bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The mismeasure of the human: Big data and the ‘AI turn’ in global governance
Authors: SAPIGNOLI MARIA
Published: February 2021

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are already transforming our world socially, economically and politically and are part of our everyday lives, most of the time in invisible ways. In this paper, I offer some reflections on the possible effects that the ‘AI turn’ of global governance has for human rights practices, particularly in the case of the United Nations. This turn, under the banner ‘AI for good’, is expressed in the UN's intervention in major crises and continues with the creation of more mundane policies and law. The paper also shows that, beyond the policy and crisis‐intervention orientations of AI, we are witnessing the creation of new foundations for human belonging and being. Algorithmic interpretation and computational calculation contribute to the definition of the reality of intervention and to the institutional production of data identities and data realities that are part of digital humanity. All this is taking place through the automatization of decision making in the context of the increased interdependence between private and public sectors.
Muslim Barbers of South Malabar and Covid‐19: Homogamy, caste occupation and economic hardship
Authors: HANEEFA MUHAMMED
Published: February 2021

Systemic caste discrimination is palpable in various parts of India, even during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This article explores how having a particular caste occupation is devastating for a community who live in the South Malabar region of Kerala. Decades of occupational homogamy and caste discrimination among Muslims in this region have inevitably pushed Muslim Barbers into extreme financial difficulty during this pandemic. A specific caste occupation and engagement of household members in a similar profession strengthen the ‘strong kinship ties’ within the community, and they miss out on the benefits of ‘weak ties’. This article draws from a follow‐up visit during the COVID‐19 pandemic after three years of ethnographic research in the South Malabar region as part of PhD research between 2014 and 2017. During this pandemic, the system of traditional caste occupation based on homogamous marriage and validated by religious scriptures has compounded severe economic hardship for the Barbers. Everyone is suffering, but the Barbers are among the hardest hit.
Research, kindness and the antifragility of emergency medicine
Authors: Fatovich Daniel M
Published: February 2021

Antifragility is a property of things that benefit from shocks, randomness and uncertainty and love adventure and risk. This describes emergency medicine. Improving evidence‐based medicine requires a learning health system, where the whole system is constructed to advance patient care via research driven excellence. So we need to develop our own evidence base by embedding research into everyday practice. Clinical research is messy but the repeated stress testing of clinical practice via research enhances our antifragility. This is even more important because our world is complex, as are humans. Unfortunately, the human brain is hard wired for simplicity, making us disinclined to challenge the status quo. Yet probably <10% of our practice is supported by high‐level evidence. Research is altruistic and a form of kindness for our patients, which includes having a culture of research within a learning health system, so that we can be thoughtful!
Coquettish Mothers across the Atlantic: Gendered Liberty, Disciplinary Sexuality and Colonial Productivity in Lady Susan and The Coquette
Authors: Jung Seohyon
Published: February 2021

This article reads Jane Austen’s Lady Susan alongside Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette in the context of the shifting British colonial relationship with America. I present the coquettish mother as a historically significant literary figure who embodies the rival claims of Enlightenment liberty and the necessity to control national (re‐)production via an exploitative, colonial logic that enables ideological formations of domesticity. My analysis of the socially corrective drive captured in these novels suggests that British anxiety over the loss of the American colonies prompted an urgent and ongoing effort to redefine productivity by obscuring the economic consequences of female sexuality.
ADR databases for on‐site clinical use: Potentials of summary of products characteristics
Authors: Eiermann Birgit , Rodriguez Daniel , Cohen Paul , Gustafsson Lars L.
Published: February 2021

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) for all drugs in Europe are described in the legally approved Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC). An overview of all ADRs of the patients’ drug list can support healthcare staff to link patient symptoms to possible ADRs. We review the possibilities and challenges to extract ADR information from SmPCs or American Structured Product Labels and present the development of our semi‐automated procedure for extraction of ADRs from the tabulated section in the SmPCs to create a database, named Bikt, which is regularly updated and used at point of care in Sweden. The existence of five major table formats for ADRs used in the SmPCs required the development of different parsing scripts. Manual checks for correctness for all content have to be performed. The quality of extraction was investigated for all SmPCs by measuring precision, recall and F1 scores and compared with other methods published. We conclude that it is possible to semi‐automatically extract ADR information from SmPCs. However, clear technical and content guidelines and standards for ADR tables and terms from drug registration authorities would lead to improved extraction and usability of ADR information at point of care.
Forecasting sensitive targets of the kynurenine pathway in pancreatic adenocarcinoma using mathematical modeling
Authors: Alahdal Murad , Sun Deshun , Duan Li , Ouyang Hongwei , Wang Manyi , Xiong Jianyi , Wang Daping
Published: February 2021

In this study, a new mathematical model was established and validated to forecast and define sensitive targets in the kynurenine pathway (Kynp) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Using the Panc‐1 cell line, genetic profiles of Kynp molecules were tested. qPCR data were implemented in the algorithm programming (fmincon and lsqnonlin function) to estimate 35 parameters of Kynp variables by Matlab 2017b. All tested parameters were defined as non‐negative and bounded. Then, based on experimental data, the function of the fmincon equation was employed to estimate the approximate range of each parameter. These calculations were confirmed by qPCR and Western blot. The correlation coefficient (R) between model simulation and experimental data (72 hours, in intervals of 6 hours) of every variable was >0.988. The analysis of reliability and predictive accuracy depending on qPCR and Western blot data showed high predictive accuracy of the model; R was >0.988. Using the model calculations, kynurenine (x3, a6), GPR35 (x4, a8), NF‐kβp105 (x7, a16), and NF‐kβp65 (x8, a18) were recognized as sensitive targets in the Kynp. These predicted targets were confirmed by testing gene and protein expression responses. Therefore, this study provides new interdisciplinary evidence for Kynp‐sensitive targets in the treatment of PDAC.
The suggestion that landscapes should contain 40% of forest cover lacks evidence and is problematic
Authors: Banks‐Leite Cristina , Larrosa Cecilia , Carrasco Luis R. , Tambosi Leandro R. , Milner‐Gulland E. J.
Published: February 2021

A recent review suggests that forest cover needs to be restored or maintained on at least 40% of land area. In the absence of empirical evidence to support this threshold, we discuss how this suggestion is unhelpful and potentially dangerous. We advocate for regionally defined thresholds to inform conservation and restoration.
The genomic signal of local environmental adaptation in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
Authors: Bennett Kelly L. , McMillan W. Owen , Loaiza Jose R.
Published: February 2021

Local adaptation is important when predicting arthropod‐borne disease risk because of its impacts on vector population fitness and persistence. However, the extent that vector populations are adapted to the environment generally remains unknown. Despite low population structure and high gene flow in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes across Panama, excepting the province of Bocas del Toro, we identified 128 candidate SNPs, clustered within 17 genes, which show a strong genomic signal of local environmental adaptation. This putatively adaptive variation occurred across fine geographical scales with the composition and frequency of candidate adaptive loci differing between populations in wet tropical environments along the Caribbean coast and dry tropical conditions typical of the Pacific coast. Temperature and vegetation were important predictors of adaptive genomic variation in Ae. aegypti with several potential areas of local adaptation identified. Our study lays the foundations of future work to understand whether environmental adaptation in Ae. aegypti impacts the arboviral disease landscape and whether this could either aid or hinder efforts of population control.
Inhibition of organic cation transporter 3 activity by tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Authors: Alim Karima , Moreau Amélie , Bruyère Arnaud , Jouan Elodie , Denizot Claire , Nies Anne T. , Parmentier Yannick , Fardel Olivier
Published: February 2021

Organic cation transporter (OCT) 3 (SLC22A3) is a widely expressed drug transporter, handling notably metformin and platinum derivatives, as well as endogenous compounds like monoamine neurotransmitters. OCT3 has been shown to be inhibited by a few marketed tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). The present study was designed to determine whether additional TKIs may interact with OCT3. For this purpose, the effects of 25 TKIs toward OCT3 activity were analyzed using OCT3‐overexpressing HEK293 cells. 13/25 TKIs, each used at 10 µM, were found to behave as moderate or strong inhibitors of OCT3 activity, that is, they decreased OCT3‐mediated uptake of the fluorescent dye 4‐(4‐(dimethylamino)styryl)‐N‐methylpyridinium iodide by at least 50% or 80%, respectively. This OCT3 inhibition was correlated to some molecular descriptors of TKIs, such as the percentage of H atoms and that of cationic forms at pH = 7.4. It was concentration‐dependent, notably for brigatinib, ceritinib, and crizotinib, which exhibited low half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values in the 28–106 nM range. Clinical concentrations of these three marketed TKIs, as well as those of pacritinib, were next predicted to inhibit in vivo OCT3 activity according to regulatory criteria. Cellular TKI accumulation experiments as well as trans‐stimulation assays, however, demonstrated that OCT3 does not transport brigatinib, ceritinib, crizotinib, and pacritinib, thus discarding any implication of OCT3 in the pharmacokinetics of these TKIs. Taken together, these data suggest that some TKIs may act as potent inhibitors of OCT3 activity, which may have consequences in terms of drug–drug interactions and toxicity.
Mechanisms underlying the vasorelaxant effect of hydrogen sulfide on human saphenous vein
Authors: Marinko Marija , Hou Hai‐Tao , Stojanovic Ivan , Milojevic Predrag , Nenezic Dragoslav , Kanjuh Vladimir , Yang Qin , He Guo‐Wei , Novakovic Aleksandra
Published: February 2021

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) represents the third and the youngest member of the gaseous transmitters family. The dominant effect of H2S on isolated vessels is vasodilation. As the mechanism of H2S‐induced relaxation in human vessels remains unclear, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of H2S donor, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), on isolated human saphenous vein (HSV) and to determine the mechanism of action. Our results showed that NaHS (1 µM–3 mM) induced a concentration‐dependent relaxation of endothelium‐intact HSV rings pre‐contracted by phenylephrine. Pre‐treatment with L‐NAME, ODQ and KT5823 significantly inhibited NaHS‐induced relaxation, while indomethacin induced partial inhibition. Among K+ channel blockers, the combination of apamin and TRAM‐34 significantly affected the relaxation produced by NaHS, while iberiotoxin and glibenclamide only reduced maximal relaxation of HSV. NaHS partially relaxed endothelium‐intact rings pre‐contracted by high K+, as well as phenylephrine‐contracted rings in the presence of nifedipine. Additionally, the incubation of HSV rings with NaHS increased NO production. These results demonstrate that NaHS produces the concentration‐ and endothelium‐dependent relaxation of isolated HSV. Vasorelaxation to NaHS probably involves activation of NO/cGMP/PKG pathway and partially prostacyclin. In addition, different K+ channels subtypes, especially SKCa and IKCa, as well as BKCa and KATP channels in high concentrations of NaHS, probably participate in the NaHS‐induced vasorelaxation.
A MODEL OF COLLATERAL: ENDOGENIZING THE BORROWING CONSTRAINT
Authors: Awaya Yu , Fukai Hiroki , Watanabe Makoto
Published: February 2021

This article presents a simple equilibrium model in which collateralized credit emerges endogenously. In a frictional world, where commitment is limited and agent's actions are not publicly observable, we show that collateral can serve as a credible device that prevents the participating parties from reneging. Our theory provides a microfoundation to justify the borrowing constraints that are widely used in the existing macroeconomic models. Using the model, we explain the payment puzzle. We also show that some assets are more suitable as collateral than others with different physical properties, for example, storable asset versus durable asset.
RETRACTED: Naringenin inhibits migration, invasion, induces apoptosis in human lung cancer cells and arrests tumour progression in vitro
Authors: Shi Xingyuan , Luo Xueping , Chen Ting , Guo Wei , Liang Chanjin , Tang Sihan , Mo Jianming
Published: February 2021

Lung cancer is one of the major cause for high‐death rate all over the world, due to increased metastasize and difficulties in diagnosis. Naringenin is naturally occurring flavonoid found in various fruits including tomatoes, citrus fruit and figs. Naringenin is known to have several therapeutic effects including anti‐atherogenic, antimicrobial, anti‐inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anticancer and anti‐mutagenic. The present study was aimed to analyse the naringenin induced anti‐proliferative and apoptosis effects in human lung cancer cells. Cells were treated with various concentrations of naringenin (10, 100 & 200 µmol/L) for 48 hours. Cisplatin (20 µg/mL) was used as positive control. Cell viability, apoptosis, migration and mRNA, and protein expression of caspase‐3, matrixmetallo proteinases‐2 (MMP‐2) and MMP‐9 were determined. The cell viability was 93.7 ± 7.5, 51.4 ± 4.4 and 32.1 ± 2.1 at 10, 100 and 200 µmol/L of naringenin respectively. Naringenin significantly increased apoptotic cells. The 100 and 200 µmol/L of naringenin significantly suppressed the larger wounds of cultured human cancer cells compared with the untreated lung cancer cells. Naringenin increased d the expression of caspase‐3 and reduced the expression of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9. Taking all these data together, it is suggested that the naringenin was effective against human lung cancer proliferation, migration and metastasis.
Comment on: “Advance” care planning reenvisioned
Authors: Bradshaw Andy , Bayly Joanne , Penfold Clarissa , Lin Cheng‐Pei , Oluyase Adejoke O. , Hocaoglu Mevhibe B. , Murtagh Fliss E. M. , Koffman Jonathan
Published: February 2021

See the Reply by Moody et al. in this issue.
Bioenergetic analysis of aged‐phenotype skin in a rare syndromic cutis laxa
Authors: Nabavizadeh Nasrinsadat , Shboul Mohammad , Hojati Zohreh
Published: February 2021

Background

Skin aging is an inevitable phenomenon characterized by wrinkled skin and loss of elasticity. To date, several studies have been performed on skin aging to discover the underlying mechanisms and improve efficient preventive strategies and anti‐aging therapeutics.

Aims

Here, we aimed to investigate the modifications of oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis which are the critical determinants of aging in aged‐phenotype skin.

Methods

Due to the complexity of the skin aging process, we performed bioenergetic measurements on aged‐phenotype fibroblasts from an inherited cutis laxa syndrome which remarkably presents clinical features of normal aged skin. Bioenergetic analysis was performed on cutis laxa samples (n = 3) and healthy samples (n = 3) using Seahorse XFe24 Analyzer. We also compared the sensitivity of cultured aged‐phenotype fibroblasts to normal cells in glucose withdrawal.

Results

Our results show a significant increase in oxidative phosphorylation parameters but not glycolysis in the patient fibroblast cells implying increased energy demand and preferential dependence on mitochondrial respiration in those cells. Interestingly, we found the patient cells demonstrate hypersensitivity to glucose starvation, supporting their enhanced energy consumption.

Conclusions

In summary, our work suggested increased energy demand and higher oxidative phosphorylation in aged‐phenotype cells which can be considered in anti‐skin aging therapeutic design.
Long‐term outcomes of transvaginal ultrasound‐guided aspiration versus traditional conservative surgery as treatment for endometriomas: A retrospective study of cohorts
Authors: Acién Pedro , Velasco Irene , Quesada José A. , Acién Maribel
Published: February 2021

Aim

To evaluate if the long‐term results (on fertility, need of hysterectomy and persistence of endometriosis) after a minimally invasive intervention (transvaginal ultrasound‐guided puncture‐aspiration [TUGPA]) for endometriomas are significantly different from performing the traditional conservative surgery (CS) by laparoscopy or laparotomy.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of cohorts on patients undergoing surgery for ovarian endometriomas between January 1998 and April 2015. Cohort 1 consisted of 75 women whose first intervention for endometriomas had been TUGPA. For the cohort 2, we selected a randomized paired case in which the first operation for endometriomas had been CS by laparoscopic or laparotomy (another set of 75 patients).

Results

There were significantly more recurrences and the time to recurrence and repetition of operations were also significantly shorter in patients with TUGPA. However, there were no significant differences in overall pregnancy/delivery outcomes, in hysterectomy performances, or in endometriosis persistence at the last follow‐up visit. There were no significant differences related to the symptoms or to analytical presurgical values but the application of multivariate analysis with binary logistic regression to each dependent variable adjusted for age, symptoms, and presurgical analyses showed a significant risk of recurrence and reoperation of TUGPA versus CS.

Conclusions

Those patients with endometriomas who underwent TUGPA (with or without associated medications) had a significant increase in recurrence and the need for reoperation. However, in the long‐term there were no significant differences in the results of pregnancy/childbirth, need for hysterectomy, or in the clinical or doubtful persistence of endometriosis.
Microstructural Changes in the Left Mesocorticolimbic Pathway are Associated with the Comorbid Development of Fatigue and Depression in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Palotai Miklos , Small Catherine , Makris Nikolaos , Somes Nathaniel G. , Pinzon Alfredo Morales , Rathi Yogesh , Marzullo Aldo , Levitt James J. , Bakshi Rohit , Chitnis Tanuja , Guttmann Charles R. G.
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Lower reward responsiveness has been associated with fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, association of MS‐related fatigue with damage to the mesocorticolimbic reward pathway (superolateral medial forebrain bundle [slMFB]) has not been assessed. We investigated the association of fatigue and depression with slMFB damage in MS patients stratified based on longitudinal fatigue patterns.

METHODS

Patient stratification: 1. Sustained Fatigue (SF): latest two Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) ≥ 38 (n = 26); 2. Reversible Fatigue (RF): latest MFIS < 38, and at least one previous MFIS ≥ 38 (n = 25); 3. Never Fatigued (NF): ≥ 5 consecutive MFIS < 38 (n = 42); 4. Healthy Controls (n = 6). Diffusion MRI‐derived measures of fractional anisotropy (FA), axial (AD), mean (MD), and radial diffusivity (RD) of the slMFB were compared between the groups. Depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies‐Depression Scale (CES‐D).

RESULTS

Depressed (CES‐D ≥ 16) SF patients showed significantly higher MD and RD than nondepressed SF and RF, and depressed RF patients, and significantly lower FA than nondepressed SF and depressed RF patients in their left slMFB. Depressed SF patients showed significantly higher left slMFB MD and AD than healthy controls.

CONCLUSION

Microstructural changes to the left slMFB may play a role in the comorbid development of fatigue and depression in MS.
Robust stability of melatonin circadian phase, sleep metrics, and chronotype across months in young adults living in real‐world settings
Authors: McHill Andrew W. , Sano Akane , Hilditch Cassie J. , Barger Laura K. , Czeisler Charles A. , Picard Rosalind , Klerman Elizabeth B.
Published: February 2021

Appropriate synchronization of the timing of behaviors with the circadian clock and adequate sleep are both important for almost every physiological process. The timing of the circadian clock relative to social (ie, local) clock time and the timing of sleep can vary greatly among individuals. Whether the timing of these processes is stable within an individual is not well‐understood. We examined the stability of circadian‐controlled melatonin timing, sleep timing, and their interaction across ~ 100 days in 15 students at a single university. At three time points ~ 35‐days apart, circadian timing was determined from the dim‐light melatonin onset (DLMO). Sleep behaviors (timing and duration) and chronotype (ie, mid‐sleep time on free days corrected for sleep loss on school/work days) were determined via actigraphy and analyzed in ~ 1‐month bins. Melatonin timing was stable, with an almost perfect relationship strength as determined via intraclass correlation coefficients ([ICC]=0.85); average DLMO timing across all participants only changed from the first month by 21 minutes in month 2 and 5 minutes in month 3. Sleep behaviors also demonstrated high stability, with ICC relationship strengths ranging from substantial to almost perfect (ICCs = 0.65‐0.85). Average DLMO was significantly associated with average chronotype (r2 = 0.53, P <.01), with chronotype displaying substantial stability across months (ICC = 0.61). These findings of a robust stability in melatonin timing and sleep behaviors in young adults living in real‐world settings holds promise for a better understanding of the reliability of previous cross‐sectional reports and for the future individualized strategies to combat circadian‐associated disease and impaired safety (ie, “chronomedicine”).
Photosynthesis and photoprotection characteristics related to ROS production in three Chattonella (Raphidophyceae) species
Authors: Ahumada‐Fierro Norma Valeria , García‐Mendoza Ernesto , Sandoval‐Gil Jose Miguel , Band‐Schmidt Christine Johanna
Published: February 2021

The toxic potential of Chattonella is associated with a high production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Chattonella species can tolerate high irradiance levels but seems not to be efficient in the induction of nonphotochemical chl a fluorescence (NPQ) under light stress conditions. Therefore, we postulated that high ROS production of this microalgal group is related to the lack of effective photoprotection mechanisms. We compared the NPQ induction, xanthophyll cycle interconversion (XC), and the production of the ion superoxide (O2−) in Chattonella marina var. antiqua, Chattonella sp., and C. marina acclimated to 43 (LL) and 300 µmol photons · m2 · s−1 (HL). We also evaluated the photosynthetic characteristics of the three strains. Photosynthesis saturated at relative high irradiances (above 500 µmol photons · m2 · s−1) in LL and HL Chattonella strains. For the first time, we documented the conversion of diadinoxanthin into diatoxanthin in microalgae that have violaxanthin as the major XC carotenoid. The slow NPQ induction indicated that qE (fast component of NPQ) was not present, and this process was related to the interconversion of XC pigments. However, the quenching efficiency (QE) of deepoxidated xanthophylls was low in the three Chattonella strains. The strain with the lowest QE produced the highest amount of a O2−. Therefore, ROS production in Chattonella seems to be related to a low expression of XC‐related thermal PSII dissipation.
A new Cannabis genome assembly associates elevated cannabidiol (CBD) with hemp introgressed into marijuana
Authors: Grassa Christopher J. , Weiblen George D. , Wenger Jonathan P. , Dabney Clemon , Poplawski Shane G. , Timothy Motley S. , Michael Todd P. , Schwartz C. J.
Published: February 2021

Demand for cannabidiol (CBD), the predominant cannabinoid in hemp (Cannabis sativa), has favored cultivars producing unprecedented quantities of CBD. We investigated the ancestry of a new cultivar and cannabinoid synthase genes in relation to cannabinoid inheritance.

A nanopore‐based assembly anchored to a high‐resolution linkage map provided a chromosome‐resolved genome for CBDRx, a potent CBD‐type cultivar. We measured cannabinoid synthase expression by cDNA sequencing and conducted a population genetic analysis of diverse Cannabis accessions. Quantitative trait locus mapping of cannabinoids in a hemp × marijuana segregating population was also performed.

Cannabinoid synthase paralogs are arranged in tandem arrays embedded in long terminal repeat retrotransposons on chromosome 7. Although CBDRx is predominantly of marijuana ancestry, the genome has cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS) introgressed from hemp and lacks a complete sequence for tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase (THCAS). Three additional genomes, including one with complete THCAS, confirmed this genomic structure. Only cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS) was expressed in CBD‐type Cannabis, while both CBDAS and THCAS were expressed in a cultivar with an intermediate tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) : CBD ratio.

Although variation among cannabinoid synthase loci might affect the THC : CBD ratio, variability among cultivars in overall cannabinoid content (potency) was also associated with other chromosomes.
The 3 P’s model enhancing patient safety during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Nathwani Shrina , Rahman Naomi
Published: February 2021

Aim

The Local Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures must now consider additional features to address patient and staff safety in light of COVID19.

Material and Methods

The 3 P’s model encompasses an evidence‐based approach to preparation, protection and prevention, for safety of patients and healthcare staff. A literature review was performed (keywords ‘dental’ or ‘dentistry’ and ‘COVID19’ or ‘Coronavirus’ and ‘LocSSIPs’ or ‘Local Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures’). Guidance, institutional publications and original research were considered. Limits were applied (2015 onward, English only).

Conclusion

The model ensures a systematic framework to aid communication among colleagues, provide and support the opportunity for learning, implement best practice guidance, monitor effectiveness of protocols and above all reduce the risk of viral transmission.
Detect thy family: Mechanisms, ecology and agricultural aspects of kin recognition in plants
Authors: Anten Niels P. R. , Chen Bin J. W.
Published: February 2021

The phenomenon that organisms can distinguish genetically related individuals from strangers (i.e., kin recognition) and exhibit more cooperative behaviours towards their relatives (i.e., positive kin discrimination) has been documented in a wide variety of organisms. However, its occurrence in plants has been considered only recently. Despite the concerns about some methodologies used to document kin recognition, there is sufficient evidence to state that it exists in plants. Effects of kin recognition go well beyond reducing resource competition between related plants and involve interactions with symbionts (e.g., mycorrhizal networks). Kin recognition thus likely has important implications for evolution of plant traits, diversity of plant populations, ecological networks and community structures. Moreover, as kin selection may result in less competitive traits and thus greater population performance, it holds potential promise for crop breeding. Exploration of these evo‐ecological and agricultural implications requires adequate control and measurements of relatedness, sufficient replication at genotypic level and comprehensive measurements of performance/fitness effects of kin discrimination. The primary questions that need to be answered are: when, where and by how much positive kin discrimination improves population performance.
A two decade long study of disease progression of de novo and recurrent autoimmune hepatitis in the pediatric population
Authors: Hadley Timothy A. , Palle Sirish K. , Venkateswaran Suresh , Abramowsky Carlos , Gillespie Scott , Hall Lori , Kolachala Vasantha L. , Gupta Nitika A.
Published: February 2021

Recurrent autoimmune hepatitis (rAIH) occurs in patients who undergo liver transplantation (LT) for AIH and de novo AIH (dAIH) is seen in patients who are transplanted for etiologies other than AIH. Whether these are distinct diseases with a similar phenotype remains understudied. The aim of this study was to identify clinical and immunologic factors affecting outcome in patients with dAIH and rAIH. A retrospective review of 387 LT patients from 1997 to 2014 was carried out, and they were followed until 2018. Patients with rAIH or dAIH were identified based on the pre‐transplant diagnosis of AIH (or not) and characteristic histology. Liver biopsies were stained with H&E, B‐cell marker CD20, and plasma cell marker CD138. Out of 387 patients, 31 were transplanted for AIH, and 8/31 developed rAIH. Of the remaining 356 patients, eight developed dAIH. Compared to the dAIH group, rAIH occurred in older patients, had an earlier onset in the allograft, and had higher IgG and serum ALT levels. It was most commonly seen in African American (AA) patients (87%). rAIH patients had significantly higher CD20 and CD138 positivity in liver biopsies. In addition, they had increased rejection episodes prior to the onset of recurrence, increased graft loss, and mortality. rAIH is a more aggressive disease, and has a preponderance of B cells and plasma cells in the liver tissue as compared to dAIH. The concurrent association with increased graft loss and patient mortality in rAIH warrants further investigations into B cell‐targeted therapies.
How Bureaucratic Representation Affects Public Organizational Performance: AMeta‐Analysis
Authors: Ding Fangda , Lu Jiahuan , Riccucci Norma M.
Published: February 2021

The impact of representative bureaucracy on public organizational performance has received a good deal of attention in public management. However, the literature provides little systematic rationalization about the effects of the individual constructs of representative bureaucracy on organizational performance. This meta‐analysis of 648 effect sizes from 80 quantitative studies, closely examines the conditions under which bureaucratic representation affects public organizational performance. The research provides evidence on the relationship between different constructs of representative bureaucracy and organizational performance. This meta‐analysis overall advances the theory of representative bureaucracy from several perspectives. It shows that the effects of representative bureaucracy on public organizational performance are positive in general, but that these effects are moderated by several contextual factors. And our finding that the effects of bureaucratic representation on public organizational performance was shaped by demographics and types of representation, levels of bureaucracy, and performance measurements adds to the micro‐theory behind individual bureaucratic actions.
Explicit and implicit measurement of nonsuicidal self‐injury in the prediction of concurrent and prospective self‐injury
Authors: Powers Jeffrey T. , Brausch Amy M. , Muehlenkamp Jennifer J.
Published: February 2021

Objective

The relationship between explicit nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) behavior and implicit identification with NSSI is important to understand considering the under‐reported nature of NSSI and the subsequent elevated risk of more severe NSSI. It was expected that implicit assessment of NSSI at baseline would be associated with past‐year NSSI frequency assessed at baseline and that it would more strongly associate with NSSI frequency than self‐reported future likelihood of NSSI at a 6‐month follow‐up.

Method

Data were collected from 420 young adults (mean age = 19; 83% women, 87% White) with recent NSSI at baseline, and 324 were assessed at 6‐month follow‐up. Participants completed self‐report measures and the Self‐Injury Implicit Association Task (SI‐IAT) at each time point.

Results

Baseline implicit NSSI scores significantly predicted NSSI frequency at baseline but not at 6‐month follow‐up. However, explicit ratings were strongly and significantly associated with future NSSI frequency.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that although implicit identification with oneself and NSSI is important to understand, there are limitations regarding the possible utility of the SI‐IAT in predicting future NSSI engagement and further research is needed to fully understand why NSSI continues to be such a strong predictor of future NSSI behavior, and suicidal ideation and behavior.
Rates of exposure to natural, accidental, and suicide deaths
Authors: Nadorff Michael R. , DeShong Hilary L. , Golding Shea , Cerel Julie , McDaniel Chandler J. , Pate Ashley R. , Kelley Karen , Walgren Maggie D.
Published: February 2021

Objective

We expand upon previous research examining the prevalence of exposure to suicide deaths by comparing these to natural and accidental deaths. Furthermore, we examine whether participants are more apt to lie about the cause of death for a suicide than for an accidental or natural death.

Method

The sample consisted of 1,430 respondents who were recruited via Amazon's Mechanical Turk to complete an online study. Participants completed measures to assess exposure to death, causes of death, and willingness to disclose the cause of death to others.

Results

Nearly all respondents (94.5%) had been exposed to a natural death, and most of our sample (63.2%) reported exposure to a suicide death. Among those affected by all three causes of death, RANOVA analysis also indicated that people lied about cause of suicide death to significantly more people than accidental or natural.

Conclusions

Overall, the current study presents updated prevalence rates of exposure to various types of death and replicates previous findings of a decrease in willingness to disclose suicides when compared with other causes of death.
Measuring welfare states beyond the three worlds: Refining state‐of‐the‐art tools
Authors: Bolukbasi H. Tolga , Öktem Kerem Gabriel , Savaş Efe
Published: February 2021

The past decades saw the expansion of the geography of comparative welfare state research beyond the three worlds embracing a heterogeneous set of mainly middle‐income countries. In response, two leading state‐of‐the‐art tools for measuring welfare states through social rights, Social Citizenship Indicators Program (SCIP) and Comparative Welfare Entitlements Dataset (CWED), integrated many new countries into their datasets. Comparative welfare state research has yet to address the extent to which these measurement tools originally developed for measuring classic welfare states work equally well for measuring welfare states beyond the three worlds. In this article, we explore a number of challenges these datasets face in measuring these new cases. These challenges, we believe, stem from a set of key institutional characteristics widely prevalent in these welfare states. These characteristics are overt and hidden conditionalities, unconventional instruments, informal practices, nature of changes in statutory pension age and labour market characteristics of the representative worker. We propose a set of solutions to refine these datasets for comparing all cases, old and new. We conclude by drawing lessons for comparative research focusing not only on welfare states beyond the three worlds but also on the three worlds themselves.
Determination of the Undrained Shear Strength of Sensitive Clay Using Some Laboratory Soil Data
Authors: Ayadat Tahar
Published: February 2021

The undrained shear strength is a paramount parameter in determining the consistency and the ultimate bearing capacity of a clay layer. This resistance can be determined by in-situ tests, such as the field vane test or by laboratory tests, including the portable vane test, the triaxial, the simple compression test, and the consistency penetrometer test (i.e. the Swedish cone). However, the field vane test and the Swedish cone are the most commonly test used by geotechnical experts. In this paper, relationships between the field undrained shear strength of sensitive clay and some laboratory soil properties were developed. The soil properties consisted of the percentage of fine particles (less than 2 µm), the moisture content and the Atterberg limits. Furthermore, a correlation was proposed associating between the undrained shear strength of sensitive clay as obtained by the field vane test and the laboratory cone penetration test (Swedish cone). In addition, some applications of the proposed correlation on some geotechnical problems were included, such as the determination of the consistency and the bearing capacity of a clay layer. Comparison of the results of the developed correlations with the experimental results of the present investigation and the results reported in the literature show acceptable agreement.
The value of abdominal ultrasonography compared to colonoscopy and faecal calprotectin in following up paediatric patients with ulcerative colitis
Authors: Fodor Ioana , Serban Oana , Serban Daniela Elena , Farcau Dorin , Fufezan Otilia , Asavoaie Carmen , Man Sorin Claudiu , Dumitrascu Dan Lucian
Published: February 2021

Aim: To evaluate the value of abdominal ultrasonography (US) in the follow-up of paediatric patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) compared to faecal calprotectin (FC) and colonoscopy. Material and method: In this retrospective study we enrolled 30 paediatric patients previously diagnosed with UC, examined by abdominal US and colonoscopy within the same week. FC was also determined during the same week. Disease activity was established using the paediatric ulcerative colitis activity index (PUCAI). The global endoscopic activity was evaluated using the Mayo endoscopic subscore. Results: Endos-copy revealed pathological findings of active disease in 27 out of 30 patients; 3 patients were in endoscopic remission. Only 18 of them had clinical active disease (PUCAI >10), [sensitivity (Se) 66.7% and specificity (Sp) 33% of PUCAI in detecting endoscopic active disease). Twenty-three (76.7%) patients had FC >250 mcg/g, but in 2 of these cases the colonoscopy was normal (Se 77.8% and Sp 33.3% in detecting active disease). At US examination, pathological findings (increased bowel wall thickness, hypervascularity, lymphadenopathies, and/or mesenteric inflammatory fat) were found in 27 patients (90%), all with endoscopic active disease (agreement US - colonoscopy, at patient level, k=1.0, p<0.001, Se 100% and Sp 100%). At seg-ment level (totally 180 bowel segments examined by US), the overall agreement between US and colonoscopy was k=0.767, p<0.001, Se 86.5%, Sp 90.1%. Of the 27 patients with US pathological findings in any of colonic segments, 23 had FC >250 mcg/g (85.1%). The inter-observer agreement for the US measurements had an overall ICC of 0.926 with p<0.001. Conclusion: Abdominal US findings demonstrate a good to excellent concordance with endoscopic examination and are correlated with elevated FC levels. Therefore, US appears as an accurate technique in assessing activity in patients with UC and might replace colonoscopic evaluation for the follow-up.
Morphological description, DNA barcodes and phylogenetic placement of a new mite species: Dinogamasus saengdaoae sp. nov. (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae) found in the acarinarium of carpenter bees in Thailand

Authors: Attasopa Korrawat , Ferrari Rafael R. , Chantawannakul Panuwan , Bänziger Hans
Published: February 2021

Dinogamasus saengdaoae Attasopa & Ferrari sp. nov. is described based on adult females from the abdominal pouch of females of Xylocopa tenuiscapa (Westwood) in Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand. The new species belongs to the D. perkinsi (Oudemans) group (sensu LeVeque) and can be distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: (1) dorsal shield covering opisthosoma neither laterally nor posteriorly; (2) opisthonotal soft cuticle with a pair of relatively long setae posteriorly; (3) setae pd1, pd2 on genu I and ad3, pd3, pl1, pl2 on both genu and tibia I conical. Maximum likelihood-based analysis of newly-generated DNA barcodes shows that the sequenced specimens of D. saengdaoae sp. nov. form a monophyletic cluster, and parsimony analysis of a previously available morphological dataset indicates that the species comprises a strongly-supported clade with D. perkinsi and D. piperi LeVeque. We provide an additional couplet for Lundqvist’s key for the species of Dinogamasus Kramer to facilitate identification of D. saengdaoae sp. nov..
Experimental investigation of oscillating flow characteristics at the exit of a stacked mesh grid regenerator
Authors: Ramadan Islam A. , Bailliet Hélène , Valière Jean-Christophe
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study is to investigate the oscillating flow velocity field at the exit of different stacked mesh grid regenerators using Particle Image Velocimetry measurements. Twelve different experimental cases are discussed, yielding oscillating flow fields at the exit of four kinds of regenerators for different acoustic levels. The regenerators are classified according to the mesh wire size to viscous penetration depth ratio and according to the method of stacking the mesh grids. Based on the analysis of the vorticity fields at the exit of the regenerator, three groups of flow patterns are identified. This classification is correctly verified by using the Reynolds number (based on the acoustic amplitude and wire diameter) and the Strouhal number (based on the acoustic displacement amplitude and wire diameter). The characteristics of the fluctuating velocity components are investigated for these various flow patterns. The critical Reynolds number, past which the flow is highly dissipative, is determined. The dissipation timescale is investigated and the quasi-steady approximation is found to be valid for the analysis of the oscillating flow at the exit of the regenerator mesh.
Sport Analytics Education for Future Executives, Managers, and Nontechnical Personnel
Authors: Wanless Liz A. , Naraine Michael
Published: February 2021

Successfully adopting sport business analytics to enhance organization-wide business processes necessitates a combination of business acumen, modeling expertise, personnel coordination, and organizational support. Although the development of technical skills has been well mapped in analytics curricula, informing future leadership and affiliated nontechnical personnel about the sport business analytics process, specifically, remains a gap in sport management curricula. This acknowledgment should compel sport management programs to explore strategies for sport analytics training geared toward this population. Guided by experiential learning and foundational business analytics frameworks, a seven-module approach to teaching sport business analytics in sport management is advanced with a particular focus for future executives, managers, and nontechnical users in the sport industry. Concomitantly, the approach presents learning goals and outcomes, sources for instructors to review and consider, and sample assessments designed to fit within the existing sport management curricula.
Synergistic Quinolone Sensitization by Targeting the
recA
SOS Response Gene and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Diaz-Diaz S. , Recacha E. , Machuca J. , García-Duque A. , Docobo-Pérez F. , Blázquez J. , Pascual A. , Rodríguez-Martínez J. M.
Published: February 2021

Suppression of the
recA
SOS response gene and reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction have been shown, separately, to enhance fluoroquinolone activity and lethality. Their putative synergistic impact as a strategy to potentiate the efficacy of bactericidal antimicrobial agents such as fluoroquinolones is unknown.
Epidemic Territorial Spread of IncP-2-Type VIM-2 Carbapenemase-Encoding Megaplasmids in Nosocomial Pseudomonas aeruginosa Populations
Authors: Urbanowicz Paweł , Bitar Ibrahim , Izdebski Radosław , Baraniak Anna , Literacka Elżbieta , Hrabák Jaroslav , Gniadkowski Marek
Published: February 2021

In 2003 to 2004, the first five VIM-2 metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(MPPA) isolates with an In4-like integron, In461 (
aadB
-
bla
VIM-2
-
aadA6
), on conjugative plasmids were identified in three hospitals in Poland. In 2005 to 2015, MPPA expanded much in the country, and as many as 80 isolates in a collection of 454 MPPA (∼18%) had In461, one of the two most common MBL-encoding integrons.
Optimizing Aminoglycoside Dosing Regimens for Critically Ill Pediatric Patients with Augmented Renal Clearance: a Convergence of Parametric and Nonparametric Population Approaches
Authors: Avedissian Sean N. , Rohani Roxane , Bradley John , Le Jennifer , Rhodes Nathaniel J.
Published: February 2021

Augmented renal clearance (ARC) can occur in critically ill pediatric patients receiving aminoglycosides such as gentamicin and tobramycin, yet optimal dosing strategies for ARC are undefined. We evaluated the probability of achieving efficacious or toxic exposures in pediatrics. Parallel population modeling of concentration strategies were pursued using
Pmetrics
v1.5.2 (nonparametric) and Monolix v2019R2 (parametric).
Staphylococcus aureus in Agriculture: Lessons in Evolution from a Multispecies Pathogen
Authors: Park Soyoun , Ronholm Jennifer
Published: February 2021

Staphylococcus aureusis a formidable bacterial pathogen that is responsible for infections in humans and various species of wild, companion, and agricultural animals. The ability ofS. aureusto move between humans and livestock is due to specific characteristics of this bacterium as well as modern agricultural practices.
How Could Antibiotics, Probiotics, and Corticoids Modify Microbiota and Its Influence in Cancer Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Review
Authors: Cruellas Mara , Yubero Alfonso , Zapata María , Galvez Eva M. , Gascón Marta , Isla Dolores , Lastra Rodrigo , Martínez-Lostao Luis , Ocariz Maitane , Pardo Julián , Ramírez Ariel , Sesma Andrea , Torres-Ramón Irene , Paño José Ramón
Published: February 2021

Immunotherapy has become a new paradigm in oncology, improving outcomes for several types of cancer. However, there are some aspects about its management that remain uncertain.
TusA Is a Versatile Protein That Links Translation Efficiency to Cell Division in Escherichia coli
Authors: Yildiz Tugba , Leimkühler Silke
Published: February 2021

More than 100 different modifications are found in RNAs. One of these modifications is the mnm
5
s
2
U modification at the wobble position 34 of tRNAs for Lys, Gln, and Glu.