bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of nutrition during late pregnancy on dam condition, foetal growth and gestation length
Authors: Asher G.W. , Mulley R.C.
Published: March 2021

Many aspects of the relationship between nutrition and reproductive performance of red deer hinds are poorly understood. One such example is the feed requirements of hinds during the late stages of pregnancy, for which there is considerable diversity of opinion. The present study aimed to relate feed intake of hinds during the last trimester of pregnancy to dam body condition, foetal development and calf growth. Across 3 years, multiparous (n=33) or primiparous (n=18) hinds with known conception dates were housed in individual pens from days 150 to 220 of pregnancy, during which time they were each offered one of three (H, M and L) daily allowances of pelletised rations. Hinds were returned to pasture at day 220 and calving was closely monitored. Liveweight, body condition score (BCS), and lactation score (LS) were recorded weekly from day 150 through to calf weaning at 12 weeks of age. Additionally, hinds in the first year of study underwent CT scans on days 150 and 215 of pregnancy to assess compositional changes of the dam and conceptus. Mean daily ad libitum intakes of H hinds increased from 1.8 to 3.2 kg DM (0.6 to 0.9 MJME/kg0.75) between days 150 and 220. Those of restricted M and L hinds peaked at 1.8 and 1.6 kg DM, respectively, by day 220. This was reflected in significant treatment effects on liveweight gain and change in BCS and LS by calving. CT scans indicated a significant treatment effect by day 215 on the mass of hind tissues and a non-significant trend on conceptus weights. There were no discernable treatment effects on calf birth weights. However, there was an unexpectedly wide spread in calving dates that reflected considerable variation in gestation length. Gestation length was significantly negatively correlated to change in hind liveweight (but not BCS) between days 150 and 220 of pregnancy. Of three neonatal calf mortalities, none were related to dystocia or non-viability. Subsequent growth rates of surviving calves did not reflect prior treatment of their dams, although variation in birth date influenced weights at specific dates. It is concluded from this study that while variation in nutrition of hinds during the last trimester may influence foetal development, variation in gestation length compensates to ensure optimisation of birth weight. Keywords: gestation, nutr ition, pregnancy, red deer
Diet Selection by Deer- Principles, Practice and Consequences
Authors: Cosgrove G. , Hodgson J.
Published: March 2021

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Antroposen Çağı’nda pandemi ve kentlerin durumu
Authors: POLAT Erkan , KAHRAMAN Sümeyye
Published: March 2021

İnsanlar, 4,5 milyar yaşında olan Dünya üzerinde yaklaşık 200.000 yıldır yaşamaktadır. İnsanlık ilk günden beri gezegenin tüm organizmalarının bağlı olduğu fiziksel, kimyasal ve biyolojik sistemleri temelden değiştirmeye başlamış, özellikle son 60 yılda, bu etkiler eşi görülmemiş bir oranda ve ölçekte, özellikle kentlerde kendini göstermiştir. Geçmişteki salgınlar ve 2019 yılında ortaya çıkan COVID-19 salgını tesadüfen yaşanmamıştır. Salgının bir insan yaratımı olduğunu anlamak önemlidir; çünkü bu problemi, bulunduğumuz tür ve yarattığımız gezegen (kentler) yüzünden ortaya çıkardık. Geçmiş ve mevcut pandemiler, Antroposen olarak bilinen insan yapımı gezegen krizinin sadece bir yönüdür; iklim değişikliği, biyolojik çeşitlilik kaybı ve diğer sorunların hepsi birbirine bağlıdır. Bu sorunların temel taşlarından biri Antroposen’in bir parçası olan kentlerdir ve bu sorunların etkileri en çok kentlerde yoğunlaşmaktadır. 2020-2021 yıllarının küresel sorunu olan pandemi gibi... Bu çalışmada Antroposen Çağı’nın bir sorunu olan pandemilerin kentteki geçmişi-geleceği, Antroposen Çağı’nın başlamasına neden olan felaket mekânları olan, asıl sorunları (insanlar) içinde barındıran kentler ile bağlantısı kuramsal bir tartışma bazında ele alınmıştır. Kentli insanlar yüzünden giderek artan COVID-19 salgını üzerinden kentsel alanlarda planlamayla getirilecek çözüm yöntemlerine ilişkin öneriler çalışmada sunulmuştur.
Analisis Pengaruh Penambahan Suplai Daya 1000 MW Terhadap Performansi Jaringan Backbone 500 kV
Authors: Mudjiono  , Imron Ridzki  , Priya Surya Harijanto
Published: March 2021

Based on the Decree of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Number 0074.K / 21 / MEM / 2015 concerning the Ratification of the 2016-2025 Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL), the load growth every year has increased. Therefore, there will be additional Generating Units with a capacity of 1000 MW at PLTU Paiton, it is necessary to analyze the effect of additional loads in 2017 - 2022 on the 500 KV GITET system before and after the addition of a 1000 MW generator. Based on the analysis, it is known that the additional power of 1000 MW will strengthen the Paiton GITET reserve margin in bearing the load growth, it can be seen from the reserve margin value before the addition of power plants by 16% and after the addition of 29%. For the ability of the Paiton - Grati GITET transmission line until 2022, the load is 62% with a power loss of 35.41 MW (2.85%) and the load on the Paiton - Kediri GITET transmission line is 62% with a power loss of 35.41 MW (2.85%) indicates that the channel still in good shape. In addition, the load condition for the IBT transformer until 2022 is 84%, it can be concluded that the transformer is in good condition
О сложной этнической и языковой идентичности населения Чувашии
Authors: Бойко Иван Иванович , Долгова Алевтина Петровна , Харитонова Валентина Григорьевна
Published: March 2021

В статье представлены материалы социологических опросов населения Чувашии за 2015–2019 гг. по проблемам этнокультурного развития и межнациональных отношений в республике. В ходе исследования получены достаточно устойчивые результаты, свидетельствующие о выборе частью респондентов сложной этнический и языковой идентичности: они относят себя одновременно к русским и чувашам, указывают в качестве родных русский и чувашский языки. Выбор двух (редко трех) родных языков наблюдается обычно в два-три раза чаще, чем признание себя носителем сложной этнической идентичности. Сравнение уровней суждений по поводу некоторых этнокультурных ситуаций позволяет говорить о возможности выделения группы лиц, прежде всего со сложной этнической идентичностью, в относительно самостоятельную группу, дрейфующую со своими оценками и предпочтениями между группами русских и чувашей, с переходом в отдельных вопросах границ групп, мнений которой они в основном придерживаются.
Materials of the sociological surveys of the population of Chuvashia in 2015-2019 on the problems of ethno-cultural development and interethnic relations in the Republic are presented. Russian and Chuvash languages have been identified as native languages. The results indicating that a part of the respondents choose a complex ethnical and linguistic identity and feel themselves as both Russians and Chuvash are quite stable. Choosing two (rarely three) native languages is usually two to three times more common than recognizing oneself as a carrier of a complex ethnic identity. Comparison of judgments about certain ethno-cultural situations suggests that it is possible to distinguish a group of people, primarily with a complex ethnic identity, into a relatively independent group, drifting with their own assessments and preferences between groups of Russians and Chuvash, with the transition in certain issues of the boundaries of groups, whose opinions they mostly adhere to.
«Вкусная и здоровая пища» в повседневных женских практиках нестоличного советского города 1950–1960-х гг.
Authors: Пушкарева Наталья Львовна , Богдашина Ирина Владимировна
Published: March 2021

Советская женская повседневность в 1950–1960-х гг. редко бывает предметом пристального этнографического наблюдения. В центре внимания данной статьи – ее такая важная сторона, как приобретение и заготовка продуктов питания, а именно вопросы, связанные с приготовлением пищи, обеспечением едой детей, родных и близких в условиях возрождавшегося после войны хозяйства Волгограда. Обращение к эго-документам крупного нестоличного региона Нижнего Поволжья позволило выявить и сравнить общее и особенное в повседневно-бытовых практиках приготовления пищи, уяснить отношение самих женщин к предпринимаемым государством попыткам облегчить их домашний труд как хозяек, выявить полулегальные (получение в обход очереди, из-под прилавка) и противозаконные (блат) способы «накармливания» своих семей. По мнению авторов, в условиях скрытого дефицита товаров женщины сталкивались со многими трудностями (очереди, нехватки, лишения), но неся бремя нескончаемых домашних дел, считали порой время, затраченное на них, формой отдыха и досуга. Домашнее, a не общественное питание, было основной формой потребления в провинциальном городе Нижнего Поволжья. Жительницы этого города, совмещая множество социальных ролей, неся двойную нагрузку (на работе и дома), ежедневно выполняли свои обязательства, нанося ущерб профессиональным перспективам, здоровью, отдыху и, не осознавая этой дискриминации, продолжали выполнять вмененные им обществом традиционно «женские» домашние обязанности.

Everyday life of Soviet women in the 1950s–1960s is rarely a subject of ethnographic observation. This article focuses on such an important aspect of this life as purchase and preparation of food and issues related to cooking, providing food for children, relatives and friends in the Volgograd region while the economy was recovering after the World War II. Using ego-documents of a large non-capital region of the Lower Volga the study identified and compared the common and the particular in everyday cooking practices, clarified the attitude of women themselves towards the efforts undertaken by the state to facilitate their domestic work as housewives, identified semi-legal (bypassing the queue, purchasing “under the counter”) and illegal (nepotism) ways of "feeding" their families. In conditions of a hidden shortage of goods, women faced many difficulties (queues, shortages, deprivations), but continued to bear the burden of endless household chores, sometimes considering the time spent on them as a form of rest and leisure.
Зачем антропологам изучать инвалидность?
Authors: Носенко-Штейн Елена Эдуардовна
Published: March 2021

Инвалидность, являющаяся сложным социокультурным феноменом, имеющим биологические корни, до сих пор находится на обочине исследовательского интереса у отечественных этнологов и социальных антропологов. Между тем, это явление существует в определенном историко-культурном контексте, на его восприятие и осмысление, а также на отношение к людям с ограниченными возможностями здоровья оказывают влияние различные культурные факторы: этнические и религиозные традиции, гендерные стереотипы, особенности социальной психологии конкретных групп. В этой небольшой вводной статье автор стремится показать, что именно может привлечь этнологов и социальных антропологов к данной проблематике. Среди тем, которые мало или вовсе не изучались отечественными учеными, можно назвать проблемы другой телесности в разных культурах, соотношение красоты, уродства и инвалидности в разные эпохи, существование особой культуры (или субкультур инвалидности), стили жизни людей с разными категориями инвалидности, этнические традиции помощи или избегания людей с инвалидностью, репрезентация инвалидности в разных религиозных системах, формирование многочисленных стереотипов и клише, в том числе в современных обществах и многое другое.
E d i t o r’s I n t r o d u c t i o n. Disability exists as a complex social and cultural phenomenon having biological and medical roots. This phenomenon is still marginal in the research of Russian ethnologists and social anthropologists. However, disability exists in a particular historical and cultural context. Many factors – among them ethnic and religious traditions, gender stereotypes, and specifics of social psychology in different groups – impact on its perception, reflection and attitudes towards people with various impairments. The author attempts to demonstrate some issues that may be of importance for ethnological and anthropological research in Russia. For instance, these are problems of Extraordinary Bodies in various cultures, proportion of beauty, ugliness and impairments in different epochs, different disability cultures or subcultures, lifestyles of people with different disabilities, ethnic traditions of help or distancing disabled persons, representation of disability in various religious systems, constructing stereotypes dealing with disabilities in different societies including contemporary Russia, and some other issues.
Материнство с ребенком-инвалидом в современной России: стереотипы, риски, общественное мнение
Authors: Фролова Александра Викторовна
Published: March 2021

В статье на основе публицистических данных и полевого материала, собранного автором среди городского и сельского населения Архангельской области в 2011–2020 гг., исследуется комплекс проблем, с которыми сталкивается семья, воспитывающая ребенка с инвалидностью. Большое внимание в исследовании уделено роли родителей, особенно матери, т.к. семьи, в которых живут дети с нарушениями развития, часто бывают неполными, с одинокими матерями. В таком случае все проблемы по уходу, лечению воспитанию, реабилитации ребенка, а также зарабатыванию денег берет на себя мать. Она же находится в многолетнем постоянном стрессе. Деквалификация, депрофессионализация, ухудшение здоровья существенно отражаются на качестве жизни матери, воспитывающей ребенка-инвалида. Социальные гарантии и денежная помощь, предлагаемые государством, лишь частично компенсируют экономические расходы, которые несут подобные семьи. Проблемы часто носят внутрисемейный характер. В статье проанализированы общественное мнение людей, работа социальных и реабилитационных служб, СМИ.
The article analyzes the complex of problems faced by a family raising a child with disabilities, based on the author's journalistic and field material, collected among the urban and rural population of the Arkhangelsk region in 2011-2020. The study puts a special emphasis on the role of parents, especially the mother, because single-parent families and single mothers are especially common among families having children with developmental disabilities. All problems related to the care, treatment, education, rehabilitation of a child and earning money are taken over by the mother, who suffers constant stress for many years. Dequalification, deprofessionalization, deterioration of health significantly affect the quality of life of a mother raising a disabled child. Social guarantees and financial assistance offered by the state only partially compensate for the economic costs incurred by families raising a disabled child. Problems are often family-based. The article analyzes the work of social and rehabilitation services, mass media, public opinion of people on such families.
Самопрезентация людей с инвалидностью в Казахстане: общее и особенное
Authors: Савин Игорь Сергеевич
Published: March 2021

В статье на примере Республики Казахстан (РК) рассматриваются особенности инвалидности как социального феномена. Поскольку подобные задачи решаются впервые на казахстанском материале, то на первом этапе исследования автор только сравнивает специфические черты саморепрезентации людей с особенностями развития в Казахстане и в России, где этот вопрос достаточно хорошо изучен. Эмпирической базой исследования служат глубинные интервью жителей Алматы, Уральска и Шымкента (РК) – в условиях карантина из-за пандемии интервью были проведены по телефону в апреле–мае 2020 г.
Предварительно автор рассматривает социально-демографические характеристики людей с инвалидностью в двух странах и проводит на этом фоне сравнение черт саморепрезентации инвалидов в Казахстане и России. Выявлены как те, что оказываются очень сходными между собой, так и заметно отличающиеся. В основе сходства, скорее всего, лежит общность истории становления системы поддержки людей с инвалидностью и формирующейся вокруг них социальной атмосферы во всех постсоветских странах. Базой для выявленных на первом этапе исследования различий является, вероятнее всего, неодинаковая роль этнической и конфессиональной принадлежности в доминирующем дискурсе, в сфере политики и идеологии.
The article examines disability as a social phenomenon on the example of Kazakhstan. Since such tasks are being solved on the basis of Kazakhstani material for the first time, the article studies only the self-representation of disabled people in Kazakhstan in comparison with Russia, where its specific features have already been identified by researchers. The empirical base of the study is in-depth interviews with residents of three cities of Kazakhstan, which were conducted by phone in April-May 2020 during the quarantine from the pandemic.
Having previously considered the socio-demographic characteristics of people with disabilities in Kazakhstan and Russia, the author compares self-representation of people with disabilities in the two countries, identified as those that are very similar to each other, and those that are noticeably different. The similarity is most likely explained by the common history of the creation of the system for assistance to people with disabilities and specific social atmosphere around them in all post-Soviet countries. The basis for the differences identified is the supposedly different role of ethnic and religious affiliation in the dominant discourse, in the sphere of politics and ideology in Kazakhstan.
Comment. Maxim P. Salamachin, Tatiana S. Dergacheva, Oleg V. Leonov, Dmitry V. Sidorov, Andrey O. Soloviev, Anastasia O. Leonova Manual intracorporeal end-to-end invagination ileotransverse anastomosis, own experience
Authors: Editorial Article
Published: March 2021

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Dynamic Endothelial Stalk Cell–Matrix Interactions Regulate Angiogenic Sprout Diameter
Authors: Wang William Y. , Jarman Evan H. , Lin Daphne , Baker Brendon M.
Published: March 2021

Angiogenesis is a complex, multicellular process that involves bidirectional interactions between extracellular matrix (ECM) and collectively invading endothelial cell (EC) sprouts that extend the microvasculature during development, wound healing, and disease processes. While many aspects of angiogenesis have been well studied, the relationship between endothelial sprout morphology and subsequent neovessel function remains relatively unknown. Here, we investigated how various soluble and physical matrix cues that regulate endothelial sprouting speed and proliferation correspond to changes in sprout morphology, namely, sprout stalk diameter. We found that sprout stalk cells utilize a combination of cytoskeletal forces and proteolysis to physically compact and degrade the surrounding matrix, thus creating sufficient space in three-dimensional (3D) ECM for lateral expansion. As increasing sprout diameter precedes lumenization to generate perfusable neovessels, this work highlights how dynamic endothelial stalk cell–ECM interactions promote the generation of functional neovessels during sprouting angiogenesis to provide insight into the design of vascularized, implantable biomaterials.
Engineering a Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based in vitro Microphysiological System for Studying the Metformin Response in Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Chen Nan , Abudupataer Mieradilijiang , Feng Sisi , Zhu Shichao , Ma Wenrui , Li Jun , Lai Hao , Zhu Kai , Wang Chunsheng
Published: March 2021

Aortic aneurysm is a common cardiovascular disease characterised by continuous dilation of the aorta, and this disease places a heavy burden on healthcare worldwide. Few drugs have been suggested to be effective in controlling the progression of aortic aneurysms. Preclinical drug responses from traditional cell culture and animals are usually controversial. An effective in vitro model is of great demand for successful drug screening. In this study, we induced an in vitro microphysiological system to test metformin, which is a potential drug for the treatment of aortic aneurysms. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived aortic smooth muscle cells (hPSC-HASMCs) were cultured on an in vitro microphysiological system, which could replicate the cyclic stretch of the human native aortic wall. By using this system, we found that HASMCs were more likely to present a physiologically contractile phenotype compared to static cell cultures. Moreover, we used hPSC-HASMCs in our microphysiological system to perform metformin drug screening. The results showed that hPSC-HASMCs presented a more contractile phenotype via NOTCH 1 signalling while being treated with metformin. This result indicated that metformin could be utilised to rescue hPSC-HASMCs from phenotype switching during aortic aneurysm progression. This study helps to elucidate potential drug targets for the treatment of aortic aneurysms.
DNA Methylation Regulates Transcription Factor-Specific Neurodevelopmental but Not Sexually Dimorphic Gene Expression Dynamics in Zebra Finch Telencephalon
Authors: Diddens Jolien , Coussement Louis , Frankl-Vilches Carolina , Majumdar Gaurav , Steyaert Sandra , Ter Haar Sita M. , Galle Jeroen , De Meester Ellen , De Keulenaer Sarah , Van Criekinge Wim , Cornil Charlotte A. , Balthazart Jacques , Van Der Linden Annemie , De Meyer Tim , Vanden Berghe Wim
Published: March 2021

Song learning in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) is a prototypical example of a complex learned behavior, yet knowledge of the underlying molecular processes is limited. Therefore, we characterized transcriptomic (RNA-sequencing) and epigenomic (RRBS, reduced representation bisulfite sequencing; immunofluorescence) dynamics in matched zebra finch telencephalon samples of both sexes from 1 day post hatching (1 dph) to adulthood, spanning the critical period for song learning (20 and 65 dph). We identified extensive transcriptional neurodevelopmental changes during postnatal telencephalon development. DNA methylation was very low, yet increased over time, particularly in song control nuclei. Only a small fraction of the massive differential expression in the developing zebra finch telencephalon could be explained by differential CpG and CpH DNA methylation. However, a strong association between DNA methylation and age-dependent gene expression was found for various transcription factors (i.e., OTX2, AR, and FOS) involved in neurodevelopment. Incomplete dosage compensation, independent of DNA methylation, was found to be largely responsible for sexually dimorphic gene expression, with dosage compensation increasing throughout life. In conclusion, our results indicate that DNA methylation regulates neurodevelopmental gene expression dynamics through steering transcription factor activity, but does not explain sexually dimorphic gene expression patterns in zebra finch telencephalon.
CRISPR-cas9 Screening Identified Lethal Genes Enriched in Cell Cycle Pathway and of Prognosis Significance in Breast Cancer
Authors: Sun Xi , Wang Zheng , Chen Xiaosong , Shen Kunwei
Published: March 2021

Background

Lethal genes have not been systematically analyzed in breast cancer which may have significant prognostic value. The current study aims to investigate vital genes related to cell viability by analyzing the CRISPR-cas9 screening data, which may provide novel therapeutic target for patients.

Methods

Genes differentially expressed between tumor and normal tissue from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and genes related to cell viability by CRISPR-cas9 screening from Depmap (Cancer Dependency Map) were overlapped. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was conducted to identify which pathways of overlapped genes were enriched. GSE21653 set was randomized into training and internal validation dataset at a ratio of 3:1, and external validation was performed in GSE20685 set. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to construct a signature to predict recurrence-free survival (RFS) of breast cancer patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were used to evaluate the prognostic value of this signature. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high-risk and low-risk patients were then analyzed to identify the main pathways regulated by this signature. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was conducted to recognize modules correlated with high risk. Enrichment analysis was then used to identify pathways regulated by genes shared in the overlapped genes, DEGs, and WGCNA.

Results

A total of 86 oncogenes were upregulated in TCGA database and overlapped with lethal genes in Depmap database, which were enriched in cell cycle pathway. A total of 51 genes were included in the gene signature based on LASSO regression, and the median risk score of 2.36 was used as cut-off to separate low-risk patients from high-risk patients. High-risk patients showed worse RFS compared with low-risk patients in internal training, internal validation, and external validation dataset. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves of 3 and 5 years indicated that risk score was superior to tumor stage, age, and PAM50 in both entire and external validation datasets. Cell cycle was the main different pathway between the high-risk and low-risk groups. Meanwhile, cell cycle was also the main pathway enriched in the 25 genes which were shared among 86 genes, DEGs, and WGCNA.

Conclusion

Cell cycle pathway, identified by CRISPR-cas9 screening, was a key pathway regulating cell viability, which has significant prognostic values and can serve as a new target for breast cancer patient treatment.
Liprin-α-Mediated Assemblies and Their Roles in Synapse Formation
Authors: Xie Xingqiao , Liang Mingfu , Yu Cong , Wei Zhiyi
Published: March 2021

Brain’s functions, such as memory and learning, rely on synapses that are highly specialized cellular junctions connecting neurons. Functional synapses orchestrate the assembly of ion channels, receptors, enzymes, and scaffold proteins in both pre- and post-synapse. Liprin-α proteins are master scaffolds in synapses and coordinate various synaptic proteins to assemble large protein complexes. The functions of liprin-αs in synapse formation have been largely uncovered by genetic studies in diverse model systems. Recently, emerging structural and biochemical studies on liprin-α proteins and their binding partners begin to unveil the molecular basis of the synaptic assembly. This review summarizes the recent structural findings on liprin-αs, proposes the assembly mechanism of liprin-α-mediated complexes, and discusses the liprin-α-organized assemblies in the regulation of synapse formation and function.
Translational Animal Models Provide Insight Into Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (MSC) Secretome Therapy
Authors: Harman Rebecca M. , Marx Charlotte , Van de Walle Gerlinde R.
Published: March 2021

The therapeutic potential of the mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) secretome, consisting of all molecules secreted by MSCs, is intensively studied. MSCs can be readily isolated, expanded, and manipulated in culture, and few people argue with the ethics of their collection. Despite promising pre-clinical studies, most MSC secretome-based therapies have not been implemented in human medicine, in part because the complexity of bioactive factors secreted by MSCs is not completely understood. In addition, the MSC secretome is variable, influenced by individual donor, tissue source of origin, culture conditions, and passage. An increased understanding of the factors that make up the secretome and the ability to manipulate MSCs to consistently secrete factors of biologic importance will improve MSC therapy. To aid in this goal, we can draw from the wealth of information available on secreted factors from MSC isolated from veterinary species. These translational animal models will inspire efforts to move human MSC secretome therapy from bench to bedside.
Phylogenomics of Tick Inward Rectifier Potassium Channels and Their Potential as Targets to Innovate Control Technologies
Authors: Saelao Perot , Hickner Paul V. , Bendele Kylie G. , Pérez de León Adalberto A.
Published: March 2021

This study was conducted to enhance the identification of novel targets to develop acaricides that can be used to advance integrated tick-borne disease management. Drivers for the emergence and re-emergence of tick-borne diseases affecting humans, livestock, and other domestic animals in many parts of the world include the increased abundance and expanded geographic distribution of tick species that vector pathogens. The evolution of resistance to acaricides among some of the most important tick vector species highlights the vulnerability of relying on chemical treatments for tick control to mitigate the health burden of tick-borne diseases. The involvement of inward rectifier potassium (Kir) channels in homeostasis, diuresis, and salivary gland secretion in ticks and other pests identified them as attractive targets to develop novel acaricides. However, few studies exist on the molecular characteristics of Kir channels in ticks. This bioinformatic analysis described Kir channels in 20 species of hard and soft ticks. Summarizing relevant investigations on Kir channel function in invertebrate pests allowed the phylogenomic study of this class of ion channels in ticks. How this information can be adapted to innovate tick control technologies is discussed.
Re-thinking Public Health Education in Aotearoa New Zealand: Factory Model to Personalized Learning
Authors: Conn Cath , Nayar Shoba , Williams Margaret Hinepo , Cammock Radilaite
Published: March 2021

Key drivers of change in the 21st century—pandemic, technology advance, social disparity—are shaping the public health industry, including employment and education. In 2020, COVID-19 brought rapid change to the teaching of public health in higher education. In this reflective essay, we move beyond the delivery of existing curricula shifting from classroom to online, and consider the greater agenda of a transformative educational paradigm. This is broadly conceptualized as a shift from a “factory model education” to one of “personalized learning” with an emphasis on fostering creativity and heutagogical (student-driven) models, underpinned by technology, and real world application involving problem and project-based learning in a changing industry. Such change has stemmed both from the impact of COVID-19 on the education system, and in response to a more momentous transformation in public health careers and societal expectations of a public health workforce.
Energy Diversification and Economic Development in Emergent Countries: Evidence From Fourier Function-Driven Bootstrap Panel Causality Test
Authors: Yilanci Veli , Haouas Ilham , Ozgur Onder , Sarkodie Samuel Asumadu
Published: March 2021

Energy is a crucial development indicator of production, consumption, and nation-building. However, energy diversification highlighting renewables remains salient in economic development across developing economies. This study explores the economic impact of renewables (RE) and fossil fuel (NRE) utilization in 17 emerging nations. We use annual data with timeframe between 1980 and 2016 and propose a bootstrap panel causality approach with a Fourier function. This allows the examination of multiple structural breaks, cross-section dependence, and heterogeneity across countries. We validate four main hypotheses on the causal links attached to the energy consumption (EC)-growth nexus namely neutrality, conservation, growth, and feedback hypotheses. The findings reveal a causal relationship running from RE to GDP for Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, and the Philippines, confirming the growth hypothesis. Besides, the results validate the conservation hypothesis with causality from GDP to RE for China, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, India, Korea, South Africa, and Turkey. We identify causality from NRE to GDP for Pakistan, Mexico, Malaysia, Korea, India, Greece, Egypt, and Brazil; and from GDP to NRE for Thailand, Peru, Malaysia, India, Greece, Egypt, and Colombia. We demonstrate that wealth creation can be achieved through energy diversification rather than relying solely on conventional energy sources.
Assessing People’s Values of Nature: Where Is the Link to Sustainability Transformations?
Authors: Stålhammar Sanna
Published: March 2021

The efforts to measure people’s current preferences and values of ecosystem services raise questions about the link to sustainability transformations. The importance of taking social and cultural values of nature into account is increasingly recognised within ecosystem services research and policy. This notion is informing the development and application of social (or socio-cultural) valuation methods that seek to assess and capture non-material social and cultural aspects of benefits of ecosystems in non-monetary terms. Here, ‘values’ refer to the products of descriptive scientific assessments of the links between human well-being and ecosystems. This precise use of the values term can be contrasted with normative modes of understanding values, as underlying beliefs and moral principles about what is good and right, which also influence science and institutions. While both perspectives on values are important for the biodiversity and ecosystem services agenda, values within this space have mainly been understood in relation to assessments and descriptive modes of values. Failing to acknowledge the distinction between descriptive and normative modes bypasses the potential mismatch between people’s current values and sustainability transformations. Refining methodologies to more accurately describe social values risks simply giving us a more detailed account of what we already know—people in general do not value nature enough. A central task for values studies is to explore why or how peoples’ mindsets might converge with sustainability goals, using methods that go beyond assessing current states to incorporate change and transformation.
Brain Reconstruction Across the Fish-Tetrapod Transition; Insights From Modern Amphibians
Authors: Clement Alice M. , Mensforth Corinne L. , Challands T. J. , Collin Shaun P. , Long John A.
Published: March 2021

The fish-tetrapod transition (which incorporates the related fin-limb and water-land transitions) is celebrated as one of the most important junctions in vertebrate evolution. Sarcopterygian fishes (the “lobe-fins”) are today represented by lungfishes and coelacanths, but during the Paleozoic they were much more diverse. It was some of these sarcopterygians, a lineage of the tetrapodomorph fishes, that gave rise to tetrapods (terrestrial vertebrates with limbs bearing digits). This spectacular leap took place during the Devonian Period. Due to the nature of preservation, it is the hard parts of an animal’s body that are most likely to fossilize, while soft tissues such as muscular and brain tissues, typically fail to do so. Thus, our understanding of the adaptations of the hard skeletal structures of vertebrates is considerably greater than that of the soft tissue systems. Fortunately, the braincases of early vertebrates are often ossified and thereby have the potential to provide detailed morphological information. However, the correspondence between brain and endocast (an internal mold of the cavity) has historically been considered poor in most “lower” vertebrates and consequently neglected in such studies of brain evolution. Despite this, recent work documenting the spatial relationship in extant basal sarcopterygians (coelacanth, lungfish, axolotl, and salamander) has highlighted that this is not uniformly the case. Herein, we quantify and illustrate the brain-endocast relationship in four additional extant basal tetrapod exemplars: neobatrachian anurans (frogs) Breviceps poweri and Ceratophrys ornata; and gymnophionans (caecilians) Gegeneophis ramaswamii and Rhinatrema bivittatum. We show that anurans and caecilians appear to have brains that fill their endocasts to a similar degree to that of lungfishes and salamanders, but not coelacanth. Ceratophrys has considerably lower correspondence between the brain and endocast in the olfactory tract and mesencephalic regions, while Breviceps has low correspondence along its ventral endocranial margin. The brains of caecilians reflect their endocasts most closely (vol. ∼70%). The telencephalon is tightly fitted within the endocast in all four taxa. Our findings highlight the need to adequately assess the brain-endocast relationship in a broad range of vertebrates, in order to inform neural reconstructions of fossil taxa using the Extant Phylogenetic Bracket approach and future studies of brain evolution.
A Possible Association Between Zika Virus Infection and CDK5RAP2 Mutation
Authors: Candelo Estephania , Sanz Ana Maria , Ramirez-Montaño Diana , Diaz-Ordoñez Lorena , Granados Ana Maria , Rosso Fernando , Nevado Julian , Lapunzina Pablo , Pachajoa Harry
Published: March 2021

Introduction

Flaviviridae family belongs to the Spondweni serocomplex, which is mainly transmitted by vectors from the Aedes genus. Zika virus (ZIKV) is part of this genus. It was initially reported in Brazil in December 2014 as an unknown acute generalized exanthematous disease and was subsequently identified as ZIKV infection. ZIKV became widespread all over Brazil and was linked with potential cases of microcephaly.

Case report

We report a case of a 28-year-old Colombian woman, who came to the Obstetric Department with an assumed conglomerate of fetal abnormalities detected via ultrasonography, which was performed at 29.5 weeks of gestation. The patient presented with multiple abnormalities, which range from a suggested Arnold–Chiari malformation, compromising the lateral and third ventricles, liver calcifications, bilateral pyelocalic dilatations, other brain anomalies, and microcephaly. At 12 weeks of gestation, the vertical transmission of ZIKV was suspected. At 38.6 weeks of gestation, the newborn was delivered, with the weight in the 10th percentile (3,180 g), height in the 10th percentile (48 cm), and cephalic circumference under the 2nd percentile (31 cm). Due to the physical findings, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, revealing a small and deviated brain stem, narrowing of the posterior fossa, a giant posterior fossa cyst with ventricular dilatation, a severe cortical and white matter thinning, cerebellar vermis with hypoplasia, and superior and lateral displacement of the cerebellum. In addition, hydrocephalus was displayed by the axial sequence, and the cerebral cortex was also compromised with lissencephaly. Schizencephaly was found with left frontal open-lip, and no intracranial calcifications were found. Two novel heterozygous nonsense mutations were identified using whole-exome sequencing, and both are located in exon 8 under the affection of ZIKV congenital syndrome (CZS) that produced a premature stop codon resulting in the truncation of the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 regulatory subunit-associated protein 2 (CDK5RAP2) protein.

Conclusion

We used molecular and microbiological assessments to report the initial case of vertically transmitted ZIKV infection with congenital syndrome associated with a neurological syndrome, where a mutation in the CDK5RAP2 gene was also identified. The CDK5RAP2 gene encodes a pericentriolar protein that intervenes in microtubule nucleation and centriole attachment. Diallelic mutation has previously been associated with primary microcephaly.
Genomic Variations in SARS-CoV-2 Genomes From Gujarat: Underlying Role of Variants in Disease Epidemiology
Authors: Joshi Madhvi , Puvar Apurvasinh , Kumar Dinesh , Ansari Afzal , Pandya Maharshi , Raval Janvi , Patel Zarna , Trivedi Pinal , Gandhi Monika , Pandya Labdhi , Patel Komal , Savaliya Nitin , Bagatharia Snehal , Kumar Sachin , Joshi Chaitanya
Published: March 2021

Humanity has seen numerous pandemics during its course of evolution. The list includes several incidents from the past, such as measles, Ebola, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), etc. The latest edition to this is coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of August 18, 2020, COVID-19 has affected over 21 million people from 180 + countries with 0.7 million deaths across the globe. Genomic technologies have enabled us to understand the genomic constitution of pathogens, their virulence, evolution, and rate of mutation, etc. To date, more than 83,000 viral genomes have been deposited in public repositories, such as GISAID and NCBI. While we are writing this, India is the third most affected country by COVID-19, with 2.7 million cases and > 53,000 deaths. Gujarat is the 11th highest affected state with a 3.48% death rate compared to the national average of 1.91%. In this study, a total of 502 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Gujarat were sequenced and analyzed to understand its phylogenetic distribution and variants against global and national sequences. Further variants were analyzed from diseased and recovered patients from Gujarat and the world to understand its role in pathogenesis. Among the missense mutations present in the Gujarat SARS-CoV-2 genomes, C28854T (Ser194Leu) had an allele frequency of 47.62 and 7.25% in deceased patients from the Gujarat and global datasets, respectively. In contrast, the allele frequency of 35.16 and 3.20% was observed in recovered patients from the Gujarat and global datasets, respectively. It is a deleterious mutation present in the nucleocapsid (N) gene and is significantly associated with mortality in Gujarat patients with a p-value of 0.067 and in the global dataset with a p-value of 0.000924. The other deleterious variant identified in deceased patients from Gujarat (p-value of 0.355) and the world (p-value of 2.43E-06) is G25563T, which is located in Orf3a and plays a potential role in viral pathogenesis. SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Gujarat are forming distinct clusters under the GH clade of GISAID. This study will shed light on the viral haplotype in SARS-CoV-2 samples from Gujarat, India.
Functional Interrogation of Enhancer Connectome Prioritizes Candidate Target Genes at Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Loci
Authors: Wang Wei , Song Fengju , Feng Xiangling , Chu Xinlei , Dai Hongji , Tian Jing , Fang Xuan , Song Fangfang , Liu Ben , Li Lian , Li Xiangchun , Zhao Yanrui , Zheng Hong , Chen Kexin
Published: March 2021

Identifying causal regulatory variants and their target genes from the majority of non-coding disease-associated genetic loci is the main challenge in post-Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) functional studies. Although chromosome conformation capture (3C) and its derivative technologies have been successfully applied to nominate putative causal genes for non-coding variants, many GWAS target genes have not been identified yet. This study generated a high-resolution contact map from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells with two H3K27ac-HiChIP libraries and analyzed the underlying gene networks for 15 risk loci identified from the largest EOC GWAS. By combinatory analysis of 4,021 fine-mapped credible variants of EOC GWAS and high-resolution contact map, we obtained 162 target genes that mainly enriched in cancer related pathways. Compared with GTEx eQTL genes in ovarian tissue and annotated proximal genes, 132 HiChIP targets were first identified for EOC causal variants. More than half of the credible variants (CVs) involved interactions that were over 185 kb in distance, indicating that long-range transcriptional regulation is an important mechanism for the function of GWAS variants in EOC. We also found that many HiChIP gene targets showed significantly differential expressions between normal ovarian and EOC tumor samples. We validated one of these targets by manipulating the rs9303542 located region with CRISPR-Cas9 deletion and dCas9-VP64 activation experiments and found altered expression of HOXB7 and HOXB8 at 17q21.32. This study presents a systematic analysis to identify putative target genes for causal variants of EOC, providing an in-depth investigation of the mechanisms of non-coding regulatory variants in the etiology and pathogenesis of ovarian cancer.
Crosstalk Between NDP52 and LUBAC in Innate Immune Responses, Cell Death, and Xenophagy
Authors: Miyashita Hirohisa , Oikawa Daisuke , Terawaki Seigo , Kabata Daijiro , Shintani Ayumi , Tokunaga Fuminori
Published: March 2021

Nuclear dot protein 52 kDa (NDP52, also known as CALCOCO2) functions as a selective autophagy receptor. The linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC) specifically generates the N-terminal Met1-linked linear ubiquitin chain, and regulates innate immune responses, such as nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), interferon (IFN) antiviral, and apoptotic pathways. Although NDP52 and LUBAC cooperatively regulate bacterial invasion-induced xenophagy, their functional crosstalk remains enigmatic. Here we show that NDP52 suppresses canonical NF-κB signaling through the broad specificity of ubiquitin-binding at the C-terminal UBZ domain. Upon TNF-α-stimulation, NDP52 associates with LUBAC through the HOIP subunit, but does not disturb its ubiquitin ligase activity, and has a modest suppressive effect on NF-κB activation by functioning as a component of TNF-α receptor signaling complex I. NDP52 also regulates the TNF-α-induced apoptotic pathway, but not doxorubicin-induced intrinsic apoptosis. A chemical inhibitor of LUBAC (HOIPIN-8) cancelled the increased activation of the NF-κB and IFN antiviral pathways, and enhanced apoptosis in NDP52-knockout and -knockdown HeLa cells. Upon Salmonella-infection, colocalization of Salmonella, LC3, and linear ubiquitin was detected in parental HeLa cells to induce xenophagy. Treatment with HOIPIN-8 disturbed the colocalization and facilitated Salmonella expansion. In contrast, HOIPIN-8 showed little effect on the colocalization of LC3 and Salmonella in NDP52-knockout cells, suggesting that NDP52 is a weak regulator in LUBAC-mediated xenophagy. These results indicate that the crosstalk between NDP52 and LUBAC regulates innate immune responses, apoptosis, and xenophagy.