bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
South Western Ghats: a niche of clove (Syzygium aromaticum(L.) Merr. & Perry) diversification
Authors: Sreekala G. S. , Avinash M. , Reddappa J. B. , Reshma P. , Nainu J. , Anargha T. , Aswani J. S.
Published: July 2023

Survey conducted at major clove (Syzygium aromaticum(L.) Merr. & Perry) growing regions of South Western Ghats of India in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu identified thirty accessions with superior yield and distinct characters. Clove accessions were characterized based on twenty one qualitative and twelve quantitative traits. Variation among fifteen qualitative characters were found and the predominant traits observed were elliptical canopy shape, semi-erect branching pattern, lanceolate leaf lamina with acuminate apex, mid bud forming season, combination of 1,2,3,4,5 flower bud per cluster, medium sized bud, elliptical fruit and seed shape. Dendrogram constructed using the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) method grouped thirty accessions into 5 major clusters at genetic similarity of 73%. Acc.19 was identified as a unique accession. Twelve quantitative characters were subjected to principal component analysis where three component groups were extracted, which explained 70.85 per cent of total variance. The score plot generated from the principal component loading grouped the accessions into 18 clusters. Minimal data set of four characters viz., plant height, canopy spread (EW), number of inflorescence per square meter and mature bud length was generated. Observation on the qualitative and minimum data set helps to identify the ideotypes. The geographical location was not found to influence genetic diversity.

Highlight

Clove genotypes in South Western Ghats were surveyed and diversity identified

Combination of 1,2,3,4,5 flower bud per cluster was a unique character identified among cultivated clove

Minimal data set of clove developed using plant height (m), canopy spread (EW), number of inflorescence per m2and mature bud length (mm)

Ideotype of clove developed
An interbacterial lipase toxin with an unprecedented reverse domain arrangement defines a new class of type VII secretion system effector
Authors: Garrett Stephen R. , Mietrach Nicole , Deme Justin , Bitzer Alina , Yang Yaping , Ulhuq Fatima R. , Kretschmer Dorothee , Heilbronner Simon , Smith Terry K. , Lea Susan M. , Palmer Tracy
Published: July 2023

The type VII protein secretion system (T7SS) is found in many Gram-positive bacteria and in pathogenic mycobacteria. All T7SS substrate proteins described to date share a common helical domain architecture at the N-terminus that typically interacts with other helical partner proteins, forming a composite signal sequence for targeting to the T7SS. The C-terminal domains are functionally diverse and in Gram-positive bacteria such asStaphylococcus aureusoften specify toxic anti-bacterial activity. Here we describe the first example of a new class of T7 substrate, TslA, that has an unexpected reverse domain organisation. TslA is widely found across Bacillota includingStaphylococcus,EnterococcusandListeria. We show that theS. aureusTslA N-terminal domain is a phospholipase A with anti-staphylococcal activity that is neutralised by the immunity lipoprotein TilA. Two small helical partner proteins, TlaA1 and TlaA2 are essential for T7-dependent secretion of TslA and at least one of these interacts with the TslA C-terminal domain to form a helical stack. Cryo-EM analysis of purified TslA complexes indicate that they share structural similarity with canonical T7 substrates. Our findings suggest that the T7SS has the extraordinary feature of recognising a secretion signal present at either end of a substrate.
SNP-Slice Resolves Mixed Infections: Simultaneously Unveiling Strain Haplotypes and Linking Them to Hosts
Authors: Ju Nianqiao P. , Liu Jiawei , He Qixin
Published: July 2023

Multi-strain infection is a common yet under-investigated phenomenon of many pathogens. Currently, biologists analyzing SNP information have to discard mixed infection samples, because existing downstream analyses require monogenomic inputs. Such a protocol impedes our understanding of the underlying genetic diversity, co-infection patterns, and genomic relatedness of pathogens. A reliable tool to learn and resolve the SNP haplotypes from polygenomic data is an urgent need in molecular epidemiology. In this work, we develop a slice sampling Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm, named SNP-Slice, to learn not only the SNP haplotypes of all strains in the populations but also which strains infect which hosts. Our method reconstructs SNP haplotypes and individual heterozygosities accurately without reference panels and outperforms the state of art methods at estimating the multiplicity of infections and allele frequencies. Thus, SNP-Slice introduces a novel approach to address polygenomic data and opens a new avenue for resolving complex infection patterns in molecular surveillance. We illustrate the performance of SNP-Slice on empirical malaria and HIV datasets and provide recommendations for the practical use of the method.
Community structure of heritable viruses in aDrosophila-parasitoids complex
Authors: Varaldi Julien , Lepetit David , Burlet Nelly , Faber Camille , Baretje Bérénice , Allemand Rolland
Published: July 2023

The diversity and phenotypic impacts related to the presence of heritable bacteria in insects have been extensively studied in the last decades. On the contrary, heritable viruses have been overlooked for several reasons, including technical ones. This is regrettable because of the size of this gap knowledge and because case study indicate that viruses may have profound impact on the functionning of individuals and communities. Additionally, the factors that may shape viral communities are poorly known, except in some very specific viral-insect systems. Here we analyze the community structure of heritable viruses in a multi-hosts-multi-parasitoids community. Drosophilidae and their larval and pupal parasitoids were sampled in two locations, two years and two seasons. After two lab generations, putative DNA and RNA viruses were purified and sequenced. Our analysis revealed the presence of 53 viruses (including 37 new viruses), the great majority of which were RNA viruses. The "species" factor was by far the most significant one, explaining more than 50% of the variance in viral structure. Additionally, parasitoids had a higher number of heritable viruses compared to their hosts, suggesting that this lifestyle favours the association with viruses. Finally, our community-level survey challenged previous interpretation concerning the host range of some previously described viruses.
Wide-field Intensity Fluctuation Imaging
Authors: Fang Qingwei , Tomar Alankrit , Dunn Andrew K.
Published: July 2023

The temporal intensity fluctuations contain important information about the light source and light-medium interaction and are typically characterized by the intensity autocorrelation function,g2(τ). The measurement ofg2(τ) is a central topic in many optical sensing applications, ranging from stellar intensity interferometer in astrophysics, to fluorescence correlation spectroscopy in biomedical sciences and blood flow measurement with dynamic light scattering. Currently,g2(τ) at a single point is readily accessible through high-frequency sampling of the intensity signal. However, two-dimensional widefield measurement ofg2(τ) is still limited by camera frame rates. We propose and demonstrate a 2-pulse within-exposure modulation approach to break through the camera frame rate limit and obtain the quasig2(τ) map in wide field with cameras of only ordinary frame rates.

Highlights

The quasi intensity autocorrelation function can be measured at almost arbitrary time lags

Cameras of ordinary frame rates are sufficient for the measurement

Illumination within the camera exposure is modulated by an acoustic optical modulator using two short pulses
Topoisomerase IIα C-terminal Domain Mutations and Catalytic Function
Authors: Musselman Jessica R. , England Daniel C. , Fielding Lauren A. , Durham Clay T. , Baxter Emma , Jiang Xiaohua , Lisic Edward C. , Deweese Joseph E.
Published: July 2023

Topoisomerase IIα is a nuclear enzyme needed for dealing with topological entanglements in the DNA arising from replication and transcription. The N-terminal region and core of the protein are utilized in the catalytic cycle of the enzyme, which generates a transient double-stranded break in one segment of DNA and passes another segment through the break. The C-terminal domain is a large, intrinsically disordered region that appears to be involved in regulating the function of the enzyme both in terms of substrate selection and the level of activity of the enzyme. In a previous study, we explored eleven targeted mutations to the C-terminal domain. This present study explores six of these mutants to determine whether there are any defects in closure of the N-terminal clamp and whether an experimental compound known as a Cu(II)-thiosemicarbazone affects DNA cleavage with the mutants. Based upon our results, the mutants are able to close the N-terminal clamp, but some of the mutants that displayed the least clamp closing activity also had the lowest catalytic activity. Further, Cu-APY-ETSC did impact the ability of the enzymes to cleave DNA to similar levels as seen with the WT enzyme. These results lay the groundwork for additional analyses of the C-terminal domain and indicate the C-terminal domain regions tested did not influence the action of Cu-APY-ETSC except at the level of coordination between the two active sites.
Global decoupling of cell differentiation from cell division in early embryo development
Authors: Kukreja Kalki , Patel Nikit , Megason Sean G , Klein Allon M
Published: July 2023

As tissues develop, cells divide and differentiate concurrently. Conflicting evidence shows that cell division is either dispensable or required for formation of cell types. To determine the role of cell division in differentiation, we arrested the cell cycle in zebrafish embryos using two independent approaches and profiled them at single-cell resolution. We show that cell division is dispensable for differentiation of all embryonic tissues during initial cell type differentiation from early gastrulation to the end of segmentation. In the absence of cell division, differentiation slows down in some cell types, and cells exhibit global stress responses. While differentiation is robust to blocking cell division, the proportions of cells across cell states are not. This work simplifies our understanding of the role of cell division in development and showcases the utility of combining embryo-wide perturbations with single-cell RNA sequencing to uncover the role of common biological processes across multiple tissues.
Mining threats in high-level biodiversity conservation policies
Authors: Torres Aurora , zu Ermgassen Sophus O.S.E. , Navarro Laetitia M. , Ferri-Yanez Francisco , Teixeira Fernanda Z. , Wittkopp Constanze , Rosa Isabel M.D. , Liu Jianguo
Published: July 2023

Amid a global infrastructure boom, there is increasing recognition of the ecological impacts of the extraction and consumption of construction minerals, mainly as concrete. Recent research highlights the significant and expanding threat these minerals pose to global biodiversity. To what extent is this pressure acknowledged in biodiversity conservation policy? We investigate how high-level national and international biodiversity conservation policies, including the 2011-2020 and post-2020 biodiversity strategies, the national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and the assessments of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, address mining threats with a special focus on construction minerals. We find that mining appears rarely in national targets, but more frequently in national strategies with greater coverage of aggregates mining than limestone mining, yet it is dealt with superficially in most countries. We then outline an 8-point strategy to reduce the biodiversity impacts of construction minerals, which comprises actions such as targeting, reporting, and monitoring systems, the evidence-base around mining impacts on biodiversity, and the behavior of financial agents and businesses. Implementing these measures can pave the way for a more sustainable approach to construction mineral use and safeguard biodiversity.
Mapping forests with different levels of naturalness using machine learning and landscape data mining
Authors: Bubnicki Jakub W. , Angelstam Per , Mikusiński Grzegorz , Svensson Johan , Jonsson Bengt Gunnar
Published: July 2023

To conserve biodiversity, it is imperative to maintain and restore sufficient amounts of functional habitat networks. Hence, locating remaining forests with natural structures and processes over landscapes and large regions is a key task. We integrated machine learning (Random Forest) and open landscape data to scan all forest landscapes in Sweden with a 1 ha spatial resolution with respect to the relative likelihood of hosting High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF). Using independent spatial stand-and plot-level validation data we confirmed that our predictions (ROC AUC in the range of 0.89 - 0.90) correctly represent forests with different levels of naturalness, from deteriorated to those with high and associated biodiversity conservation values. Given ambitious national and international conservation objectives, and increasingly intensive forestry, our model and the resulting wall-to-wall mapping fills an urgent gap for assessing fulfilment of evidence-based conservation targets, spatial planning, and designing forest landscape restoration.
An individual-based simulation framework exploring the ecology and mechanistic underpinnings of larval crowding in laboratory populations ofDrosophila
Authors: Venkitachalam Srikant , Joshi Amitabh
Published: July 2023

The study of larval competition in laboratory populations ofDrosophila, implemented via the crowding of larval cultures, has contributed greatly to the understanding of the ecology of competition, the evolution of larval competitive ability, and formed the basis of rigorous testing of the theory of density-dependent selection. Earlier studies led to the view that the outcomes of larval competition, and resulting evolutionary consequences of crowding-adaptation, could largely be understood by varying the starting density of individuals in a crowded culture. However, recent studies have shown that the results of adaptation to larval crowding may not be well predicted by the total larval density (i.e., total starting individuals/total volume of food). Cultures raised at the same total density but at different egg number and food volume combinations were shown to have different underlying density-specific fitness functions, and crowding-adaptation in each of these cultures was attained through different evolutionary trajectories as well. A recent study showed that cultures with not just the same density, but the same egg and food volume combination, achieved through food columns of differing diameter and height, could also differ greatly in fitness-related trait outcomes. In that study, the density of larvae in the feeding band (volume of food close to the surface in contact with air, to which larval feeding is largely restricted) was a very important factor in predicting the outcomes of larval competition. Given these recent findings, it is important to understand the overall role of feeding band density, and how it influences density-specific fitness functions in different kinds of crowded cultures. As the older models of larval competition are now insufficient to capture current empirical data, we constructed an individual-based simulation framework informed in part by these more recent findings, in order to better understand the evolutionary ecology and mechanistic underpinnings of larval competition, and predict robust experiments for expanding our understanding of the process of larval competition inDrosophila.
Ceramic absorbed with calcium bicarbonate mesoscopic crystals partially inactivate scrapie prions
Authors: Iwamaru Yoshifumi , Furusaki Koichi , Sugiura Katsuaki , Haritani Makoto , Onodera Takashi
Published: July 2023

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting both humans and animals. The causative agent, prion, is extremely resistant to common disinfection procedures. Thus, effective prion inactivation strategies using relatively safe and less corrosive disinfectants are required. A solution containing CAC‐717, mesoscopic crystals of calcium bicarbonate, exerts both antimicrobial and virucidal activities without apparent harmful effects. This study demonstrated that combined treatment with CAC‐717 absorbed on ceramic (CAC‐717 ceramic) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) substantially reduced the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) seeding activity of Chandler strain scrapie mouse‐brain homogenates (ScBH). Additionally, bioassays demonstrated that ScBH‐inoculated mice treated with CAC‐717 ceramic in combination with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) did not develop disease. Furthermore, this combination effectively inactivated PMCA seeding activity on ScBH‐coated stainless‐steel wires below the detection limit. Overall, the findings suggest that combined treatment with CAC‐717 ceramic and SDS represents a promising and less damaging approach for prion inactivation.
Contesting Housing Inequality: Housing Rights and Social Movements
Authors: Jordan Mark
Published: July 2023

This article engages with a leading contemporary criticism of social and economic human rights, namely that because such rights are organised around sufficiency norms, they are ill‐equipped to challenge and overturn forms of material inequality. The sufficiency thesis raises issues around the nature of social rights and their capacity to deliver transformative change, and lays a direct challenge to social movements employing human rights talk and practices in campaigns for social justice. This article breaks new ground by taking the right to housing as a case study for assessing the sufficiency thesis. It is argued that while there is some support for the sufficiency thesis in dominant institutionalised legal forms of the right to housing, the wider claim of the thesis, that social rights are incapable of challenging forms of material inequality, does not hold water. This argument is supported by a broad approach to housing rights that engages with the work of the UN Special Rapporteurs on housing and which takes seriously the way in which contemporary social movements in Spain and Scotland employ housing rights in their struggles for housing justice.
Citizens with Felony Convictions in the Jury Box: A Peer‐Judgment Argument
Authors: Poama Andrei , McGinnis Briana
Published: July 2023

Currently, almost all polities that allow for jury trials deprive people with felony convictions of their right to serve as jurors on criminal trials. Against these exclusionary practices, we contend that there are epistemic and political reasons to enable (and not merely allow) convicted felony defendants to serve as jurors. These reasons are derived from the ideal of peer judgment, which we take to be deeply ingrained in and relevant for ensuring fair jury‐judgment practices. In this article, we construct an account of peer judgment understood as equal subjection to coercive law, spell out the epistemic dimension of this account, and use it to argue that there are stronger reasons for having people with felony convictions serve as jurors, as compared to average, noncriminalized citizens. Our peer‐judgment argument is meant to both weaken and outweigh current justifications for excluding people with felony convictions from jury service.
Dose–response relationship between alcohol consumption and workplace absenteeism in Australia
Authors: Marzan Melvin Barrientos , Callinan Sarah , Livingston Michael , Jiang Heng
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Workplace absenteeism is a burden in Australia. The estimated productivity losses due to alcohol were around $4.0 billion in 2017, with absenteeism driving 90% of these costs. We aim to determine the dose–response relationship between average daily alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking (HED) frequency and workplace absenteeism amongst Australian workers.

Methods

We used the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey of Australian employed workers aged ≥20 years to 69 years old. Respondents' average daily alcohol consumption was categorised into four: abstainers, light to moderate (1–20 g of alcohol/day), risky (>20–40 g of alcohol/day) and high‐risk (>40 g of alcohol/day). HED was classified into four frequency measures (never, less than monthly, monthly, weekly). The outcome variables came from dichotomised measures of: (i) absence due to alcohol consumption; and (ii) broader sickness absence–absence due to illness or injury in the previous 3 months.

Results

Risky (adjusted odds ratio 4.74 [95% CI 2.93–7.64]) and high‐risk drinking (adjusted odds ratio 6.61 [95% CI 4.10–10.68]) were linked to increased odds of alcohol‐related absence. Higher HED frequency was significantly associated with alcohol‐related and broader sickness absenteeism. No significant associations exist between regular alcohol consumption and broader sickness absence in fully adjusted models.

Discussion and Conclusions

Findings suggest that only HED is linked to broader sickness absence. However, there is a strong dose–response association between alcohol consumption and alcohol‐related absences for both consumption measures amongst Australian workers. Population‐level policies that reduce alcohol consumption to moderate level and less frequent HED might address workplace absenteeism.
The impact of transportation capacity in pre‐positioning humanitarian supplies
Authors: Rothkopf Alexander , Acimovic Jason , Goentzel Jarrod
Published: July 2023

Humanitarian action saves lives by delivering supplies following a disaster. To effectively prepare, large humanitarian organizations solve optimization models to allocate inventory minimizing expected time‐to‐respond. However, these organizations also rely on transportation carriers to deliver this inventory, a feature often omitted from such models. Part of the reason is that capacity data on third‐party carriers are scant. Nevertheless, there is value in humanitarian organizations asking themselves the following: how should such data be incorporated into a model; how important is it to incorporate transportation capacities; where is it worth increasing transportation capacity? Building on previous inventory optimization models, we partner with the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to answer these questions by incorporating transportation market capacity. Using public and proprietary data sets, we first approximate the trucking capacity near FEMA's warehouses. We develop intuitive metrics that guide practitioners to make decisions, understand trade‐offs in complex networks, and negotiate contracts. We show that when optimizing inventory, ignoring trucking capacity can lead to up to 18% higher response times. In discussions with FEMA, our research has guided strategic inventory deployment and has been a catalyst in a new initiative for transportation contracting.
Reported effects of non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) in health and education service provision: The role of NGO –government relations and other factors
Authors: Robinson Rachel S. , Brass Jennifer N. , Shermeyer Andrew , Grossman Nichole
Published: July 2023

Motivation

Non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) in low‐ and middle‐income countries (L&MICs) often deliver services that high‐income states might themselves provide, such as education and health care. But such service provision usually requires NGOs to engage with the state. Whether NGO–government relations affect NGO service provision to beneficiaries is not well studied.

Purpose

We assess how NGO–government relations affect the reported outcomes of NGO service provision. We look at evidence from 1980 to 2014, a time when NGOs grew in number and activity. We consider five types of relatively constructive relations between NGOs and states along a spectrum from high to low engagement: collaboration, contracting, consultation, advocacy, and substitution.

Methods and approach

We reviewed 109 articles from academic journals on NGOs working in education and health in L&MICs published between 1980 and 2014. These articles describe the activities of both international and domestic NGOs working at both national and subnational levels. We coded articles for content to allow detection of associations.

Findings

First, authors overwhelmingly report favourable outcomes from NGO service provision, regardless of the nature of the NGO–government relationship. Second, collaborative, advocacy, and substitutive relationships are most often associated with favourable outcomes. This is especially true in democratic states. Third, subnational NGO service provision is more frequently associated with favourable outcomes. Fourth, NGO service provision in low‐income and African countries is disproportionately associated with reports of unfavourable or null outcomes.

Policy implications

Governments and development agencies should prioritize collaboration and engagement at the subnational level, create space for NGO advocacy, and redouble efforts to understand what drives favourable outcomes in low‐income countries.
Later onset focal epilepsy with roots in childhood: Evidence from early learning difficulty and brain volumes in the Human Epilepsy Project
Authors: Pellinen Jacob , Pardoe Heath , Sillau Stefan , Barnard Sarah , French Jacqueline , Knowlton Robert , Lowenstein Daniel , Cascino Gregory D. , Glynn Simon , Jackson Graeme , Szaflarski Jerzy , Morrison Chris , Meador Kimford J. , Kuzniecky Ruben ,   the Human Epilepsy Project Investigators
Published: July 2023

Objective

Visual assessment of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from the Human Epilepsy Project 1 (HEP1) found 18% of participants had atrophic brain changes relative to age without known etiology. Here, we identify the underlying factors related to brain volume differences in people with focal epilepsy enrolled in HEP1.

Methods

Enrollment data for participants with complete records and brain MRIs were analyzed, including 391 participants aged 12–60 years. HEP1 excluded developmental or cognitive delay with intelligence quotient <70, and participants reported any formal learning disability diagnoses, repeated grades, and remediation. Prediagnostic seizures were quantified by semiology, frequency, and duration. T1‐weighted brain MRIs were analyzed using Sequence Adaptive Multimodal Segmentation (FreeSurfer v7.2), from which a brain tissue volume to intracranial volume ratio was derived and compared to clinically relevant participant characteristics.

Results

Brain tissue volume changes observable on visual analyses were quantified, and a brain tissue volume to intracranial volume ratio was derived to compare with clinically relevant variables. Learning difficulties were associated with decreased brain tissue volume to intracranial volume, with a ratio reduction of .005 for each learning difficulty reported (95% confidence interval [CI] = −.007 to −.002, p = .0003). Each 10‐year increase in age at MRI was associated with a ratio reduction of .006 (95% CI = −.007 to −.005, p < .0001). For male participants, the ratio was .011 less than for female participants (95% CI = −.014 to −.007, p < .0001). There were no effects from seizures, employment, education, seizure semiology, or temporal lobe electroencephalographic abnormalities.

Significance

This study shows lower brain tissue volume to intracranial volume in people with newly treated focal epilepsy and learning difficulties, suggesting developmental factors are an important marker of brain pathology related to neuroanatomical changes in focal epilepsy. Like the general population, there were also independent associations between brain volume, age, and sex in the study population.
Serum lipidomics‐based study of electroacupuncture for skin wound repair in rats
Authors: Du Weibin , He Lihong , Wang Zhenwei , Dong Yi , He Xiaofen , Hu Jintao , Zhang Min
Published: July 2023

Lipid metabolism plays an important role in the repair of skin wounds. Studies have shown that acupuncture is very effective in skin wound repair. However, there is little knowledge about the mechanism of electroacupuncture. Thirty‐six SD rats were divided into three groups: sham‐operated group, model group and electroacupuncture group, with six rats in each group. After the intervention, orbital venous blood was collected for lipid metabolomics analysis, wound perfusion was detected and finally the effect of electroacupuncture on skin wound repair was comprehensively evaluated by combining wound healing rate and histology. Lipid metabolomics analysis revealed 11 differential metabolites in the model versus sham‐operated group. There were 115 differential metabolites in the model versus electro‐acupuncture group. 117 differential metabolites in the electro‐acupuncture versus sham‐operated group. There were two differential metabolites common to all three groups. Mainly cholesteryl esters and sphingolipids were elevated after electroacupuncture and triglycerides were largely decreased after electroacupuncture. The electroacupuncture group recovered faster than the model group in terms of blood perfusion and wound healing (p < 0.05). Electroacupuncture may promote rat skin wound repair by improving lipid metabolism and improving local perfusion.
Prediabetes and the risk of lung cancer incidence and mortality: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Shen Enjian , Chen Xi
Published: July 2023

Aims/Introduction

There has been conflicting evidence regarding the role of prediabetes as a risk factor of lung cancer. A systemic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between prediabetes and lung cancer incidence and mortality in general adult populations.

Materials and Methods

Observational studies relevant to the objective were found in Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. By incorporating potential heterogeneity into the model, a randomized‐effects model was selected.

Results

Ten cohort studies were included. People with prediabetes were associated with a mildly increased risk of lung cancer incidence compared with controls with normoglycemia (risk ratio [RR]: 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.18, P = 0.03; I2 = 79%), which was mainly observed in men rather than in women (RR: 1.07 vs 0.99, P for subgroup difference < 0.001). Prediabetes was related to a higher risk of lung cancer mortality (RR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02–1.39, P = 0.03; I2 = 52%), and the results were consistent in both men and women (P for subgroup difference = 0.67). The association between prediabetes and lung cancer incidence or mortality did not appear to be significantly affected by different definitions of prediabetes (P for subgroup difference = 0.27 and 0.37).

Conclusions

Prediabetes might be associated with a mildly increased risk of lung cancer incidence in men, but not in women. In addition, prediabetes may be related to a higher risk of lung cancer mortality in the adult population.
Real‐world risk of cardiovascular diseases in patients with type 2 diabetes associated with sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in comparison with metformin: A propensity score‐matched model analysis in Japan
Authors: Horii Takeshi , Oikawa Yoichi , Shimada Akira , Mihara Kiyoshi
Published: July 2023

We aimed to compare the effects of cardiovascular disease risk in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes on sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) or metformin. This retrospective, real‐world cohort study was carried out using a claims database and propensity score matching; 58,402 eligible patients (29,201 per group) were included. The outcomes included nonfatal myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, nonfatal stroke, hospitalization for heart failure and composite end‐points. The hazard ratio (HR) for the composite end‐point was 0.79, which was lower for SGLT2Is than for metformin. For male patients (HR 0.76), patients aged <65 years (HR 0.94), patients aged ≥75 years (HR 0.78) and patients with body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 (HR 0.76), the HRs for the composite end‐point were significantly lower in the SGLT2I group than in the metformin group. SGLT2Is might be superior to metformin in reducing the composite risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Archives, repatriation, agency, and changing circumstances: Reflections on shared soundscapes, collaborative activations, and repatriations in Latin America
Authors: Seeger Anthony
Published: July 2023

This article reflects on changes in the roles of audiovisual archives and the use of their collections by ethnomusicologists and Indigenous communities in Latin America as represented by the three articles in JLACA and Anthony Seeger's research and experience as director of archives and a record label. It describes the multiplication of archives in the twenty‐first century and the concept of an archival multiverse. Seeger then addresses three questions: What is a shared soundscape? What is a recording? What is an archive? He prefers the term sharing soundscapes to repatriation and stresses the importance of considering the agency of communities in deciding how to share their knowledge. To widen the terms of the discussion, he moves from a discussion of researchers sharing soundscapes to a discussion of how audiovisual archives and record companies also share soundscapes.
Robust distortion risk measures
Authors: Bernard Carole , Pesenti Silvana M. , Vanduffel Steven
Published: July 2023

The robustness of risk measures to changes in underlying loss distributions (distributional uncertainty) is of crucial importance in making well‐informed decisions. In this paper, we quantify, for the class of distortion risk measures with an absolutely continuous distortion function, its robustness to distributional uncertainty by deriving its largest (smallest) value when the underlying loss distribution has a known mean and variance and, furthermore, lies within a ball—specified through the Wasserstein distance—around a reference distribution. We employ the technique of isotonic projections to provide for these distortion risk measures a complete characterization of sharp bounds on their value, and we obtain quasi‐explicit bounds in the case of Value‐at‐Risk and Range‐Value‐at‐Risk. We extend our results to account for uncertainty in the first two moments and provide applications to portfolio optimization and to model risk assessment.
Disembodied, dehumanised but safe and feasible: The social‐spatial flow of a pandemic OSCE
Authors: Brown Craig , MacLeod Anna , Hawick Lorraine , Cleland Jennifer
Published: July 2023

Introduction

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a key feature of healthcare education assessment. Many aspects of the OSCE are well‐investigated, but not so its sociomaterial assemblage. The Covid‐19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to (re)consider taken‐for‐granted OSCE practices. Drawing on Law's modes of ordering, our aim was to demonstrate the ‘mangle of practice’ between space and people; the spatialised and spatialising processes of an OSCE.

Methods

We used a case study approach to critically examine a redesigned final year MBChB OSCE held during the pandemic. We used multiple sources of data to attune to human and non‐human actors: OSCE documentation, photographs, field notes and semi‐structured interviews with OSCE staff/organisers. Law's modes of ordering was used as an analytical lens to critically consider how people and things flowed through the adapted OSCE.

Findings

The overarching ordering was the delivery of a ‘pandemic safe’ OSCE. This necessitated reordering of ‘usual’ process to deliver a socially distanced, safe flow of human and non‐human actors through the assessment space. Each change had material and social ‘knock on’ effects. We identified three main interrelated orderings: Substituting technologies for bodies: Disembodied and dehumanised but feasible; Flow through space: Architectural affordances and one‐way traffic; Barriers to flow: Time and technology.

Discussion

Looking at the OSCE through a sociomaterial lens allows us to critically examine the OSCE's essential and complex processes and the restrictions and affordances of the spaces and props within the OSCE. In doing so, we open the possibility of considering alternative ways of doing OSCEs in the future. Moreover, conceptualising the OSCE as a living set of socially (human) and materially (nonhuman) enacted processes changes the social perception of the OSCE and highlights that an OSCE has agency on people, places and things.
‘Yourself in all your forms’: A grounded theory exploration of identity safety in medical students
Authors: Bullock Justin L. , Sukhera Javeed , del Pino‐Jones Amira , Dyster Timothy G. , Ilgen Jonathan S. , Lockspeiser Tai M. , Teunissen Pim W. , Hauer Karen E.
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Identity threats, such as stereotype threat and microaggressions, impair learning and erode well‐being. In contrast to identity threat, less is known about how learners experience feelings of safety regarding their identity. This exploratory study aims to develop a theory of identity safety in the clinical learning environment.

Methods

This multi‐institutional, qualitative interview study was informed by constructivist grounded theory and critical pedagogy. Participants were clinical students at three public medical schools in the United States in 2022. Investigators purposively sampled participants for interviews based on their responses to an 11‐item survey with an open‐ended question soliciting students' personal identities and responses to both the racial/ethnic and gender Stereotype Vulnerability Scales. The investigators interviewed, coded, constantly compared and continued sampling until the codes could be developed into categories, then concepts and finally into a theory. The team engaged in critical reflexivity throughout the analytic process to enrich data interpretations.

Results

Sixteen diverse students were interviewed. We organised their identity‐salient experiences into identity threat, threat mitigation and identity safety. Participants experienced identity threat through unwelcoming learning environments, feeling compelled to change their behaviour in inauthentic ways or sociopolitical threat. Threat mitigation occurred when a participant or supervisor intervened against an identity threat, dampening but not eliminating the threat impact. Participants characterised identity safety as the ability to exist as their authentic selves without feeling the need to monitor how others perceive their identities. Identity safety manifested when participants demonstrated agency to leverage their identities for patient care, when others upheld their personhood and saw them as unique individuals and when they felt they belonged in the learning environment.

Discussion

Attending to identity safety may lead to educational practices that sustain and leverage team members' diverse identities. Identity safety and threat mitigation may work together to combat identity threats in the learning environment.
When I say … ‘non‐clinical practice’
Authors: Govender Lynelle , Church Helen R.
Published: July 2023

In recent years, we have seen the emergence of the term ‘non‐clinical practice’ used in the literature and the healthcare field more broadly. However, there has not yet been a critical examination of what this term means and how it may subtly influence the social reality and culture of healthcare practice. Based on the available literature and the authors' lived experience, we position this article and the term ‘non‐clinical practice’ relative to medical doctors. However, the tenets of the argument below are true for any healthcare practitioner. Taking a social constructivist approach, we critically analyse the term ‘non‐clinical practice’ and explain why readers should challenge its use.
Structural evidence for MADS‐box type I family expansion seen in new assemblies of Arabidopsis arenosa and A. lyrata
Authors: Bramsiepe Jonathan , Krabberød Anders K. , Bjerkan Katrine N. , Alling Renate M. , Johannessen Ida M. , Hornslien Karina S. , Miller Jason R. , Brysting Anne K. , Grini Paul E.
Published: July 2023

Arabidopsis thaliana diverged from A. arenosa and A. lyrata at least 6 million years ago. The three species differ by genome‐wide polymorphisms and morphological traits. The species are to a high degree reproductively isolated, but hybridization barriers are incomplete. A special type of hybridization barrier is based on the triploid endosperm of the seed, where embryo lethality is caused by endosperm failure to support the developing embryo. The MADS‐box type I family of transcription factors is specifically expressed in the endosperm and has been proposed to play a role in endosperm‐based hybridization barriers. The gene family is well known for its high evolutionary duplication rate, as well as being regulated by genomic imprinting. Here we address MADS‐box type I gene family evolution and the role of type I genes in the context of hybridization. Using two de‐novo assembled and annotated chromosome‐level genomes of A. arenosa and A. lyrata ssp. petraea we analyzed the MADS‐box type I gene family in Arabidopsis to predict orthologs, copy number, and structural genomic variation related to the type I loci. Our findings were compared to gene expression profiles sampled before and after the transition to endosperm cellularization in order to investigate the involvement of MADS‐box type I loci in endosperm‐based hybridization barriers. We observed substantial differences in type‐I expression in the endosperm of A. arenosa and A. lyrata ssp. petraea, suggesting a genetic cause for the endosperm‐based hybridization barrier between A. arenosa and A. lyrata ssp. petraea.
A case of lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in a horse
Authors: Jondeau C. , Guyonnet A. , Losada A. , Laloy E. , Reyes‐Gomez E. , Le Dudal M. , Chahory S.
Published: July 2023

Objective

To describe a case of lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in a horse.

Animal Studied

A client‐owned 12‐year‐old Standardbred gelding presenting with chronic conjunctivitis and palpebral masses.

Methods

Complete ophthalmic examination, surgical excision, histopathology, and bacterial culture of biopsy samples were performed.

Results

Upper and lower eyelids of both eyes were affected, with multiple yellow‐to‐white nodules on the palpebral conjunctiva, adjacent to the eyelid margin. Nodule removal was achieved via partial tarsal plate excision. Histopathological examination revealed granulomatous inflammation and large droplets of presumed free lipid in the conjunctival lamina propria. The animal was diagnosed with lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis. No postoperative ocular discomfort was observed for months; however, 3 years later, new conjunctival nodules were noticed, requiring a second surgical procedure on three of the eyelids. Transient entropion in the left lower eyelid was observed 2 months after the second surgery, and no recurrence of conjunctival nodules was observed after 18 months of follow‐up.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first report of lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in horses.
Factors affecting severity of pressure ulcers: Impact of number of medications
Authors: Arai Kenichi , Yamamoto Kohei , Suzuki Takaaki , Shiko Yuki , Kawasaki Yohei , Mitsukawa Nobuyuki , Ishii Ituko
Published: July 2023

Polypharmacy, which refers to the situation of a patient taking more medications than is clinically necessary, has become a major problem in recent years. Although the effects of medications on pressure ulcers have been reported, there are no reports on the impact of the total number of medications on pressure ulcers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of number of medications on the severity of pressure ulcers. Participants included 94 patients who were admitted to Chiba University Hospital with pressure ulcers between April 2013 and March 2021. Univariate analysis identified ulcer depth, weight loss and anticoagulant use to be factors that contributed to the severity of pressure ulcers. Multiple regression analysis was performed for six variables, namely, the number of medications, ulcer depth, weight loss and anticoagulant use, as well as diabetes status and total serum protein level, which have been reported to be associated with pressure ulcers in previous studies. The following independent risk factors were identified: weight loss (β 0.207, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.700–3.193; p = 0.003), anticoagulant use (β 0.161, 95% CI 0.271–3.088; p = 0.020) and ulcer depth (β 0.719, 95% CI 7.172–10.329; p < 0.001). The number of medications was not a significant factor. This study revealed that the number of medications a patient is taking does not affect the severity of pressure ulcers. The findings should provide useful information for the management of pressure ulcers.
Multicomponent provider–patient intervention to improve glycaemic control
in Medicaid-insured pregnant individuals with type 2 diabetes: clinical
trial protocol for the ACHIEVE study
Authors: Venkatesh Kartik K , Joseph Joshua J , Swoboda Christine , Strouse Robert , Hoseus Jenelle , Baker Carrie , Summerfield Taryn , Bartholomew Anna , Buccilla Lisa , Pan X , Sieck Cynthia , McAlearney Ann Scheck , Huerta Timothy R , Fareed Naleef
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the most frequent comorbid medical
conditions in pregnancy. Glycaemic control decreases the risk of adverse
pregnancy outcomes for the pregnant individual and infant. Achieving
glycaemic control can be challenging for Medicaid-insured pregnant
individuals who experience a high burden of unmet social needs.
Multifaceted provider–patient-based approaches are needed to improve
glycaemic control in this high-risk pregnant population. Mobile health
(mHealth) applications (app), provider dashboards, continuous glucose
monitoring (CGM) and addressing social needs have been independently
associated with improved glycaemic control in non-pregnant individuals
living with diabetes. The combined effect of these interventions on
glycaemic control among pregnant individuals with T2D remains to be
evaluated.

Methods and analysis

In a two-arm randomised controlled trial, we will examine the
combined effects of a multicomponent provider–patient intervention,
including a patient mHealth app, provider dashboard, CGM, a community
health worker to address non-medical health-related social needs and
team-based care versus the current standard of diabetes and prenatal
care. We will recruit 124 Medicaid-insured pregnant individuals living
with T2D, who are ≤20 weeks of gestation with poor glycaemic control
measured as a haemoglobin A1c ≥ 6.5% assessed within 12 weeks of trial
randomisation or within 12 weeks of enrolling in prenatal care from an
integrated diabetes and prenatal care programme at a tertiary care
academic health system located in the Midwestern USA. We will measure
how many individuals achieve the primary outcome of glycaemic control
measured as an A1c<6.5% by the time of delivery, and secondarily,
adverse pregnancy outcomes; patient-reported outcomes (eg, health and
technology engagement, literacy and comprehension; provider–patient
communication; diabetes self-efficacy; distress, knowledge and beliefs;
social needs referrals and utilisation; medication adherence) and CGM
measures of glycaemic control (in the intervention group).

Ethics and dissemination

The Institutional Review Board at The Ohio State University approved
this study (IRB: 2022H0399; date: 3 June 2023). We plan to submit
manuscripts describing the user-designed methods and will submit the
results of the trial for publication in peer-reviewed journals and
presentations at international scientific meetings.

Trial registration number

NCT05662462