bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pouring petrol on the flames: Using oncolytic virotherapies to enhance tumour immunogenicity
Authors: Teijeira Crespo Alicia , Burnell Stephanie , Capitani Lorenzo , Bayliss Rebecca , Moses Elise , Mason Georgina H. , Davies James A. , Godkin Andrew J. , Gallimore Awen M. , Parker Alan L.
Published: February 2021

Oncolytic viruses possess the ability to infect, replicate and lyse malignantly
transformed tumour cells. This oncolytic activity amplifies the therapeutic advantage
and induces a form of immunogenic cell death, characterized by increased CD8
+ T‐cell infiltration into the tumour microenvironment. This
important feature of oncolytic viruses can result in the warming up of immunologically
‘cold’ tumour types, presenting the enticing possibility that oncolytic
virus treatment combined with immunotherapies may enhance efficacy. In this review, we
assess some of the most promising candidates that might be used for oncolytic
virotherapy: immunotherapy combinations. We assess their potential as separate agents or
as agents combined into a single therapy, where the immunotherapy is encoded within the
genome of the oncolytic virus. The development of such advanced agents will require
increasingly sophisticated model systems for their preclinical assessment and
evaluation. In vivo rodent model systems are fraught with limitations in this regard.
Oncolytic viruses replicate selectively within human cells and therefore require human
xenografts in immune‐deficient mice for their evaluation. However, the use of
immune‐deficient rodent models hinders the ability to study immune responses
against any immunomodulatory transgenes engineered within the viral genome and expressed
within the tumour microenvironment. There has therefore been a shift towards the use of
more sophisticated ex vivo patient‐derived model systems based on organoids and
explant co‐cultures with immune cells, which may be more predictive of efficacy
than contrived and artificial animal models. We review the best of those model systems
here.
Thermal strengthening of low‐expansion glasses and thin‐walled glass products by ultra‐fast heat extraction
Authors: Sajzew Roman , Wondraczek Lothar
Published: February 2021

Thermal strengthening remains the primary method for enhancing the practical strength of commodity glass products, however, the process is limited in terms of applicable glass thickness and coefficient of thermal expansion. The primary reasons for this limitation are the achievable heat transfer coefficient when using conventional gas cooling, and the occurrence of transient surface tension in the early stages of rapid quenching. We revisit this problem for the case of thin borosilicate glass sheet. Using liquid gallium as the cooling medium, ultra‐fast heat extraction is achieved, with a heat transfer coefficient exceeding 5000 Wm−2 K−1. The low vapor pressure of gallium even at high temperatures enables preheating to a wide range of sheet entrant temperatures. We demonstrate thermal strengthening of low‐expansion borosilicate glass with persistent surface compression of up to 85 MPa, and quenching to a fictive temperature of ~190 K above the glass transition temperature. Glass sheet obtained in this way exhibits notably enhanced surface defect resistance to sharp indentation. In addition to thermal strengthening, the extraordinarily high heat extraction rates achieved by liquid metal immersion enable exploitation of high‐Tf glass properties beyond small and thin sample geometry.
Efficacy of lifestyle intervention program for Arab women with prediabetes using social media as an alternative platform of delivery
Authors: Al‐Hamdan Rasha , Avery Amanda , Al‐Disi Dara , Sabico Shaun , Al‐Daghri Nasser M , McCullough Fiona
Published: February 2021

Aims/Introduction

This 6‐month interventional study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of different educational programs among Saudi women with prediabetes referred by primary care.

Materials and Methods

A total of 253 (100 group education program [GEP], 84 WhatsApp education program [WEP] and 69 control group [CG]) eligible participants were invited to take part in the study, out of whom 120 received intervention (40 GEP, 43 WEP and 37 CG). GEP participants received focused, individualized lifestyle modification advice with bimonthly support sessions, WEP participants received the same intervention, but delivered through social media (WhatsApp). The CG received standard care. Anthropometrics, biochemical profiles and macronutrient intake were measured at baseline, and 3 and 6 months. The primary end‐points were glycated hemoglobin and weight, with lipids and dietary changes as secondary outcomes.

Results

Glycated hemoglobin significantly improved in all groups post‐intervention (GEP baseline 6.0 ± 0.2 vs 6 months 5.5 ± 0.54; P < 0.001, WEP 6.0 ± 0.26 vs 5.3 ± 0.51; P < 0.001, CG 6.0 ± 0.37 vs 5.7 ± 0.49; P < 0.001), but with no difference in between‐group comparisons (P = 0.33). Within‐group comparisons showed a reduction in weight, but only in the GEP group (90.6 kg ± 27.3 vs 84.8 kg ± 24.3; P < 0.01), and this was significant in between‐group comparison (P = 0.003). Significant between‐group comparisons with respect to energy (g) intake (P = 0.005) were also observed, as well as triglycerides (P < 0.001) and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.001), all in favor of the GEP group.

Conclusions

Diabetes prevention programs, whether delivered through a focused educational group, social media or standard care, are equally efficacious in improving glycated hemoglobin levels among Saudi women with prediabetes, but a focused educational group was more effective in terms of successful weight loss.
Conducting research on diet–microbiome interactions: A review of current challenges, essential methodological principles, and recommendations for best practice in study design
Authors: Shanahan Erin R. , McMaster Jessica J. , Staudacher Heidi M.
Published: February 2021

Diet is one of the strongest modulators of the gut microbiome. However, the complexity of the interactions between diet and the microbial community emphasises the need for a robust study design and continued methodological development. This review aims to summarise considerations for conducting high‐quality diet–microbiome research, outline key challenges unique to the field, and provide advice for addressing these in a practical manner useful to dietitians, microbiologists, gastroenterologists and other diet–microbiome researchers. Searches of databases and references from relevant articles were conducted using the primary search terms ‘diet’, ‘diet intervention’, ‘dietary analysis’, ‘microbiome’ and ‘microbiota’, alone or in combination. Publications were considered relevant if they addressed methods for diet and/or microbiome research, or were a human study relevant to diet–microbiome interactions. Best‐practice design in diet–microbiome research requires appropriate consideration of the study population and careful choice of trial design and data collection methodology. Ongoing challenges include the collection of dietary data that accurately reflects intake at a timescale relevant to microbial community structure and metabolism, measurement of nutrients in foods pertinent to microbes, improving ability to measure and understand microbial metabolic and functional properties, adequately powering studies, and the considered analysis of multivariate compositional datasets. Collaboration across the disciplines of nutrition science and microbiology is crucial for high‐quality diet–microbiome research. Improvements in our understanding of the interaction between nutrient intake and microbial metabolism, as well as continued methodological innovation, will facilitate development of effective evidence‐based personalised dietary treatments.
MECP2 and the biology of MECP2 duplication syndrome
Authors: D’Mello Santosh R.
Published: February 2021

MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS), a rare X‐linked genomic disorder affecting predominantly males, is caused by duplication of the chromosomal region containing the methyl CpG binding protein‐2 (MECP2) gene, which encodes methyl‐CpG‐binding protein 2 (MECP2), a multi‐functional protein required for proper brain development and maintenance of brain function during adulthood. Disease symptoms include severe motor and cognitive impairment, delayed or absent speech development, autistic features, seizures, ataxia, recurrent respiratory infections, and shortened lifespan. The cellular and molecular mechanisms by which a relatively modest increase in MECP2 protein causes such severe disease symptoms are poorly understood and consequently there are no treatments available for this fatal disorder. This review summarizes what is known to date about the structure and zcomplex regulation of MECP2 and its many functions in the developing and adult brain. Additionally, recent experimental findings on the cellular and molecular underpinnings of MDS based on cell culture and mouse models of the disorder are reviewed. The emerging picture from these studies is that MDS is a neurodegenerative disorder in which neurons die in specific parts of the central nervous system, including the cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and spinal cord. Neuronal death likely results from astrocytic dysfunction, including a breakdown of glutamate homeostatic mechanisms. The role of elevations in the expression of glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP) in astrocytes and the microtubule‐associated protein, Tau, in neurons to the pathogenesis of MDS is discussed. Lastly, potential therapeutic strategies to potentially treat MDS are discussed.

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Regulators of cholinergic signaling in disorders of the central nervous system
Authors: Winek Katarzyna , Soreq Hermona , Meisel Andreas
Published: February 2021

Cholinergic signaling is crucial in cognitive processes, and degenerating cholinergic projections are a pathological hallmark in dementia. Use of cholinesterase inhibitors is currently the main treatment option to alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and has been postulated as a therapeutic strategy in acute brain damage (stroke and traumatic brain injury). However, the benefits of this treatment are still not clear. Importantly, cholinergic receptors are expressed both by neurons and by astrocytes and microglia, and binding of acetylcholine to the α7 nicotinic receptor in glial cells results in anti‐inflammatory response. Similarly, the brain fine‐tunes the peripheral immune response over the cholinergic anti‐inflammatory axis. All of these processes are of importance for the outcome of acute and chronic neurological disease. Here, we summarize the main findings about the role of cholinergic signaling in brain disorders and provide insights into the complexity of molecular regulators of cholinergic responses, such as microRNAs and transfer RNA fragments, both of which may fine‐tune the orchestra of cholinergic mRNAs. The available data suggest that these small noncoding RNA regulators may include promising biomarkers for predicting disease course and assessing treatment responses and might also serve as drug targets to attenuate signaling cascades during overwhelming inflammation and to ameliorate regenerative capacities of neuroinflammation.

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Mice deficient in the NAAG synthetase II gene Rimkla are impaired in a novel object recognition task
Authors: Becker Ivonne , Wang‐Eckhardt Lihua , Lodder‐Gadaczek Julia , Wang Yong , Grünewald Agathe , Eckhardt Matthias
Published: February 2021

N‐acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is an abundant neuropeptide in the mammalian nervous system, synthesized by two related NAAG synthetases I and II (NAAGS‐I and ‐II) encoded by the genes Rimklb and Rimkla, respectively. NAAG plays a role in cognition and memory, according to studies using inhibitors of the NAAG hydrolase glutamate carboxypeptidase II that increase NAAG concentration. To examine consequences of reduced NAAG concentration, Rimkla‐deficient (Rimkla−/−) mice were generated. These mice exhibit normal NAAG level at birth, likely because of the intact Rimklb gene, but have significantly reduced NAAG levels in all brain regions in adulthood. In wild type mice NAAGS‐II was most abundant in brainstem and spinal cord, as demonstrated using a new NAAGS‐II antiserum. In the hippocampus, NAAGS‐II was only detectable in neurons expressing parvalbumin, a marker of GABAergic interneurons. Apart from reduced open field activity, general behavior of adult (6 months old) Rimkla−/− mice examined in different tests (dark‐light transition, optokinetic behavior, rotarod, and alternating T‐maze) was not significantly altered. However, Rimkla−/− mice were impaired in a short‐term novel object recognition test. This was also the case for mice lacking NAA synthase Nat8l, which are devoid of NAAG. Together with results from previous studies showing that inhibition of the NAAG degrading enzyme glutamate carboxypeptidase II is associated with a significant improvement in object recognition, these results suggest a direct involvement of NAAG synthesized by NAAGS‐II in the memory consolidation underlying the novel object recognition task.

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Efficacy and safety of 0.15% isobutylamido thiazolyl resorcinol combined with hyaluronic acid vs 0.15% isobutylamido thiazolyl resorcinol or hyaluronic acid alone in melasma treatment: A randomized evaluator‐blind trial
Authors: Disphanurat Wareeporn , Srisantithum Benjaporn
Published: February 2021

Background

Melasma has a complex pathogenesis, and various aggravating factors contribute to its recalcitrance to treatments. A combination of isobutylamido thiazolyl resorcinol (ITR) and hyaluronic acid (HA) could increase melasma treatment efficacy.

Aims

To compare the efficacy and safety of 0.15% ITR plus HA vs 0.15% ITR or HA alone in melasma treatment.

Methods

Ninety‐two patients received ITR 0.15% plus HA (n = 30), 0.15% ITR (n = 31), or HA (n = 31) along with broad‐spectrum sunscreen application for 12 weeks. Treatment efficacy was determined using modified Melasma Area Severity Index (mMASI), average melanin and melanin variation with Antera3D®, and safety based on transepidermal water loss.

Results

Compared with the HA group, the ITR+HA group showed significantly reduced mMASI at weeks 4, 8, and 12 (p = 0.026, 0.015, and 0.001, respectively), whereas the ITR group showed a significant reduction at week 12 (p = 0.027). There was no significant difference in the mMASI or average melanin level between the ITR+HA and ITR groups. Melanin variation was significantly lower in the ITR+HA group than in the ITR group at weeks 4, 8, and 12 (p = 0.027, 0.019, and 0.023, respectively).

Conclusions

The combination of 0.15% ITR and 0.15% ITR+HA effectively reduced melasma severity. HA could synergistically improve melasma homogeneity.
Idleness on the Sofa: Under the Spell of Acedia
Authors: Çevik Gülen
Published: February 2021

The story of idleness in interiors is one of contradictions and unresolved tensions. This article reflects on the idle/leisurely body in architectural interiors over time. Gender, class, and racial stereotypes overlay Western masculinist ideals coloring the meaning and perception of the word “idleness.” Nineteenth and early twentieth–century Western artists produced a wealth of artwork, which displayed female bodies in repose. Symptomatically, these male artists titled their works “idle hours,” “ la perezosa” (lazy), or “ dolce–far–niente” (sweetness of doing nothing). Like a “ canapé,” both an appetizer and the rival word to sofa in many languages, these female bodies were gently placed on divans or confortables. Yet, the connection between bodily comfort and immorality was established centuries earlier. Scholars of colonialism and Orientalism comment on how idleness and laziness were often presented as a character attribute befitting non–Western bodies, particularly Muslims. However, they fail to explain the reasons for this positioning. This article argues that the long–standing implications of the idle body have had a profound effect on how the Western gaze reads Oriental spaces and the bodies contained within them. Furthermore, it is no accident that the East was feminized within the dichotomy of the Occident and the Orient. Western female bodies were confined in domestic interiors due to their biologically assigned role as mothers; making female idleness in the West almost as inevitable as the perception of the idleness of the Oriental.
Immediate Implant Placement with Buccal Bone Augmentation in the Anterior Maxilla with Thin Buccal Plate: A One‐Year Follow‐Up Case Series
Authors: Chen Kaidi , Li Zhipeng , Liu Xin , Liu Quan , Chen Zetao , Sun Yue , Chen Zhuofan , Huang Baoxin
Published: February 2021

Purpose

To evaluate the buccal bone thickness of immediate implant placement with buccal bone augmentation in patients with a thin buccal plate in the esthetic zone.

Materials and methods

Eighteen consecutive patients requiring a single tooth replacement in the anterior maxillary zone with a thin plate (<1 mm) were included and received immediate implant placement with narrow‐diameter implants. Patients received buccal bone augmentation (both internal and external socket bone grafting) with deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) and an absorbable membrane. The final restoration was delivered after 8 months. Cone‐beam CT scans were performed before surgery (CBCT0), immediately after surgery (CBCT1), at final restoration delivery (CBCT2), and at 1‐year follow‐up after the final restoration (CBCT3) to evaluate the buccal bone thickness and ridge width. A repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons were applied for statistical analysis of changes within different time points (α = 0.05).

Results

Fifteen of the 18 enrolled patients were available for analysis at the 1‐year follow‐up after final restoration. The mean buccal bone thickness at 2 mm apical to the implant‐abutment junction (IAJ‐2) were 3.59 mm (range: 3.04‐4.58 mm), 2.79 mm (range: 2.25‐3.78 mm), and 2.52 mm (range: 1.72‐3.36 mm), respectively, at CBCT1, CBCT2, and CBCT3. A statistical significance was observed for buccal bone thickness change between CBCT1 and CBCT2 at IAJ‐2 (F = 17.948, p = 0.001). The net gains of the ridge width from CBCT0 to CBCT1, CBCT1 to CBCT2, and CBCT2 to CBCT3 were 1.08 mm, –0.94 mm and –0.04 mm at 4 mm apical to the cementum‐enamel junction, respectively. No statistical significance was observed for the change in ridge width from CBCT0 to CBCT3 (F = 10.518, p = 1.000).

Conclusions

Simultaneous buccal bone augmentation may maintain a predictable buccal bone thickness for immediate implant placement in the maxillary anterior sites with a thin buccal plate (<1 mm) at 1‐year follow‐up after final restoration.
Levetiracetam‐responsive paroxysmal exertional dyskinesia in a Welsh Terrier
Authors: Green Sherril , Olby Natasha
Published: February 2021

A 5‐and‐a‐half‐year old, 9‐kg, spayed, female Welsh Terrier presented with a 12 month history of paroxysmal exertion‐induced dyskinesia (PED) characterized by recurrent episodes of involuntary hyperkinetic movements, abnormal muscle tone, and contractions triggered by exercise. A single episode occurred within 2 hours after exercise, lasted from 7 to 10 minutes, and resolved without treatment. The owner sought treatment for the dog when the episodes began to last longer (20‐30 minutes), and occurred as long as 2.5 to 8 hours after exercise. Diazepam administered intranasally at the start of an episode promptly alleviated the symptoms. Maintenance therapy with levetiracetam proved effective, such that the dog was gradually returned to exercise. However, attempts to wean the dog off the drug resulted in reoccurrence. Although the pathophysiology of PED is not fully understood, the clinical presentation and the positive response to antiepileptic therapy highlight the overlap between disease pathways in epilepsy and PED in dogs.
The status of California halibut, Paralichthys californicus, as a technologically feasible species for marine U.S. aquaculture
Authors: Stuart Kevin , Silbernagel Constance , Drawbridge Mark
Published: February 2021

California halibut (CH; Paralichthys californicus) is a highly valued species that supports a commercial and recreational fishery along the Pacific coast of the United States. This species is considered a promising aquaculture candidate in California, with interest for both food production and stock replenishment. Culture of CH has been done on a small scale, showing that it is technologically feasible to rear this species commercially. Broodstock maturation and egg production can be accomplished without hormone therapy. Survival from egg to juvenile (~50 dph) can be as high as 30%. Juvenile growout to market size has been done on a limited basis, and it takes 3 years to reach a market size of 1 kg. There is a live market for CH in California and it is currently being supplemented by the importation of Paralichthys olivaceus. The known disease agents affecting CH are ectoparasites (i.e., Trichodina sp), endoparasites (i.e., Anisakis sp.), and bacterial agents (i.e., Pseudomonas sp.). While culture of this species is technologically feasible, research still needs to be done in certain areas in order to realize commercial readiness. These areas include: nutrition, selective breeding, development of all female populations; improved pigmentation; and developing methods for disease prevention and control.
The coming of age: How do linguists tease apart chronological, biological and social age?
Authors: Hejná Míša , Jespersen Anna
Published: February 2021

Age is one of the key variables in the field of language variation and change (LVC). The vast majority of experimental work generally views a speaker's date of birth—chronological age—as a good reflection of both their social age, for example, which generation they identify with and how strongly and their biological age, that is, the physiological age of their body. This paper aims to provide the reader with tools to tease apart these three ways of conceptualising the variable of age. It reviews qualitative and quantitative methods from fields adjacent to LVC that will enable linguists of different theoretical interests to tap into biological and social aspects of ageing. In doing so, it provides a practical manual for linguists wishing to work from a more multifaceted understanding of one of the key variables in many linguistic subfields.
Mental maps and perceptual dialectology
Authors: Cramer Jennifer
Published: February 2021

Perceptual dialectology is the study of the thoughts, beliefs and attitudes that nonlinguists have about their dialect landscapes. The field foregrounds these perceptions which have been historically presumed to be of only peripheral significance in linguistic research. One of the most influential tools for studying the perceptions of nonlinguists has been the mental map task, in which participants are asked to indicate on a map where specific varieties of a language can be found, providing a label for each region delimited. This article examines the history of mental mapping in perceptual dialectology, explores recent advances in the collection, analysis and processing of such maps using Geographic Information Systems tools and other technological advancements, and provides insights about how these advances are allowing researchers to answer more questions about connections between language use, language perception, place, people and identities.
Locus‐specific introgression in young hybrid swarms: Drift may dominate selection
Authors: McFarlane S. Eryn , Senn Helen V. , Smith Stephanie L. , Pemberton Josephine M.
Published: February 2021

Closely related species that have previously inhabited geographically separated ranges are hybridizing at an increasing rate due to human disruptions. These human‐mediated hybrid zones can be used to study reproductive isolation between species at secondary contact, including examining locus‐specific rates of introgression. Introgression is expected to be heterogenous across the genome, reflecting variation in selection. Those loci that introgress especially slowly are good candidates for being involved in reproductive isolation, while those loci that introgress quickly may be involved in adaptive introgression. In the context of conservation, policy makers are especially concerned about introduced alleles moving quickly into the background of a native or endemic species, as these alleles could replace the native alleles in the population, leading to extinction via hybridization. We applied genomic cline analyses to 44,997 SNPs to identify loci introgressing more or less when compared to the genome wide expectation in a human‐mediated hybridizing population of red deer and sika in Kintyre Scotland. We found 11.4% of SNPs had cline centres that were significantly different from the genome wide expectation, and 17.6% of all SNPs had excess rates of introgression. Based on simulations, we believe that many of these markers have diverged from the genome‐wide average due to drift, rather than because of selection, and we suggest that these simulations can be useful as a null distribution for future studies of genomic clines. Future work on red deer and sika could determine the policy implications of allelic‐replacement due to drift rather than selection, and could use replicate, geographically distinct hybrid zones to narrow down those loci that are responding to selection.
A single QTL with large effect is associated with female functional virginity in an asexual parasitoid wasp
Authors: Ma Wen‐Juan , Pannebakker Bart A. , Li Xuan , Geuverink Elzemiek , Anvar Seyed Yahya , Veltsos Paris , Schwander Tanja , van de Zande Louis , Beukeboom Leo W.
Published: February 2021

During the transition from sexual to asexual reproduction, a suite of reproduction‐related sexual traits become superfluous, and may be selected against if costly. Female functional virginity refers to asexual females resisting to mate or not fertilizing eggs after mating. These traits appear to be among the first that evolve during transitions from sexual to asexual reproduction. The genetic basis of female functional virginity remains elusive. Previously, we reported that female functional virginity segregates as expected for a single recessive locus in the asexual parasitoid wasp Asobara japonica. Here, we investigate the genetic basis of this trait by quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and candidate gene analyses. Consistent with the segregation of phenotypes, we found a single QTL of large effect, spanning over 4.23 Mb and comprising at least 131 protein‐coding genes, of which 15 featured sex‐biased expression in the related sexual species Asobara tabida. Two of the 15 sex‐biased genes were previously identified to differ between related sexual and asexual population/species: CD151 antigen and nuclear pore complex protein Nup50. A third gene, hormone receptor 4, is involved in steroid hormone mediated mating behaviour. Overall, our results are consistent with a single locus, or a cluster of closely linked loci, underlying rapid evolution of female functional virginity in the transition to asexuality. Once this variant, causing rejection to mate, has swept through a population, the flanking region does not get smaller owing to lack of recombination in asexuals.
The impact of thrombo‐inflammation on the cerebral microcirculation
Authors: Ansari Junaid , Gavins Felicity N. E.
Published: February 2021

The intertwined processes of thrombosis and inflammation (termed “thrombo‐inflammation”) are significant drivers of cerebrovascular diseases, and as such, they represent prime targets for drug discovery programs focusing on treatment and management of cerebrovascular diseases. Most cerebrovascular events result from chronic systemic microcirculatory dysfunction due to underlying conditions, for example, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia, and sickle cell disease. Immune cells especially neutrophils play a critical role in the onset and maintenance of neuroinflammatory responses in the microcirculation. Neutrophils have the ability to drive both inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory/pro‐resolution effects depending on the underlying vascular state (physiological vs. pathological). In this article, we highlight the pathophysiological role of neutrophils in stroke and discuss ongoing pharmacotherapeutic strategies that are focused on identifying potential therapeutic targets for enhancing neuroprotection, mitigating inflammatory pathways, and enabling resolution.
Body scarring as an indicator of social function of dugong (Dugong dugon) tusks
Authors: Lanyon Janet M. , Athousis Chrissa , Sneath Helen L. , Burgess Elizabeth A.
Published: February 2021

The fully aquatic lifestyle of dugongs means that direct observation of social tusk use is not usually possible. This study used body scarring as an indicator of tusk function by males. Tusk rake scars on 298 live wild dugongs, of both sexes and all sizes, were categorized and counted in over 1,000 photographs, and examined in relation to maturity and reproductive activity over seasons. All dugongs had tusk scars, but adults were the main recipients. Sexually active adults acquired the greatest number of fresh tusk wounds during the mating season. Subadults received fresh rakes at similar numbers year‐round. Adult males had more scars on the mid and posterior dorsum, indicating that males direct combative force to these regions of the male body when competing for females. Adult females had heaviest scarring and more tusk puncture wounds on the anterior‐mid dorsum and head, suggesting that male dugongs use tusks in sexual coercion. Heavy scarring sustained by solitary calves compared to dependent ones, suggests that mothers afford some protection. Body scarring caused by tusks may serve as an indicator of reproductive contribution of the recipients, providing that successful males are involved in more reproductive competitions, and successful females in more mating events.
A Control–Value Theory Approach to Boredom in English Classes Among University Students in China
Authors: LI CHENGCHEN
Published: February 2021

There is a growing research interest in a variety of emotions in foreign and second language (L2) classrooms, especially since the introduction of positive psychology. However, research on the ubiquitous emotional experience of boredom is scant. Building on its prevalence and documented deleterious effects, I argue that research on the antecedents for the instigation of boredom is needed. Based on the control–value theory (CVT) of achievement emotions in educational psychology, this study took a mixed methods approach to examine control–value appraisals as antecedents of boredom in English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language learning among Chinese university students. In line with CVT assumptions, Pearson correlation analyses and regression analyses (N = 2,002) showed that different control–value appraisals predicted boredom uniquely or interactively. Qualitative data from interviews with 11 students and 11 English teachers expanded the quantitative results by including more complexities in the associations between control–value appraisals and boredom. These findings provide further support for the CVT and help to elucidate the instigation of boredom in the L2 learning context. Directions for future research and implications for L2 educational practice are discussed.
Agroecology, Biological Control, and Catholic Social Teaching*
Authors: Whelan Matthew Philipp
Published: February 2021

In response to the ecological crisis, Catholic social teaching draws upon an account of natural law that appeals to natural‐ecological order and its provision of principles for tilling and keeping creation. My main contention in this article is that social teaching has insufficiently concretized the empirical entanglements of this account, along with its ecological‐agricultural implications. One consequence, as scholars like Lisa Sideris and Celia Deane‐Drummond have shown, is that social teaching, like much theological reflection upon ecology, downplays the centrality of death.

While Catholic social teaching, as Óscar Romero rightly observes, must not “invade” other fields, a refusal to invade is not a refusal to engage, nor is it a refusal to learn from, or even to incorporate, wisdom from outside of itself. To this end, I argue that agroecology, a transdisciplinary science that applies ecological principles to agriculture, can help. By focusing upon an agroecological approach to the ecological management of insect herbivores (“pests”) known as biological control, I show how agroecology can assist social teaching in discerning the kinds of ecological principles it calls for but does not specify—principles, in this case, related to predator‐prey dynamics in natural systems and the importance of agricultural diversification. I further argue that if social teaching continues to appeal to natural‐ecological order, it must more directly confront death’s place in that order, and that the thought of Thomas Aquinas can be a helpful source. While my focus in this article is upon what social teaching can learn from agroecology, I conclude by suggesting how social teaching’s account of natural law and its integral ecology can surface and develop aspects of agroecology’s own, oftentimes implicit, moral vision.
Deep learning differentiates between healthy and diabetic mouse ears from optical coherence tomography angiography images
Authors: Pfister Martin , Stegmann Hannes , Schützenberger Kornelia , Schäfer Bhavapriya Jasmin , Hohenadl Christine , Schmetterer Leopold , Gröschl Martin , Werkmeister René M.
Published: February 2021

We trained a deep learning algorithm to use skin optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiograms to differentiate between healthy and type 2 diabetic mice. OCT angiograms were acquired with a custom‐built OCT system based on an akinetic swept laser at 1322 nm with a lateral resolution of ∼13 μm and using split‐spectrum amplitude decorrelation. Our data set consisted of 24 stitched angiograms of the full ear, with a size of approximately 8.2 × 8.2 mm, evenly distributed between healthy and diabetic mice. The deep learning classification algorithm uses the ResNet v2 convolutional neural network architecture and was trained on small patches extracted from the full ear angiograms. For individual patches, we obtained a cross‐validated accuracy of 0.925 and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) of 0.974. Averaging over multiple patches extracted from each ear resulted in the correct classification of all 24 ears.
Wheat with greatly reduced accumulation of free asparagine in the grain, produced by CRISPR/Cas9 editing of asparagine synthetase gene TaASN2
Authors: Raffan Sarah , Sparks Caroline , Huttly Alison , Hyde Lucy , Martignago Damiano , Mead Andrew , Hanley Steven J. , Wilkinson Paul A. , Barker Gary , Edwards Keith J. , Curtis Tanya Y. , Usher Sarah , Kosik Ondrej , Halford Nigel G.
Published: February 2021

Free asparagine is the precursor for acrylamide, which forms during the baking, toasting and high‐temperature processing of foods made from wheat. In this study, CRISPR/Cas9 was used to knock out the asparagine synthetase gene, TaASN2, of wheat (Triticum aestivum) cv. Cadenza. A 4‐gRNA polycistronic gene was introduced into wheat embryos by particle bombardment and plants were regenerated. T1 plants derived from 11 of 14 T0 plants were shown to carry edits. Most edits were deletions (up to 173 base pairs), but there were also some single base pair insertions and substitutions. Editing continued beyond the T1 generation. Free asparagine concentrations in the grain of plants carrying edits in all six TaASN2 alleles (both alleles in each genome) were substantially reduced compared with wildtype, with one plant showing a more than 90 % reduction in the T2 seeds. A plant containing edits only in the A genome alleles showed a smaller reduction in free asparagine concentration in the grain, but the concentration was still lower than in wildtype. Free asparagine concentration in the edited plants was also reduced as a proportion of the free amino acid pool. Free asparagine concentration in the T3 seeds remained substantially lower in the edited lines than wildtype, although it was higher than in the T2 seeds, possibly due to stress. In contrast, the concentrations of free glutamine, glutamate and aspartate were all higher in the edited lines than wildtype. Low asparagine seeds showed poor germination but this could be overcome by exogenous application of asparagine.
Principles of ethical consideration required for clinical research involving children
Authors: Matsui Kenji , Ibuki Tomohide , Tashiro Shimon , Nakamura Hidefumi ,   Study Group on Regulatory Science for Early Clinical Application of Pediatric Pharmaceuticals
Published: February 2021

Ethical considerations are more stringent in pediatric clinical research than in research targeting adults. However, in Japan, clear guidelines have yet to be presented on the necessary ethical considerations for clinical research involving children. The “Principles of Ethical Consideration Required for Clinical Research Involving Children” provide guiding principles for ethical considerations and the essential ways of thinking that all involved in clinical research on children need to understand in advance.
Treatment outcomes for infantile spasms in Japanese children with Down syndrome
Authors: Nishimoto Satomi , Shimakawa Shuichi , Fukui Miho , Ogino Motoko , Tsuda‐Kitahara Hikaru , Toshikawa Hiromitsu , Nomura Shohei , Kunisada Kayo , Kashiwagi Mitsuru , Miyamoto Ryohei , Tamai Hiroshi , Ashida Akira
Published: February 2021

Background

The aim of this study was to assess the treatment response to conventional antiepileptic drugs and low‐dose adrenocorticotropic hormone therapy for infantile spasms in children with Down syndrome.

Methods

We retrospectively investigated the response and relapse rates, electroencephalography findings, patient characteristics during drug withdrawal, and developmental outcome in 10 children with Down syndrome treated for infantile spasms in our hospital.

Results

All patients showed cessation of infantile spasms and achieved electroencephalographic normalization. Spasm relapse occurred in one of 10 patients (10%). Antiepileptic drugs have been withdrawn for seven of 10 patients (70%), none of whom have experienced seizure relapse since drug withdrawal. The median developmental quotient (n = 8) was 20.5, which shows that the developmental outcome was unfavorable. Low‐dose adrenocorticotropic hormone therapy achieved a low seizure remission rate of 28.6%.

Conclusions

Elucidation of the optimal treatment for infantile spasms in children with Down syndrome is needed to reduce the duration of infantile spasms and improve the developmental outcome.
Reduced bladder capacity without daytime voiding symptoms with nocturnal enuresis
Authors: Chae Chongsok , Moon Kyung Hyun , Kwon Taekmin , Park Sejun , Kim Seong Cheol , Park Sungchan
Published: February 2021

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of monosymotomatic nocturnal enuresis (MSNE) with reduced bladder capacity in children with primary nocturnal enuresis (NE) and to suggest treatment outcomes.

Methods

This study retrospectively evaluated 54 children (30 males, 24 females; median age: 8; range: 5–14) who were newly diagnosed with primary NE from November 2017 to October 2019. Reduced bladder capacity in MSNE was defined when a patient’s maximal voided volume (MVV) from his or her voiding diary was 75% or less than estimated functional bladder capacity ([age + 1] x 30 mL) for his or her age and there were no daytime lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) as assessed using history taking and questionnaires.

Results

Nineteen (35.2%) of 54 children with newly diagnosed primary NE did not report daytime LUTS. Fifteen children (27.8%) had a reduced bladder capacity and were prescribed anticholinergic or beta‐3 agonist. After three months of medication, MVV significantly increased from 117.5 mL to 183.3 mL (P = 0.010), but frequency showed no significant change from 5.7 to 4.9 times a day. Improvement in enuresis occurred completely and partially in 41.7% and 25% of participants, respectively.

Conclusions

The prevalence of reduced bladder capacity without daytime voiding symptoms was relatively high as 27.8% in children newly diagnosed with primary NE. In primary MSNE, reduced bladder capacity should be investigated using a frequency‐volume chart in addition to thorough history taking or questionnaires. Anticholinergics or beta‐3 agonists for MSNE with reduced bladder capacity are effective at increasing the bladder capacity of these patients.
The Law: The Influence of the President in the Adoption and Enforcement of Private Rights of Action
Authors: Gardner Paul J.
Published: February 2021

Litigation by private parties is authorized by dozens of federal statutes, resulting in thousands of lawsuits every year. Recent scholarship has suggested that Congress authorizes litigation by private parties to enforce federal law in order to limit the ability of the president to influence enforcement. I argue, however, that the apparent influence of presidential partisanship on adoption of private enforcement regimes is spurious, resulting from the increased use of this enforcement mechanism beginning in the 1960s. Further, I show that presidents meaningfully influence the rate of private litigation. Specifically, for statutes with liberal policy goals, litigation rates are substantially higher when a Democratic president is in office and when agencies are more politicized. Therefore, if Congress desires to insulate policy from the president, private enforcement regimes are unlikely to be a useful policy tool.
Response of large benthic foraminifera to climate and local changes: Implications for future carbonate production
Authors: Narayan Gita R. , Reymond Claire E. , Stuhr Marleen , Doo Steve , Schmidt Christiane , Mann Thomas , Westphal Hildegard
Published: February 2021

Large benthic foraminifera are major carbonate components in tropical carbonate platforms, important carbonate producers, stratigraphic tools and powerful bioindicators (proxies) of environmental change. The application of large benthic foraminifera in tropical coral reef environments has gained considerable momentum in recent years. These modern ecological assessments are often carried out by micropalaeontologists or ecologists with expertise in the identification of foraminifera. However, large benthic foraminifera have been under‐represented in favour of macro reef‐builders, for example, corals and calcareous algae. Large benthic foraminifera contribute about 5% to modern reef‐scale carbonate sediment production. Their substantial size and abundance are reflected by their symbiotic association with the living algae inside their tests. When the foraminiferal holobiont (the combination between the large benthic foraminifera host and the microalgal photosymbiont) dies, the remaining calcareous test renourishes sediment supply, which maintains and stabilizes shorelines and low‐lying islands. Geological records reveal episodes (i.e. late Palaeocene and early Eocene epochs) of prolific carbonate production in warmer oceans than today, and in the absence of corals. This begs for deeper consideration of how large benthic foraminifera will respond under future climatic scenarios of higher atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) and to warmer oceans. In addition, studies highlighting the complex evolutionary associations between large benthic foraminifera hosts and their algal photosymbionts, as well as to associated habitats, suggest the potential for increased tolerance to a wide range of conditions. However, the full range of environments where large benthic foraminifera currently dwell is not well‐understood in terms of present and future carbonate production, and impact of stressors. The evidence for acclimatization, at least by a few species of well‐studied large benthic foraminifera, under intensifying climate change and within degrading reef ecosystems, is a prelude to future host–symbiont resilience under different climatic regimes and habitats than today. This review also highlights knowledge gaps in current understanding of large benthic foraminifera as prolific calcium carbonate producers across shallow carbonate shelf and slope environments under changing ocean conditions.
Social Disadvantages and Peer Victimization: Exploring Potential Pathways
Authors: Hong Jun Sung , Kim Jinwon , Albdour Maha , Peguero Anthony A. , Smith‐Darden Joanne P. , Johns Shantalea , Voisin Dexter R.
Published: February 2021

The present study tests a conceptual framework guided by the social disorganization theory, which examined whether neighborhood deterioration was correlated with perceived hopelessness, and coping strategies (i.e., defending behavior and a display of a tough demeanor). We also examined whether, within the context of social disadvantage, some coping strategies were correlated with aggressive behavior, which might be associated with peer victimization. The study sample consisted of 502 African American youths in low‐resource communities in Chicago’s Southside. Results indicated that neighborhood deterioration was positively associated with hopelessness (B = .138, p = .006), tough demeanor (B = .137, p = .042), and peer victimization (B = .158, p = .011). Also, hopelessness was positively associated with peer victimization (B = .109, p = .025). Defending behavior was positively associated with physical aggression (B = .110, p = .009) and verbal aggression (B = .047, p = .019). Moreover, tough demeanor was also positively associated with physical aggression (B = .217, p < .001) and verbal aggression (B = .169, p < .001). Furthermore, verbal aggression was found to be positively associated with peer victimization (B = .766, p = .019). Overall, findings point to a more nuanced and complex relationship between neighborhood conditions and peer victimization among urban African American youth. An understanding of the coping strategies of urban adolescents in dealing with peer victimization encounters can shed light on the complexities of adolescent peer dynamics in urban areas.
When policy entrepreneurs fail: Explaining the failure of long‐term care reforms in Poland
Authors: Safuta Anna
Published: February 2021

This article explains the failure of two long‐term care (LTC) reforms attempted between 2005 and 2019 in Poland, and driven by policy entrepreneurs—individuals with a personal understanding of the challenges faced by LTC and determined to initiate policy change in the domain. The article inductively identifies the ‘outsider policy entrepreneur’ mechanism of policy reform. LTC in Poland is a negative case (or breakdown) of this mechanism, which occurs when a policy entrepreneur has enough political influence to initiate a formal reform proposal, but not enough to convince decision‐makers to adopt it. The article combines an examination of the role of policy entrepreneurs in social policy change with an analysis of their interactions with domestic and foreign epistemic communities. Through showing how ‘foreign’ policy models are used by policy entrepreneurs to pursue domestic reform, the study contributes to the literature on transnational policy diffusion/transfer. The analysis is based on document analysis and 16 semi‐directed expert interviews, which were used to process trace the explained outcome (failed reforms). The article concludes that the mechanism failures were due to the fact that involved policy entrepreneurs did not convince decision‐makers of the need to reform LTC. Specifically, the contribution identifies two features of the political context in illiberal post‐transition polities that interrupt the persuasion efforts of outsider policy entrepreneurs—the impossibility of inter‐partisan cooperation and continuity, and the declining role of Western policy models as catalysts for change.