and then again after 4–12 weeks in those who showed lymphadenopathy at the first ultrasound. B-mode, color-Doppler assessment, and shear-wave elastography (SWE) evaluation were performed. The correlation between lymphadenopathy and vaccine-related side effects was assessed using the Fisher’s exact test.

Results

Post-vaccine lymphadenopathy were found in 69/89 (78%) participants (37 single and 32 multiple lymphadenopathy). Among them, 60 presented vaccine-related side effects, but no statistically significant difference was observed between post-vaccine side effect and lymphadenopathy. Ultrasound features of vaccine-related lymphadenopathy consisted of absence of fatty hilum, round shape and diffuse or asymmetric cortical thickness (median cortical thickness of 5 mm). Vascular signal was mainly found to be increased, localized in both central and peripheral regions. SWE showed a soft cortical consistence in all cases (median value 11 Kpa). At follow-up, lymph-node morphology was completely restored in most cases (54/69, 78%) and in no case lymphadenopathy had worsened.

Conclusion

A high incidence of vaccine-induced lymphadenopathy was found in a population of healthy subjects, with nearly complete regression within 4–12 weeks.
Assessing cloud manufacturing applications using an optimally rectified FAHP approach
Authors: Chen Tin-Chih Toly , Lin Chi-Wei
Published: May 2022

Cloud Manufacturing (CMfg) is a new manufacturing paradigm that promises to reduce costs, improve data analysis, increase efficiency and flexibility, and provide manufacturers with closer partnerships. However, most past CMfg research has focused on either the information technology infrastructure or the planning and scheduling of a hypothetical CMfg system. In addition, the cost effectiveness of a CMfg application has rarely been assessed. As a result, a manufacturer is not sure whether to adopt a CMfg application or not. To address this issue, an optimally rectified fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (OR-FAHP) approach is proposed in this study to assess a CMfg application. The OR-FAHP approach solves the inconsistency problem of the conventional FAHP method, a well-known technology assessment technique, to make the analysis results more trustable. The OR-FAHP approach has been applied to assess and compare 10 CMfg applications.
Star topology convolution for graph representation learning
Authors: Wu Chong , Feng Zhenan , Zheng Jiangbin , Zhang Houwang , Cao Jiawang , Yan Hong
Published: May 2022

We present a novel graph convolutional method called star topology convolution (STC). This method makes graph convolution more similar to conventional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in Euclidean feature spaces. STC learns subgraphs which have a star topology rather than learning a fixed graph like most spectral methods. Due to the properties of a star topology, STC is graph-scale free (without a fixed graph size constraint). It has fewer parameters in its convolutional filter and is inductive, so it is more flexible and can be applied to large and evolving graphs. The convolutional filter is learnable and localized, similar to CNNs in Euclidean feature spaces, and can share weights across graphs. To test the method, STC was compared with the state-of-the-art graph convolutional methods in a supervised learning setting on nine node properties prediction benchmark datasets: Cora, Citeseer, Pubmed, PPI, Arxiv, MAG, ACM, DBLP, and IMDB. The experimental results showed that STC achieved the state-of-the-art performance on all these datasets and maintained good robustness. In an essential protein identification task, STC outperformed the state-of-the-art essential protein identification methods. An application of using pretrained STC as the embedding for feature extraction of some downstream classification tasks was introduced. The experimental results showed that STC can share weights across different graphs and be used as the embedding to improve the performance of downstream tasks.
Ensemble clustering of longitudinal bivariate HIV biomarker profiles to group patients by patterns of disease progression
Authors: Lynch Miranda L. , DeGruttola Victor
Published: May 2022

This paper describes an ensemble cluster analysis of bivariate profiles of HIV biomarkers, viral load and CD4 cell counts, which jointly measure disease progression. Data are from a prevalent cohort of HIV positive participants in a clinical trial of vitamin supplementation in Botswana. These individuals were HIV positive upon enrollment, but with unknown times of infection. To categorize groups of participants based on their patterns of progression of HIV infection using both biomarkers, we combine univariate shape-based cluster results for multiple biomarkers through the use of ensemble clustering methods. We first describe univariate clustering for each of the individual biomarker profiles, and make use of shape-respecting distances for clustering the longitudinal profile data. In our data, profiles are subject to either missing or irregular measurements as well as unobserved initiation times of the process of interest. Shape-respecting distances that can handle such data issues, preserve time-ordering, and identify similar profile shapes are useful in identifying patterns of disease progression from longitudinal biomarker data. However, their performance with regard to clustering differs by severity of the data issues mentioned above. We provide an empirical investigation of shape-respecting distances (Fréchet and dynamic time warping (DTW)) on benchmark shape data, and use DTW in cluster analysis of biomarker profile observations. These reveal a primary group of ‘typical progressors,’ as well as a smaller group that shows relatively rapid progression. We then refine the analysis using ensemble clustering for both markers to obtain a single classification. The information from joint evaluation of the two biomarkers combined with ensemble clustering reveals subgroups of patients not identifiable through univariate analyses; noteworthy subgroups are those that appear to represent recently and chronically infected subsets.
Associations between quality of care in informal provider networks and nursing home admissions in Germany: results of a retrospective cohort study using German health claims data
Authors: Domhoff Dominik , Seibert Kathrin , Stiefler Susanne , Wolf-Ostermann Karin , Peschke Dirk
Published: May 2022

Background

High-quality outpatient medical care can prevent care-dependent people from having to move to a nursing home. Quality of care is determined by the behaviour and cooperation of providers, which, when sharing patient collectives, can be understood as functionally defined informal provider networks (PN). There is still a lack of knowledge about the relationship between the quality of care in the interaction among service providers as a structural characteristic of a PN and nursing home admissions (NHA). We therefore examined associations between treatment quality, compositional characteristics, such as the number of general practicioners in the PN and NHA.

Methods

German statutory health insurance claims data from 2006 to 2016 was used in a retrospective cohort study. The observation cohort comprised community-dwelling people ≥ 65 years of age who initially became care-dependent in 2006 (n = 117,942). PN were constructed using the Speaker-Listener Label Propagation Algorithm. The quality of care provided by such networks was assessed by further including all people ≥ 65 years of age who were cared for by service providers of the observation cohort. Quality of care in the PN was measured using 67 quality indicators (QI). Event-time series analyses in three proportional hazard models, taking into account random effects, determined the association of treatment quality characteristics and compositional characteristics of the PN with NHA.

Results

35,540 admissions occurred in 406 PN. The majority of QI and individual predictors show significant associations with NHA, as well as a few compositional characteristics of the PN. Out of 67 QI, 37 were significant in two of three models, 19 of which were associated with a lower risk and 18 with an increased risk for NHA.

Conclusions

Associations between quality characteristics of the PN and the risk of NHA constitute a relevant influence as they remain significant when controlled for individual predictors. Most compositional characteristics had no influence on NHA. Aspects of treatment quality thus do play a role in determining how long care-dependent people continue to live at home after onset of care-dependency. The results contribute to revealing informal relationships between service providers that constitute a special characteristic of the German health care system and to the identification of starting points for further education in high quality treatment of selected populations and in formalizing care collaborations by joining voluntary PN. Further, sensitising service providers to the evaluation of care processes and to reflecting on the relevance of their role in PN can improve quality development and outcomes.
Social network development in classrooms
Authors: Wolf Steven F. , Sault Timothy M. , Suda Tyme , Traxler Adrienne L.
Published: May 2022

Group work is often a critical component of how we ask students to interact while learning in active and interactive environments. A common-sense extension of this feature is the inclusion of group assessments. Moreover, one of the key scientific practices is the development of collaborative working relationships. As instructors, we should be cognizant of our classes’ development in the social crucible of our classroom, along with their development of cognitive and/or problem solving skills. We analyze group exam network data from a two-class introductory physics sequence. In each class, on each of four exams, students took an individual version of the exam and then reworked the exam with classmates. Students recorded their collaborators, and these reports are used to build directed networks. We compare global network measures and node centrality distributions between exams in each semester and contrast these trends between semesters. The networks are partitioned using positional analysis, which blocks nodes by similarities in linking behavior, and by edge betweenness community detection, which groups densely connected nodes. By calculating the block structure for each exam and mapping over time, it is possible to see a stabilizing social structure in the two-class sequence. Comparing global and node-level measures suggests that the period from the first to second exam disrupts network structure, even when the blocks are relatively stable.
Modelling the interaction of the Astro Bio Cube Sat with the Van Allen’s Belt radiative field using Monte Carlo transport codes
Authors: Burgio N. , Cretara L. , Corcione M. , Frullini M. , Iannascoli L. , Nascetti A. , Santagata A. , Palmerini G. , Quintino A. , Brucato J. R. , Meneghin A. , Paglialunga D.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The AstroBio Cube Satellite (ABCS) will deploy within the inner Van Allen belt on the Vega C Maiden Flight launch opportunity of the European Space Agency. At this altitude, ABCS will experience radiation doses orders of magnitude greater than in low earth orbit, where CubeSats usually operate. The paper aims to estimate the irradiation effect on the ABCS payload in the orbital condition, their possible mitigation designing shielding solutions and performs a preliminary representativity simulation study on the ABCS irradiation with fission neutron at the TAPIRO (TAratura Pila Rapida Potenza 0) nuclear research reactor facility at ENEA.

Methods

We quantify the contributions of geomagnetically trapped particles (electron and proton), Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR ions), Solar energetic particle within the ABCS orbit using the ESA’s SPace ENVironment information system. FLUKA (Fluktuierende Kaskade—Fluctuating Cascade) code models the ABCS interaction with the orbital source.

Results

We found a shielding solution of the weight of 300 g constituted by subsequent layers of tungsten, resins, and aluminium that decreases on average the 20% overall dose rate relative to the shielding offered by the only satellite’s structure. Finally, simulations of neutron irradiation of the whole ABCS structure within the TAPIRO’s thermal column cavity show that a relatively short irradiation time is requested to reach the same level of 1 MeV neutron Silicon equivalent damage of the orbital source.

Conclusions

The finding deserves the planning of a future experimental approach to confirm the TAPIRO’s performance and establish an irradiation protocol for testing aerospatial electronic components.
Factors affecting online shopping frequency: lessons from New Zealand
Authors: Ma Wanglin , Gan Christopher , Vatsa Puneet , Yang Wei , Zheng Hongyun
Published: May 2022

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the number of people shopping online has increased worldwide, and New Zealand is no exception. To date, little is known about the online shopping behaviours of New Zealanders in a pandemic environment. This paper provides the first attempt by exploring the factors affecting online shopping frequency in New Zealand, a country widely regarded as a paragon of excellence for containing the COVID-19 pandemic. A Poisson regression model is utilized to analyze data collected through an online survey between July and November 2020. The empirical results show that people's online shopping frequency is positively affected by payment convenience, competitive pricing, living in the city, and the number of children. The perceived effectiveness of the government's action in combating COVID-19, having poor past online shopping experiences, and being married reduce online shopping frequency.
Intestinal Microbiota in Sepsis
Authors: Sun Tongwen , Wang Lexin , Zhang Haibo
Published: May 2022

Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction, which is caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. The composition of the intestinal microbiota is significantly different between patients with sepsis and healthy individuals. Intestinal microbial imbalance plays an important role in the occurrence and development of sepsis. Our review mainly introduces the mechanism of intestinal microbiota involvement in sepsis, the effects of microbiota dysbiosis on the damage of multiple organs and concisely discusses the prospects for microbe-specific treatment of sepsis in the future.
Extracting hierarchical features of cultural variation using network-based clustering
Authors: Liu Xiran , Rosenberg Noah A. , Greenbaum Gili
Published: May 2022

High-dimensional datasets on cultural characters contribute to uncovering insights about factors that influence cultural evolution. Because cultural variation in part reflects descent processes with a hierarchical structure – including the descent of populations and vertical transmission of cultural traits – methods designed for hierarchically structured data have potential to find applications in the analysis of cultural variation. We adapt a network-based hierarchical clustering method for use in analysing cultural variation. Given a set of entities, the method constructs a similarity network, hierarchically depicting community structure among them. We illustrate the approach using four datasets: pronunciation variation in the US mid-Atlantic region, folklore variation in worldwide cultures, phonemic variation across worldwide languages and temporal variation in first names in the US. In these examples, the method provides insights into processes that affect cultural variation, uncovering geographic and other influences on observed patterns and cultural characters that make important contributions to them.
A priorisparsification of Galerkin models
Authors: Rubini Riccardo , Lasagna Davide , Da Ronch Andrea
Published: May 2022

A methodology to generate sparse Galerkin models of chaotic/unsteady fluid flows containing a minimal number of active triadic interactions is proposed. The key idea is to find an appropriate set of basis functions for the projection representing elementary flow structures that interact minimally one with the other, resulting in a triadic interaction coefficient tensor with sparse structure. Interpretable and computationally efficient Galerkin models are obtained, since a reduced number of triadic interactions are computed to evaluate the right-hand side of the model. To find the basis functions, a subspace rotation technique is used, whereby a set of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) modes is rotated into a POD subspace of larger dimension using coordinates associated with low-energy dissipative scales to alter energy paths and the structure of the triadic interaction coefficient tensor. This rotation is obtained as the solution of a non-convex optimisation problem that maximises the energy captured by the new basis, promotes sparsity and ensures long-term temporal stability of the sparse Galerkin system. We demonstrate the approach on two-dimensional lid-driven cavity flow at$Re = 2 \times 10^4$where the motion is chaotic and energy interactions are scattered in modal space. We show that the procedure generates Galerkin models with a reduced set of active triadic interactions, distributed in modal space according to established knowledge of scale interactions in two-dimensional flows. This property, however, is observed only if long-term temporal stability is included explicitly in the formulation, indicating that a dynamical constraint is necessary to obtain a physically consistent sparsification.
THE BIRTH AND LIFE OF THE DEFINITION OF MILITARY OBJECTIVES
Authors: Benvenisti Eyal
Published: May 2022

The forgotten story of the birth and life of the definition of ‘military objectives’ is relevant to the ongoing discussion about the need to adapt the law to asymmetric warfare. This definition, authored by a West German law professor and former member of the Nazi party, was driven by a Western effort to privilege regular armies while curbing the actions of guerrilla fighters and exposing their civilian supporters to harm. The Non-Aligned Movement turned the tide by burdening regular armies while exempting irregular combatants from the consequences of disregarding the law. It was only through judicial intervention—grounded in an imagined history of the linear progress of humanity—that civilians on both sides of asymmetric conflicts would ultimately become entitled to receive adequate protection.
Greasers, Bandidos, and Squatters under Duress: Containing Latinidad in Mid-Nineteenth-Century California
Authors: Rocha Ricardo Ernesto
Published: May 2022

The effect of this “colonial cringe” is an enduring and debilitating performance anxiety on a global stage.
A model-based study to estimate the health and economic impact of health technology assessment in Thailand
Authors: Kingkaew Pritaporn , Budtarad Nuttakarn , Khuntha Sarayuth , Barlow Euan , Morton Alec , Isaranuwatchai Wanrudee , Teerawattananon Yot , Painter Chris
Published: May 2022

Objectives

Health technology assessment (HTA) plays a central role in the coverage and reimbursement decision-making process for public health expenditure in many countries, including Thailand. However, there have been few attempts to quantitatively understand the benefits of using HTA to inform resource allocation decisions. The objective of this research was to simulate the expected net monetary benefit (NMB) from using HTA-based decision criteria compared to a first-come, first-served (FCFS) approach using data from Thailand.

Methods

A previously published simulation model was adapted to the Thai context which aimed to simulate the impact of using different decision-making criteria to adopt or reject health technologies for public reimbursement. Specifically, the simulation model provides a quantitative comparison between an HTA-based funding rule and a counterfactual (FCFS) funding rule to make decisions on which health technologies should be funded. The primary output of the model was the NMB of using HTA-based decision criteria compared to the counterfactual approach. The HTA-based decision rule in the model involved measuring incremental cost-effectiveness ratios against a cost-effectiveness threshold. The counterfactual decision rule was a FCFS (random) selection of health technologies.

Results

The HTA-based decision rule was associated with a greater NMB compared to the counterfactual. In the investigated analyses, the NMB ranged from THB24,238 million (USD725 million) to THB759,328 million (USD22,719 million). HTA-based decisions led to fewer costs, superior health outcomes (more quality-adjusted life-years).

Conclusions

The results support the hypothesis that HTA can provide health and economic benefits by improving the efficiency of resource allocation decision making.
Gastropod assemblages associated with Himantothallus grandifolius, Sarcopeltis antarctica and other subtidal macroalgae
Authors: Amsler Charles D. , Miller Leucas R. , Edwards Raven A. , Amsler Margaret O. , Engl Winfried , Mcclintock James B. , Baker Bill J.
Published: May 2022

Gastropods are an important component of subtidal Antarctic communities including in common association with macroalgae. Nonetheless, limited data exist detailing their abundance and distribution on macroalgal species. This study documents the abundance and species composition of gastropod assemblages on the two largest, blade-forming Antarctic macroalgae, Himantothallus grandifolius and Sarcopeltis antarctica, sampled across two depths (9 and 18 m) at four sites for each species off Anvers Island, Antarctica. Gastropods were also enumerated on Desmarestia anceps, Desmarestia antarctica and Plocamium sp. but were not included in the main analyses because of small sample sizes. There were major differences between the gastropod assemblages on deep vs shallow H. grandifolius and S. antarctica with much higher numbers of individuals and also greater numbers of gastropod species at the greater depth. Differences between the gastropod assemblages on H. grandifolius and S. antarctica across sampling sites were apparent in non-parametric, multivariate analyses, although depth contributed more than site to these differences. Within common sites, assemblages on H. grandifolius were significantly different from those on S. antarctica at 18 m depth but not at 9 m depth, indicating that the host species can be but is not always more important than site in influencing the gastropod assemblages.
Online Support and Intervention (OSI) for child anxiety: a case series within routine clinical practice
Authors: Hill Claire , Chessell Chloe , Percy Ray , Creswell Cathy
Published: May 2022

Background:

Online treatments for child anxiety offer a potentially cost-effective and non-stigmatizing means to widen access to evidence-based treatments and meet the increasing demand on services; however, uptake in routine clinical practice remains a challenge. This study conducted an initial evaluation of the clinical effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of OSI (Online Support and Intervention for child anxiety) within clinical practice. OSI is a co-designed online therapist-supported, parent-led CBT treatment for pre-adolescent children with anxiety problems.

Method:

This case series was part of routine service evaluation in a clinic in England where families were offered OSI to treat a primary anxiety difficulty among 7- to 12-year-old children; 24 families were offered OSI, and 23 took it up. Measures of anxiety symptomatology, functional impairment and progress towards therapeutic goals were taken at pre-treatment, post-treatment and 4-week follow-up. Treatment satisfaction and engagement were also measured throughout the intervention.

Results:

Mean anxiety symptoms significantly improved to below the clinical cut-off post-treatment, with further reduction at follow-up. Functional impairment also significantly improved and significant progress was made towards treatment goals. The majority of children showed reliable change in anxiety symptoms and reliable recovery by follow-up, and were discharged without needing further treatment for anxiety. Uptake, adherence and engagement in OSI were excellent, and parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the treatment.

Conclusions:

We have provided initial evidence that OSI is feasible, acceptable to families, and appears to be associated with good outcomes within routine clinical practice.
Parkinson’s disease disrupts the ability to initiate and apply episodic foresight
Authors: Coundouris Sarah P. , Henry Julie D. , Rendell Peter G. , Lehn Alexander C.
Published: May 2022

Objective:

While Parkinson’s disease is associated with impairments in many aspects of prospective cognition, no study to date has tested whether these difficulties extend to problems using episodic foresight to guide future-directed behavior. To provide the first examination of whether people with Parkinson’s disease are impaired in their capacity to initiate and apply episodic foresight.

Method:

People with Parkinson’s disease (n = 42), and a demographically matched neurotypical comparison group (n = 42) completed a validated behavioral assessment that met strict criteria for assessing episodic foresight (Virtual Week-Foresight), as well as a broader neurocognitive and clinical test battery.

Results:

People with Parkinson’s disease were significantly less likely than the comparison group to acquire items that would later allow a problem to be solved and were also less likely to subsequently use these items for problem resolution. These deficits were largely unrelated to performance on other cognitive measures or clinical characteristics of the disorder.

Conclusions:

The ability to engage in episodic foresight in an adaptive way is compromised in Parkinson’s disease. This appears to be a stable feature of the disorder, and one that is distinct from other clinical symptoms and neurocognitive deficits. It is now critical to establish exactly why these difficulties exist and how they impact on real-life functional capacity.
Genetic stability of cryopreserved ornamentalLiliumgermplasm
Authors: Song Jae-young , Yi Jung-yoon , Bae Jinjoo , Lee Jung-ro , Yoon Mun-sup , Lee Young-yi
Published: May 2022

The genusLiliumcontains a number of ornamental crop species, which are commercially important in many countries. As they are vegetatively propagated, maintaining genetic stability is essential for their efficient conservation. In this study, we investigated the genetic stability of regenerated plants of three cultivars (L.bolanderi‘Lenora’,L. bolanderi‘Mount Duckling’ andL. bolanderi‘Mount Dragon’) and one variety (L. callosumvar.flavum) after cryopreservation, compared with fresh (donor) and non-cryopreserved plants using morphological traits and ISSR markers. No differences in morphological parameters including flower, stigma and pollen colour, floral spots, floral direction or polymorphic bands were observed between control (fresh and non-cryopreserved) and cryopreserved plantlets. In addition, based on the resulting UPGMA dendrogram, the four taxa were divided into different clusters. All cryopreserved, non-cryopreserved and fresh plants in each group could be grouped together in a single cluster with more than 97 or 100% similarity. The results suggest a very low level or the absence of genetic variation in terms of morphological and genetic stability among the plants regenerated after cryopreservation.
Identification of high-oleic peanut chemical mutants and functional analysis of mutated FAD2B gene
Authors: Han Hong Wei , Wang Zhi Wei , Wang Xiu Zhen , Sun Xiu Shan , Fang Chao Qi , Wang Chuan Tang
Published: May 2022

It is generally accepted that high-oleic crops have at least 70% oleate. As compared to their normal-oleic counterparts, oil and food products made from high-oleic peanut have better keeping quality and are much healthier. Therefore, high-oleic peanut is well recognized by processors and consumers. However, owing to the limited availability of high-oleic donors, most present-day high-oleic peanut varietal releases merely have F435 type FAD2 mutations. Through screening of a mutagenized peanut population of 15L46, a high-yielding peanut line with desirable elliptical oblong large seeds, using near infrared model for predicting oleate content in individual single seeds, high-oleic peanut mutants were identified. Sequencing FAD2A and FAD2B of the mutants along with the wild type revealed that these mutants possessed G448A FAD2A (F435 type FAD2A mutation) and G558A FAD2B (non-F435 type FAD2B mutation). Expression of the wild and mutated type FAD2B in yeast verified that the functional mutation contributed to the high-oleic phenotype in these mutants. The mutants provided additional high-oleic donors to peanut quality improvement.
Contribution of Gravity Waves to Universal Vertical Wavenumber (∼m−3) Spectra Revealed by a Gravity‐Wave‐Permitting General Circulation Model
Authors: Okui Haruka , Sato Kaoru , Watanabe Shingo
Published: May 2022

Observations with high vertical resolution have revealed that power spectra of horizontal wind and temperature fluctuations versus vertical wavenumber have a universal shape with a steep slope in a high range, approximately proportional to . Several theoretical models explaining this spectral slope were proposed under an assumption of gravity wave (GW) saturation. However, little evidence has been obtained to show that these universal spectra are fully composed of GWs. To confirm the validity of this assumption, two kinds of spectra are calculated using outputs from a GW‐permitting high‐top general circulation model. One is the spectra for GWs designated by fluctuations having total horizontal wavenumbers of 21–639. The other is the spectra of fluctuations unfiltered except extracting the linear trend in each vertical profile that were often analyzed in the observational studies. A comparison between the two shows that GWs dominate the observed spectra only in a higher part of the steep slope, whereas disturbances other than GWs significantly contribute to its lower part. Moreover, geographical distributions of the characteristic wavenumbers, slopes, and spectral densities of GW spectra are examined for several divided height regions of the whole middle atmosphere. It is shown that strong vertical shear below the zonal wind jets as well as wave saturation are responsible for the formation of the steep slopes of GW spectra.
Pluto’s Surface Was Recently Sculpted by Icy Volcanism
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: May 2022

Geologically young regions of Pluto’s southern hemisphere were likely resurfaced by cryovolcanism, data from the New Horizons spacecraft reveal.
Rock Music in Utah
Authors: Donovan Robin
Published: May 2022

Three-dimensional models could help forecast rock tower frequencies—and seismic impacts—around the globe.
MrgprF acts as a tumor suppressor in cutaneous melanoma by restraining PI3K/Akt signaling
Authors: Shen Qiushuo , Han Yanfei , Wu Kai , He Yaomei , Jiang Xiulin , Liu Peishen , Xia Cuifeng , Xiong Qiuxia , Liu Rui , Chen Qianming , Zhang Yong , Zhao Song , Yang Cuiping , Chen Yongbin
Published: May 2022

The incidence of cutaneous melanoma (CM) has been increasing annually worldwide. In this study, we identify that MrgprF, a MAS related GPR family member, is decreased in cutaneous melanoma tissues and cell lines due to hypermethylation of its promoter region, and show that patients with CM expressing high levels of MrgprF exhibit an improved clinical outcome. We demonstrate that MrgprF forced expression inhibits tumor cell proliferation, migration, xenograft tumor growth, and metastasis. On the contrary, MrgprF knockdown promotes tumor cell proliferation and transformation of immortalized human keratinocyte-HaCaT cells, supporting the inhibitory role of MrgprF during tumor progression. Mechanistic studies reveal that MrgprF reduces the phosphoinositol‑3‑kinase (PI3K) complex formation between p101 and p110γ subunits, the critical step for phosphatidylinositol-(3, 4)-P2 (PIP2) conversion to phosphatidylinositol-(3, 4, 5)-P3 (PIP3), and then reduces the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling. This effect can be reversed by Akt specific agonist SC79. In addition, AMG 706, a previously documented inhibitor for endothelial cell proliferation, is identified as a potential agonist for MrgprF, and can impede tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our findings suggest that MrgprF, a novel tumor suppressor in cutaneous melanoma, may be useful as a therapeutic target in the future.
YTHDF1 alleviates sepsis by upregulating WWP1 to induce NLRP3 ubiquitination and inhibit caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis
Authors: Zhang Shuyao , Guan Xinmin , Liu Wei , Zhu Zhe , Jin Hong , Zhu Youfeng , Chen Yun , Zhang Min , Xu Chengcheng , Tang Xu , Wang Jing , Cheng Wang , Lin Weihua , Ma Xiaoke , Chen Jianliang
Published: May 2022

Pyroptosis is inflammation-associated caspase-1-dependent programmed cell death, which confers a crucial role in sepsis. The present study intends to investigate the regulatory network and function of the microarray-predicted YTHDF1 in caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis of sepsis. Peripheral blood of patients with sepsis was collected to determine WWP1 and YTHDF1 expression. An in vitro sepsis cell model was induced in RAW264.7 cells using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and ATP and an in vivo septic mouse model by cecal ligation and perforation (CLP). After gain- and loss-of-function assays in vitro and in vivo, TNF-α and IL-1β levels and the cleavage of gasdermin-D (GSDMD) were detected by ELISA and Western blot assay, followed by determination of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. Immunoprecipitation and meRIP assay were performed to detect the ubiquitination of NLRP3 and the m6A modification of WWP1 mRNA. The binding of WWP1 to YTHDF1 was explored using RIP-RT-qPCR and dual luciferase gene reporter assay. It was noted that WWP1 and YTHDF1 were downregulated in clinical sepsis samples, LPS + ATP-treated RAW264.7 cells, and CLP-induced mice. The ubiquitination of NLRP3 was promoted after overexpression of WWP1. WWP1 translation could be promoted by YTHDF1. Then, WWP1 or YTHDF1 overexpression diminished LDH activity, NLRP3 inflammasomes and caspase-1-mediated cleavage of GSDMD in LPS + ATP-induced RAW264.7 cells. Overexpressed YTHDF1 restrained inflammatory response in CLP-induced mice. Collectively, the alleviatory effect of m6A reader protein YTHDF1 may be achieved through promotion of NLRP3 ubiquitination and inhibition of caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis by upregulating WWP1.
Circ_0000811 acts as a miR-15b sponge and inhibits Prkar2a-mediated JAK2/STAT1 pathway to attenuate cerebral ischemic vertigo
Authors: Huang Rui , Li Weishuai , Han Dong , Gao Yan , Zheng Dongming , Bi Guorong
Published: May 2022

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been noted to express in the brain and thus participate in various diseases related to the central nervous system. However, the potential role of circRNAs in cerebral ischemia (CI)-induced vertigo remains unknown. We initially predicted through bioinformatics analysis the poor expression of circ_0000811 related to CI. A mouse model of CI-induced vertigo was then established, which was validated by measurement of escape latency and medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) blood flow, with NeuN/Annexin counterstaining utilized to detect cell apoptosis in the MVN. An oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)-exposed neuron-like cell model was further established for in vitro gain- and loss- of function assays, with flow cytometry performed to detect cell apoptosis. The poorly expressed circ_0000811, up-regulated miR-15b expression, and down-regulated Prkar2a expression were observed in both mice with CI-induced vertigo and OGD-exposed cells. Our data then demonstrated that circ_0000811 restoration alleviated CI-induced vertigo in mouse models, and that circ_0000811 acted as a miR-15b sponge to inhibit miR-15b expression. Prkar2a was validated as the target gene of miR-15b. Prkar2a restoration was subsequently revealed to repress OGD-induced neuronal apoptosis through JAK2/STAT1 signaling pathway inactivation. Furthermore, inactivation of the JAK2/STAT1 signaling pathway exerted an anti-apoptotic effect in OGD-induced neurons and an alleviatory effect in mice with CI-induced vertigo with Prkar2a overexpression and circ_0000811 overexpression. Taken together, our work suggests that circ_0000811 is involved in neuronal apoptosis of CI-induced vertigo and may be used as a biomarker for ameliorating CI-induced vertigo.
Dynamic observation of dendrite growth on lithium metal anode during battery charging/discharging cycles
Authors: Lee Hae Gon , Kim Se Young , Lee Joon Sang
Published: May 2022

Lithium metal is considered one of the most promising anode materials for application in next-generation batteries. However, despite decades of research, practical application of lithium metal batteries has not yet been achieved because the fundamental interfacial mechanism of lithium dendrite growth is not yet fully understood. In this study, a series of reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations was performed to investigate the electrochemical dynamic reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface. It allows quantitative characterization of morphological phenomena and real-time interfacial visualization of the dynamic growth of dead lithium and dendrites during repeated charging. This computational protocol was utilized to investigate the dendrite mitigation mechanism when an electrolyte additive (hydrogen fluoride) is dissolved in an organic ethylene carbonate (EC) electrolyte solvent. It was confirmed that beneficial decomposition reactions between electrolyte components form a protective film on the anode surface, suppressing large interphase volume changes and unnecessary degradation reactions.
Microgravity crystallization of perdeuterated tryptophan synthase for neutron diffraction
Authors: Drago Victoria N. , Devos Juliette M. , Blakeley Matthew P. , Forsyth V. Trevor , Kovalevsky Andrey Y. , Schall Constance A. , Mueser Timothy C.
Published: May 2022

Biologically active vitamin B6-derivative pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) is an essential cofactor in amino acid metabolic pathways. PLP-dependent enzymes catalyze a multitude of chemical reactions but, how reaction diversity of PLP-dependent enzymes is achieved is still not well understood. Such comprehension requires atomic-level structural studies of PLP-dependent enzymes. Neutron diffraction affords the ability to directly observe hydrogen positions and therefore assign protonation states to the PLP cofactor and key active site residues. The low fluxes of neutron beamlines require large crystals (≥0.5 mm3). Tryptophan synthase (TS), a Fold Type II PLP-dependent enzyme, crystallizes in unit gravity with inclusions and high mosaicity, resulting in poor diffraction. Microgravity offers the opportunity to grow large, well-ordered crystals by reducing gravity-driven convection currents that impede crystal growth. We developed the Toledo Crystallization Box (TCB), a membrane-barrier capillary-dialysis device, to grow neutron diffraction-quality crystals of perdeuterated TS in microgravity. Here, we present the design of the TCB and its implementation on Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) supported International Space Station (ISS) Missions Protein Crystal Growth (PCG)-8 and PCG-15. The TCB demonstrated the ability to improve X-ray diffraction and mosaicity on PCG-8. In comparison to ground control crystals of the same size, microgravity-grown crystals from PCG-15 produced higher quality neutron diffraction data. Neutron diffraction data to a resolution of 2.1 Å has been collected using microgravity-grown perdeuterated TS crystals from PCG-15.
Delayed tracking and inequality of opportunity: Gene-environment interactions in educational attainment
Authors: Knigge Antonie , Maas Ineke , Stienstra Kim , de Zeeuw Eveline L. , Boomsma Dorret I.
Published: May 2022

There are concerns that ability tracking at a young age increases unequal opportunities for children of different socioeconomic background to develop their potential. To disentangle family influence and potential ability, we applied moderation models to twin data on secondary educational track level from the Netherlands Twin Register (N = 8847). Delaying tracking to a later age is associated with a lower shared environmental influence and a larger genetic influence on track level in adolescence. This is in line with the idea that delaying tracking improves equality of opportunity. Our results further suggest that this is mostly because delaying tracking reduces the indirect influence of family background on track level via the test performance of students. Importantly, delaying tracking improves the realization of genetic potential especially among students with low test scores, while it lowers shared environmental influence on track level for students of all test performance levels.
Gene regulation by gonadal hormone receptors underlies brain sex differences
Authors: Gegenhuber B. , Wu M. V. , Bronstein R. , Tollkuhn J.
Published: May 2022

Oestradiol establishes neural sex differences in many vertebrates1–3 and modulates mood, behaviour and energy balance in adulthood4–8. In the canonical pathway, oestradiol exerts its effects through the transcription factor oestrogen receptor-α (ERα)9. Although ERα has been extensively characterized in breast cancer, the neuronal targets of ERα, and their involvement in brain sex differences, remain largely unknown. Here we generate a comprehensive map of genomic ERα-binding sites in a sexually dimorphic neural circuit that mediates social behaviours. We conclude that ERα orchestrates sexual differentiation of the mouse brain through two mechanisms: establishing two male-biased neuron types and activating a sustained male-biased gene expression program. Collectively, our findings reveal that sex differences in gene expression are defined by hormonal activation of neuronal steroid receptors. The molecular targets we identify may underlie the effects of oestradiol on brain development, behaviour and disease.