bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integrated approach to assessing abiotic and biotic threats to post‐fire plant species recovery: Lessons from the 2019–2020 Australian fire season
Authors: Gallagher Rachael V. , Allen Stuart P. , Mackenzie Berin D. E. , Keith David A. , Nolan Rachael H. , Rumpff Libby , Gosper Carl R. , Pegg Geoffrey , van Leeuwen Stephen , Ooi Mark K. J. , Yates Colin J. , Merow Cory , Williams Richard J. , Nikolopoulos Efthymios I. , Beaumont Linda J. , Auld Tony D.
Published: March 2022

Aim

Existing abiotic and biotic threats to plant species (e.g., disease, drought, invasive species) affect their capacity to recover post‐fire. We use a new, globally applicable framework to assess the vulnerability of 26,062 Australian plant species to a suite of active threats after the 2019–2020 fires.

Location

Australia.

Time period

2019–2020.

Major species studied

Plants.

Methods

Spatial data for existing threats and information on species‐level susceptibility were combined with estimates of the extent of range burnt in southern Australia (> 22°S) to assign species against 10 criteria into vulnerability categories (high, medium, low, none, data deficient). We explore in detail results for three threats (drought, disease, feral animals), highlighting where impacts from multiple threats ranked high vulnerability may compound to reduce post‐fire recovery.

Results

Analysis of the full suite of 10 vulnerability criteria, which encompass a broad range of threats, revealed large numbers of species vulnerable to poor post‐fire recovery from one or more different hazards (high vulnerability: 1,243 species; medium vulnerability: 2,450 species). Collectively, 457 plant species that burnt extensively (> 50%) across their range are highly vulnerable to poor recovery due to exposure to pre‐fire drought conditions (235 species), disease (186 species), or feral animals (97 species). Of these 457 species, 61 are vulnerable to more than one of these three threats, highlighting how a suite of interacting hazards can impact plant recovery after fire.

Main conclusions

While fire can renew plant populations by stimulating recruitment and resetting competitive interactions, the presence of existing threats in post‐fire landscapes jeopardizes recovery. The simultaneous impact of multiple threats that impact recovery can create a suite of hazards that contribute to declines and, potentially, extinction. Our method for rapid post‐fire vulnerability assessment can be applied to large numbers of plant species or other biota in fire affected regions globally.
Limited health literacy increases the risk of frailty among community‐dwelling older adults: Longitudinal findings from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study
Authors: Choi Eun Young , Shin Heyri , Kim Sukyung , Lee Hee Yun , Kim Young Sun
Published: March 2022

Aim

Despite the growing recognition of the importance of health literacy, there is a lack of knowledge on the longitudinal association between health literacy and frailty. The present study explored whether limited health literacy increases the risk of developing pre‐frailty and frailty among older adults.

Methods

Data were drawn from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study, a nationwide, population‐based prospective cohort study of community‐dwelling older Koreans. A baseline sample of 2808 adults aged 70–84 years was analyzed for the cross‐sectional models, and 2278 participants in the 2‐year follow‐up assessment were included for the longitudinal analyses. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relative risk ratios of pre‐frailty or frailty, where a robust group served as the reference category.

Results

The findings showed that baseline limited health literacy was associated with an approximately 1.4‐fold increased risk of developing pre‐frailty after 2 years, even after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors and health status. However, the longitudinal association between health literacy and frailty was not significant after adjusting for health‐related factors.

Conclusions

Our findings point to the importance of promoting health literacy among older adults, and provide preliminary evidence that can inform the development of tailored public health strategies. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 325–331.
Revisiting the stepping‐stone hypothesis: Transitions from temporary to permanent contracts in Peru*
Authors: JARAMILLO BAANANTE Miguel , CAMPOS UGAZ Daniela
Published: March 2022

This study seeks to gauge the extent to which temporary contracts function as stepping stones to permanent contracts and to distinguish intrafirm from interfirm contract conversions. Using 2012–2016 data from a Peruvian matched employer–employee database, the authors propose several measures of contract conversion and estimate duration models. Their findings show that only 7 per cent of fixed‐term contracts are converted and that about half of the conversions occur in the same firm.
Impact of COVID‐19 on the worsening crisis of chronic kidney disease: the imperative to fund early detection is now
Authors: Dwyer Karen M. , Sum Caitlin , Johnson David W
Published: March 2022

The number of Australians affected by kidney disease will increase as the impacts of COVID‐19 infection on kidney health are realised. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) imposes significant health and economic burdens from dialysis costs, loss of employment, premature death and increased admissions to hospital. Screening for kidney disease must be integrated into post‐COVID‐19 care; however, currently there is no reimbursement for kidney health checks in primary care. Early detection can reduce the progression of CKD by as much as 50% and thus the imperative to fund the Kidney Health Check is now.
Cobalt‐catalyzed tunable carbon microstructures from halogenated SiC preceramic precursors
Authors: Tamayo Aitana , Rodriguez Mª Angeles , Rubio Fausto , Rubio Juan
Published: March 2022

Carbide‐derived carbons (CDCs) with highly graphitized domains, linear, oval‐shaped, and barrel‐like structures have been prepared from a silicon carbide preceramic precursor containing catalytic amounts of cobalt. The chlorination temperature as well as the amount of catalysts will determine the specific surface area, pore size, and morphology of the obtained carbons. At low chlorination temperature, an amorphous network with significant amount of double or single oxygenated bonds was obtained. At 700 and 800°C both linear graphitic domains and barrel‐like carbon dominate the microstructure with an increased presence of microporosity. There barrel‐like structures provided increased specific capacitance, although the high anisotropy of the structure compromises the energy density of the device. At 900°C, despite the disappearance of this cropped surface, the hierarchical pore distribution and low O content also induce an increase of the specific capacitance of the CDC samples regardless of their high percentage of micropores.
Self‐affirmation reduces uncertainty aversion for potential gains
Authors: Weller Joshua A. , Vineyard Jared , Klein William M. P.
Published: March 2022

Decisions about one’s health are often accompanied by uncertain outcomes, which may be either positively or negatively valenced. The presence of this uncertainty, which can range along a continuum from risk to ambiguity (i.e., decisions in which the outcome probabilities are known or unknown), can be perceived as threatening, and individuals tend to be averse to uncertain outcomes, attempting to avoid uncertainty when possible. We proposed that one way to reduce uncertainty aversion could be to provide opportunities to affirm one’s core values, or “self‐affirmation.” Prior research has suggested that self‐affirmation promotes health behavior by providing a buffer against potential threats to the self. However, the degree to which self‐affirmation affects decision making is still unclear. Across two studies, we tested the effects of a self‐affirmation manipulation on risk (Study 1) and ambiguity (Study 2) preferences for both potential gains and losses. In both studies, we found that, compared to the non‐affirmed group, affirmed individuals were more accepting of uncertainty when the decision involved potential gains, but not for potential losses. Furthermore, for risky decisions, the increased acceptance of uncertainty came at the expense of making choices consistent with the expected value, such that self‐affirmed individuals made more disadvantageous choices than non‐affirmed individuals. Our results suggest both benefits and costs of self‐affirmation in the context of risky choice, an important finding has given the many applications of self‐affirmation in behavioral decision‐making contexts.
Examining the relationship between subjective wellbeing and emotional eating in adolescents in Turkey
Authors: Onur Edibe E. , K. Muslu Gonca , Manav Gülay
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between subjective wellbeing and emotional eating in adolescents.

Methods

A total of 231 high school students completed a demographic questionnaire and two scales; the emotional eating scale adapted for use in children and adolescents and the adolescent subjective wellbeing scale.

Results

The data showed negative and very weak relationships between the unsettled emotional state subscale of the emotional eating scale and the positive emotional state subscale (−0.146), the satisfaction with life subscale (−0.143), and the adolescent subjective wellbeing total score (−0.146). Adolescents' body perceptions, their family types, family income levels, and other variables had an impact on their state of subjective wellbeing, and variables such as gender and their father's level of education had an effect on their emotional eating.

Conclusions

Emotional eating in adolescence can become a barrier to an individual's assuming future roles and responsibilities. Due to these risks, it is important to identify and reinforce the factors that help adolescents adapt and improve their subjective wellbeing.
Analyses of erythropoiesis from embryonic stem cell‐CD34+ and cord blood‐CD34+ cells reveal mechanisms for defective expansion and enucleation of embryomic stem cell‐erythroid cells
Authors: Wang Shihui , Zhao Huizhi , Zhang Huan , Gao Chengjie , Guo Xinhua , Chen Lixiang , Lobo Cheryl , Yazdanbakhsh Karina , Zhang Shijie , An Xiuli
Published: March 2022

Red blood cells (RBCs) generated ex vivo have the potential to be used for transfusion. Human embryonic stem cells (ES) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) possess unlimited self‐renewal capacity and are the preferred cell sources to be used for ex vivo RBC generation. However, their applications are hindered by the facts that the expansion of ES/iPS‐derived erythroid cells is limited and the enucleation of ES/iPS‐derived erythroblasts is low compared to that derived from cord blood (CB) or peripheral blood (PB). To address this, we sought to investigate the underlying mechanisms by comparing the in vitro erythropoiesis profiles of CB CD34+ and ES CD34+ cells. We found that the limited expansion of ES CD34+ cell‐derived erythroid cells was associated with defective cell cycle of erythroid progenitors. In exploring the cellular and molecular mechanisms for the impaired enucleation of ES CD34+ cell‐derived orthochromatic erythroblasts (ES‐ortho), we found the chromatin of ES‐ortho was less condensed than that of CB CD34+ cell‐derived orthochromatic erythroblasts (CB‐ortho). At the molecular level, both RNA‐seq and ATAC‐seq analyses revealed that pathways involved in chromatin modification were down‐regulated in ES‐ortho. Additionally, the expression levels of molecules known to play important role in chromatin condensation or/and enucleation were significantly lower in ES‐ortho compared to that in CB‐ortho. Together, our findings have uncovered mechanisms for the limited expansion and impaired enucleation of ES CD34+ cell‐derived erythroid cells and may help to improve ex vivo RBC production from stem cells.
Patterns of mother–embryo isotope fractionation in batoids vary within and between species
Authors: Raoult Vincent , Gaston Troy F. , Smith Catrina , Dolfo Violaine , Park Joo‐Myun , Williamson Jane E.
Published: March 2022

Patterns of mother–embryo fractionation of 13C and 15N were assessed for their predictability across three species of batoids caught as by‐catch in south‐eastern Australia. Stable isotope analysis of 24 mothers and their litters revealed that isotope ratios of embryos were significantly different from their corresponding mothers and that the scale and direction of the difference varied within and across species. The range of variation across species was 3.5‰ for δ13C and 4‰ for δ15N, equivalent to a difference in trophic level. In one species (Urolophus paucimaculatus) litters could be significantly enriched or depleted in 13C and 15N relative to their mothers' isotope signatures. These results suggest that patterns of mother–embryo isotope fractionation vary within and between species and that these patterns may not be explained only by developmental mode. Contrasting patterns of fractionation between and within species make it difficult to adjust mother–embryo fractionation with broad‐scale correction factors.
Swimming kinematics of the Caribbean reef shark, Carcharhinus perezi
Authors: Kajiura Stephen M. , Loyer John C. , Ruddy Cassandra , Porter Marianne E.
Published: March 2022

The Caribbean reef shark, Carcharhinus perezi, is known to rest on the substrate, a behaviour not documented in any of its congeners. We quantified the swimming kinematics of C. perezi in the wild and found that the head yawed at a frequency 15% greater than the tail beat, but that the amplitude of the tail exceeded the head yaw by approximately 80% across the range of velocities measured. We found that C. perezi velocity, head yaw frequency, and tailbeat frequency were all less than its obligate ram ventilating congener C. limbatus.
Utilization of hepatitis B virus surface antigen positive grafts in liver transplantation: A matched study based on a national registry cohort
Authors: Yu Songfeng , Cen Chao , Zhang Xuanyu , Cheng Longyu , Xia Weiliang , Jia Junjun , Ye Yufu , Yu Jun , Zhang Min , Shen Yan , Zheng Shusen
Published: March 2022

Background and Aim

Donor shortage has become worldwide limitation in liver transplantation (LT). Use of hepatitis B virus surface antigen positive (HBsAg+) donors could be an alternative source of donor organs. This study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of LT using HBsAg+ liver grafts and associated long‐term outcome.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of adults LT registered in the database of the China Liver Transplant Registry between January 2015 and September 2018. By propensity score matching (1:1), 503 eligible patients who received HBsAg+ liver grafts were compared with 503 matched patients who received HBsAg− liver grafts.

Results

The 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year patient survival rates were 81.52%, 72.04%, and 66.65% in HBsAg+ donor group, which were comparable with 83.93%, 77.27%, and 65.73% in HBsAg− donor group (P = 0.222). The 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year graft survival rates were also comparable between the two groups (81.49%, 71.45%, and 67.26% vs 83.62%, 77.11%, and 65.81%, respectively, P = 0.243). Most main complications were not increased in HBsAg+ donor group except for the retaining of HBsAg positivity after LT. Furthermore, transplanting HBsAg+ liver grafts did not result in inferior outcomes either in HBsAg+ or HBsAg− recipients. The risk of tumor recurrence after LT was not increased in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Conclusions

The outcomes of using HBsAg+ liver grafts were comparable with those of HBsAg− liver grafts. Our study provided strong evidence for the safe use of HBsAg+ grafts in LT to expand the donor liver pool.
MALE STERILITY 3 encodes a plant homeodomain‐finger protein for male fertility in soybean
Authors: Hou Jingjing , Fan Weiwei , Ma Ruirui , Li Bing , Yuan Zhihui , Huang Wenxuan , Wu Yueying , Hu Quan , Lin Chunjing , Zhao Xingqi , Peng Bao , Zhao Limei , Zhang Chunbao , Sun Lianjun
Published: March 2022

Male‐sterile plants are used in hybrid breeding to improve yield in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Developing the capability to alter fertility under different environmental conditions could broaden germplasm resources and simplify hybrid production. However, molecular mechanisms potentially underlying such a system in soybean were unclear. Here, using positional cloning, we identified a gene, MALE STERILITY 3 (MS3), which encodes a nuclear‐localized protein containing a plant homeodomain (PHD)‐finger domain. A spontaneous mutation in ms3 causing premature termination of MS3 translation and partial loss of the PHD‐finger. Transgenetic analysis indicated that MS3 knockout resulted in nonfunctional pollen and no self‐pollinated pods, and RNA‐seq analysis revealed that MS3 affects the expression of genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism. Strikingly, the fertility of mutant ms3 can restore under long‐d conditions. The mutant could thus be used to create a new, more stable photoperiod‐sensitive genic male sterility line for two‐line hybrid seed production, with significant impact on hybrid breeding and production.
BYPASS1‐LIKE regulates lateral root initiation via exocytic vesicular trafficking‐mediated PIN recycling in Arabidopsis
Authors: Yang Gang , Chen Bi‐Xia , Chen Tao , Chen Jia‐Hui , Lin Xiang‐Yu , Yue Xiu‐Le , An Li‐Zhe , Zhang Hua
Published: March 2022

Auxin and auxin‐mediated signaling pathways are known to regulate lateral root development. Although exocytic vesicle trafficking plays an important role in recycling the PIN‐FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux carriers and in polar auxin transport during lateral root formation, the mechanistic details of these processes are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that BYPASS1‐LIKE (B1L) regulates lateral root initiation via exocytic vesicular trafficking‐mediated PIN recycling in Arabidopsis thaliana. b1l mutants contained significantly more lateral roots than the wild type, primarily due to increased lateral root primordium initiation. Furthermore, the auxin signal was stronger in stage I lateral root primordia of b1l than in those of the wild type. Treatment with exogenous auxin and an auxin transport inhibitor indicated that the lateral root phenotype of b1l could be attributed to higher auxin levels and that B1L regulates auxin efflux. Indeed, compared to the wild type, C‐terminally green fluorescent protein‐tagged PIN1 and PIN3 accumulated at higher levels in b1l lateral root primordia. B1L interacted with the exocyst, and b1l showed defective PIN exocytosis. These observations indicate that B1L interacts with the exocyst to regulate PIN‐mediated polar auxin transport and lateral root initiation in Arabidopsis.
Establishment of a dmp based maternal haploid induction system for polyploid Brassica napus and Nicotiana tabacum
Authors: Zhong Yu , Wang Yuwen , Chen Baojian , Liu Jinchu , Wang Dong , Li Mengran , Qi Xiaolong , Liu Chenxu , Boutilier Kim , Chen Shaojiang
Published: March 2022

Doubled haploid (DH) technology is used to obtain homozygous lines in a single generation, a technique that significantly accelerates the crop breeding trajectory. Traditionally, in vitro culture is used to generate DHs, but this technique is limited by species and genotype recalcitrance. In vivo haploid induction (HI) through seed is widely and efficiently used in maize and was recently extended to several other crops. Here we show that in vivo HI can be triggered by mutation of DMP maternal haploid inducer genes in allopolyploid (allotetraploid) Brassica napus and Nicotiana tabacum. We developed a pipeline for selection of DMP orthologs for clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats mutagenesis and demonstrated average amphihaploid induction rates of 2.4% and 1.2% in multiple B. napus and N. tabacum genotypes, respectively. These results further confirmed the HI ability of DMP gene in polyploid dicot crops. The DMP‐HI system offers a novel DH technology to facilitate breeding in these crops. The success of this approach and the conservation of DMP genes in dicots suggest the broad applicability of this technique in other dicot crops.
A path to gigantism: Three‐dimensional study of the sauropodomorph limb long bone shape variation in the context of the emergence of the sauropod bauplan
Authors: Lefebvre Rémi , Houssaye Alexandra , Mallison Heinrich , Cornette Raphaël , Allain Ronan
Published: March 2022

Sauropodomorph dinosaurs include the largest terrestrial animals that ever lived on Earth. The early representatives of this clade were, however, relatively small and partially to totally bipedal, conversely to the gigantic and quadrupedal sauropods. Although the sauropod bauplan is well defined, notably by the acquisition of columnar limbs, the evolutionary sequence leading to its emergence remains debated. Here, we aim to tackle this evolutionary episode by investigating shape variation in the six limb long bones for the first time using three‐dimensional geometric morphometrics. The morphological features of the forelimb zeugopod bones related to the sauropod bauplan tend to appear abruptly, whereas the pattern is more gradual for the hindlimb zeugopod bones. The stylopod bones tend to show the same pattern as their respective zeugopods. The abrupt emergence of the sauropod forelimb questions the locomotor abilities of non‐sauropodan sauropodomorphs inferred as quadrupeds. Features characterizing sauropods tend to corroborate a view of their locomotion mainly based on stylopod retraction. An allometric investigation of the shape variation in accordance with size highlight differences in hindlimb bone allometries between the sauropods and the non‐sauropodan sauropodomorphs. These differences notably correspond to an unexpected robustness decrease trend in the sauropod hindlimb zeugopod. In addition to forelimb bones that appear to be proportionally more gracile than in non‐sauropodan sauropodomorphs, sauropods may have relied on limb architecture and features related to the size increase, rather than general robustness, to deal with the role of weight‐bearing.
Information and counselling needs of patients with major low anterior resection syndrome: A qualitative study
Authors: Pape Eva , Decoene Elsie , Debrauwere Mieke , Van Nieuwenhove Yves , Pattyn Piet , Feryn Tom , Pattyn Paul R. L. , Verhaeghe Sofie , Van Hecke Ann ,   the Belgian LARS collaborative group
Published: March 2022

Aims and objectives

The aim was to explore the information and counselling needs of rectal cancer survivors confronted with major low anterior resection syndrome.

Background

Rectal cancer survivors are often confronted with bowel problems after surgery. This is called low anterior resection syndrome. Patients are unsure what to expect after treatment and healthcare professionals often underestimate the impact of low anterior resection syndrome on patients’ lives.

Design

A qualitative study with a grounded theory approach was conducted.

Methods

Patients were recruited between 2017 and 2019 in three hospitals, and a call was distributed in two patients’ organisations. Semi‐structured interviews with patients confronted with major low anterior resection syndrome were performed. An iterative process between data collection and data analysis was used. Data analysis was done using the constant comparative method, and investigators’ triangulation was applied. Qualitative data were reported following COREQ guidelines. The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04896879.

Results

A total of 28 patients were interviewed until theoretical data saturation. Before surgery patients’ need for information varied according to their individual coping mechanisms. Some patients required information before surgery, while others considered this too overwhelming. When confronted with LARS, patients desired that healthcare professionals recognised its impact and clarified its expected evolution. A proactive counselling with an easy accessible and approachable healthcare professional was beneficial.

Conclusion

Patients expressed several needs regarding the information before rectal cancer surgery and counselling of low anterior resection syndrome after surgery.

Relevance to clinical practice

Better knowledge and understanding of major low anterior resection syndrome and its challenges by healthcare professionals are crucial. Especially the impact on quality of life is significant for patients and underestimated by healthcare professionals. Information before surgery and counselling when confronted with major low anterior resection syndrome should be optimised and tailored to patients’ needs.
Genetic ablation of the Bsx homeodomain transcription factor in zebrafish: Impact on mature pineal gland morphology and circadian behavior
Authors: Carstensen Mikkel Bloss , Medvetzky Adar , Weinberger Alon , Driever Wolfgang , Gothilf Yoav , Rath Martin Fredensborg
Published: March 2022

The pineal gland is a neuroendocrine structure in the brain, which produces and secretes the hormone melatonin at nighttime and is considered a key element in the circadian clock system. Early morphogenesis of the gland is controlled by a number of transcription factors, some of which remain active in adult life. One of these is the brain‐specific homeobox (Bsx), a highly conserved homeodomain transcription factor with a developmental role in the pineal gland of several species, including zebrafish, and regulatory roles in mature pinealocytes of the rat. To determine the role of Bsx in circadian biology, we here examined the effects of a bsx loss‐of‐function mutation on the pineal gland in adult zebrafish and on behavioral circadian rhythms in larvae. In pineal cell type‐specific Gfp/Egfp reporter zebrafish lines, we did not detect fluorescence signals in the pineal area of homozygous (bsx−/−) mutants. Interestingly, a nonpigmented area on the dorsal surface of the head above the gland, known as the pineal window, was pigmented in the homozygous mutants. Furthermore, a structure corresponding to the pineal gland was not detectable in the midline of the adult brain in histological sections analyzed by Nissl staining and S‐antigen immunohistochemistry. Moreover, the levels of pineal transcripts were greatly reduced in bsx−/− mutants, as revealed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Notably, analysis of locomotor activity at the larval stage revealed altered circadian rhythmicity in the bsx mutants with periods and phases similar to wildtype, but severely reduced amplitudes in locomotor activity patterns. Thus, Bsx is essential for full development of the pineal gland, with its absence resulting in a phenotype of morphological pineal gland ablation and disrupted circadian behavior.
Precarious Lives Predict Culturally Deviant Psychologies: Extending the Psychology of Marginalization From Japan to the US
Authors: Norasakkunkit Vinai , Champagne Brennan , Prietto Kavika , Armour Jacqueline , Ball Carly , Bigoni Hayley , Cutuli Allison
Published: March 2022

Previously published work suggests that marginalized Japanese youth have psychologies that deviate from interdependent self‐orientations. To test whether this pattern extends to an independent self‐construal, two previous experiments originally conducted in Japan were replicated in the United States. In Study 1, risk of marginalization was measured among 109 American undergraduates according to a previously developed measure. As expected, high‐risk American undergraduates were less independent. That is, they were less motivated by success than by failure compared to low‐risk American undergraduates. Similarly, in Study 2 with 144 Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) Americans, high‐risk American MTurkers were, again, less independent. That is, they were less motivated to maintain the perception of self‐consistency in their behaviours compared to the low‐risk American MTurkers. Furthermore, American MTurkers who were classified as “high risk” were also living more precarious lives in the U.S. Across cultures, the patterns of results were reversed due to opposing cultural norms according to predominant self‐construal. Thus, the tendency to be marginalized in society seems to predict the tendency to have culturally deviant psychologies: this pattern seems to be generalizable across both an interdependent society like Japan and an independent society like the United States.
Reliability in viscosity measurement of thickening agents for dysphagia management: Are results obtained by cone‐and‐plate rheometers reproducible between laboratories?
Authors: Kumai Yasuhito , Suzuki Ippei , Tousen Yuko , Kondo Takashi , Kayashita Jun , Chiba Tsuyoshi , Furusho Tadasu , Takebayashi Jun
Published: March 2022

Viscosity measurement using a cone‐and‐plate rheometer is considered to provide an objective and reliable evaluation of thickening agents for dysphagia management. Here, we showed its measurement uncertainty in the context of an inter‐laboratory study. Eight test samples (i.e., four viscosity standard liquids, one xanthan gum reagent powder, and three commercial thickening agent powders) were distributed to 10 laboratories in a blinded manner. According to the same standard operating procedure, each laboratory dissolved the xanthan gum or thickening agents at four concentrations (0.5–4.0 g/100 g) and then measured their viscosity (35–803 mPa∙s). As for the viscosity of the standard liquids, the grand means were 98–100% of the certified values, and the relative standard deviations for repeatability (RSDr) and reproducibility (RSDR) were ca. 1% and ca. 5%, respectively, suggesting good accuracy in the measurement process. On the other hand, as for the viscosity of the thickening agents, RSDr and RSDR were ca. 2–6% and ca. 5–8%, respectively; however, heterogeneity in the preparation process comprising a manual dissolving step may increase these to near 60%. Furthermore, RSDr and RSDR of estimated additive concentrations to achieve targeted viscosities (50–500 mPa∙s) based on concentration‐viscosity curves were ca. 1–3% and ca. 3–5%, respectively, with a few exceptions. These findings suggest that a strictly standardized procedure provides reliable data on the viscosity measurements for thickening agents.
The role of climate and maternal manipulation in determining and maintaining reproductive mode in Liolaemus lizards
Authors: Cruz F. B. , Moreno Azócar D. L. , Perotti M. G. , Acosta J. C. , Stellatelli O. , Vega L. , Luna F. , Antenucci D. , Abdala C. , Schulte J. A.
Published: March 2022

Evolutionary transitions in life‐history strategies, such as the shift from egg‐laying to live birth (viviparity) are of great interest to evolutionary biologists. In squamate reptiles, several hypotheses have been proposed to explain viviparity including the cold climate hypothesis, maternal manipulation hypothesis, hypoxia hypothesis, and several others. We used two approaches: first we studied 45 species of Liolaemus, a genus where nearly 50% of species are viviparous, using a diverse ecophysiological dataset to examine the cold climate and maternal manipulation hypotheses. We collected environmental thermal data (accounting for elevational differences among species), physiological traits including preferred body temperature and its coefficient of variation as an indicator of precision in thermoregulation. Additionally, we collected standard metabolic rates for 23 of the 45 species. In one clade (the darwinii group of species) with both reproductive modes, we ran our second approach. We tested for differences in thermal physiology and metabolic rates between viviparous and oviparous species during pregnancy and non‐pregnancy periods. The cold climate hypothesis received strong support because viviparous species occur in sites with colder air temperatures (including areas at both higher elevations and latitudes) compared with oviparous species. Our detailed analysis showed that the maternal manipulation hypothesis also is supported; pregnant viviparous females show lower variation in their selected temperature. Our evidence suggests that the Andean orogeny is likely to have played a key role in the diversification of Liolaemus lizards and the evolution of viviparity in this clade may have been driven by a variety of physiological advantages accrued at different stages of embryogenesis and over evolutionary time. Thus, historical climate changes may have led to egg retention and may have been accompanied by other adaptations such as thermoregulation precision.
Independent breakdown events of the Brassica napus Rlm7 resistance gene including via the off‐target impact of a dual‐specificity avirulence interaction
Authors: Van de Wouw Angela P. , Sheedy Elizabeth M. , Ware Andrew H. , Marcroft Stephen J. , Idnurm Alexander
Published: March 2022

Protection of many crops is achieved through the use of genetic resistance. Leptosphaeria maculans, the causal agent of blackleg disease of Brassica napus, has emerged as a model for understanding gene‐for‐gene interactions that occur between plants and pathogens. Whilst many of the characterized avirulence effector genes interact with a single resistance gene in the host, the AvrLm4‐7 avirulence gene is recognized by two resistance genes, Rlm4 and Rlm7. Here, we report the “breakdown” of the Rlm7 resistance gene in Australia, under two different field conditions. The first, and more typical, breakdown probably resulted from widescale use of Rlm7‐containing cultivars whereby selection has led to an increase of individuals in the L. maculans population that have undergone repeat‐induced point (RIP) mutations at the AvrLm4‐7 locus. This has rendered the AvrLm4‐7 gene ineffective and therefore these isolates have become virulent towards both Rlm4 and Rlm7. The second, more atypical, situation was the widescale use of Rlm4 cultivars. Whilst a single‐nucleotide polymorphism is the more common mechanism of virulence towards Rlm4, in this field situation, RIP mutations have been selected leading to the breakdown of resistance for both Rlm4 and Rlm7. This is an example of a resistance gene being rendered ineffective without having grown cultivars with the corresponding resistance gene due to the dual specificity of the avirulence gene. These findings highlight the value of pathogen surveillance in the context of expanded knowledge about potential complexities for Avr–R interactions for the deployment of appropriate resistance gene strategies.
A case of treatment‐resistant membranous nephropathy associated with graft versus host disease successfully treated with daratumumab
Authors: Benoit Stefanie W. , Khandelwal Pooja , Grimley Michael S.
Published: March 2022

Background

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is the most common cause of glomerulopathy after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), most often occurring in the setting of graft versus host disease (GVHD). Twenty percent of patients will fail to respond to standard therapy and may progress to end stage renal disease. Here we present the case of a pediatric patient who developed chronic oral GVHD more than one‐year post‐HCT, who subsequently developed nephrotic syndrome (anasarca, nephrotic range proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia) and had a renal biopsy consistent with MN. Treated with ibrutinib for her GVHD, and steroids, tacrolimus, and rituximab for her MN, she failed to achieve even partial remission of her kidney disease after 8 months. Due to steroid toxicity and 0% CD19 cells on lymphocyte subpopulation flow cytometry, the decision was made to trial plasma cell depletion therapy with daratumumab.

Method

She received three doses of daratumumab at weeks 1, 4, and 17.

Results

Her nephrotic syndrome resolved and her serum albumin was greater than 3.0 gm/dl by week 10. She was weaned off of both steroids and tacrolimus by week 16, at which time she had near‐complete remission of her renal disease.

Conclusion

Daratumumab may be an important, novel therapeutic option for post‐HCT MN patients who are not responsive to standard therapies.
Traffic Sign Three‐Dimensional Reconstruction Based on Point Clouds and Panoramic Images
Authors: Wang Minye , Liu Rufei , Yang Jiben , Lu Xiushan , Yu Jiayong , Ren Hongwei
Published: March 2022

Traffic signs are a very important source of information for drivers and pilotless automobiles. With the advance of Mobile LiDAR System (MLS), massive point clouds have been applied in three‐dimensional digital city modelling. However, traffic signs in MLS point clouds are low density, colourless and incomplete. This paper presents a new method for the reconstruction of vertical rectangle traffic sign point clouds based on panoramic images. In this method, traffic sign point clouds are extracted based on arc feature and spatial semantic features analysis. Traffic signs in images are detected by colour and shape features and a convolutional neural network. Traffic sign point cloud and images are registered based on outline features. Finally, traffic sign points match traffic sign pixels to reconstruct the traffic sign point cloud. Experimental results have demonstrated that this proposed method can effectively obtain colourful and complete traffic sign point clouds with high resolution.
Pareto optimality and contract dependence in supply chain coordination with risk‐averse agents
Authors: Zhang Juzhi , Sethi Suresh P. , Choi Tsan‐Ming , Cheng T.C.E.
Published: March 2022

In recent years, research on supply chain coordination (SCC) with risk‐averse agents has received much attention. Previous studies are primarily concerned with the coordination of a single manufacturer–single retailer supply chain using different definitions of SCC. What is lacking is a comprehensive analysis of the achievability of SCC. In this paper, we provide a systematic analysis of SCC with risk‐averse agents. We see that three definitions of SCC have been proposed in the literature to investigate SCC with risk‐averse agents, among which the one based on Pareto optimality (PO) stands out. Here we explore the challenges of using the PO criterion. Specifically, we first examine the standard two‐agent supply chain under the mean–variance (MV) and mean‐downside‐risk (MDR) objectives. What we find is that the achievability of PO depends on the contract type. The wholesale price contract even with a side payment may not lead to PO. Also, unlike under MV where risk sharing is Pareto optimal, we observe that the least risk‐averse agent must take all the risk to achieve SCC under MDR. Importantly, we extend our analysis to multiretailer, multimanufacturer, and multitier supply chains. In each case, we characterize the efficient Pareto‐optimal manifold in the multidimensional space and design coordinating contracts that result in Pareto‐optimal actions acceptable to all agents. We also discover that identifying PO across all the contract forms is difficult when some other risk‐aversion criteria are considered. We conclude by providing suggestions and methods for SCC when we are unable to identify PO.
Desiccation tolerance in bryophytes relates to elasticity but is independent of cell wall thickness and photosynthesis
Authors: Perera‐Castro Alicia V. , Flexas Jaume
Published: March 2022

Mosses have been found outliers of the trade‐off between photosynthesis and bulk elastic modulus described for vascular plants. Hence, potential trade‐offs among physical features of cell walls and desiccation tolerance, water relations, and photosynthesis were assessed in bryophytes and other poikilohydric species. Long‐term desiccation tolerance was quantified after variable periods of desiccation/rehydration cycles. Water relations were analyzed by pressure–volume curves. Mesophyll conductance was estimated using both CO2 curve‐fitting and anatomical methods. Cell wall elasticity was the parameter that better correlated with the desiccation tolerance index for desiccation tolerant species and was antagonistic to higher absolute values of osmotic potential. Although high values of cell wall effective porosity were estimated compared with the values assumed for vascular plants, the desiccation tolerance index negatively correlated with the porosity in desiccation tolerant bryophytes. Neither cell wall thickness nor photosynthetic capacity were correlated with the desiccation tolerance index of the studied species. The existence of a potential evolutionary trade‐off between cell wall thickness and desiccation tolerance is rejected. The photosynthetic capacity reported for bryophytes is independent of elasticity and desiccation tolerance. Furthermore, the role of cell wall thickness in limiting CO2 conductance would be overestimated under a scenario of high cell wall porosity for most bryophytes.
Defining key metabolic roles in osmotic adjustment and ROS homeostasis in the recretohalophyte Karelinia caspia under salt stress
Authors: Guo Qiang , Han Jiwan , Li Cui , Hou Xincun , Zhao Chunqiao , Wang Qinghai , Wu Juying , Mur Luis A. J.
Published: March 2022

The recretohalophyte Karelinia caspia is of forage and medical value and can remediate saline soils. We here assess the contribution of primary/secondary metabolism to osmotic adjustment and ROS homeostasis in Karelinia caspia under salt stress using multi‐omic approaches. Computerized phenomic assessments, tests for cellular osmotic changes and lipid peroxidation indicated that salt treatment had no detectable physical effect on K. caspia. Metabolomic analysis indicated that amino acids, saccharides, organic acids, polyamine, phenolic acids, and vitamins accumulated significantly with salt treatment. Transcriptomic assessment identified differentially expressed genes closely linked to the changes in above primary/secondary metabolites under salt stress. In particular, shifts in carbohydrate metabolism (TCA cycle, starch and sucrose metabolism, glycolysis) as well as arginine and proline metabolism were observed to maintain a low osmotic potential. Chlorogenic acid/vitamin E biosynthesis was also enhanced, which would aid in ROS scavenging in the response of K. caspia to salt. Overall, our findings define key changes in primary/secondary metabolism that are coordinated to modulate the osmotic balance and ROS homeostasis to contribute to the salt tolerance of K. caspia.
Performing Rurality in Online Community Groups*
Authors: Fisker Jens Kaae , Johansen Pia Heike , Jensen Maja Theresia , Thuesen Annette Aagaard
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we investigate how rurality is performed in online community groups, attending in particular to outdoor recreation and engagement with local nature. The starting point for our performative approach is that when places are digitally mediated, the technological intermediary is never innocent or neutral. Methodologically, we conducted an online ethnography in 20 rural community groups on Facebook during one full year, collecting every post and associated comment threads relating to outdoor recreation and other forms of engagement with local nature. An iterative, heuristic coding process was employed to engage with and further develop existing performative approaches to the sociological study of rural places. Distinguishing throughout between staged and quotidian performances, our findings detail how the routines, pleasures, and tasks of everyday rural life are performed online. Important distinctions that emerge from this include routines that are given vis‐à‐vis those that are in‐the‐making; pleasures based on impression and expression respectively; and tasks relating to carework and sharework. The paper contributes valuable new insights regarding the performance of rurality in the age of the everyday Internet.
Risk factors associated with the onset of lomustine‐induced neutropenia in tumour‐bearing dogs
Authors: Treggiari Elisabetta , Cossu Giovanna , Valenti Paola , Taylor Angela
Published: March 2022

Lomustine (1‐[2‐chloroethyl]3‐cyclohexyl‐1‐nitrosurea, CCNU) is an oral alkylating agent in the nitrosourea subclass that can cause myelosuppression, with neutropenia being the main dose‐limiting toxicity. The aim of this study was to define the frequency of neutropenic events and to identify predisposing risk factors in tumour‐bearing dogs treated with CCNU. Dogs receiving CCNU for various malignancies were identified following a search of hospital databases. Variables analysed for correlation with neutropenia included signalment, body weight, tumour type, CCNU total dose, steroid use, protocol type, use of L‐asparaginase, previous anthracycline administration and use of the drug as first‐line or in the rescue setting. One‐hundred and fifteen cases were included; median age was 7 years (range 1–14 years) and median body weight 27.6 kg (range 3–74 kg). The median CCNU dose was 63.5 mg/m2(range 27.7–84.9 mg/m2). Neutropenia occurred in 75 cases (65%) and was comprised of grade 1 (28%), 2 (16%), 3 (29.3%) and 4 (26.7%) events. Tumour type (histiocytic sarcoma [HS]), use of CCNU first line, dose >70 mg/m2, absence of co‐morbidities and previous anthracycline administration, were significantly associated with an increased risk of developing neutropenia, including high‐grade events. There was a 1.7% reported mortality rate. When CCNU is used in dogs with HS, first‐line, at a starting dosage >70 mg/m2, in patients with no co‐morbidities or with a history of previous anthracycline administration, there may be an increased risk of developing neutropenia. These data may help guide treatment decisions and minimize treatment delays or potentially life‐threatening complications.
Differential diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism using contrast echocardiography
Authors: Wang Hong-Mei , Zheng Xiao-Zhi , Sun Feng
Published: March 2022

Aims: Acute pulmonary embolism (aPE) leads to a significant decrease in antegrade pulmonary blood volume (PBV), which can be measured by contrast echocardiography at the bedside. The aim of this work was to evaluate the feasibility and performance of PBV differentiating between patients with and without aPE.Material and methods: A total of 89 patients underwent computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for suspected aPE were enrolled in the study. Their clinical and conventional echocardiographic characteristics were collected. Contrast echocardiography with measurements of PBV were performed.Results: There were 57 patients with aPE, with a mean Mastora pulmonary artery obstruction index (PAOI) of 56.14%. Pulmonary transit time (PTT), normalized PTT (nPTT) and PBV in patients with aPE was less than one half of those in patients without PE (p<0.05). There was significant negative correlation between PBV and Mastora PAOI (r=-0.897, p<0.01). None of the conventional echocardiographic parameters had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of >0.5, while it was 0.997(0.984~1.010) for PBV in differentiating between patients with aPE or not. The optimal cutoff valueof PBV was 370ml, with a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 95.45% and an accuracy of 96.55%.Conclusions: PBV had a powerful performance in differentiating between patients with aPE or not, and a PBV of <370ml indicated aPE. Contrast echocardiography is enormously useful in the recognition and differentiation of PE and can assess the severity of the PE and the patient’s response to therapy.