bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative Phenotypic and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Key Responses of Upland Cotton to Salinity Stress During Postgermination
Authors: Zhang Jingxia , Zhang Pei , Huo Xuehan , Gao Yang , Chen Yu , Song Zhangqiang , Wang Furong , Zhang Jun
Published: April 2021

To understand the molecular mechanisms of salinity tolerance during seed germination and post-germination stages, this study characterized phenotypic and transcriptome responses of two cotton cultivars during salinity stress. The two cultivars were salt-tolerant (ST) LMY37 and salt-sensitive (SS) ZM12, with the former exhibiting higher germination rate, growth, and primary-root fresh weight under salinity stress. Transcriptomic comparison revealed that up-regulation of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was the main characteristic of transcriptional regulation in ST, while SS DEGs were mainly down-regulated. GO and KEGG analyses uncovered both common and specific responses in ST and SS. Common processes, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism and cell wall biosynthesis, may be general responses to salinity in cotton. In contrast, DEGs involved in MAPK-signaling pathway activated by ROS, carotenoid biosynthesis pathway and cysteine and methionine metabolism pathway [producing the precursors of stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene (ET), respectively] as well as stress tolerance related transcription factor genes, showed significant expression differences between ST and SS. These differences might be the molecular basis leading to contrasting salinity tolerance. Silencing of GhERF12, an ethylene response factor gene, caused higher salinity sensitivity and increased ROS accumulation after salinity stress. In addition, peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity obviously declined after silencing GhERF12. These results suggest that GhERF12 is involved in salinity tolerance during early development. This study provides a novel and comprehensive perspective to understand key mechanisms of salinity tolerance and explores candidate genes that may be useful in developing stress-tolerant crops through biotechnology.
A 598-bp InDel Variation in the Promoter Region of Bna.SOC1.A05 Is Predominantly Present in Winter Type Rapeseeds
Authors: Matar Sarah , Melzer Siegbert
Published: April 2021

During rapeseed domestication and breeding, genetic diversity allowed to adapt it to different eco-geographical regions and to shape its useful traits. Structural variations (SVs), including presence/absence variations (PAVs), are thought to play a major role in the genetic diversity and phenotypic plasticity of rapeseed. In this study, we detected a 598-bp PAV within the promoter region of an Arabidopsis ortholog of a major flowering time gene and a downstream target of FLC, SOC1, which is one of the first genes that are upregulated in rapeseed during vernalization. Further analysis showed that the insertion is present predominantly in winter types while absent in spring types. The 589-bp sequence is present only in the A sub-genome indicating that it originated from Brassica rapa. Since the genomic region around Bna.SOC1.A05 showed a strong reduction in nucleotide diversity, the insertion might represent a larger selected sweep for rapeseed adaptation. Cis-element analysis showed that the insertion contains an ACGTG box, which is the strongest binding motif for the HY5 transcription factor in Arabidopsis. In addition, expression analyses showed that mRNA levels of Bna.SOC1.A05 were lower in accessions carrying the insertion compared to the ones that had no insertion.
An Evolutionarily Conserved Coreceptor Gene Is Essential for CLAVATA Signaling in Marchantia polymorpha
Authors: Takahashi Go , Betsuyaku Shigeyuki , Okuzumi Natsuki , Kiyosue Tomohiro , Hirakawa Yuki
Published: April 2021

Growth and development of land plants are controlled by CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION-related (CLE) family of peptide hormones. In contrast to the genetic diversity of CLE family in flowering plants, the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha possesses a minimal set of CLE, MpCLE1(TDIF homolog), and MpCLE2 (CLV3 homolog). MpCLE1 and MpCLE2 peptides exert distinct function at the apical meristem of M. polymorpha gametophyte via specific receptors, MpTDIF RECEPTOR (MpTDR) and MpCLAVATA1 (MpCLV1), respectively, both belonging to the subclass XI of leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs). Biochemical and genetic studies in Arabidopsis have shown that TDR/PXY family and CLV1/BAM family recognize the CLE peptide ligand in a heterodimeric complex with a member of subclass-II coreceptors. Here we show that three LRR-RLK genes of M. polymorpha are classified into subclass II, representing three distinct subgroups evolutionarily conserved in land plants. To address the involvement of subclass-II coreceptors in M. polymorpha CLE signaling, we performed molecular genetic analysis on one of them, MpCLAVATA3 INSENSITIVE RECEPTOR KINASE (MpCIK). Two knockout alleles for MpCIK formed narrow apical meristems marked by promMpYUC2:GUS marker, which were not expanded by MpCLE2 peptide treatment, phenocopying Mpclv1. Loss of sensitivity to MpCLE2 peptide was also observed in gemma cup formation in both Mpclv1 and Mpcik. Biochemical analysis using a Nicotiana benthamiana transient expression system revealed weak association between MpCIK and MpCLV1, as well as MpCIK and MpTDR. While MpCIK may also participate in MpCLE1 signaling, our data show that the conserved CLV3-CLV1-CIK module functions in M. polymorpha, controlling meristem activity for development and organ formation for asexual reproduction.
How the Language of Instruction Influences Mathematical Thinking Development in the First Years of Bilingual Schoolers
Authors: Bermejo Vicente , Ester Pilar , Morales Isabel
Published: April 2021

The present research study focuses on how the language of instruction has an impact on the mathematical thinking development as a consequence of using a language of instruction different from the students’ mother tongue. In CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) academic content and a foreign language are leant at the same time, a methodology that is widely used in the schools in the present times. It is, therefore, our main aim to study if the language of instruction in second language immersion programs influences the development of the first formal mathematical concepts. More specifically, if the learning of mathematical concepts in the early ages develops in a similar way if it is taught in the students’ mother tongue and is not influenced by the language used for teaching. Or else, if it can influence the development of the first skills only in the students’ general performance or in certain areas. The results of both the analysis of variance and multiple regression confirm how influencing the language of instruction is when mathematical thinking is developed teaching formal contents in a non-coincidence language. The second language is affecting the resolution of daily life problems, being more competent those students in 1st grades whose language of instruction matched with their mother tongue.
Cultural Roots of Parenting: Mothers’ Parental Social Cognitions and Practices From Western US and Shanghai/China
Authors: He Huihua , Usami Satoshi , Rikimaru Yuuki , Jiang Lu
Published: April 2021

Cultural values can be considered as important factors that impact parents’ social cognitions and parenting practices. However, few studies compare specific cultural values of parents and the relationships between cultural values and parenting processes in eastern and western contexts. This study examined the ethnicity differences in mothers’ cultural values, parental social cognitions (child-rearing ideologies and goals), and parenting practices between Mainland Chinese and European American contexts. Predictors of parenting goals and parenting practices were also investigated. Mothers of 4–6 years old children from the western United States (N= 78) and Shanghai/China (N= 96) participated in this study. The results suggested that mothers from Shanghai/China were both more collectivistic and individualistic than mothers from the western United States. Chinese mothers more strongly endorsed training and collectivistic parenting goals, while European American mothers more strongly endorsed individualistic parenting goals for their children. However, no significant difference was found in parenting practices for both groups of mothers. For both ethnic groups, in general, mothers’ cultural values have small but significant impact on their parenting processes. The prediction of cultural values and parenting goals on parenting practices were also different for both ethnicity groups. Although Chinese mothers were higher on both individualism and collectivism, their collectivistic values were more important in predicting parental social cognitions.
Changes in Prefrontal Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid and Perfusion After the Computerized Relaxation Training in Women With Psychological Distress: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Namgung Eun , Kim Jungyoon , Jeong Hyeonseok , Ma Jiyoung , Hong Gahae , Kang Ilhyang , Kim Jinsol , Joo Yoonji , Kim Rye Young , Lyoo In Kyoon
Published: April 2021

Computerized relaxation training has been suggested as an effective and easily accessible intervention for individuals with psychological distress. To better elucidate the neural mechanism that underpins the effects of relaxation training, we investigated whether a 10-session computerized relaxation training program changed prefrontal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in women with psychological distress. We specifically focused on women since they were reported to be more vulnerable to develop stress-related disorders than men. Nineteen women with psychological distress but without a diagnosis of psychiatric disorders received the 10-day computerized relaxation training program that consisted of 30-min cognitive-relaxation training and 10-min breathing-relaxation training per day. At baseline and post-intervention, perceived stress levels, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep quality were assessed by self-report questionnaires. Brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy and arterial spin labeling scans were also performed before and after the intervention to evaluate GABA levels and relative CBF in the prefrontal region. Levels of perceived stress (t = 4.02, P < 0.001), anxiety (z = 2.33, P = 0.02), fatigue (t = 3.35, P = 0.004), and sleep quality (t = 4.14, P < 0.001) improved following 10 sessions of computerized relaxation training, resulting in a significant relief in composite scores of stress-related symptoms (t = −5.25, P < 0.001). The prefrontal GABA levels decreased (t = 2.53, P = 0.02), while relative CBF increased (t = −3.32, P = 0.004) after the intervention. In addition, a greater increase in relative prefrontal CBF was associated with better composite scores of stress-related symptoms following the intervention (t = 2.22, P = 0.04). The current findings suggest that computerized relaxation training may improve stress-related symptoms through modulating the prefrontal GABA levels and CBF in women with psychological distress.
What Judges Want to Know From Forensic Evaluators in Child Custody and Child Protection Cases: Analyzing Forensic Assignments With Latent Dirichlet Allocation
Authors: Zumbach Jelena , Volbert Renate
Published: April 2021

This study analyzes the questions on aspects of child custody, visitation rights, or child endangerment that judges pose to forensic psychologists in family law proceedings. Before conducting a psychological evaluation, the legal question in the referral has to be translated into case-specific, forensically relevant issues. The only overarching principle guiding this process is the “best interests of the child” criterion. Literature indicates that judges often struggle to define what variables should be specified for a psychological evaluation in their referral questions. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the information judges would like to ascertain from psychological evaluators in child custody and child protection proceedings—an understanding allowing a clearer determination of whether forensic psychologists as experts can deliver this information. Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) is used to analyze the referral questions that these judges pose to forensic evaluators in terms of (a) underlying topics (latent dimensions) that can be identified within the referral questions and (b) the probability distributions of legal terms and forensic issues contained in the referral questions. This analysis is based on unclassified text data extracted from German court files. Five topics (latent dimensions) were identified within referral questions resembling cases when the issue was as follows: (a) potential child endangerment in the context of visitation contacts, (b) a possibly limited parenting capacity and its potential effects on child well-being, (c) an impairment of the child has already occurred or could occur, (d) a better option concerning custody and residence, and (e) an unclear topic addressing questions on custody, residence, and visitation in which no specific psychological constructs are involved. In four of the five topics, judges utilize their referral questions to ask for case-group-specific psychological information. In one topic addressing questions on custody, residence, and visitation, judges seem to struggle to define criteria that forensic evaluators should assess. Overall, results help to identify and define more clearly the relevant constructs that forensic experts should examine from the perspective of the courts with the goal of making clearer and more accurate recommendations.
The Prevalence of Hyperpalatable Baby Foods and Exposure During Infancy: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Kong Kai Ling , Fazzino Tera L. , Rohde Kaitlyn M. , Morris Katherine S.
Published: April 2021

Objective:To characterize the prevalence of hyperpalatable foods (HPF) among baby foods in the U.S. and examine the prevalence of HPF exposure and consumption from both baby food and adult food sources among infants aged 9–15 months.

Methods:A U.S. baby food database as well as baby foods from three 24-h dietary recalls of 147 infants were used to identify baby foods as HPF per previous publication. HPF exposure was defined as intake of any HPF during the 3-day measurement period. To determine the extent of HFP consumption, % kilocalorie (kcal) intake from HPF was characterized.

Results:Only 12% of baby foods were HPF; however, nearly all participants (>90%) consumed HPF, primarily through exposure to adult foods. Younger infants (<12 months) consumed 38% [standard deviation (SD) = 23.6%] of their daily food kcal from HPF and older infants (≥12 months) consumed 52% (SD = 16.4%) of daily food kilocalorie from HPF. Most younger infants (68%) and older infants (88%) had repeated exposure to the same HPF across the measurement period.

Conclusions:The prevalence of HPF among baby foods in the U.S. is low. However, almost all infants were exposed to HPF, and HPF comprised a substantial percentage of daily food kilocalorie in infants' diets. Findings highlight the transition to solid food consumption during complimentary feeding period is a critical time for early HPF exposure.
Measuring Consumer Engagement in Omnichannel Retailing: The Mobile In-Store Experience (MIX) Index
Authors: Lawry Charles Aaron , Bhappu Anita D.
Published: April 2021

We draw insights from Activity Theory within the field of human-computer interaction to quantitatively measure a mobile in-store experience (MIX), which includes the suite of shopping activities and retail services that a consumer can engage in when using their mobile device in brick-and-mortar stores. We developed and validated a nine-item, formative MIX index using survey data collected from fashion consumers in the United States (n= 1,267), United Kingdom (n= 370), Germany (n= 362), and France (n= 219). As survey measures of consumer engagement in omnichannel retailing using a mobile device, the index items with stronger factor loadings described in-store shopping activities whereas those with weaker factor loadings described activities related to behavioral targeting and social networking. These results suggest that retailers should give consumers the autonomy to independently find, evaluate and purchase merchandise in brick-and-mortar stores, thereby enabling them to co-create personalized shopping experiences as active participants within an omnichannel retail servicescape. Our findings also suggest that retailers should provide consumers with more authentic ways to build community and brand affiliations than mobile marketing and social media promotions. In-store activities should not simply be a migration of pre-existing e-commerce capabilities onto mobile devices. An engaging mobile in-store experience should be an amalgam of physical and digital activities that produce a seamless shopping journey and leverage the unique properties of mobile devices – ultra-portability, location sensitivity, untetheredness, and personalization. Retail executives can use the validated MIX index to prepare strategic investments in mobile technology applications and capabilities for retail stores within their omnichannel operations. The nine-item MIX index is also well-suited for consumer surveys, which also makes it an attractive measure of consumer engagement in omnichannel retailing for future academic research.
Adaptive Managers as Emerging Leaders During the COVID-19 Crisis
Authors: Bajaba Abdulah , Bajaba Saleh , Algarni Mohammad , Basahal Abdulrahman , Basahel Sarah
Published: April 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has taken the world by surprise and has impacted the lives of many, including the business sector and its stakeholders. Although studies investigating the impact of COVID-19 on the organizational structure, job design, and employee well-being have been on the rise, fewer studies examined the role of leadership and what it takes to be an effective leader during such times. This study integrates social cognitive theory and conservation of resources theory to argue for the importance of adaptive personality in the emergence of effective leaders during crisis times, utilizing the crisis of COVID-19 as the context for the study. We argue that managers with an adaptive personality tend to have increased self-efficacy levels to lead during a crisis, resulting in increased motivation to lead during the COVID-19 crisis. Furthermore, managers with increased motivation to lead during the COVID-19 crisis are argued to have enhanced adaptive performance, thereby suggesting a serial mediation model where crisis leader self-efficacy and motivation to lead during the COVID-19 crisis act as explanatory mechanisms of the relationship between the adaptive personality and performance of the manager. In order to test our hypotheses, we collected data from 116 full-time managers in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 crisis and used hierarchical linear regression as the method of analysis. The findings support all of the hypotheses. A discussion of the results, contributions, limitations, and future directions is included.
Conceptual Conflicts in Metaphors and Pragmatic Strategies for Their Translation
Authors: Rizzato Ilaria
Published: April 2021

This article seeks to provide a theoretical exploration of Prandi's model of conceptual conflicts in metaphors (2017) and to highlight the advantages such model presents in its applications to translation and the text analysis preceding and preparing translation. Such advantages are mainly identified in the model aptness to meet the pragmatic requirements of translation, seen as a practice-based, goal-oriented and context-driven activity. These advantages also distinctly emerge from a comparison with the main tenets of the cognitive tradition. The theoretical basis for an understanding of conceptual conflict and its applications to translation are illustrated through the analysis of three brief excerpts from literary texts in English and their Italian translation.
Rapid Review on the Associations of Social and Geographical Isolation and Intimate Partner Violence: Implications for the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Mojahed Amera , Brym Stephanie , Hense Helene , Grafe Bianca , Helfferich Cornelia , Lindert Jutta , Garthus-Niegel Susan
Published: April 2021

While the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of people to stay home and minimize their social contacts, newspaper reports worldwide raised concerns as they reported an increasing rate of intimate partner violence (IPV). One link of the measures enforced to control the pandemic to IPV might be a possible side effect of those measures, namely social and geographical isolation. As there was no scientific data investigating the association of IPV and social and geographical isolation in the context of epidemics or pandemics at the time of conducting this rapid review, we aimed at investigating a broader range of contexts of social as well as geographical isolation and its association with IPV to draw conclusions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. We searched Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science (core collection). A research strategy was developed and observational studies were included if they considered men and/or women, estimates of social and geographical isolation, and IPV as a primary outcome. Of the 526 identified studies, 11 were included in this review. The included studies involved 15,695 women and were conducted in the USA, Sweden, Ethiopia, Egypt, Spain, and Turkey. Indicators of social isolation such as lack of social, emotional, or informational support or the frequency and quality of social contacts were narratively assessed. Geographical isolation was primarily assessed by physical distance to the next town or support service. Both social and geographic isolation were found to be associated with an increased risk of IPV. Recommendations made by the individual studies include the following: (a) improving access to social networks outside the victims' own group, (b) improving their economic circumstances, (c) asserting the responsibility for those in contact with the victims, and (d) increasing the focus on access to preventive services and programs need to be taken into account. Therefore, considering the particular infrastructure and legislation of the countries affected by the pandemic, policies need to ensure constant access to shelters and other help services and increase awareness for IPV in the society. In addition, future studies are warranted to assess prevalence rates and risk factors of IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Adolescent Major Depressive Disorder: A Focus on Neurodevelopment
Authors: Oberman Lindsay M. , Hynd Megan , Nielson Dylan M. , Towbin Kenneth E. , Lisanby Sarah H. , Stringaris Argyris
Published: April 2021

Adolescent depression is a potentially lethal condition and a leading cause of disability for this age group. There is an urgent need for novel efficacious treatments since half of adolescents with depression fail to respond to current therapies and up to 70% of those who respond will relapse within 5 years. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults who do not respond to pharmacological or behavioral interventions. In contrast, rTMS has not demonstrated the same degree of efficacy in adolescent MDD. We argue that this is due, in part, to conceptual and methodological shortcomings in the existing literature. In our review, we first provide a neurodevelopmentally focused overview of adolescent depression. We then summarize the rTMS literature in adult and adolescent MDD focusing on both the putative mechanisms of action and neurodevelopmental factors that may influence efficacy in adolescents. We then identify limitations in the existing adolescent MDD rTMS literature and propose specific parameters and approaches that may be used to optimize efficacy in this uniquely vulnerable age group. Specifically, we suggest ways in which future studies reduce clinical and neural heterogeneity, optimize neuronavigation by drawing from functional brain imaging, apply current knowledge of rTMS parameters and neurodevelopment, and employ an experimental therapeutics platform to identify neural targets and biomarkers for response. We conclude that rTMS is worthy of further investigation. Furthermore, we suggest that following these recommendations in future studies will offer a more rigorous test of rTMS as an effective treatment for adolescent depression.
Changes in Nursing Students' Career Choices Following the COVID-19 Pandemic in China
Authors: Bai Wei , Xi Hai-Tao , Zhu Qianqian , Wang Zhiwen , Han Lin , Chen Pan , Cai Hong , Zhao Yan-Jie , Chen Li , Ge Zong-Mei , Ji Mengmeng , Zhang Hongyan , Yang Bing-Xiang , Liu Shuo , Cheung Teris , Ungvari Gabor S. , An Fengrong , Xiang Yu-Tao
Published: April 2021

Background: Health professionals including nurses have experienced heavy workload and great physical and mental health challenges during the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, which may affect nursing students' career choices. This study examined the changes in nursing students' career choices after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Methods: This study was conducted in five University nursing schools in China between September 14, 2020 and October 7, 2020. Career choices before and after the COVID-19 pandemic were collected and analyzed.

Results: In total, 1,070 nursing students participated in the study. The reported choice of nursing as future career increased from 50.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 47.9–53.9%] before the COVID-19 pandemic to 62.7% (95%CI: 59.8–65.6%) after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic. Students who chose nursing as their future career following the COVID-19 outbreak had less severe depression and anxiety compared to those who did not choose nursing, but the associations of depression and anxiety with career choice disappeared in multivariable analyses. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that male gender [odds ratio (OR) = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.50–0.91], rural residence (OR = 1.53, 95%CI: 1.17–2.00), fourth year students (OR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.35–0.72), negative experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic (OR = 0.66, 95%CI: 0.47–0.92), and good health (OR = 4.6, 95%CI: 1.78–11.87) were significantly associated with the choice of nursing as future career after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic appeared to have a positive influence on the career choice of nursing among Chinese nursing students.
Low Incidence and Mortality by SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Healthcare Workers in a Health National Center in Mexico: Successful Establishment of an Occupational Medicine Program
Authors: Salazar Miguel Ángel , Chavez-Galan Leslie , Castorena-Maldonado Armando , Mateo-Alonso Maribel , Diaz-Vazquez Nadia Otilia , Vega-Martínez Ana María , Martínez-Orozco José Arturo , Becerril-Vargas Eduardo , Sosa-Gómez Fernando Manuel , Patiño-Gallegos Hilda , Alonso-Martínez Delfino , López-Segundo Enrique , Vidal Fernando , Velasco-González Luis Joan , Pérez-Pulido Silvia , Santillán-Doherty Patricio , Regalado-Pineda Justino , Salas-Hernández Jorge , Buendía-Roldán Ivette
Published: April 2021

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Healthcare workers (HCWs) constitute a population which is significantly affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection worldwide. In Mexico, the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias (INER) is the principal national reference of respiratory diseases.

Aim: To evaluate the efficiency of the INER-POL-TRAB-COVID19 program to mitigate the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among the INER-healthcare workers (INER-HCW).

Methods: Currently, the INER has 250 beds and 200 respiratory ventilators to support COVID-19 patients in critical condition. On March 1st, 2020, the INER-POL-TRAB-COVID19 program was launched to mitigate the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk among the INER-HCW.

Findings: From March 1st to October 1st, 2020, 71.5% of INER-HCWs were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 77% of them were frontline workers. Among the tested INER-HCWs, 10.4% were positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nonetheless, nosocomial infection represented only 3.8% of the cases and the mortality was null. Fifty-three of INER-HCWs positive to SARS-CoV-2 had a negative test 42–56 days post-diagnosis and were returned to service. Finally, although a change in the PPE implemented on May 11th, 2020, the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was not affected.

Conclusion: INER has a lower incidence of HCWs infected with SARS-CoV-2 as compared to the mean of the national report. The implementation of the INER-POL-TRAB-COVID19 program is efficient to decrease the risk of infection among the HCWs. Our findings suggest that the implementation of a similar program at a national level can be helpful to provide a safe environment to HCWs and to prevent the collapse of health institutions.
Applications of Topological Data Analysis in Oncology
Authors: Bukkuri Anuraag , Andor Noemi , Darcy Isabel K.
Published: April 2021

The emergence of the information age in the last few decades brought with it an explosion of biomedical data. But with great power comes great responsibility: there is now a pressing need for new data analysis algorithms to be developed to make sense of the data and transform this information into knowledge which can be directly translated into the clinic. Topological data analysis (TDA) provides a promising path forward: using tools from the mathematical field of algebraic topology, TDA provides a framework to extract insights into the often high-dimensional, incomplete, and noisy nature of biomedical data. Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of oncology, where patient-specific data is routinely presented to clinicians in a variety of forms, from imaging to single cell genomic sequencing. In this review, we focus on applications involving persistent homology, one of the main tools of TDA. We describe some recent successes of TDA in oncology, specifically in predicting treatment responses and prognosis, tumor segmentation and computer-aided diagnosis, disease classification, and cellular architecture determination. We also provide suggestions on avenues for future research including utilizing TDA to analyze cancer time-series data such as gene expression changes during pathogenesis, investigation of the relation between angiogenic vessel structure and treatment efficacy from imaging data, and experimental confirmation that geometric and topological connectivity implies functional connectivity in the context of cancer.
PubMed-Scale Chemical Concept Embeddings Reconstruct Physical Protein Interaction Networks
Authors: Škrlj Blaž , Kokalj Enja , Lavrač Nada
Published: April 2021

PubMed is the largest resource of curated biomedical knowledge to date, entailing more than 25 million documents. Large quantities of novel literature prevent a single expert from keeping track of all potentially relevant papers, resulting in knowledge gaps. In this article, we present CHEMMESHNET, a newly developed PubMed-based network comprising more than 10,000,000 associations, constructed from expert-curated MeSH annotations of chemicals based on all currently available PubMed articles. By learning latent representations of concepts in the obtained network, we demonstrate in a proof of concept study that purely literature-based representations are sufficient for the reconstruction of a large part of the currently known network of physical, empirically determined protein–protein interactions. We demonstrate that simple linear embeddings of node pairs, when coupled with a neural network–based classifier, reliably reconstruct the existing collection of empirically confirmed protein–protein interactions. Furthermore, we demonstrate how pairs of learned representations can be used to prioritize potentially interesting novel interactions based on the common chemical context. Highly ranked interactions are qualitatively inspected in terms of potential complex formation at the structural level and represent potentially interesting new knowledge. We demonstrate that two protein–protein interactions, prioritized by structure-based approaches, also emerge as probable with regard to the trained machine-learning model.
Toward Facilitating Team Formation and Communication Through Avatar Based Interaction in Desktop-Based Immersive Virtual Environments
Authors: Gomes de Siqueira Alexandre , Feijóo-García Pedro Guillermo , Stuart Jacob , Lok Benjamin
Published: April 2021

Millions of students worldwide have adopted online learning due to the isolation restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, video conferencing platforms have garnered immense popularity as tools for teaching. However, these tools have several limitations compared to real-world encounters, especially in activities involving collaboration and teamwork. A growing number of researchers and educators have turned to avatar-based communication platforms, such as Mozilla Hubs, as alternatives that can complement video conferencing in social and teaching activities. Several previous research efforts have focused on developing tools that implement avatar-based communication systems or have explored creating activities in these 3D virtual spaces, such as poster sessions in scientific conferences or the classroom environment. In this work, we describe our semester-long efforts to develop Mozilla Hubs rooms toward promoting interaction and communication to help students self-form teams in the context of an introductory virtual reality course at the University of Florida. We describe hands-on activities to prepare students to use Mozilla Hubs effectively, including teaching them skills to customize and create avatars. We describe the implementation of three virtual rooms developed based on researchers' observations and students' survey responses. By observing students' behavior and communication patterns in those rooms, we propose a set of guidelines for building virtual rooms that can promote communication, interaction, and teamwork. We discuss the rooms' design, students' attendance, and avatar choices. Our findings suggest that highly detailed, small, closed spaces are preferred over large, open spaces with few details when promoting interaction and collaboration among students.
Immersive Education for Chronic Condition Self-Management
Authors: Harvie Daniel S.
Published: April 2021

Chronic conditions represent a significant twenty first century challenge. Education and self-management training are the mainstay of clinical intervention for such conditions since care is dependent on health literacy and self-management. This intervention not only imparts the necessary understanding and skills for self-management, but also helps people to overcome personal barriers to positive behavioral change, such as low self-efficacy. Moreover, education maximizes dignity, by enabling shared decision-making. A plethora of research supports the role of education and self-management training in the management of chronic conditions, whilst at the same time highlighting that not all approaches lead to meaningful behavioral change. Immersive virtual reality (VR) offers a unique set of features and tools for delivering these interventions. For example, the immersive nature focuses attention and promotes engagement; the ability to simulate authentic and interactive real-world scenarios can be used to promote the benefits of active learning; and the ability to facilitate embodiment of avatars with distinct appearance and capability can be used to bias new perceptions and behaviors in-line with the avatar's characteristics. Moreover, the ability to use VR independent of a clinician renders a potential solution to instances where significant barriers to healthcare access exist. This short perspective paper will discuss how VR may be used to host education and self-management interventions in the domain of chronic condition management. Further, it will outline considerations for developers and conclude with a call for the co-creation of new VR-based education and self-management interventions.
Analyzing Migration Restriction Regimes
Authors: Jasso Guillermina
Published: April 2021

This paper develops a framework for analyzing migration restriction regimes, and illustrates it with the case of U.S. immigration law and policy. Nation-states regulate the entry of foreign-born persons, and this regulation comprises three elements: the type of restriction, the apparatus of restriction, and the consequences of restriction. Restriction may be based on personal characteristics, numerical ceilings, or both. Personal restriction notices the characteristics of persons, using them as criteria for granting or denying admission. Numerical restriction places numerical ceilings on admissions. The apparatus of restriction may stipulate specific ceilings, whether some groups are exempt from the ceiling and, if so, by what criteria, and whether admission under the ceiling is first-come/first-served or by lottery or instead preferential and, if so, by what criteria. Two unintended consequences follow immediately: unauthorized migration (under both personal and numerical restriction); and visa-number backlogs (under numerical restriction). These in turn generate a range of policy devices: border enforcement, procedures for legalization and deportation, and procedures for clearing backlogs. Indeed, the history of a country's immigration law may be understood as a sequence of measures for first setting up the apparatus of restriction and then altering it in order not only to re-examine provisions of the initial setup but also to address unauthorized migration and visa-number backlogs. Viewing migration through this lens enables assessment of particular legislation and, more broadly, dynamics of a migration restriction regime, subject to world circumstances, including its possible inherent instability. The migration restriction lens also generates new metrics for a country's attractiveness and its innovativeness and creativity. To illustrate, the paper examines the migration restriction regime in the United States since the country's founding. Finally, the paper provides a checklist for a migration restriction setup that doubles as the basis for table shells for summarizing a country's migration restriction regime and its history.
Legume-Modified Rotations Deliver Nutrition With Lower Environmental Impact
Authors: Costa Marcela P. , Reckling Moritz , Chadwick Dave , Rees Robert M. , Saget Sophie , Williams Michael , Styles David
Published: April 2021

Introducing legumes to crop rotations could contribute toward healthy and sustainable diet transitions, but the current evidence base is fragmented across studies that evaluate specific aspects of sustainability and nutrition in isolation. Few previous studies have accounted for interactions among crops, or the aggregate nutritional output of rotations, to benchmark the efficiency of modified cropping sequences. We applied life cycle assessment to compare the environmental efficiency of ten rotations across three European climatic zones in terms of delivery of human and livestock nutrition. The introduction of grain legumes into conventional cereal and oilseed rotations delivered human nutrition at lower environmental cost for most of the 16 impact categories studied. In Scotland, the introduction of a legume crop into the typical rotation reduced external nitrogen requirements by almost half to achieve the same human nutrition potential. In terms of livestock nutrition, legume-modified rotations also delivered more digestible protein at lower environmental cost compared with conventional rotations. However, legume-modified rotations delivered less metabolisable energy for livestock per hectare-year in two out of the three zones, and at intermediate environmental cost for one zone. Our results show that choice of functional unit has an important influence on the apparent efficiency of different crop rotations, and highlight a need for more research to develop functional units representing multiple nutritional attributes of crops for livestock feed. Nonetheless, results point to an important role for increased legume cultivation in Europe to contribute to the farm and diet sustainability goals of the European Union's Farm to Fork strategy.
Managing a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Times of COVID-19 Outbreak: The Foch Hospital Experience
Authors: Murtada Rouba , Carbonnel Marie , Revaux Aurélie , Favre-Inhofer Angeline , Ayoubi Jean-Marc
Published: April 2021

Departments of Gynecology and Obstetrics, as other departments, were faced with a major challenge at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fast restructuring was necessary in order to provide the means for COVID-related care. In this article we share our 1-year experience in reshaping our activities, managing healthcare workers and securing a pathway for pregnant patients, including potential, and confirmed COVID-19 cases. Priorities were set on ensuring patients' and healthcare workers' safety. Key containment measures included facemasks, systematic screening, dedicated spaces for COVID-19 cases with reinforced measures and vaccination campaign.
Nozzle Selection and Adjuvant Impact on the Efficacy of Glyphosate and PPO-Inhibiting Herbicide Tank-Mixtures
Authors: Moraes Jesaelen G. , Butts Thomas R. , M. Anunciato Vitor , Luck Joe D. , Hoffmann Wesley C. , Antuniassi Ulisses R. , Kruger Greg R.
Published: April 2021

PPO-inhibiting herbicides in combination with glyphosate for postemergence applications is a common approach to manage glyphosate- and ALS-inhibitor-resistant weeds. PPO-inhibitors can reduce glyphosate translocation when applied in tank-mixtures, but adjuvants may be used to overcome this effect. Additionally, optimal droplet size may be affected by tank-mixtures of different herbicides and it can be crucial to herbicide efficacy. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to investigate the impact of nozzle selection and adjuvants on weed control and interactions when applying PPO-inhibitors (fomesafen or lactofen) alone or in tank-mixture with glyphosate to five weed species using six nozzle types. Ultra-coarse droplets were just as effective as medium droplets regardless of the spray solution, but have a lower likelihood of off-target movement. Tank-mixtures applied were consistently antagonistic to common lambsquarters, horseweed, and Palmer amaranth. Only fomesafen was antagonistic to kochia whereas synergistic interactions were observed when glyphosate plus lactofen were applied in combination with COC, DRA + COC, or NIS. Separate applications are advisable with herbicide- and weed-specific situations to avoid antagonism, which is necessary to achieve optimum weed control and maintain the effectiveness of PPO-inhibitors. Future research should continue to look at these important interactions across a wide range of weed species.
Leaf Age-Dependent Effects of Boron Toxicity in Two Cucumis melo Varieties
Authors: Chatzistathis Theocharis , Fanourakis Dimitrios , Aliniaeifard Sasan , Kotsiras Anastasios , Delis Costas , Tsaniklidis Georgios
Published: April 2021

Boron (B) is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development, exhibiting extremely narrow margins between deficiency and toxicity. B toxicity is devastating for productivity and apparent for a continuously increasing part of agricultural land, under the influence of on-going climate change. In this study, the effects of increased B supply (by using H3BO3) were addressed by examining critical physiological responses of young and mature leaves, which were devoid of toxicity symptoms, in two melon varieties (Armenian cucumbers, cantaloupes). B was primarily translocated through the transpiration stream, and secondarily via the active cell membrane transport system. The B distribution pattern was independent of leaf age, and remained rather unchanged under increased B supply. Armenian cucumbers, exhibiting higher leaf B levels, underwent an enhanced adverse impact on (root and shoot) growth, photosynthetic pigment content, cellular membrane integrity, and also exhibited attenuated antioxidant defense stimulation. Notably, and unlike other abiotic stressors, no evidence of B toxicity-induced systemic reaction was apparent. B toxicity greatly enhanced the transcription of the genes coding for borate influx and efflux channels, an effect that was mostly evident in mature leaves. In conclusion, shoot physiological responses to B toxicity are highly localized. Moreover, the obstruction of the diffusion and the B translocation to the aerial organs under increased B supply is genotype-dependent, governing plant physiological responses.
A Systematic Approach to Comparing Thermal Activity of the Thoracic Region and Saddle Pressure Distribution beneath the Saddle in a Group of Non-Lame Sports Horses
Authors: MacKechnie-Guire Russell , Fisher Mark , Mathie Helen , Kuczynska Kat , Fairfax Vanessa , Fisher Diana , Pfau Thilo
Published: April 2021

Thermography is a non-invasive method for measuring surface temperatures and may be a convenient way of identifying hypo/hyperthermic areas under a saddle that may be related to saddle pressures. A thermal camera quantified minimum/maximum/mean temperatures at specific locations (left/right) of the thoracic region at three-time points: (1) baseline; (2) post lunging; (3) post ridden exercise in eight non-lame sports horses ridden by the same rider. A Pliance (Novel) pressure mat determined the mean/peak saddle pressures (kPa) in the cranial and caudal regions. General linear mixed models with the horse as the random factor investigated the time point (fixed factor: baseline; lunge; ridden) and saddle fit (fixed factor: correct; wide; narrow) on thermal parameters with Bonferroni post hoc comparison. The saddle pressure data (grouped: saddle width) were assessed with an ANOVA and Tukey post hoc comparison (p ≤ 0.05). Differences between the saddle widths in the cranial/caudal mean (p = 0.05) and peak saddle pressures (p = 0.01) were found. The maximum temperatures increased post lunge (p ≤ 0.0001) and post ridden (p ≤ 0.0001) compared to the baseline. No difference between post lunge and post ridden exercise (all p ≥ 0.51) was found. The thermal activity does not appear to be representative of increased saddle pressure values. The sole use of thermal imaging for saddle fitting should be applied with caution.