bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clostridium difficile exploits a host metabolite produced during toxin-mediated infection
Authors: Pruss Kali M. , Sonnenburg Justin L.
Published: January 2021

Several enteric pathogens can gain specific metabolic advantages over other members of the microbiota by inducing host pathology and inflammation. The pathogenClostridium difficile(Cd) is responsible for a toxin-mediated colitis that causes 15,000 deaths in the U.S. yearly1, yet the molecular mechanisms by whichCdbenefits from toxin-induced colitis remain understudied. Up to 21% of healthy adults are asymptomatic carriers of toxigenicCd2, indicating thatCdcan persist as part of a healthy microbiota; antibiotic-induced perturbation of the gut ecosystem is associated with transition to toxin-mediated disease. To understand howCdmetabolism adapts from a healthy gut to the inflamed conditions its toxins induce, we used RNA-seq to define the metabolic state of wild-typeCdversus an isogenic mutant lacking toxins in a mouse model. Combining bacterial and mouse genetics, we demonstrate thatCdutilizes sorbitol derived from both diet and host. Host-derived sorbitol is produced by the enzyme aldose reductase, which is expressed by diverse immune cells and is upregulated during inflammation, including duringCdtoxin-mediated disease. This work highlights a mechanism by whichCdcan utilize a host-derived nutrient generated during toxin-induced disease by an enzyme not previously associated with infection.
Sleep problems in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders are associated with sensory sensitivities and thalamocortical overconnectivity
Authors: Linke A.C. , Chen B. , Olson L. , Ibarra C. , Fong C. , Reynolds S. , Apostol M. , Kinnear M.K. , Müller R.-A. , Fishman I.
Published: January 2021

Projections between the thalamus and sensory cortices are established early in development and play an important role in sleep regulation as well as in relaying sensory information to cortex. Atypical thalamocortical functional connectivity frequently observed in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) might therefore be linked to sensory and sleep problems common in ASD. Here we investigated the relationship between auditory-thalamic functional connectivity measured during natural sleep fMRI, sleep problems, and sound sensitivities in 70 toddlers and preschoolers (1.5 to 5-year-olds) with ASD compared to a matched group of 46 typically developing (TD) children. In children with ASD, sleep problems and sensory sensitivities were positively correlated, and increased sleep latency was associated with overconnectivity between the thalamus and auditory cortex in a subsample with high quality MRI data (n=29). Additionally, auditory cortex BOLD signal amplitude was elevated in children with ASD, potentially reflecting reduced sensory gating or a lack of auditory habituation during natural sleep. These findings indicate that atypical thalamocortical functional connectivity can be detected early in development and may play a crucial role in sleep problems and sensory sensitivities in ASD.
X-ray diffraction by surface acoustic waves
Authors: Roshchupkin Dmitry , Ortega Luc , Plotitcyna Olga , Zizak Ivo , Vadilonga Simone , Irzhak Dmitry , Emelin Evgenii
Published: January 2021

The possibilities are presented of X-ray diffraction methods for studying the propagation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in solids, including diffraction under total external reflection conditions and Bragg diffraction, using acoustically modulated X-ray multilayer mirrors and crystals. SAW propagation was studied using both meridional and sagittal diffraction geometries where the SAW wavevectors and X-ray photons are collinear or perpendicular, respectively. SAW propagation in a crystal leads to sinusoidal modulation of the crystal lattice and the appearance of diffraction satellites on the rocking curve. The intensities and angular positions of these diffraction satellites are determined by the SAW wavelength, amplitude and attenuation. Therefore, diffraction methods allow the analysis of the SAW propagation process and determination of SAW parameters. The influence of X-ray energy on diffraction by acoustically modulated crystals is studied for the first time. It is shown that changes in the X-ray energy can change the angular region where diffraction satellites exist under conditions of total external reflection. By contrast, in the Bragg diffraction region changes in the X-ray photon energy lead to changes in the X-ray penetration depth into the crystal and redistribution of the diffracted intensity among diffraction satellites, but do not change the angular divergence between diffraction satellites on the rocking curve. It is also shown that, in X-ray diffraction on acoustically modulated crystals on a number of successive reflections, a decrease in interplanar spacing leads to an increase in the number of diffraction satellites and a redistribution of diffracted radiation between them.
Identification of grown-in dislocations in protein crystals by digital X-ray topography
Authors: Suzuki Ryo , Abe Marina , Kojima Kenichi , Tachibana Masaru
Published: January 2021

X-ray topography is a useful and nondestructive method for direct observation of crystal defects in nearly perfect single crystals. The grown-in dislocations from the cross-linked seed crystal in tetragonal hen egg-white lysozyme crystals were successfully characterized by digital X-ray topography. Digital X-ray topographs with various reflections were easily obtained by reconstruction of sequential rocking-curve images. The Burgers vector of the dislocation is different from those reported previously. Interestingly, one of the dislocations had a bent shape. The preferred direction of the dislocation line was analysed by the estimated dislocation energy based on the dislocation theory. The dislocation energy can be estimated by the dislocation theory even in protein crystals composed of macromolecules.
Restoring structural parameters of lipid mixtures from small-angle X-ray scattering data
Authors: Konarev Petr V. , Gruzinov Andrey Yu. , Mertens Haydyn D. T. , Svergun Dmitri I.
Published: January 2021

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is widely utilized to study soluble macromolecules, including those embedded into lipid carriers and delivery systems such as surfactant micelles, phospholipid vesicles and bilayered nanodiscs. To adequately describe the scattering from such systems, one needs to account for both the form factor (overall structure) and long-range-order Bragg reflections emerging from the organization of bilayers, which is a non-trivial task. Presently existing methods separate the analysis of lipid mixtures into distinct procedures using form-factor fitting and the fitting of the Bragg peak regions. This article describes a general approach for the computation and analysis of SAXS data from lipid mixtures over the entire angular range of an experiment. The approach allows one to restore the electron density of a lipid bilayer and simultaneously recover the corresponding size distribution and multilamellar organization of the vesicles. The method is implemented in a computer program,LIPMIX, and its performance is demonstrated on an aqueous solution of layered lipid vesicles undergoing an extrusion process. The approach is expected to be useful for the analysis of various types of lipid-based systems,e.g.for the characterization of interactions between target drug molecules and potential carrier/delivery systems.
Simulations of foil-based spin-echo (modulated) small-angle neutron scattering with a sample using McStas
Authors: Bouwman Wim G. , Knudsen Erik B. , Udby Linda , Willendrup Peter
Published: January 2021

For the further development of spin-echo techniques to label elastic scattering it is necessary to perform simulations of the Larmor precession of neutron spins in a magnetic field. The details of some of these techniques as implemented at the reactor in Delft are simulated. First, the workings of the magnetized foil flipper are simulated. A full virtual spin-echo small-angle neutron scattering instrument is built and tested without and with a realistic scattering sample. It is essential for these simulations to have a simulated sample that also describes the transmitted beam of unscattered neutrons, which usually is not implemented for the simulation of conventional small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) instruments. Finally, the workings of a spin-echo modulated small-angle neutron scattering (SEMSANS) instrument are simulated. The simulations are in good agreement with theory and experiments. This setup can be extended to include realistic magnetic field distributions to fully predict the features of future Larmor labelling elastic-scattering instruments. Configurations can now be simulated for more complicated combinations of SANS with SEMSANS.
Are cooperatives transitioning from cost minimizers to profit maximizers?
Authors: Clymer Amanda , Bowman Whitney , Yeager Elizabeth A. , Briggeman Brian C.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the optimizing behavior of agricultural supply and marketing cooperatives in the US Midwestern states.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses firm-level data from CoBank, the primary lender to agricultural cooperatives, to evaluate optimizing behavior of 77 Midwestern agricultural marketing and supply cooperatives from 2014 through 2017. The study uses the data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the weak axioms of cost minimization and profit maximization to identify whether or not a cooperative is following a cost minimization and/or profit maximization objective.

Findings

In contrast to previous research, results provide stronger support for profit maximization as the behavioral objective of agricultural cooperatives instead of cost minimization, especially for larger cooperatives.

Practical implications

Traditional firm theory for investor-owned firms states that businesses seek to maximize profits. Agricultural cooperatives however, could aim to maximize profits so as to redistribute profits back to user-owners as patronage refunds. Or, they could minimize costs so as to lower cost of products sold and services provided to their user-owners. Given users-control the cooperative, knowing the primary objective of agricultural cooperatives will allow for better design of research and education programming.

Originality/value

Given recent changes and consolidation in the agricultural industry among farms and agricultural cooperatives, this study reexamines past work that evaluated the optimizing behavior of agricultural cooperatives. Changes in industry and the necessity to remain competitive from an agribusiness standpoint have resulted in an anticipated shift toward a profit maximizing objective. The value of this study is providing an evaluation framework, using a firm-level comprehensive dataset, that represents the cooperative system.
Selection of environmental-conscious sourcing: an empirical investigation
Authors: Ghosh Sudipta , Mandal Madhab Chandra , Ray Amitava
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The prime objective of this paper is to design a green supply chain management (GSCM) framework to evaluate the performance of environmental-conscious suppliers using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The literature survey reveals critical factors for implementing GSCM, adopted methodologies and the result obtained by several researchers. Data have been collected by conducting surveys and interviews with strategic-level personnel of five esteemed organizations in automobile manufacturing sectors. A GSCM framework is developed in which a mathematical tool entropy–the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) has been used to analyze the six parameters of automobile manufacturing unit. Initially, entropy is used to find the weights of each of the parameters that influence the decision matrix of the TOPSIS method. Secondly, the proposed GSCM framework ranks the supplier. Finally, sensitivity analysis of the model satisfies the GSCM framework and benchmarked the supplier.

Findings

The result shows that “Total CO2 emission” has an influential role for GSCM sustainability, and hence, firms should put more effort to reduce emissions to improve overall performance. Again, the parameters like investment in R&D and total waste generation may be ignored in the selection process. The result reveals the benchmarked supplier and its strategies for effective sourcing, which would have an indirect effect on organizations' overall sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

This research entirely focuses on sustainability within supply chain considering economic, social and environmental paradigms. The mathematical modeling of the proposed work considers many influential parameters and provides an easy and comprehensive decision-making technique.

Practical implications

The methods may be adopted by the industries for sustainable supply chain management. This study benchmarks the supplier organizations and explores the adopted policies by benchmarked organizations. Other organizations should follow the policies followed by benchmarked organization for enhancing environmental, social and economic performance. Organizations striving for sustainable development can adopt this framework for evaluation of supplier performance and benchmark with better accuracy.

Originality/value

The design of the GSCM framework explores both the qualitative and quantitative data based on environmental, social and economic parameters simultaneously in the evaluation of environmentally conscious suppliers. The research also investigates the constraints of the system to implement the GSCM in automobile manufacturing unit. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis justifies the benchmarked supplier and the adopted strategies to be followed by other manufacturing unit.
Research on the Thermal Environment of Northeast China's Rural Residences
Authors: Sun Cheng , Zhen Meng , Shao Yu
Published: January 2021

Rural residential energy consumption accounts for 46.6% of total building-related energy consumption of China. In Northeast China, energy consumption for space heating represents a significant proportion of total rural residential energy consumption and has reached 100 million tce (tons of standard coal equivalent), or more than 60% of total household energy consumption. In terms of energy consumption per square meter of gross floor area, rural residential energy consumption for heating is more than that of cities (20kgce/m2). However, the average indoor temperature of most rural residence is below 10°C, much less than that in cities (18°C). Hence, it is an important task for Chinese energy saving and emission reduction to reduce rural residential energy consumption, while enhancing indoor thermal comfort at the same time.

Restricted by local technology and low economic level, rural residences currently have poor thermal insulation resulting in severe heat loss. This paper reports on research aimed at developing design strategies for improving thermal insulation properties of rural residences with appropriate technology. A field survey was conducted in six counties in severe cold areas of Northeast China, addressing the aspects of indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity, internal and external surface temperature of building envelop enclosure, and so on.

The survey data show the following:

1. Modern (after 2000) brick-cement rural residences perform much better than the traditional adobe clay houses and Tatou houses (a regional type of rural residence in Northeast China – see figure A) in overall thermal performance and indoor thermal comfort;

2. Among the traditional residential house types, adobe clay houses have better heat stability and thermal storage capacity than Tatou houses;

3. Applying an internal or external thermal insulation layer can greatly improve rural residential thermal insulation properties, and is an economical and efficient solution in rural areas;

4. In terms of roofing materials, tiled roofs show much better thermal insulation properties than thatch roofs;

5. Adopting passive solar techniques can form a transition space (greenhouse) against frigid temperatures, resulting in interior temperatures 5.91°C higher than the outside surroundings. It is evident that local passive solar room design offers significant heat preservation effects and lower cost ($12/m2), embodies the ecological wisdom of rural residents, and is therefore important to popularize.

The above experimental results can provide guidance in energy conservation design for both self-built residences and rural residences designed by architects. In addition, the results can also provide experimental data for energy-saving studies for rural residences in China.
The Scandal of M. Alphonse Legros
Authors: Prettejohn Elizabeth
Published: January 2021

This essay asks why the art of Alphonse Legros (1837–1911) remained inconspicuous in the art history of the past generation, when the study of the nineteenth century played such a prominent role in the discipline. Legros's realist and politically committed practice is eminently suited to the art‐historical methods that dominated that period. He was an associate of Courbet and Whistler, and his work attracted comment from Charles Baudelaire, Walter Pater, and Roger Fry. Why, then, has he remained virtually invisible to art historians? The essay explores three ‘scandals’, or art‐historical blind spots, which have made Legros's art difficult to interpret: his decision to abandon Parisian modernism and ‘become British’; his choice of subject matter involving religious observance; and his lifelong commitment to the art of the past. It argues that Legros's example offers fresh insights into these three areas of growing concern to the art history of the future.
Ingres, Painter of Men
Authors: Shelton Andrew Carrington
Published: January 2021

This essay makes a case for the historical importance and cultural and psychic complexity of Jean‐Auguste‐Dominique Ingres's representations of men, which have tended to be neglected in favour of the painter's much more celebrated and more thoroughly scrutinized representations of women. It focuses on an unfinished portrait of the artist's oldest and dearest friend, Jean‐Pierre‐François Gilibert. I argue that Ingres foregrounded the physical allure and fashionability of his friend in this portrait, thereby overtly specularizing and covertly eroticizing him. The portrait is read as an artefact of an early ‘romantic’ phase of the two men's friendship, one that had to be disavowed in order for them to achieve heterosexual adulthood in accordance with the period's growing dichotomization of homosocial and homoerotic bonds between men. I trace the processes through which Ingres initially disavowed Gilibert – and ultimately, retrospectively re‐embraced him – via the complex role that the latter's portrait played in the decades‐long evolutionary saga of its erstwhile pendant, Ingres's celebrated Self‐Portrait at the Age of Twenty‐Four.
Ideological Tripolarization, Partisan Tribalism and Institutional Trust: The Foundations of Affective Polarization in the Swedish Multiparty System
Authors: Reiljan Andres , Ryan Alexander
Published: January 2021

Currently, very little is known about the individual level foundations of affective polarization outside the US context. This paper addresses this research gap by exploring the predictors of affective polarization in Sweden, using nationally representative survey data. From 2010 till the 2018 elections, the Swedish multiparty system was divided into two affectively converged mainstream party blocs that were moderately polarized between each other, and an asymmetrically polarized populist right party that invoked significantly more hostility from the supporters of mainstream parties than vice versa. To unpack the foundations of affective polarization in such a tripolar configuration, we employ a methodological approach that distinguishes not just between in‐ and outparties but also in‐ and out‐blocs, and separates different conflict dimensions. We find that: (1) voters with stronger partisan identities and more extreme political attitudes exhibit higher levels of affective polarization. The latter, however, is a better predictor of direct dislike towards political opponents; (2) the effects of political attitudes correspond to the tripolar nature of the party system: while affective polarization between the centre‐right and ‐left blocs is mostly driven by socioeconomic positions, the hostility towards Sweden Democrats links predominantly to cultural issues, most notably immigration; (3) institutional trust has a two‐edged relationship with affective polarization: populist right voters that trust the country’s central institutions more, are less polarized towards mainstream blocs, whereas among centre‐right voters, higher trust associates with stronger animosity towards Sweden Democrats. We believe that these findings could have broad implications for affective polarization research in multiparty systems.
Selection, stability, and spuriousness: Testing Gottfredson and Hirschi's propositions to reinterpret street gangs in self‐control perspective*
Authors: Pyrooz David C. , Melde Chris , Coffman Donna L. , Meldrum Ryan C.
Published: January 2021

Overlooked in the extensive literature on self‐control theory are propositions with respect to street gangs. In Gottfredson and Hirschi's (1990) perspective, gangs are loose confederations of youth with low self‐control and their criminological relevance is attributable to “politics and romance” rather than to rigorous empirical research. Prior research is limited by the use of cross‐sectional data, which takes on added importance in light of recent findings on self‐control instability. Using six waves of panel data from a large sample of youth, we test three propositions: gang membership is endogenous to self‐control (selection), self‐control is unrelated to gang membership (stability), and self‐control confounds the well‐established link between gang membership and delinquency (spuriousness). The main findings from stabilized inverse propensity‐weighted multilevel structural equation models are that 1) self‐control is one, but not the only, source of selection into gangs; 2) levels of self‐control worsen during active periods of gang membership; and 3) gang membership maintains a direct association with delinquency, as well as an indirect association operating through self‐control. The empirical evidence does not support reinterpreting gangs in self‐control perspective, instead pointing to the continued relevance of the group context to criminology.
Self‐reported experiences and consequences of unfair treatment by police*
Authors: Dennison Christopher R. , Finkeldey Jessica G.
Published: January 2021

This study uses data from the most recent wave of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (wave V of Add Health) to examine the predictors of experiencing unfair treatment by police. It also considers the degree to which unfair police treatment is associated with a range of social‐psychological and behavioral outcomes in adulthood, including depressive symptoms, self‐efficacy, suicide ideation, and drug use. Finally, this study examines whether any of the relationships between unfair police treatment and adult outcomes differ by race and ethnicity. Most broadly, results suggest that the odds of reporting ever experiencing unfair treatment by police are disproportionately higher among minorities (and more specifically non‐Latino Blacks), men, and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Furthermore, such experiences are detrimental to all of the social‐psychological and behavioral outcomes in adulthood, even after accounting for the differences in who is most likely to experience unfair police treatment via propensity score methods. Lastly, some of these consequences seem to be more pronounced among non‐Latino Whites compared with non‐Latino Blacks, which we believe is attributable to the unfortunate reality that unfair police contact continues to be a normative life‐course event for Black people in the United States.
Bird habitat preferences drive hemoparasite infection in the Neotropical region
Authors: DE LA TORRE Gabriel Massaccesi , CAMPIÃO Karla Magalhães
Published: January 2021

The role that the environment plays in vector‐borne parasite infection is one of the central factors for understanding disease dynamics. We assessed how Neotropical bird foraging strata and habitat preferences determine infection by parasites of the genera Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Trypanosoma and filarioids, and tested for phylogenetic signal in these host–parasite associations. We performed extensive searches of the scientific literature and created a database of hemoparasite surveys. We collected data on host body mass, foraging strata, habitat preference, and migratory status, and tested if host ecological traits predict each hemoparasite occurrence and prevalence using a phylogenetic Bayesian framework. Species of Plasmodium tend to infect birds from tropical forests while birds from altitudinal environments are likely to be infected by species of Leucocytozoon. The probability of a bird being infected by filarioid or Trypanosoma is higher in lowland forests. Bird species that occur in anthropic environments and dry habitats of tropical latitudes are more susceptible to infection by species of Haemoproteus. Host foraging strata is also influential and bird species that forage in the mid‐high and canopy strata are more prone to infection by species of Haemoproteus and filarioids. We also identified phylogenetic signal for host–parasite associations with the probability of infection of Neotropical birds by any hemoparasite being more similar among more closely related species. We provided a useful framework to identify environments that correlate with hemoparasite infection, which is also helpful for detecting areas with potential suitability for hemoparasite infection due to land conversion and climate change.
Metabolic syndrome and clinical outcomes in patients infected with COVID‐19: Does age, sex, and race of the patient with metabolic syndrome matter?
Authors: Lohia Prateek , Kapur Shweta , Benjaram Sindhuri , Pandey Abhilasha , Mir Tanveer , Seyoum Berhane
Published: January 2021

Background

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is highly prevalent worldwide, and its individual components obesity, diabetes, and hypertension have been identified as risk factors to develop severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19); however, data on MetS and clinical outcomes in COVID‐19 are scarce. This study aims to determine association between MetS and severe disease outcomes, that is, mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, and intensive care unit (ICU) requirement among patients with COVID‐19.

Methods

This is a retrospective multihospital cohort study on 1871 patients with confirmed COVID‐19 diagnosis. Patient data including demographics, comorbidities, body mass index (BMI), smoking, laboratory data, and the clinical course of hospitalization were collected. Multivariable regression was performed adjusting for age, sex, race, insurance, smoking, and comorbidities.

Results

A total of 1871 patients (median age 66 [interquartile range, IQR 54‐75]; 965 (51.6%) males; 1494 (80%) African Americans; median BMI 29.4 kg/m2 [IQR 25‐35.8]; 573 (30.6%) patients with MetS) were included. Patients with MetS had increased mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.40; 95% CI, 1.11‐1.75; P = .004), higher ICU admission (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.36‐2.08; P < .001), and increased need for mechanical ventilation (OR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.52‐2.37; P < .001). Among individual comorbidities, diabetes had significant association with mortality (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.05‐1.63; P = 0.02), ICU admission (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.27‐1.93; P < .001), and need for mechanical ventilation (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.30‐2.03; P < .001).

Conclusions

MetS is a better prognostic indicator for severe disease outcomes in patients with COVID‐19 than its individual components. Patients with MetS had significantly higher mortality, increased ICU admissions, and need for mechanical ventilation.
Complex genetic admixture histories reconstructed with Approximate Bayesian Computation
Authors: Fortes‐Lima Cesar A. , Laurent Romain , Thouzeau Valentin , Toupance Bruno , Verdu Paul
Published: January 2021

Admixture is a fundamental evolutionary process that has influenced genetic patterns in numerous species. Maximum‐likelihood approaches based on allele frequencies and linkage‐disequilibrium have been extensively used to infer admixture processes from genome‐wide data sets, mostly in human populations. Nevertheless, complex admixture histories, beyond one or two pulses of admixture, remain methodologically challenging to reconstruct. We developed an Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) framework to reconstruct highly complex admixture histories from independent genetic markers. We built the software package MetHis to simulate independent SNPs or microsatellites in a two‐way admixed population for scenarios with multiple admixture pulses, monotonically decreasing or increasing recurring admixture, or combinations of these scenarios. MetHis allows users to draw model‐parameter values from prior distributions set by the user, and, for each simulation, MetHis can calculate numerous summary statistics describing genetic diversity patterns and moments of the distribution of individual admixture fractions. We coupled MetHis with existing machine‐learning ABC algorithms and investigated the admixture history of admixed populations. Results showed that random forest ABC scenario‐choice could accurately distinguish among most complex admixture scenarios, and errors were mainly found in regions of the parameter space where scenarios were highly nested, and, thus, biologically similar. We focused on African American and Barbadian populations as two study‐cases. We found that neural network ABC posterior parameter estimation was accurate and reasonably conservative under complex admixture scenarios. For both admixed populations, we found that monotonically decreasing contributions over time, from Europe and Africa, explained the observed data more accurately than multiple admixture pulses. This approach will allow for reconstructing detailed admixture histories when maximum‐likelihood methods are intractable.
pixy: Unbiased estimation of nucleotide diversity and divergence in the presence of missing data
Authors: Korunes Katharine L. , Samuk Kieran
Published: January 2021

Population genetic analyses often use summary statistics to describe patterns of genetic variation and provide insight into evolutionary processes. Among the most fundamental of these summary statistics are π and dXY, which are used to describe genetic diversity within and between populations, respectively. Here, we address a widespread issue in π and dXY calculation: systematic bias generated by missing data of various types. Many popular methods for calculating π and dXY operate on data encoded in the variant call format (VCF), which condenses genetic data by omitting invariant sites. When calculating π and dXY using a VCF, it is often implicitly assumed that missing genotypes (including those at sites not represented in the VCF) are homozygous for the reference allele. Here, we show how this assumption can result in substantial downward bias in estimates of π and dXY that is directly proportional to the amount of missing data. We discuss the pervasive nature and importance of this problem in population genetics, and introduce a user‐friendly UNIX command line utility, pixy, that solves this problem via an algorithm that generates unbiased estimates of π and dXY in the face of missing data. We compare pixy to existing methods using both simulated and empirical data, and show that pixy alone produces unbiased estimates of π and dXY regardless of the form or amount of missing data. In summary, our software solves a long‐standing problem in applied population genetics and highlights the importance of properly accounting for missing data in population genetic analyses.
Airbnb Property Management: Performance Evaluation of a Rental Property*
Authors: Boland Matthew
Published: January 2021

This teaching case requires students to generate performance evaluation reports for a short‐term rental property. The case demonstrates the need to analyze variances and think critically about the potential causes of these variances and assess management performance. Students are also required to make forward‐looking recommendations based on the local business environment for short‐term rental properties.
Giving Customers Decision Rights: A Field Study of Pay‐What‐You‐Want Pricing at a Performing Arts Theater*
Authors: Birnberg Jacob , Choi Jongwoon (Willie) , Presslee Adam
Published: January 2021

We conduct a field study at a performing arts theater offering pay‐what‐you‐want (PWYW) pricing as one of several pricing options to purchase tickets. While offering PWYW in this setting introduces multiple layers of self‐selection, we find PWYW attendees are not a homogeneous group. Rather, attendees have distinct identities that vary in the extent to which they view PWYW as an economic transaction or a social exchange. We also find the effect of PWYW on subsequent consumption behavior is asymmetric. PWYW attendees do not subsequently become season subscribers. However, when the PWYW option was offered for a different performance, some season subscribers to that performance canceled their season ticket subscriptions with plans to use PWYW in the future, resulting in potentially lost revenues and a smaller season subscriber base. Thus, using PWYW as part of multiple pricing strategy may be especially costly when firms rely on dedicated patronage by consumers.
JUNB‐FBXO21‐ERK axis promotes cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis by inhibiting autophagy
Authors: Lin Zhiming , Miao Jianing , Zhang Tao , He Ming , Wang Ziyuan , Feng Xinyuan , Bai Lunhao
Published: January 2021

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a heterogeneous disease that is extremely hard to cure owing to its complex regulation network of pathogenesis, especially cartilage degeneration. FBXO21 is a subunit of ubiquitin E3 ligases that degrades P‐glycoprotein and EID1 by ubiquitination and activates the JNK and p38 pathways; however, its role in OA remains unknown. Here, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the potential effects and mechanism of FBXO21 in OA degeneration, we revealed that FBXO21 is upregulated in the cartilage of patients with OA, aging, and monosodium iodoacetate‐induced OA rats, and chondrocytes treated with interleukin‐1β, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and lipopolysaccharide. Moreover, the in vivo and in vitro knockdown of FBXO21 suppressed OA‐related cartilage degeneration, as evidenced by activated autophagy, upregulated anabolism, alleviated apoptosis, and downregulated catabolism. In contrast, its overexpression promoted OA‐related cartilage degeneration. In addition, using mass spectrometry and co‐immunoprecipitation assay, we demonstrated that the downstream mechanism of FBXO21 inhibits autophagy by interacting with and phosphorylating ERK. Furthermore, FBXO21 alleviated anabolism and enhanced apoptosis and catabolism by inhibiting autophagy in rat chondrocytes. Interestingly, for its upstream mechanism, JUNB promoted FBXO21 expression by directly targeting the FBXO21 promoter, thus further accelerating cartilage degeneration in SW1353 cells and rat chondrocytes. Overall, our findings reveal that the JUNB‐FBXO21‐ERK axis regulates OA apoptosis and cartilage matrix metabolism by inhibiting autophagy. Therefore, FBXO21 is an attractive target for regulating OA pathogenesis, and its knockdown may provide a novel targeted therapy for OA.
Increased risk of dementia in older female US veterans with alcohol use disorder
Authors: Bahorik Amber , Bobrow Kirsten , Hoang Tina , Yaffe Kristine
Published: January 2021

Aim

To determine whether alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with increased dementia risk among older women veterans.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting

United States.

Participants

Women veterans with AUD aged ≥ 55 years (n = 2207), receiving care from Veterans Health Administration medical centers from October 2004 to September 2015 with one or more follow‐up visit and an age‐matched sample of women veterans without AUD (n = 2207). Women at baseline with prevalent dementia or AUD in remission were excluded.

Measurements

AUD, substance use disorder (SUD), smoking, psychiatric (depression, anxiety, post‐traumatic stress disorder, anxiety) and medical comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, traumatic brain disorder) and dementia determined by the International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification codes. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the association between AUD and dementia risk during follow‐up. Sensitivity analyses were performed by excluding women (n = 349) with comorbid SUD and by excluding women (n = 1568) currently smoking.

Findings

Veteran women had a mean [standard deviation (SD)] age of 65.0 (5.6) years at baseline. During follow‐up (median 4 years, interquartile range: 2–6) 3.7% of women (n = 82) with AUD developed dementia compared with 1.1% (n = 24) without AUD (P < 0.001). After adjustment for demographics, medical and psychiatric conditions and accounting for different Veteran's Integrated Service Networks, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for dementia was 3.12 (95% CI = 1.90–5.12) for women with AUD compared with women without AUD. After removing women with SUD (aHR = 3.53, 95% CI = 2.13–5.85) and women currently smoking (aHR = 3.80, 95% CI = 2.11–6.84), results were similar.

Conclusions

Alcohol use disorder among female US veterans aged more than 55 years appears to be associated with a more than threefold increase of dementia.
Genomic characteristics of four different geese populations in China
Authors: Liu H. , Zhu C. , Song W. , Xu W. , Tao Z. , Zhang S. , Li H.
Published: January 2021

It is well known that many Chinese goose breeds differ substantially in economic performance, but the genetic changes involved are still poorly understood. This study sequenced 35 individuals from four goose breeds namely Shitou, Zhedong White, Taihu, and Zi with an average sequencing depth of 10× for each individual. Among these populations, SNPs were identified, which clustered the individuals into four distinct genetic groups in accordance with the four breeds. Genomic comparisons among the four goose breeds revealed many candidate genes, as well as pathways that may be associated with meat yield in Shitou geese and laying traits in Zi geese. These findings will enable a better understanding of the artificial selection history of Chinese local geese and provide a valuable resource for future research on the breeding of geese for the economic traits of meat and egg production.
Floods, food security, and coping strategies: Evidence from Afghanistan
Authors: Oskorouchi Hamid R. , Sousa‐Poza Alfonso
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we assess the long‐term effect of floods on food security (as measured by calorie and micronutrient consumption) by applying an instrumental variable approach to data from the Afghanistan National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment survey. To identify the determinants of this effect, we also estimate how floods affect per capita yearly household income and poverty status. We find that exposure to flooding during a 12‐month period decreased daily calorie consumption by approximately 60 kcal while increasing the probability of iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C deficiency by 11, 12, and 27 percentage points, respectively. Controlling for price shocks and income only marginally reduces this flood effect on food security, suggesting that impaired livelihoods (rather than price hikes) are its primary driver. We further determine that exposure to this natural disaster decreases income by about 3% and makes flood‐affected households about 3 percentage points more likely to be poor. Lastly, we show that experience of floods is strongly and significantly associated with lower diet quality and quantity, and with engaging in consumption smoothing coping strategies, such as buying food on credit and taking loans. These findings underscore the serious direct impact of floods on both diet and effective behavioral responses to such shocks while emphasizing the need for targeted micronutrient supplementation in disaster relief and food aid measures even after the period of natural disaster emergency.
Effect of lipophilicity on drug distribution and elimination: Influence of obesity
Authors: Bruno Christopher D. , Harmatz Jerold S. , Duan Su X. , Zhang Qingchen , Chow Christina R. , Greenblatt David J.
Published: January 2021

Aims

For a given passively‐distributed lipophilic drug, the extent of in vivo distribution (pharmacokinetic volume of distribution, Vd) in obese individuals increases in relation to the degree of obesity. The present study had the objective of evaluating drug distribution in relation to in vitro lipophilicity, and the relative increase in Vd associated with obesity across a series of drugs.

Methods

Cohorts of normal‐weight control and obese subjects received single doses of drugs ranging from hydrophilic (acetaminophen, salicylate) to lipophilic (imipramine, verapamil). Lipid solubility was measured by the log‐transformed values of the high‐pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) retention index (Log10(HPLC)), and the octanol–water partition coefficient (LogP).

Results

Among normal‐weight controls, Vd normalized for protein binding was highly correlated with Log10(HPLC) (R2 = .65) and with LogP (R2 = .78). Vd of all drugs was increased in the obese cohort, but the relative increase (compared to controls) for individual drugs was disproportionately greater as lipid solubility increased. Since clearance was unrelated to lipophilicity, the increased Vd produced a parallel disproportionate increase in elimination half‐life in the obese cohort that was associated with Log10(HPLC) (R2 = .62).

Conclusion

Lipophilicity is a principal correlate of in vivo Vd, as well as the increased Vd of drugs in obese patients. The consequent prolongation of half‐life in obesity has clinical safety implications in terms of delayed drug accumulation and washout during and after chronic dosage. The magnitude and importance of this effect for a given drug depends on the degree of obesity, as well as the lipid‐solubility of the specific drug.
The association between manic symptoms in adolescence and preschool symptoms: The importance of family history
Authors: Charatcharungkiat Natchanan , Luby Joan , Tillman Rebecca , Vogel Alecia
Published: January 2021

Objectives

First, to investigate whether specific manic symptoms in preschool predict manic symptom severity in adolescence. Second, to investigate the interaction between family history (FH) of bipolar disorder (BP) and preschool manic symptoms in predicting later adolescent manic symptom severity.

Methods

This analysis utilized data from the Preschool Depression Study (PDS) which followed 306 preschoolers aged 3–6 years over time since 2003. Only subjects who had data both at baseline (age 3–6 years) and at or after age 12 were included (n = 122). Baseline manic symptom severity scores and diagnoses were assessed by the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA). Manic symptoms severity at age ≥12 was assessed by the Kiddie Mania Rating Scale (KMRS). FH were ascertained by Family Interview for Genetic Studies (FIGS). Multilevel models of KMRS total score at age ≥12 by preschool mania symptoms with gender, baseline age, baseline ADHD, as well as baseline MDD diagnosis as covariates, and false discovery rate correction were used in statistical analysis.

Results

Hypertalkativity, flight of ideas, uninhibited gregariousness, decreased need for sleep (DNFS), and increased motor pressure/ motor activity/ energy in preschool were associated with increased KMRS score at age ≥12. Racing thoughts, inappropriate laughing, and DNFS in early childhood were associated with higher manic symptoms in adolescence in subjects with FH of BP compared to those without FH.

Conclusion

The longitudinal clinical importance of displaying manic symptoms (racing thoughts, inappropriate laughing, and DNFS) in early childhood varies by FH. Among the aforementioned symptoms, DNFS was a robust predictor of later manic symptoms. Assessing FH of BP is very important in clinical risk prediction from early childhood.
Using assistive technology with SRSD to support students on the autism spectrum with persuasive writing
Authors: Ozdowska Anne , Wyeth Peta , Carrington Suzanne , Ashburner Jill
Published: January 2021

Children on the autism spectrum (AS) often struggle with writing tasks at school. They commonly experience difficulty with two key aspects of writing: the skills required for handwriting (fine motor and perceptual) and the conceptual and language skills required for written composition. Specialist intervention to assist with written expression is, therefore, often needed for students on the AS to succeed academically. This research evaluated the impact of using self‐regulated strategy development (SRSD) in combination with assistive technology on the quality and length of written compositions of students on the AS. It also investigated how students felt about using the SRSD writing strategy. Eight primary school students on the AS between the ages of 9 and 12 participated in this single‐subject study. An ABAC study design was used to evaluate student writing performance across three conditions. Baseline handwriting measurements were collected during condition A. During condition B students used assistive technology alone; in condition C, students applied their understanding of SRSD while using assistive technology. Results from this study show that, in many cases, the quality and/or length of written compositions and feelings of self‐efficacy towards persuasive writing of students on the AS improved when they received physical and/or conceptual writing supports. This paper presents the research design, methods and results from this single‐subject study followed by a discussion of the results and final thoughts and areas for future research.

Practitioner Notes

What is already known about this topic?

There is limited research about how the persuasive writing of students on the autism spectrum (AS) can be supported in a socially inclusive way.

Research has shown that the use of assistive technologies like keyboards and writing‐support software can improve the writing outcomes of students on the AS.

Research has shown that the use of self‐regulated strategy development (SRSD) writing strategies can improve the persuasive writing outcomes of diverse students.

What this paper adds?

A single‐subject study using an ABAC study design showed that persuasive writing outcomes improved in quality or length for some students when they used an app that combined the two strategies.

Implications for policy and practice

SRSD combined with writing‐support software appeared to improve the writing outcomes of some students on the AS. It can, therefore, be used as a tool to support teachers in developing strategies for inclusive classrooms.