bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular Population Genetics of Drosophila Immune System Genes
Authors: Clark Andrew G , Wang Lei
Published: January 2021

A striking aspect of many vertebrate immune system genes is the exceptionally high level of polymorphism they harbor. A convincing case can be made that this polymorphism is driven by the diversity of pathogens that face selective pressures to evade attack by the host immune system. Different organisms accomplish a defense against diverse pathogens through mechanisms that differ widely in their requirements for specific recognition. It has recently been shown that innate defense mechanisms, which use proteins with broad-spectrum bactericidal properties, are common to both primitive and advanced organisms. In this study we characterize DNA sequence variation in six pathogen defense genes of Drosophila melanogaster and D. mauritiana, including Andropin; cecropin genes CecA1, CecA2, CecB, and CecC; and Diptericin. The necessity for protection against diverse pathogens, which themselves may evolve resistance to insect defenses, motivates a population-level analysis. Estimates of variation levels show that the genes are not exceptionally polymorphic, but Andropin and Diptericin have patterns of variation that differ significantly from neutrality. Patterns of interpopulation and interspecific differentiation also reveal differences among the genes in evolutionary forces.
Two Dominant Mutations in the Mouse Fused Gene Are the Result of Transposon Insertions
Authors: Vasicek Thomas J , Zeng Li , Guan X-J , Zhang Tong , Costantini Frank , Tilghman Shirley M
Published: January 2021

The mouse Fused locus encodes a protein that has been implicated in the regulation of embryonic axis formation. The protein, which has been named Axin to distinguish it from the product of the unrelated Drosophila melanogaster gene fused, contains regions of similarity to the RGS (regulators of G-protein signaling) family of proteins as well as to dishevelled, a protein that acts downstream of Wingless in D. melanogaster. Loss-of-function mutations at Fused lead to lethality between days 8 and 10 of gestation. Three dominant mutations result in a kinked tail in heterozygotes. Two of the dominant mutations, Fused and Knobbly, result from insertions of intracisternal A particle retrotransposons into the gene. The insertion in Fused, within the sixth intron, creates a gene that produces wild-type transcripts as well as mutant transcripts that initiate at both the authentic promoter and the 3′-most long terminal repeat of the insertion. Knobbly, an insertion of the retrotransposon into exon 7, precludes the production of wild-type protein. Thus the Fused homozygote is viable whereas Knobbly is a recessive embryonic lethal. In both mutants the dominant kink-tailed phenotype is likely to result from the synthesis of similar amino-terminal fragments of Axin protein that would contain the RGS domain, but lack the dishevelled domain.
Detailed Comparative Mapping of Cereal Chromosome Regions Corresponding to the Ph1 Locus in Wheat
Authors: Foote Tracie , Roberts Michael , Kurata Nori , Sasaki Takuji , Moore Graham
Published: January 2021

Detailed physical mapping of markers from rice chromosome 9, and from syntenous (at the genetic level) regions of other cereal genomes, has resulted in rice yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) contigs spanning parts of rice 9. This physical mapping, together with comparative genetic mapping, has demonstrated that synteny has been largely maintained between the genomes of several cereals at the level of contiged YACs. Markers located in one region of rice chromosome 9 encompassed by the YAC contigs have exhibited restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using deletion lines for the Ph1 locus. This has allowed demarcation of the region of rice chromosome 9 syntenous with the ph1b and ph1c deletions in wheat chromosome 5B. A group of probes located in wheat homoeologous group 5 and barley chromosome 5H, however, have synteny with rice chromosomes other than 9. This suggests that the usefulness of comparative trait analysis and of the rice genome as a tool to facilitate gene isolation will differ from one region to the next, and implies that the rice genome is more ancestral in structure than those of the Triticeae.
Generating Autotetraploid Sporophytes and Their Use in Analyzing Mutations Affecting Gametophyte Development in the Fern Ceratopteris
Authors: DeYoung Brody , Weber Todd , Hass Barbara , Banks Jo Ann
Published: January 2021

The haploid gametophytes of the fern Ceratopteris richardii are autotrophic and develop independently of the diploid sporophyte plant. While haploid genetics is useful for screening and characterizing mutations affecting gametophyte development in Ceratopteris, it is difficult to assess whether a gametophytic mutation is dominant or recessive or to determine allelism by complementation analysis in a haploid organism. This report describes how apospory can be used to produce genetically marked polyploid sporophytes whose gametophyte progeny are heterozygous for mutations affecting sex determination in the gametophyte and a known recessive mutation affecting the phenotype of both the gametophyte and sporophyte. The segregation ratios of wild-type to mutant phenotypes in the gametophyte progeny of polyploid sporophyte plants indicate that all of the mutations examined are recessive. The presence of many multivalents and few univalents in meiotic chromosome preparations of spore mother cells confirm that the sporophyte plants assayed are polyploid. The DNA content of the sperm of their progeny gametophytes was also found to be approximately twice that of sperm from wild-type haploid gametophytes.
Separable Functions of ORC5 in Replication Initiation and Silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Dillin Andrew , Rine Jasper
Published: January 2021

Origin recognition complex (ORC) is a six subunit complex that functions as the replication initiator and is required for silencing the HML and HMR loci in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The roles of ORC5 in replication initiation and silencing were investigated to determine whether the two roles were mechanistically coincident or separable. Some spontaneous revertants of orc5-1 were functional for replication initiation, but not silencing. Other alleles of ORC5 were obtained that were nonfunctional for replication initiation, but fully competent for silencing. The two types of alleles, when put in the same cell, complemented, establishing two separable functions for ORC5. These data implied that replication initiation at HMR-E was not required for silencing. The data were consistent with a model in which different ORC species functioned at different origins within the genome and that only one Orc5p subunit functioned at any given origin.
Gene Flow and Natural Selection in the Origin of Drosophila pseudoobscura and Close Relatives
Authors: Wang Rong Lin , Wakeley John , Hey Jody
Published: January 2021

The divergence of Drosophila pseudoobscura and close relatives D. persimilis and D. pseudoobscura bogotana has been studied using comparative DNA sequence data from multiple nuclear loci. New data from the Hsp82 and Adh regions, in conjunction with existing data from Adh and the Period locus, are examined in the light of various models of speciation. The principal finding is that the three loci present very different histories, with Adh indicating large amounts of recent gene flow among the taxa, while little or no gene flow is apparent in the data from the other loci. The data were compared with predictions from several isolation models of divergence. These models include no gene flow, and they were found to be incompatible with the data. Instead the DNA data, taken together with other evidence, seem consistent with divergence models in which natural selection acts against gene flow at some loci more than at others. This family of models includes some sympatric and parapatric speciation models, as well as models of secondary contact and subsequent reinforcement of sexual isolation.
Is Function of the Drosophila Homeotic Gene Ultrabithorax Canalized?
Authors: Gibson Greg , van Helden Sylvie
Published: January 2021

Genetic variation affecting the expressivity of an amorphic allele of the homeotic gene Ultrabithorax, (Ubx1) was characterized after 11 generations of introgression into 29 different isofemale lines. Heterozygotes display a range of haploinsufficient phenotypes, from overlap with wild-type halteres to dramatic transformations such as a 50% increase in area and the presence of over 20 bristles on the anterior margin of each haltere. In both the wild-type and mutant genetic backgrounds, there is moderate genetic variance and low environmental variance/developmental asymmetry, as expected of a trait under stabilizing selection pressure. Surprisingly, there is little evidence that mutant halteres are more variable than wild-type ones, so it is unclear that haltere development is also canalized. The correlation between wild-type and Ubx haltere size is very low, indicating that interactions among modifiers of Ubx are complex, and in some cases sex-specific. The potential quantitative genetic contributions of homeotic genes to appendage morphology are discussed, noting that population-level effects of variation in key regulatory genes may be prevalent and complex but cannot be readily extrapolated to macroevolutionary diversification.
A Cluster of Cuticle Protein Genes of Drosophila melanogaster at 65A: Sequence, Structure and Evolution
Authors: Charles Jean-Philippe , Chihara Carol , Nejad Shamim , Riddiford Lynn M
Published: January 2021

A 36-kb genomic DNA segment of the Drosophila melanogaster genome containing 12 clustered cuticle genes has been mapped and partially sequenced. The cluster maps at 65A 5-6 on the left arm of the third chromosome, in agreement with the previously determined location of a putative cluster encompassing the genes for the third instar larval cuticle proteins LCP5, LCP6 and LCP8. This cluster is the largest cuticle gene cluster discovered to date and shows a number of surprising features that explain in part the genetic complexity of the LCP5, LCP6 and LCP8 loci. The genes encoding LCP5 and LCP8 are multiple copy genes and the presence of extensive similarity in their coding regions gives the first evidence for gene conversion in cuticle genes. In addition, five genes in the cluster are intronless. Four of these five have arisen by retroposition. The other genes in the cluster have a single intron located at an unusual location for insect cuticle genes.
New Insights Into the Role of the Maize ameiotic1 Locus
Authors: Golubovskaya Inna , Avalkina Nadezhda , Sheridan William F
Published: January 2021

In maize the am1-1 mutant allele results in both the male and female meiocytes undergoing mitosis in place of the meiotic divisions. A second mutant allele am1-praI enables both the male and female meiocytes to proceed to the early zygotene stage of meiotic prophase I before being blocked. Here we report on three new alleles that allow all male meiocytes to undergo mitosis but in female meiocytes approximately one quarter (am1-2), one half (am1-485, or all (am1-489) of them are blocked at an abnormal interphase stage. Previous analysis has shown that am1-praI is dominant to am1-1 in male meiocytes. Cytological analysis of heteroallelic combinations in female meiocytes now indicates a dominance relationship of am1-praI > am1-1 > am1-2/am1-485 > am1-489. The evidence provided by the female phenotypes of the new mutant alleles suggest that, whereas the normal am1 allele is required for the meiocytes to proceed through meiosis, a partially functional allele may be required for their diversion into a mitotic division. The partial or complete blockage of mitosis in female meiocytes carrying the new am1 alleles rules out the possibility that the mitotic division of mutant meiocytes reflects a simple default pathway for cells that cannot initiate meiosis. This locus may have a dual function.
Rf8 and Rf* Mediate Unique T-urf13-Transcript Accumulation, Revealing a Conserved Motif Associated With RNA Processing and Restoration of Pollen Fertility in T-Cytoplasm Maize
Authors: Dill Carren L , Wise Roger P , Schnable Patrick S
Published: January 2021

Rf8 is a newly described nuclear gene that can substitute for Rf1 to partially restore pollen fertility to male-sterile, T-cytoplasm maize. Families segregating for Rf8 were used to investigate the mechanism of this fertility restoration and to compare it to the restoration conditioned by Rf1. Although Rf8 is unlinked to the rf1 locus, it also alters T-urf13 mitochondrial transcript accumulation and reduces the accumulation of the URF13 protein. Like the 1.6- and 0.6-kilobase (kb) T-urf13 transcripts that accumulate in T-cytoplasm plants carrying Rf1, 1.42- and 0.42-kb transcripts accumulate in plants that are partially restored by Rf8. A survey of T-cytoplasm maize lines, inbreds, and F1 hybrids by mitochondrial RNA gel blot analyses revealed that Rf8, is rare in maize germplasm. These surveys revealed the presence of another rare, weak restorer factor, Rf*, which is uniquely associated with the accumulation of 1.4- and 0.4-kb T-urf13 transcripts. Primer extension analyses position the 5′ termini of the 1.42/0.42-kb and 1.4/0.4-kb transcripts at +137 and +159 nucleotides, respectively, 3′ of the AUG initiation codon of the T-urf13 reading frame. The conserved motif, 5′-CNACNNU-3′, overlaps the 5′ termini of the Rf1-, Rf8-, and Rf*-associated transcripts and the 380 nucleotide, Rf3-associated orf107 transcript from cytoplasmic male sterility sorghum. These results demonstrate that multiple unlinked, nuclear genes can have similar but distinct effects on the expression of the unique T-urf13 mitochondrial coding sequence to restore pollen fertility to T-cytoplasm maize.
Exceptional Segregation of a Selectable Marker (KanR) in Arabidopsis Identifies Genes Important for Gametophytic Growth and Development
Authors: Feldmann Kenneth A , Coury Daniel A , Christianson Michael L
Published: January 2021

Genes transformed into plants are usually inherited in a regular Mendelian manner. There are, however, transformants in which the selectable trait fails to segregate as expected. Genetic analysis of the kanamycin-resistance (KanR) trait in >900 independent transformants of Arabidopsis revealed that 9% produced progeny families with an enormous deficiency of KanR individuals. Self-pollination of individual KanR plants from these families revealed lines that continued to segregate for a deficiency of KanR seedlings. In subsequent generations, the segregation ratio in these families stabilized at ∼1 KanR: 3 KanS. Molecular analyses showed that the deficiency of KanR individuals reflected the complete absence of the introduced DNA. Reciprocal backcrosses to untransformed plants showed unequal transmission of the KanR trait through the gametes in these exceptional lines. In five cases, this was primarily a failure of transmission through the microgametophyte (pollen) and in the other two cases, primarily a failure of transmission through the megagametophyte (embryo sac or egg). The number of seeds per silique was reduced by 50% in the latter two lines. We conclude that our exceptional transformants contain T-DNA insertions that delete or disrupt genes essential for gametophytic growth and development.
RDH54, a RAD54 Homologue in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Is Required for Mitotic Diploid-Specific Recombination and Repair and for Meiosis
Authors: Klein Hannah L
Published: January 2021

Most mitotic recombination and repair genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae show no specificity of action for the genome ploidy. We describe here a novel repair and recombination gene that is specific for recombination and repair between homologous chromosomes. The RDH54 gene is homologous to the RAD54 gene, but rdh54 mutants do not show sensitivity to methyl methanesulfonate at concentrations that sensitize a rad54 mutant. However, the rdh54 null mutation enhances the methyl methanesulfonate sensitivity of a rad54 mutant and single rdh54 mutants are sensitive to prolonged exposure at high concentrations of methyl methanesulfonate. The RDH54 gene is required for recombination, but only in a diploid. We present evidence showing that the RDH54 gene is required for interhomologue gene conversion but not intrachromosomal gene conversion. The rdh54 mutation confers diploid-specific lethalities and reduced growth in various mutant backgrounds. These phenotypes are due to attempted recombination. The RDH54 gene is also required for meiosis as homozygous mutant diploids show very poor sporulation and reduced spore viability. The role of the RDH54 gene in mitotic repair and in meiosis and the pathway in which it acts are discussed.
Control of Amino Acid Permease Sorting in the Late Secretory Pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by SEC13, LST4, LST7 and LST78
Authors: Roberg Kevin J , Bickel Stephen , Rowley Neil , Kaiser Chris A
Published: January 2021

The SEC13 gene was originally identified by temperature-sensitive mutations that block all protein transport from the ER to the Golgi. We have found that at a permissive temperature for growth, the sec13-1 mutation selectively blocks transport of the nitrogen-regulated amino acid permease, Gaplp, from the Golgi to the plasma membrane, but does not affect the activity of constitutive permeases such as Hip1p, Can1p, or Lyp1p. Different alleles of SEC13 exhibit different relative effects on protein transport from the ER to the Golgi, or on Gap1p activity, indicating distinct requirements for SEC13 function at two different steps in the secretory pathway. Three new genes, LST4, LST7, and LSTB, were identified that are also required for amino acid permease transport from the Golgi to the cell surface. Mutations in LST4 and LST7 reduce the activity of the nitrogen-regulated permeases Gap1p and Put4p, whereas mutations in LST8 impair the activities of a broader set of amino acid permeases. The LST8 gene encodes a protein composed of WD-repeats and has a close human homologue. The LST7 gene encodes a novel protein. Together, these data indicate that SEC13, LST4, LST7, and LST8 function in the regulated delivery of Gap1p to the cell surface, perhaps as components of a post-Golgi secretory-vesicle coat.
Mutations Synthetically Lethal With tpm1Δ Lie in Genes Involved in Morphogenesis
Authors: Wang Tongtong , Bretscher Anthony
Published: January 2021

Yeast contains two genes, TPM1 and TPM2, encoding tropomyosins, either of which can provide an essential function in the yeast cytoskeleton. To elucidate more clearly the function of the major tropomye sin, encoded by TPM1, we have isolated mutations that confer synthetic lethality with the null mutant of TPM1. Here we describe a phenotypic and genetic analysis of mutations in TSL1/BEM2, TSL2, TSL3, TSL5, and TSL6 (tropomyosin synthetic lethal). All the mutants exhibit clear morphological and some actin cytoskeletal defects, but are not noticeably defective in secretion, endocytosis, or organelle segregation. The lethality conferred by tsl tpm1Δ mutations could be specifically suppressed by either TPM1 or an additional copy of TPM2. This implies that the essential function compromised in the tsl tpm1Δ constructs is the same essential function for which Tpm1p or Tpm2p is necessary. Synthetic interactions and unlinked noncomplementation were observed between the tsl mutants, suggesting that they participate in related functions involving morphogenesis. In support of this, tsl6-1 was identified as an allele of the nonessential gene SLT2 or MPK1 whose product is a MAP kinase regulating cell wall synthesis. These results indicate that this synthetic lethality approach provides a sensitive screen for the isolation of mutations affecting morphogenesis, many of which are likely to be in nonessential genes, like BEM2 and SLT2.
Analysis of Mutationally Altered Forms of the Cct6 Subunit of the Chaperonin From Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Lin Paul , Cardillo Thomas S , Richard Lynn M , Segel George B , Sherman Fred
Published: January 2021

The Cct double-ring chaperonin complex of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is comprised of eight essential subunits, Cct1p-Cct8p, and assists the folding of substrates such as actins and tubulins. Single and multiple amino acid replacements of Cct6p were constructed by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, including changes of charged to alanine residues and uncharged to charged residues. The replacements were targeted, in part, to residues corresponding to functionally critical regions identified in the published crystal structure of the Escherichia coli chaperonin, GroEL. Here, we report the critical hydrophobic residues and clusters of hydrophilic residues in regions corresponding to those from the apical domain of GroEL implicated in peptide binding and peptide release, and certain residues in the putative equatorial domain implicated in subunit-to-subunit interaction. In contrast to their homologous counterparts in Cct2p and Cct1p, the highly conserved putative ATP binding motifs of Cct6p were relatively amenable to mutations. Our data suggest that the entire Cct6p molecule might be essential for assembly of Cct complex and might participate in binding substrates. However, there appeared to exist a functional hierarchy in ATP binding/hydrolysis among Cct subunits, as suggested by the high tolerance of Cct6p to mutations within the putative ATP binding pocket.
Calmodulin Point Mutations Affect Drosophila Development and Behavior
Authors: Nelson Heidi B , Heiman Robert G , Bolduc Clare , Kovalick Gae E , Whitley Penn , Stern Michael , Beckingham Kathy
Published: January 2021

Calmodulin (CAM) is recognized as a major intermediary in intracellular calcium signaling, but as yet little is known of its role in developmental and behavioral processes. We have generated and studied mutations to the endogenous Cam gene of Drosophila melanogaster that change single amino acids within the protein coding region. One of these mutations produces a striking pupal lethal phenotype involving failure of head eversion. Various mutant combinations produce specific patterns of ectopic wing vein formation or melanotic scabs on the cuticle. Anaphase chromosome bridging is also seen as a maternal effect during the early embryonic nuclear divisions. In addition, specific behavioral defects such as poor climbing and flightlessness are detected among these mutants. Comparisons with other Drosophila mutant phenotypes suggests potential CAM targets that may mediate these developmental and behavioral effects, and analysis of the CAM crystal structure suggests the structural consequences of the individual mutations.
The TRANSFORMER Genes of the Fern Ceratopteris Simultaneously Promote Meristem and Archegonia Development and Repress Antheridia Development in the Developing Gametophyte
Authors: Banks Jo Ann
Published: January 2021

The sex of the haploid gametophyte of the fern Ceratopteris is determined by the presence or absence of the pheromone antheridiogen, which, when present, promotes male development and represses female development of the gametophyte. Several genes involved in sex determination in Ceratopteris have been identified by mutation. In this study, the epistatic interactions among new and previously described sex-determining mutants have been characterized. These results show that sex expression is regulated by two sets of genes defined by the FEM1 and TRA loci. Each promotes the expression of either male or female traits and simultaneously represses the expression of the other. A model describing how antheridiogen regulates the expression of these genes and the sex of the gametophyte is described. The observation that some gametophytic sexdetermining mutants have phenotypic effects on the spore phyte plant indicates that sex determination in the Ceratopteris gametophyte is regulated by a mechanism that also regulates sporophyte development.
B Chromosome Behavior in Maize Pollen as Determined by a Molecular Probe
Authors: Rusche M Losoff , Mogensen H Lloyd , Shi Liang , Keim Paul , Rougier Mireille , Chaboud Annie , Dumas Christian
Published: January 2021

The B chromosomes of maize typically undergo nondisjunction during the second microspore division (generative cell division). When the microspore nucleus contains only one B chromosome, two kinds of sperm result, one with two B chromosomes and one with no B chromosomes. The sperm with the B chromosomes preferentially fertilizes the egg cell. Previous studies of these phenomena have been limited to genetic analysis and chromosome spreads. In this study we show that a B chromosome-specific probe can be used with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis to detect the presence, location, and frequency of B chromosomes in intact interphase nuclei within mature pollen of maize. Using genetic line TB-10L18, our results indicate that nondisjunction of the B centromere occurs at an average frequency of 56.6%, based on four plants and 1306 pollen grains analyzed. This is consistent with the results of genetic studies using the same B-A translocation. In addition, our results suggest that B chromosome nondisjunction can occur during the first microspore division. Spatial distribution of the B chromosomespecific probe appears to be largely confined to one tip of the sperm nucleus, and a DNA fragment found outside the pollen nuclei often hybridizes to the B chromosomespecific probe.
The effect of education based on PEN-3 cultural model on students' menstrual health behaviors: a mixed method study
Authors: Mohammadinia Neda , Rezaei Mohammad Ali , Morowatisharifabad Mohammad Ali , Heydarikhayat Nastaran
Published: January 2021

Menstruation is a natural process in girls, but sometimes it is accompanied by beliefs and behaviors with cultural roots that result in poor health consequences; this study aimed to consider perceptions of individual, families and community to current cultural beliefs, and to determine the effect of education based on the PEN-3 cultural model on students' menstrual health behaviors in Iran. Study had a mixed method design. In the qualitative phase, data were collected from students, their mothers and teachers through focused group discussion and in-depth interviews. In the quantitative phase, training was done in four 2-h sessions for intervention group. The data were collected immediately and 2 months after the training by a questionnaire and they were analyzed by Friedman and Wilcoxon non-parametric tests. Training was effective on all of the model structures and significantly increased mean score of the health behavior after training and 2 months later by 8.74 and 13.86, respectively, in intervention group (P<0.05). The perception and behavior of the others and access to sanitary services and products, especially cultural factors affect girls’' menstrual health behaviors, therefore, it is necessary to design the health plans regarding each of these factors, and the cultural context of each community.
Using Deep Learning to Improve Nonsystematic Viewing of Breast Cancer on MRI
Authors: Eskreis-Winkler Sarah , Onishi Natsuko , Pinker Katja , Reiner Jeffrey S , Kaplan Jennifer , Morris Elizabeth A , Sutton Elizabeth J
Published: January 2021

Objective

To investigate the feasibility of using deep learning to identify tumor-containing axial slices on breast MRI images.

Methods

This IRB–approved retrospective study included consecutive patients with operable invasive breast cancer undergoing pretreatment breast MRI between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2017. Axial tumor-containing slices from the first postcontrast phase were extracted. Each axial image was subdivided into two subimages: one of the ipsilateral cancer-containing breast and one of the contralateral healthy breast. Cases were randomly divided into training, validation, and testing sets. A convolutional neural network was trained to classify subimages into “cancer” and “no cancer” categories. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the classification system were determined using pathology as the reference standard. A two-reader study was performed to measure the time savings of the deep learning algorithm using descriptive statistics.

Results

Two hundred and seventy-three patients with unilateral breast cancer met study criteria. On the held-out test set, accuracy of the deep learning system for tumor detection was 92.8% (648/706; 95% confidence interval: 89.7%–93.8%). Sensitivity and specificity were 89.5% and 94.3%, respectively. Readers spent 3 to 45 seconds to scroll to the tumor-containing slices without use of the deep learning algorithm.

Conclusion

In breast MR exams containing breast cancer, deep learning can be used to identify the tumor-containing slices. This technology may be integrated into the picture archiving and communication system to bypass scrolling when viewing stacked images, which can be helpful during nonsystematic image viewing, such as during interdisciplinary tumor board meetings.
Space as a Resource in the Politics of Consumer Identity
Authors: Maciel Andre F , Wallendorf Melanie
Published: January 2021

Consumers can pursue a wide range of market-mediated identities in contemporary culture. However, some consumer identities are more valued than others, creating a form of cultural inequality. The present research considers consumers’ deliberate efforts to assert greater cultural value for their identities, a phenomenon termed a “politicized consumer identity project.” Specifically, this research focuses on consumers’ intentional use of space, a resource that is ubiquitous in social life but has, nonetheless, received limited theoretical attention regarding this type of identity project. This ethnography uses mixed methods to study a sample of women embedded in the new cult of domesticity, an ethos that induces participants to use various spaces as a way of claiming greater value for feminine consumer identities that are often demeaned by others. The results reveal a system of spatial practices that consumers employ to contest this cultural devaluation across a broad range of sites in their lives, from their homes to commercial and public venues. We conceptualize these practices as spatial affirmation, repurposing, and incursion, showing their ideological and material interdependencies. This research advances understanding of the ties among consumer identities, space, and cultural politics.
Idiopathic myointimal hyperplasia of the mesenteric veins
Authors: Al Ansari Ali , Ahmed Shehab , Mansour Eyad , Abass Maher A
Published: January 2021

Idiopathic myointimal hyperplasia of the mesenteric veins (IMHMV) is caused by proliferation of smooth muscle cells in the wall of small mesenteric veins and venules with accumulation of a proteoglycan matrix leading to a non-thrombotic, non-inflammatory venous occlusion resulting in venous ischemia. IMHMV is a rare and poorly understood disease, with <20 case reports in the literature. The purpose of this report is to describe the case of a 63-year-old man who presented with this condition that resulted in colonic ischemia necessitating surgical resection. The cause of IMHMV in this patient was attributed to a Chinese herbal supplement used for degenerative osteoarthritis of the knees. A brief review of the literature is provided along with the case report.
From hydroxychloroquine to ivermectin: what are the anti-viral properties of anti-parasitic drugs to combat SARS-CoV-2?
Authors: Rakedzon S , Neuberger A , Domb A J , Petersiel N , Schwartz E
Published: January 2021

Background

Nearly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, we still lack effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs with substantial impact on mortality rates except for dexamethasone. As the search for effective antiviral agents continues, we aimed to review data on the potential of repurposing antiparasitic drugs against viruses in general, with an emphasis on coronaviruses.

Methods

We performed a review by screening in vitro and in vivo studies that assessed the antiviral activity of several antiparasitic agents: chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), mefloquine, artemisinins, ivermectin, nitazoxanide (NTZ), niclosamide, atovaquone and albendazole.

Results

For HCQ and chloroquine we found ample in vitro evidence of antiviral activity. Cohort studies that assessed the use of HCQ for COVID-19 reported conflicting results, but randomized controlled trials (RCTs) demonstrated no effect on mortality rates and no substantial clinical benefits of HCQ used either for prevention or treatment of COVID-19. We found two clinical studies of artemisinins and two studies of NTZ for treatment of viruses other than COVID-19, all of which showed mixed results. Ivermectin was evaluated in one RCT and few observational studies, demonstrating conflicting results. As the level of evidence of these data is low, the efficacy of ivermectin against COVID-19 remains to be proven. For chloroquine, HCQ, mefloquine, artemisinins, ivermectin, NTZ and niclosamide, we found in vitro studies showing some effects against a wide array of viruses. We found no relevant studies for atovaquone and albendazole.

Conclusions

As the search for an effective drug active against SARS-CoV-2 continues, we argue that pre-clinical research of possible antiviral effects of compounds that could have antiviral activity should be conducted. Clinical studies should be conducted when sufficient in vitro evidence exists, and drugs should be introduced into widespread clinical use only after being rigorously tested in RCTs. Such a search may prove beneficial in this pandemic or in outbreaks yet to come.
Abstract argumentation and the rational man
Authors: Kampik Timotheus , Nieves Juan Carlos
Published: January 2021

Abstract argumentation has emerged as a method for non-monotonic reasoning that has gained popularity in the symbolic artificial intelligence community. In the literature, the different approaches to abstract argumentation that were refined over the years are typically evaluated from a formal logics perspective; an analysis that is based on models of economically rational decision-making does not exist. In this paper, we work towards addressing this issue by analysing abstract argumentation from the perspective of the rational man paradigm in microeconomic theory. To assess under which conditions abstract argumentation-based decision-making can be considered economically rational, we derive reference independence as a non-monotonic inference property from a formal model of economic rationality and create a new argumentation principle that ensures compliance with this property. We then compare the reference independence principle with other reasoning principles, in particular with cautious monotony and rational monotony. We show that the argumentation semantics as proposed in Dung’s seminal paper, as well as other semantics we evaluate, with the exception of naive semantics and the SCC-recursive CF2 semantics, violate the reference independence principle. Consequently, we investigate how structural properties of argumentation frameworks impact the reference independence principle and identify cyclic expansions (both even and odd cycles) as the root of the problem. Finally, we put reference independence into the context of preference-based argumentation and show that for this argumentation variant, which explicitly models preferences, reference independence cannot be ensured in a straight-forward manner.
A NHS Foundation Trust v MC [2020] EWCOP 33: Revisiting Best Interests and ‘Altruistic’ Incapacitous Stem Cell Donation
Authors: Venter Bonnie
Published: January 2021

In A NHS Foundation Trust v MC, the Court of Protection revisits the question of whether adults should be allowed to act as bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell donors if they lack decision-making capacity. This case note explores the positive and problematic implications of the case based on points that were raised in the judicial reasoning that specifically relate to i) practical implications concerning the key players in this environment, ii) the risk analysis within the best interest determination, iii) altruism and iv) the wider context as it relates to minor donors who lack capacity.
Immigration and Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Marrs Fuchsel Catherine L.
Published: January 2021

Drawing from a feminist and ecological perspective, intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence, is abuse that occurs in intimate relationships regardless of culture, race/ethnicity, or sexual orientation and involves behaviors used by one person to gain or maintain power and control over the other person. These types of abuse and characteristics of abuse include psychological, physical, sexual, verbal, or economic abuse, or isolation. Targeted victims in intimate partner violence incidences are predominantly women. According to the ecological model, intimate partner violence manifests at four levels, including individual, relationship, community, and societal. During the 1970s in the United States, recognition of intimate partner violence as a community problem affecting millions of American Caucasian women was apparent. Since that time increasing numbers of foreign-born individuals have resulted in increased prevalence of intimate partner violence among different groups of women (e.g., African women, Asian women, Southeast Asian women, Latinas, immigrant women, refugees) living in the United States. In addition, the intersection between intimate partner violence and immigration-related implications has increased for one particular group of women living in the United States: immigrant Latinas (i.e., approximately one in three Latinas have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime). This is partly due to the increase of Latinos migrating to the United States from Mexico, Central American countries, and other Spanish-speaking countries. According to the 2016 US census, Latinos are the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the United States. The majority of Latinos currently reside in large states and distinct geographical parts of the United States (e.g., California, Texas, New York, Southwestern and Eastern states). In the early 21st century, the Southeastern (e.g., state of North Carolina) and Midwestern (e.g., state of Iowa) parts of the United States have seen an increase in the Latino population. The criminal justice system’s involvement and efforts to mitigate intimate partner violence among migrant populations are noteworthy.
Bathsua Makin
Authors: Teague Fran
Published: January 2021

Bathsua Makin (b. 1600–d. 1681?) was a child prodigy, writer, and noted educator. Her father Henry Reginald was a schoolmaster. Her first book, Musa Virginea, appeared when she was 16; a second published work on shorthand is undated, but appeared before 1619. She followed her father into education, working as tutor for the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Charles I, and later for the Countess of Huntingdon and her children. Makin’s specialty was languages, so she taught Princess Elizabeth Latin, Hebrew, Greek, French, and Italian by the time the child was nine, and she taught Latin, Greek, and Hebrew to the Huntingdon family. Finally, An Essay to Revive the Antient Education of Gentlewomen (Essay) is attributed to Makin by many scholars. The Essay says Makin planned to open a school in 1673, though nothing further is heard of the school. It also provides information about education, catalogues learned women, and offers a spirited defense of women’s abilities, as well as an attack on misogyny. Makin’s importance lies in the way she exemplifies the problems of research on early modern women writers, her work as a Latin poet, her essay on education, as well as her reception. Her brother-in-law John Pell once remarked that “she is a woman of great acquaintance.” Pell was one of Samuel Hartlib’s correspondence circle, and Hartlib mentions both Makin and her father in his papers. Surviving letters and the Hartlib papers link her to notable men: Sir Symonds D’Ewes, Carew Ralegh, Robert Boyle, and several prominent London physicians. Around 1640, Anna Maria van Schurman wrote Makin, and they continued corresponding until at least 1645 and possibly until 1648. Makin almost certainly knew other learned Englishwomen, including Rachel Speght, Anne Halkett, Dorothy Moore Dury, and Katherine Jones, Lady Ranelagh, though none of these is listed in her catalogues of learned ladies, perhaps because they demurred. Her influence on later women is less clear. The Countess of Huntingdon’s granddaughter, Lady Elizabeth Hastings, was Mary Astell’s sponsor; another was Lady Catherine Jones, daughter of Katherine Jones, Lady Ranelagh. This article does not include the many anthologies that include passages from the Essay speaking to such concerns as politics, women’s lives, conduct books, religion, classical studies, and so forth. Simply using a search engine like Google to find the search terms “Bathsua Makin” and “anthology” will yield around 9,000 results, and the range of topics is broad and varied.
Design Thinking and the Learning Sciences: Theoretical, Practical, and Empirical Perspectives
Authors: Saxena Pooja , Sedas R. Mishael , Peppler Kylie
Published: January 2021

The learning sciences, informed by a diversity of fields such as cognitive science, anthropology, education, and sociology, has a long history with design while engaging in the study of learning in real-world, non-simplified contexts. From its genesis approximately thirty years ago, the learning sciences as a field has grown to encompass the study of learning from different lenses, as well as to advance theories of learning through the design and study of new technologies and environments. Within the realm of the learning sciences, the concept of design and design thinking is of great consequence as it helps us understand how teaching and learning happen in the rapidly changing 21st-century knowledge society, as well as can be used to inform the design of effective, innovative, and equitable interventions. Design thinking in the learning sciences can be made manifest in activities ranging from iterative curriculum design, to researching affordances and constraints of tools, techniques, and learning environments, to appropriating design concepts in both physical and digital spaces. It also sheds light on how the socio-material histories of materials inform learning and participation. This bibliography focuses on learner-centered design principles and how various research methodologies (e.g., participatory design and design-based research) contribute to appropriating design thinking into learning, teaching, and pedagogical processes. The evolution of this field is interwoven in the powers of design.
Multiliteracies in Early Childhood Education
Authors: McLachlan Claire
Published: January 2021

The term multiliteracies was first used to encapsulate a wider view of literacy, taking into account the impact of the increase in communication channels and the prominence of cultural and linguistic diversity in the world. Some researchers argue that the traditional view of literacy is focused on a linear view of text, as something that can be read from left to right. In contrast, the term multiliteracies takes into account how literacy has been influenced by social, cultural, and technological change. A pedagogy of multiliteracies has been proposed as a way of explaining a broader view of literacy teaching and learning, which integrates multimodal “text,” including audio, images, sound, graphics, and film through technology. This approach enables teachers to be creative in the literacy classroom by integrating movies, the Internet, music, art, photos, and a range of other digital resources as part of literacy learning. Although much of the research in this field has been undertaken in primary and secondary classrooms, there is also a body of research in the early years, which is discussed here. As argued elsewhere, there is a case to be made for the term “early multiliteracies,” as children learn about the different forms of literacy prior to school entry and have often gained considerable skill in navigating literacy in a digital world. In many ways, young children exemplify the notion of “digital natives,” who simply grow up knowing that literacy encompasses a wide range of modalities. The topics explored in this chapter include the ways in which this concept has developed within the extant research literature. Although not a complete summary of available literature, the following sections highlight some of the key areas of research on this topic. These include the theorizing of multiliteracies for early childhood, as well as research on multiliteracies in early childhood classrooms, research on children and multiliteracies, multiliteracies in homes and community settings, and finally the assessment of multiliteracies.
Relational and Developmental Trauma and Schools
Authors: Peacock Fiona , Holliday Carol
Published: January 2021

The use of the term trauma has become widespread in the discourse on mental well-being, mental health, and mental illness. Authors employ a proliferation of terms, such as complex trauma, emotional trauma, historical trauma, and community trauma, including racism and other institutionalized discrimination, interpersonal trauma, and relational and developmental trauma. Other bodies of knowledge, such as the literature about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), neurobiological understanding of human development, and attachment theory, all interrelate. Exposure to ACEs may increase the risk of trauma responses occurring in individuals, but individual resilience factors can mitigate the long-term mental health impact of such exposure. A felt sense of safety/security developed through early caring relationships underpins personal resilience. Equally disharmonious and neglectful early relationships set an early foundation for vulnerability to the traumatizing impact of ACEs. Thus, in considering the needs of children and young people in the school context, the terms relational trauma and developmental trauma seem the most appropriate to foreground within this review of the literature, as without addressing this form of trauma children will find it difficult to access both general well-being support and/or academic learning opportunities. However, having a broad understanding of the interrelated terms supports the critical evaluation of the appropriateness of various interventions for particular populations within the education system. While some approaches aimed at addressing the roots and impacts of developmental and interpersonal trauma may be suitable for the school setting delivered by skilled educationalists, others are more suited to a clinical setting delivered by counselors, psychotherapists, or other mental health practitioners or by counselors/psychotherapists in the school setting.