bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ripple effects in a communication network: anti-eavesdropper defence elicits elaborated sexual signals in rival males
Authors: Leavell Brian C. , Pantoja-Sánchez Hoover , Vélez Viviana , Hemingway Claire T. , Wilhite Kyle , Halfwerk Wouter , Bernal Ximena E.
Published: December 2023

Emitting conspicuous signals into the environment to attract mates comes with the increased risk of interception by eavesdropping enemies. As a defence, a commonly described strategy is for signallers to group together in leks, diluting each individual's risk. Lekking systems are often highly social settings in which competing males dynamically alter their signalling behaviour to attract mates. Thus, signalling at the lek requires navigating fluctuations in risk, competition and reproductive opportunities. Here, we investigate how behavioural defence strategies directed at an eavesdropping enemy have cascading effects across the communication network. We investigated these behaviours in the túngara frog (
Engystomops pustulosus
), examining how a calling male's swatting defence directed at frog-biting midges indirectly affects the calling behaviour of his rival. We found that the rival responds to swat-induced water ripples by increasing his call rate and complexity. Then, performing phonotaxis experiments, we found that eavesdropping fringe-lipped bats (
Trachops cirrhosus
) do not exhibit a preference for a swatting male compared to his rival, but females strongly prefer the rival male. Defences to minimize attacks from eavesdroppers thus shift the mate competition landscape in favour of rival males. By modulating the attractiveness of signalling prey to female receivers, we posit that eavesdropping micropredators likely have an unappreciated impact on the ecology and evolution of sexual communication systems.
Ancient insect vision tuned for flight among rocks and plants underpins natural flower colour diversity
Authors: Dorin Alan , Shrestha Mani , Garcia Jair E. , Burd Martin , Dyer Adrian G.
Published: December 2023

Understanding the origins of flower colour signalling to pollinators is fundamental to evolutionary biology and ecology. Flower colour evolves under pressure from visual systems of pollinators, like birds and insects, to establish global signatures among flowers with similar pollinators. However, an understanding of the ancient origins of this relationship remains elusive. Here, we employ computer simulations to generate artificial flower backgrounds assembled from real material sample spectra of rocks, leaves and dead plant materials, against which to test flowers' visibility to birds and bees. Our results indicate how flower colours differ from their backgrounds in strength, and the distributions of salient reflectance features when perceived by these key pollinators, to reveal the possible origins of their colours. Since Hymenopteran visual perception evolved before flowers, the terrestrial chromatic context for its evolution to facilitate flight and orientation consisted of rocks, leaves, sticks and bark. Flowers exploited these pre-evolved visual capacities of their visitors, in response evolving chromatic features to signal to bees, and differently to birds, against a backdrop of other natural materials. Consequently, it appears that today's flower colours may be an evolutionary response to the vision of diurnal pollinators navigating their world millennia prior to the first flowers.
Transcriptomic responses to location learning by honeybee dancers are partly mirrored in the brains of dance-followers
Authors: Manfredini Fabio , Wurm Yannick , Sumner Seirian , Leadbeater Ellouise
Published: December 2023

The waggle dances of honeybees are a strikingly complex form of animal communication that underlie the collective foraging behaviour of colonies. The mechanisms by which bees assess the locations of forage sites that they have visited for representation on the dancefloor are now well-understood, but few studies have considered the remarkable backward translation of such information into flight vectors by dance-followers. Here, we explore whether the gene expression patterns that are induced through individual learning about foraging locations are mirrored when bees learn about those same locations from their nest-mates. We first confirmed that the mushroom bodies of honeybee dancers show a specific transcriptomic response to learning about distance, and then showed that approximately 5% of those genes were also differentially expressed by bees that follow dances for the same foraging sites, but had never visited them. A subset of these genes were also differentially expressed when we manipulated distance perception through an optic flow paradigm, and responses to learning about target direction were also in part mirrored in the brains of dance followers. Our findings show a molecular footprint of the transfer of learnt information from one animal to another through this extraordinary communication system, highlighting the dynamic role of the genome in mediating even very short-term behavioural changes.
Tracking COVID-19 in England and Wales: Insights from Virus Watch - a prospective community cohort study
Authors: Erica Fong Wing Lam , Nguyen Vincent Grigori , Beale Sarah , Byrne Thomas E , Geismar Cyril , Fragaszy Ellen , Kovar Jana , Navaratnam Annalan M D , Yavlinsky Alexei , Abubakar Ibrahim , Hayward Andrew C , Aldridge Robert W
Published: December 2023

Background

Virus Watch is a prospective community cohort study of COVID-19 of 28□,527 households in England and Wales designed to estimate the incidence of PCR-confirmed COVID-19 in those with respiratory presentations and examine symptom profiles and transmission of COVID-19 in relation to population movement and behaviour. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) COVID-19 infection survey (CIS) was the largest regular survey of COVID-19 infections and antibodies in the UK and included 227,797 households. In this analysis, we aimed to compare incidence rate estimates from the two studies to understand differences in estimates from the two study designs.

Methods

We used the Virus Watch prospective community cohort study to estimate the overall SARS-CoV-2 incidence rate and incidence rate by age in England and Wales from June 2020 to February 2023. Virus Watch data consisted of self-reported laboratory COVID-19 test results and linkage to the Second Generation Surveillance System, the UK national database for COVID-19 testing. We compared our findings with modelled incidence rates from ONS CIS using 3-day rolling Pearson’s correlation to measure synchrony.

Results

58,628 participants were recruited into the Virus Watch study between June 2020 and March 2022, of whom 52,526 (90%) were reported to be living in England and 1,532 (2.6%) in Wales. COVID-19 incidence rates were initially similar across age groups until the Delta wave when rates increased at different magnitudes. During the Omicron BA.1, the 0-14 age group had the highest incidence rates, which shifted to the 25-44 age group with Omicron BA.2, 4, and 5 dominance. We found strong synchrony between Virus Watch and ONS CIS COVID-19 incidence estimates for England and Wales, both with and without the incorporation of linked national testing data into the Virus Watch study. In particular, the magnitude and trend of Virus Watch- and ONS-estimated rates for England were generally consistent, although Virus Watch-estimated peaks of infection during the Omicron BA.1 and 2 waves were found to be lower than estimates from the ONS.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the Virus Watch research approach is a low-cost and effective method for on-going surveillance of COVID-19 regardless of the availability of national testing in the UK. Similar approaches can also be utilised by low-resource settings to provide accurate incidence rate estimates to better monitor and respond to COVID-19 as well as other acute respiratory diseases in the future.
Integrative proteomic analyses across common cardiac diseases yield new mechanistic insights and enhanced prediction
Authors: Schuermans Art , Pournamdari Ashley B. , Lee Jiwoo , Bhukar Rohan , Ganesh Shriienidhie , Darosa Nicholas , Small Aeron M. , Yu Zhi , Hornsby Whitney , Koyama Satoshi , Januzzi James L. , Honigberg Michael C. , Natarajan Pradeep
Published: December 2023

Cardiac diseases represent common highly morbid conditions for which underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we leveraged 1,459 protein measurements in 44,313 UK Biobank participants to characterize the circulating proteome associated with incident coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and aortic stenosis. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression identified 820 protein-disease associations—including 441 proteins—at Bonferroni-adjustedP<8.6×10−6.Cis-Mendelian randomization suggested causal roles that aligned with epidemiological findings for 6% of proteins identified in primary analyses, prioritizing novel therapeutic targets for different cardiac diseases (e.g., interleukin-4 receptor for heart failure and spondin-1 for atrial fibrillation). Interaction analyses identified seven protein-disease associations that differed Bonferroni-significantly by sex. Models incorporating proteomic data (vs. clinical risk factors alone) improved prediction for coronary artery disease, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. These results lay a foundation for future investigations to uncover novel disease mechanisms and assess the clinical utility of protein-based prevention strategies for cardiac diseases.
Proteomic aging clock (PAC) predicts age-related outcomes in middle-aged and older adults
Authors: Kuo Chia-Ling , Chen Zhiduo , Liu Peiran , Pilling Luke C. , Atkins Janice L. , Fortinsky Richard H. , Kuchel George A. , Diniz Breno S.
Published: December 2023

Beyond mere prognostication, optimal biomarkers of aging provide insights into qualitative and quantitative features of biological aging and might, therefore, offer useful information for the testing and, ultimately, clinical use of gerotherapeutics. We aimed to develop a proteomic aging clock (PAC) for all-cause mortality risk as a proxy of biological age. Data were from the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, including 53,021 participants aged between 39 and 70 years and 2,923 plasma proteins assessed using the Olink Explore 3072 assay®. The Spearman correlation between PAC proteomic age and chronological age was 0.77. A total of 10.9% of the participants died during a mean follow-up of 13.3 years, with the mean age at death 70.1 years. We developed a proteomic aging clock (PAC) for all-cause mortality risk as a surrogate of BA using a combination of least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized Cox regression and Gompertz proportional hazards models. PAC showed robust age-adjusted associations and predictions for all-cause mortality and the onset of various diseases in general and disease-free participants. The proteins associated with PAC were enriched in several processes related to the hallmarks of biological aging. Our results expand previous findings by showing that age acceleration, based on PAC, strongly predicts all-cause mortality and several incident disease outcomes. Particularly, it facilitates the evaluation of risk for multiple conditions in a disease-free population, thereby, contributing to the prevention of initial diseases, which vary among individuals and may subsequently lead to additional comorbidities.
CDRxAbs: Antibody Small-Molecule Conjugates with Computationally Designed Target-Binding Synergy
Authors: Wang Jingzhou , Aceves Aiden J. , Mayo Stephen L.
Published: December 2023

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) combine the advantages and offset the disadvantages of their constituent parts to achieve a refined spectrum of action. We combine the concept of ADCs with the full atomic simulation capability of computational protein design to define a new class of molecular recognition agents: CDR-extended antibodies, abbreviated as CDRxAbs. A CDRxAb incorporates a covalently attached small molecule into an antibody/target binding interface using computational protein design to create an antibody small-molecule conjugate that binds tighter to the target of the small molecule than the small molecule would alone. CDRxAbs are also expected to increase the target binding specificity of their associated small molecules. In a proof-of-concept study using monomeric streptavidin/biotin pairs at either a nanomolar or micromolar-level initial affinity, we designed nanobody-biotin conjugates that exhibited >20-fold affinity improvement against their protein targets with step-wise optimization of binding kinetics and overall protein stability. The workflow explored through this process promises a novel approach to optimize small-molecule based therapeutics and to explore new chemical and target space for molecular-recognition agents in general.

Significance

We defined a general method for optimizing molecular recognition reagents that involve small molecules and demonstrated an application of this method using a model system. Instead of using traditional approaches for modifying a small molecule to improve its binding properties, we use computational protein design to build an antibody/small molecule conjugate that allows the target-binding strength (and specificity) of the small molecule to be tuned through changes in the amino acid sequence of the antibody scaffold. This method introduces a novel approach for optimizing the binding properties of small molecules and expands the potential application scenarios for antibody-drug conjugates.
Structure of an insect gustatory receptor
Authors: Frank Heather M. , Walujkar Sanket , Walsh Richard M. , Laursen Willem J. , Theobald Douglas L. , Garrity Paul A. , Gaudet Rachelle
Published: December 2023

Gustatory Receptors (GRs) are critical for insect chemosensation and are potential targets for controlling pests and disease vectors. However, GR structures have not been experimentally determined. We present structures ofBombyx moriGr9 (BmGr9), a fructose-gated cation channel, in agonist-free and fructose-bound states. BmGr9 forms a tetramer similar to distantly related insect Olfactory Receptors (ORs). Upon fructose binding, BmGr9’s ion channel gate opens through helix S7b movements. In contrast to ORs, BmGR9’s ligand-binding pocket, shaped by a kinked helix S4 and a shorter extracellular S3-S4 loop, is larger and solvent accessible in both agonist-free and fructose-bound states. Also unlike ORs, fructose binding by BmGr9 involves helix S5 and a binding pocket lined with aromatic and polar residues. Structure-based sequence alignments reveal distinct patterns of ligand-binding pocket residue conservation in GR subfamilies associated with distinct ligand classes. These data provide insight into the molecular basis of GR ligand specificity and function.
Mantis: high-throughput 4D imaging and analysis of the molecular and physical architecture of cells
Authors: Ivanov Ivan E. , Hirata-Miyasaki Eduardo , Chandler Talon , Cheloor-Kovilakam Rasmi , Liu Ziwen , Pradeep Soorya , Liu Chad , Bhave Madhura , Khadka Sudip , Arias Carolina , Leonetti Manuel D. , Huang Bo , Mehta Shalin B.
Published: December 2023

High-throughput dynamic imaging of cells and organelles is essential for understanding complex cellular responses. We report Mantis, a high-throughput 4D microscope that integrates two complementary, gentle, live-cell imaging technologies: remote-refocus label-free microscopy and oblique light-sheet fluorescence microscopy. Additionally, we report shrimPy, an open-source software for high-throughput imaging, deconvolution, and single-cell phenotyping of 4D data. Using Mantis and shrimPy, we achieved high-content correlative imaging of molecular dynamics and the physical architecture of 20 cell lines every 15 minutes over 7.5 hours. This platform also facilitated detailed measurements of the impacts of viral infection on the architecture of host cells and host proteins. The Mantis platform can enable high-throughput profiling of intracellular dynamics, long-term imaging and analysis of cellular responses to perturbations, and live-cell optical screens to dissect gene regulatory networks.

Significance Statement

Understanding the dynamics and interactions of cellular components is crucial for biological research and drug discovery. Current dynamic fluorescence microscopy methods can only image a few fluorescent labels, providing a limited view of these complex processes. We developed Mantis, a high-throughput 3D microscope that maps interactions among components of dynamic cell systems. Mantis combines light-sheet fluorescence imaging of multiple fluorophores with quantitative label-free microscopy and is complemented by shrimPy, our open-source software for high-throughput data acquisition and high-performance analysis. Mantis enabled simultaneous 3D time-lapse imaging of 20 cell lines and quantitative analysis of responses to perturbations like viral infection at single-cell resolution. This approach can accelerate the analysis of cellular dynamics and image-based drug discovery.
Epithelial Folding Irreversibility is Controlled by Elastoplastic Transition via Mechanosensitive Actin Bracket Formation
Authors: Teranishi Aki , Mori Misato , Ichiki Rihoko , Toda Satoshi , Shioi Go , Okuda Satoru
Published: December 2023

During morphogenesis, epithelial sheets undergo sequential folding to form three-dimensional organ structures. The resulting folds are irreversible, ensuring that morphogenesis progresses in one direction. However, the mechanism establishing the irreversibility of folding remains unclear. Here, we report a novel mechanical property of epithelia that is responsible for folding irreversibility. Using a newly developed mechanical indentation assay, we demonstrate that short-term or low-curvature folding induces an elastic, shape-restoring response. In contrast, combined long-term, high-curvature folding results in plastic, irreversible deformation. This elastic-to-plastic transition occurs in a switch-like manner, with critical thresholds for the folding curvature and duration. Specific cells at the fold initiate this transition, sensing the curvature and duration of folding on their apical side via mechanosensitive signaling pathways, including transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) 3/6-mediated calcium influx and ligand-independent epidermal growth factor receptor activation. These pathways induce F-actin accumulation into a bracket-like structure across the fold, establishing the transition. The duration threshold is determined and tunable by the actin polymerization rate. These results demonstrate that cells control the irreversibility of epithelial folding by detecting folding characteristics and adaptively switching between elastic and plastic responses. This finding resolves a long-standing question about the directionality of morphogenesis.
Epidemic Spreading in Group-Structured Populations
Authors: Patwardhan Siddharth , Rao Varun K. , Fortunato Santo , Radicchi Filippo
Published: December 2023

Individuals involved in common group activities or settings, e.g., college students that are enrolled in the same class and/or live in the same dorm, are exposed to recurrent contacts of physical proximity. These contacts are known to mediate the spread of an infectious disease; however, it is not obvious how the properties of the spreading process are determined by the structure of and the interrelation among the group settings that are at the root of those recurrent interactions. Here, we show that reshaping the organization of groups within a population can be used as an effective strategy to decrease the severity of an epidemic. Specifically, we show that when group structures are sufficiently correlated, e.g., the likelihood for two students living in the same dorm to attend the same class is sufficiently high, outbreaks are longer but milder than for uncorrelated group structures. Also, we show that the effectiveness of interventions for disease containment increases as the correlation among group structures increases. We demonstrate the practical relevance of our findings by taking advantage of data about housing and attendance of students at the Indiana University campus in Bloomington. By appropriately optimizing the assignment of students to dorms based on their enrollment, we are able to observe a twofold to fivefold reduction in the severity of simulated epidemic processes.

Published by the American Physical Society
2023
The effectiveness of human resource management practices, work engagement and self-efficacy in minimizing talent turnover intention
Authors: Alhajaj Wejdan Eissa , Ahmad Syed Zamberi
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study examines the impact of perceived human resource management practices on talent turnover intention, with work engagement mediating and self-efficacy moderating the relationship. It examines how employees' perceptions of pay satisfaction, empowerment, participation and communication are related to their turnover intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 283 valid questionnaires from UAE government employees were used for data analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine the proposed hypothesis.

Findings

The results reveal that employees' perceptions of pay satisfaction, empowerment, participation and communication are significant contributors to work engagement. The findings further demonstrate that work engagement significantly negatively affects talent turnover intention and acts as a mediator between employees' perceptions of individual human resource management practices and talent turnover intention. However, the results contradict the hypothesis that self-efficacy moderates the association between work engagement and talent turnover intention.

Originality/value

This study focuses on the impact of perceived human resource management practices on talent turnover intention, an area that has received limited attention in literature. By focusing on perceived human resource management practices, this study illuminates employees' subjective experiences and how they perceive human resource management practices intended to reduce talent turnover intention. The inclusion of the mediating effect of work engagement offers a more profound understanding of how employees' perceptions of human resource management practices influence their turnover intentions. This comprehensive approach to understanding the interplay between these variables provides valuable insights for organizations seeking to improve their human resource management practices and talent turnover intention.
Why Bangkokians use online food delivery services after COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted
Authors: Weiler Arissara Suratanon , Gilitwala Bhumiphat
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The growth of the internet has transformed digital infrastructure in Thailand over the past two decades, with the widespread use of e-commerce, digital money and online services becoming a daily norm for all ages. The COVID-19 restrictions, which limited in-person business operations, boosted demand for takeout and delivery services and fueled the expected steady growth of the online food delivery market in Thailand. The pandemic also resulted in a shift towards online ordering and delivery, reflecting changes in customer behavior. This study focuses on exploring the factors that have driven Bangkokians to use online food delivery services after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in June 2022.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 398 participants who had ordered food delivery services after the announcement.

Findings

The findings showed that perceived usefulness, time saving benefit and price saving benefit have a significant impact on the intention of customers to use online food delivery services, while food safety risk perception had no effect.

Practical implications

Bangkokians favor online food delivery services due to convenience and time-saving, indicating high demand post-pandemic. Businesses should invest in improving their platforms to meet evolving consumer behavior.

Originality/value

The result of this study offers valuable insights into the attitudes and behaviors of Bangkokians towards online food delivery services and could be beneficial for businesses in the industry to improve their services, enhance customer satisfaction as well as increase their competitiveness.
Emotional intelligence and analytical skill as human capital factors influencing competitiveness through analysis of Toyota Kata, Kaizen and Quality 4.0: empirical study conducted during COVID-19
Authors: Ríos-Hernández Alejandro , Mendoza-Gómez Joel , Valdez–de la Rosa Luz María
Published: December 2023

Purpose

This study empirically tests a model of human capital (HC) factors affecting the organisational competitiveness (OC) of automotive parts suppliers in the Industry 4.0 framework, including concepts such as Toyota Kata (TK), Kaizen and Quality 4.0, during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

An instrument was created to measure emotional intelligence (EI) and analytical skill (AS) as input variables and OC as the output variable. The instrument was distributed electronically to Tier 1 non-technical employees in Nuevo León and Querétaro, México. A total of 195 surveys were obtained. The instrument used stepwise multiple linear regression.

Findings

This study proposes a model to strengthen the OC of Tier 1 automotive parts supply industry from the perspective of HC factors. Furthermore, it is shown that EI and AS have a positive and significant impact on OC.

Practical implications

From an HC perspective, this study provides a useful basis to improve OC for researchers, industry experts and managers at different levels of the automotive industry, including the triple helix (academia, industry and the government).

Originality/value

No studies simultaneously test the relationship of EI and AS to OC; therefore, this study fills a gap in the literature. Furthermore, the study explored the literature on individual Kaizen (IK) and TK, leading to a contrast between the definitions of EI and AS. Finally, for EI, a reference to motivation was found in the IK. In the case of AS, an orientation to ability of problem solving was found in TK.
Complexities of gender and sex
Authors: Lancaster Roger , Marks Jonathan , Fausto‐Sterling Anne , Fuentes Agustín
Published: December 2023

This editorial reflects on the controversy at the American Anthropological Association and the Canadian Anthropology Society's conference, where a session on the fixity of biological sex was cancelled. Retracing developments from Simone de Beauvoir's foundational ideas to the theories of second‐wave feminism it emphasizes how the gender concept was posed as a dynamic cultural construct. rather than a fixed biological fate, then shows that biological sex is also more complex than earlier characterizations of it as given, fixed, and immutable. Underscoring the complexities of academic debate and inclusivity, the piece highlights anthropologists’ work in revealing gender diversity and spotlights the role of young LGBTQI researchers in reshaping our concepts of sex and gender, which have moved from fixed binaries to a more fluid understanding in contemporary thought. The editorial concludes with a call for an integrated, non‐dichotomous approach to (cultural) gender and (biological) sex, a nuanced understanding that recognizes their interplay.
Anonymizing in digitalized fieldwork: An art‐based blurring approach
Authors: Salinas Cecilia G.
Published: December 2023

The ongoing refinement of internet technology is compelling anthropologists to reconceptualize data acquisition within the digital realm. Conducting ethnography on sensitive topics that involve imagery necessitates the development of innovative anonymization and pseudo‐anonymization methods. This article focuses on two pivotal facets of digital space ethnography: (1) devising strategies to mitigate harm towards participant members of vulnerable communities and (2) ensuring adherence to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) while preserving the privacy of incidental parties on social media platforms. This article demonstrates how artistic blurring is one anonymization technique that may be applied ethically in the digital ethnographic examination of sensitive issues in Norway.
Caring about bequest, so caring for parents? Evidence from China's housing sector
Authors: He Jia , Wu Jing , Zhang Qi , Zhang Rongjie
Published: December 2023

This article reveals an informal eldercare arrangement in China by focusing on how the value of housing owned by aging parents affects adult children's caregiving behavior. Using three waves of national survey data in 2011–2015, we find that when the potential housing‐bequest value increases, adult children from multi‐child households provide more emotional support for their parents, demonstrating the role of the intergenerational‐exchange mechanism in China's current eldercare arrangement. However, such an informal mechanism is weakened by the prevalent social norms of son preference and is also less effective among emerging only‐child households. Therefore, we call for more market‐oriented arrangements.
Peritoneal dialysis in Herzegovina, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: 18 years of experience from our center
Authors: Raguž Fila , Tomić Monika , Stojčić Andrea , Tipurić Manuel , Volarić Mile , Bevanda Sanja
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Due to treatment of end‐stage‐renal‐disease (ESRD), continuous peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is used in 11% of cases and is associated with several PD‐associated infections.

Methods

Clinical data on 71 patients with CAPD were evaluated in addition to exit site infections and episodes of acute peritonitis (AP).

Results

There were 39 men and 32 women. Average age was 61 years when we began CAPD and average time spent on CAPD program was 3.35 years. Illness that dominantly caused ESRD was diabetes (23 patients). Exit site infection was mostly caused by S epidermidis‐MRSE and AP was most commonly caused by Staphylococcus sp. group. Most common cause of death was cardiovascular disease. At the end of this study, 9 patients were alive and still on CAPD, 10 were transplanted, 15 switched to HD and 36 died.

Conclusion

Optimal prevention measures and treatment of infectious complications in CAPD is necessary for better treatment possibilities.
Platelet transfusions in adult thrombocytopenic ICU patients: Protocol for a sub‐study of the PLOT‐ICU cohort
Authors: Anthon Carl Thomas , Pène Frédéric , Perner Anders , Azoulay Elie , Puxty Kathryn , Van De Louw Andry , Chawla Sanjay , Castro Pedro , Povoa Pedro , Coelho Luis , Metaxa Victoria , Kochanek Matthias , Liebregts Tobias , Kander Thomas , Sivula Mirka , Møller Morten Hylander , Russell Lene
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Platelet transfusions are frequently used in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, but contemporary epidemiological data are sparse. We aim to present contemporary international data on the use of platelet transfusions in adult ICU patients with thrombocytopenia.

Methods

This is a protocol and statistical analysis plan for a post hoc sub‐study of 504 thrombocytopenic patients from the ‘Thrombocytopenia and platelet transfusions in ICU patients: an international inception cohort study (PLOT‐ICU)’. The primary outcome will be the number of patients receiving platelet transfusion in the ICU reported according to the type of product received (apheresis‐derived versus pooled whole‐blood‐derived transfusions). Secondary platelet transfusion outcomes will include platelet transfusion volumes; timing of platelet transfusion; approach to platelet transfusion dosing (fixed dosing versus weight‐based dosing) and platelet count increments for prophylactic transfusions. Secondary clinical outcomes will include the number of patients receiving red blood cell‐ and plasma transfusions during ICU stay; the number of patients who bled in the ICU, the number of patients who had a new thrombosis in the ICU, and the number of patients who died. The duration of follow‐up was 90 days. Baseline characteristics and secondary clinical outcomes will be stratified according to platelet transfusion status in the ICU and severity of thrombocytopenia. Data will be presented descriptively.

Conclusions

The outlined study will provide detailed epidemiological data on the use of platelet transfusions in adult ICU patients with thrombocytopenia using data from the large international PLOT‐ICU cohort study. The findings will inform the design of future randomised trials evaluating platelet transfusions in ICU patients.
A revision of the Australian endemic genus Labroma Sharp, 1873 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
Authors: Reid Chris A. M. , Tees Natalie A.
Published: December 2023

The Australian endemic dung beetle Labroma Sharp, 1873 is redescribed and revised. Five species are recognised, two new: L. horrens Sharp, 1873, L. monteithi sp. nov., L. toonumbar sp. nov., L. tuberculata (Waterhouse, 1874) and L. umbratilis Matthews, 1974. The genus, hitherto only known from southwest Western Australia, is newly recorded from New South Wales. Systematics of the genus and conservation status of its species are discussed.
Mechanics of vaginal breech birth: Factors influencing obstetric maneuver rate, duration of active second stage of labor, and neonatal outcome
Authors: Lia Massimiliano , Martin Mireille , Költzsch Elisabeth , Stepan Holger , Dathan‐Stumpf Anne
Published: December 2023

Background

We investigated possible parameters that could predict the need for obstetric maneuvers, the duration of the active second stage of labor (i.e., the duration of active pushing), and short‐term neonatal outcome in vaginal breech births.

Materials and Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of 268 successful singleton vaginal breech births in women without previous vaginal births from January 2015 to August 2022. Multivariable regression was used to investigate associations between maternal and fetal characteristics (including antepartum magnetic resonance (MR) pelvimetry) with obstetric maneuvers, the duration of active second stage of labor, pH values, and admission to the neonatal unit. Models for the prediction of obstetric maneuvers were built and internally validated.

Results

Obstetric maneuvers were performed in a total of 130 women (48.5%). A total of 32 neonates (11.9%) had to be admitted to the neonatal unit. The intertuberous distance (ITD) (p < 0.001), epidural analgesia (p < 0.001), and birthweight (p = 0.026) were associated with the duration of active second stage of labor. ITD (p = 0.028) and birthweight (p = 0.011) were also independently associated with admission to the neonatal unit, while pH values below 7.10 dropped significantly (p = 0.0034) if ITD was ≥13 cm. Furthermore, ITD (p < 0.001) and biparietal diameter (p = 0.002) were independent predictors for obstetric maneuvers.

Conclusions

ITD is independently associated with the duration of active second stage of labor. Thus, it can predict suboptimal birth mechanics in the last stage of birth, which may lead to the need for obstetric maneuvers, lower arterial pH values, and admission to the neonatal unit. Consequently, MR pelvimetry gives additional information for practitioners and birthing people preferring a vaginal breech birth.
Tumor suppressive function of IGF2BP1 in gastric cancer through decreasing MYC
Authors: Ding Ning , Cao Guodong , Wang Zhuo , Xu Shengjun , Chen Wenwen
Published: December 2023

Gastric cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer‐related death worldwide. The N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) reader IGF2BP1 (insulin‐like growth factor‐2 mRNA binding protein 1) has been reported to promote cancer progression by stabilizing oncogenic mRNAs through its m6A‐binding activity in some tumors. However, the role of IGF2BP1 in gastric carcinogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we found that IGF2BP1 is significantly downregulated in tumor tissues from patients with gastric cancer. Lower expression of IGF2BP1 is associated with poor prognosis. Gastric cancer cell proliferation is suppressed by IGF2BP1 in an m6A‐dependent manner. Additionally, IGF2BP1 is able to significantly attenuate tumor growth of gastric cancer cells. Further m6A sequencing and m6A‐RNA immunoprecipitation assays show that MYC (c‐myc proto‐oncogene) mRNA is a target transcript of IGF2BP1 in gastric cancer cells. IGF2BP1 inhibits gastric cancer cell proliferation by reducing the mRNA and protein expression of MYC. Mechanistically, IGF2BP1 promotes the degradation of MYC mRNA and inhibits its translation efficiency. Taken together, these data suggest that IGF2BP1 plays a tumor‐suppressive role in gastric carcinogenesis by downregulating MYC in an m6A‐dependent manner, thereby making the IGF2BP1‐MYC axis a potential target for gastric cancer treatment.
Pandemic mothering: Mothers' experiences of adaptation and resilience during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Childress Saltanat , LaBrenz Catherine A. , Findley Erin
Published: December 2023

Research suggests that the demands of parenting have increased during the COVID‐19 pandemic, especially for mothers. Widespread loss of childcare and in‐person schooling forced parents to make adjustments to care for their children in new ways, many while working remotely. This qualitative study, guided by Walsh's theory of family resilience, examines mothers' experiences with stress and resilience as they adapted to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Data were gathered as part of a longitudinal, mixed‐methods study that examined family stress and resilience among mothers of children ages zero to five. The authors conducted in‐depth interviews between June and August 2020 with mothers (n = 15) of children under age six. Three themes emerged to characterize pandemic parenting: 24/7 parenting, changing expectations, and making it work. Recommendations are provided for researchers and practitioners working with mothers of young children, with emphasis on mothers' aptitudes for resilience in times of crisis.
Evaluation of the presence of double‐organ bias in published randomised controlled dacryocystorhinostomy studies
Authors: Savran Elibol Emine , Savran Fatih
Published: December 2023

Objective

The aim of this study is to show whether journals pay attention to double‐organ bias in studies on dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) treatment. Most statistical tests are based on the assumption that each data entry is independent of the other. However, we wanted to understand whether the eye, which is a double organ in the human body, is a cause of bias and whether sufficient attention has been paid to it in published articles.

Design

A PubMed search was conducted between November 1997 and November 2021 in the field of ophthalmology and otolaryngology with the terms ‘dacryocystorhinostomy’ and the limitations of ‘people’ and ‘randomly controlled studies’. Publications containing DCR were searched. The publications published in the 15 journals with the highest impact were selected. The scope of the journal, the scope of the authors, the relevance of the articles, the presence of randomisation, the type of study (drug, endoscopic surgery, laser surgery and external surgery) and the statistical approach to bilateral organ bias were evaluated by two independent observers.

Results and Main Outcome Measures

A total of 83 publications were found by Pubmed search. Fifty‐six publications were included in the study. Double‐organ bias was present in 41% (n = 23) of the cases. Of the 23 biased publications, 46.4% were found to be in the Quartile 1 group. Quartile 4 journals showed bias in only four journals.

Conclusion

Double‐organ bias can also be seen in journals with high impact factors and published in recent years. Journals may need to pay more attention to double‐organ bias in the publication acceptance process.
Dehydration associates with lower urinary tract symptoms in progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Kaninia Stefania , Stuart Charlotte M. , Galea Ian
Published: December 2023

Background

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in persons with progressive multiple sclerosis (pwPMS), who may consequently limit their fluid intake. We aimed to investigate the hypothesis that LUTS associate with objective evidence of inadequate hydration status in pwPMS.

Methods

In this prospective study, 55 pwPMS were studied over 2 years. A 6‐monthly first‐morning urine specimen was analysed for urinary osmolality and sodium as hydration markers. LUTS symptom severity in three categories (urgency, voiding and discomfort) was assessed and quantified using a questionnaire. Correlation between LUTS severity and hydration was assessed within subjects and between subjects, controlling for age.

Results

Some 274 urine samples with accompanying LUTS data from 55 participants were analysed. Biochemical data showed the expected loss of urine‐concentrating capacity with increasing age. Inadequate hydration was observed in 47% of participants. LUTS were very common (87% reported urgency and 89% voiding symptoms). Voiding and discomfort, but not urgency severity, were correlated with hydration markers, both within and between participants.

Conclusions

LUTS are very common in pwPMS, and associate with inadequate hydration. The causes and consequences of inadequate hydration in MS need further study, since (i) this will focus greater attention on LUTS management in pwPMS and (ii) dehydration has been associated with reversible cognitive dysfunction and physical underperformance.
Patterns of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder attacks in different age groups and sexes depending on the status of immunosuppressive therapy: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Luo Wenqin , Shi Ziyan , Kong Lingyao , Wang Xiaofei , Zhou Hongyu
Published: December 2023

Background and purpose

The association between onset age and sex with relapse risk in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) remains inconclusive. We aimed to describe the clinical features of patients with NMOSD in different age groups and sexes and to analyse relapse characteristics pre‐ and post‐immunosuppressive therapy (IST).

Methods

Patients with NMOSD were retrospectively reviewed from our clinical centre's database. Demographic and clinical data, attack presentation, and disease course pre‐ and post‐IST were investigated. We also analysed the effect of onset age on the annualized relapse rate and relapse risk according to sex and IST status. Interactions on the additive scale between onset age and sex were analysed. A restricted cubic spline was used to analyse potential nonlinear correlations. Longitudinal changes in the Expanded Disability Status Scale score across NMOSD attacks were analysed using linear mixed‐effect models.

Results

In total, 533 patients experienced 1394 attacks pre‐IST and 753 relapses post‐IST. Older age at onset was correlated with more myelitis attacks but fewer optic neuritis attacks, with no sex‐related differences in attack presentation. Pre‐IST, relapse risk increased with age at onset in women, while a U‐shaped correlation between onset age and relapse risk was found in men. Post‐IST, an inverted U‐shaped association between the predicted relapse risk and onset age was observed in women. Conversely, a negative correlation between the predicted relapse risk and onset age was found in men. Overall, a higher ratio of myelitis attacks was found post‐IST.

Conclusions

Patients of different onset ages and sexes had different relapse patterns before and after IST.
Assessing the invasive potential of different source populations of ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifoliaL.) through genomically informed species distribution modelling
Authors: Putra Andhika R. , Hodgins Kathryn A. , Fournier‐Level Alexandre
Published: December 2023

The genetic composition of founding populations is likely to play a key role in determining invasion success. Individual genotypes may differ in habitat preference and environmental tolerance, so their ability to colonize novel environments can be highly variable. Despite the importance of genetic variation on invasion success, its influence on the potential distribution of invaders is rarely investigated. Here, we integrate population genomics and ecological niche models (ENMs) into a single framework to predict the distribution of globally invasive common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) in Australia. We identified three genetic clusters for ragweed and used these to construct cluster‐specific ENMs and characterize within‐species niche differentiation. The potential range of ragweed in Australia depended on the genetic composition and continent of origin of the introduced population. Invaders originating from warmer, wetter climates had a broader potential distribution than those from cooler, drier ones. By quantifying this change, we identified source populations most likely to expand the ragweed distribution. As prevention remains the most effective method of invasive species management, our work provides a valuable way of ranking the threat posed by different populations to better inform management decisions.
A call to action: The need for evaluation of carbon storage by lacustrine large woody debris
Authors: Marsden J. Ellen , Chiapella Ariana , Keeton William S.
Published: December 2023

Global climate change and the push to develop Natural Climate Solutions have increased urgency around the need to quantify, capture, and store carbon to reduce atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide—but we may be overlooking a potentially important, long‐term carbon sink.

Carbon stored in large woody debris (LWD) in lakes is largely missing from local and global carbon budgets. Waterlogged LWD may remain relatively intact in cold, low‐oxygen hypolimnetic regions for decades to centuries, while LWD buried in lake‐bottom sediments may store carbon for millennia.

We postulate that lacustrine LWD may be an important component of local and global carbon budgets, and modern land‐use effects (deforestation, agriculture, stream flow changes) may be reducing inputs of LWD into long‐term lacustrine carbon pools. Quantifying lacustrine LWD, particularly in large lakes, is logistically challenging, resulting in a data gap in carbon budgets.

Here, we propose that new aerial and underwater technologies be employed to map and quantify littoral LWD and deposits of sunken and buried LWD to estimate carbon storage and the role of lacustrine LWD in regional and global carbon cycling.