bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maternal separation early in life induces excessive activity of the central amygdala related to abnormal aggression
Authors: Ohta Ken‐ichi , Araki Chihiro , Ujihara Hidetoshi , Iseki Keizo , Suzuki Shingo , Otabi Hikari , Kumei Haruki , Warita Katsuhiko , Kusaka Takashi , Miki Takanori
Published: December 2023

Epidemiological studies have indicated that child maltreatment, such as neglect, is a risk factor of escalated aggression, potentially leading to delinquency and violent crime in the future. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which an early adverse environment may later cause violent behavior. In this study, we aimed to thoroughly examine the association between aggression against conspecific animals and the activity of amygdala subnuclei using the maternal separation (MS) model, which is a common model of early life stress. In the MS group, pups of Sprague–Dawley rats were separated from their dam during postnatal days 2–20 (twice a day, 3 h each). We only included 9‐week‐old male offspring for each analysis and compared the MS group with the mother‐reared control group; both groups were raised by the same dam during postnatal days 2–20. The results revealed that the MS group exhibited higher aggression and excessive activity of only the central amygdala (CeA) among the amygdala subnuclei during the aggressive behavior test. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed between higher aggression and CeA activation. While CeA activity is known to be involved in hunting behavior for prey, some previous studies have also indicated a relationship between CeA and intraspecific aggression. It remains unclear, however, whether excessive CeA activity directly induces intraspecific aggression. Therefore, we stimulated the CeA using optogenetics with 8‐week‐old rats to clarify the relationship between intraspecific aggression and CeA activity. Notably, CeA activation resulted in higher aggression, even when the opponent was a conspecific animal. In particular, bilateral CeA activation resulted in more severe displays of aggressive behavior than necessary, such as biting a surrendered opponent. These findings suggest that an adverse environment during early development intensifies aggression through excessive CeA activation, which can increase the risk of escalating to violent behavior in the future.
Fundamental Neurochemistry Review: The role of enteroendocrine cells in visceral pain
Authors: Londregan Annie , Alexander Tyler D. , Covarrubias Manuel , Waldman Scott A.
Published: December 2023

While visceral pain is commonly associated with disorders of the gut–brain axis, underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons innervate visceral structures and undergo hypersensitization in inflammatory models. The characterization of peripheral DRG neuron terminals is an active area of research, but recent work suggests that they communicate with enteroendocrine cells (EECs) in the gut. EECs sense stimuli in the intestinal lumen and communicate information to the brain through hormonal and electrical signaling. In that context, EECs are a target for developing therapeutics to treat visceral pain. Linaclotide is an FDA‐approved treatment for chronic constipation that activates the intestinal membrane receptor guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C). Clinical trials revealed that linaclotide relieves both constipation and visceral pain. We recently demonstrated that the analgesic effect of linaclotide reflects the overexpression of GUCY2C on neuropod cells, a specialized subtype of EECs. While this brings some clarity to the relationship between linaclotide and visceral analgesia, questions remain about the intracellular signaling mechanisms and neurotransmitters mediating this communication. In this Fundamental Neurochemistry Review, we discuss what is currently known about visceral nociceptors, enteroendocrine cells, and the gut‐brain axis, and ongoing areas of research regarding that axis and visceral pain.
Reduced expression of GluN2A induces a delay in neuron maturation
Authors: Acutain María Florencia , Baez María Verónica
Published: December 2023

NMDA receptors (NMDARs) play an important role in synaptic plasticity both in physiological and pathological conditions. GluN2A and GluN2B are the most expressed NMDAR regulatory subunits, in the hippocampus and other cognitive‐related brain structures. GluN2B is characteristic of immature structures and GluN2A of mature ones. Changes in GluN2A expression were associated with complex phenotypes that led to complex neurodevelopmental disorders, including the occurrence of seizures. However, little is known about the role of GluN2A in these phenotypes. In this work, we reduced GluN2A expression in mature neuronal cultures and observed an altered GluN2A/GluN2B ratio. Furthermore, those neurons exhibit an increase in immature dendritic spines and dendritic branching, as well as an increased response to glutamate stimulus. This phenotype (considering GluN2A/GluN2B ratio, index branching and glutamate response) resembles those observed at immature neuronal stages in vitro. We propose that this immature phenotype led to a higher response to glutamate stimulus which, in vivo, would be the basis of reduced threshold for seizure onset in GluN2A‐pathological conditions.

image
“The Best Little Boy in the World”: Disidentification in the Production of Black Gay Male Subjectivity1
Authors: Chambers Christopher S.
Published: December 2023

This article examines how Black gay men produce identities in correspondence with cultural scripts of Black manhood. I illustrate how these scripts organize a subjectivity shaped by white supremacy and signify racial consciousness, respectability, and commitment to Black antiracism. The script intentionally excludes queer men. Instead, Black queer men are “faggots,” a subjectivity signifying weakness, wasted manhood, and capitulation to whiteness. Utilizing Muñoz's (1999, Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis) concept of disidentification, I track how participants engage in a reimagining of the conventional script of heteronormative Black masculinity to embody a subjectivity I call Super Black Man. This hybrid subjectivity responds to interlocking systems of race, sexuality, and gender in their lives by locating space in conventional Black male subjectivities for Black gay men. As Super Black Men, participants accomplished identities that did not compromise their self‐expression or affiliation with Black communities. I discuss how disidentification adds analytic complexity to this empirical investigation of Black gay men's identity work. What results is a more robust understanding of how race shapes the motives, trajectory, and outcomes of racialized sexual identities.
Globalisation and carbon dioxide emissions inequality in OECD countries
Authors: Fang Jianchun , Gozgor Giray , Mahalik Mantu Kumar , Patel Gupteswar , Song Xueyin
Published: December 2023

Economic growth has been crucial in contributing to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the Industrial Revolution, and it affects CO2 emissions heterogeneously with different income levels. Therefore, studying the role of economic growth on inequality in carbon emissions is imperative. This paper analyses the determinants of CO2 emissions inequality in the panel dataset of 37 Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries from 1990 to 2019. Age dependency, globalisation, and institutional quality reduce CO2 inequality in the OECD economies. However, gross domestic product per capita increases CO2 inequality. The results are robust to utilise different panel data estimation techniques. This paper provides the first evidence in the literature of determinants of CO2 inequality across the OECD countries. It is suggested that governments in the OECD economies offer a blueprint for a sustainable society of green economic growth. Other potential policy implications are also discussed.
Non‐autonomous double phase eigenvalue problems with indefinite weight and lack of compactness
Authors: Gou Tianxiang , Rădulescu Vicenţiu D.
Published: December 2023

In this paper, we consider eigenvalues to the following double phase problem with unbalanced growth and indefinite weight,
where , , , , and is an indefinite sign weight which may admit non‐trivial positive and negative parts. Here, is the ‐Laplacian operator and is the weighted ‐Laplace operator defined by . The problem can be degenerate, in the sense that the infimum of in may be zero. Our main results distinguish between the cases and . In the first case, we establish the existence of a continuous family of eigenvalues, starting from the principal frequency of a suitable single phase eigenvalue problem. In the latter case, we prove the existence of a discrete family of positive eigenvalues, which diverges to infinity.
Almost sure behavior of the critical points of random polynomials
Authors: Angst Jürgen , Malicet Dominique , Poly Guillaume
Published: December 2023

Let be a sequence of independent and identically distributed complex random variables with common distribution and let be the associated random polynomial in . Kabluchko established the conjecture stated by Pemantle and Rivin that the empirical measure associated with the critical points of converges weakly in probability to the base measure . In this note, we establish that the convergence, in fact, holds in the almost sure sense. Our result positively answers a question raised by Kabluchko and formalized as a conjecture in the recent paper (Michelen and Vu [arXiv:2212.11867]).
International Borders, Integration and Economic Development: Evidence from Argentina
Authors: Maffini Nazarena Delicia , González Fernando Antonio Ignacio
Published: December 2023

This paper analyzes the effects of international borders and of trade agreements on subnational development in Argentina. The identification strategy leverages the Mercosur trade services agreement in 2005, and the different proximity of the districts to the international border with member countries. Two main outcomes are analyzed: economic growth and inequality. For this purpose, an annual panel of districts covering more than two decades (1992-2013) is used. The results show that the presence of an international border has a negative and significant effect on the economic growth of border districts (-0.14 percentage points of GDP annually) but also contributes to reducing inequality compared to districts without a border. On the other hand, a commercial integration agreement tends to partially offset the negative effects on economic growth (+0.04 percentage points of GDP annually). The results of the paper are relevant in terms of trade and development policy recommendations: deepening integration agreements constitutes a potential mechanism to boost growth in the poorest regions and thus reduce subnational disparities.
A New Chapter in Value Chain Connections between China and Europe: Are Advanced Services a New Area of Chinese Influence in European Manufacturing?
Authors: Cieślik Ewa
Published: December 2023

One way to mark the presence of Chinese companies in Europe is the servicification of manufacturing with advanced services such as information and communication (ICT). Therefore, the article aims to identify the intensification of the influx of Chinese ICT services in the manufacturing of European economies, especially regarding industries dealing with transport equipment and computers, electronic and electrical equipment. A key research question going forward is: whether technological developments in China affect the country's servicification links with European manufacturing in advanced services. Applying input-output models, the study confirmed that China is more intensively servicing manufacturing in Europe with its ICT services, and the intensity of this servitization increases with the stronger position of a value-added country in GVCs.
Energy Transition, Human Development and Energy Justice in the Southern Countries
Authors: Hmida Houssem Eddine , Rey Serge
Published: December 2023

Energy poverty deteriorates the human capital and the growth potential in the developing and emerging countries. We estimate the long-run effect of electricity access, modern renewable energy consumption, and traditional renewable energy consumption on human development (index). We use an AutoRegressive Distributed Lag/ARDL model based on pooled mean group estimation for a panel of 44 southern countries, representing three energy-poor regions of the world over the period 1990-2018. By distinguishing two groups of countries according to their level of HDI, we show that it exists a positive and significant relationship between electricity access and human development in countries with low and medium HDI and a positive effect of modern renewable energy on the level of human development in countries with higher HDI. In addition, the estimations reveal a significant negative effect of conventional renewable energy use on human development for the two countries groups.
Impact of Financial Integration on Economic Development: A Dynamic Panel Quantile Regression Analysis
Authors: Abdullahi Abubakar , Ibrahim Saifuzzaman , Hook Law Siong , Ngah Wan Azman Saini Wan
Published: December 2023

This paper investigated the impact of financial integration on economic development using the dynamic panel quantile estimator on a sample of 95 countries from 2004-2019. The results showed that the impact of financial integration on economic development varied across income levels. This study found that financial integration impacted economic development negatively in middle and high-income countries. However, financial integration did not significantly affect economic development in low-income countries.
NSGA-II Algorithm-Based Structural Parameters of Electric Pulse Rock-Breaking Electrode Bit Multi-Objective Optimization
Authors: Wang Xiaohui , Yang Siqi , Li Changping , He Xin
Published: December 2023

High-voltage electric pulse (HVEP) electrode bit has a considerable influence on the drilling and rock-breaking (RB) efficiency. HVEP electrode bit was systematically studied to optimize the structural parameters in order to improve RB efficiency. This paper analyzed the impact of main structural parameters on electric field strength (EFS) and depth of penetration (DOP) during high-voltage electric pulse drilling. A structural optimization method integrating back propagation (BP) neural network and genetic algorithm for HVEP electrode bit was proposed. The method mapped the complex nonlinear relationships among electrode distance, electrode cone angle, electrode grounding span, etc., and EFS and DOP by establishing a BP neural network model, and adopted the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) to optimize the main structural parameters. The simulation data showed that the combined BP neural network/non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (BP-NSGA-II) was an effective tool for optimizing the injection molding process. The multi-objective optimization of the structural parameters of the HVEP electrode bit based on the NSGA-II algorithm was crucial to direct the choice of the process parameters of the HVEP electrode bit, boost the RB efficiency, and lower the energy loss during drilling.
Numerical Investigation of the Influence of Cavitation on the Runner Speed at Speed-No-Load and Runaway for a Francis Turbine of Low Specific Speed
Authors: Fortin Mélissa , Nennemann Bernd , Houde Sébastien
Published: December 2023

Studies have shown that the runner speed of hydraulic turbines at no-load conditions is affected by cavitation. However, those studies did not provide explanations relating the variation of the no-load runner speed to cavitation. Understanding why cavitation affects the runner speed is crucial because the maximum runner speed is reached in no-load condition, and this speed must remain below a limit to ensure the generator's safety. This paper uses numerical simulations to investigate the effect of cavitation on two no-load conditions, the runaway and the speed-no-load, for a low specific speed Francis turbine at model scale. The study is based on unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations with and without cavitation and focuses on averaged quantities. At no-load, the regions over the blades producing a motor torque, i.e., oriented with the turbine rotating direction, must be balanced by regions producing a braking torque, opposed to the turbine rotation, to achieve a zero-torque condition. At runaway, cavitation mainly affects regions where a motor torque is produced. However, the zones affected by cavitation have a small contribution to the total motor torque. Therefore, for the runaway condition studied, the torque balance over the blade is hardly affected by cavitation, and the impact of cavitation on the runaway speed is negligible. At speed-no-load, comparisons between cavitating and noncavitating simulations indicated that cavitation affects mainly the braking torque regions. Those regions result from an interaction between the runner blades and a backflow extending from the draft tube cone to the runner outlet. In that case, cavitation strongly affects the torque balance over the blades, and consequently, the runner speed will adapt to find another zero torque condition.
Acoustic recording tags provide insight into the springtime acoustic behavior of sei whales in Massachusetts Bay
Authors: Cusano Dana A. , Wiley David , Zeh Julia M. , Kerr Iain , Pensarosa Alicia , Zadra Chris , Shorter K. Alex , Parks Susan E.
Published: December 2023

The acoustic ecology of sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) is poorly understood due to limited direct observation of the behavioral context of sound production and individual behavior. Suction cup–attached acoustic recording tags were deployed on sei whales to unambiguously assign call types and explore the acoustic behavior of this endangered species. Twelve tag deployments resulted in ∼173 h of acoustic data and 1030 calls. Sound types included downsweeps and three previously undescribed call types. Knocks were short duration (<1 s), with an average peak frequency of 330 Hz. Pulse type 1 and pulse type 2 calls, typically produced in sequences, were short in duration (0.08 and 0.28 s) and low in average peak frequency (50 and 26 Hz), with relatively high received levels. Average call rates for all call types combined were three calls per hour, but increased during twilight. Sex differences in call type usage included a higher use of pulses by females and knocks by males. Calls were almost exclusively produced at depths <10 m, although whales rarely dove deeper in this study. These data provide a more comprehensive picture of the acoustic and behavioral ecology of sei whales than previously possible, which can inform future conservation efforts for this endangered species.
Role of Microbes in Mediating Methane Emissions
Authors:   American Society for Microbiology
Published: December 2023

This report is based on the deliberations of experts who participated in a colloquium on 31 May and 1 June 2023, organized by the American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group and think tank within the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), and the American Geophysical Union (AGU). These experts came from diverse disciplines and sectors to articulate opportunities to use microbes to mitigate CH4 emissions from four main sources: enteric fermentation in ruminants, animal wastes, rice paddies, and landfills. The participants highlighted knowledge gaps and potential strategies that harness microbial processes to mediate global warming and address climate change. The report states the recommendations of the colloquium participants for the scientific community as the next step to further our understanding of these topics.
Functional characterization of two TolC in the resistance to drugs and metals and in the virulence of
Riemerella anatipestifer
Authors: Huang Li , Guo Fang , Li Xiao , Wang Mengying , Zhu Dekang , Wang Mingshu , Jia Renyong , Chen Shun , Zhao Xinxin , Zhang Shaqiu , Gao Qun , Yang Qiao , Wu Ying , Huang Juan , Tian Bin , Ou Xumin , Sun Di , Mao Sai , Zhang Ling , Yu YanLing , Götz Friedrich , Cheng Anchun , Liu Mafeng
Published: December 2023

TolC is an outer membrane protein that is responsible for the efflux of multi-substrates in Gram-negative bacteria.
Riemerella anatipestifer
CH-1 encodes two TolC proteins, B739_0871 (TolCA) and B739_1784 (TolCB). TolCB was previously involved in the export of manganese (Mn). However, whether TolCB has other substrates is unclear, and the functions of TolCA remain to be characterized. Here, we show that deletion of
tolCA
renders the bacteria hypersensitive to the gentamicin, the SDS, and various metals, such as Mn(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Fe(II), Co(II), and Ni(II). By contrast, the deletion of
tolCB
only conferred high sensitivity to Mn. Consistently, the deletion of
tolCA
led to intracellular accumulation of the various tested metals, while the deletion of
tolCB
only led to Mn accumulation under conditions of excess Mn. Moreover, the
tolCA
deletion mutant (∆
tolCA
) but not the
tolCB
deletion mutant (∆
tolCB
) was more sensitive to the NaOCl than the wild type (WT). Strikingly, the ∆
tolCA
but not ∆
tolCB
decreased the frequency of clones resistant to several tested antibiotics. In the duck infection model, the ∆
tolCA
but not ∆
tolCB
decreased virulence and colonization of
R. anatipestifer
CH-1, possibly due to increased sensitivity of ∆
tolCA
to non-inactivated duck serum as compared to the WT. Finally, genome mining revealed that homologs of
tolCA
and
tolCB
are highly conserved across
R. anatipestifer
strains and also present in other members of
Flavobacteriaceae
. Taken together, our results revealed that compared with TolCB, TolCA has a wider range of efflux substrates and functions in
R. anatipestifer
CH-1.

IMPORTANCE

Riemerella anatipestifer
(RA) is a notorious duck pathogen, characterized by a multitude of serotypes that exhibit no cross-reaction with one another. Moreover, RA is resistant to various antibacterial agents. Consequently, understanding the mechanisms behind resistance and identifying potential targets for drug development have become pressing needs. In this study, we show that the two TolC proteins play a role in the resistance to different drugs and metals and in the virulence. The results suggest that TolCA has a wider range of efflux substrates than TolCB. Except for gentamicin, neither TolCA nor TolCB was involved in the efflux of the other tested antibiotics. Strikingly, TolCA but not TolCB enhanced the frequency of resistance-conferring mutations. Moreover, TolCA was involved in RA virulence. Given its conservation in RA, TolCA has potential as a drug target for the development of therapeutics against RA infections.
Species identification and strain discrimination of fermentation yeasts
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
and
Saccharomyces uvarum
using Raman spectroscopy and convolutional neural networks
Authors: Wang Kaidi , Chen Jing , Martiniuk Jay , Ma Xiangyun , Li Qifeng , Measday Vivien , Lu Xiaonan
Published: December 2023

Reliable typing of yeast strains is of great importance to the alcoholic beverage industry to ensure a reliable fermentation process and high-quality products.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
is the most used yeast species in wine, sake, and ale beer fermentation, whereas
Saccharomyces uvarum
is more commonly used for cider fermentation and, due to its cryotolerance, white wine production. We propose a promising method for species identification and strain discrimination of
S. cerevisiae
and
S. uvarum
using Raman spectroscopy in combination with convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Raman spectra collected from various
S. cerevisiae
and
S. uvarum
strains were accurately classified at the species level using random forest. Cultivation time and temperature did not significantly affect the spectral reproducibility and discrimination capability. An overall accuracy of 91.9% was achieved to discriminate 27 yeast isolates at the strain level using a CNN model. Raman-CNN further identified eight yeast isolates spiked in grape juice with an accuracy of 98.1%. Raman spectral signatures derived from diverse protein and lipid compositions may contribute to this discrimination. The proposed approach also precisely predicted the concentration of a specific yeast strain within a yeast mixture with an
R
2
of 0.9913 and an average error of 4.09%. The entire analysis can be completed within 1 hour following cultivation and only requires simple sample preparation and low consumable cost. Taken together, Raman spectroscopy coupled with CNN is a robust, accurate, and reliable approach for typing of fermentation yeast strains.

IMPORTANCE

The use of
S. cerevisiae and S. uvarum
yeast starter cultures is a common practice in the alcoholic beverage fermentation industry. As yeast strains from different or the same species have variable fermentation properties, rapid and reliable typing of yeast strains plays an important role in the final quality of the product. In this study, Raman spectroscopy combined with CNN achieved accurate identification of
S. cerevisiae
and
S. uvarum
isolates at both the species and strain levels in a rapid, non-destructive, and easy-to-operate manner. This approach can be utilized to test the identity of commercialized dry yeast products and to monitor the diversity of yeast strains during fermentation. It provides great benefits as a high-throughput screening method for agri-food and the alcoholic beverage fermentation industry. This proposed method has the potential to be a powerful tool to discriminate
S. cerevisiae and S. uvarum
strains in taxonomic, ecological studies and fermentation applications.
Amino acid substitution L232F in non-structural protein 6 identified as a possible human-adaptive mutation in clade B MERS coronaviruses
Authors: So Ray T. Y. , Chu Daniel K. W. , Hui Kenrie P. Y. , Mok Chris K. P. , Shum Marcus H. H. , Sanyal Sumana , Nicholls John M. , Ho John C. W. , Cheung Man-chun , Ng Ka-chun , Yeung Hin-Wo , Chan Michael C. W. , Poon Leo L. M. , Zhao Jincun , Lam Tommy T. Y. , Peiris Malik
Published: December 2023

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes zoonotic disease. Dromedary camels are the source of zoonotic infection. We performed sequence analysis of clade B MERS-CoV after excluding potential bias arising multiple sequences from a single zoonotic transmission chain and identified a substitution of amino acid leucine to phenylalanine in the codon 232 position of the non-structural protein 6 (nsp6) (nsp6 L232F) that occurs preferentially in human clade B MERS-CoV, with a rate of 16.9% (20/118) in human sequences vs a 0.6% (1/160) in camel sequences. Using a human clade B MERS-CoV strain GD01 as backbone, we generated a pair of isogenic recombinant MERS-CoV with nsp6 232L and 232F residues, respectively, and showed that the nsp6 L232F substitution confers higher replication competence in
ex vivo
culture of human nasal and bronchial tissues and in lungs of mice experimentally infected
in vivo
. Mechanistically, the nsp6 L232F substitution was found to associate with higher exocytic virus egress, while innate immune responses, autophagic restriction, and zippering activity of the endoplasmic reticulum remained unaffected. Our study suggests an adaptive mutation that occurs in clade B MERS-CoV associated with inter-species transmission to humans that may facilitate higher viral replication in the human respiratory tract. This highlights the importance of MERS-CoV as a zoonotic threat and the need for continued virus surveillance in camels and humans.

IMPORTANCE

Viral host adaptation plays an important role in inter-species transmission of coronaviruses and influenza viruses. Multiple human-adaptive mutations have been identified in influenza viruses but not so far in MERS-CoV that circulates widely in dromedary camels in the Arabian Peninsula leading to zoonotic transmission. Here, we analyzed clade B MERS-CoV sequences and identified an amino acid substitution L232F in nsp6 that repeatedly occurs in human MERS-CoV. Using a loss-of-function reverse genetics approach, we found the nsp6 L232F conferred increased viral replication competence
in vitro
, in cultures of the upper human respiratory tract
ex vivo,
and in lungs of mice infected
in vivo
. Our results showed that nsp6 L232F may be an adaptive mutation associated with zoonotic transmission of MERS-CoV. This study highlighted the capacity of MERS-CoV to adapt to transmission to humans and also the need for continued surveillance of MERS-CoV in camels.
Complete genome sequence of
Cutibacterium acnes
type II CCSM0331, isolated from a healthy woman’s skin
Authors: Ma Laiji , Li Yan , Niu Yujie , Yang Suzhen , Shao Li
Published: December 2023

The complete genome sequence of
Cutibacterium acnes
Type II strain CCSM0331, which was isolated from the healthy facial skin, is reported. The assembled 2.5-Mbp genome comprised a single circular chromosome. These data will provide valuable information on the beneficial role of
C. acnes
as a skin commensal bacteria.
Complete genome sequence of Australian soil bacterium
Rouxiella badensis
DAR84756 resolved with Oxford Nanopore long-read and Illumina sequences
Authors: Paul Saina , Anderson Peter J. , Maynard Gregg J. , Dyall-Smith Michael , Kudinha Timothy
Published: December 2023

The complete genome sequence of the bacterium
Rouxiella badensis
DAR84756, isolated from soil in Orange, NSW, Australia, was resolved using a combination of Nanopore long-read and Illumina short-read sequencing. The genome consists of a single, circular chromosome of 5,004,491 bp and a plasmid of 40,722 bp.
High-resolution X-ray fluorescence-based provenance mapping of Eocene fluvial distributary fans that fed ancient Gosiute Lake, Wyoming, USA
Authors: Smith M.E. , Gregorich H.G. , Gipson L.A. , Krueger R.C. , Carroll A.R. , Parrish E.C. , Walters A.P. , Honig S. , Schwaderer C. , Meyers S. , Singer B.S. , Lowenstein T.K. , Arnuk W.D.
Published: December 2023

The Green River Formation of Wyoming, USA, is host to the world’s largest known lacustrine sodium carbonate deposits, which accumulated in a closed basin during the early Eocene greenhouse. Alkaline brines are hypothesized to have been delivered to ancient Gosiute Lake by the Aspen paleoriver that flowed from the Colorado Mineral Belt. To precisely trace fluvial provenance in the resulting deposits, we conducted X-ray fluorescence analyses and petrographic studies across a suite of well-dated sandstone marker beds of the Wilkins Peak Member of the Green River Formation. Principal component analysis reveals strong correlation among elemental abundances, grain composition, and sedimentary lithofacies. To isolate a detrital signal, elements least affected by authigenic minerals, weathering, and other processes were included in a principal component analysis, the results of which are consistent with petrographic sandstone modes and detrital zircon chronofacies of the basin. Sandstone marker beds formed during eccentricity-paced lacustrine lowstands and record the migration of fluvial distributary channel networks from multiple catchments around a migrating depocenter, including two major paleorivers. The depositional topography of these convergent fluvial fans would have inversely defined bathymetric lows during subsequent phases of lacustrine inundation, locations where trona could accumulate below a thermocline. Provenance mapping verifies fluvial connectivity to the Aspen paleoriver and to sources of alkalinity in the Colorado Mineral Belt across Wilkins Peak Member deposition, and shows that the greatest volumes of sediment were delivered from the Aspen paleoriver during deposition of marker beds A, B, D, and I, each of which were deposited coincident with prominent “hyperthermal” isotopic excursions documented in oceanic cores.
Manifold child, family and social variables are associated with injury among New Zealand preschool children
Authors: Underwood Lisa , Kool Bridget , Pillai Avinesh , Kingi Te Kani , Morton Susan , Ameratunga Shanthi
Published: December 2023

Aim

Approaches to understanding child injury tend to focus on short-term proximal influences. Previous analyses have found higher rates of injury among Māori and Pacific children in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). This study aimed to investigate how combinations of situations and multiple events act across the life-course to either protect preschool children from, or place them at risk of, repeated injuries requiring medical attention.

Methods

Longitudinal data were used to identify parent-reported injuries requiring medical attention among 6114 preschool NZ children. The environments experienced by children with multiple and/or severe injury were explored using multivariable analyses.

Results

Eight percent of children (n=505) experienced 1–3 injuries with at least one hospitalisation or ≥4 injuries (high injurygroup) from birth to 4.5 years of age. After accounting for antenatal, sociodemographic and psychosocial variables, children of Māori mothers (OR=0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 0.97) and children of Asian mothers (OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.7) were less likely to be in thehigh injurygroup than children of European mothers. After adjusting for maternal ethnicity and child variables (gender, temperament, level of activity and behaviour difficulties), cumulative exposure to factors in four domains was associated with injury category: maternal, family, social and service use.

Conclusion

This study identified social and economic opportunities to lower rates of injury among preschool children, that might reduce associated direct and indirect costs. Our findings in relation to ethnicity go against the standard public rhetoric and provide support for shifting the apportioning of blame for child injury from individuals to wider environmental exposures for which public health and societal solutions are required.
Comparison of kinetic changes during helicopter medical evacuations: civilian versus military flights
Authors: Naude Claire , Bujon Cécile , Boussen Salah , Serre Thierry , Bélot Frédérik
Published: December 2023

Background

Helicopter evacuation is crucial for providing medical care to casualties. Previous civilian studies have demonstrated that air transport can enhance survival rates compared with ground transport. However, there has been limited research on specific accelerations during helicopter flights, particularly in military flights. This study aims to analyse and compare the accelerations endured during civilian and military helicopter evacuations.

Methods

Accelerations were recorded during evacuation flights from the site of injury to the first medical responders in civilian helicopter EC135 T1, and military Puma SA.330 and Caiman NH90 TTH helicopters. The research investigated global acceleration and compared acceleration distributions along the vertical, lateral and longitudinal axes. A specific comparative study of the take-off phases was also performed.

Results

The analysis showed that vertical loads caused the most extreme accelerations for all types of helicopter but these extreme accelerations were rare and lasted for less than 1 s. Military flights show similar acceleration intensities to civilian flights, but accelerations are higher during short periods of the take-off phase.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that helicopter evacuations during military operations are as safe as civilian evacuations and highlight the importance of patient positioning in the aircraft. However, further research should investigate the haemodynamic response to accelerations experienced during actual evacuation flights.
Inequalities in intimate partner violence screening and receiving information among diverse groups of women: an online survey during COVID-19 lockdowns
Authors: Agronsky Beatris , Alfayumi-Zeadna Samira , Sergienko Ruslan , Daoud Nihaya
Published: December 2023

Background

Research shows violence against women likely increases during emergencies. COVID-19’s emergence exacerbated intimate partner violence (IPV), suggesting that healthcare services (HCS) should have increased IPV screening efforts and referrals of victims to support services. However, little is known about the prevalence of IPV screening and information provision during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Methods

We examined prevalence of ‘ever been screened’ (ES) for IPV and ‘receiving information about support services’ (RI) in HCS during COVID-19 lockdowns and compared these among non-immigrant Jewish women, immigrant Jewish and other women, and Palestinian women citizens in Israel. We collected data during Israel’s second and third COVID-19 lockdowns (October 2020–February 2021) using a structured, online, self-administrated Arabic-language and Hebrew-language questionnaire. Eligibility criteria included women ≥18 years old, citizens of Israel, in a current intimate relationship (permanent or occasional) who used social media or smartphones. In total, 519 women completed the survey: 73 Palestinian, 127 Jewish immigrants and others, and 319 non-immigrant Jewish.

Results

Overall, 37.2% of women reported any IPV, of whom just 26.9% reported ES, 39.4% reported RI and 13.5% reported both (ES&RI). Palestinian women reported higher IPV rates (49.3%) compared with non-immigrant Jewish (34.2%) and immigrant Jewish and other (37.8%) women; however, they reported lower ES (OR 0.64, 90% CI (0.34 to 1.86) and RI 0.29 (0.17 to 0.50).

Conclusions

In a survey during COVID-19 lockdowns, only about one-quarter of women who reported IPV were ES for IPV, or RI about support services, suggesting strengthened IPV screening is needed in HCS during emergencies, particularly targeting minority women, who report higher IPV but receive fewer services.
Co-design of patient information leaflets for germline predisposition to cancer: recommendations for clinical practice from the UK Cancer Genetics Group (UKCGG), Cancer Research UK (CRUK) funded CanGene-CanVar Programme and the Association of Genetic Nurse Counsellors (AGNC)
Authors: Kohut Kelly , Speight Beverley , Young Julie , Way Rosalind , Wiggins Jennifer , Monje-Garcia Laura , Eccles Diana M , Foster Claire , Turner Lesley , Snape Katie , Hanson Helen ,   on behalf of the CanGene-CanVar Patient Reference Panel
Published: December 2023

Background

Testing for germline pathogenic variants (GPVs) in cancer predisposition genes is increasingly offered as part of routine care for patients with cancer. This is often urgent in oncology clinics due to potential implications on treatment and surgical decisions. This also allows identification of family members who should be offered predictive genetic testing. In the UK, it is common practice for healthcare professionals to provide a patient information leaflet (PIL) at point of care for diagnostic genetic testing in patients with cancer, after results disclosure when a GPV is identified, and for predictive testing of at-risk relatives. Services usually create their own PIL, resulting in duplication of effort and wide variability regarding format, content, signposting and patient input in co-design and evaluation.

Methods

Representatives from UK Cancer Genetics Group (UKCGG), Cancer Research UK (CRUK) funded CanGene-CanVar programme and Association of Genetic Nurse Counsellors (AGNC) held a 2-day meeting with the aim of making recommendations for clinical practice regarding co-design of PIL for germline cancer susceptibility genetic testing. Lynch syndrome and haematological malignancies were chosen as exemplar conditions.

Results

Meeting participants included patient representatives including as co-chair, multidisciplinary clinicians and other experts from across the UK. High-level consensus for UK recommendations for clinical practice was reached on several aspects of PIL using digital polling, including that PIL should be offered, accessible, co-designed and evaluated with patients.

Conclusions

Recommendations from the meeting are likely to be applicable for PIL co-design for a wide range of germline genetic testing scenarios.
The ‘Glasgow effect’: the controversial cultural life of a public health term
Authors: Spence Fred
Published: December 2023

The question of why more people in Glasgow were dying, and younger, compared with English cities with almost identical levels of deprivation, was a hot topic in Scottish public health debates in the early 21st century. Public health researchers, particularly the Glasgow Centre of Population Health (GCPH), used the terms ‘Glasgow effect’ and ‘Scottish effect’ as placeholders while identifying the unknown factors behind Scotland’s excess mortality. Yet the terms took on a colourful life of their own in the press and larger culture and continue to circulate, despite GCPH’s attempts to retire them. This paper is the first to analyse the cultural life of the ‘Glasgow effect’ and ‘Scottish effect’ terms. Looking primarily at the Scottish press 1998–2022, I analyse the politically charged and often controversial debates and lay recommendations around the concepts. I also trace the terms’ parallel usage, and indeed origin, in contexts unrelated to health. I argue that the ‘Glasgow effect’ functions as a myth. This myth emphasises Scottish exceptionalism in public health and larger culture, at a time when devolution and the prospect of independence heightened optimism and anxiety about Scotland’s future. It overlaps with a larger and longstanding myth of Scottish cultural pathology, or the pathological Scot. The flexibility of the ‘Glasgow effect’ and ‘Scottish effect’ terms is exploited by journalists, academics and artists to serve competing agendas, establish their own expertise and influence public opinion. While it may now be challenging to eradicate these terms, especially in lay contexts, researchers and policy makers should avoid using these unstable terms uncritically. The example of the ‘Glasgow effect’ shows how health concepts can become wrapped in larger national or political narratives and highlights the difficulties for public health communicators in introducing complex and emerging public health ideas into a dynamic landscape of lay beliefs.
Efficacy of iliopsoas plane block for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy: a prospective, triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Jessen Christian , Brix Lone Dragnes , Nielsen Thomas Dahl , Espelund Ulrick Skipper , Lund Bent , Bendtsen Thomas Fichtner
Published: December 2023

Background

Intraoperative stretching of the hip joint capsule often generates severe pain during the first 3 hours after hip arthroscopy. The short-lived severe pain mandates high opioid consumption, which may result in adverse events and delay recovery. The femoral nerve nociceptors are located anteriorly in the hip joint capsule. A femoral nerve block reduces pain and opioid demand after hip arthroscopy. It impedes, however, ambulation and home discharge after outpatient surgery. The iliopsoas plane block selectively anesthetizes the femoral sensory nerve branches innervating the hip joint capsule without compromising ambulation. We aimed to assess reduction of opioid consumption after iliopsoas plane block during the short-lived painful postsurgical period of time after hip arthroscopy.

Methods

In a randomized, triple-blind trial, 50 patients scheduled for hip arthroscopy in general anesthesia were allocated to active or placebo iliopsoas plane block. The primary outcome was opioid consumption during the first three postoperative hours in the postanesthesia care unit. Secondary outcomes included pain, nausea, and ability to ambulate.

Results

Forty-nine patients were analyzed for the primary outcome. The mean 3-hour intravenous morphine equivalent consumption in the iliopsoas plane block group was 10.4 mg vs 23.8 mg in the placebo group (p<0.001). No intergroup differences were observed for the secondary outcomes during the postoperative follow-up.

Conclusion

An iliopsoas plane block reduces opioid consumption after hip arthroscopy. The reduction of opioid consumption during the clinically relevant 3-hour postsurgical period of time was larger than 50% for active versus placebo iliopsoas plane block in this randomized, triple-blind trial.
Geochronology, geochemistry, and tectonic setting of Ordovician metavolcanic rocks in the Liberty–Orrington belt, Maine: implications for the evolution of peri-Gondwanan arcs in the northern Appalachians
Authors: Johnson Sophia A. , West David P. , Peterman Emily M.
Published: December 2023

The Yarmouth Island Formation of the East Harpswell Group (EHG) is an assemblage of metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks exposed in Casco Bay, Maine. Although previously interpreted to have been deposited ca. 445 Ma, two new U–Pb zircon ages from metavolcanic rocks in the unit indicate prolonged magmatism between ca. 469–474 Ma and correlation with adjacent rocks of the more regionally extensive Casco Bay Group (CBG) in the Liberty–Orrington belt. New detrital zircon results from metasedimentary rocks in the EHG support this correlation; the age spectra indicate a peri-Gondwanan sedimentary source, consistent with earlier published results from the CBG. Detailed geochemical studies of the metavolcanic rocks in the Yarmouth Island Formation indicate a wide range of sub-alkaline compositions (SiO2 = 47.9–77.5 wt.%), flat chondrite-normalized rare earth element distributions, and a prominent negative Nb anomaly in normalized spider plots. Tectonic discrimination plots suggest eruption in a volcanic arc setting with continental crustal influence. This tectonic setting, when combined with the co-existence of marine sedimentary rocks, suggests a transitional setting between that of subduction and subsidence in a marine setting, perhaps due to the onset of back-arc rifting. Similarities in age, lithologic character, sediment provenance, and volcanic rock geochemistry indicate a strong correlation between these rocks in the Liberty–Orrington belt and those along strike in the southern portion of the Miramichi belt of eastern Maine and southern New Brunswick. These findings confirm the preservation of >500 km long, ca. 470 Ma, arc/back-arc terrane within the Ganderia superterrane in the northern Appalachians.
Cross-scale environmental impacts across persistent and dynamic aggregations within a complex population: implications for fisheries management
Authors: Kerametsidis Georgios , Thorson James , Rossi Vincent , Álvarez-Berastegui Diego , Barnes Cheryl , Certain Gregoire , Esteban Antonio , García Encarnación , Jadaud Angélique , Piñeiro Safo , Vivas Miguel , Hidalgo Manuel
Published: December 2023

Accounting for marine stocks spatiotemporal complexity has become one of the most pressing improvements that should be added to the new generation of stock assessment. Disentangling persistent and dynamic population subcomponents and understanding their main drivers of variation are still stock-specific challenges. Here, we hypothesized that the spatiotemporal variability of density in two adjacent fish stocks is associated with spatially structured environmental processes across multiple spatiotemporal scales. To test this, we applied a generalized empirical orthogonal function and dynamic factor analysis to fishery-independent and -dependent data of red mullet, a highly commercial species, in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Areas with persistent and dynamic high aggregations were detected for both stock units. A large-scale climatic index and local open-ocean convection were associated with both stocks, while other variables exhibited stock-specific effects. We also revealed spatially structured density dynamics within the examined management units. This suggests a metapopulation structure and supports the future implementation of a spatial stock assessment. Considering the common—generally unrealistic—assumptions of panmictic structure and absence of connectivity with neighbouring stock units, our methodology can be applied to other species and systems with putative spatial complexity to inform more accurate population dynamics and structure.