bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
32. Road traffic offences
Authors: Ormerod David , Laird Karl , Gibson Matthew
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses road traffic offences including dangerous driving, careless and inconsiderate driving, causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving (including when under the influence of drink or drugs), causing death while driving unlawfully, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving, and causing serious injury by driving whilst disqualified. A discussion of these offences contributes to an understanding of the general principles of criminal law. Dangerous and careless driving are rare examples of English criminal law providing endangerment offences. The Road Safety Act 2006 included some controversial extensions whereby liability was imposed for a death arising while unlawfully on the roads, irrespective of whether the death is due to some defect in the manner of the driving. The chapter examines the decisions of the Supreme Court in Hughes and Taylor on the need for fault as to driving.
2. What Is Land?
Authors: McFarlane Ben , Hopkins Nicholas , Nield Sarah
Published: September 2024

All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing able students with a stand-alone resource. This chapter explores in detail the legal meaning of land, what it means to say that land is a form of property, and the nature of its protection. It considers the usefulness of the cujus est solum, ejus est usque ad coelum et ad infernos brocard to determining the reach of a landowner’s rights above and below the surface of the land. It also considers the rights of an owner of land to objects found in or on the land.
23. Freehold Covenants
Authors: McFarlane Ben , Hopkins Nicholas , Nield Sarah
Published: September 2024

All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing able students with a stand-alone resource. This chapter investigates how certain covenants relating to land between freehold owners can overcome the normal privity of contract rule and be enforced by and against third parties. Restrictive covenants significantly control land use and supplement and complement public planning laws. The burden of a negative covenant will not run at common law, but may run in equity by virtue of the rule in Tulk v Moxhay. The benefit of a restrictive covenant will run if it is: expressly assigned; annexed to the land; or subject to a building scheme. The Lands Chamber of the Upper Tribunal has jurisdiction under s 84 of the Law of Property Act 1925 to modify or extinguish restrictive covenants. Reform recommendations offer a final acknowledgement that both negative and positive covenants affecting land should be ‘genuine proprietary interests’ rather than ‘a peculiar species of personal contract’.
10. Access to justice
Authors: Rutherford Helen , Kotecha Birju , Macfarlane Angela
Published: September 2024

This chapter addresses the issues and arguments surrounding access to justice. The chapter considers changes and proposed changes to legal aid provision. There is an outline of the basic principles relating to public funding in both civil and criminal cases. Different methods of funding civil legal representation are discussed including CFAs and DBAs. Organisations involved in giving legal advice, including Citizens Advice and law centres, are included in the discussion about the availability of legal advice.
15. The civil process
Authors: Rutherford Helen , Kotecha Birju , Macfarlane Angela
Published: September 2024

This chapter is a general introduction to civil litigation and the civil courts. It describes the process by which a civil claim is dealt with in the County Court or the High Court. It provides an overview of the major case management powers in the civil courts and discusses how these powers must be exercised to further the overriding objective of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (as amended) to deal with matters justly and at proportionate cost. A brief history of the development of the civil court rules is included. Some of the basic principles of civil evidence are discussed and the methods of enforcement of civil judgments are set out.
18. Criminal and civil appeals
Authors: Rutherford Helen , Kotecha Birju , Macfarlane Angela
Published: September 2024

As seen in previous chapters, the appeal court system in England and Wales is hierarchical. This chapter is concerned with the various mechanisms by which the decisions of courts may be appealed or reviewed. It explores the grounds for appeals in criminal cases, including the concepts of ‘fresh evidence’ and ‘lurking doubt’. If a criminal appeal has been dismissed, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which was set up to examine potential miscarriages of justice, may refer a case back to the appeal court in certain circumstances. The chapter highlights some of the criticisms of the CCRC’s role and effectiveness. The avenues of appeal in civil cases are also discussed.
4. Negligence and strict liability
Authors: Allen Michael J. , Edwards Ian
Published: September 2024

Course-focused and comprehensive, the Textbook on series provides an accessible overview of the key areas on the law curriculum. This chapter discusses the meaning of negligence, arguments for and against negligence as a basis for criminal liability, the meaning of strict liability, the origins of strict liability, justifications for strict liability, identifying offences of strict liability, the presumption of mens rea in offences of strict liability, defences to strict liability, and strict liability and the European Convention on Human Rights. A Law in Context feature examines critically the use of strict liability as the basis for liability in the offence of paying for the sexual services of a person who has been subject to exploitation.
10. Non-fatal offences against the person
Authors: Allen Michael J. , Edwards Ian
Published: September 2024

Course-focused and comprehensive, the Textbook on series provides an accessible overview of the key areas on the law curriculum. This chapter discusses the main non-fatal offences involving violence against the person. Non-fatal offences include assault and battery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, wounding, and inflicting grievous bodily harm, wounding or causing grievous bodily harm with intent, administering poison, and offences related to explosive substances and corrosive fluids (including offences related to ‘acid attacks’). The chapter analyses in detail consent as a defence to non-fatal offences against the person, including discussion of recent case law on whether consent is a defence to acts of ‘body modification’. The chapter also outlines necessity and lawful correction. The Law in Context feature examines the scope of ‘hate crime’ legislation.
2. Preliminaries
Authors: Keane Adrian , McKeown Paul
Published: September 2024

This chapter discusses the following: (i) facts that are open to proof or disproof in English courts of law: facts in issue, relevant facts, and collateral facts; (ii) the varieties of evidence: testimony, hearsay evidence, documentary evidence, real evidence, circumstantial evidence (including motive, plans and preparatory acts, capacity, opportunity, identity, continuance, failure to give evidence or call witnesses, failure to provide samples, lies and standards of comparison), and conclusive evidence; (iii) the concepts of relevance and admissibility; (iv) the weight of evidence; (v) the functions of the judge and jury; (vi) judicial discretion to admit or exclude evidence.
4. Proof of facts without evidence
Authors: Keane Adrian , McKeown Paul
Published: September 2024

Facts in issue and relevant facts are treated as established by the courts only insofar as they are proved by evidence. This chapter discusses three exceptions to this general rule: (i) some facts may be presumed in a party’s favour in the absence of proof or complete proof, including marriage, legitimacy, death, the regular and proper performance of public or official acts, sanity, and negligence; (ii) a fact will be treated as established where the court takes judicial notice of it either (a) without enquiry, in the case of facts that are beyond serious dispute, notorious, or of common knowledge or (b) after enquiry (usually political facts, customs, professional practices, and historical and geographical facts); and (iii) a fact ceases to be in issue when a party has formally admitted it.
21. Public policy
Authors: Keane Adrian , McKeown Paul
Published: September 2024

The public interest in efficient and fair trials may be seen as underlying the rules of disclosure in civil litigation, whereby a litigant is obliged to make pre-trial disclosure of the documents on which he relies and the documents that adversely affect his own case or adversely affect, or support, another party’s case, even though such documents may not be admissible evidence at the trial. There is also a public interest in enabling material to be withheld where its production would harm the nation or the public service. Where these two kinds of public interest clash and the latter prevails over the former, relevant and otherwise admissible evidence is excluded at trial. Such material is said to be withheld by reason of ‘public interest immunity’. This chapter discusses the development of the modern law on public interest immunity; the scope of exclusion on grounds of public policy; and related procedural issues in civil and criminal cases.
Competition policy and economics
Authors: Whish Richard , Bailey David
Published: September 2024

This chapter provides an overview of competition policy, competition law and its economic context. Section 2 describes the practices that competition laws attempt to control in order to protect the competition process. Section 3 examines the theory of competition and gives an introductory account of why the effective enforcement of competition law is thought to be beneficial. Section 4 considers the goals of competition law. Section 5 introduces two key economic concepts, market definition and market power, that are important to a better understanding of competition policy. The chapter concludes with a table of market share figures that are significant in the application of EU and UK competition law, while reminding the reader that market shares are only ever a proxy for market power and can never be determinative of market power in themselves.
Competition Act 1998: substantive provisions
Authors: Whish Richard , Bailey David
Published: September 2024

This chapter describes the substantive provisions of the Competition Act 1998 in the UK. The foci of attention in this chapter are the ‘Chapter I prohibition’, which prohibits anti-competitive agreements, and the ‘Chapter II prohibition’, which prohibits the abuse of a dominant position. The Chapter I and II prohibitions are closely modelled upon Articles 101 and 102 TFEU, although they are by no means identical in every respect. Section 2 provides an overview of the Competition Act. Sections 3 and 4 consider the decisional practice and case-law under the Chapter I and Chapter II prohibitions. Section 5 discusses the duty in section 60A of the Competition Act, which sets out certain relevant principles when applying the Competition Act. Section 6 contains a table of Competition Act decisions since the tenth edition of the book in January 2021, and discusses the Competition Act in practice.
31. The State and the Common Market
Authors: Craig Paul , de Búrca Gráinne
Published: September 2024

All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing students with a stand-alone resource. This chapter examines the way in which the actions of the state can infringe the Treaty. The Treaty contains a number of relevant provisions, including Article 4(3) TEU, and Articles 14, 34, 101, 102, 106, and 107–109 TFEU. While there are valid reasons for EU controls, the topics discussed raise important issues concerning the very nature of the EU. Thus, the jurisprudence under Article 106 has prompted questions about how far it is possible for a state to entrust certain activities to a public monopoly, or to a private firm that has exclusive rights. The UK version contains a further section analysing issues concerning state aids and the UK post-Brexit.
6. Legislation and Decision‑Making
Authors: Craig Paul , de Búrca Gráinne
Published: September 2024

All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing students with a stand-alone resource. This chapter, which discusses the process by which the EU enacts legislation and makes decisions, begins by considering the making of legislative acts. This includes the Treaty rules and practice concerning the initiation of the legislative process, and how the ordinary legislative procedure, in which the Council and European Parliament act as co-legislators, has come to occupy centre stage. The focus then shifts to the making of delegated acts followed by an analysis of how implementing acts are made. This is followed by discussion of new forms of governance, which refers to the move away from reliance on hierarchical modes towards more flexible modes as the preferred method of governing. The UK version contains a further section analysing issues concerning EU legislation and decision-making in relation to the UK post-Brexit.
7. Legislation, Decision-Making, and Democracy
Authors: Craig Paul , de Búrca Gráinne
Published: September 2024

All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing students with a stand-alone resource. The chapter contains detailed discussion of democracy in the EU, and evaluates the extent to which the EU might be said to have a democracy deficit. The analysis begins by unpacking the argument concerning democracy deficit in the EU. This is followed by empirical consideration of the argument concerning democracy deficit. There is then discussion of the normative dimension of the democracy deficit argument. It will be seen that differences of view concerning democracy and the EU are predicated on different normative assumptions as to the elements that are central to democratic ordering. This is readily apparent through consideration of six different views about democracy and the EU.
2. Principles of contract law
Authors: Beheshti Reza , Saintier Séverine , Thomas Sean
Published: September 2024

This chapter details the principles of contract law. It cites that the notion of a contract is a flexible concept which can be invoked by the courts in order to provide solutions to difficult fact situations. The general principles of contract law underpin special rules and apply to all the different classes of contract except in so far as modified by particular rules applying to the particular class of contract. The chapter then looks at the philosophy of contracts and the misleading impression of contracts' role in business. It presents a range of remedies to be invoked when there is a breach of contract.
8. Background To The Sale Of Goods Act 1979
Authors: Beheshti Reza , Saintier Séverine , Thomas Sean
Published: September 2024

This chapter outlines the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (SGA), which is the set of legal rules primarily concerned with the sale of goods. It presents the history of sales law, acknowledging that the modern law of sale is largely found in the SGA. The SGA primarily aims to remove the need to consult prior case law. Thus, decisions of courts in cases prior to the Act should only be examined for guidance in cases where the language of the Act is unclear or ambiguous. The chapter then reflects on the future of sales law, which is considered to be the heart of commercial activity.
11. Delivery
Authors: Beheshti Reza , Saintier Séverine , Thomas Sean
Published: September 2024

This chapter covers the importance of delivery. Section 27 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (SGA) presents the seller's basic obligation regarding the delivery of goods, which, the chapter argues, provides great significance to the passing of property from seller to buyer. If the seller wholly fails or refuses to deliver, they are in breach of contract; this allows the buyer to claim damages for non-delivery. The chapter also considers the situation wherein the buyer may reject the delivery and repudiate the contract. It examines how the Consumer Rights Act 2015 retains certain aspects of the SGA regime for consumer buyers.
18. Buyer’s duties and seller’s remedies
Authors: Beheshti Reza , Saintier Séverine , Thomas Sean
Published: September 2024

This chapter explores the duties of buyers and the remedies of sellers. It looks into the provision of Section 27 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (SGA) on the buyer's duty to accept and pay in accordance with the contract's terms. In large or international transactions, the buyer may often have to perform extra duties necessary to enable the seller to fulfil their duties. On the other hand, unlike the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA 2015), the common law and the SGA provide remedies for the seller if the buyer fails to perform their obligations under the contract. The chapter also explains that SGA's Section 39 contains the rights of an unpaid seller.
28. International sale contracts
Authors: Beheshti Reza , Saintier Séverine , Thomas Sean
Published: September 2024

This chapter details the significance of international sale contracts. Since there is no formal special body of rules for international sales, an international sale contract is governed by English law while it is invariably governed by the general law of contract and the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (SGA). Thus, parties are free to agree on the terms of their bargain only if they are subjected to general law. Moreover, the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 does not apply to international supply contracts where the contracting parties have their places of business in different states. The chapter also considers the seller's obligations to the bill of lading.
29. Financing international trade
Authors: Beheshti Reza , Saintier Séverine , Thomas Sean
Published: September 2024

This chapter covers the financing of international trade. It details the nature, essential characteristics, and stages of documentary credit transaction, wherein the buyer is required to enter into an arrangement with a bank whereby the bank gives the seller an undertaking to pay the price due under a contract. Essentially, the documentary credit is ideal as a payment guarantee, particularly in contracts of sale. However, other breaches may take place, such as failing to deliver or extensive losses to the buyer. The chapter then offers different performance guarantee arrangements which share features of the documentary credit while securing the performance of obligations other than financial payment.
Alzheimer's Disease Has Its Origins in Early Life via a Perturbed Microbiome
Authors: Ginsberg Stephen D , Blaser Martin J
Published: September 2024

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with limited therapeutic options. Accordingly, new approaches for prevention and treatment are needed. One focus is the human microbiome, the consortium of microorganisms that live in and on us, which contributes to human immune, metabolic, and cognitive development and that may have mechanistic roles in neurodegeneration. AD and Alzheimer's disease–related dementias (ADRD) are recognized as spectrum disorders with complex pathobiology. AD/ADRD onset begins before overt clinical signs, but initiation triggers remain undefined. We posit that disruption of the normal gut microbiome in early life leads to a pathological cascade within septohippocampal and cortical brain circuits. We propose investigation to understand how early-life microbiota changes may lead to hallmark AD pathology in established AD/ADRD models. Specifically, we hypothesize that antibiotic exposure in early life leads to exacerbated AD-like disease endophenotypes that may be amenable to specific microbiological interventions. We propose suitable models for testing these hypotheses.
Toxoplasma gondii Infection of Alzheimer's Disease Mice Reduces Brain Amyloid Density Globally and Regionally
Authors: Yanes Katherine J O , Guanzon Nathanial A , Azevedo Ricardo , Wheeler Damian G , Gandhi Sunil P , Lodoen Melissa B
Published: September 2024

Background

Toxoplasma gondii infection of Alzheimer's disease model mice decreases amyloid β plaques. We aimed to determine if there is a brain regional difference in amyloid β reduction in the brains of T. gondii-infected compared to control mice.

Method

Three-month-old 5xFAD (AD model) mice were injected with T. gondii or with phosphate-buffered saline as a control. Intact brains were harvested at 6 weeks postinfection, optically cleared using iDISCO+, and brain-wide amyloid burden was visualized using volumetric light-sheet imaging. Amyloid signal was quantified across each brain and computationally mapped to the Allen Institute Brain Reference Atlas to determine amyloid density in each region.

Results

A brain-wide analysis of amyloid in control and T. gondii-infected 5xFAD mice revealed that T. gondii infection decreased amyloid burden in the brain globally as well as in the cortex and hippocampus, and many daughter regions. Daughter regions that showed reduced amyloid burden included the prelimbic cortex, visual cortex, and retrosplenial cortex. The olfactory tubercle, a region known to have increased monocytes following T. gondii infection, also showed reduced amyloid after infection.

Conclusions

T. gondii infection of AD mice reduces amyloid burden in a brain region-specific manner that overlaps with known regions of T. gondii infection and peripheral immune cell infiltration.
Chronic Oral Inoculation of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola Induce Different Brain Pathologies in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Ciccotosto Giuseppe D , Mohammed Ali I , Paolini Rita , Bijlsma Elly , Toulson Su , Holden James , Reynolds Eric C , Dashper Stuart G , Butler Catherine A
Published: September 2024

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease driven by dysbiosis in subgingival microbial communities leading to increased abundance of a limited number of pathobionts, including Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola. Oral health, particularly periodontitis, is a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis, with components of both these bacteria identified in postmortem brains of persons with AD. Repeated oral inoculation of mice with P. gingivalis results in brain infiltration of bacterial products, increased inflammation, and induction of AD-like biomarkers. P. gingivalis displays synergistic virulence with T. denticola during periodontitis. The aim of the current study was to determine the ability of P. gingivalis and T. denticola, grown in physiologically relevant conditions, individually and in combination, to induce AD-like pathology following chronic oral inoculation of female mice over 12 weeks. P. gingivalis alone significantly increased all 7 brain pathologies examined: neuronal damage, activation of astrocytes and microglia, expression of inflammatory cytokines interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 and production of amyloid-β plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau, in the hippocampus, cortex and midbrain, compared to control mice. T. denticola alone significantly increased neuronal damage, activation of astrocytes and microglia, and expression of IL-1β, in the hippocampus, cortex and midbrain, compared to control mice. Coinoculation of P. gingivalis with T. denticola significantly increased activation of astrocytes and microglia in the hippocampus, cortex and midbrain, and increased production of hyperphosphorylated tau and IL-1β in the hippocampus only. The host brain response elicited by oral coinoculation was less than that elicited by each bacterium, suggesting coinoculation was less pathogenic.
Retrospective Analysis of Blood Biomarkers of Neurological Injury in Human Cases of Viral Infection and Bacterial Sepsis
Authors: Bartlett Maggie L , Goux Heather , Johnson Linwood , Schully Kevin L , Gregory Melissa , Brandsma Joost , Chenoweth Josh G , Clark Danielle V , Rivera Luis Felipe , Lezcano-Coba Carlos , Vittor Amy Y , Hayes Ronald , Galué Josefrancisco , Carrera Jean-Paul , Smith Darci R
Published: September 2024

Background

Blood biomarkers of neurological injury could provide a rapid diagnosis of central nervous system injury caused by infections. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved assay for mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) measures glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1), which signal astrocyte and neuronal injury, respectively. Here, we assessed the applicability of this biomarker assay for determining infection-induced brain injury.

Methods

We measured serum levels of GFAP and UCH-L1 retrospectively in serum samples from 3 study populations: (1) human cases infected with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) and Madariaga virus (MADV) (n = 73), (2) human sepsis patients who were severely ill or diagnosed with encephalitis (n = 66), and (3) sepsis cases that were subsequently evaluated for cognitive impairment (n = 64).

Results

In the virus infection group, we found elevated GFAP for VEEV (P = .014) and MADV (P = .011) infections, which correlated with seizures (P = .006). In the bacterial sepsis group, GFAP was elevated in cases diagnosed with encephalitis (P = .0007) and correlated with headaches (P = .0002). In the bacterial sepsis cases with a later cognitive assessment, elevated GFAP (P = .0057) at study enrollment was associated with cognitive impairment 6 months later with a positive prognostic capacity of 79% (95% confidence interval, 66%–95%; P = .0068).

Conclusions

GFAP and UCH-L1 levels measured using an FDA-approved assay for TBI may indicate brain injury resulting from viral or bacterial infections and could predict the development of neurological sequelae.
COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Induce Robust Levels of IgG but Limited Amounts of IgA Within the Oronasopharynx of Young Children
Authors: Tang Ying , Boribong Brittany P , Swank Zoe N , Demokritou Melina , Luban Maria A F , Fasano Alessio , Du Michelle , Wolf Rebecca L , Griffiths Joseph , Shultz John , Borberg Ella , Chalise Sujata , Gonzalez Wanda I , Walt David R , Yonker Lael M , Horwitz Bruce H
Published: September 2024

Background

Understanding antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is crucial for refining COVID-19 immunization strategies. Generation of mucosal immune responses, including mucosal IgA, could be of potential benefit to vaccine efficacy; however, limited evidence exists regarding the production of mucosal antibodies following the administration of current mRNA vaccines to young children.

Methods

We measured the levels of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 from a cohort of children under 5 years of age (n = 24) undergoing SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination (serially collected, matched serum and saliva samples) or in a convenience sample of children under 5 years of age presenting to pediatric emergency department (nasal swabs, n = 103). Furthermore, we assessed salivary and nasal samples for the ability to induce SARS-CoV-2 spike-mediated neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) formation.

Results

Longitudinal analysis of post-vaccine responses in saliva revealed the induction of SARS-CoV-2–specific IgG but not IgA. Similarly, SARS-CoV-2–specific IgA was only observed in nasal samples obtained from previously infected children with or without vaccination, but not in vaccinated children without a history of infection. In addition, oronasopharyngeal samples obtained from children with prior infection were able to trigger enhanced spike-mediated NET formation, and IgA played a key role in driving this process.

Conclusions

Despite the induction of specific IgG in the oronasal mucosa, current intramuscular vaccines have limited ability to generate mucosal IgA in young children. These results confirm the independence of mucosal IgA responses from systemic humoral responses following mRNA vaccination and suggest potential future vaccination strategies for enhancing mucosal protection in this young age group.
Effect of NH4Cl supplementation on growth, photosynthesis, and triacylglycerol content in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under mixotrophic cultivation
Authors: Sittisaree Wattanapong , Yokthongwattana Kittisak , Aonbangkhen Chanat , Yingchutrakul Yodying , Krobthong Sucheewin
Published: September 2024

Aim

Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) is one of the nitrogen sources for microalgal cultivation. An excessive amounts of NH4Cl are toxic for microalgae. However, combining mixotrophic conditions and excessive quantities of NH4Cl positively affects microalgal biomass and lipid production. In this study, we investigated the impact of NH4Cl on the growth, biomass, and triglyceride (TAG) content of the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii especially under mixotrophic conditions.

Methods and results

Under photoautotrophic conditions (without organic carbon supplementation), adding 25 mM NH4Cl had no significant effect on microalgal growth or TAG content. However, under mixotrophic condition (with acetate supplementation), NH4Cl interfered with microalgal growth while inducing TAG content. To explore these effects further, we conducted a two-step cultivation process and found that NH4Cl reduced microalgal growth, but induced total lipid and TAG content, especially after 4-day cultivation. The photosynthesis performances showed that NH4Cl completely inhibited oxygen evolution on day 4. However, NH4Cl slightly reduced the Fv/Fm ratio indicating that the NH4Cl supplementation directly affects microalgal photosynthesis. To investigate the TAG induction effect by NH4Cl, we compared the protein expression profiles of microalgae grown mixotrophically with and without 25 mM NH4Cl using a proteomics approach. This analysis identified 1782 proteins, with putative acetate uptake transporter GFY5 and acyl-coenzyme A oxidase being overexpressed in the NH4Cl-treated group.

Conclusion

These findings suggested that NH4Cl supplementation may stimulate acetate utilization and fatty acid synthesis pathways in microalgae cells. Our study indicated that NH4Cl supplementation can induce microalgal biomass and lipid production, particularly when combined with mixotrophic conditions.
Navigating electronic health record accuracy by examination of sex incongruent conditions
Authors: Cai Ling , DeBerardinis Ralph J , Zhan Xiaowei , Xiao Guanghua , Xie Yang
Published: September 2024

Objective

The increasing reliance on electronic health records (EHRs) for research and clinical care necessitates robust methods for assessing data quality and identifying inconsistencies. To address this need, we develop and apply the incongruence rate (IR) using sex-specific medical conditions. We also characterized participants with incongruent records to better understand the scope and nature of data discrepancies.

Materials and Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we used the All of Us Research Program’s latest version 7 (v7) EHR data to identify prevalent sex-specific conditions and evaluated the occurrence of incongruent cases, quantified as IR.

Results

Among the 92 597 males and 152 551 females with condition occurrence data available from All of Us and sex-conformed gender, we identified 167 prevalent sex-specific conditions. Among the 37 537 biological males and 95 499 biological females with these sex-specific conditions, we detected an overall IR of 0.86%. Attempt to include non-cisgender participants result in inflated overall IR. Additionally, a significant proportion of participants with incongruent conditions also presented with conditions congruent to their biological sex, indicating a mix of accurate and erroneous records. These incongruences were not geographically or temporally isolated, suggesting systematic issues in EHR data integrity.

Discussion

Our findings call attention to the existence of systemic data incongruences in sex-specific conditions and the need for robust validation checks. Extending IR evaluation to non-cisgender participants or non-sex-based conditions remain a challenge.

Conclusion

The sex condition-specific IR, when applied to adult populations, provides a valuable metric for data quality assessment in EHRs.
Acceptability, feasibility, and impact of the MyGut digital health platform in the monitoring and management of inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Zhen Jamie , Simoneau Maude , Sharma Pooja , Germain Pascale , Watier-Levesque Pascale , Othman Abdulrahman , Marshall John K , Afif Waqqas , Narula Neeraj
Published: September 2024

Background

Digital health monitoring may help facilitate self-management strategies when caring for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Aims

This study investigated the feasibility of implementing the MyGut health application when caring for patients with IBD and evaluated whether its use improved health outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a prospective trial in 2 Canadian hospitals from 2020 to 2023. Patients with IBD were recruited from gastroenterology clinics, and the MyGut application was installed onto their mobile devices. Metrics such as acceptability, satisfaction, feasibility, quality-of-life scores (measured through the short IBD questionnaire [SIBDQ]), and resource utilization were collected throughout the 1-year follow-up period.

Results

Of the 84 patients enrolled, 58 patients (69%) continued to use the app until the study completion. At recruitment, all 84 patients (100%) were willing to use the MyGut application after a brief tutorial. There was a significant improvement in the SIBDQ scores after 1 year of MyGut use (mean = 56.0, SD 8.85 vs 52.0, SD 9.84) (P = .012). However, only 42.9% (21/49) of the patients were willing to continue using the application after 1 year, a significant decrease compared with the 71.4% (35/49) who were willing to continue after 2 months (P = .001). No differences were observed in the number of emergency room visits/hospitalizations (P = .78) before and after 1 year of MyGut use.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that patients are willing to use digital health monitoring platforms and this may lead to improved quality of life. However, sustained efforts must be made to optimize its long-term feasibility.
Life table study of Rachiplusia nu (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on different food sources and artificial diet
Authors: Alves Juarez da S , Pasqualotto Larissa , Soares Vanessa N , Trombin de Souza Michele , Trombin de Souza Mireli , Rakes Matheus , Horikoshi Renato J , Miraldo Leonardo L , Ovejero Ramiro L F , Berger Geraldo U , Bernardi Daniel
Published: September 2024

Rachiplusia nu Guenée is a polyphagous species able to develop on several cultivated and non-cultivated host plants. However, basic life history information about this pest on hosts is scarce. In this study, R. nu larvae did not survive on leaves of non-Bt corn, wheat, Bt cotton that expresses proteins Cry1Ac+Cry2Ab2 or on Intacta2 Xtend soybean that expresses the Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2/Cry1Ac proteins. Rachiplusia nu showed a viable egg-to-adult biological cycle (54%–66.3%) on non-Bt soybean, sunflower, canola, vetch, Persian clover, alfalfa, bean, and forage turnip hosts, similar to larvae raised on the artificial diet. In addition, R. nu was unable to complete larval development on non-Bt cotton, and only 45.2% of R. nu larvae reached the pupal stage when fed leaves of intacta RR2 PRO soybean that expresses the Cry1Ac protein. Larval and pupal mass of surviving insects on Cry1Ac soybean leaves were also lower (larval: 0.104 g; pupal: 0.099 g) in relation to other food sources (larval: 0.165–0.189 g; pupal: 0.173–0.192 g). The total fecundity of R. nu on Cry1Ac soybean leaves was ≈65% lower in relation to other food sources. This fact caused ≈60% the net reproductive rate (Ro) and intrinsic rate of increase (rm) when compared to other food sources. Our findings indicate that the Cry1Ac soybean negatively affects the biological parameters of R. nu. Non-Bt soybean, sunflower, canola, vetch, Persian clover, alfalfa, bean, and forage turnip are viable food sources for the survival and development of R. nu.
Simultaneous enumeration of yeast and bacterial cells in the context of industrial bioprocesses
Authors: Martins Carolina Teixeira , Jacobus Ana Paula , Conceição Renilson , Barbin Douglas Fernandes , Bolini Helena , Gombert Andreas Karoly
Published: September 2024

In scenarios where yeast and bacterial cells coexist, it is of interest to simultaneously quantify the concentrations of both cell types, since traditional methods used to determine these concentrations individually take more time and resources. Here, we compared different methods for quantifying the fuel ethanol Saccharomyces cerevisiae PE-2 yeast strain and cells from the probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain in microbial suspensions. Individual suspensions were prepared, mixed in 1:1 or 100:1 yeast-to-bacteria ratios, covering the range typically encountered in sugarcane biorefineries, and analyzed using bright field microscopy, manual and automatic Spread-plate and Drop-plate counting, flow cytometry (at 1:1 and 100:1 ratios), and a Coulter Counter (at 1:1 and 100:1 ratios). We observed that for yeast cell counts in the mixture (1:1 and 100:1 ratios), flow cytometry, the Coulter Counter, and both Spread-plate options (manual and automatic CFU counting) yielded statistically similar results, while the Drop-plate and microscopy-based methods gave statistically different results. For bacterial cell quantification, the microscopy-based method, Drop-plate, and both Spread-plate plating options and flow cytometry (1:1 ratio) produced no significantly different results (p > .05). In contrast, the Coulter Counter (1:1 ratio) and flow cytometry (100:1 ratio) presented results statistically different (p < .05). Additionally, quantifying bacterial cells in a mixed suspension at a 100:1 ratio wasn't possible due to an overlap between yeast cell debris and bacterial cells. We conclude that each method has limitations, advantages, and disadvantages.

One-Sentence Summary

This study compares methods for simultaneously quantifying yeast and bacterial cells in a mixed sample, highlighting that in different cell proportions, some methods cannot quantify both cell types and present distinct advantages and limitations regarding time, cost, and precision.
Childhood Cancer-Connect: Identifying solutions to elevating the cancer experience for adolescents and young adults with cancer
Authors: Roth Michael E , Hawkins Douglas S , Merrill Janette K , Henderson Tara O
Published: September 2024

Adolescents and young adults with cancer (aged 15-39 years) experience unique challenges because of their developmental life stage, and many have limited access to support and resources. Childhood Cancer (CC)-Connect, the patient assistance component of the White House Cancer Moonshot Childhood Cancer–Data Integration for Research, Education, Care, and Clinical Trials initiative that aims to help childhood cancer families find the best care for their child, undertook a multipronged effort to identify key strategies for addressing the unique needs of adolescents and young adults with cancer. This article describes the 4 strategies that emerged to form a comprehensive framework for addressing the unmet needs of adolescents and young adults with cancer, which can improve outcomes and enhance the cancer care experience for this vulnerable population.
Alignment and comparison of directed networks via transition couplings of random walks
Authors: Yi Bongsoo , O’Connor Kevin , McGoff Kevin , Nobel Andrew B
Published: September 2024

We describe and study a transport-based procedure called network optimal transition coupling (NetOTC) for the comparison and alignment of two networks. The networks of interest may be directed or undirected, weighted or unweighted, and may have distinct vertex sets of different sizes. Given two networks and a cost function relating their vertices, NetOTC finds a transition coupling of their associated random walks having minimum expected cost. The minimizing cost quantifies the difference between the networks, while the optimal transport plan itself provides alignments of both the vertices and the edges of the two networks. Coupling of the full random walks, rather than their marginal distributions, ensures that NetOTC captures local and global information about the networks and preserves edges. NetOTC has no free parameters and does not rely on randomization. We investigate a number of theoretical properties of NetOTC and present experiments establishing its empirical performance.
Physical obstacles in the substrate cause maize root growth trajectories to switch from vertical to oblique
Authors: Yao Jiaojiao , Barés Jonathan , Dupuy Lionel X , Kolb Evelyne
Published: September 2024

Hard pans, soil compaction, soil aggregation, and stones create physical barriers that can affect the development of a root system. Roots are known to exploit paths of least resistance to avoid such obstacles, but the mechanism through which this is achieved is not well understood. Here, we used a combination of 3D-printed substrates with a high-throughput live-imaging platform to study the responses of maize roots to a range of physical barriers. Using image analysis algorithms, we determined the properties of growth trajectories and identified how the presence of rigid circular obstacles affects the ability of a primary root to maintain its vertical trajectory. The results showed that the types of growth responses were limited, with both vertical and oblique trajectories being found to be stable and influenced by the size of the obstacles. When obstacles were of intermediate sizes, trajectories were unstable and changed in nature through time. We formalized the conditions required for root trajectory to change from vertical to oblique, linking the angle at which the root detaches from the obstacle to the root curvature due to gravitropism. Exploitation of paths of least resistance by a root might therefore be constrained by the ability of the root to curve and respond to gravitropic signals.
A genomic journey across the past, present, and future of South American maize
Authors: Dominguez Pia Guadalupe , Freilij Damián , Lia Verónica Viviana
Published: September 2024

Maize (Zea mays ssp. mays) diverged from one of its wild relatives, the teosinte Zea mays ssp. parviglumis, in the lowlands of southwest Mexico ~9000 years ago. Following this divergence, maize rapidly expanded throughout the Americas becoming a staple food. This dispersal was accompanied by significant demographic and selective changes, leading to the development of numerous local varieties with a complex evolutionary history that remains incompletely understood. In recent years, genomic advances have challenged traditional models of maize domestication and spread to South America. At least three distinct genetic lineages associated with different migratory waves have been described: ancestral Andean, ancestral Lowland, and Pan-American. Additionally, the significant role of the teosinte Zea mays ssp. mexicana in the evolution of modern maize has been recently uncovered. Genomic studies have shed light on highland adaptation processes, revealing largely independent adaptation events in Meso and South America. As new evidence emerges, the regional complexity underlying maize diversity and the need for comprehensive, multiscale approaches have become evident. In the face of climate change and evolving agricultural landscapes, the conservation of native maize in South America is of growing interest, with genomics serving as an invaluable tool for identifying and preserving the genetic variability of locally adapted germplasm.
Synergy of histone acetyltransferase inhibitor (HATi) with quercetin inhibits biofilm formation in Candida tropicalis
Authors: Rajagopal Gouri Krishna , Raorane Chaitany Jayprakash , Ravichandran Vinothkannan , Rajasekharan Satish Kumar
Published: September 2024

Histone acetyltransferase inhibitors (HATi) are mechanism-based inhibitors that show promise in the treatment of several illnesses, including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. The work emphasizes the significance of HATi as a possible treatment strategy against Candida species biofilms. Here, in this study, we found that combining a HATi, anacardic acid (AA), and quercetin, a known flavonoid, significantly prevented biofilm formation by C. tropicalis. We further show that C. tropicalis exhibited a considerable downregulation of drug-resistance gene expression (CDR1 and MDR1) when co-administrated. Additionally, in silico studies revealed that the AA interacts strongly with a histone acetyltransferase, Rtt109, which may account for the observed biofilm inhibitory effect. In conclusion, the study illustrates how HATi may be used to potentiate the inhibitory action of phytoactives or antifungals against drug-resistant yeast infections.
Exploring the case for hard-X-ray beaming in NGC 6946 X-1
Authors: Beuchert Tobias , Middleton Matthew J , Soria Roberto , Miller-Jones James C A , Dauser Thomas , Roberts Timothy P , Sathyaprakash Rajath , Markoff Sera
Published: September 2024

In order to understand the nature of super-Eddington accretion we must explore both the emission emerging directly from the inflow and its impact on the surroundings. In this paper, we test whether we can use the optical line emission of spatially resolved, ionized nebulae around ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) as a proxy for their X-ray luminosity. We choose the ULX NGC 6946 X-1 and its nebula, MF16, as a test case. By studying how the nebular optical line emission responds to assumed irradiation, we can infer the degree to which we require the UV or X-ray emission from the inflow to be collimated by optically thick winds seemingly ubiquitously associated with ULXs. We find that the nebula is highly sensitive to compact UV emission but mostly insensitive to hard X-rays. Our attempts to quantify the beaming of the soft and hard X-rays therefore strongly depends on the UV luminosity of the ULX in the centre of the nebula. We find that it is not possible to conclude a lack of geometrical beaming of hard X-rays from such sources via nebula feedback.
Testing screened modified gravity with SDSS-IV-MaNGA
Authors: Landim Ricardo G , Desmond Harry , Koyama Kazuya , Penny Samantha
Published: September 2024

Fifth forces are ubiquitous in modified gravity theories and must be screened to evade stringent local tests. This can introduce unusual behaviour in galaxy phenomenology by affecting galaxies’ components differently. Here, we use the SDSS-IV (Sloan Digital Sky Survey IV)-MaNGA (Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory) data set to search for a systematic excess of gas circular velocity over stellar circular velocity, expected in thin-shell-screened theories in the partially screened regime. Accounting for asymmetric drift and calibrating our model on screened subsamples, we find no significant evidence for a screened fifth force. We bound the fifth-force strength to $\Delta G/G_\text{N} < 0.1$ for all astrophysical ranges, strengthening to $\sim$0.01 at Compton wavelength of 3 Mpc for the Hu–Sawicki model, for instance. This implies a stringent constraint on scalar–tensor theories, for example $f_{\mathcal {R}0} \lesssim 10^{-8}$ in Hu–Sawicki $f(\mathcal {R})$ gravity.