bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antidefection laws in three small South Pacific parliaments: A cautionary tale
Authors: Morris Caroline
Published: November 2022

Antidefection laws seek to punish political party members who depart in some way from their party of election during the legislative term. They have proven to be both popular and problematic in certain South Pacific legislatures in recent decades. This article analyzes the introduction and subsequent fate of these laws in the small jurisdictions of Fiji, Samoa, and the Cook Islands. It concludes that the size of the jurisdiction is a notable factor relevant to both the introduction of these laws and the courts’ response to them. In addition, it is argued that in small jurisdictions antidefection laws not only have a disproportionately negative impact on constitutional principles and political rights, but also have the potential to distort the particular political development and practice of the South Pacific polities where they operate.
Software Application Profile: PXStools—an R package of tools for conducting exposure-wide analysis and deriving polyexposure risk scores
Authors: He Yixuan , Patel Chirag J
Published: November 2022

Motivation

Investigating the aggregate burden of environmental factors on human traits and diseases requires consideration of the entire ‘exposome’. However, current studies primarily focus on a single exposure or a handful of exposures at a time, without considering how multiple exposures may be simultaneously associated with each other or with the phenotype. Polyexposure risk scores (PXS) have been shown to predict and stratify risk for disease beyond or complementary to genetic and clinical risk. PXStools provides an analytical package to standardize exposome-wide studies as well as derive and validate polyexposure risk scores.

Implementation

PXStools is a package for the statistical R.

General features

The package allows users to (i) conduct exposure-wide association studies; (ii) derive and validate polyexposure risk scores with and without accounting for exposure interactions, using new approaches in regression modelling (hierarchical lasso);(iii) compare goodness of fit between models with and without multiple exposures; and (iv) visualize results. A data frame with a unique identifier, phenotype and exposures is needed as the only input. Various customizations are allowed including data preprocessing (removing missing or unwanted responses), covariates adjustment, multiple hypothesis correction and model specification (linear, logistic, survival).

Availability

The PXStools source code is freely available on Github at [https://github.com/yixuanh/PXStools].
Measures to resolve range anxiety in electric vehicle users
Authors: Shrestha Sirapa , Baral Bivek , Shah Malesh , Chitrakar Sailesh , Shrestha Bim P
Published: November 2022

Electric Vehicle (EV) technology is the key to emission reduction and energy efficiency improvement targets while decreasing the dependence on fossil fuel. Despite the fact that replacing conventional vehicle powered by internal combustion engine with EVs reduce greenhouse gas emissions, limited range of EVs has been leading their mass deployment towards saturation. This paper performs a scoping review of articles on range anxiety induced among EV users. It explores user’s perception and actual affecting factors on range of EVs, and proceeds on to measures suggested in the articles to mitigate range anxiety.
L-Series of Harmonic Maass Forms and a Summation Formula for Harmonic Lifts
Authors: Diamantis Nikolaos , Lee Min , Raji Wissam , Rolen Larry
Published: November 2022

We introduce an $L$-series associated with harmonic Maass forms and prove their functional equations. We establish converse theorems for these $L$-series and, as an application, we formulate and prove a summation formula for the holomorphic part of a harmonic lift of a given cusp form.
Games on AF-Algebras
Authors: De Bondt Ben , Vaccaro Andrea , Veličković Boban , Vignati Alessandro
Published: November 2022

We analyze $\textrm {C}^{\ast }$-algebras, particularly AF-algebras, and their $K_{0}$-groups in the context of the infinitary logic $\mathcal {L}_{\omega _{1} \omega }$. Given two separable unital AF-algebras $A$ and $B$, and considering their $K_{0}$-groups as ordered unital groups, we prove that $K_{0}(A) \equiv _{\omega \cdot \alpha } K_{0}(B)$ implies $A \equiv _{\alpha } B$, where $M \equiv _{\beta } N$ means that $M$ and $N$ agree on all sentences of quantifier rank at most $\beta $. This implication is proved using techniques from Elliott’s classification of separable AF-algebras, together with an adaptation of the Ehrenfeucht-Fraïssé game to the metric setting. We use moreover this result to build a family $\{ A_{\alpha } \}_{\alpha < \omega _{1}}$ of pairwise non-isomorphic separable simple unital AF-algebras which satisfy $A_{\alpha } \equiv _{\alpha } A_{\beta }$ for every $\alpha < \beta $. In particular, we obtain a set of separable simple unital AF-algebras of arbitrarily high Scott rank. Next, we give a partial converse to the aforementioned implication, showing that $A \otimes \mathcal {K} \equiv _{\omega + 2 \cdot \alpha +2} B \otimes \mathcal {K}$ implies $K_{0}(A) \equiv _{\alpha } K_{0}(B)$, for every unital $\textrm {C}^{\ast }$-algebras $A$ and $B$.
Structural insights into the rational design of a nanobody that binds with high affinity to the SARS-CoV-2 spike variant
Authors: Yamaguchi Keishi , Anzai Itsuki , Maeda Ryota , Moriguchi Maiko , Watanabe Tokiko , Imura Akihiro , Takaori-Kondo Akifumi , Inoue Tsuyoshi
Published: November 2022

The continuous emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants associated with the adaptive evolution of the virus is prolonging the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The modification of neutralizing antibodies based on structural information is expected to be a useful approach to rapidly combat emerging variants. A dimerized variable domain of heavy chain of heavy chain antibody (VHH) P17 that has highly potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 has been reported but the mode of interaction with the epitope remains unclear. Here, we report the X-ray crystal structure of the complex of monomerized P17 bound to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) and investigated the binding activity of P17 toward various variants of concern (VOCs) using kinetics measurements. The structure revealed details of the binding interface and showed that P17 had an appropriate linker length to have an avidity effect and recognize a wide range of RBD orientations. Furthermore, we identified mutations in known VOCs that decrease the binding affinity of P17 and proposed methods for the acquisition of affinity toward the Omicron RBD because Omicron is currently the most predominant VOC. This study provides information for the rational design of effective VHHs for emerging VOCs.
Crack propagation induced by a plane stress wave in a general anisotropic elastic material
Authors: Wu Kuang-Chong
Published: November 2022

The stress intensity factors of a semi-infinite crack propagating with constant speed in an anisotropic elastic solid under a uniform stress wave loading are considered. The crack is assumed to start propagating at some arbitrary time after an obliquely incident plane stress wave strikes the crack tip. It is shown that the stress intensity factor of the propagating crack has the form of the product of a universal matrix function of the crack speed and an equivalent stationary crack stress intensity factor of t*, which is the time that would have elapsed since the incident wavestruck the crack tip if the crack tip had been always at its instantaneous position. The present result is a generalization of that obtained by Freund for isotropic materials.
Analysis of high Reynolds free surface flows
Authors: Young D L , Lin Marvin C H , Tsai C C
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we will combine an upwind radial basis function-finite element with direct velocity–pressure formulation to study the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations with free surface flows. We will examine this formulation in an improved mixed-order finite element and localized radial basis function method. A particle tracking method and the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian scheme will then be applied to simulate the two-dimensional high Reynolds free surface flows. An upwind improved finite element formulation based on a localized radial basis function differential quadrature (LRBFDQ) method is used to deal with high Reynolds number convection dominated flows. This study successfully obtained very high Reynolds number free surface flows, up to Re = 500 000. Finally, we will demonstrate and discuss the capability and feasibility of the proposed model by simulating two complex free surface flow problems: (1) a highly nonlinear free oscillation flow and (2) a large amplitude sloshing problem. Using even very coarse grids in all computing scenarios, we have achieved good results in accuracy and efficiency.
Knowledge about, acceptance of and willingness to use over-the-counter COVID-19 self-testing kits
Authors: Jairoun Ammar Abdulrahman , Al-Hemyari Sabaa Saleh , Abdulla Naseem Mohammed , Al Ani Mena , Habeb Mustafa , Shahwan Moyad , Jaber Ammar Ali Saleh , El-Dahiyat Faris , Jairoun Maimona
Published: November 2022

Objectives

Early investments in new diagnostic technologies that allow for rapid and decentralized testing were critical in reducing SARS-CoV-2’s detrimental health and economic effects. This study evaluates public knowledge about, acceptance of and willingness to use COVID-19 self-testing kits.

Methods

An online descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire was used in this study. The final study population included all contacted national and resident adults, age 18 and over, who were willing to engage in the study. The survey was divided according to participants’ demographic information and 11 questions assessed the respondents’ understanding of and willingness to use COVID-19 self-testing kits. The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 24. Multivariate linear regression models were used to identify the factors influencing respondents’ knowledge of and attitudes toward the acceptability of self-testing kits for COVID-19 and their willingness to use these kits.

Key findings

A total of 876 respondents participated in the study and completed the whole questionnaire. The average knowledge score on the acceptability of and willingness to use self-testing kits for COVID-19 was 70.2%, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) [69.1%, 71.4%]. Participants who were postgraduate, female and vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as employees and older participants, were jointly highly associated with higher levels of knowledge about, acceptance of and willingness to use self-testing kits for COVID-19. Moreover, participants who had been infected with COVID-19, were vaccinated against COVID-19 or were female, employees, older, Western or Arabic were jointly highly associated with positive attitudes about the acceptability of and willingness to use self-testing kits for COVID-19.

Conclusions

The majority of the respondents have acceptable levels of knowledge about, acceptance of and willingness to use self-testing kits for COVID-19. Nonetheless, future studies should consider the issues of pre- and post-test counselling, false negative results and the sale of unregulated testing kits. Additional information should be communicated so that people can make informed decisions and be protected from possible abuse of COVID-19 self-testing kits when they become available in pharmacies.
Evaluation of drug use pattern in adults’ outpatient clinics in a tertiary teaching hospital using WHO core prescribing indicators
Authors: Abu Farha Rana , Awwad Oriana , Abdurazaq Bashar , Abu Hammour Khawla , Akour Amal
Published: November 2022

Objectives

This study has evaluated the drug use pattern among adults attending the outpatient clinics of the Jordan University Hospital (JUH), by assessing the adherence of prescriptions to the World Health Organization (WHO) core prescribing indicators.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted during the period from October 2011 to January 2022 at JUH. Several prescriptions from 10 different adult outpatient clinics were reviewed to evaluate hospital adherence to the five WHO core prescribing indicators.

Key findings

To assess the WHO core prescribing indicators, data for 2451 prescriptions were reviewed. Around one-third of the patients (33.4%) were receiving polypharmacy (five medications or more). Results revealed that two core prescribing indicators were not following the standard values specified by the WHO; the average number of drugs prescribed per encounter (3.8 medications/prescription), and the percentage of drugs from the essential drug list (EDL) (54.1%). Endocrine clinics showed the highest average of drugs (6.3) per prescription and the highest percentage of prescriptions with injectable medicines (51.7%). On the other hand, ophthalmology clinics showed the highest percentage of prescriptions with antibiotics (29.9%) and the lowest percentage of drugs prescribed from the EDL at JUH (14.1%). Evaluating factors affecting the number of prescribed medications per encounter revealed that elderly patients (> 60 years), being female, referring to the endocrine clinic, and having insurance have a higher average number of medications per encounter compared with others (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The proper prescribing practices in a sizable tertiary hospital in Amman, Jordan, are clarified by this study. The percentage of medications from EDL and the typical number of drugs/encounters did not comply with WHO requirements. The study findings should guide the Jordanian health policymakers in designing and implementing strategies to limit irrational prescribing practices and raise awareness of and ensure physician adherence to the national EDL.
Researchers’ experiences of pharmacy involvement: a UK cross-sectional survey
Authors: Watson Michelle , Whittlesea Cate , Tharmanathan Puvan
Published: November 2022

Objectives

We aimed to explore the experiences and opinions of researchers who have involved pharmacy professionals in research studies. Pharmacy teams are valued healthcare professionals, with a wide knowledge base and skill set. They have regular contact with service users who may be interested in research, placing them in a good position for collaboration with researchers.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey circulated to researchers in the UK; analysed using descriptive, quantitative methods.

Key findings

A total of 238 responses were received from researchers, mainly within hospitals and universities. Most had more than 10 years of experience (45%) and had worked on 2–10 studies involving pharmacies (54%), frequently requiring hospital services (74%). Two-thirds of researchers had worked on clinical trials of investigational medicinal products. Most researchers worked with pharmacy teams that all had previous research experience (78%) yet did not involve them in participant recruitment (85%). Pharmacy staff frequently managed or dispensed medication (43%), however also engaged with other research-related tasks. Their previous experience and keenness were desirable qualities for researchers. Many respondents had a positive experience of collaboration and acknowledged various advantages (e.g. developing training/knowledge) and disadvantages (e.g. staffing issues).

Conclusions

Researchers’ positive impression of working with the pharmacy sector bodes well for future collaborations. Many had experience with pharmacy, however, those more unfamiliar should consider the roles staff could perform; and pharmacy teams and professional bodies should advocate their involvement. For collaboration to prosper, we should promote the benefits of research engagement and consider how to overcome known challenges.
An unusual case of a tension pneumothorax
Authors: Redwan Bassam , Kirstein Robert , Kösek Volkan , Thiel Burkhard , Zirngibl Hubert , Schmitz Björn
Published: November 2022

A total intra-thoracic stomach describes the case of a complete herniation of the stomach into the thoracic cavity. Symptoms may vary from mild to an acute life-threatening situation in case of perforation or bleeding, requiring emergency surgery. Here we describe the case of a gastric perforation leading to a tension pneumothorax and concomitant pleural empyema due to a giant hiatal recurrence after previous surgery. Multidisciplinary management involving thoracic surgeons helped in achieving the best clinical outcome for the patient.
CORUM: the comprehensive resource of mammalian protein complexes–2022
Authors: Tsitsiridis George , Steinkamp Ralph , Giurgiu Madalina , Brauner Barbara , Fobo Gisela , Frishman Goar , Montrone Corinna , Ruepp Andreas
Published: November 2022

The CORUM database has been providing comprehensive reference information about experimentally characterized, mammalian protein complexes and their associated biological and biomedical properties since 2007. Given that most catalytic and regulatory functions of the cell are carried out by protein complexes, their composition and characterization is of greatest importance in basic and disease biology. The new CORUM 4.0 release encompasses 5204 protein complexes offering the largest and most comprehensive publicly available dataset of manually curated mammalian protein complexes. The CORUM dataset is built from 5299 different genes, representing 26% of the protein coding genes in humans. Complex information from 3354 scientific articles is mainly obtained from human (70%), mouse (16%) and rat (9%) cells and tissues. Recent curation work includes sets of protein complexes, Functional Complex Groups, that offer comprehensive collections of published data in specific biological processes and molecular functions. In addition, a new graphical analysis tool was implemented that displays co-expression data from the subunits of protein complexes. CORUM is freely accessible at http://mips.helmholtz-muenchen.de/corum/.
Factors Impacting the Yield of Image-Guided Biopsy in Native Vertebral Osteomyelitis: A 10-Year Retrospective Study
Authors: Maamari Julian B , Tande Aaron J , Tai Don Bambino Geno , Diehn Felix E , Ross Courtney , Lahr Brian , Suh Gina A , Berbari Elie F
Published: November 2022

Background

Image-guided biopsies in patients with suspected native vertebral osteomyelitis (NVO) are recommended to establish the microbiological diagnosis and guide antibiotic therapy. Despite recent advances, the microbiological yield of this procedure remains between 48% and 52%. A better understanding of factors associated with this low yield may lead to improved microbiological diagnosis.

Methods

We retrospectively identified patients with suspected NVO undergoing image-guided biopsies from January 2011 to June 2021 at our institution. Two hundred nine patients undergoing 248 percutaneous biopsies were included. Demographic data, biopsy and microbiologic techniques, clinical characteristics, and antibiotic use were collected. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine factors associated with microbiological yield.

Results

A total of 110 of 209 (52.6%) initial image-guided biopsies revealed positive microbiological results. This number increased to 121 of 209 (57.9%) when repeat image-guided biopsies were included. In multivariable analysis, aspiration of fluid was associated with a 3-fold increased odds of yielding a positive result (odds ratio [OR], 3.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–7.04; P = .006), whereas prior antibiotic use was associated with a 3-fold decreased yield (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, .16–.65; P = .002). A univariate subgroup analysis revealed a significant association between the length of the antibiotic-free period and microbiological yield, with the lowest rates of pathogen detection at 0–3 days and higher rates as duration increased (P = .017).

Conclusions

Prior antibiotic use in patients with suspected NVO was associated with a decrease in the microbiological yield of image-guided biopsies. An antibiotic-free period of at least 4 days is suggested to maximize yield. Successful fluid aspiration during the procedure also increases microbiological yield.
ESTIMATION OF PATIENT ORGAN AND WHOLE-BODY DOSES IN [18F-FDG] PET/CT SCAN
Authors: Kessara Aida , Buyukcizmeci Nihal , Gedik Gonca Kara
Published: November 2022

The object of this study was to estimate organ doses and whole-body effective doses from positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan using [fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18F-FDG) in adult patients and to assess the CT component contribution to organ and whole-body doses. The [18F-FDG] PET/CT scan was conducted on 204 adult patients (90 females and 114 males). For all patients, females and males, the whole-body effective doses were 20.54, 23.89 and 17.89 mSv, respectively. For all patients, females and males, the CT component contribution to the whole-body effective dose was 66, 71 and 62%, respectively. Since CT is the primary contributor to the effective dose in the [18F-FDG] PET/CT scan protocol, the significance of improving CT protocols to minimize patient dose is underscored. All attempts must be made, using available mechanisms and techniques, to reduce the patient's dose of PET/CT scan, especially in obese patients.
Unearthing Modes of Climatic Adaptation in Underground Storage Organs Across Liliales
Authors: Tribble Carrie M , May Michael R , Jackson-Gain Abigail , Zenil-Ferguson Rosana , Specht Chelsea D , Rothfels Carl J
Published: November 2022

Testing adaptive hypotheses about how continuous traits evolve in association with developmentally structured discrete traits, while accounting for the confounding influence of other, hidden, evolutionary forces, remains a challenge in evolutionary biology. For example, geophytes are herbaceous plants—with underground buds—that use underground storage organs (USOs) to survive extended periods of unfavorable conditions. Such plants have evolved multiple times independently across all major vascular plant lineages. Even within closely related lineages, however, geophytes show impressive variation in the morphological modifications and structures (i.e.,“types” of USOs) that allow them to survive underground. Despite the developmental and structural complexity of USOs, the prevailing hypothesis is that they represent convergent evolutionary “solutions” to a common ecological problem, though some recent research has drawn this conclusion into question. We extend existing phylogenetic comparative methods to test for links between the hierarchical discrete morphological traits associated with USOs and adaptation to environmental variables, using a phylogeny of 621 species in Liliales. We found that plants with different USO types do not differ in climatic niche more than expected by chance, with the exception of root morphology, where modified roots are associated with lower temperature seasonality. These findings suggest that root tubers may reflect adaptations to different climatic conditions than those represented by other types of USOs. Thus, the tissue type and developmental origin of the USO structure may influence the way it mediates ecological relationships, which draws into question the appropriateness of ascribing broad ecological patterns uniformly across geophytic taxa. This work provides a new framework for testing adaptive hypotheses and for linking ecological patterns across morphologically varying taxa while accounting for developmental (non-independent) relationships in morphological data. [Climatic niche evolution; geophytes; imperfect correspondence; macroevolution.].
Use of near-infrared spectroscopy to estimate physical, anatomical and hydraulic properties ofEucalyptuswood
Authors: Barotto Antonio José , Martínez-Meier Alejandro , Segura Vincent , Monteoliva Silvia , Charpentier Jean-Paul , Gyenge Javier , Sergent Anne Sophie , Millier Frédéric , Rozenberg Philippe , Fernández María Elena
Published: November 2022

Tree breeding programs and wood industries require simple, time- and cost-effective techniques to process large volumes of samples. In recent decades, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been acknowledged as one of the most powerful techniques for wood analysis, making it the most used tool for high-throughput phenotyping. Previous studies have shown that a significant number of anatomical, physical, chemical and mechanical wood properties can be estimated through NIRS, both for angiosperm and gymnosperm species. However, the ability of this technique to predict functional traits related to drought resistance has been poorly explored, especially in angiosperm species. This is particularly relevant since determining xylem hydraulic properties by conventional techniques is complex and time-consuming, clearly limiting its use in studies and applications that demand large amounts of samples. In this study, we measured several wood anatomical and hydraulic traits and collected NIR spectra in branches of two Eucalyptus L'Hér species. We developed NIRS calibration models and discussed their ability to accurately predict the studied traits. The models generated allowed us to adequately calibrate the reference traits, with high R2 (≥0.75) for traits such as P12, P88, the slope of the vulnerability curves to xylem embolism or the fiber wall fraction, and with lower R2 (0.39–0.52) for P50, maximum hydraulic conductivity or frequency of ray parenchyma. We found that certain wavenumbers improve models’ calibration, with those in the range of 4000–5500 cm−1 predicting the highest number of both anatomical and functional traits. We concluded that the use of NIRS allows calibrating models with potential predictive value not only for wood structural and chemical variables but also for anatomical and functional traits related to drought resistance in wood types with complex structure as eucalypts. These results are promising in light of the required knowledge about species and genotypes adaptability to global climatic change.
Validation of an Alternative Small Stem Assay for Blight Resistance in Chestnut Seedlings and Recommendations for Broader Use
Authors: Conn Caitlin E. , Howie Noah , Lynch Marshall , Lee Shanna , Young Eden , Westbrook Jared , Holliday Jason , Zhang Qian , Cipollini Martin L.
Published: November 2022

We evaluated an alternative small stem assay (AltSSA) for blight resistance in backcross hybrid chestnut trees (Castanea dentata/mollissima). Whereas standard small stem assays (SSAs) are done by inoculating small incisions in stems, in our AltSSA, 4- to 5-mm stems are cut off, and the exposed (living) stem tips are inoculated with discs of Cryphonectria parasitica inoculum and temporarily covered with plastic sleeves. Intended primarily for forward selection, this method was designed to be easy to implement, to consistently induce cankering, and to better enable seedling recovery via the development of lateral shoots from the lower stem. After 90+ days, cankers are evaluated and removed, and seedlings are prepared for out-planting. Previous results showed that AltSSAs performed at least as well as a common SSA method in distinguishing resistant and susceptible types. In this follow-up analysis of 35 lines of backcross seedlings studied in 2020 and 2021, we showed that mean orange zone canker length (OZCL) and a multifactor principal components analysis-based blight resistance index gave results consistent with predictions derived from two methods of blight resistance phenotyping and percentage of American chestnut ancestry of the parents of each line. As expected, based upon the apparent polygenic inheritance of blight resistance in backcross chestnut trees, mean OZCL of backcross families ranged from intermediate (F1 hybrid-level) to low (wild-type American chestnut-level). Consistent with prior results, canker production was near 100%, survivorship after out-planting was very high, and postinoculation stem dieback was not apparently related to the stem tip inoculations. Altogether, these results suggest that the AltSSA is a viable method for early detection of relative blight resistance in seedlings and may enable a reduction in the numbers of trees out-planted and placed under care for long-term evaluation and breeding. Thus, the AltSSA can prevent time, resources, and orchard space from being used on susceptible trees.
Detection of Ilyonectria pseudodestructans from Potato by RNase H-Dependent PCR (rhPCR) and rh-Quantitative PCR (rhqPCR)
Authors: Jiang Junye , Feindel Will , Harding Michael , Feindel David , Bajema Stacey , Feng Jie
Published: November 2022

Ilyonectria pseudodestructans, a plant pathogen that is known to cause root rot on fruit trees such as grapevine and apple, has recently been reported to also cause tuber decay in potato. The increasing risk of this pathogen on various horticultural crops makes it essential to develop a rapid and accurate detection method. In this study, an RNase H-dependent PCR (rhPCR) protocol and a modified probe-based rh-quantitative PCR (rhqPCR) protocol for I. pseudodestructans detection were developed. Both the forward and reverse primers for rhPCR and rhqPCR carry an RNA nucleotide at the site where a single-nucleotide polymorphism between I. pseudodestructans and strains of other Ilyonectria spp. is located, and the rhqPCR also contains a fluorescent-labeled target-specific probe. The primers were designed based on the sequence of the histone H3 gene and could amplify a DNA fragment of 73 bp. In the specificity test, by alignment via the BLASTn tool, the RNA nucleotide bases on both the forward and the reverse primers were identical to the corresponding genomic site of 16 of 17 (94.1%) database-available I. pseudodestructans strains, and different from 43 of 44 (97.7%) database-available strains of other Ilyonectria spp. When the rhPCR and rhqPCR protocols were applied on 11 I. pseudodestructans strains and 46 other strains of different species of plant pathogens, all of the I. pseudodestructans strains generated positive reactions whereas all of the other strains were negative, which indicated an excellent specificity of the primers. In the sensitivity test, the lowest DNA template amount for a positive reaction using the rhPCR and rhqPCR methods was 2 pg for I. pseudodestructans genomic DNA. When testing the rhqPCR method on gBlock, the lowest number of molecules for a positive reaction was six. These results indicated a high sensitivity of the protocol for I. pseudodestructans detection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a probe-based rhqPCR to be applied to plant disease diagnosis; in addition, this is also the first rapid molecular protocol to detect I. pseudodestructans. The new rhPCR and rhqPCR methods have a potential to be applied by plant disease diagnostic labs for their routine work.
Stem and Sheath Diseases and Yield Response of Irrigated Rice Rotation Systems with Different Intensification Levels
Authors: Martínez Sebastián
Published: November 2022

Rice cultivation in South America is undergoing several intensification processes for economic reasons that cause more rice to be planted continuously on the same soils. This intensification makes the long-term biological and economic sustainability of systems questionable. Among the most common problems that threaten sustainability in intensified systems is pest and disease pressure. In this context, the primary rice diseases were studied during a 6-year period in a long-term experiment of rice rotations established in 2012 in Uruguay. The experiment consisted of six rice rotations with other crops with different duration and intensification levels. The main disease found was stem rot and, to a lesser extent, aggregate sheath spot and sheath spot of rice. These diseases are of importance in intensified rice systems because they produce sclerotia that accumulate in soils. Disease occurrence was variable among years and rotations. Stem rot incidence increased rapidly in the experiment, reaching values close to 85% in the third year, while the severity varied each year. Sheath spot incidence and severity were low and varied with the year. Continuous rice (CR) reached the highest occurrence values for stem rot, but other systems with short pastures in rotation did not differ. Aggregate sheath spot and sheath spot were of importance only in CR and in some years. When levels of intensification were compared, systems with less time (25 to 60%) occupied with rice showed lower disease severity and higher yields. Comparing CR with rice rotation with pastures of different lengths (1 to 3 years), disease occurrence was higher in 2 of the 4 years analyzed. However, yields were consistently lower, denoting that other factors are influencing productivity. Stem and sheath diseases appear not to be a limiting factor in the medium term in intensified rice systems. Also, there are several alternatives of rice intensification incorporating crops and pastures in the rotation.
Arthroscopic Capsulodesis for the Treatment of Dynamic Scapholunate Dissociations
Authors: Haerle Max , Schmelzer-Schmied Nicole , Lampert Florian M.
Published: November 2022

Management of scapholunate dissociations remains a significant challenge. Open approaches suffer from a disadvantageous further impairment of the stabilizing local structures. The minimally invasive arthroscopic technique described provides reliable stability of the scapholunate interosseous ligament complex in dynamic lesions. The anatomic key structure is the dorsal capsuloligamentous scapholunate septum, which provides a mechanical connection between the scaphoid, lunate, and dorsal capsule of the wrist. Arthroscopic capsuloplasty aims to tighten and stabilize this complex structure in long term. This approach preserves the adjacent structures, namely the secondary wrist stabilizers and their neuromuscular feedback loops. With a certain degree of experience in wrist arthroscopy, the technique is reliably adaptable and reproducible.
Targeting exon 20 insertion mutations in lung cancer
Authors: Yang Yaning , Wang Yan
Published: November 2022

Purpose of review

The application of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) has successfully changed the standard of care in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) positive non-small cell lung cancer. However, clinical survivals for patients with EGFR exon 20 insertions have failed to improve over the long period and the mutation appeared resistant to EGFR-TKIs. This overview focused on the current treatment strategies, summarized the emerging regimens for patients with EGFR exon 20 insertions, and demonstrated historical challenges and future development.

Recent finding

Current clinical trials suggested that several regimens selectively-targeted EGFR exon 20 insertions presented potent antitumor activity, like mobocertinib and the bispecific anti-EGFR-MET monoclonal antibody amivantamab and were approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in patients progressed beyond first-line treatment. Novel treatments, including DZD9008, CLN-081, revealed modest clinical efficacy as well and clinical trials are underway, which may lead to improvement of survival outcomes.

Recent clinical evidence indicates that targeted therapies could improve survival benefits to some extent. More efforts on drug development are underway to bring higher response rates both extracranial and intracranial, sustained clinical remission, and better survival benefits.
Multiomic analysis reveals microbiome-related relationships between cocaine use and metabolites
Authors: Martinez Sabrina Sales , Stebliankin Vitalii , Hernandez Jacqueline , Martin Haley , Tamargo Javier , Rodriguez Jose Bastida , Teeman Colby , Johnson Angelique , Seminario Leslie , Campa Adriana , Narasimhan Giri , Baum Marianna K.
Published: November 2022

Objective:

Over 19 million individuals globally have a cocaine use disorder, a significant public health crisis. Cocaine has also been associated with a pro-inflammatory state and recently with imbalances in the intestinal microbiota as compared to nonuse. The objective of this pilot study was to characterize the gut microbiota and plasma metabolites in people with HIV (PWH) who use cocaine compared with those who do not.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Methods:

A pilot study in PWH was conducted on 25 cocaine users and 25 cocaine nonusers from the Miami Adult Studies on HIV cohort. Stool samples and blood plasma were collected. Bacterial composition was characterized using 16S rRNA sequencing. Metabolomics in plasma were determined using gas and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Results:

The relative abundances of the Lachnopspira genus, Oscillospira genus, Bifidobacterium adolescentis species, and Euryarchaeota phylum were significantly higher in the cocaine- using PWH compared to cocaine-nonusing PWH. Cocaine-use was associated with higher levels of several metabolites: products of dopamine catabolism (3-methoxytyrosine and 3-methoxytyramine sulfate), phenylacetate, benzoate, butyrate, and butyrylglycine.

Conclusions:

Cocaine use was associated with higher abundances of taxa and metabolites known to be associated with pathogenic states that include gastrointestinal conditions. Understanding key intestinal bacterial functional pathways that are altered due to cocaine use in PWH will provide a better understanding of the relationships between the host intestinal microbiome and potentially provide novel treatments to improve health.
Oxygen saturation probe-related pressure injury prevention in children on an inpatient pediatric unit: a best practice implementation project
Authors: Carroll Amy L. , Palokas Michelle , Linnell Shelbi
Published: November 2022

Objectives:

The aim of this project was to increase compliance with rotation and documentation of rotation of oxygen saturation probes to reduce medical-device-related pressure injuries in children on a pediatric inpatient unit.

Introduction:

There are a multitude of factors that place hospitalized children at an increased risk for medical-device-related pressure injuries. Evidence supports the rotation of medical devices, if appropriate, at least twice daily to minimize the risk of medical-device-related pressure injuries in hospitalized children.

Methods:

The project used JBI's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice audit tool for encouraging evidence-based practices. A baseline audit was conducted, followed by the implementation of targeted strategies. The project was completed with a follow-up audit to determine change in practice.

Results:

The baseline audit revealed significant deficits in two of the seven audit criteria. Barriers to the rotation of oxygen saturation probes and the assessment of skin under oxygen saturation probes were identified by the project team and an electronic health record (EHR) documentation change was implemented. Follow-up audits were not conducted on the five criteria that showed high compliance at baseline. For the remaining two audit criteria, data revealed no improvement in one of the criteria (3% compliance at both baseline and follow-up audits) and an increase from 0% compliance to 43% compliance in the second criterion.

Conclusion:

Optimizing EHR documentation, specifically ease and efficiency of EHR documentation, has the potential to positively impact clinical practice.
Colour moult phenology and camouflage mismatch in polymorphic populations of Arctic foxes
Authors: Zimova Marketa , Moberg Dick , Mills L. Scott , Dietz Andreas J. , Angerbjörn Anders
Published: November 2022

Species that seasonally moult from brown to white to match snowy backgrounds become conspicuous and experience increased predation risk as snow cover duration declines. Long-term adaptation to camouflage mismatch in a changing climate might occur through phenotypic plasticity in colour moult phenology and or evolutionary shifts in moult rate or timing. Also, adaptation may include evolutionary shifts towards winter brown phenotypes that forgo the winter white moult. Most studies of these processes have occurred in winter white populations, with little attention to polymorphic populations with sympatric winter brown and winter white morphs. Here, we used remote camera traps to record moult phenology and mismatch in two polymorphic populations of Arctic foxes in Sweden over 2 years. We found that the colder, more northern population moulted earlier in the autumn and later in the spring. Next, foxes moulted earlier in the autumn and later in the spring during colder and snowier years. Finally, white foxes experienced relatively low camouflage mismatch while blue foxes were mismatched against snowy backgrounds most of the autumn through the spring. Because the brown-on-white mismatch imposes no evident costs, we predict that as snow duration decreases, increasing blue morph frequencies might help facilitate species persistence.
A cultural evolutionary theory that explains both gradual and punctuated change
Authors: Vidiella Blai , Carrignon Simon , Bentley R. Alexander , O’Brien Michael J. , Valverde Sergi
Published: November 2022

Cumulative cultural evolution (CCE) occurs among humans who may be presented with many similar options from which to choose, as well as many social influences and diverse environments. It is unknown what general principles underlie the wide range of CCE dynamics and whether they can all be explained by the same unified paradigm. Here, we present a scalable evolutionary model of discrete choice with social learning, based on a few behavioural science assumptions. This paradigm connects the degree of transparency in social learning to the human tendency to imitate others. Computer simulations and quantitative analysis show the interaction of three primary factors—information transparency, popularity bias and population size—drives the pace of CCE. The model predicts a stable rate of evolutionary change for modest degrees of popularity bias. As popularity bias grows, the transition from gradual to punctuated change occurs, with maladaptive subpopulations arising on their own. When the popularity bias gets too severe, CCE stops. This provides a consistent framework for explaining the rich and complex adaptive dynamics taking place in the real world, such as modern digital media.
Geometry of spiking patterns in early visual cortex: a topological data analytic approach
Authors: Guidolin Andrea , Desroches Mathieu , Victor Jonathan D. , Purpura Keith P. , Rodrigues Serafim
Published: November 2022

In the brain, spiking patterns live in a high-dimensional space of neurons and time. Thus, determining the intrinsic structure of this space presents a theoretical and experimental challenge. To address this challenge, we introduce a new framework for applying topological data analysis (TDA) to spike train data and use it to determine the geometry of spiking patterns in the visual cortex. Key to our approach is a parametrized family of distances based on the timing of spikes that quantifies the dissimilarity between neuronal responses. We applied TDA to visually driven single-unit and multiple single-unit spiking activity in macaque V1 and V2. TDA across timescales reveals a common geometry for spiking patterns in V1 and V2 which, among simple models, is most similar to that of a low-dimensional space endowed with Euclidean or hyperbolic geometry with modest curvature. Remarkably, the inferred geometry depends on timescale and is clearest for the timescales that are important for encoding contrast, orientation and spatial correlations.
Paracrine interactions through FGFR1 and FGFR2 receptors regulate the development of preimplantation mouse chimaeric embryo
Authors: Krawczyk Katarzyna , Wilczak Katarzyna , Szczepańska Katarzyna , Maleszewski Marek , Suwińska Aneta
Published: November 2022

The preimplantation mammalian embryo has the potential to self-organize, allowing the formation of a correctly patterned embryo despite experimental perturbation. To better understand the mechanisms controlling the developmental plasticity of the early mouse embryo, we used chimaeras composed of an embryonic day (E)3.5 or E4.5 inner cell mass (ICM) and cleaving 8-cell embryo. We revealed that the restricted potential of the ICM can be compensated for by uncommitted 8-cell embryo-derived blastomeres, thus leading to the formation of a normal chimaeric blastocyst that can undergo full development. However, whether such chimaeras maintain developmental competence depends on the presence or specific orientation of the polarized primitive endoderm layer in the ICM component. We also demonstrated that downregulated FGFR1 and FGFR2 expression in 8-cell embryos disturbs intercellular interactions between both components and results in an inverse proportion of primitive endoderm and epiblast within the resulting ICM and abnormal embryo development. This finding suggests that FGF signalling is a key part of the regulatory mechanism that assigns cells to a given lineage and ensures the proper composition of the blastocyst, which is a prerequisite for its successful implantation in the uterus and for further development.
Klein–Gordon equation for electrically charged particles with new energy-momentum operator
Authors: Kholmetskii A. L. , Yarman T. , Missevitch O.
Published: November 2022

We address the Klein–Gordon equation for a spinless charged particle in the presence of an electromagnetic (EM) field, and focus on its known shortcoming, related to the existence of solutions with a negative probability density. We disclose a principal way to overcome this shortcoming, using our recent results obtained in the analysis of quantum phase effects for charges and dipoles, which prove the need to abandon the customary definition of the momentum operator for a charged particle in an EM field through its canonical momentum, and to adopt the more general definition of this operator through the sum of mechanical and EM momenta for the system ‘charged particle in an EM field’. We show that the application of the new energy-momentum operator to the Klein–Gordon equation actually eliminates solutions with negative probability density. Some implications of the obtained results are discussed.
More can be better: An analysis of single-mutant fixation probability functions under 2 × 2 games
Authors: Pires Diogo L. , Broom Mark
Published: November 2022

Evolutionary game theory has proved to be a powerful tool to probe the self-organization of collective behaviour by considering frequency-dependent fitness in evolutionary processes. It has shown that the stability of a strategy depends not only on the payoffs received after each encounter but also on the population’s size. Here, we study2×2games in well-mixed finite populations by analyzing the fixation probabilities of single mutants as functions of population size. We proved that nine of the 24 possible games always lead to monotonically decreasing functions, similarly to fixed fitness scenarios. However, fixation functions showed increasing regions under 12 distinct anti-coordination, coordination and dominance games. Perhaps counter-intuitively, this establishes that single-mutant strategies often benefit from being in larger populations. Fixation functions that increase from a global minimum to a positive asymptotic value are pervasive but may have been easily concealed by the weak selection limit. We obtained sufficient conditions to observe fixation increasing for small populations and three distinct ways this can occur. Finally, we describe fixation functions with the increasing regions bounded by two extremes under intermediate population sizes. We associate their occurrence with transitions from having one global extreme to other shapes.