bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a droplet digital PCR assay for the sensitive detection of iridovirus in Andrias davidianus
Authors: Meng Yan , Jiang Nan , Xie Yixing , Wei Ying , Wang Cheng , Tian Mingzhu , Xue Mingyang , Xu Chen , Li Yiqun , Liu Wenzhi , Fan Yuding , Zhou Yong
Published: August 2023

Chinese giant salamander iridovirus (GSIV) is the first known and causative viral pathogen in Andrias davidianus. Developing a sensitive, accurate and specific assay to detect GSIV in samples is essential to prevent the further spread of the pathogen. In this study, we established a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay that targeted the mcp gene of GSIV, enabling rapid and quantitative detection of the virus. We determined that the optimal annealing temperature, primer concentration and probe concentration were 57.1°C, 50 nM and 500 nM, respectively. We analysed the specificity and sensitivity of the ddPCR assay and found that five common aquatic animal viruses, including Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV‐2), infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV), Koi herpesvirus (KHV) and Carp Edema Virus (CEV) displayed negative results based on this GSIV ddPCR assay. The assay can detect GSIV with the lowest detection limit of 3.7 copies per reaction. To evaluate the sensitivity and accuracy of the ddPCR assay, we tested different infected tissue samples with both the ddPCR and TaqMan real‐time PCR assays. Our results showed that the ddPCR assay detected GSIV in all samples with 100% positivity, while the TaqMan real‐time PCR assay detected GSIV in only 82.1% of samples. The established ddPCR method provided several advantages in detecting GISV, including high sensitivity, high precision and absolute quantification, making it a powerful tool for detection of possible and potential GSIV infection, even in samples with low viral load.
Development of bacterial inactivation model and evaluation of shelf life extension of Littopenaeus vannamei using blue LED illumination
Authors: Udayasoorian Lalithapriya , Peter Mariajenita , Venkatachalapathy Renuka , Ramachandran Palpandi Raja , Muthusamy Sukumar
Published: August 2023

Pacific white shrimps pre‐inoculated with bacterial culture were subjected to blue LED illumination at 4°C and 15°C. Mathematical modeling of bacterial inactivation from 0 to 48 h of illumination revealed that Hom and Weibull model represent the best fit. Shelf life analysis of shrimps illuminated with 1075.68 J/cm2 (I1), 2151.36 J/cm2 (I2), 3227.04 J/cm2 (I3), 4302.72 J/cm2 (I4) dosages at 4°C revealed that reduced counts for pH, trimethylamine, hypoxanthine, total plate count, psychrotrophic bacterial count and weight loss % were observed in I4 samples, whereas TBARS, color and texture were retained better in I1 and I2 samples. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) revealed that lower internal component change percentage of 7.35 and 14.85 was observed in I1 and I2 samples. Microscopic examination of shrimp muscle disclosed increased disintegration of myofibrillar structures in I4 and I3 samples. Illumination dosage ≤2200 J/cm2 extended the shrimp shelf life to 45 days at 4°C and 15 days at 15°C without changing the quality.

Practical Application

The demand for quality seafood products and concern for the safety aspects leads to the development of innovative preservation method. The impact of blue LED illumination on L. vannamei shrimps depicted significant increase shelf‐life and retention of quality parameters. Inactivation kinetics of LED illumination on shrimps depicted that Weibull and HOM model resulted best fit based on the R2 and AIC values helps in process scale‐up and operation at industrial level. Successful implementation of these illumination system as a processing equipment or in cold supply chain transport vessels will help the exporters to reduce the losses and conventional processing cost. It can also be employed in portable refrigerators, freezer boxes, storage shelves and ware houses with slight modifications in designs aspects to extend the shelflife of the seafood without losing its organoleptic properties. Further, it aids in effective export performance and extended distribution of shrimps in domestic market.
Family‐systems interventions for families of people with an intellectual disability or who are autistic: a systematic review
Authors: Sutherland D. , Flynn S. , Kurzeja O. , Griffin J. , Hastings R.
Published: August 2023

Background

Family‐systems interventions have been proposed as one way of supporting families of people with an intellectual disability (ID) or who are autistic. This systematic review aimed to summarise what family‐systems interventions have been studied with this population, what evidence there is for their effectiveness and families' experiences of the interventions.

Methods

The review was preregistered on PROSPERO (CRD42022297516). We searched five electronic databases, identified 6908 records and screened 72 full texts. Study quality was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, and a narrative synthesis was used.

Results

We identified 13 eligible articles with 292 participating families. Most studies reported positive effects of the interventions on wellbeing and family relationships, and families reported positive experiences. However, research quality was poor and there are no any sufficiently powered randomised controlled trials demonstrating family‐systems interventions' effectiveness for this population.

Conclusions

There is a need for higher‐quality research to establish whether family‐systems interventions are beneficial for families of people who have an ID or who are autistic.
Family farmers' strategies to develop autonomy through agroecological and solidarity economy practices: The case of BioVida in the Ecuadorian Andes
Authors: Villalba‐Eguiluz Unai , Latorre Sara , Jiménez Jhonny
Published: August 2023

Considering the global restructuring affecting agrarian landscapes, we build on the concept of autonomy proposed by van der Ploeg and colleagues (but extended and critically complemented) to analyse how family farmers can build this autonomy to face rural capitalist tendencies and maintain their activities and identity. We offer insights from a case study in the Ecuadorian Andes, the BioVida organization that is linked to agroecological and social and solidarity economy movements. Our findings show that family farming autonomy is not being achieved homogeneously for the whole household but must be analysed through an intersectional approach. Furthermore, there are simultaneous processes to achieve different degrees of autonomy and (inter‐)dependency, which are co‐constitutive along gender and age lines and are conditioned by structural constraints. Therefore, for our case study area, agribusiness and family farming processes and spaces seem to operate co‐constitutively rather than antagonistically in practical terms. Agroecology‐based achievements so far act as a localized buffer against adversity rather than an emancipative territorial project of autonomy.
Occupational interstitial lung diseases
Authors: Spagnolo Paolo , Ryerson Christopher J. , Guler Sabina , Feary Johanna , Churg Andrew , Fontenot Andrew P. , Piciucchi Sara , Udwadia Zarir , Corte Tamera J. , Wuyts Wim A. , Johannson Kerri A. , Cottin Vincent
Published: August 2023

Millions of workers are exposed to substances known to cause occupational interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), particularly in developing countries. However, the burden of the disease is likely to be underestimated due to under‐recognition, under‐reporting or both. The diagnosis of occupational ILD requires a high level of suspicion and a thorough occupational history, as occupational and non‐occupational ILDs may be clinically, functionally and radiologically indistinguishable, leading to delayed diagnosis and inappropriate management. A potential occupational aetiology should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of ILD, as removal from the workplace exposure, with or without treatment, is a key therapeutic intervention and may lead to significant improvement. In this article, we provide an overview of the ‘traditional’ inorganic dust‐related ILDs but also address idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the immunologically mediated chronic beryllium disease, sarcoidosis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, with emphasis on the importance of surveillance and prevention for reducing the burden of these conditions. To this end, health‐care professionals should be specifically trained about the importance of occupational exposures as a potential cause of ILD.
Improper crop rotation may enrich soil‐borne pathogens of Panax notoginseng
Authors: Yang Yun , Wei Fugang , Li Zecheng , Han Fei , Guan Huilin , Huang Jingxing
Published: August 2023

Soil‐borne diseases are the main cause of yield reduction of Panax notoginseng (Sanqi), and are mainly caused by the enrichment of pathogenic fungi during continuous cropping. In the Wenshan district of Yunnan province, China, where Sanqi is widely cultivated, the rotation of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) crops with Sanqi crops is assumed to help reduce occurrences of rot in Sanqi roots. However, in a field investigation, we found that this practice actually increased incidences of root rot in Sanqi crops. Using fennel plants obtained from the cropping system, we tested the hypothesis that fennel crops enriched communities of pathogenic fungi of Sanqi. We isolated six endophytic fungi from the roots of fennel plants and identified these based on their morphological characteristics and a sequencing analysis. The isolates were identified as Fusarium oxysporum (FV‐1‐R‐1, FV‐2‐R‐1), Alternaria alternata (FV‐3‐R‐1, FV‐14‐R‐1), Pyricularia grisea (FV‐8‐R‐1) and Colletotrichum truncatum (FV‐11‐R‐4). In a series of inoculation experiments, we verified the pathogenicity of these fungi to Sanqi based on Koch's postulates, and demonstrated that all isolates caused root rot in Sanqi. Our results suggest that fennel is an inappropriate crop choice for rotation with Sanqi because it may serve as an intermediate host for the pathogenic fungi that cause root rot in Sanqi, and thereby exacerbate crop diseases. Our empirical findings provide useful information for enhancing the cultivation of Sanqi and the practice of crop rotation.
Dried porcine soluble benefits to increase fish meal replacement with soy protein concentrate in large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea diet
Authors: Chen Zimo , Ibrahim Umar Bashir , Yu Anlan , Wang Li , Wang Yan
Published: August 2023

The effect of dried porcine soluble (DPS) supplementation on replacement of dietary fish meal with soy protein concentrate (SPC) for large yellow croaker, Larimichthys crocea, was assessed in a feeding trial conducted in inshore net pens. Five isoproteic and isolipidic diets were tested. A basal diet (BD) contained 400 g/kg fish meal, and SPC was used as an alternative ingredient to replace 40% (F24) and 60% (F16) of the fish meal in BD at an equal protein basis. DPS was added at 5 g/kg in F24 (FD24) and F16 (FD16). Fish weighing 33.6 ± 7.4 g were fed with the test diets in 1.5 × 1.5 × 2 m net pens for 9 weeks. The fish meal replacement level significantly affected weight gain, feed conversion ratio, phosphorus retention efficiency, body phosphorus content, and ratio of fish meal consumption to fish production (RCP), while the DPS supplementation level significantly affected weight gain. The weight gain of fish fed FD24 was higher than that of fish fed F16, while no significant difference was found in weight gain between fish fed BD and fish fed FD24, F24, FD16 and F16. The feed cost, RCP and phosphorus waste of fish fed BD were higher than those of fish fed FD24, F24, FD16 and F16. Fish fed FD24 exhibited the best production performance, and the production performance of fish fed F24 and FD16 was close to that of fish fed BD. The present study indicates that the fish meal level in large yellow croaker diet could be lowered to 240 g/kg with SPC alone as a fish meal substitute, and could be further reduced to 160 g/kg by supplementation of 5 g/kg DPS. Therefore, DPS supplementation can benefit to increase fish meal replacement with SPC in large yellow croaker diet.
Reassessment of dietary protein and lipid requirements for large yellow croaker, Larimichthys crocea, reared in net pens
Authors: Chen Zimo , Yu Anlan , Wang Li , Lei Mingtao , Li Peng , Wang Yan
Published: August 2023

At present, large yellow croaker, Larimichthys crocea, a carnivorous fish ranked fifth in aquaculture production among marine finfishes in the world, still relies on raw fish diet because formulated feed alone is not able to sustain rapid growth of the fish. The present study evaluated growth, feed utilization efficiency, body composition and antioxidant capacity of large yellow croaker fed diets containing four protein (430, 460, 490 and 520 g/kg) and three lipid (60, 90 and 120 g/kg) levels. Fish weighing 11.4 ± 2.8 g were fed with the test diets in net pens for 8 weeks. Final body weight and nitrogen retention efficiency (NRE) were dependent on dietary protein and lipid levels and their interaction. Weight gain, body protein content, serum catalase (CAT) activity and liver glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activity were dependent on dietary protein and lipid levels. Phosphorus retention efficiency was dependent on dietary protein level and interaction between protein and lipid levels. Hepatosomatic index, body lipid and energy contents, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and GSH‐Px in serum, and CAT activity and malondialdehyde content in liver were dependent on dietary lipid level. The final body weight and weight gain of fish fed at 490 g/kg protein level did not significantly differ from those fed at 520 g/kg protein level. The final body weight, weight gain and NRE of fish fed at 90 g/kg lipid level were higher than those fed at 60 g/kg lipid level, but did not significantly differ from those fed at 120 g/kg lipid level. The maximum weight gain occurred in fish fed the diets either containing 520 g/kg protein or 90 g/kg lipid. The body lipid content, as well as SOD and GSH‐Px activities in serum, were higher in fish fed the diets with 90 and 120 g/kg lipid compared to fish fed the diets with 60 g/kg lipid. The present study reveals that the optimal dietary protein and lipid levels for large yellow croaker reared in net pens were 490–520 g/kg and 90 g/kg, respectively.
No time to die: Evolution of a post‐reproductive life stage
Authors: Monaghan P. , Ivimey‐Cook E. R.
Published: August 2023

In some species, permanent curtailment of reproduction part‐way through the lifespan of adult females is a feature of their evolved life history. The existence of such a post‐reproductive life stage is apparently rare; reasonably robust evidence for this is confined to only six species (humans, Asian elephants and four whales). That it occurs at all appears to contradict our view of natural selection operating to maximize fitness and special circumstances must exist to explain its occurrence. We evaluate the main hypotheses posited to explain the evolution of this life stage, why it occurs in a restricted group of animals, and why only in females. We bring together literature from multiple biological disciplines and levels of enquiry, ranging through evolutionary ecology, developmental biology, physiology, neuroscience, molecular biology, and human medicine. We conclude that while time‐limited fertility is not in itself adaptive, the duration of subsequent survival is likely to be linked to inclusive fitness benefits. We present a new hypothesis which posits that the duration of female fertility in certain long‐lived, highly encephalised species, with no post‐natal oogenesis, is limited by the need for intense screening of oocyte mitochondria. This is required to support endothermy coupled with the very high energy requirement for the development and maintenance of the exceptionally large brain size required for complex social living. This limits the number and shelf‐life of oocytes, creating an antagonistically pleotropic effect that is beneficial to the production of high performing offspring but carries the later life cost of time‐limited female fertility. But the end of the fertile period is no time to die. Inclusive fitness benefits arising from protracted parental care of offspring, overlapping generations, and kin group structures means that continued survival of post‐reproductive females is favoured by selection. We suggest further lines of research to test these ideas.
miR‐21‐5p promotes NASH‐related hepatocarcinogenesis
Authors: Rodrigues Pedro M. , Afonso Marta B. , Simão André L. , Islam Tawhidul , Gaspar Maria M. , O'Rourke Colm J. , Lewinska Monika , Andersen Jesper B. , Arretxe Enara , Alonso Cristina , Santos‐Laso Álvaro , Izquierdo‐Sanchez Laura , Jimenez‐Agüero Raúl , Eizaguirre Emma , Bujanda Luis , Pareja Maria J. , Prip‐Buus Carina , Banales Jesus M. , Rodrigues Cecília M. P. , Castro Rui E.
Published: August 2023

Background and Aims

The mechanisms governing the progression of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) towards steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain elusive. Here, we evaluated the role of hsa‐miRNA‐21‐5p in NASH‐related hepatocarcinogenesis.

Methods

Hepatic hsa‐miR‐21‐5p expression was evaluated in two cohorts of patients with biopsy‐proven NAFLD (n = 199) or HCC (n = 366 HCC and n = 11 NAFLD‐HCC). Serum/liver metabolomic profiles were correlated with hsa‐miR‐21‐5p in NAFLD obese patients. Wild‐type (WT) and Mir21 KO mice were fed a choline‐deficient, amino acid‐defined (CDAA) diet for 32 and 66 weeks to induce NASH and NASH‐HCC, respectively.

Results

In obese individuals, hsa‐miR‐21‐5p expression increased with NAFLD severity and associated with a hepatic lipotoxic profile. CDAA‐fed WT mice displayed increased hepatic mmu‐miR‐21‐5p levels and progressively developed NASH and fibrosis, with livers presenting macroscopically discernible pre‐neoplastic nodules, hyperplastic foci and deregulated cancer‐related pathways. Mir21 KO mice exhibited peroxisome‐proliferator‐activated receptor α (PPARα) activation, augmented mitochondrial activity, reduced liver injury and NAS below the threshold for NASH diagnosis, with the pro‐inflammatory/fibrogenic milieu reversing to baseline levels. In parallel, Mir21 KO mice displayed reduced number of pre‐neoplastic nodules, hepatocyte proliferation and activation of oncogenic signalling, being protected from NASH‐associated carcinogenesis. The hsa‐miRNA‐21‐5p/PPARα pathway was similarly deregulated in patients with HCC‐ or NASH‐related HCC, correlating with HCC markers and worse prognosis.

Conclusions

Hsa‐miR‐21‐5p is a key inducer of whole‐spectrum NAFLD progression, from simple steatosis to NASH and NASH‐associated carcinogenesis. The inhibition of hsa‐miR‐21‐5p, leading to a pro‐metabolic profile, might constitute an appealing therapeutic approach to ameliorate NASH and prevent progression towards HCC.
Petrology and mineralogy of volcanic glass in meteorite Northwest Africa 11801: Implications for their petrogenesis
Authors: Chen Guozhu , Xia Zhipeng , Miao Bingkui , Wang Zilong , Tian Wei , Zhang Yikai , Liu Hao , Zhang Chuangtong , Xie Lanfang , Peng Yanhua , Chen Hongyi , Wang Xi
Published: August 2023

The study of lunar magma evolution holds significant importance within the scientific community due to its relevance in understanding the Moon's thermal and geological history. However, the intricate task of unraveling the history of early volcanic activity on the Moon is hindered by the high flux of impactors, which have substantially changed the morphology of pristine volcanic constructs. In this study, we focus on a unique volcanic glass found in the lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 11801. This kind of volcanic glass is bead‐like in shape and compositionally similar to the Apollo‐14 and Apollo‐17 very low‐Ti glass. Our research approach involves conducting a comprehensive analysis of the petrology and mineralogy of the volcanic glass, coupled with multiple thermodynamic modeling techniques. Through the investigation, we aim to shed light on the petrological characteristics and evolutionary history of the glass. The results indicate that the primitive magma of the glass was created at 1398–1436°C and 8.3–11.9 kbar (166–238 km) from an olivine+orthopyroxene mantle source region. Then, the magma ascended toward the surface along a non‐adiabatic path with an ascent rate of ~40 m s−1 or 0.2 MPa s−1. During the magma ascent, only olivine crystallized and the onset of magma eruption occurred at ~1320–1343°C. Finally, the glass cooled rapidly on the lunar surface with a cooling rate ranging between 20 and 200 K min−1. Considerable evidence from petrology, mineralogy, cooling rate, and the eruption rate of the glass beads strongly supports the occurrence of ancient explosive volcanism on the Moon.
Non‐destructive elemental analysis of lunar meteorites using a negative muon beam
Authors: Chiu I‐Huan , Terada Kentaro , Osawa Takahito , Park Changkun , Takeshita Soshi , Miyake Yasuhiro , Ninomiya Kazuhiko
Published: August 2023

We report the result of a non‐destructive elemental analysis of lunar meteorites using a negative muon beam at J‐PARC. An experimental system of six Ge semiconductor detectors and a newly designed He analysis chamber (to enable quantitative analysis of Al) was used to provide a high signal‐to‐noise ratio for the detection of major elements from lunar rocks (Mg, Si, Fe, O, Ca, and Al). We performed a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the chemical compositions at two sides and the center of a sample (at depths of 0.33 and 0.96 mm below the sample surface, respectively) of the lunar meteorite DEW 12007. These results indicate that the three interior regions of DEW 12007 are likely to be 55.8:44.2, 51.4:48.6, and 54.4:45.6 wt% mixtures of anorthositic and basaltic clasts, respectively. This study is the first quantitative analysis of a heterogeneous meteorite interior using a negative muon beam. As elemental analysis using a muon beam is non‐destructive and highly sensitive to light elements, including C, N, and O, the protocols established in this study are applicable to initial characterization of returned samples from the South Pole of the Moon.
Randomized clinical trial: A phase 2b controlled study of the efficacy and safety of trazpiroben (TAK‐906) for idiopathic or diabetic gastroparesis
Authors: Tack Jan , McCallum Richard , Kuo Braden , Huh Susanna Y. , Zhang Yanwei , Chen Yaozhu J. , Mehrotra Shailly , Parkman Henry P.
Published: August 2023

Background

Previous clinical studies of trazpiroben, a dopamine D2/D3 receptor antagonist for long‐term treatment of moderate‐to‐severe idiopathic and diabetic gastroparesis, have shown improved symptoms of fullness. This study assessed trazpiroben efficacy, safety, and tolerability in adults with idiopathic and diabetic gastroparesis versus placebo.

Methods

This global, multicenter, double‐blind, parallel‐group, phase 2b study (NCT03544229) enrolled eligible adults aged 18–85 years with symptomatic idiopathic or diabetic gastroparesis. Randomized participants received either oral placebo or trazpiroben 5, 25, or 50 mg, administered twice daily over 12 weeks, and completed the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index‐Daily Diary. Change in weekly composite score from baseline to week 12 (primary endpoint) and treatment‐emergent adverse events were assessed. Data were summarized descriptively.

Key Results

Overall, 242 participants were enrolled (mean [standard deviation] age 55.7 [14.2] years; 75.6% female); 193 completed the study. No significant differences in change from baseline in weekly average of the daily diary composite score occurred at week 12 between placebo (least‐squares mean [standard error] −1.19 [0.12]) and trazpiroben (5, 25, and 50 mg: −1.11 [0.22], −1.17 [0.12], and −1.21 [0.12], respectively). Overall, 41.4% of participants receiving trazpiroben reported treatment‐emergent adverse events (placebo, 39.7%). No serious events were considered trazpiroben‐related; no life‐threatening or fatal events were reported.

Conclusions & Inferences

There was no clinically meaningful difference in efficacy between trazpiroben and placebo in treating gastroparesis, based on the primary endpoint analysis. Trazpiroben was well tolerated with no new safety concerns identified, strengthening evidence supporting its favorable safety profile.

NCT number: NCT03544229.
Argonaute7 (AGO7) optimizes arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal associations and enhances competitive growth inNicotiana attenuata
Authors: Pradhan Maitree , Baldwin Ian T. , Pandey Shree P.
Published: August 2023

Plants interact with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and in doing so, change transcript levels of many miRNAs and their targets. However, the identity of an Argonaute (AGO) that modulates this interaction remains unknown, including inNicotiana attenuata.

We examined how the silencing of NaAGO1/2/4/7/and 10 by RNAi influenced plant‐competitive ability under low‐P conditions when they interact with AMF. Furthermore, the roles of seven miRNAs, predicted to regulate signaling and phosphate homeostasis, were evaluated by transient overexpression.

OnlyNaAGO7silencing by RNAi (irAGO7) significantly reduced the competitive ability under P‐limited conditions, without changes in leaf or root development, or juvenile‐to‐adult phase transitions. In plants growing competitively in the glasshouse, irAGO7roots were over‐colonized with AMF, but they accumulated significantly less phosphate and the expression of their AMF‐specific transporters was deregulated. Furthermore, the AMF‐induced miRNA levels were inversely regulated with the abundance of their target transcripts. miRNA overexpression consistently decreased plant fitness, with four of seven‐tested miRNAs reducing mycorrhization rates, and two increasing mycorrhization rates. Overexpression of Na‐miR473 and Na‐miRNA‐PN59 downregulated targets in GA, ethylene, and fatty acid metabolism pathways.

We infer that AGO7 optimizes competitive ability and colonization by regulating miRNA levels and signaling pathways during a plant's interaction with AMF.
A rapid method for assembly of single chromosome and identification of sex determination region based on single‐chromosome sequencing
Authors: Li Ning , Zhou Jian , Zhang Wanqing , Liu Wenjia , Wang Bingxin , She Hongbing , Mirbahar Ameer Ahmed , Li Shufen , Zhang Yulan , Gao Wujun , Qian Wei , Deng Chuanliang
Published: August 2023

The sex‐determining‐region (SDR) may offer the best prospects for studying sex‐determining gene, recombination suppression, and chromosome heteromorphism. However, current progress of SDR identification and cloning showed following shortcomings: large near‐isogenic lines need to be constructed, and a relatively large population is needed; the cost of whole‐genome sequencing and assembly is high.

Herein, the X/Y chromosomes of Spinacia oleracea L. subsp. turkestanica were successfully microdissected and assembled using single‐chromosome sequencing.

The assembly length of X and Y chromosome is c. 192.1 and 195.2 Mb, respectively. Three large inversions existed between X and Y chromosome. The SDR size of X and Y chromosome is c. 13.2 and 24.1 Mb, respectively. MSY region and six male‐biased genes were identified. A Y‐chromosome‐specific marker in SDR was constructed and used to verify the chromosome assembly quality at cytological level via fluorescence in situ hybridization. Meanwhile, it was observed that the SDR located on long arm of Y chromosome and near the centromere.

Overall, a technical system was successfully established for rapid cloning the SDR and it is also applicable to rapid assembly of specific chromosome in other plants. Furthermore, this study laid a foundation for studying the molecular mechanism of sex chromosome evolution in spinach.
Reimagining scientific conferences—a Keystone Symposia report
Authors: Weiman Shannon , Cable Jennifer , Greenleaf Walter , Rundel Felix , Whitfield Kate E. , Wingate Lory , Gallagher Richard , Pesanelli Jennifer , Orr Dereck , Jarvis Thale C. , Cadar Raluca , Uva Matthew D' , Ruediger Dylan , Vaez Robert , Frisby Adam , Ahmed Sami , Donoviel Dorit , Klinman Judith , Johnson Debbie
Published: August 2023

Scientific conferences play an important role in advancing research, scholarship, and the careers of emerging scientists. The COVID‐19 pandemic offered meeting organizers and researchers alike an opportunity to reimagine what scientific conferences could look like. Virtual conferences can increase inclusivity and accessibility while decreasing costs and carbon emissions. However, it is generally perceived that the digital world fails to adequately recapitulate many of the benefits of in‐person face‐to‐face interactions; these include socializing, and collaborative environments that can forge new research directions and provide critical career development opportunities. On November 15 and 16, 2022, researchers, representatives from diverse scientific conference organizations, leaders in virtual platform technologies, and innovators in conference design gathered online for the Open Access Keystone eSymposium “Reimagining Scientific Conferences.” The meeting focused on how conference organizers can leverage lessons from the pandemic and emerging virtual platforms to engage new audiences, rethink strategies for scientific exchange, and decrease the carbon footprint of in‐person events.
Thinking about the next generation: The case for a mentalization‐informed approach to perinatal and intergenerational mental health
Authors: MacBeth Angus , Christie Hope , Golds Lisa , Morales Francisca , Raouna Aigli , Sawrikar Vilas , Gillespie‐Smith Karri
Published: August 2023

Background

There has been substantial progress made across multiple disciplines to emphasize the importance of perinatal mental health both for parents and offspring. This focuses on what has been termed the ‘First 1000 Days’ from conception to the child's second birthday. We argue that our understanding of this issue can go further to create an intergenerational approach to mental health. Despite the existence of theoretical frameworks and practical approaches to implementation, there are gaps in the understanding of perinatal and intergenerational mental health including which psychological mechanisms are implicated in the transmission of risk and resilience within the perinatal period; and how to leverage these into treatment approaches.

Aims and Methods

In this paper, we explore the potential for mentalization as a candidate psychological approach to intergenerational mental health.

Results

We contextualize this issue in terms of the points of contact between mentalization and broader theoretical models such as the social determinants of health and the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DoHaD) model. Further, we provide an overview of the existing evidence base for the relevance of mentalization to perinatal mental health.

Discussion

Finally, we sketch out an outline model for integrating mentalization into perinatal and intergenerational mental health, highlighting several areas of opportunity to develop research and practice from diverse geographies and demographics. Here, we suggest that integration of mentalization with other conceptual frameworks such as DoHaD can mutually enrich the understanding of each model, pointing the way towards more effective early and preventative interventions.
Entrepreneur weirdness as a double‐edged sword: Effects on product creativity and investor attraction
Authors: Kim Jun‐Yeob , Grijalva Emily , Newman Daniel A. , Li Yong
Published: August 2023

Many iconic entrepreneurs have been celebrated for being unapologetically weird. Using pitches collected from the TV show Shark Tank, we seek to unpack the link between entrepreneur weirdness and investor interest (i.e., number of bidders) in the context of securing investor funding. Integrating Wood and colleagues’ (2007) theory of non‐normativity with Amabile's (1983, 1996) componential theory of creativity, we propose that weirdness, as a form of non‐normativity, yields both positive and negative outcomes for entrepreneurs through two distinct pathways. Specifically, the weirdness advantage operates through entrepreneur creativity, whereas the weirdness liability operates through lower entrepreneur competence. Our empirical analyses of non‐normativity suggest that entrepreneur weirdness indeed is a double‐edged sword. Further, we propose that entrepreneur warmth (being friendly and good natured) moderates both weirdness effects, by strengthening the positive effect on entrepreneur creativity and dampening the negative effect on entrepreneur competence. Implications of the advantages and disadvantages of entrepreneur weirdness are discussed.
Under drought conditions, fungicide seed coating does not increase emergence of two native grass species in sagebrush stands of the Intermountain West, U.S.A.
Authors: Koutzoukis Sofia , Madsen Matthew D. , Veblen Kari E.
Published: August 2023

Coating seeds with amendments to increase germination, emergence, and establishment is a promising strategy for dryland restoration. Seed coatings containing fungicides offer a potential solution in regions where fungal pathogens cause seed mortality during the winter stratification period between late fall seeding and spring germination. The effectiveness of the fungicide treatment, however, may be dictated by weather and within‐site microenvironment. We tested how fungicide coating influenced seedling emergence of native grasses within sagebrush stands by planting untreated seeds and seeds coated (encrusted) with and without active fungicide ingredients in furrows that extended from the canopy edge of sagebrush plants (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) into the interspace. This was replicated at four sites across the Intermountain West in two successive years. We planted two native grasses, bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides) and bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata). Emergence was extremely low in both years, with a complete seeding failure (i.e. zero emergence) at two sites in the first year and three sites in the second year. At one site where emergence was sufficient for statistical analysis: (1) the coating on the fungicide and blank treatments inhibited emergence under anomalously dry conditions and (2) across seed treatments, proximity to a sagebrush canopy slightly increased seedling emergence. The variable emergence patterns across sites and years (i.e. the highest emergence was for the site–year combination with the lowest precipitation) highlight the sensitivity of seeding outcomes to, and dependence of fungicide seed coatings on, site conditions, and the necessity of repeating experiments across different weather years.
Measuring Vulnerability to Multidimensional Poverty in Latin America
Authors: Gallardo Mauricio , Santos María Emma , Villatoro Pablo , Pizarro Vicky
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we perform estimates of vulnerability to multidimensional poverty for 17 Latin American countries at three points of time: 2005/2006, 2012, and 2017. We use a Multidimensional Bayesian Network Classifier model to estimate the conditional probability of being multidimensionally poor and then we use these probabilities and the standard downside semi‐deviation as the risk parameter to identify the vulnerable households. Despite significant reductions over the study period, in 2017 approximately 150 million people—excluding Guatemala, Nicaragua and Venezuela for which we do not have recent data—remained vulnerable to multidimensional poverty. We also observe that vulnerability to poverty is reduced at a much slower rate than poverty itself, revealing that achievements in SDG1 can be quite fragile. We perform a decomposition and find that as poverty decreases, risk‐induced vulnerability becomes relatively more important than poverty‐induced vulnerability. However, the poor‐vulnerable still constitute the core vulnerability group.
Wrestling with multiple accountabilities in times of crisis: Findings from the experiences of Chinese local governments in responding to COVID‐19
Authors: Ye Zimeng , Ma Ben , Li Yanwei
Published: August 2023

Governments around the world, when faced with a crisis, struggle to manage various legitimate accountability expectations. Our study investigated how Chinese local governments reconcile social and hierarchical accountability in managing COVID‐19. We found that local governments are generally more responsive to hierarchical than social accountability. Moreover, senior officials are highly unlikely to shirk their duties toward hierarchical accountability when a crisis is severe. Furthermore, crisis severity increases local governments' responsiveness to social accountability. Our study has encircled our understanding regarding the management of multiple accountabilities in crisis.
Osteoradionecrosis treatment in head and neck cancer patients: An overview of systematic reviews
Authors: Schroter Gabriella Torres , Stopiglia Renata Maria Mamprin , Carvalho Giovanna Lopes , Morimoto Susana , Mota Maria Emília , Alves Fábio Abreu , Jaguar Graziella Chagas , Moreira Maria Stella
Published: August 2023

Aims

Evaluate the existing evidence of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) treatment in adults with head and neck cancer, the methodological quality and the evidence grade within systematic reviews (SRs).

Methods

An extensive systematic literature search of SRs that addressed ORN in head and neck cancer patients was conducted with screening of eligible studies, data extraction, methodological (AMSTAR 2) and evidence quality assessment (GRADE) of the SRs by independent and calibrated authors.

Results

A total of six SRs were enrolled. Based primarily on studies from the 1990s, there is critically low‐ or moderate‐quality evidence that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) improves ORN healing. From 2005 onward, evidence has been discovered in relation to treatment with pentoxifylline and tocopherol (PENTO). The SRs indicate that the management of ORN with PENTO appears to be promising. The greatest rates of healing are seen in mild and moderate stages of ORN. However, the quality of evidence regarding PENTO, surgery and other treatments remains critically low.

Conclusion

There is no standardized protocol to treat ORN. PENTO appears to be the most promising conservative treatment; however, the current level of evidence regarding PENTO is still critically low. More robust clinical studies are needed to establish the best treatment for ORN.
Whiteness, contact, gentrification, and critical diversity: A new racial ideology of gentrifying whites?
Authors: Dunn Kyle
Published: August 2023

Research shows that increased contact between different races under the right conditions can increase interracial tolerance. Research also shows that more white individuals are moving back to city centers through the process of gentrification. This research shows that gentrification is a process ripe with conflict which has implications on interracial contact. New development in neighborhoods not only prices out longtime residents who are often of color but is also geared toward newer middle‐class patrons who are often white. Literature on whites living in diverse or gentrifying neighborhoods illustrates habits and behaviors that result in the avoidance of people of color. Literature also illustrates that's these whites are likely to be more politically progressive and claim to value the racially diverse nature of their neighborhoods. Critical diversity research sheds some light on this paradox, but this is a small but growing field. More research needs to be done to better understand the habitus, the racial ideologies, and the relationships white individuals who live in diverse or gentrifying neighborhoods, have with people of color. Doing so would not only examine how gentrification is structuring interracial contact, but also provide a closer look at a new dominant racial ideology for whites in this context. Critical diversity ideology, while similar to color blind racism, in that it still reproduces racial inequality, is a distinct racial ideology that is potentially paramount in the contexts of racially diverse neighborhoods. Detroit makes an ideal location for this research due to its history of racial segregation and current influx of white individuals living in close proximity to their Black counterparts.
Are middle schoolers with diverse friends liked, disliked, or unnoticed ‐ and by whom?
Authors: Kline Naomi G. , Juvonen Jaana
Published: August 2023

Having cross‐ethnic friends in early adolescence is associated with more positive intergroup attitudes, but little is known about the social signaling function of the diversity of friends. The current study examined how the ethnic diversity of students’ friends in seventh grade is related to their social status (e.g., acceptance, rejection, and social impact) by eighth grade in multi‐ethnic schools. It is hypothesized that friend diversity is (a) related to higher social status among ethnic out‐group peers as it signals inclusiveness, but (b) related to lower in‐group social status as diversity of friends may threaten the ethnic in‐group. Utilizing a longitudinal sample of ethnically diverse youth (n = 4653) from 26 middle schools, the study capitalizes on outgoing friendship nominations in seventh grade and incoming acceptance and rejection nominations in eighth grade, while controlling for overall social status in grade seven. A novel index was used to calculate the diversity of youth's friend groups, and precise coding was done to retain biracial youth in the analytic sample. Results showed that having diverse friends was related to higher visibility (i.e., social impact) and greater acceptance from ethnic out‐group members. In contrast, adolescents with diverse friend groups were less visible and less accepted by their in‐group. Diversity of friends was not associated with out‐group or in‐group rejection. Findings highlight the importance of understanding how the composition of friend groups may signal intergroup attitudes and in‐group solidarity in ways that have social status trade‐offs among out‐ and in‐group members.
The novel HLA‐A*30:01:24 allele, identified by Sanger dideoxy nucleotide sequencing in a Chinese individual
Authors: Lou Can , He Yang , Du Ke‐ming , Zheng Zhong‐zheng , Gong Songsong
Published: August 2023

HLA‐A*30:01:24 differs from HLA‐A*30:01:01:01 by one nucleotide in exon 3.
Projective varieties with nef tangent bundle in positive characteristic
Authors: Kanemitsu Akihiro , Watanabe Kiwamu
Published: August 2023

Let $X$ be a smooth projective variety defined over an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic $p$ whose tangent bundle is nef. We prove that $X$ admits a smooth morphism $X \to M$ such that the fibers are Fano varieties with nef tangent bundle and $T_M$ is numerically flat. We also prove that extremal contractions exist as smooth morphisms. As an application, we prove that, if the Frobenius morphism can be lifted modulo $p^2$, then $X$ admits, up to a finite étale Galois cover, a smooth morphism onto an ordinary abelian variety whose fibers are products of projective spaces.
Post‐nursing early life macronutrient balance promotes persistent and malleable biometric and metabolic traits in mice
Authors: Yap Yann W. , Rusu Patricia M. , Foollee Ashish , Rose Adam J.
Published: August 2023

It is known that dietary factors within the gestational and nursing period affect early life and stably affect later life traits in animals. However, there is very little understanding of whether dietary factors within the early life period from post‐nursing to adulthood affect traits in adulthood. To address this, we conducted studies on male C57Bl/6J mice fed from 3 weeks (immediately post‐nursing) until 12 weeks (full maturity) using nine different diets varying in all three major macronutrients to parse out the effects of individual macronutrients. Early life macronutrient balance affected body composition and glucose homeostasis in early adulthood, with dietary protein and fat showing major effects. Despite this, mice showed rapid reversal of the effects on body composition and glucose homeostasis of early life diet feeding, upon standard diet feeding in adulthood. However, some traits were persistent, with early life low dietary protein levels stably affecting lean and muscle mass, and early life dietary fat levels stably affecting serum and liver triglyceride levels. In summary, macronutrient balance in the post‐nursing early life period does not stably affect adiposity or glucose homeostasis but does impact muscle mass and lipid homeostasis in adulthood, with prominent effects of both protein and fat levels.

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Key points

Early life dietary low protein and high fat levels lowered and heightened body mass, respectively. These effects did not substantially persist into adulthood with rapid catch‐up growth on a normal diet.

Early life protein (negative) and fat (positive) levels affected fat mass. Early life low protein levels negatively affected lean mass. Low protein effects on lower lean and muscle mass persisted into adulthood.

Early life macronutrient balance effects did not affect later life glucose homeostasis but early life high fat level affected later life dyslipidaemia.

Effects of dietary carbohydrate levels in early and later life were minor.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Turbulence Model and Experimental Study for a Fontan Cavopulmonary Assist Device
Authors: Sarfare Shreyas , Ali MD Shujan , Palazzolo Alan , Rodefeld Mark , Conover Tim , Figliola Richard , Giridharan Guruprasad , Wampler Richard , Bennett Edward , Ivashchenko Artem
Published: August 2023

Head-flow HQ curves for a Fontan cavopulmonary assist device (CPAD) were measured using a blood surrogate in a mock circulatory loop and simulated with various computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. The tests benchmarked the CFD tools for further enhancement of the CPAD design. Recommended Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) CFD approaches for the development of conventional ventricular assist devices (VAD) were found to have shortcomings when applied to the Fontan CPAD, which is designed to neutralize off-condition obstruction risks that could contribute to a major adverse event. The no-obstruction condition is achieved with a von Karman pump, utilizing large clearances and small blade heights, which challenge conventional VAD RANS-based CFD hemodynamic simulations. High-fidelity large eddy simulation (LES) is always recommended; however, this may be cost-inhibitive for optimization studies in commercial settings, thus the reliance on RANS models. This study compares head and power predictions of various RANS turbulence models, employing experimental measurements and LES results as a basis for comparison. The models include standard k−ϵ, re-normalization group k−ϵ, realizable k−ϵ, shear stress transport (SST) k−ω, SST with transitional turbulence, and Generalized k−ω. For the pressure head predictions, it was observed that the standard k−ϵ model provided far better agreement with experiment. For the rotor torque, k−ϵ predictions were 30% lower than LES, while the SST and LES torque values were near identical. For the Fontan CPAD, the findings support using LES for the final design simulations, k−ϵ model for head and general flow simulation, and SST for power, shear stress, hemolysis, and thrombogenicity predictions.