bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vitamin D status and cardiometabolic disease risk among healthy adults of Northern Ghana
Authors: Bawah Abdul-Malik , Annan Reginald A. , Ellahi Basma , SanthanakrishnanVimaleswaran Karani , Haadi Abdul Rahman
Published: November 2022

Cardiometabolic Disease (CMD) is a cluster of conditions that increase the risk for cardiovascular events, but its relationship with vitamin D status has not been studied in Ghana. A cross-sectional study design was conducted to investigate the relationship between serum vitamin D status and CMD risk (obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia) among 302 apparently healthy adults, aged 25 to 59 and of northern decent in Ghana. Biochemical analysis was done to determine serum total cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c) and serum vitamin D levels of participants. Anthropometric assessment was also done and BMI, WC, HC, Blood Pressure, WHR, Body Fat (BF) and visceral fat percentages were obtained. Analysis was done using SPSS (version 25). We evaluated CMD risk factors to predict vitamin D status using binary and multiple linear logistics regression analysis. Similar between gender, participants’ mean age was 38.78years (SD 10.42years). The females had higher BMI (24.31 SD 7.96 versus 22.52 SD 3.07 kgm2, p=0.006), % total body fat (24.31 SD 7.96 versus 22.52 SD 3.07%, p=0.001), WC (24.31 SD 7.96 versus 22.52 SD 3.07 inches, p=0.002), and HC (24.31 SD 7.96 versus 22.52 SD 3.07, p=0.002 inches) than the males, while the males had higher mean total cholesterol (5.74SD1.02 versus 3.57SD1.02) and LDL (5.40SD1.05, verse 3.22SD1.09, p=0.005) than the females. Serum vitamin D levels was significantly associated with age (p= 0.047) but not gender (p=0.349). Overall, 6.4% of participants had CMD, representing 10.2% of the females, and no male. Multivariate analysis reveals gender, average BP, FBG, and % total body fat to significantly affect serum vitamin D concentrations. Seven percent (7%) of participants were serum vitamin D deficient (VDD) and 28.5% had serum vitamin D insufficiency (VDI), similar by gender, but increased with age (p=0.047). Both mean SBP (P<0.0001) and DBP (p<0.0001) increased with VDD, while means of FBS (p=0.032), BMI (p=0.004), HbA1c (p=0.040), and LDL (p=0.047) are highest in the VDD group and least in the Vitamin D Sufficient (VDS) group. Binary Logistic regression showed participants with high SBP (OR= 0.055; 95% CI= 0.008-0.361; p= 0.003) and high FBS (OR= 0.076; 95% CI= 0.014-0.404; p= 0.002) had increased odds of VDD compared with normal levels of SBP and FBS. Multiple logistics regression showed FBG, TG, LDL and WC significantly predicted CMD. In conclusion, CMD risk factors were common among the participants and more than a third were vitamin D deficient or insufficient. Individual CMD risk factors increased with vitamin D deficiency, but CMD did not predict serum vitamin D status.
Pleiotropic Loci for Cannabis Use Disorder Severity in Multi-Ancestry High-Risk Populations
Authors: Peng Qian , Wilhelmsen Kirk C. , Ehlers Cindy L.
Published: November 2022

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is common and has in part a genetic basis. The risk factors underlying its development likely involve multiple genes that are polygenetic and interact with each other and the environment to ultimately lead to the disorder. Co-morbidity and genetic correlations have been identified between CUD and other disorders and traits in select populations primarily of European descent. If two or more traits, such as CUD and another disorder, are affected by the same genetic locus, they are said to be pleiotropic. The present study aimed to identify specific pleiotropic loci for the severity level of CUD in three high-risk population cohorts: American Indians (AI), Mexican Americans (MA), and European Americans (EA). Using a previously developed computational method based on a machine learning technique, we leveraged the entire GWAS catalog and identified 114, 119, and 165 potentially pleiotropic variants for CUD severity in AI, MA, and EA respectively. Ten pleiotropic loci were shared between the cohorts although the exact variants from each cohort differed. While majority of the pleiotropic genes were distinct in each cohort, they converged on numerous enriched biological pathways. The gene ontology terms associated with the pleiotropic genes were predominately related to synaptic functions and neurodevelopment. Notable pathways included Wnt/β-catenin signaling, lipoprotein assembly, response to UV radiation, and components of the complement system. The pleiotropic genes were the most significantly differentially expressed in frontal cortex and coronary artery, up-regulated in adipose tissue, and down-regulated in testis, prostate, and ovary. They were significantly up-regulated in most brain tissues but were down-regulated in the cerebellum and hypothalamus. Our study is the first to attempt a large-scale pleiotropy detection scan for CUD severity. Our findings suggest that the different population cohorts may have distinct genetic factors for CUD, however they share pleiotropic genes from underlying pathways related to Alzheimer’s disease, neuroplasticity, immune response, and reproductive endocrine systems.
Prolonged T-cell activation and long COVID symptoms independently associate with severe disease at 3 months in a UK cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Authors: Santopaolo Marianna , Gregorova Michaela , Hamilton Fergus , Arnold David , Long Anna , Lacey Aurora , Oliver Elizabeth , Halliday Alice , Baum Holly , Hamilton Kristy , Milligan Rachel , Pearce Olivia , Knezevic Lea , Aza Begonia Morales , Milne Alice , Milodowski Emily , Lazarus Rajeka , Goenka Anu , Finn Adam , Maskell Nick , Davidson Andrew , Gillespie Kathleen , Wooldridge Linda , Rivino Laura
Published: November 2022

COVID-19 causes immune perturbations which may persist long-term, and patients frequently report ongoing symptoms for months after recovery. We assessed the extent and nature of immune activation at 3 months post hospital admission in patients with mild, moderate or severe COVID-19 and investigated whether immune activation associates with disease severity and long COVID. Patients with severe disease displayed persistent activation of CD4+and CD8+T-cells, based on expression of HLA-DR, CD38, Ki67 and granzyme B, but they lacked activation of other immune subsets. Elevated plasma levels of IL-4, IL-7, IL-17 and TNF-α were present in patients with severe compared to mild and/or moderate disease. Plasma from severe patients caused T-cells from healthy donors to upregulate IL-15Rα, suggesting that factors in the plasma of severe patients may increase T-cell responsiveness to IL-15-driven ‘bystander” activation, which may drive persistent T-cell activation after severe COVID-19. Patients with severe disease reported a higher number of long COVID symptoms which correlated with the frequency of two subsets of activated CD4+and CD8+T cells (CD4+T-cell population 2 and CD8+T-cell population 4; FDR p<0.05), however these associations were lost after adjusting for age, sex and disease severity. Our data suggests that persistent immune activation and long COVID correlate independently with severe disease.
Multifaceted quality assessment of gene repertoire annotation with OMArk
Authors: Nevers Yannis , Rossier Victor , Train Clément Marie , Altenhoff Adrian , Dessimoz Christophe , Glover Natasha
Published: November 2022

Assessing the quality of protein-coding gene repertoires is critical in an era of increasingly abundant genome sequences for a diversity of species. State-of-the-art genome annotation assessment tools measure the completeness of a gene repertoire, but are blind to other types of errors, such as gene over-prediction or contamination.

We developed OMArk, a software relying on fast, alignment-free sequence comparisons between a query proteome and precomputed gene families across the tree of life. OMArk assesses not only the completeness, but also the consistency of the gene repertoire as a whole relative to closely related species. It also reports likely contamination events.

We validated OMArk with simulated data, then performed an analysis of the 1805 UniProt Eukaryotic Reference Proteomes, illustrating its usefulness for comparing and prioritizing proteomes based on their quality measures. In particular, we found strong evidence of contamination in 59 proteomes, and identified error propagation in avian gene annotation resulting from the use of a fragmented zebra finch proteome as reference.

OMArk is available on GitHub (https://github.com/DessimozLab/OMArk), as a Python package on PyPi, and as an interactive online tool athttps://omark.omabrowser.org/.
Separating the control of moving and holding in post-stroke arm paresis
Authors: Hadjiosif Alkis M. , Kita Kahori , Albert Scott T. , Scheidt Robert A. , Shadmehr Reza , Krakauer John W.
Published: November 2022

Moving and holding still have been posited to be under separate control regimes for both eye and arm movements. The paretic arm after stroke exhibits different abnormalities during rest vs. movement, providing an opportunity to ask whether control of these behaviors is independently affected in stroke. Here, we quantified resting postural abnormalities in stroke patients by measuring their biases in force production as they held their hand still in various locations in a planar workspace, and then assessed the influence of these resting force biases on reaching in the same workspace. We found that patients had marked resting force biases at each location, even when the arm was supported. However, these biases did not transfer to arm-supported planar reaching movements: not during initial acceleration, not in response to mid-trajectory perturbations, and not during deceleration to a stop. Rather, the abnormal resting forces only appeared to switch on after a movement had fully stopped. These findings suggest that moving and holding are functionally separable modes of control. At the same time, we found that the resting biases mirrored characteristics of abnormal synergies during movement: they markedly decreased when arm support was provided; they were higher in more distal positions which require breaking out of flexion; and they scaled with the Fugl-Meyer score for the upper extremity (a measure of intrusion of abnormal synergies during active movement). These three shared features suggest a common mechanism for resting biases and abnormal synergies, which appears to be a contradiction given the functional separation of moving and holding observed in the same patients. To resolve this paradox, we propose a conceptual model that predicts a breakdown in the functional separation between reaching and holding when patients move in the absence of weight support. This conceptual model posits that synergies are the behavioral manifestation of a spillover of posture into movement. Mapping these functional systems onto anatomical and physiological details of lesioned substrate after stroke may provide implementation-level insight into how normal arm motor control is assembled.
Auditory Brainstem Mechanisms Likely Compensate for Self-imposed Peripheral Inhibition
Authors: Peterson Abigayle , Easwar Vijayalakshmi , Powell Lindsey , Boothalingam Sriram
Published: November 2022

It is well known that the medial olivocochlear reflex (MOCR) in the brainstem, part of the efferent network, inhibits the cochlear active gain mechanism. The upstream neural influence of this peripheral inhibition is less understood. When the MOCR is activated, responses generated in the cochlea and cortex undergo putative attenuation, yet the amplitude of responses generated in the brainstem are perplexingly unaffected despite decreased input from the periphery. Based on known neural circuitry, we hypothesized that the inhibition of peripheral input is compensated for by equivalent positive feedback in the brainstem over time. We predicted that the inhibition can be captured at the brainstem with stimuli shorter (1.5 s) than previously employed long durations (4 min) where this inhibition is diminished due to compensation. Results from 18 normal hearing human listeners support our hypothesis in that when the MOCR is activated, there is a robust reduction of responses generated at the periphery, brainstem, and cortex for short stimuli and that brainstem inhibition diminishes for longer stimuli. Our methodology and findings have implications for auditory disorders such as tinnitus, evaluation of efferent function, and provides a novel non-invasive window into potential gain compensation mechanisms in the brainstem.
Fungal antibiotics control bacterial community diversity in the cheese rind microbiome
Authors: Tannous Joanna , Cosetta Casey M. , Drott Milton T. , Rush Tomás A. , Abraham Paul E. , Giannone Richard J. , Keller Nancy P. , Wolfe Benjamin E.
Published: November 2022

Potent antimicrobial metabolites are produced by filamentous fungi in pure lab cultures, but their ecological functions in nature are often unknown. Using an antibiotic-producingPenicilliumisolate and the cheese rind microbial community, we demonstrate that a fungal specialized metabolite can regulate the diversity of bacterial communities. Inactivation of the global regulator, LaeA, resulted in the loss of antibacterial activity in thePenicilliumisolate. Cheese rind bacterial communities assembled with thelaeAdeletion strain had significantly higher bacterial abundances than the wild-type strain. RNA-sequencing and metabolite profiling demonstrated a striking reduction in the expression and production of the natural product pseurotin in thelaeAdeletion strain. Inactivation of a core gene in the pseurotin biosynthetic cluster restored bacterial community composition, demonstrating the role of pseurotins in mediating bacterial community assembly. Our discovery demonstrates how antibiotic production can drive the assembly of microbiomes and provides an ecological context for widespread fungal specialized metabolites.
Influenza A virus coinfection dynamics are shaped by distinct virus-virus interactions within and between cells
Authors: Delima Gabrielle K. , Ganti Ketaki , Holmes Katie E. , Shartouny Jessica R. , Lowen Anice C.
Published: November 2022

When multiple viral populations propagate within the same host environment, they often shape each other’s dynamics. These interactions can be positive or negative and can occur at multiple scales, from coinfection of a cell to co-circulation at a global population level. For influenza A viruses (IAVs), the delivery of multiple viral genomes to a cell substantially increases burst size. However, despite its relevance for IAV evolution through reassortment, the implications of this positive density dependence for coinfection between distinct IAVs has not been explored. Furthermore, the extent to which these interactions within the cell shape viral dynamics at the level of the host remains unclear. Here we show that, within cells, coinfecting IAVs strongly augment the replication of a focal strain, irrespective of the native host of the coinfecting IAV or its homology to the focal strain. Coinfecting viruses with a low intrinsic reliance on multiple infection offer the greatest benefit. Nevertheless, virus-virus interactions at the level of the whole host are antagonistic. This antagonism is recapitulated in cell culture when the coinfecting virus is introduced several hours prior to the focal strain or under conditions conducive to multiple rounds of viral replication. Together, these data suggest that beneficial virus-virus interactions within cells are counterbalanced by competition for susceptible cells during viral propagation through a tissue. The integration of virus-virus interactions across scales is critical in defining the outcomes of viral coinfection.
Multiple rod layers increase the speed and sensitivity of vision in nocturnal reef fishes
Authors: Fogg Lily G. , Chung Wen-Sung , Cortesi Fabio , Marshall N. Justin , de Busserolles Fanny
Published: November 2022

Multibank retinas have rod photoreceptors stacked into multiple layers. They are found in many species of fish that inhabit dim environments and are one of the most common visual adaptations in the deep-sea. Despite its prevalence, the function of multibank retinas remained unknown. Two predominant theories, neither of which has been tested, have emerged: 1) they enhance sensitivity in dim light, and 2) they allow colour vision in dim light. To investigate the sensitivity hypothesis, we performed electrophysiological recordings and compared the rod pigments of three species of nocturnal reef fishes, two with a multibank retina (Neoniphon sammaraandMyripristis violacea) and a control species with a single rod bank (Ostorhinchus compressus). Results indicated that nocturnal reef fishes with a multibank retina have higher temporal resolution of vision, as indicated by electrophysiology, and that their rhodopsin proteins likely also have faster retinal release kinetics, as suggested by amino acid substitutions. Electrophysiology also showed that the multibank retina conferred greater sensitivity to both dim and bright intensities than a single rod bank and this occurred at times when rod-derived signals usually dominate the visual response. This study provides the first functional evidence for enhanced dim-light sensitivity using a multibank retina while also suggesting novel roles for the adaptation in enhancing bright-light sensitivity and the speed of vision.

Significance

Most vertebrates have one layer of the dim-light active rod photoreceptors; however, some species have multiple layers, known as a multibank retina. We used electrophysiology on nocturnal reef fishes with and without multibank retinas to evaluate the sensory advantage of having multiple rod layers. We show that fish with multibank retinas have both faster vision and enhanced sensitivity to bright and dim light intensities. Thus, we resolve for the first time the function of multibank retinas – one of the most common visual adaptations in the deep sea. Our findings highlight an unconventional vertebrate visual system as well as the visual capabilities of fishes from the most vast (deep sea) and vibrant (reefs) ecosystems on the planet.
DRG afferents that mediate physiologic and pathologic mechanosensation from the distal colon
Authors: Wolfson Rachel L. , Abdelaziz Amira , Rankin Genelle , Kushner Sarah , Qi Lijun , Mazor Ofer , Choi Seungwon , Sharma Nikhil , Ginty David D.
Published: November 2022

The properties of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons that innervate the distal colon are poorly defined, hindering our understanding of their roles in normal physiology and gastrointestinal disease. Here, we report genetically defined subsets of colon innervating DRG neurons with diverse morphologic and physiologic properties. Four colon innervating DRG neuron populations are mechanosensitive and exhibit distinct force thresholds to colon distension. The highest threshold population, selectively labeled usingBmpr1bgenetic tools, is necessary and sufficient for behavioral responses to high colon distension, which is partly mediated by the mechanosensory ion channel Piezo2. This HTMR population mediates behavioral over-reactivity to colon distension caused by inflammation in a model of inflammatory bowel disease. Thus, like cutaneous mechanoreceptor populations, colon innervating DRG afferents exhibit distinct anatomical and physiological properties and tile force threshold space, and genetically defined colon innervating HTMRs mediate pathophysiological responses to colon distension revealing a target population for therapeutic intervention.
WITHDRAWN: Ultrastructural characterization of a viral RNA and G-protein containing, membranous organelle formed in respiratory syncytial virus infected cells
Authors: Vijayakrishnan Swetha , Burns Andrew M. , Blanchard Emmeline L. , Spink Matthew C. , Gilchrist James B. , Howe Andrew , Darrow Michelle C. , Harkiolaki Maria , Wu Cheng-Yu , Dutch Rebecca Ellis , Santangelo Philip J. , Fearns Rachel , Bhella David
Published: November 2022

Withdrawal statement

The authors have withdrawn their manuscript because since deposition of this preprint, they have become aware of the possibility that the findings reported may be an artefact. Carter et al. (J Struct Biol 2018 Jan;201(1):15-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jsb.2017.10.009) have reported that multilamellar bodies exhibit autofluorescence under cryogenic conditions. Thus, there is a possibility that stress induced by virus infection may stimulate formation of the features reported in this article, and autofluorescence, rather than specific labelling led them to identify the puncta as compartments containing RSV proteins or genomes. They are working to address these issues. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.
ABLs and TMKs are co-receptors for extracellular auxin
Authors: Yu Yongqiang , Tang Wenxin , Lin Wenwei , Li Wei , Zhou Xiang , Li Ying , Chen Rong , Zheng Rui , Qin Guochen , Cao Wenhan , Perez Patricio , Huang Rongfeng , Ma Jun , Lin Juncheng , Jiang Liwen , Xu Tongda , Yang Zhenbiao
Published: November 2022

Extracellular perception of auxin, an essential phytohormone in plants, has been debated for decades. Auxin binding protein 1 (ABP1) physically interacts with quintessential transmembrane kinases (TMKs) and was proposed to act as an extracellular auxin receptor, but its role was disputed becauseabp1knockout mutants lack obvious morphological phenotypes. Here we identified two new auxin-binding proteins, ABL1 and ABL2, that are localized to the apoplast and directly interact with the extracellular domain of TMKs in an auxin-dependent manner. Furthermore, functionally redundant ABL1 and ABL2 genetically interact with TMKs and exhibit functions that are overlapping with those of ABP1 as well as independent of ABP1. Importantly, the extracellular domain of TMK1 itself binds auxin and synergizes with either ABP1 or ABL1 in auxin binding. Thus, our findings discovered new auxin receptors ABL1 and ABL2 having functions overlapping with but distinct from ABP1 and acting together with TMKs as co-receptors for extracellular auxin.
Cross-species analysis identifies conserved transcriptional mechanisms of neutrophil maturation
Authors: Kirchberger Stefanie , Shoeb Mohamed R. , Lazic Daria , Fischer Kristin , Shaw Lisa E. , Nogueira Filomena , Rifatbegovic Fikret , Bozsaky Eva , Ladenstein Ruth , Bodenmiller Bernd , Lion Thomas , Traver David , Farlik Matthias , Taschner-Mandl Sabine , Halbritter Florian , Distel Martin
Published: November 2022

Neutrophils are evolutionarily conserved innate defense cells implicated in diverse pathological processes. Zebrafish models have contributed substantially to our understanding of neutrophil functions, but similarities to human neutrophil maturation have not been characterized limiting applicability to study human disease.

We generated transgenic zebrafish strains to distinguish neutrophil maturation gradesin vivoand established a high-resolution transcriptional profile of neutrophil maturation. We linked gene expression at each stage to characteristic transcription factors, including C/ebpβ, important for late neutrophil maturation. Cross-species comparison of zebrafish, mouse, and human confirmed high molecular similarity in immature stages and discriminated zebrafish-specific from pan-species gene signatures. Applying pan-species neutrophil maturation signatures in RNA-seq data from neuroblastoma patients revealed an association of metastatic tumor cell infiltration in the bone marrow with an increase in mature neutrophils.

Our detailed neutrophil maturation atlas provides a valuable resource for studying neutrophil function at different stages across species in health and disease.

Graphical abstract
Evolution along allometric lines of least resistance: Morphological differentiation inPristurusgeckos
Authors: Tejero-Cicuéndez Héctor , Menéndez Iris , Talavera Adrián , Riaño Gabriel , Burriel-Carranza Bernat , Simó-Riudalbas Marc , Carranza Salvador , Adams Dean C.
Published: November 2022

Species living in distinct habitats often experience unique ecological selective pressures, which can drive phenotypic divergence. However, how ecophenotypic patterns are affected by allometric trends and trait integration levels is less well understood. Here we evaluate the role of allometry in shaping body size and shape diversity inPristurusgeckos utilizing differing habitats. We found that patterns of body shape allometry and integration were distinct in species with different habitat preferences, with ground-dwellingPristurusdisplaying the most divergent allometric trend and the strongest integration. There was also strong concordance between static allometry across individuals and evolutionary allometry among species, revealing that body shape differences among individuals were predictive of evolutionary changes across the phylogeny at macroevolutionary scales. This suggested that phenotypic evolution occurred along allometric lines of least resistance, with allometric trajectories imposing a strong influence on the magnitude and direction of size and shape changes across the phylogeny. When viewed in phylomorphospace, the largest rock-dwelling species were most similar in body shape to the smallest ground-dwelling species, and vice versa. Thus, inPristurus, phenotypic evolution along the differing habitat-based allometric trajectories resulted in similar body shapes at differing body sizes in distinct ecological habitats.
Modelling genetic stability in engineered cell populations
Authors: Ingram Duncan , Stan Guy-Bart
Published: November 2022

Predicting the evolution of engineered cell populations is a highly soughtafter goal in biotechnology. While models of evolutionary dynamics are far from new, their application to synthetic systems is scarce where the vast combination of genetic parts and regulatory elements creates a unique challenge. To address this gap, we herein present a framework that allows one to connect the DNA design of varied genetic devices with mutation spread in a growing cell population. Users can specify the functional parts of their system and the degree of mutation heterogeneity to explore, after which our model generates hostaware transition dynamics between different mutation phenotypes over time. We show how our framework can be used to generate insightful hypotheses across broad applications, from how a device’s components can be tweaked to optimise longterm protein yield and genetic shelf life, to generating new design paradigms for gene regulatory networks that improve their functionality.
Identifying functionally distinctive and threatened species
Authors: Pavoine Sandrine , Ricotta Carlo
Published: November 2022

Functional traits determine species’ responses to environmental change and/or determine species’ effects on ecosystem functions. When species with distinctive functional traits are threatened, there is a risk that ecosystem properties are also threatened. This is because functionally distinctive species may be those that have irreplaceable roles in an ecosystem and/or those that would be able to survive unusual environmental disturbances. To include functional distinctiveness as a criterion in conservation strategies, we need formal quantification of the degree of distinctiveness and threat a species exhibits. Starting with previous quantification attempts, we develop a framework that links different viewpoints on functional distinctiveness and accounts for all species’ extinction probabilities. Our framework is particularly relevant at the local scale where species extinctions impact ecosystem functioning and where conservation policies are developed. As a case study, we thus applied our framework to the mammals of Indian dry forests known to be threatened with a drastic decrease in functional diversity. We notably highlight that although some of the functionally distinctive and threatened species we identified, such as the tiger, are charismatic and considered by conservation actions, others are not. This is the case for some rat species and pangolins, whose negative image in the media during the COVID-19 pandemic could be detrimental to attracting public interest in their preservation. From this case study, we note that noncharismatic, less known species that may be key for ecosystems could be revealed by applying our framework to a range of ecosystems and taxa.
Synaptic weights that correlate with presynaptic selectivity increase decoding performance
Authors: Gallinaro Júlia V. , Scholl Benjamin , Clopath Claudia
Published: November 2022

The activity of neurons in the visual cortex is often characterized by tuning curves, which are thought to be shaped by Hebbian plasticity during development and sensory experience. This leads to the prediction that neural circuits should be organized such that neurons with similar functional preference are connected with stronger weights. In support of this idea, previous experimental and theoretical work have provided evidence for a model of the visual cortex characterized by such functional subnetworks. A recent experimental study, however, have found that the postsynaptic preferred stimulus was defined by the total number of spines activated by a given stimulus and independent of their individual strength. While this result might seem to contradict previous literature, there are many factors that define how a given synaptic input influences postsynaptic selectivity. Here, we designed a computational model in which postsynaptic functional preference is defined by the number of inputs activated by a given stimulus. Using a plasticity rule where synaptic weights tend to correlate with presynaptic selectivity, and is independent of functional-similarity between pre- and postsynaptic activity, we find that this model can be used to decode presented stimuli in a manner that is comparable to maximum likelihood inference.
#BookTokMadeMeReadIt: young adult reading communities across an international, sociotechnical landscape
Authors: Martens Marianne , Balling Gitte , Higgason Kristen A.
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This research article presents an exploratory case study of the sociotechnical landscape of BookTok, and how young people use it to connect with others around the books they love, or those they love to hate. By observing the interplay between young people, books, and the technology (TikTok) that connects them, this study aims to explore how blending analog and digital media tools makes reading social and fun.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors selected three bestsellers available in English and Danish, and BookTokers who made related videos. This study used a qualitative, ethnographic (Pink, 2021) approach to explore interactions on the app. Inductive coding (Saldaña, 2021) helped the authors identify themes, and connect to areas of inquiry.

Findings

During the pandemic, TikTok and BookTok offered young people opportunities for reading engagement in social, bookish communities by using technology to promote reading in print. In doing so, their actions made reading and being a reader highly entertaining.

Research limitations/implications

As an exploratory case study, this research is not generalizable. But the findings will apply to future work on reading, publishing, and connected learning in a sociotechnical landscape.

Practical implications

BookTok connects print and digital formats, offering innovative possibilities for young people’s connected learning and reading promotion in schools and libraries.

Originality/value

Because TikTok is a relatively new tool, and its sub-community BookTok became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, research on this topic is still in its earliest stages.
From workplace bullying to workplace withdrawal: mediating role of fear-based silence and moderating role of personality
Authors: Srivastava Shalini , Chhabra Bindu , Madan Poornima , Puri Geetika
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The study aims to attempt to investigate the mediating role of fear-based silence (FBS) and moderating role of personality in the relationship between workplace bullying (WPB) and workplace withdrawal (WW) in hotel industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon conservation of resources theory, two waves approach was used to collect data from 263 hotel employees in India. Partial Least Squares (PLS) based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyse the data.

Findings

Fear based silence was seen to mediate the relationship between WPB and WW. Further, proactive personality moderated the relationship between FBS and WW.

Practical implications

The present study has vital implications for practitioners, academicians and policy makers. Executives must take cognizance of incidences of WPB and take on well-timed actions to curb it altogether. Taking into consideration the significance of resources in mitigating the adverse impacts of WPB, organizations must try to promote conditions necessary for that resource acquisition.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine FBS as a mediator in the relationship between WPB and WW.
With a little help from my friends? The impact of social networks on citizens' forecasting ability
Authors: MONGRAIN PHILIPPE
Published: November 2022

Partisan preferences usually stand out as the major driving force behind voters' expectations about election outcomes. Apart from partisan preferences, however, purely individual‐level factors appear to be only weakly associated with forecasting ability. Some studies argue that we need to move from the strictly personal sphere to the interpersonal one to better understand the underpinnings of individuals' forecasting ability. This paper leverages data from 77 elections at the district, municipal, regional, and/or national levels in 10 different countries to assess the impact of social networks and social interactions on the accuracy of citizens' electoral expectations. The results cast doubt on the capacity of social interactions to influence citizens' forecasting skills.
crabs—A software program to generate curated reference databases for metabarcoding sequencing data
Authors: Jeunen Gert‐Jan , Dowle Eddy , Edgecombe Jonika , von Ammon Ulla , Gemmell Neil J. , Cross Hugh
Published: November 2022

The measurement of biodiversity is an integral aspect of life science research. With the establishment of second‐ and third‐generation sequencing technologies, an increasing amount of metabarcoding data is being generated as we seek to describe the extent and patterns of biodiversity in multiple contexts. The reliability and accuracy of taxonomically assigning metabarcoding sequencing data have been shown to be critically influenced by the quality and completeness of reference databases. Custom, curated, eukaryotic reference databases, however, are scarce, as are the software programs for generating them. Here, we present crabs (Creating Reference databases for Amplicon‐Based Sequencing), a software package to create custom reference databases for metabarcoding studies. crabs includes tools to download sequences from multiple online repositories (i.e., NCBI, BOLD, EMBL, MitoFish), retrieve amplicon regions through in silico PCR analysis and pairwise global alignments, curate the database through multiple filtering parameters (e.g., dereplication, sequence length, sequence quality, unresolved taxonomy, inclusion/exclusion filter), export the reference database in multiple formats for immediate use in taxonomy assignment software, and investigate the reference database through implemented visualizations for diversity, primer efficiency, reference sequence length, database completeness and taxonomic resolution. crabs is a versatile tool for generating curated reference databases of user‐specified genetic markers to aid taxonomy assignment from metabarcoding sequencing data. crabs can be installed via docker and is available for download as a conda package and via GitHub (https://github.com/gjeunen/reference_database_creator).
Issuing of isotonic crystalloid solutions to Danish public hospitals in 2021—A retrospective nationwide observational study
Authors: Ellekjaer Karen Louise , Perner Anders , Bruun Svan Kathrine , Møller Morten Hylander
Published: November 2022

Background

Intravenous (IV) fluid therapy is a ubiquitous intervention in daily clinical practice. However, nationwide detailed hospital‐ and departmental‐level information on IV fluid use is limited. Hence, we aimed to describe the current issuing of isotonic crystalloid solutions across Danish public hospitals.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide, retrospective observational study describing the issuing of isotonic crystalloid solutions for IV administration, including 0.9% saline, acetate‐ and lactate‐buffered crystalloid solutions. We assessed fluid issuing at national‐, regional‐, hospital‐ and departmental‐level from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021. We obtained sales figures from the Danish Regional Hospital Pharmacies. Regional characteristics were acquired from the Danish Health Data Authorities online resources. Results are presented graphically and descriptively, including frequencies (%).

Results

The total amount of isotonic crystalloid solutions issued across Danish public hospitals in 2021 was 1,487,144 L (67.4% saline, 25.9% acetate‐ and 6.7% lactate‐buffered solutions) equivalent to 2.1 L per hospitalised patient within the study period. Both the issuing of saline versus. buffered crystalloid solutions and the issuing of acetate‐ versus lactate‐buffered solutions varied across geographical regions. Medical departments used saline more frequently (85.3%) than emergency departments (71.5%), surgical departments (70.6%) and anaesthesiological departments including intensive care units (43.0%).

Conclusions

In this nationwide observational study, we found that the issuing of different isotonic crystalloid solutions varied based on geographical location. Furthermore, the issuing of different crystalloid solutions differed across departmental settings with medical departments using the highest proportion of saline and anaesthesiological departments using the highest proportion of buffered crystalloid solutions.

Editorial Comment

IV fluid administration practices can be assessed across specialties by examining hospital purchasing. This study analysed the use of IV isotonic crystalloid solutions across all major departments of Danish public hospitals for 1 year. Isotonic sodium chloride was the most commonly used fluid in emergency medicine (71%), internal medicine (85%) and surgical departments (71%). Only anaesthesia and intensive care medicine departments used more buffered crystalloid solutions (57%) than isotonic natrium chloride.
Habit formation in context: Context‐specific and context‐free measures for tracking fruit consumption habit formation and behaviour
Authors: Diefenbacher Svenne , Lally Phillippa , Gardner Benjamin
Published: November 2022

Objectives

Interventions promoting habitual fruit consumption have the potential to bring about long‐term behaviour change. Assessing the effectiveness of such interventions requires adequate habit and behaviour measures. Habits are based on learned context‐behaviour associations, so measures that incorporate context should be more sensitive to expected habit and behaviour changes than context‐free measures. This study compared context‐specific and context‐free measures of fruit consumption habit and behaviour following a 3‐week habit formation intervention.

Design

Prospective online study (n = 58).

Methods

Behaviour frequency was assessed across five timepoints, retrospectively (Time 1 [T1], T5) or via daily diary data (uploaded weekly at T2, T3 and T4). Habit strength was assessed before (T1) and immediately after the intervention (T4), and again 2 weeks later (T5). Analyses of variance were run, with time and context specificity as within‐subject factors, and habit and behaviour frequency as dependent measures.

Results

An interaction between time and context specificity was found in both analyses (habit: F(2,114) = 12.848, p < .001, part.η2 = .184; behaviour: F(2,114) = 6.714, p = .002, part.η2 = .105). Expected habit formation patterns 5 weeks post‐baseline were only detected by the context‐specific habit measure. Likewise, increased behaviour frequency was only found when the target context was specified (p's < .001).

Conclusions

Assessments of purposeful dietary habit and behaviour change attempts should incorporate context‐specific measurement.
Loss and Survival: Experiences of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists Working Remotely During the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Taylor Lucy , Kegerreis Sue , Rohleder Poul
Published: November 2022

This paper presents the findings of a research project that explored the experiences of psychoanalytic psychotherapists based in the UK during the first period of lockdown in the COVID 19 pandemic. Groups of therapists met regularly to share and reflect on the impact of the sudden changes to their practice, and this paper pulls together the key themes which emerged from these discussions. The overarching preoccupations of the psychotherapists were those of loss and survival, with sub‐themes of difficulty holding the frame; reduced security and safety; challenged analytic technique; and altered relationship dynamics. The groups were highly valued by participants as offering support during times of unprecedented stress, while also providing a forum to learn from and make creative use of the challenges presented by working remotely.
Impact of human foraging on tree diversity, composition, and abundance in a tropical rainforest
Authors: Asuk Sijeh A. , Matthews Thomas J. , Sadler Jonathan P. , Pugh Thomas A. M. , Ebu Vincent T. , Ifebueme Nzube M. , Kettridge Nicholas
Published: November 2022

Tropical forest tree communities are structured by a range of large‐scale drivers including elevation, certain high‐impact anthropogenic activities (e.g., deforestation), and fires. However, low‐impact human activities such as foraging may also be subtly but notably altering the composition of tropical forest tree communities. The study assessed the (i) differences in species diversity, patterns of relative abundance, and pairwise beta diversity between trees with edible and inedible fruits and seeds along an elevation gradient, and (ii) impact of human foraging on the forest tree communities in Oban Division of Cross River National Park, Nigeria. Fifteen permanent 40 by 40 m plots were established along an elevational gradient (120–460 m above mean sea level). All trees of 0.1 m diameter at breast height (dbh) and above were measured, identified, and, with the aid of structured questionnaires, classified into those with edible and inedible fruits/seeds. A total of 35 edible species with density of 128 stems/hectare and basal area of 11.99 m2/hectare, and 109 inedible species with density of 364 stems/hectare and basal area of 22.42 m2/hectare were sampled. However, the evenness of edible and inedible species was similar at pooled and plot levels. For inedible species, there was a positive relationship between pairwise beta diversity and elevation, and this was driven mainly by turnover. In contrast, edible species exhibited a non‐significant trend between elevation and beta diversity. Thus, the study showed that human foraging of edible fruits may have subtly influenced patterns of species diversity and community structure in this tropical forest.
Care processes in people in remission from type 2 diabetes: A cohort study using the National Diabetes Audit
Authors: Holman Naomi , Khunti Kamlesh , Wild Sarah H. , Sattar Naveed , Knighton Peter , Young Bob , Gregg Edward W. , Bakhai Chirag , Valabhji Jonathan
Published: November 2022

Aims

People with type 2 diabetes can enter remission but may relapse or develop legacy complications. This analysis assesses whether people with remission from type 2 diabetes continue receiving annual care processes recommended in national guidelines and the potential impacts of formal recognition of remission.

Methods

People with type 2 diabetes with and without formal recognition (diagnostic code) of remission, and with and without evidence of remission (HbA1c < 48 mmol/mol without prescription for glucose‐lowering drugs in preceding 26 weeks), included in the 2018/19 National Diabetes Audit (NDA) for England and Wales were followed up to identify care processes received between 1 January 2019 and 31 March 2020.

Results

Of the 2,822,145 people with type 2 diabetes in the cohort, 16,460 (0.58%) were coded with remission in the 2018/19 NDA. After adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic deprivation and ethnicity, people coded with remission were less likely to receive each care process than those without such coding irrespective of HbA1c measurements (relative risk (RR) of receiving all 8 care processes 0.70 (95% CI 0.69–0.72)). For the 339,235 people with evidence of remission, irrespective of diagnostic coding compared to those without such evidence, the RR for receiving all 8 care processes was 0.94 (95% CI 0.93–0.94).

Conclusions

People coded with remission of type 2 diabetes were less likely to receive diabetes care processes than those without such coding. People with evidence of remission had only a slightly reduced likelihood of receiving care processes. Formal recognition of remission may affect the provision or uptake of care processes.
Do reproductive characteristics of the species explain differences in the investment in weapon size present in males?
Authors: Maciel Douglas , Oliveira Reisla , Peixoto Paulo Enrique Cardoso
Published: November 2022

Sexually selected traits, such as male weapons, are highly variable in shape and size across species. However, little is known about the mechanisms that may govern this variation. Because males with greater investment in weapon size tend to win more fights, but also pay higher costs related to weapon development and maintenance, larger weapons should be expected only in species in which victory in male–male fights generate reproductive benefits that outweigh investment costs. Here, we hypothesized that the reproductive characteristics that increase the chances of winners to access females or to fertilize eggs will favor the evolution of larger weapons. To evaluate this hypothesis, we conducted a meta‐analysis using arthropods as model organisms. To measure investment in weapon size, we gathered both Pearson correlation coefficient and the standardized (but non centralized) slope values for the relationship between weapon size and body size. We found that none of the reproductive characteristics we investigated was related to male weapon size. Thus, it seems that greater certainty of accessing a female or fertilizing female eggs with a victory does not modulate the investment in male weapon size. Perhaps the cost–benefit ratio between weapon size investment and reproductive success is not the main factor driving the variation in weapon size.
An exclusive review of melatonin effects on mammalian melanocytes and melanoma
Authors: Mubashshir Muhammad , Ahmad Nabeel , Sköld Helen Nilsson , Ovais Mohd
Published: November 2022

Melatonin influences mammalian coat colour and hair follicle pigmentation and also weakly alters the electrical stimulation of retinal cells in the eyes. A direct melanocytic response to melatonin is still uncertain in mammals and human skin pigmentation. Melatonin acts as a free radical scavenger and thus inhibits the initiation of cancer cell growth. Treatment of melanoma sees perspective features in the administration of melatonin along with known chemotherapeutic molecules to improve the efficacy of conventional cytotoxic agents. Being richly supplied with a variety of receptors, melanocytes and melanoma cells can be used as in vitro test models for pharmacological applications of known and novel drugs.