bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crip Time Travels Through the Membrane and Vortex: An Autoethnographic Inquiry of Neurodivergent Student Temporality in Higher Art Education
Authors: Smith Timothy J.
Published: October 2024

Crip time is a fluid term with various definitions that pertain to the ways that disabled people experience time. In one sense, the effects of crip time can be constraining, particularly when it results in an encounter with ableist institutional and societal barriers. But crip time can also take on a liberatory form as a mode of resistance and a catalyst for structural change. This autoethnographic inquiry explores these various manifestations of crip time and will take form as a kind of crip time travel endeavour that recounts my experiences of temporality as a neurodivergent university art student. Framed through the mental imagery of the membrane and the vortex, I discuss the ways in which my neurodivergent student temporality collided and conflicted with the rigid temporal frameworks of neoliberal higher art education (HAE). I particularly focus on how HAE segments its programming into academic and artistic curricular time. I detail my difficulties keeping up with the academic curricular time to such an extent that the studio time and community time of artistic curricular time became lost or displaced time. Based on this crip time travel inquiry, I will acknowledge and move beyond a confining conception of crip time to offer insights into the liberatory potential of crip time towards reimagining temporal relations, reconceiving student success and opening time for neurodivergent students for critical making and thinking among a community of artist peers and mentors in HAE.
Decent and Precarious Work Among Nursing and Care Workers: A Mixed‐Method Systematic Review
Authors: Hult Marja , Ring Marjo , Siranko Heta , Kangasniemi Mari
Published: October 2024

Aim

To identify and describe evidence from original studies on the contextual factors, dimensions, and outcomes of decent and precarious work among nursing and care workers.

Design

This is a mixed‐methods systematic review.

Data Sources

The Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO and SocINDEX databases were searched on January 11, 2024.

Methods

Two reviewers independently applied eligibility criteria, selected studies, and conducted quality appraisals. We employed data‐based convergent synthesis as the data synthesis method. The dimensions of decent and precarious work were analysed deductively using the Employment Quality Framework.

Results

Five studies on decent work and 13 studies on precarious work were included. Five contextual factors were common, though opposite, in both decent and precarious work studies: employment contract, position, financial situation, age, and work experience. Three outcomes were also common. Decent work increased, and precarious work decreased, physical and mental health and empowerment, whereas turnover was decreased by decent work and increased by precarious work.

Conclusions

Challenges can be converted into positive outcomes for the future, moving towards meaningful work, fair jobs, sustainable employment policies, and attractive career prospects. To achieve this, more knowledge is needed about employment quality in nursing and care work.

Implications for the Profession

Young nurses and care workers should be provided opportunities to fully engage in their work and organisations. Training is also crucial for managers, as it decreases authoritarian and controlling management practices.

Impact

This review is the first to synthesise research evidence on decent and precarious work in nursing and care work, confirming that they are opposite concepts of employment quality. The results benefit nurses and care workers, organisations, and decision‐makers.

Reporting Method

The study was reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA) checklist.

Patient or Public Contribution

No Patient or Public Contribution.
Stress, Anxiety and Coping in Adults With Down Syndrome: An Exploratory Co‐Research Study
Authors: Scott Ashley , Gould Ryan , Quidore Liam , Koeut‐Futch Keryden , Bock Emily , Kumar Prisha Sujin , Christensen Staci , Edouard Augusta , Golden Benjamin , Rapp Eden , Sigelko Kaethe , Sokoloff Alexis , Versfelt Caley , Rubenstein Eric
Published: October 2024

Background

At least half of children and adults with Down syndrome have a major mental health concern during their life but few studies ask people with Down syndrome directly about their experience. We used a co‐research model to explore anxiety, stress, and coping in adults with Down syndrome.

Methods

Our group of researchers and adults with Down syndrome conducted an online survey on mental health for adults with Down syndrome. We analysed quantitative data and thematically grouped coping mechanisms.

Results

Sixty adults with Down syndrome completed the survey, mean age was 30 years, and 55% of respondents had some employment. Approximately 80% of respondents reported experiencing stress and 75% reported experiencing anxiety. Employed respondents were more likely to use social coping mechanisms.

Conclusion

Soliciting responses from adults with Down syndrome about their mental health can provide valuable insights. Mental health is a concern for people with Down syndrome that should be addressed.
Immigration Policy Preferences in Six EU Countries: The Shadow of Intergovernmental Conflicts in Public Opinion
Authors: Wasserfallen Fabio , Woeffray Théoda
Published: October 2024

Migration politics in the European Union (EU) is highly conflictual. The Dublin framework produces, consolidates and constantly re‐enforces divides amongst the governments of EU member states. A prime example is the country‐of‐first‐entry principle, which sets countries at the external EU border against non‐border countries. We investigate whether evidence of these conflicts amongst governments also translate into cross‐national divides in public opinion. To this end, we separate EU countries along two lines, border versus non‐border and host versus non‐host countries, and derive policy positions for six member states with respect to four immigration policies. The analysis of original survey data shows that public opinion follows, as expected, the patterns of intergovernmental conflicts. That the public is, like the governments, divided along national lines highlights the dominance of intergovernmental conflict in EU migration politics. As long as this logic prevails, the potential for collective action in EU migration policy‐making remains narrow.
Whether and how to store firearms in the home: Qualitative insights from care partner experiences in the Safety in Dementia Trial
Authors: Knoepke Christopher E. , Meza Kayla , Portz Jennifer D. , Ranney Megan L. , Fisher Stacy M. , Omeragic Faris , Greenway Emily , Castaneda Mirella , Matlock Daniel D. , Betz Marian E.
Published: October 2024

Background

Most people with dementia (PWD) in the United States live in community settings supported by family and/or unpaid care partners. Firearms access is one of many decisions care partners navigate alongside PWD in efforts to prevent injuries and deaths. Conversations about firearms access are socially challenging, although specific challenges to be overcome have not been described.

Methods

As part of the larger Safety in Dementia Trial, we interviewed care partners about their views and experiences regarding firearms access in the home where the PWD resides. Interviewees were English‐speaking adults (≥18 years) in the United States who are unpaid care partners of community‐dwelling PWD. Responses to interview discussions related to (1) a desire for safety, and (2) fear of firearm violence was analyzed using a focusing process to categorize views into essential themes.

Results

Fifty care partners, who were primarily female (58%), White (66%), adult children (56%), and living in the same household (64%), participated in interviews between February 2023–February 2024. Dominant themes emerging from the focusing technique included (1) firearms as a necessary component of home safety; (2) fear of accidental/impulsive firearm violence; (3) observed risk and “near misses”; and (4) differing views on home firearms as a source of conflict. Thematic descriptions did not differ according to care partner's relationship to the PWD (adult child, spouse, other).

Conclusions

Considering whether and how to alter access to firearms where PWD reside can be difficult for care partners to navigate. Care partners expressed a desire to limit firearms access, but worried both about creating conflict with the PWD and the self‐defense implications of making firearms inaccessible. Findings were similar across subsets of care partners indicating that standardized tools and messaging to care partners may be effective in promoting safety in homes with PWD.
The miR396a–SlGRF8 module regulates sugar accumulation in the roots via SlSTP10 during the interaction between root‐knot nematodes and tomato plants
Authors: Sun Lulu , Zhu Mengting , Zhou Xiaoxuan , Gu Ruiyue , Hou Yuying , Li Tongtong , Huang Huang , Yang Rui , Wang Shaohui , Zhao Wenchao
Published: October 2024

Root‐knot nematodes (RKNs; Meloidogyne spp.) are a serious threat to crop production. The competition between plants and pathogens for assimilates influences the outcome of their interactions. However, the mechanisms by which plants and nematodes compete with each other for assimilates have not been elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that miR396a plays a negative role in defense against RKNs and a positive role in sugar accumulation in tomato roots. The overexpression of SlGRF8 (Solanum lycopersicum growth‐regulating factor 8), the target of miR396a, decreased the sugar content of the roots and the susceptibility to RKNs, whereas the grf8‐cr mutation had the opposite effects. Furthermore, we confirmed that SlGRF8 regulated the sugar content in roots by directly activating the transcription of SlSTP10 (Solanum lycopersicum sugar transporter protein 10) in response to RKN stress. Moreover, SlSTP10 was expressed primarily in the tissues surrounding giant cells, and the SlSTP10 knockout increased both the sugar content in the roots and the plant's susceptibility to RKNs. Overall, this study provides important insight into the molecular mechanism through which the miR396a‐SlGRF8‐SlSTP10 module regulates sugar allocation in roots under RKN stress.
Reducing confusion surrounding expert conceptions of Alzheimer's and dementia: A practical analysis
Authors: Daly Timothy , Mastroleo Ignacio
Published: October 2024

Biological, clinicobiological and clinical conceptions of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias are being promoted simultaneously to different practical ends. The co‐existence of contemporary conceptions and the ‘scary label’ associated with older diagnostic criteria create the possibility of misunderstanding and harm. In this comment, we argue in favour of socio‐ethical interventions targeted to health workers and the general public so as to lower the uncertainties introduced by contemporary diagnostic criteria and to articulate how they relate to established criteria.
Remora‐CNN: A Novel and Effective Method for Rice Leaf Disease Detection and Classification
Authors: Chaudhari Devchand J. , Karunakaran Malathi
Published: October 2024

For millions of people worldwide, rice is one of the main food crops. Nevertheless, while being grown, rice is susceptible to many diseases. Most rice plant diseases are influenced by biotic and abiotic factors, including nematodes, viroids, fungus, viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms, as well as temperature and other environmental factors. Thus, an automatic early classification of leaf disease is necessary to improve the rice yield. In this paper, for identifying and categorizing the rice leaf disease, a convolutional neural network (CNN) model is used, and the CNN is trained using the Remora Optimization Algorithm (ROA). A better classification outcome is attained by performing the segmentation process using K‐means with the Fractional Tangential‐Spherical Kernel (FTSK) algorithm. Furthermore, the developed Remora Optimization‐ Convolutional Neural Network (Remora‐CNN) method achieved the optimal performance based on the testing accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 0.925, 0.931, and 0.941 using the Rice Leaf Disease Image Samples Dataset.
Clinical, magnetic resonance imaging, histopathological features, treatment options and outcome of spinal ependymoma in dogs: 8 cases (2011–2022)
Authors: Della Camera N. , Cantile C. , Falzone C.
Published: October 2024

Objectives

This study aims to report on the clinical magnetic resonance imaging, histological features, treatment options and outcomes of spinal ependymomas in dogs.

Materials and Methods

Retrospective evaluation of medical records from dogs histologically confirmed spinal ependymomas with clinical presentations, magnetic resonance imaging findings, histological aspects, treatment options and outcomes.

Results

Eight dogs presented with acute to subacute onset of para‐ or tetraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging findings included intramedullary oval‐shaped space‐occupying lesions that appeared hyperintense on T2‐weighted images isointense on T1‐weighted images and exhibited marked homogeneous or ring contrast enhancement. A peculiar feature, previously described only in human ependymomas, was observed in three patients – a T2‐weighted hypointense rim, termed hemosiderin cap sign. Haematomyelia with necrotic foci was observed in one dog. Surgery, when performed, enabling a definitive intra‐vitam diagnosis. Histological examination revealed that rosettes and pseudo‐rosettes as disposition of neoplastic cells were the most common features reported. Furthermore, cerebrospinal fluid metastases were identified in one case.

Clinical Significance

Clinical and histopathological findings in our case series were consistent with those previously reported in the literature. Magnetic resonance imaging features were fairly typical and highly suggestive of spinal ependymomas. The hemosiderin cap sign may aid in the presumptive intra‐vitam diagnosis of these rare spinal tumours. Additionally, we described cerebrospinal fluid spread of neoplastic cells and subsequent multifocal or metastasis presentations. Surgery offered a dual benefit by facilitating intra‐vitam diagnosis and, in some cases, extending survival time.
Myofascial pain syndrome in small animal practice
Authors: Petty M. C. , Monteiro B. P. , Robertson S. A. , Ajadi A. R. , Mosley C. , Murrell J. C. , Nadkarni N.
Published: October 2024

This capsule review is a discussion of myofascial pain syndrome in small animals. The history of myofascial pain syndrome is discussed as well as facts and theories behind the aetiology and treatment of this syndrome. Diagnostic techniques are both discussed and illustrated. Accepted treatments including dry needling, photobiomodulation, manual therapy and thermal therapy are outlined.
Food purchase diversity is associated with market food diversity and diets of children and their mothers but not fathers in rural Tanzania: Results from the EFFECTS baseline survey
Authors: O'Malley Savannah F. , Ambikapathi Ramya , Boncyk Morgan , Mosha Dominic , Verissimo Cristiana K. , Galvin Lauren , Mapendo Frank , Lyatuu Isaac , Kieffer Mary Pat , Jeong Joshua , Matangi Evidence , PrayGod George , Gunaratna Nilupa S.
Published: October 2024

Rural households in East Africa rely on local markets, but the influence of market food diversity and household food purchase diversity on diets has not been well‐characterized. We quantify the associations among market food diversity, household food purchase diversity and dietary diversity of mothers, fathers and children in rural Tanzania. This study uses baseline data from a randomized controlled trial, Engaging Fathers for Effective Child Nutrition and Development in Tanzania. We used the 10 food groups for women's dietary diversity to assess the seasonal availability of nutritious foods in 79 markets. Using data from 957 rural households in two districts in Mara, Tanzania, we measured household food purchase diversity over the previous month and dietary diversity among children (6–23 months), mothers and fathers. Overall, 63% of markets sold all 10 food groups throughout the year, indicating high‐market food diversity and minimal seasonality. However, only 33% of women and 35% of children met dietary diversity recommendations. Households that reported higher purchasing power (0.14, p < 0.001), lived within 30 min of a market (0.36, p = 0.001) and had access to a highly diverse market (0.37, p = 0.01) purchased a higher diversity of foods. In turn, food purchase diversity was positively associated with the dietary diversity of mothers (p < 0.001) and children 9–23 months (p < 0.001) but not fathers (p = 0.56). Interventions must account for food availability and access in local markets, and promoting diverse food purchases may be an effective strategy to improve women's and children's diets in rural areas.
Diagnostic classification systems for disorders of gut‐brain interaction should include psychological symptoms
Authors: Jones Michael P. , Holtmann Gerald J. , Tack Jan , Carbonne Florencia , Chey William , Koloski Natasha , Shah Ayesha , Bangdiwala Shrikant I. , Sperber Ami D. , Palsson Olafur S. , Talley Nicholas J.
Published: October 2024

Background and Aims

The group of disorders known as Disorders of Gut Brain Interaction (DGBI) were originally labeled functional GI disorders and were thought to be disorders of the gastrointestinal tract that had several psychological conditions as comorbidities. Despite mounting evidence that psychological morbidity plays an innate role in the etiology and maintenance of DGBI, none of the Rome IV criteria include any measure of psychological symptoms.

This study tested the hypothesis that individuals would cluster differently if GI symptoms alone were considered versus GI symptoms combined with measures of psychological symptoms.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Rome Foundation Global Epidemiology Study measuring Rome IV GI symptoms, psychological measures and demographic characteristics. Latent profile models were used to cluster individuals based on (i) GI symptoms only (GI only) and then (ii) GI and psychological measures (GI + Psych).

Key Results

Individuals clustering into the same group of individuals whether formed via GI only or GI + Psych, ranged from 96% for a 2‐class solution (the most simplistic) to 76% with 6 classes (the parsimonious system) and 59% with twenty‐two classes (mimicking Rome IV). The generalisability of this finding between six geographic regions was confirmed with agreement varying between 95%–97% for 2 clusters and 71–79% for 6 classes and 51%–63% for 22 classes. These findings were also consistent between DGBI (range 94% with 2 classes to 50% with 22 classes) and non‐DGBI (range 97% with 2 clusters to 65% with 22 classes) groups.

Conclusions & Inferences

Our data suggest that considering psychological as well as gastrointestinal symptoms would lead to a different clustering of individuals in more complex, and accurate, classification systems. For this reason, future work on DGBI classification should consider inclusion of psychological traits.
Biofeedback efficacy for outlet dysfunction constipation: Clinical outcomes and predictors of response by a limited approach
Authors: Lambiase Christian , Bellini Massimo , Whitehead William E. , Popa Stefan Lucian , Morganti Riccardo , Chiarioni Giuseppe
Published: October 2024

Background

Functional defecation disorders (FDD) are a common etiology of refractory chronic constipation (CC). FDD diagnosis (dyssynergic defecation [DD] and inadequate defecatory propulsion [IDP]), requires diagnostic tests including anorectal manometry (ARM) and balloon expulsion test (BET). Biofeedback (BF) is the treatment of choice for DD. The aims of our study were to evaluate: the outcome of BF in a group of constipated patients with defecatory disorders of any etiology; the efficacy of two simple diagnostic tools in predicting BF outcome in the short‐term.

Methods

One hundred and thirty‐one refractory CC patients failing the BET underwent BF therapy. Before BF, all patients underwent the following:

ARM.

Straining questionnaire. The answers were: “belly muscles”; “anal muscles”; “both”; “Don't know/No answer.”

Digital rectal examination augmented by abdominal palpation on straining (augmented‐DRE).

The BF therapist was blinded to ARM, straining questionnaire, and augmented‐DRE results.

Key Results

Eighty‐one patients responded to BF. Gender, age, and IBS‐C showed no significant impact on BF response. Both DD and IDP responded equally to BF, while the rate of response in patients with isolated structural pelvic floor abnormalities was lower (p < 0.001). The answer “anal muscles” to straining questionnaire showed a strong association with BF response (p < 0.001). A lack in abdominal contraction and in anal relaxation on augmented‐DRE were strongly associated with BF response (p < 0.01). Absence of manual maneuvers to facilitate defecation was associated with BF response (p < 0.001).

Conclusions & Inferences

BF is the therapy of choice for refractory constipation due to FDD of any etiology, inducing both clinical and anorectal physiology improvement in the short term. Comorbid IBS‐C did not affect outcome while symptomatic isolated pelvic floor abnormalities appeared refractory to behavior treatment.

The straining questionnaire and augmented‐DRE outcomes showed a strong correlation with BF response and can be implemented in clinical practice to improve the management of constipated patients by prompting early referral to BF.
Ancient large‐scale gene duplications and diversification in bryophytes illuminate the plant terrestrialization
Authors: Shen Chao , Li Hao , Shu Lei , Huang Wen‐Zhuan , Zhu Rui‐Liang
Published: October 2024

Large‐scale gene duplications (LSGDs) are crucial for evolutionary adaptation and recurrent in vascular plants. However, the role of ancient LSGDs in the terrestrialization and diversification of bryophytes, the second most species‐rich group of land plants, remains largely elusive due to limited sampling in bryophytes.

Employing the most extensive nuclear gene dataset in bryophytes to date, we reconstructed a time‐calibrated phylogenetic tree from 209 species, covering virtually all key bryophyte lineages, for phylogenomic analyses of LSGDs and diversification.

We newly identified two ancient LSGDs: one in the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of extant bryophytes and another in the MRCA of the majority of Jungermanniales s. lato. Duplicated genes from these two LSGDs show significant enrichment in photosynthesis‐related processes and structures. Rhizoid‐responsive ROOTHAIR DEFECTIVE SIX‐LIKE (RSL) genes from ancient LSGDs are present in rhizoidless bryophytes, challenging assumptions about rhizoid absence mechanisms. We highlighted four major diversification rate upshifts, two of which slightly postdated LSGDs, potentially linked to the flourishing of gymnosperms and angiosperms and explaining over 80% of bryophyte diversity.

Our findings, supported by extensive bryophyte sampling, highlight the significance of LSGDs in the early terrestrialization and diversification of bryophytes, offering new insights into land plant evolution.
Building labour power in the platform economy: A comparative analysis of worker struggles in German and Norwegian food and grocery delivery
Authors: López Tatiana , Jesnes Kristin , Alyanak Oğuz , Karlıdağ Zeynep
Published: October 2024

This study undertakes a comparative analysis of delivery workers’ struggles in Norway and Germany. Through the theoretical lens of the power resources approach, we analyse how delivery workers in Berlin and Oslo combine associational, structural, institutional, coalitional and discursive power resources, responding to different institutionalised frameworks of industrial relations. We make three contributions to debates on worker agency and resistance in the platform economy. First, we show that delivery workers need to actively combine different power resources to overcome barriers to organising and exercising structural power, resulting from platforms’ model of work organisation. Second, we highlight the role of institutional contexts in shaping workers’ collective organising strategies. Finally, our analysis stresses that the power resources that food delivery workers have built are often contested and circumvented by counter‐practices from the platform companies.
Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Brassica Napus Reveals Intersections Between Nutrient Deficiency Responses
Authors: Grubb L. E. , Scandola S. , Mehta D. , Khodabocus I. , Uhrig R. G.
Published: October 2024

Macronutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) are critical for plant growth and development. Field‐grown canola (Brassica napus L.) is supplemented with fertilizers to maximize plant productivity, while deficiency in these nutrients can cause significant yield loss. A holistic understanding of the interplay between these nutrient deficiency responses in a single study and canola cultivar is thus far lacking, hindering efforts to increase the nutrient use efficiency of this important oil seed crop. To address this, we performed a comparative quantitative proteomic analysis of both shoot and root tissue harvested from soil‐grown canola plants experiencing either nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium or sulphur deficiency. Our data provide critically needed insights into the shared and distinct molecular responses to macronutrient deficiencies in canola. Importantly, we find more conserved responses to the four different nutrient deficiencies in canola roots, with more distinct proteome changes in aboveground tissue. Our results establish a foundation for a more comprehensive understanding of the shared and distinct nutrient deficiency response mechanisms of canola plants and pave the way for future breeding efforts.
Guard Cell Activity of PIF4 Represses Disease Resistance in Arabidopsis
Authors: Wang Zhixue , Perez Veronica , Hua Jian
Published: October 2024

Phytochrome Interacting Factor 4 (PIF4) plays a central role in coordinating plant growth regulation by integrating multiple environmental cues. However, studies on whether and how PIF4 regulates plant immunity have inconsistent findings. In this study, we investigated the role of PIF4 in disease resistance against Pst DC3000 by characterizing its loss‐of‐function mutants using different inoculation strategies. Our findings reveal that pif4 mutants exhibit enhanced disease resistance with spray inoculation but not with infiltration inoculation compared to wild‐type plants, and that mutants displayed more closed stomata apertures, indicating that PIF4 promotes stomatal opening. Importantly, expression of PIF4 by a guard‐cell‐specific promoter was sufficient to restore disease resistance to the wild‐type level in the pif4 mutant. Additionally, PIF4 overexpression enhances disease symptom development independent of disease resistance and chlorophyll degradation, while the loss of PIF4 function leads to higher chlorophyll accumulation. Thus, our findings highlight a crucial function of PIF4 in regulating stomata‐mediated disease resistance and chlorophyll accumulation, providing new insights into the connection of growth and defense in plants.
Philosophies of being in India I: Pluralism, nihilism, and monism
Authors: Frazier Jessica Michelle
Published: October 2024

Is Being a mere sum of separate things variously re‐combined over time? Or is it not there at all, arising from nothing more than the projection of a fevered metaphysical imagination? Or might it be the intrawoven phenomenon of all we experience, grounded in a single underlying all‐determining nature? This is the first of a pair of articles on the ontological issues that prompted a philosophical fork between pluralism, nihilism, and monism in India. The present article will focus on Indian critiques of metaphysical pluralism based on the apparent incoherence of ultimately individuating reality's building blocks. The second article will focus on debates about grounding of the causal powers that shape the world and fix it modally. I trace critiques of pluralism (the view found in Vaiśeṣika and Abhidharma that Being is composed of plural fundamental ‘bits’) through to the competing conclusions of the Madhyamaka ‘emptiness’ view, and Vedānta's idea that there is a single ground of all Being. For the nihilists, commonsense realism about Being must be repudiated in such a way as to destroy the notion of Being itself. For the monists, the philosophical problems with a pluralistic ontology show that Being is a complex yet holistic medium, and the ground of a cosmos‐defining modal inheritance. Thus in each article I tell the story of how debates about individuation, relation, causation, recombination and modal inheritance blossomed into some of history's most radical philosophies of Being—and in each I set out some prospects for the monistic view's core ontological claims that Being is, and is one.
The influence of aridity on plant intraspecific chemical diversity supports adaptive differentiation and convergent evolution
Authors: Castells E. , Sanchez‐Martinez P.
Published: October 2024

Plants synthesize a broad array of specialized chemical compounds that mediate their interactions with the surrounding environment. Some of this chemical diversity is functional and subject to natural selection, but the factors underlying chemical evolution at the intraspecific level remain largely unknown. Here, we combined chemical, environmental and genetic data to investigate the effect of aridity on the expression of chemotypes in the invasive shrub Senecio pterophorus.

We studied the variation in pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), a group of specialized metabolites widespread across the families Boraginaceae, Asteraceae and Fabaceae, from native populations spanning a cline of aridity and from three cross‐continental introductions, under natural and common garden conditions. We examined whether the relationship between chemistry and aridity was compatible with a process of adaptive differentiation using a method that partitions the variance and covariance by controlling for the population neutral genetic structure.

We found a consistent shift from retrorsine‐like to seneciphylline‐like compounds under increasing aridity in both natural and controlled conditions in coherence with the biosynthetic pathways. This pattern was independent of the neutral genetic structure and occurred along the environmental gradient in the native range and in a convergent manner in all nonnative regions, which suggests adaptive differentiation in response to aridity.

Our findings show that the diversity of PAs in S. pterophorus has been partially shaped by aridity. Investigating how abiotic factors influence chemical evolution is key to elucidating the plant responses in future climate scenarios and the cascading effects on other trophic levels.
From Asia to Iberia: the mobility of early modern reliquaries☆
Authors: Maratsos Jessica
Published: October 2024

In his famous 1543 Treatise on Relics, Jean Calvin complained that if one were to gather all the purported pieces of the True Cross from the churches and cathedrals of Europe, it would ‘form a whole ship's cargo’. This comment not only highlights the questionable authenticity of relics, but also alludes to their inherent mobility. Indeed, as portable religious objects, relics played an essential role in the drive to export Christianity across the globe. Bound as it was to contemporary mercantile and colonial politics, Christian proselytization was imbricated with the circulation of material goods. Objects crafted in far off regions, such as Gujarat and Nagasaki, gained new life in European liturgical contexts. This essay examines imported caskets crafted from mother‐of‐pearl, tortoiseshell, and lacquer that were transformed into reliquaries on the Iberian Peninsula arguing that such reliquaries harnessed the established potency of the itinerant relic, while simultaneously inventing a new visual idiom that spoke to the precarity of the Catholic faith as it traversed great transoceanic distances. In so doing, it demonstrates the active role played by technologies of transit in the shaping of material and devotional culture in the early modern era.
A concealable intervention for a concealed group: Applying self‐affirmation interventions to people with concealable stigmatized identities
Authors: Monheim Chelsea L. , Himmelstein Mary S.
Published: October 2024

People with concealable stigmatized identities (CSIs)—identities that are devalued by society, but membership can be hidden (e.g., sexual or gender minority, mental illness, sexual assault survivor)—report high rates of negative health outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, illness symptoms). The current literature on CSIs suggests that disclosing one's CSI may promote positive health outcomes, but this approach leaves behind individuals who are unable to disclose due to financial, safety, or personal reasons. The current integrative review examines how self‐affirmation –reaffirming a part of one's identity after a psychologically threatening experience—may buffer against negative health outcomes among people with CSIs; a technique that does not require disclosure to reap the benefits. The purpose of this article is to describe why self‐affirmation may be effective at targeting various factors of CSIs (e.g., anticipated stigma, internalization, centrality, salience) and to call for interventions examining self‐affirmations in this population.
Boron confers salt tolerance through facilitating BnaA2.HKT1‐mediated root xylem Na+ unloading in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)
Authors: Hua Yingpeng , Pei Minnan , Song Haili , Liu Ying , Zhou Ting , Chao Hongbo , Yue Caipeng , Huang Jinyong , Qin Guangyong , Feng Yingna
Published: October 2024

Boron (B) is an important limiting factor for plant growth and yield in saline soils, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that appropriate B supply obviously complemented rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) growth under salinity accompanied by higher biomass production and less reactive oxygen species accumulation. Determination of Na+ content in shoots and roots indicated that B significantly repressed root‐to‐shoot Na+ translocation, and non‐invasive micro‐tests of root xylem sap demonstrated that B increased xylem Na+ unloading in the roots of rapeseed plants under salinity. Comparative transcriptomic profiling revealed that B strongly upregulated BnaHKT1s expression, especially BnaA2.HKT1, in rapeseed roots exposed to salinity. In situ hybridizations analysis showed that BnaA2.HKT1 was significantly induced in root stelar tissues by high B (HB) under salinity. Green fluorescent protein and yeast heterologous expression showed that BnaA2.HKT1 functioned as a plasma membrane‐localized Na+ transporter. Knockout of BnaA2.HKT1 by CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in hypersensitive of rapeseed plants to salinity even under HB condition, with higher shoot Na+ accumulation and lower biomass production. By contrast, overexpression of BnaA2.HKT1 ameliorated salinity‐induced growth inhibition under B deficiency and salinity. Overall, our results proposed that B functioned as a positive regulator for the rapeseed growth and seed production under salt stress through facilitating BnaA2.HKT1‐mediated root xylem Na+ unloading. This study may also provide an alternative strategy for the improvement of crop growth and development in saline soils.
Expanding the BonnMu sequence‐indexed repository of transposon induced maize (Zea mays L.) mutations in dent and flint germplasm
Authors: Win Yan Naing , Stöcker Tyll , Du Xuelian , Brox Alexa , Pitz Marion , Klaus Alina , Piepho Hans‐Peter , Schoof Heiko , Hochholdinger Frank , Marcon Caroline
Published: October 2024

The BonnMu resource is a transposon tagged mutant collection designed for functional genomics studies in maize. To expand this resource, we crossed an active Mutator (Mu) stock with dent (B73, Co125) and flint (DK105, EP1, and F7) germplasm, resulting in the generation of 8064 mutagenized BonnMu F2‐families. Sequencing of these Mu‐tagged families revealed 425 924 presumptive heritable Mu insertions affecting 36 612 (83%) of the 44 303 high‐confidence gene models of maize (B73v5). On average, we observed 12 Mu insertions per gene (425 924 total insertions/36 612 affected genes) and 53 insertions per BonnMu F2‐family (425 924 total insertions/8064 families). Mu insertions and photos of seedling phenotypes from segregating BonnMu F2‐families can be accessed through the Maize Genetics and Genomics Database (MaizeGDB). Downstream examination via the automated Mutant‐seq Workflow Utility (MuWU) identified 94% of the presumptive germinal insertion sites in genic regions and only a small fraction of 6% inserting in non‐coding intergenic sequences of the genome. Consistently, Mu insertions aligned with gene‐dense chromosomal arms. In total, 42% of all BonnMu insertions were located in the 5′ untranslated region of genes, corresponding to accessible chromatin. Furthermore, for 38% of the insertions (163 843 of 425 924 total insertions) Mu1, Mu8 and MuDR were confirmed to be the causal Mu elements. Our publicly accessible European BonnMu resource has archived insertions covering two major germplasm groups, thus facilitating both forward and reverse genetics studies.
Insights into physiological roles of flavonoids in plant cold acclimation
Authors: Kitashova Anastasia , Lehmann Martin , Schwenkert Serena , Münch Maximilian , Leister Dario , Nägele Thomas
Published: October 2024

Flavonoids represent a diverse group of plant specialised metabolites which are also discussed in the context of dietary health and inflammatory response. Numerous studies have revealed that flavonoids play a central role in plant acclimation to abiotic factors like low temperature or high light, but their structural and functional diversity frequently prevents a detailed mechanistic understanding. Further complexity in analysing flavonoid metabolism arises from the different subcellular compartments which are involved in biosynthesis and storage. In the present study, non‐aqueous fractionation of Arabidopsis leaf tissue was combined with metabolomics and proteomics analysis to reveal the effects of flavonoid deficiencies on subcellular metabolism during cold acclimation. During the first 3 days of a 2‐week cold acclimation period, flavonoid deficiency was observed to affect pyruvate, citrate and glutamate metabolism which indicated a role in stabilising C/N metabolism and photosynthesis. Also, tetrahydrofolate metabolism was found to be affected, which had significant effects on the proteome of the photorespiratory pathway. In the late stage of cold acclimation, flavonoid deficiency was found to affect protein stability, folding and proteasomal degradation, which resulted in a significant decrease in total protein amounts in both mutants. In summary, these findings suggest that flavonoid metabolism plays different roles in the early and late stages of plant cold acclimation and significantly contributes to establishing a new protein homeostasis in a changing environment.
Whole‐chromosome oligo‐painting in licorice unveils interspecific chromosomal evolutionary relationships and possible origin of triploid genome species
Authors: Meng Zhuang , Zheng Qian , Shi Shandang , Wang Wei , Wang Fei , Xie Quanliang , Chen Xifeng , Shen Haitao , Xiao Guanghui , Li Hongbin
Published: October 2024

Licorice is one of the most extensively studied medicinal plants in the world, whose roots and rhizomes have long been used as both a sweetener and an essential component in numerous herbal preparations. However, the genus Glycyrrhiza has a complex composition, and the interspecies chromosomal relationships, origin, and evolution are still largely unclear. Here, we develop a set of whole‐chromosome painting probes that allowed identification of all eight chromosomes of licorice on same metaphase chromosomes. Comparative chromosome painting analyses in seven different Glycyrrhiza species revealed that the genus Glycyrrhiza maintained extraordinarily conserved chromosomal synteny after about 3–12 million years of divergence. No cytologically visible inter‐chromosomal rearrangements were identified in any species. By comparative chromosomal karyotype analyses, we revealed interspecific chromosome evolutionary relationships and dramatic variable chromosomal karyotype after independent divergence and demonstrated that G. prostrate was the most closely related to the ancestral type among the seven Glycyrrhiza species. Furthermore, we also discovered a G. glandulosa seed with distinct triploid‐genome for the first time in China, suggesting the existence of a polyploid evolutionary pathway in the genus Glycyrrhiza, which challenges the previous notion that only diploids of licorice existed in nature. This study expands our knowledge of the chromosome evolution of licorice and will lay an important foundation for the genome origin and evolution studies in the genus Glycyrrhiza.
Advancing Vehicle Trajectory Prediction: A Probabilistic Approach Using Combined Sequential Models
Authors: Ren Lichuan , Xi Zhimin
Published: October 2024

This paper addresses the critical need to quantify vehicle trajectory uncertainty in autonomous driving under environmental variability. We focus on predicting the posterior distribution of vehicle trajectories over a fixed horizon, given an initial state and a sequence of actions. We propose and compare three approaches: a probabilistic seq2seq model based on stochastic variational Gaussian processes, sequential Monte Carlo simulation with a single-step Gaussian process model, and a hybrid model that leverages the strengths of both methods. Each approach incorporates a baseline vehicle kinematics model to enhance stability and convergence. We evaluate these methods using a dataset generated from the CARLA simulator, assessing both point error metrics and probabilistic prediction metrics. This research introduces novel approaches to quantifying vehicle trajectory uncertainty through various uncertainty quantification techniques, with the goal of improving the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicle control systems.
LSTM-Based Workload Recognition for Hydraulic Actuators: A Case Study on Excavator Digging Process
Authors: Helian Bobo , An Xiaofei , Zhou Yong , Chen Zheng , Geimer Marcus
Published: October 2024

Hydraulic mobile machines in the construction industry, such as excavators, rely on hydraulic actuators to handle various workloads. A reliable and accurate classification of these workloads is essential for improving the safety and automation level of machine operations. Processing of hydraulic actuator operating data via a deep-learning-based classifier has great potential for time-varying workload recognition. In particular, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks demonstrate strengths in analyzing time-sequential information. In this study, a customized LSTM-based classifier is developed to perceive the uncertain and varying external workload in real-time accurately. Considering the working features of the bucket cylinder, signals including position, velocity, and pressure from both chambers of the hydraulic cylinder actuator are selected as input data for the classifier. An experimental dataset from a hydraulic actuator test bench, reflecting typical workload types of excavator digging processes, is collected. The proposed classifier achieves satisfactory accuracy in recognizing workload types in both training and test cases, demonstrating its practical advantages for excavator digging processes.
Challenges in Elastohydrodynamic Simulations of Radial Ball Piston Pumps
Authors: Leonhartsberger Simon , Manhartsgruber Bernhard
Published: October 2024

Radial ball piston pumps use spherical pistons in contradiction to the sliding shoes as utilized by common radial piston pumps. Rolling bearing balls are mass-produced and therefore relatively cheap while nonetheless the diameter lies in a very narrow tolerance field. Downsides to these types of pumps are the very short sealing gap length, the smallest clearance only occurs around the circumference, and the minor stroke, which is limited by the diameter of the ball. A point contact occurs between ball and eccentric shaft, leading to Hertzian pressure and therefore limiting the maximum pump pressure. In order to simulate the dynamic behavior of the ball during a piston stroke one has to take multiple aspects into account: The narrow clearance favors the use of the Reynolds equation to avoid excessive computational costs. The elastic deformation of the housing and the ball calls for an elastohydrodynamic simulation and consequently for an FEA. As the gap widens up and laminar flow possibly transitions to turbulent flow a CFD simulation has to be implemented. Ultimately the relatively high displacement and the rotation of the ball (multiple rotations per stroke) need to be taken into account. In order to accurately model the radial ball piston pumps, it is required to integrate multiple numerical models together. Efficient simulations are necessary in order to fully understand the behavior of radial ball piston pumps and contribute to further improvements of this pump type. This paper evaluates selected commercial software packages in order to determinate the current possibilities for feasible simulations of radial ball piston pumps.
A Compact Electropermanent Magnet Valve Geometry for Switching of Magnetorheological Fluid Using Particle Jamming
Authors: Gallentine James , Kumar Nithin S. , Barth Eric J.
Published: October 2024

Electropermanent magnetic (EPM) valves consist of two permanent magnets, one with high coercivity and one with relatively low coercivity, which are able to rapidly redirect the flux within a magnetic circuit. When combined with magnetorheological (MR) fluid, they provide the ability to rapidly switch flow in a hydraulic circuit on or off. EPM valves contain no moving parts and draw no power except when changing state. These facts, along with their scalability, make them an attractive option for distributed flow control in small hydraulic systems. Current examples of EPM valves are often restricted to relatively low-pressure or low-flow operation. Miniaturization of small-scale hydraulic robots, both soft and rigid, is limited by the availability of sufficiently lightweight, compact, and efficient components which are capable of directing fluid at pressures greater than 700 kPa. This research proposes an EPM valve which leverages the magnetic properties of MR fluid to channel magnetic flux through the fluid.

To evaluate the proposed geometry, an exploratory prototype was constructed and evaluated using a test-bench capable of evaluating the valve as a flow resistance. Simulations were conducted to evaluate the design and validate the use of simulation for future design iteration.

To be of use in robotic systems, this valve needs to be capable of rapidly switching relatively high pressures while maintaining a highly compact and easily manufactured form factor. Due to its size and low power consumption, it is suitable for distributed hydraulic control in miniature systems such as hydraulically-actuated robots, including soft robots.