bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of the phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system on toxin gene expression and virulence in Bacillus anthracis
Authors: Bier Naomi , Hammerstrom Troy G. , Koehler Theresa M.
Published: October 2019

AtxA, the master virulence gene regulator of Bacillus anthracis, is a PRD‐Containing Virulence Regulator (PCVR) as indicated by the crystal structure, post‐translational modifications and activity of the protein. PCVRs are transcriptional regulators, named for PTS Regulatory Domains (PRDs) subject to phosphorylation by the phosphoenolpyruvate phosphotransferase system (PEP‐PTS) and for their impact on virulence gene expression. Here we present data from experiments employing physiological, genetic and biochemical approaches that support a model in which the PTS proteins HPr and Enzyme I (EI) are required for transcription of the atxA gene, rather than phosphorylation of AtxA. We show that atxA transcription is reduced 2.5‐fold in a mutant lacking HPr and EI, and that this change is sufficient to affect anthrax toxin production. Mutants harboring HPr proteins altered for phosphotransfer activity were unable to restore atxA transcription to parent levels, suggesting that phosphotransfer activity of HPr and EI is important for regulation of atxA. In a mouse model for anthrax, a HPr– EI– mutant was attenuated for virulence. Virulence was restored by expressing atxA from an alternative, PTS‐independent, promoter. Our data support a model in which HPr transfers a phosphate to an unidentified downstream transcriptional regulator to influence atxA gene transcription.
The two solitudes of Canadian nativism: Explaining the absence of a competitive anti‐immigration party in Canada
Authors: Gordon Joshua , Jeram Sanjay , van der Linden Clifton
Published: October 2019

Canada has been celebrated in popular and academic work for its relative immunity to nativist populism. No competitive nativist party has recently emerged in federal politics that challenges the mainstream consensus around mass immigration, unlike virtually every other postindustrial democracy. This paper argues that existing explanations for this “exceptionalism” are lacking. In particular, they fail to appreciate the importance of Quebec nationalism in contributing to this outcome. Quebec nationalism fractured the stronger anti‐immigration sentiment found in rural and smaller urban areas in both Quebec and Anglophone Canada and thereby prevented right‐wing parties from mobilising that sentiment in a way that could feasibly win elections. This forced such parties to moderate their message and court “ethnic voters” in suburban ridings around Toronto and Vancouver. We illustrate this argument using novel data which permit a comparison of the Canadian experience with nativist politics in Australia and New Zealand.
How does polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis regulate T‐lymphocyte function?
Authors: Fielding B. A. , Calder P. C. , Irvine N. A. , Miles E. A. , Lillycrop K. A. , von Gerichten J. , Burdge G. C.
Published: October 2019

Impaired regulation of immune function characterised by chronic inflammation together with a declining protective immune response is a major challenge to healthy ageing. It is therefore important to understand the mechanisms that regulate immune function and the impact of ageing upon such processes. Appropriate induction and resolution of the immune response require adequate availability of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for incorporation into cell membranes. However, humans are unable to synthesise PUFAs de novo and are dependent upon dietary intake for pre‐formed PUFAs or synthesis by the liver from the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n‐6) and alpha‐linolenic acid (aLNA, 18:3n‐3). We have shown that activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells increases PUFA biosynthesis from essential fatty acids via a mechanism that involves altered epigenetic regulation of a key gene in the pathway. Moreover, induction of PUFA synthesis is directly involved in the regulation of lymphocyte activation and proliferation. The aim of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council responsive mode award described in this paper, ‘How does polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis regulate T‐lymphocyte function?’, is to determine how PUFA biosynthesis regulates T‐cell function and the effect of ageing on this process. The project will identify points of regulation in the biosynthetic pathway and how these might influence the capacity for up‐regulation of PUFA synthesis in older individuals. We will use stable isotope tracers of LA and aLNA to determine whether newly synthesised PUFAs are preferential substrates for synthesis of lipid mediators and whether they are involved in formation of membrane microdomains that mediate cell signalling.
Sex differences in the epigenetic regulation of chronic visceral pain following unpredictable early life stress
Authors: Louwies Tijs , Greenwood‐Van Meerveld Beverley
Published: October 2019

Background

We previously reported that early life stress (ELS) dysregulated glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH) expression in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Epigenetic modifications serve as memories of adverse events that occurred during early life. Therefore, we hypothesized that epigenetic mechanisms alter GR and CRH expression in the CeA and underlie chronic visceral pain after ELS.

Methods

Neonatal rats were exposed to unpredictable, predictable ELS, or odor only (no stress control) from postnatal days 8 to 12. In adulthood, visceral sensitivity was assessed or the CeA was isolated for Western blot or ChiP‐qPCR to study histone modifications at the GR and CRH promoters. Female adult rats underwent stereotaxic implantation of indwelling cannulas for microinjections of garcinol (HAT inhibitor) into the CeA. After 7 days of microinjections, visceral sensitivity was assessed or the CeA was isolated for ChIP‐qPCR assays.

Results

Unpredictable ELS increased visceral sensitivity in adult female rats, but not in male counterparts. ELS increased histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9) acetylation in the CeA and H3K9 acetylation levels at the GR promoter in the CeA of adult female rats. After unpredictable ELS, H3K9 acetylation was increased and GR binding was decreased at the CRH promoter. Administration of garcinol in the CeA of adult females, that underwent unpredictable ELS, normalized H3K9 acetylation and restored GR binding at the CRH promoter.

Conclusion

Dysregulated histone acetylation and GR binding at the CRH promoter in the CeA are an important mechanism for “memorizing” ELS events mediating visceral pain in adulthood.
Correlation between reflux burden, peristaltic function, and mucosal integrity in GERD patients
Authors: Ribolsi Mentore , Gyawali Chandra Prakash , Savarino Edoardo , Rogers Benjamin , Rengarajan Arvind , Della Coletta Marco , Ghisa Matteo , Cicala Michele
Published: October 2019

Background

Mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI) augments the diagnostic yield of multichannel intraluminal impedance‐pH (MII‐pH) monitoring. While acid exposure time (AET) correlates with MNBI, it remains unclear whether esophageal motility affects MNBI values. The present study was aimed at evaluating the respective roles of esophageal motor function and AET on MNBI.

Methods

High‐resolution manometry (HRM) studies and ambulatory 24‐hour MII‐pH monitoring tracings were retrospectively analyzed from consecutive endoscopy‐negative GERD patients with typical symptoms responsive to previous acid‐suppressive therapy from three tertiary care centers. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine predictors of pathologic MNBI values at 3 cm and 5 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).

Key Results

Patients with pathological AET displayed lower MNBI values at 3 cm and 5 cm (P < .01) compared to patients with non‐pathological AET. Similarly, significantly lower MNBI values were also noted at both sites with type 3 EGJ compared to type 1 EGJ (P ≤ .02 for each comparison), and with absent contractility compared to normal peristalsis (P ≤ .02 for each comparison). On multivariate analysis, the presence of type 2 or 3 EGJ and absent contractility were associated with a significantly higher probability of pathological MNBI values at 3 cm and 5 cm above the LES.

Conclusions and Inferences

Disruption of the EGJ and absent contractility on HRM are both associated with lower MNBI values. HRM findings complement reflux testing using MII‐pH monitoring.
Towards a plant model for enigmatic U‐to‐C RNA editing: the organelle genomes, transcriptomes, editomes and candidate RNA editing factors in the hornwort Anthoceros agrestis
Authors: Gerke Philipp , Szövényi Péter , Neubauer Anna , Lenz Henning , Gutmann Bernard , McDowell Rose , Small Ian , Schallenberg‐Rüdinger Mareike , Knoop Volker
Published: October 2019

Hornworts are crucial to understand the phylogeny of early land plants. The emergence of ‘reverse’ U‐to‐C RNA editing accompanying the widespread C‐to‐U RNA editing in plant chloroplasts and mitochondria may be a molecular synapomorphy of a hornwort–tracheophyte clade. C‐to‐U RNA editing is well understood after identification of many editing factors in models like Arabidopsis thaliana and Physcomitrella patens, but there is no plant model yet to investigate U‐to‐C RNA editing. The hornwort Anthoceros agrestis is now emerging as such a model system.

We report on the assembly and analyses of the A. agrestis chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes, their transcriptomes and editomes, and a large nuclear gene family encoding pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins likely acting as RNA editing factors.

Both organelles in A. agrestis feature high amounts of RNA editing, with altogether > 1100 sites of C‐to‐U and 1300 sites of U‐to‐C editing. The nuclear genome reveals > 1400 genes for PPR proteins with variable carboxyterminal DYW domains.

We observe significant variants of the ‘classic’ DYW domain, in the meantime confirmed as the cytidine deaminase for C‐to‐U editing, and discuss the first attractive candidates for reverse editing factors given their excellent matches to U‐to‐C editing targets according to the PPR‐RNA binding code.
Plant‐mediated effects of elevated CO2 and rice cultivars on soil carbon dynamics in a paddy soil
Authors: Hu Zhengkun , Chen Xiaoyun , Yao Junneng , Zhu Chunwu , Zhu Jianguo , Liu Manqiang
Published: October 2019

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration under elevated CO2 concentration (eCO2) is a function of carbon (C) input and C retention. Nitrogen (N) limitation in natural ecosystems can constrain plant responses to eCO2 and their subsequent effects on SOC, but the effect of eCO2 on SOC in N‐enriched agroecosystems with cultivars highly responsive to eCO2 is largely unknown.

We reported results of SOC dynamics from a field free‐air CO2 enrichment experiment with two rice cultivars having distinct photosynthetic capacities under eCO2. A reciprocal incubation experiment was further conducted to disentangle the effect of changes in litter quality and soil microbial community on litter‐derived C dynamics.

eCO2 significantly increased total SOC content, dissolved organic C and particulate organic C under the strongly responsive cultivar, likely due to enhanced organic C inputs originated from CO2 stimulation of shoot and root biomass. Increases in the residue C : N ratio and fungal abundance induced by eCO2 under the strongly responsive cultivar reduced C losses from decomposition, possibly through increasing microbial C use efficiency.

Our findings suggest that applications of high‐yielding cultivars may substantially enhance soil C sequestration in rice paddies under future CO2 scenarios.
Hypothermic and cryogenic preservation of tissue‐engineered human bone
Authors: Tam Edmund , McGrath Madison , Sladkova Martina , AlManaie Athbah , Alostaad Anaam , de Peppo Giuseppe Maria
Published: October 2019

To foster translation and commercialization of tissue‐engineered products, preservation methods that do not significantly compromise tissue properties need to be designed and tested. Robust preservation methods will enable the distribution of tissues to third parties for research or transplantation, as well as banking of off‐the‐shelf products. We recently engineered bone grafts from induced pluripotent stem cells and devised strategies to facilitate a tissue‐engineering approach to segmental bone defect therapy. In this study, we tested the effects of two potential preservation methods on the survival, quality, and function of tissue‐engineered human bone. Engineered bone grafts were cultured for 5 weeks in an osteogenic environment and then stored in phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) solution at 4 °C or in Synth‐a‐Freeze™ at −80 °C. After 48 h, samples were warmed up in a water bath at 37 °C, incubated in osteogenic medium, and analyzed 1 and 24 h after revitalization. The results show that while storage in Synth‐a‐Freeze at −80 °C results in cell death and structural alteration of the extracellular matrix, hypothermic storage in PBS does not significantly affect tissue viability and integrity. This study supports the use of short‐term hypothermic storage for preservation and distribution of high‐quality tissue‐engineered bone grafts for research and future clinical applications.
The prevalence of oral high‐risk HPV infection in Indonesian oral squamous cell carcinoma patients
Authors: Purwanto Denni J. , Soedarsono Nurtami , Reuwpassa Jauhari O. , Adisasmita Asri C. , Ramli Muchlis , Djuwita Ratna
Published: October 2019

Objectives

The objective of this study was to report the integrated observations of high‐risk HPV‐related oral squamous carcinoma (OSCC) at our national referral center for cancer, the Dharmais National Cancer Hospital (DNCH), Jakarta, from 2003 to 2013.

Materials and Methods

Seventy‐eight formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded specimens obtained from OSCC cases were collected from 2003 to 2013 DNCH archives and were included in this high‐risk HPV (HR‐HPV) study. Seventy‐nine DNA samples from the normal oral mucosa of healthy individuals were obtained from the Oral Biology Laboratory DNA archives from 2001 to 2005. Glyceraldehyde 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase was used as a control to ensure the DNA integrity for the subsequent HPV DNA PCR detection. High‐risk HPV16/18 DNA amplification was conducted by nested PCR using two pairs of primers that were designed specifically to identify the region of gene L1 HPV16 and the HPV16/18 region.

Results and Conclusions

A high prevalence of HPV16/18 was detected in OSCC cases (17.9%). HPV18 occurred more often than HPV16 (86%) among OSCC patients who were HPV positive. This result supports high HPV18 prevalence among Indonesian cervical cancer patients studied in 1995 and 2006. The prevalence of high‐risk HPV remains low in the normal Indonesian population (3.8%), but HPV16 is consistently more frequently detected in non‐cancer populations.
Making connections: a fresh analysis of an early neolithic pit and its contents
Authors: Baczkowski Jon
Published: October 2019

Outlined here is a new and detailed assessment of two Early Neolithic pits discovered in 1933 by Dr. E.C. Curwen on New Barn Down, Worthing. Newly obtained radiocarbon dates that place the pits between 4000–3800 BC make them amongst the earliest Neolithic features in Sussex and southern England.

It is proposed that the pits (collectively known as Pit X) display connections not only to the nearby flint mines, but also to the immediate coastal zone and to wider England. The examination illuminates the practices of an Early Neolithic community, who were not only extracting flint from the nearby mines, but also familiar with new forms of material culture and social customs.
A POWER TO INTRIGUE? EXPLORING THE ‘TIMELESS’ QUALITIES OF THE SO‐CALLED ‘GROTESQUE’ IRON AGE TORC FROM SNETTISHAM, NORFOLK
Authors: Joy Jody
Published: October 2019

Sometimes we come across objects that truly intrigue us. Not necessarily because they are great examples of art, or because they are made of precious materials, but because there is some other quality which captures our attention. One of these can be age. Just as age adds character to people’s faces, the patina of an object or visible signs of damage and use instils an object with a certain ‘charisma’ or ‘aura’. This paper examines in detail the so‐called grotesque torc, a neck‐ring dating to the Iron Age which has been extensively repaired. The repairs are crude and obvious, which gives the object its distinctive appearance. It is argued that these signs of age, inscribed onto the artefact through its life, imbued the torc with a timeless ‘anachronic’ quality: its visible age manifests a certain charisma or aura, helping facilitate a plural relationship with time.
Residents’ use and perceptions of residential care facility gardens: A behaviour mapping and conversation study
Authors: Dahlkvist Eva , Engström Maria , Nilsson Annika
Published: October 2019

Aim

To describe the gardens and their use by individuals living at residential care facilities (RCFs) with high ratings on restorative values.

Background

Being outdoors has been described as important to older people's well‐being. Use of outdoor gardens may increase residents’ well‐being through experiences of restorative qualities such as being away and fascination. Thus far, there has been little research on restorative experiences of gardens in the care of older people.

Design

A descriptive design using behaviour mapping observations integrated with qualitative field notes and recorded conversations.

Methods

A criterion sampling of two gardens (out of a total of 87) was made based on residents’ ratings of restorative values; the two with the highest values were chosen. Eleven residents at the two RCFs took part. Data were collected through behaviour mapping observations, field notes and conversations on five occasions in the respective facilities during residents’ visits to the garden.

Results

The observations revealed that the main uses of the gardens were to socialise and relax. The conversations also showed that the garden stimulated residents’ senses and evoked memories from the past. These restorative values were interpreted as a sense of being away and fascination. Not having opportunities for outdoor visits was reported to result in disappointment and reduced well‐being.

Conclusions

The findings showed that two basic gardens with different characteristics and views could stimulate residents’ senses and evoke memories from the past; this supports the call for residents to be able to spend time in gardens to promote their well‐being.

Implications for practice

First‐line managers, nurses and healthcare staff in the care of older people should consider that regular opportunities to spend time outdoors may promote older people's well‐being through feelings of being away and fascination.
Should nitrous oxide ever be used in oncology patients receiving methotrexate therapy?
Authors: Forster Victoria J. , Bell Graham , Halsey Christina
Published: October 2019

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is frequently used for short anesthesia/analgesia in children undergoing painful or repetitive procedures. Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) require repeated lumbar punctures with direct instillation of intrathecal chemotherapy, usually the anti‐folate agent methotrexate, during their treatment. These procedures are frequently performed under anesthesia. Concerns have been intermittently raised about a drug interaction between methotrexate and N2O that may potentiate the undesirable side effects of methotrexate, including neurotoxicity. However, the clinical evidence consists mainly of isolated case reports leading to a lack of consensus among pediatric anesthetists about the relative risk benefits of using N2O in children with ALL. In this article, we review the biochemical basis and scientific observations that suggest a significant interaction between N2O and methotrexate due to their dual inhibition of the key enzyme methionine synthase. The possible role of this interaction in potentiating neurotoxicity in children with cancer is discussed, and arguments and counterarguments about the clinical significance of this largely theoretical relationship are explored. Following comprehensive review of all the available data, we make the case for the circumstantial evidence being sufficiently compelling to prompt a review of practice by pediatric anesthetists and call for a precautionary approach by avoiding the use of N2O in children receiving concurrent methotrexate.
Decentralization, Fiscal Independence, and Poverty in the Philippines
Authors: Canare Tristan , Francisco Jamil Paolo
Published: October 2019

Decentralization is a common public sector reform in developing countries. Its basic rationale is that local governments have an informational advantage regarding the needs and preferences of consumers. However, decentralization also has drawbacks. Foremost is the efficiency advantage of the central government in providing public services because of economies of scale and better access to resources. This study looked at the relationship between decentralization and poverty using data from Philippine cities and municipalities. Results suggest that decentralization, as represented by fiscal independence and measured by the share of locally sourced revenues to total local government revenues, is indeed associated with lower poverty. However, this effect is not linear—the marginal effect of decentralization on poverty diminishes as decentralization increases. Moreover, decentralization moderates the positive effect of good governance on poverty reduction and the magnitude of the relationship between poverty and decentralization is stronger in poorer municipalities than in richer ones.
The dual benefit of a dominant mutation in Arabidopsis IRON DEFICIENCY TOLERANT1 for iron biofortification and heavy metal phytoremediation
Authors: Sharma Reena , Yeh Kuo‐Chen
Published: October 2019

One of the goals of biofortification is to generate iron‐enriched crops to combat growth and developmental defects especially iron (Fe) deficiency anaemia. Fe‐fortification of food is challenging because soluble Fe is unstable and insoluble Fe is nonbioavailable. Genetic engineering is an alternative approach for Fe‐biofortification, but so far strategies to increase Fe content have only encompassed a few genes with limited success. In this study, we demonstrate that the ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutant, iron deficiency tolerant1 (idt1), can accumulate 4–7 times higher amounts of Fe than the wild type in roots, shoots and seeds, and exhibits the metal tolerance and iron accumulation (Metina) phenotype in Arabidopsis. Fe‐regulated protein stability and nuclear localisation of the upstream transcriptional regulator bHLH34 were uncovered. The C to T transition mutation resulting in substitution of alanine to valine at amino acid position 320 of bHLH34 (designated as IDT1A320V) in a conserved motif among mono‐ and dicots was found to be responsible for a dominant phenotype that possesses constitutive activation of the Fe regulatory pathway. Overexpression of IDT1A320V in Arabidopsis and tobacco led to the Metina phenotype; a phenotype that has escalated specificity towards optimising Fe homeostasis and may be useful in Fe‐biofortification. Knowledge of the high tolerance and accumulation of heavy metals of this mutant can aid the development of tools for phytoremediation of contaminants.
Pilot study of a customized nanotextile wet garment treatment on moderate and severe atopic dermatitis: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: He Huiling , Koh Mark Jean‐Aan , Lee Haur Yueh , Ang Seng Bin
Published: October 2019

Background

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common dermatosis. The cornerstone of eczema management is to repair and maintain skin barrier and hydration, as well as to reduce inflammation. Wet wrap therapy (WWT) is a widely used adjunct to achieve this. The conventional material used for WWT is viscose, which presents drawbacks including discomfort, high cost, and poor durability. Here, we explore the possibility of using customized nanotextile (nanopolyester) for WWT, hoping to prove that this material is non‐inferior to viscose in clinical effectiveness and patient acceptance.

Methods

Patients aged 0‐18 years with moderate to severe eczema were randomized to receive either viscose (Tubifast™) or nanotextile for WWT. Patients were instructed to apply WWT daily overnight for 2 weeks. Patients' disease severity score (IGA, SCORAD) and quality of life (QoL) score (IDQOL/CDLQI) were measured on day 0, 7, and 14 of treatment. Patient survey was conducted to collect patients' feedback about garment use.

Results

Fifty‐three children aged 7 months to 17 years were recruited (27 in Tubifast™ and 26 in nanotextile group). Patients in both groups showed significant improvement in disease severity and QoL from baseline (P < .001), and such improvement was similar in both groups. However, nanotextile garment was significantly more comfortable (2.73/10 vs 5.12/10, P = .001), easier to wear (2.78/10 vs 5.24/10, P = .003), and cooler (2.43/10 vs 3.96/10, P = .033) from patients' feedback.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that nanomaterial is as effective as conventional viscose in WWT, while superior in patient acceptability. Nanotextile for WWT has good potential in eczema management, especially in patients with suboptimal response to topicals alone.
Clipping defoliation and nitrogen addition shift competition between a C3 grass (Leymus chinensis) and a C4 grass (Hemarthria altissima)
Authors: Wang K. , Zhong S. , Sun W.
Published: October 2019

Human‐induced disturbances, including grazing and clipping, that cause defoliation are common in natural grasslands. Plant functional type differences in the ability to compensate for this tissue loss may influence interspecific competition.

To explore the effects of different intensities of clipping and nitrogen (N) addition on compensatory growth and interspecific competition, we measured accumulated aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), tiller number, non‐structural carbohydrates concentrations and leaf gas exchange parameters in two locally co‐occurring species (the C3 grass Leymus chinensis and the C4 grass Hemarthria altissima) growing in monoculture and in mixture.

For both grasses, the clipping treatment had significant impacts on the accumulated AGB, and the 40% clipping treatment had the largest effect. BGB gradually decreased with increasing defoliation intensity. Severe defoliation caused a significant increase in tiller number. Stored carbohydrates in the belowground biomass were mobilised and transported aboveground for the growth of new leaves to compensate for clipping‐induced injury. The net CO2 assimilation rate (A) of the remaining leaves increased with clipping intensity and peaked under clipping intensities of 20% or 40%. Nitrogen addition, at a rate of 10 g·N·m−2·year−1, enhanced A of the remaining leaves and non‐structural carbohydrate concentrations, which benefited plant compensatory growth, especially for the C3 grass. Under the mixed planting conditions, the clipping and N addition treatments lowered the competitive advantage of the C4 grass.

The results suggest that a combination of defoliation and N deposition have the potential to benefit the coexistence of C3 and C4 grasses.
Assessment of changes in physiological and biochemical traits in four pistachio rootstocks under drought, salinity and drought + salinity stresses
Authors: Jamshidi Goharrizi Kiarash , Amirmahani Farzaneh , Salehi Fatemeh
Published: October 2019

In this study, 7‐month‐old UCB‐1, Badami, Ghazvini and Kale‐Ghouchi pistachio rootstocks were exposed to control, drought, salinity and drought + salinity environments for 60 d. Total chlorophyll and total carotenoid contents decreased in all cultivars under drought, salinity and drought + salinity stresses. Under drought and salinity stresses, alone or in combination, Na+ and Cl− ions increased in all four pistachio rootstocks, while K+ ion decreased only in Ghazvini and Kaleh‐Ghouchi cultivars. The enzyme activities of ascorbate peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, catalase and guaiacol peroxidase increased in all cultivars when subjected to all three stresses with the exception of the ascorbate peroxidase activity in Kale‐Ghouchi cultivar during drought stress. Oxidative stress parameters including electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde, other aldehydes and hydrogen peroxide increased under all three stress conditions in all genotypes. The content of proline, total free amino acids and total soluble carbohydrates were enhanced under drought, salinity and drought + salinity stresses, whereas the protein content decreased in all pistachio rootstocks. In all evaluated traits, except for the K+ ion content and APX activity, the highest impacts was seen for drought + salinity > salinity > drought stresses, respectively. For the first time, we have proven that K+ ion content has a positive correlation with the ascorbate peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, catalase and guaiacol peroxidase enzymes activities under drought + salinity stress. Finally, based on the bi‐plot and cluster analyses, we have selected the UCB‐1 > Badami > Ghazvini > Kale‐Ghouchi cultivars as the most tolerant pistachio rootstocks under drought + salinity stress, respectively.
Engage Them through Emotions: Exploring the Role of Emotional Intelligence in Public Sector Engagement
Authors: Levitats Zehavit , Vigoda‐Gadot Eran , Vashdi Dana R.
Published: October 2019

The public administration literature has demonstrated the valuable impact of employees' engagement on public service. However, studies conventionally deal with engagement as a unidimensional construct, with few explanations for its evolution. To promote knowledge in this arena, the authors propose public sector engagement (PSE) as a multidimensional construct, comprising social responsibility, work engagement, and organizational citizenship behaviors at the individual level. The authors develop and examine a set of hypotheses proposing that PSE may be augmented by enhancing civil servants' emotional intelligence (EI) as well as their supervisors' EI. Using a two‐study multimethod approach (i.e., an experiment and a survey), the authors identify employees' and managers' high EI as a critical resource in enhancing PSE. The article concludes by theoretically framing the findings using the job demands‐resources model and illuminating the practical value to public service of better selection and training of high‐EI employees and managers.
Arid grassland bee communities: associated environmental variables and responses to restoration
Authors: Smith DiCarlo Lauren A. , DeBano Sandra J. , Burrows Skyler
Published: October 2019

In recent years restoration project efforts in arid grasslands of the Pacific Northwest have increased; however, little is known about the bee communities in these areas or how restoration affects them. Native bees provide an essential ecosystem service through pollination of crops and native plants and understanding their response to restoration is a high priority. To address this issue, we conducted a three‐year study in an arid bunchgrass prairie with three objectives: (1) describe the bee community of this unique grassland type and its temporal variability; (2) investigate environmental variables influencing the community; and (3) examine effects of restoration on the community. We identified 62 bee species and found strong seasonal and inter‐annual variation in bee abundance, richness, diversity, and species composition. Unexpectedly, these temporal trends did not correspond with patterns in floral resources; however, several variables were associated with variation in bee abundance, richness, and diversity among sites. Sites with high levels of litter cover had more bees, while sites with taller vegetation or more blooming flowers had greater species richness but lower diversity. We found no detectable effect of restoration on bee abundance, richness, diversity, or composition. Species composition at native sites differed from those in actively and passively restored sites, which did not differ from each other. Restored sites also had fewer flowers and differing floral composition relative to native sites. These results suggest that if grassland restoration is to benefit bees, efforts should focus on both expanding floral resources and enhancing variables that influence nesting habitat.
A diagnostic for collaborative monitoring in forest landscape restoration
Authors: Guariguata Manuel R. , Evans Kristen
Published: October 2019

Monitoring is crucial to meet the goals of the major global forest landscape restoration (FLR) initiatives that are underway. If members of the global FLR community are going to learn from one another, a multi‐scalar, multi‐site monitoring approach is needed to generate information that can provide the basis for social learning and adaptive management, both of which are essential processes for FLR. This requires reframing and expanding the perspective of monitoring so that compliance monitoring is just one component of a multidimensional approach where collaborative monitoring and compliance‐oriented monitoring are complementary. However, FLR planners and implementers often lack experience in applying collaborative approaches in multi‐stakeholder settings, and there are few tools that show how to implement FLR or to engage in collaborative monitoring in FLR. Through a literature review, we identified the factors that contribute to successful collaborative monitoring in FLR and synthesized them into a diagnostic that was vetted by 20 global experts. The result is a checklist of 42 core success factors to be assessed at local, subnational, and national levels at different stages in the planning and implementation of FLR. The tool has practical application by providing guidance on best practices: specifically, how to start collaborative monitoring, and more generally, how to plan, prepare for, and evaluate FLR activities. This diagnostic complements other diagnostics, such as those used to identify FLR sites, as it can identify preexisting strengths and weaknesses in new initiatives, or pinpoint problems with ongoing implementation. The diagnostic explicitly addresses issues of scale, including multiple sites, governance levels, and changes over time.
Sometimes (but Not This Time), a Gun Is Just a Gun: Masculinity Threat and Guns in the United States, 1999–2018
Authors: Cassino Dan , Besen‐Cassino Yasemin
Published: October 2019

Today, despite national campaigns and mass shootings, gun sales continue to rise. The majority of gun owners in the United States are men, and prior research has documented the complex relationship between masculinity and gun ownership. However, a majority of the research has remained on the micro level. In this article, we look at the effects of men’s unemployment on gun ownership. Using both national‐ and state‐level Federal Bureau of Investigation background‐check data as well as economic indicators, we find that worsening economic conditions for men (relative to women) lead to increases in gun sales. Moreover, this effect is exacerbated by the prevalence of guns in an area. We supplement these analyses with nationally representative survey data showing a strong relationship between perceptions of threat to men’s gender identities and opposition to laws limiting access to guns.
PMTCT care cascade and factors associated with attrition in the first four years after Option B+ implementation in Mozambique
Authors: Ahoua Laurence , Tiendrebeogo Thierry , Arikawa Shino , Lahuerta Maria , Aly Dario , Journot Valerie , Abrams Elaine J. , Becquet Renaud , Dabis Francois
Published: October 2019

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of the prevention of mother‐to‐child transmission (PMTCT) Option B+ programme in two provinces with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) burden in Mozambique over the first four years of programme implementation.

Methods

We assessed the PMTCT cascade in antenatal care (ANC) from July 2013 to December 2017 using facility‐level data and performed a retrospective cohort analysis with patient‐level data. We compared the 12‐month antiretroviral therapy (ART) retention rates between women with HIV infection who initiated ART under Option B+ (‘B+ pregnant’) and those who initiated ART for their own health (‘own health’).

Results

A total of 916 280 pregnant women enrolled in ANC. The proportion of women with a documented HIV status increased from 93% in 2013 to 96% in 2017. The proportion of those tested HIV‐positive decreased from 8% to 6% while that of those HIV‐positive on ART increased from 42% to 95%. Of the 44 377 HIV‐positive women included in the analysis, 35% were lost to care. ‘B+ pregnant’ women initiating ART in 2015 were less likely to have no follow‐up (NFU) compared with ‘own health’ women starting ART during the same period (adjusted odds ratio: 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64–0.94, P = 0.01). There was no statistical difference between the two groups during the other years in which ART was initiated. Of those returning for care after their first visit (N = 39 801), the ‘B+ pregnant’ women showed a higher risk of non‐retention than the other group (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.03–1.25) when ART was initiated in 2013. The risk decreased during the subsequent years, with no difference observed between the groups.

Conclusion

PMTCT Option B+ programme scale‐up has yielded positive results, including the maintenance of high HIV testing and ART initiation rates in ANC. Challenges still remain, however, in improving immediate engagement in care and long‐term retention. Seeking alternative service delivery models to support existing health systems and prevent defaulters is required to achieve the UNAIDS 95‐95‐95 targets for PMTCT in Mozambique.
Cold reacting anti‐M causing delayed hemolytic disease of the newborn
Authors: Crispin Philip , Sliwinski Kelly , Wilson Caroline , Lennard Samantha , DeSouza Marianne , Sethna Farah
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) is due to passively transferred maternal antibodies directed against fetal red blood cell (RBC) antigens and can lead to severe morbidity and mortality. Anti‐M is usually a naturally occurring antibody of low clinical significance, although occasionally severe cases of HDFN are seen.

CASE REPORTS

Two M+ sisters are presented, each developing hemolysis during the first 2 weeks of life due to maternal anti‐M, resulting in severe anemia and requiring blood transfusion. RBC agglutination was observed in peripheral blood samples of both infants at room temperature with dissociation at 37°C. Maternal anti‐M detected by column indirect agglutination technique, was of low titer (1:16) and demonstrated low thermal amplitude, reacting in saline at 4°C but was not detectable in saline at 37°C.

CONCLUSIONS

Anti‐M of low thermal amplitude may cause hemolytic disease of the newborn with laboratory features resembling cold agglutinin disease.
Identification of the best‐suited donor for generating virus‐specific T cells
Authors: Tasnády Szabolcs , Karászi Éva , Szederjesi Attila , Bihari György , Juhász Zsófia , Hardi Apor , Kriván Gergely , Kállay Krisztián , Reményi Péter , Sinkó János , Mikala Gábor , Réti Marienn , Masszi Tamás
Published: October 2019

Background and objectives

Administration of virus‐specific T cells (VSTs) is a viable antiviral treatment strategy after allogeneic HSCT, even if conventional therapies fail. Third‐party donors are often chosen for the generation of the VST product. The eligibility of the donor has to be tested in a rigorous donor screening procedure, since the isolation technology only targets pre‐existing VSTs.

Materials and methods

In a period of 3 years, we performed 32 VST treatments for 28 patients. Targeting four different viruses, 284 healthy individuals underwent 417 donor screening procedures. VSTs were counted by flow cytometry detecting interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) producing T cells. Generation of the VSTs was performed from leukapheresis products in a fully automated and closed system using magnetic cell separation.

Results

The mean circulating VST frequencies ranged from 0·006% to 0·328%. The average yield of viable VSTs in the product was 1·83·106 cells, while the average VST dose calculated for the patient's body weight was 4·63·104/kg. The mean purity – percentage of VSTs within the T cells – of all T‐cell products was 62·9%. Correlation was identified between the frequency of the VSTs in the peripheral blood of the donor and the VST numbers of the end product; the strongest correlation was seen for CMV.

Conclusion

This paper focuses on the T‐cell donors, highlighting some key points on the donor selection process. Based on the findings in connection with the CMV therapies, peripheral VST seems to be the best predictor of the VST content of the final product administered to the patient.
Characterization of porcine endogenous retrovirus particles released by the CRISPR/Cas9 inactivated cell line PK15 clone 15
Authors: Godehardt Antonia W. , Fischer Nicole , Rauch Paula , Gulich Barbara , Boller Klaus , Church George M. , Tönjes Ralf R.
Published: October 2019

The infection of human transplant recipients by porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) is a safety issue for xenotransplantation (XTx). CRISPR/Cas9 technology has enabled the generation of pigs free of functional PERVs, and the susceptibility of these animals to reinfection by PERVs remains unclear. To assess virological safety, we characterized a cell line in which PERVs have been inactivated by CRISPR/Cas9 (PK15 clone 15) for its susceptibility to infectious PERV. First, basal expression of PERV pol, the porcine PERV‐A receptor (POPAR), and reverse transcriptase (RT) activity of PERV were determined. PK15 clone 15 cells were inoculated with PERV and monitored post infection for virus expression and RT activity. Particles were visualized by electron microscopy. Our data show that PK15 clone 15 cells still produce viral proteins that assemble to produce impaired viral particles. These virions have an irregular morphology that diverges from that of mature wild type. The particles are no longer infectious when tested in a downstream infection assay using supernatants of PK15 clone 15 cells to infect susceptible swine testis‐IOWA (ST‐IOWA) cells. The expression of POPAR was quantified to exclude the possibility that lack of susceptibility to reinfection, for PERV‐A, is caused by absence of viral host receptor(s). PK15 and PK15 clone 15 cells do, in fact, express POPAR equally. PERV RT inactivation mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 does not compromise virus assembly but affects virion structure and proviral integration. The constitutive virion production seems to maintain cellular resistance to superinfection and possibly indicates a protective side effect of this specific CRISPR/Cas9 mediated RT inactivation.
The upper frequency limit of dynamic cerebral autoregulation
Authors: Panerai Ronney B. , Robinson Thompson G. , Minhas Jatinder S.
Published: October 2019

Key points

Dynamic cerebral autoregulation (CA) is expressed by the temporal pattern of cerebral blood flow (CBF) recovery following a sudden change in arterial blood pressure (BP).

Transfer function analysis of BP as input and CBF velocity as output can express dynamic CA through its amplitude (or gain) and phase frequency responses.

The upper frequency limit (FupLim) at which dynamic CA can operate is of considerable physiological interest and can also provide additional information about worsening CA due to disease processes.

In healthy subjects FupLim was strongly dependent on arterial changes induced by four different breathing manoeuvres.

The considerable intersubject variability in FupLim suggests that fixed frequency bands should not be adopted for averaging values of gain and phase in studies of dynamic CA.

Dynamic cerebral autoregulation (CA) can be expressed in the frequency domain by the amplitude and phase frequency responses calculated by transfer function analysis of arterial blood pressure (BP) and cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV). We studied the effects of arterial () on the upper frequency limit (FupLim) of these responses and its intersubject variability. Twenty‐four healthy subjects (11 female, age 36.0 ± 13.4 years) were recruited. Recordings of CBFV (transcranial Doppler ultrasound), BP (Finometer) and end‐tidal CO2 (, capnography) were performed during 5 min at rest (normocapnia) and during four breathing manoeuvres: 5% and 8% CO2 in air and hyperventilation targeting reductions of 5 and 10 mmHg compared to normocapnia. FupLim was determined by the break point of the autoregulation index (ARI) curve as a function of frequency when the phase response was gradually set to zero. The five breathing conditions led to highly significant differences in (p < 0.0001), CBFV (P < 0.0001), ARI (p < 0.0001) and FupLim (p < 0.0001). FupLim ranged from 0.167 ± 0.036 Hz at the lowest values of hypocapnia (28.1 ± 1.9 mmHg) to 0.094 ± 0.040 Hz at the highest level of hypercapnia (41.7 ± 5.4 mmHg), showing a correlation of r = −0.53 (p < 0.001) with . These findings reinforce the key role of in CBF regulation. The considerable intersubject variability of FupLim suggests that fixed frequency bands should not be adopted for averaging values of gain and phase in dynamic CA studies, and that the higher frequency band (0.20–0.40 Hz), in particular, does not contain relevant information about dynamic CA. Further investigations are needed to assess the information value of FupLim as a marker of dynamic CA efficiency in physiological and clinical studies.
Identification of Human–System Interaction Errors During Early Design Stages Using a Functional Basis Framework
Authors: Soria Zurita Nicolás F. , Stone Robert B. , Onan Demirel H. , Tumer Irem Y.
Published: October 2019

Engineers have developed different design methodologies capable of identifying failure modes of engineering systems. The most common methods used in industry are failure modes and effects analysis, and failure modes effects and criticality analysis. Nevertheless, such methodologies have a significant limitation regarding incorporating the final user in the analysis and are not suited to identifying potential failure modes caused by physical human–system interactions. Engineering methods usually have a lack of sufficient attention to human–system interactions during the early design stages, even though introducing human factors principles is recognized as an essential analysis during the design process. As a result, designers rely on developing detailed and expensive physical or virtual prototypes to evaluate physical human–system interactions and identify potential failure modes caused by such interactions incorporating design modifications after a prototype is developed can be time-consuming, costly, and if significant changes are needed, the entire prototype requires to be constructed again. Identifying system–user interactions and possible failure modes associated with such interactions before developing a prototype can significantly improve the design process. In previous work, the authors introduced the function–human error design method (FHEDM), a tool capable of distinguishing possible human–system interaction failure modes using a functional basis framework. In this work, we examined the implementation of FHEDM within 148 products extracted from the design repository. The results are grouped in the composite function–user interaction error (FUIE) matrix, which can be used as a preliminary design database presenting information regarding the possible human error present in function-flow combinations.