bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing species reintroduction sites based on future climate suitability for food resources
Authors: Gomides Samuel C. , Machado Talita M. , Evangelista‐Vale Jôine C. , Martins‐Oliveira Angele Tatiane , Pires‐Oliveira João Carlos , Muller Angélica , Barros da Rosa Lucas , Lucas Santos‐Silva Domingos , Eisenlohr Pedro V.
Published: June 2021

The reintroduction of a species that is extinct in the wild demands caution because reintroduction locations may be associated with threats, such as hunting, poor‐quality habitat, and climate change. This is the case for Cyanopsitta spixii (Spix's Macaw), which has been extinct in the wild since 2000. The few living individuals were created in captivity and will be used in a reintroduction project within the species’ original distribution area, the Caatinga domain (Brazil). Because the occurrence records for this bird are old and inaccurate, we investigated the current and future environmental suitability of the 14 plant species used by C. spixii as resource. These plants are key elements for the long‐term reestablishment of the species in the wild, so the use of models helps in the assessment of the effects of climate change on the availability of these resources for the species and informs selection of the best places for reintroduction. We based our models of environmental suitability on 19 bioclimatic variables and nine physical soil and topography variables. Climate projections were created for the present and for the year 2070 with an optimistic (SSP2‐4.5) and a pessimistic (SSP5‐8.5) climate scenario. Both future climate scenarios lead to a reduction in area of environmental suitability that overlapped for all the plant species: 33% reduction for SSP2‐4.5 and 63% reduction for SSP5‐8.5. If our projections materialize, climate change could thus affect the distribution of key resources, and the maintenance of C. spixii would depend on restoration of degraded areas, especially riparian forests, and the preservation of already existing natural areas. The Caatinga domain is very threatened by habitat loss and, for the success of this reintroduction project, the parties involved must act to protect the species and the resources it uses.
Organoclay‐assisted vat dyeing of polypropylene nanocomposite fabrics
Authors: Youssef Yehya A. , Farouk Reham , Mousa Abdalla A. , Mohamed Wael S. , Giebel Elisabeth , Buchmeiser Michael R.
Published: June 2021

Polypropylene (PP) nanocomposite fabrics containing different types of modified montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclays were prepared by a melt compounding technique. Spinnable polymers were obtained by mixing PP master batches with 4 wt% MMT, possessing either tallow amine or tallow quaternary ammonium salt intercalating compounds with a pure untreated PP to MMT content of 0.5 wt%. After spinning, the prepared nanocomposites were drawn and knitted into fabrics for further testing and dyeing. The prepared PP nanocomposite fabrics containing hydrogenated tallow quaternary ammonium‐based organomodified nanoclays exhibited higher colour strength (K/S) using vat dyes compared with those containing either octadecylamine or trimethyloctadecyl ammonium‐based organomodified nanoclays and reference fabrics made from fibres spun without MMT clay content. The investigated vat dyes yielded relatively high K/S values on PP nanocomposite fabrics with very good to excellent wash, excellent fastness to bleaching with chlorine, perspiration, and good to excellent light fastness ratings.
Limbic progesterone receptor activity enhances neuronal excitability and seizures
Authors: Shiono Shinnosuke , Sun Huayu , Batabyal Tamal , Labuz Aleksandra , Williamson John , Kapur Jaideep , Joshi Suchitra
Published: June 2021

Objective

Emerging evidence raises the possibility that progesterone receptor (PR) signaling may contribute to the reproductive hormone fluctuation–linked seizure precipitation, called catamenial epilepsy. Therefore, we studied PR isoform expression in limbic regions involved in temporal lobe epilepsy and the effect of PR activation on neuronal activity and seizures.

Methods

We evaluated PR expression in the limbic regions, entorhinal cortex (EC), hippocampus, and amygdala in female rats using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). A selective agonist, Nestorone (16‐methylene‐17 alpha‐acetoxy‐19‐nor‐pregn‐4‐ene‐3,20‐dione) activated PRs, and the effect on excitability and α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR)–mediated synaptic transmission of EC neurons was studied using electrophysiology. Finally, we assessed PR regulation of epileptic seizures and status epilepticus (SE) induced by lithium‐pilocarpine in female rats with the global deletion of PRs (PR knockout; PRKO) using video electroencephalography (‐EEG).

Results

Limbic regions EC, hippocampus, and amygdala robustly expressed PR messenger RNA (mRNA). Nestorone (16‐methylene‐17 alpha‐acetoxy‐19‐nor‐pregn‐4‐ene‐3,20‐dione) treatment reduced the action potential threshold of layer II/III EC neurons and increased the frequency of AMPA receptor–mediated synaptic currents of ovariectomized and estrogen‐primed female rats. Female rats lacking PRs (PRKO) experienced a shorter duration, less intense, and less fatal SE than wild‐type (WT) animals. Furthermore, Nestorone treatment caused seizure exacerbation in the WT epileptic animals, but not in the PRKO epileptic animals.

Significance

Activation of PRs expressed in the EC and hippocampus increased neuronal excitability and worsened seizures. These receptors may play a role in catamenial epilepsy.
Expression of Cds4/5 of Arabidopsis chloroplasts in E. coli reveals the membrane topology of the C‐terminal region of CDP‐diacylglycerol synthases
Authors: Sekiya Yusei , Sawasato Katsuhiro , Nishiyama Ken‐ichi
Published: June 2021

CDP‐diacylglycerol synthases (Cds) are conserved from bacteria to eukaryotes. Bacterial CdsA is involved not only in phospholipid biosynthesis but also in biosynthesis of glycolipid MPIase, an essential glycolipid that catalyzes membrane protein integration. We found that both Cds4 and Cds5 of Arabidopsis chloroplasts complement cdsA knockout by supporting both phospholipid and MPIase biosyntheses. Comparison of the sequences of CdsA and Cds4/5 suggests a difference in membrane topology at the C‐termini, since the region assigned as the last transmembrane region of CdsA, which follows the conserved cytoplasmic domain, is missing in Cds4/5. Deletion of the C‐terminal region abolished the function, indicating the importance of the region. Both 6 × His tag attachment to CdsA and substitution of the C‐terminal 6 residues with 6 × His did not affect the function. These 6 × His tags were sensitive to protease added from the cytosolic side in vitro, indicating that this region is not a transmembrane one but forms a membrane‐embedded reentrant loop. Thus, the C‐terminal region of Cds homologues forms a reentrant loop, of which structure is important for the Cds function.
Lung ultrasound may help in the differential diagnosis of suspected oligosymptomatic COVID‐19 patients on hemodialysis: A case report
Authors: Allinovi Marco , Laudicina Selene , Dallari Lorenzo , Gianassi Iacopo , Dervishi Egrina , Biagini Maria , Cirami Lino
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Considering that patients on dialysis showed a poor outcome during COVID‐19 pandemic, and that COVID‐19 symptoms in dialysis patients are often mild or absent, each dialysis unit should implement local strategies to early recognize patients affected by COVID‐19. However, many available SARS‐CoV‐2 diagnostic tests demonstrated a moderate sensitivity, 70%–80% is probably a reasonable estimate. Consequently, having useful tools for differential diagnosis becomes essential. In this scenario, lung ultrasound (LUS) may have an important role in the evaluation of lung involvement in hemodialysis patients during COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

We present two cases of hemodialysis patients with COVID‐19 pneumonia in whom LUS had a central role in the diagnostic process. Ultrasound images of COVID‐19 pneumonia show a typical bilateral pattern characterized by multiple or confluent B‐lines with spared areas, thickened and irregular pleural line, and rare subpleural consolidations. LUS showed high accuracy in diagnosing COVID‐19 pneumonia.

Findings

Despite both patients appeared clinically euvolemic and afebrile, they presented with acute diarrhea and oxygen saturation level of 92%–93%. Although clinical manifestations were mild and not specific in both patients, LUS raised suspicion on the possible COVID‐19 diagnosis which was confirmed by a positive nasopharyngeal RT‐PCR.

Discussion

There are many reasons for a patient on dialysis to present shortness of breath, fever, and multiple B‐lines at LUS assessment (such as heart failure, fluid overload, vascular access infection, interstitial pneumonia) but the recognition of typical ultrasound patterns of the COVID‐19 pneumonia is helpful for differential diagnosis. LUS may have an important role in the screening process of hemodialysis patients during the COVID‐19 pandemic, especially in oligosymptomatic patients before the SARS‐CoV‐2 diagnostic tests, and in those with suspected symptoms and/or known exposure with unexpected negative SARS‐CoV‐2 diagnostic tests.
Diversity, divergence and density: How habitat and hybrid zone dynamics maintain a genomic cline in an intertidal barnacle
Authors: Wares John P. , Strand Allan E. , Sotka Erik E.
Published: June 2021

Aim

As within‐species genomic data have been shown useful in interpreting broader biogeographic trends, we analysed the mode of population genomic isolation involved in a well‐studied intertidal genomic cline to better understand the mechanisms maintaining it. These results were interpreted in the context of spatial variation in habitat use and availability as well as likely fitness consequences for hybridization between the two lineages.

Location

Pacific coast of North America.

Taxon

Arthropods (Class Maxillopoda, Order Sessilia, Family Balanidae;Balanus glandula).

Methods

Genotype‐by‐sequencing approaches were used to generate single‐nucleotide polymorphism markers across sites sampled between southern Alaska and Southern California. Inference using standard population genomic methods, including analysis of population structure, inbreeding and linkage disequilibrium, was used to identify the steepest transitions across the largest number of loci examined. These data were put in the context of observed population density and habitat availability.

Results

We show that the majority of markers analysed show strong clinal transitions in a very narrow portion of the California coast. Patterns of linkage disequilibrium among markers, along with prior evidence of variation in reproductive potential by latitude and by mitochondrial lineage, suggest some reproductive isolation among the northern and southern lineages ofB. glandulathat are concordant with the drop in population density and habitat availability in central California.

Main Conclusions

A significant clinal transition in genomic diversity is stronger and more localized than previously recognized and exhibits statistical patterns suggesting that the lineages are reproductively and phenotypically distinct in ways that may be ecologically important. As this species has been used to infer process in coastal biogeography, further study of concordant patterns will be important for advancing our understanding of this region.
Social support may prevent self‐cutting in adolescence: A 5‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Rissanen Marja‐Liisa , Kekkonen Virve , Kraav Siiri‐Liisi , Kivimäki Petri , Laukkanen Eila , Hintikka Jukka , Tolmunen Tommi
Published: June 2021

Self‐cutting is common among adolescents. However, studies examining protective factors are rare. It has been suggested that social support may protect against self‐cutting in adolescence. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association of social relationships with the initiation of self‐cutting.

Methods

The participants were community‐dwelling Finnish adolescents (N = 4171) aged 13–18 years at baseline. The follow‐up assessment was conducted 5 years later (N = 794). Those adolescents who had self‐cut before the baseline assessment (N = 134) were excluded from the analysis, leaving a total of 660 participants to be analyzed. In this group, 37 adolescents initiated self‐cutting during the 5‐year follow‐up period and 623 did not. Cox's proportional hazards models were used with several adjustments for possible confounding factors.

Findings

A higher age, male gender, good relationships with siblings, weekly meetings with friends, and personal experience of not being lonely associated with the noninitiation of self‐cutting during the follow‐up period. Good relationships with parents or peers had no association with the initiation of self‐cutting. Depressive symptoms mediated the effect of subjective loneliness on initiating self‐cutting.

Conclusions

Social support produced by friends may have a protective effect against self‐cutting.
METTL3/N6‐methyladenosine/ miR‐21‐5p promotes obstructive renal fibrosis by regulating inflammation through SPRY1/ERK/NF‐κB pathway activation
Authors: Liu Erpeng , Lv Lei , Zhan Yonghao , Ma Yuan , Feng Jinjin , He Yulin , Wen Yibo , Zhang Yanping , Pu Qingsong , Ji Fengping , Yang Xinghuan , Wen Jian Guo
Published: June 2021

Renal fibrosis induced by urinary tract obstruction is a common clinical occurrence; however, effective treatment is lacking, and a deeper understanding of the mechanism of renal fibrosis is needed. Previous studies have revealed that miR‐21 impacts liver and lung fibrosis progression by activating the SPRY1/ERK/NF‐kB signalling pathway. However, whether miR‐21 mediates obstructive renal fibrosis through the same signalling pathway has not been determined. Additionally, studies have shown that N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) modification‐dependent primary microRNA (pri‐microRNA) processing is essential for maturation of microRNAs, but its role in the maturation of miR‐21 in obstructive renal fibrosis has not yet been investigated in detail. To address these issues, we employed a mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) in which the left ureters were ligated for 3, 7 and 14 days to simulate the fibrotic process. In vitro, human renal proximal tubular epithelial (HK‐2) cells were transfected with plasmids containing the corresponding sequence of METTL3, miR‐21‐5p mimic or miR‐21‐5p inhibitor. We found that the levels of miR‐21‐5p and m6A modification in the UUO model groups increased significantly, and as predicted, the SPRY1/ERK/NF‐kB pathway was activated by miR‐21‐5p, confirming that miR‐21‐5p plays an important role in obstructive renal fibrosis by enhancing inflammation. METTL3 was found to play a major catalytic role in m6A modification in UUO mice and drove obstructive renal fibrosis development by promoting miR‐21‐5p maturation. Our research is the first to demonstrate the role of the METTL3‐m6A‐miR‐21‐5p‐SPRY1/ERK/NF‐kB axis in obstructive renal fibrosis and provides a deeper understanding of renal fibrosis.
The Segond’s fracture and the anterolateral ligament
Authors: Ferretti Andrea , Monaco Edoardo , Redler Andrea
Published: June 2021

The study of Mullins et al. reasonably explains how the Segond's fracture is probably the most frequent avulsion fracture of the tibia plateau, but it does not challenge the hypothesis of the existence of a discrete ligament (the ALL) strong enough to sometimes pull out its bony insertion as a result of a forced internal rotation and of an ACL failure.
Hypertension genetics past, present and future applications
Authors: Olczak Kaya J. , Taylor‐Bateman Victoria , Nicholls Hannah L. , Traylor Matthew , Cabrera Claudia P. , Munroe Patricia B.
Published: June 2021

Essential hypertension is a complex trait where the underlying aetiology is not completely understood. Left untreated it increases the risk of severe health complications including cardiovascular and renal disease. It is almost 15 years since the first genome‐wide association study for hypertension, and after a slow start there are now over 1000 blood pressure (BP) loci explaining ∼6% of the single nucleotide polymorphism‐based heritability. Success in discovery of hypertension genes has provided new pathological insights and drug discovery opportunities and translated to the development of BP genetic risk scores (GRSs), facilitating population disease risk stratification. Comparing highest and lowest risk groups shows differences of 12.9 mm Hg in systolic‐BP with significant differences in risk of hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease and myocardial infarction. GRSs are also being trialled in antihypertensive drug responses. Drug targets identified include NPR1, for which an agonist drug is currently in clinical trials. Identification of variants at the PHACTR1 locus provided insights into regulation of EDN1 in the endothelin pathway, which is aiding the development of endothelin receptor EDNRA antagonists. Drug re‐purposing opportunities, including SLC5A1 and canagliflozin (a type‐2 diabetes drug), are also being identified. In this review, we present key studies from the past, highlight current avenues of research and look to the future focusing on gene discovery, epigenetics, gene‐environment interactions, GRSs and drug discovery. We evaluate limitations affecting BP genetics, including ancestry bias and discuss streamlining of drug target discovery and applications for treating and preventing hypertension, which will contribute to tailored precision medicine for patients.
Shrub facilitation promotes advancing of the Fagus sylvatica treeline across the Apennines (Italy)
Authors: Bonanomi Giuliano , Mogavero Valentina , Rita Angelo , Zotti Maurizio , Saulino Luigi , Tesei Giulio , Allegrezza Marina , Saracino Antonio , Rossi Sergio , Allevato Emilia
Published: June 2021

Questions

Elevational treelines are expected to shift upwards in response to warming climate. However, worldwide upward shifts of treelines are inconsistent because local scale factors can affect the response to temperature. In this study, we explore the hypothesis that in the Apennines, where the current altitudinal treeline position is largely depressed because of past human activity, shrubs act as nurse plants promoting the upward migration of Fagus sylvatica.

Location

A 500–km‐long latitudinal gradient in the Apennines, Italy.

Methods

We selected, along this gradient, nine treeline sites with different elevations, rock substrates, and physiognomic types including Juniperus communis, Pinus mugo, Vaccinium myrtillus shrublands, and grasslands. Here, in 68 transects we collected and analysed spatially fine‐scale distribution data of F. sylvatica individuals in relation to both their age and their position, associated or not with shrubs.

Results

Fagus sylvatica regeneration is rare in open secondary grasslands at 1,600–2,100 m a.s.l., highlighting a bottleneck in the regeneration phase of this species. On the contrary, we systematically observed a strong association between shrubs and F. sylvatica individuals. Compared with the adjacent grassland, F. sylvatica regeneration was 58.3 times higher under Pinus mugo, 131.5 timeshigher under Juniperus communis and 102.4 times higher under Vaccinium myrtillus. The age structure of F. sylvatica population indicates that, in the last 50 years, recruitment under shrubs is continuous, while in grassland it is episodic.

Conclusions

Above the current treeline of the Apennines, F. sylvatica individuals develop only in the presence of shrubs, which act as nurse species. Shrubs are a necessary condition for F. sylvatica re‐colonization of the high‐altitude open areas affected, in the last centuries, by intense human land use.
Assessment of bivalve carrying capacities and seeding densities in aquaculture areas of Jiaozhou Bay, China, using ecological modeling and the food balance
Authors: Liu Xuehai , Zhang Mingliang , Wang Zongling , Wang Bo
Published: June 2021

The increasing growth of the bivalve‐culture industry necessitates a scientific assessment of the carrying capacity (CC) of this aquaculture system, in order to ensure sustainability. Here, using a marine plankton ecological model and the food balance, bivalve CCs were estimated for aquaculture zones in Jiaozhou Bay (JZB), an important aquaculture center in China. The results indicated that CCs mainly depended on bivalve filtration rates, which were in turn regulated by temperature. The CCs of Manila clams, razor clams, and scallops were lowest in August–September, while the CCs of oysters and mussels were lowest in October. For all taxa, CCs were higher in areas with higher primary production. Further evaluation indicated that present cultures were saturated, with high mortality rates. To improve culture quality and efficiency, the seeding density of the Manila clam, the most widely farmed species in the JZB, should be reduced to ~700 individuals (ind.)/m2. We also recommend reducing the seeding densities of razor clams, oysters, and mussels to 345, 60, and 165 ind./m2, and reducing scallop seeding density to 280 ind./cage. Our methods and results provide a basis for further assessments of stocking capacities and the promotion of sustainable, healthy aquaculture in other bays.
Pseudouridines on Trypanosoma brucei mRNAs are developmentally regulated: Implications to mRNA stability and protein binding
Authors: Rajan K. Shanmugha , Adler Katerina , Madmoni Hava , Peleg‐Chen Dana , Cohen‐Chalamish Smadar , Doniger Tirza , Galili Beathrice , Gerber Doron , Unger Ron , Tschudi Christian , Michaeli Shulamit
Published: June 2021

The parasite Trypanosoma brucei cycles between an insect and a mammalian host and is the causative agent of sleeping sickness. Here, we performed high‐throughput mapping of pseudouridines (Ψs) on mRNA from two life stages of the parasite. The analysis revealed ~273 Ψs, including developmentally regulated Ψs that are guided by homologs of pseudouridine synthases (PUS1, 3, 5, and 7). Mutating the U that undergoes pseudouridylation in the 3′ UTR of valyl‐tRNA synthetase destabilized the mRNA level. To investigate the mechanism by which Ψ affects the stability of this mRNA, proteins that bind to the 3′ UTR were identified, including the RNA binding protein RBSR1. The binding of RBSR1 protein to the 3′ UTR was stronger when lacking Ψ compared to transcripts carrying the modification, suggesting that Ψ can inhibit the binding of proteins to their target and thus affect the stability of mRNAs. Consequently, Ψ modification on mRNA adds an additional level of regulation to the dominant post‐transcriptional control in these parasites.
Vacuolar transporter Mnr2 safeguards organellar integrity in aged cells
Authors: Reza Md. Hashim , Patkar Rajesh , Sanyal Kaustuv
Published: June 2021

Aging is associated with altered mitochondrial function, which is dependent on the magnesium (Mg+2) ion flux. The molecular mechanism underlying Mg+2 homeostasis, especially during aging has not been well understood. We previously demonstrated that the absence of a vacuolar ion transporter Mnr2 accelerates cell death in the older part of the colony in Magnaporthe oryzae presumably due to an altered Mg+2 homeostasis. Here, we show the localization of Mnr2 as dynamic puncta at the vacuolar membrane, especially in the older Magnaporthe cells. Such vacuolar Mnr2 puncta are often localized in close proximity with the filamentous mitochondria in the older cells. Further, we show loss of integrity of mitochondria and vacuoles in older mnr2∆ null cells. Remarkably, exogenously added Mg+2 restores the mitochondrial structure as well as improves the lifespan of mnr2∆ null cells. Taken together, we propose an ion transporter Mnr2‐based Mg+2 homeostasis as a means in preserving mitochondrial and vacuolar integrity and function in older M. oryzae cells.
SnRK1.1‐mediated resistance of Arabidopsis thaliana to clubroot disease is inhibited by the novel Plasmodiophora brassicae effector PBZF1
Authors: Chen Wang , Li Yan , Yan Ruibin , Ren Li , Liu Fan , Zeng Lingyi , Sun Shengnan , Yang Huihui , Chen Kunrong , Xu Li , Liu Lijiang , Fang Xiaoping , Liu Shengyi
Published: June 2021

Plants have evolved a series of strategies to combat pathogen infection. Plant SnRK1 is probably involved in shifting carbon and energy use from growth‐associated processes to survival and defence upon pathogen attack, enhancing the resistance to many plant pathogens. The present study demonstrated that SnRK1.1 enhanced the resistance of Arabidopsis thaliana to clubroot disease caused by the plant‐pathogenic protozoan Plasmodiophora brassicae. Through a yeast two‐hybrid assay, glutathione S‐transferase pull‐down assay, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay, a P. brassicae RxLR effector, PBZF1, was shown to interact with SnRK1.1. Further expression level analysis of SnRK1.1‐regulated genes showed that PBZF1 inhibited the biological function of SnRK1.1 as indicated by the disequilibration of the expression level of SnRK1.1‐regulated genes in heterogeneous PBZF1‐expressing A. thaliana. Moreover, heterogeneous expression of PBZF1 in A. thaliana promoted plant susceptibility to clubroot disease. In addition, PBZF1 was found to be P. brassicae‐specific and conserved. This gene was significantly highly expressed in resting spores. Taken together, our results provide new insights into how the plant‐pathogenic protist P. brassicae employs an effector to overcome plant resistance, and they offer new insights into the genetic improvement of plant resistance against clubroot disease.
G protein‐coupled receptor kinases are associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology
Authors: Guimarães Thais Rafael , Swanson Eric , Kofler Julia , Thathiah Amantha
Published: June 2021

Aim

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterised by extracellular deposition of amyloid‐β (Aβ) in amyloid plaques and intracellular aggregation and accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Although several kinases have been identified to contribute to the pathological phosphorylation of tau, kinase‐targeted therapies for AD have not been successful in clinical trials. Critically, the kinases responsible for numerous identified tau phosphorylation sites remain unknown. G protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR) kinases (GRKs) have recently been implicated in phosphorylation of non‐GPCR substrates, for example, tubulin and α‐synuclein, and in neurological disorders, including schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. Accordingly, we investigated the involvement of GRKs in the pathophysiology of AD.

Methods

We performed a comprehensive immunohistochemical and biochemical analysis of the ubiquitously expressed GRKs, namely, GRK2, 3, 5 and 6, in postmortem human brain tissue of control subjects and AD patients.

Results

GRKs display unique cell‐type‐specific expression patterns in neurons, astrocytes and microglia. Levels of GRKs 2, 5 and 6 are specifically decreased in the CA1 region of the AD hippocampus. Biochemical evidence indicates that the GRKs differentially associate with total, soluble and insoluble pools of tau in the AD brain. Complementary immunohistochemical studies indicate that the GRKs differentially colocalise with total tau, phosphorylated tau and NFTs. Notably, GRKs 3 and 5 also colocalise with amyloid plaques.

Conclusion

These studies establish a link between GRKs and the pathological phosphorylation and accumulation of tau and amyloid pathology in AD brains and suggest a novel role for these kinases in regulation of the pathological hallmarks of AD.
Blinded review of hippocampal neuropathology in sudden unexplained death in childhood reveals inconsistent observations and similarities to explained paediatric deaths
Authors: Leitner Dominique F. , McGuone Declan , William Christopher , Faustin Arline , Askenazi Manor , Snuderl Matija , Guzzetta Melissa , Jarrell Heather S. , Maloney Katherine , Reichard Ross , Smith Colin , Weedn Victor , Wisniewski Thomas , Gould Laura , Devinsky Orrin
Published: June 2021

Aims

Hippocampal findings are implicated in the pathogenesis of sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC), although some studies have identified similar findings in sudden explained death in childhood (SEDC) cases. We blindly reviewed hippocampal histology in SUDC and SEDC controls.

Methods

Hippocampal haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides (n = 67; 36 SUDC, 31 controls) from clinical and forensic collaborators were evaluated by nine blinded reviewers: three board‐certified forensic pathologists, three neuropathologists and three dual‐certified neuropathologists/forensic pathologists.

Results

Among nine reviewers, about 50% of hippocampal sections were rated as abnormal (52.5% SUDC, 53.0% controls), with no difference by cause of death (COD) (p = 0.16) or febrile seizure history (p = 0.90). There was little agreement among nine reviewers on whether a slide was within normal range (Fleiss' κ = 0.014, p = 0.47). Within reviewer groups, there were no findings more frequent in SUDC compared with controls, with variability in pyramidal neuron and dentate gyrus findings. Across reviewer groups, there was concordance for bilamination and granule cell loss. Neither SUDC (51.2%) nor control (55.9%) slides were considered contributory to determining COD (p = 0.41).

Conclusions

The lack of an association of hippocampal findings in SUDC and controls, as well as inconsistency of observations by multiple blinded reviewers, indicates discrepancy with previous studies and an inability to reliably identify hippocampal maldevelopment associated with sudden death (HMASD). These findings underscore a need for larger studies to standardise evaluation of hippocampal findings, identifying the range of normal variation and changes unrelated to SUDC or febrile seizures. Molecular studies may help identify novel immunohistological markers that inform on COD.
Plant dispersal syndromes are unreliable, especially for predicting zoochory and long‐distance dispersal
Authors: Green Andy J. , Baltzinger Christophe , Lovas‐Kiss Ádám
Published: June 2021

Plant dispersal syndromes are allocated based on diaspore morphology and used to predict the dominant mechanisms of dispersal. Many authors assume that only angiosperms with endozoochory, epizoochory or anemochory syndromes have a long‐distance dispersal (LDD) mechanism. Too much faith is often placed in classical syndromes to explain historical dispersal events and to predict future ones. What is usually recorded as the ‘endozoochory syndrome' is in reality a ‘frugivory syndrome' and this has often diverted attention from endozoochory by non‐frugivores (e.g. waterbirds and large herbivores) that disperse a broad range of angiosperms, for which they likely provide the maximum dispersal distances. Neither the endozoochory nor the epizoochory syndromes provide helpful predictions of which plants non‐frugivores disperse, or by which mechanism. We combined data from previous studies to show that only 4% of European plant species dispersed by ungulate endozoochory belong to the corresponding syndrome, compared to 36% for ungulate epizoochory and 8% for endozoochory by migratory ducks. In contrast, the proportions of these species that are assigned to an ‘unassisted syndrome' are 37, 31 and 28%, respectively. Since allocated syndromes do not adequately account for zoochory, empirical studies often fail to find the expected relationship between syndromes and LDD events such as those underlying the colonization of islands or latitudinal migration rates. We need full incorporation of existing zoochory data into dispersal databases, and more empirical research into the relationship between plant traits and the frequency and effectiveness of different dispersal mechanisms (paying attention to unexpected vectors). Acknowledging the broad role of non‐frugivores in facilitating LDD is crucial to improve predictions of the consequences of global change, such as how plant distributions respond to climate change, and how alien plants spread. Networks of dispersal interactions between these vertebrates and plants are a vital but understudied part of the Web of Life.
Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in pollinator communities maintains within‐species floral odour variation
Authors: Szenteczki Mark A. , Godschalx Adrienne L. , Galmán Andrea , Espíndola Anahí , Gibernau Marc , Alvarez Nadir , Rasmann Sergio
Published: June 2021

Flowering plants emit complex bouquets of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to mediate interactions with their pollinators. These bouquets are undoubtedly influenced by pollinator‐mediated selection, particularly in deceptively‐pollinated species that rely on chemical mimicry. However, many uncertainties remain regarding how spatially and temporally heterogeneous pollinators affect the diversity and distribution of floral odour variation. Here, we characterized and compared the floral odours of ten populations of deceptively‐pollinatedArum maculatum(Araceae), and inter‐annual and decadal variation in pollinator attraction within these populations. Additionally, we transplanted individuals from all sampled populations to two common garden sites dominated by different pollinator species (Psychoda phalaenoidesorPsycha grisescens), and compared pollinator attraction rates to investigate whether populations maintained odour blends adapted to a specific pollinator. We identified high within‐ and among‐population variation in a common blend of VOCs found across the range ofA. maculatum. We also observed shifts in pollinator community composition within several populations over 1–2 years, as well as over the past decade. Common garden experiments further revealed that transplanted inflorescences generally attracted the dominant local pollinator species in both transplant sites. However, one population (Forêt du Gâvre, France) appears to exclusively attractP. grisescens, even when transplanted to aP. phalaenoides‐dominated site. Together, our results suggest that maintaining diverse floral odour bouquets within populations may be advantageous when pollinator communities vary over short timescales. We propose that temporally‐replicated ecological data are one potential key to understanding variation in complex traits such as floral odour, and in some cases may reveal resiliency to shifting pollinator communities.
Pedro Costa’s realism of the poor
Authors: Valente Simão
Published: June 2021

Portuguese filmmaker Pedro Costa has over the years pictured the lives of immigrants from Cabo Verde in Lisbon, inIn Vanda’s Room(No Quarto de Vanda, 2000),Colossal Youth(Juventude em Marcha, 2006),Horse Money(Cavalo Dinheiro, 2014), and more recentlyVitalina Varela(2019). His portrayal of impoverished Black communities in Fontainhas, a slum in the outskirts of the capital, uses the style of art cinema to portray how his protagonists are excluded from Portuguese society. His work features non‐professional actors, mixing documentary techniques with a highly aestheticized approach. This has led several critics (Pantenburg, 2010; Guarneri & Costa, 2015; Fajgenbaum, 2019) to describe Costa’s films as realist, emphasizing links between formal and material aspects of his work and how they relate to a manner of political engagement. In this article, I trace the discourse on realism in Costa up to the present day, leading to an assessment of how his most recent film,Vitalina Varela, relates to his past practice. The concept of “cosmopolitanism of the poor,” coined by Silviano Santiago ([2008] 2017), is introduced in order to read Costa’s films as engaging in a form of realism that appropriates high art to tell stories of migration and poverty in a postcolonial context.
Maternal serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D levels and infant atopic dermatitis: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Tian Youping , Ye Ying , Zhang Yi , Dou Limin , Dou Yalan , Zhao Piaoping , Jiang Yuan , Gao Xiaohua , Zhang Xiaohua , Huang Jun , Xiao Liping , Wang Liuhui , Yan Weili
Published: June 2021

Background

Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy has been linked with the risk of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children, while the results were inconsistent. The objective of this study was to assess the potential association.

Methods

Serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were measured in pregnant women from the birth cohort MKFOAD. Infant AD was diagnosed according to Williams' criteria. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine the association of maternal serum 25(OH)D levels in the first, second, and third trimester of gestation with the risk of infant AD at first year of age.

Results

In total, 121 (26.5%) of 456 infants developed AD prior to 1 year of age. In general, higher maternal serum 25(OH)D levels throughout pregnancy were associated with increased risks of AD in infants prior to 1 year of age in multivariate logistic regression models, with borderline statistical significance in the first (per ln unit increase: adjusted OR = 1.93, 95% CI: 0.96, 3.88) and second (per ln unit increase: adjusted OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 0.93, 3.19) trimester. Multivariate logistic regression models using categorical variables of maternal 25(OH)D levels by tertiles showed similar results: Infants born to mothers with serum 25(OH)D levels in the highest tertile had higher risk of AD than those with 25(OH)D in the lowest tertile.

Conclusions

The present study found some evidence supporting that higher maternal 25(OH)D levels during pregnancy increased the risk of infant AD. However, the clinical implication of the findings should be limited for those with blood levels over the recommendations.
Faith Entails Belief: Three Avenues of Defense Against the Argument from Doubt
Authors: Mugg Joshua
Published: June 2021

Doxasticism is the view that propositional faith entails belief. A common criticism of doxasticism is that faith seems compatible with doubt in a way that belief is not. Thus, it seems possible to have faith without belief, and several non‐doxasticist accounts of faith are motivated inter alia by the need to account for this type of doubt. I provide three avenues of response: (1) favored cases of faith without belief beg the question by stipulating faith‐that‐p‐without‐belief‐that‐p, or if the non‐doxasticist provides evidence that there is faith without belief, this evidence points to either (2) no‐faith‐that‐p‐because‐disbelief‐that‐p or (3) faith‐that‐p‐with‐belief‐that‐p.
High ambient temperature and child emergency and hospital visits in New York City
Authors: Niu Li , Herrera Maria Teresa , Girma Blean , Liu Bian , Schinasi Leah , Clougherty Jane E. , Sheffield Perry E.
Published: June 2021

Background

Emerging literature has documented heat‐related impacts on child health, yet few studies have evaluated the effects of heat among children of different age groups and comparing emergency department (ED) and hospitalisation risks.

Objectives

To examine the differing associations between high ambient temperatures and risk of ED visits and hospitalisations among children by age group in New York City (NYC).

Methods

We used New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data on children aged 0–18 years admitted to NYC EDs (n = 2,252,550) and hospitals (n = 228,006) during the warm months (May‐September) between 2005 and 2011. Using a time‐stratified, case‐crossover design, we estimated the risk of ED visits and hospitalisations associated with daily maximum temperature (Tmax) for children of all ages and by age group.

Results

The average Tmax over the study period was 80.3°F (range 50°, 104°F). Tmax conferred the greatest risk of ED visits for children aged 0–4, with a 6‐day cumulative excess risk of 2.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7, 3.0) per 13°F (ie interquartile range) increase in temperature. Children and adolescents 5–12 years (0.8%, 95% CI 0.1, 1.6) and 13–18 years (1.4%, 95% CI 0.6, 2.3) are also sensitive to heat. For hospitalisations, only adolescents 13–18 years had increased heat‐related risk, with a cumulative excess risk of 7.9% (95% CI 2.0, 14.2) per 13°F increase in Tmax over 85°F.

Conclusions

This urban study in NYC reinforces that young children are particularly vulnerable to effects of heat, but also demonstrates the sensitivity of older children and adolescents as well. These findings underscore the importance of focussing on children and adolescents in targeting heat illness prevention and emergency response activities, especially as global temperatures continue to rise.
Contemporary Concise Review 2020: Asthma
Authors: Wang Gang , McDonald Vanessa M.
Published: June 2021

SUMMARY OF KEY POINTS

Bushfires and coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐19) were dominate features of 2020.

Patients with asthma were significantly affected by the 2019/2020 bushfire season with an increased burden compared to the general population.

Patients with controlled asthma do not appear to be at higher risk of severe COVID‐19 infection or death than the general population.

Personalized medicine is proposed as the next era for asthma management, with treatable traits as a strategy to implement personalized medicine into practice.

Patient engagement in personalized medicine strategies is important and needs to be further explored.

Oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in asthma is common and contributes a major burden. OCS stewardship is recommended.

Biologic therapies reduce exacerbations of severe asthma and biomarkers can be used to predict treatment responders.

Epithelia at mucosal and cutaneous surfaces are components in asthma pathogenesis, through airway immunity and inflammation.

Dysregulation of resident microbial communities in the lung, gut and skin microbiome is relevant to asthma pathogenesis, but there are still many unknowns in this field.
Geology, mineralogy, and sulfur isotopes of the Mowana copper deposit, Matsitama Schist Belt, NE Botswana
Authors: Kooganne Amogelang , Imai Akira , Agangi Andrea , Takahashi Ryohei
Published: June 2021

The Mowana hydrothermal Cu deposit is located within the Matsitama–Motloutse Complex in the southwestern part of the Zimbabwe Craton in the northeastern part of Botswana. This study aims to document the characteristics of the mineralization based on geology, quartz textures, ore mineralogy, chlorite geothermometry, and sulfur isotope analyses. The deposit is hosted by the NNE‐striking and nearly vertically dipping (70–80°) Bushman Lineament, within the graphitic schist lenses in the carbonaceous and argillaceous metasedimentary rocks of the Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic Matsitama Sedimentary Group. The hydrothermal alteration of the host rocks is characterized by silicification, chloritization, epidotization, sericitization, hematite, and calcite alteration. Based on the alteration mineral assemblage, the main mineralization stage is attributed to near neutral pH fluids at temperatures between ~200 and ~340°C. The base metal mineralization of the Mowana deposit was evolved in at least two vein types. The first mineralization type, represented by the quartz+calcite±K‐feldspar veins and breccias is characterized by the precipitation of principal chalcopyrite with pyrite, minor bornite, and trace amounts of galena. The Type 2 veins represented by the quartz+calcite±fluorite veins, host appreciable amounts of galena. The supergene mineralization widely distributed in the shallow levels of the deposit is manifested by the significant presence of chalcocite, bornite, covellite, anglesite, malachite, and hematite. The temperature obtained from the chlorite geothermometry in the Type 1 veins indicate that the mineralization associated with chlorite alteration formed at a temperature ranging from 340 to 400°C. The ore mineral assemblage: pyrite, bornite, and chalcopyrite, paired with the chlorite geothermometry data indicate that the Type 1 veins formed at an intemediate to high sulfidation state. Sulfur isotopic ratios determined on the sulfides indicate the magmatic S and/or leaching of the host metasedimentary rocks and closed system reduction of seawater sulfate as the sources of S.
Individual and Collective Strategies to Limit the Impacts of Large Power Outages of Long Duration
Authors: Bohman Angelena D. , Abdulla Ahmed , Morgan M. Granger
Published: June 2021

As modern society becomes ever more dependent on the availability of electric power, the costs that could arise from individual and social vulnerability to large outages of long duration (LLD‐outages) increases. During such an outage, even a small amount of power would be very valuable. This article compares individual and collective strategies for providing limited amounts of electric power to residential customers in a hypothetical New England community during a large electric power outage of long duration. We develop estimates of the emergency load required for survival and assess the cost of strategies to address outages that last 5, 10, and 20 days in either winter or summer. We find that the cost of collective solutions could be as much as 10 to 40 times less than individual solutions (less than $2 per month per home). However, collective solutions would require community‐wide coordination, and if local distribution system lines are destroyed, only individual back‐up systems could provide contingency power until those lines are repaired. Costs might be reduced if more robust distributed generation were employed that could be operated continuously with the ability to sell power back to the grid. Our cost‐effectiveness analysis only assesses what could be done, developing estimates of preparedness cost. A decision about what should be done would require additional input from a range of stakeholders as well as some form of analytical deliberative process.
Characterization of novel HLA class I alleles: HLA‐A*02:984, ‐B*18:205, ‐B*57:142N, ‐C*02:204, and ‐C*16:185
Authors: Balas Antonio , Moreno‐Hidalgo Miguel‐Ángel , Alenda Raquel , García‐Sanchez Félix , Vicario José L.
Published: June 2021

Five new HLA class I alleles were characterized by next‐generation sequencing.
Mixed metamorphic and fluid graphite deposition in Palaeoproterozoic supracrustal rocks of the Lewisian Complex, NW Scotland
Authors: Parnell John , Brolly Connor , Boyce Adrian J.
Published: June 2021

Graphite deposits may form alternatively by metamorphism of sedimentary rocks and from fluids. Both types occur in supracrustal successions within the Lewisian Complex of Northwest Scotland, and similarly in Palaeoproterozoic supracrustal rocks across the North Atlantic region in Canada, Greenland and Scandinavia. Carbon isotope compositions show that the graphite in Scotland had a mixed origin from metamorphism of sedimentary organic matter (schists) and the decarbonation of limestones (marbles). Raman spectroscopy shows that most of the graphite in Scotland exhibits some structural disorder, unlike the complete order in graphite vein ore deposits across the region. Exceptionally, where graphite was precipitated from fluid, in albitized rock in Tiree and Scardroy, it is fully ordered. While organic matter may survive granulite facies metamorphism without being transformed to fully ordered graphite, it can yield commercially more valuable ordered graphite when mobilized in a fluid.