bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Receptor for Hyaluronan-Mediated Motility (RHAMM) defines an invasive niche associated with tumor progression and predicts poor outcomes in breast cancer patients
Authors: Tarullo Sarah E. , He Yuyu , Daughters Claire , Knutson Todd P. , Henzler Christine , Price Matthew , Shanley Ryan , Witschen Patrice , Tolg Cornelia , Kaspar Rachael E. , Hallstrom Caroline , Gittsovich Lyubov , Sulciner Megan L. , Zhang Xihong , Forester Colleen , Shats Oleg , Desler Michelle M. , Cowan Kenneth , Yee Douglas , Schwertfeger Kathryn L. , Turley Eva , McCarthy James B. , Nelson Andrew C.
Published: June 2022

Breast cancer invasion and metastasis result from a complex interplay between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Key oncogenic changes in the TME include aberrant metabolism and subsequent signaling of hyaluronan (HA). Hyaluronan Mediated Motility Receptor (RHAMM, HMMR) is a HA receptor that enables tumor cells to sense and respond to the TME during breast cancer progression. Focused gene expression analysis of an internal breast cancer patient cohort demonstrates increased RHAMM expression correlates with aggressive clinicopathological features. We also develop a 27-gene RHAMM-dependent signature (RDS) by intersecting differentially expressed genes in lymph node positive cases with the transcriptome of a RHAMM-dependent model of cell transformation, which we validate in an independent cohort. We demonstrate RDS predicts for poor survival and associates with invasive pathways. Further analyses using CRISPR/Cas9 generated RHAMM -/- breast cancer cells provide direct evidence that RHAMM promotes invasion in vitro and in vivo. Additional immunohistochemistry studies highlight heterogeneous RHAMM expression, and spatial transcriptomics confirms the RDS emanates from RHAMM-high invasive niches. We conclude RHAMM upregulation leads to the formation of ‘invasive niches’, which are enriched in RDS-related pathways that drive invasion and could be targeted to limit invasive progression and improve patient outcomes.
The meningeal transcriptional response to traumatic brain injury and aging
Authors: Bolte Ashley C. , Shapiro Daniel A. , Dutta Arun B. , Ma Wei Feng , Bruch Katherine R. , Marco Ana Royo , Lukens John R.
Published: June 2022

Emerging evidence suggests that the meningeal compartment plays instrumental roles in various neurological disorders and can modulate neurodevelopment and behavior. While this has sparked great interest in the meninges, we still lack fundamental knowledge about meningeal biology. Here, we utilized high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) techniques to investigate the transcriptional response of the meninges to traumatic brain injury (TBI) and aging in the sub-acute and chronic time frames. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we first explored how mild TBI affects the cellular and transcriptional landscape in the meninges in young mice at one week post-injury. Then, using bulk RNA sequencing, we assessed the differential long-term outcomes between young and aged mice following a TBI. In our scRNA-seq studies, we found that mild head trauma leads to an activation of type I interferon (IFN) signature genes in meningeal macrophages as well as the mobilization of multiple distinct sub-populations of meningeal macrophages expressing hallmarks of either classically activated or wound healing macrophages. We also revealed that dural fibroblasts in the meningeal compartment are highly responsive to TBI, and pathway analysis identified differential expression of genes linked to various neurodegenerative diseases. For reasons that remain poorly understood, the elderly are especially vulnerable to head trauma, where even mild injuries can lead to rapid cognitive decline and devastating neuropathology. To better understand the differential outcomes between the young and the elderly following brain injury, we performed bulk RNA-seq on young and aged meninges from mice that had received a mild TBI or Sham treatment 1.5 months prior. Notably, we found that aging alone induced massive upregulation of meningeal genes involved in antibody production by B cells and type I IFN signaling. Following injury, the meningeal transcriptome had largely returned to its pre-injury signature in young mice. In stark contrast, aged TBI mice still exhibited massive upregulation of immune-related genes and markedly reduced expression of genes involved in extracellular matrix remodeling and maintenance of cellular junctions. Overall, these findings illustrate the dynamic and complex transcriptional response of the meninges to mild head trauma. Moreover, we also reveal how aging modulates the meningeal response to TBI.
Physiology and structure of pathogenic Escherichia coli pOmpT reveal two substrate-binding sites
Authors: Liu Juanhua , Ran Tingting , Jiang Luyao , Gao Qingqing , Huan Changchao , Wang Hang , Wang Weiwu , Gao Song , Liu Xiufan
Published: June 2022

The pathogenicity of bacteria can be achieved by cleaving antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) through the outer membrane protease family (Omptins) to evade or resist the host’s innate immune response. The OmpT-like proteins in Escherichia coli are members of Omptins, which have highly conserved proteolytic activity. Here, sequence alignment and physiological studies have determined that pOmpT is a virulence factor with atypical proteolytic activity. Comparing pOmpT with cOmpT in terms of structure, proteolytic activity and target substrates, it is found that Asp267 and Ser276 of cOmpT are substrate-binding sites and help its catalytic center to cleave substrates (protamine,synthetic peptide or RNase 7). However, special structural features and the nature of residues Ser267 and Thr276 of pOmpT caused the inability of cleavage protamine, but allows it to specifically cleave the human AMP RNase 7. It is suggested that two sites are related with the substrate specificity. In short, we found that pOmpT presents a new structural basis for the specific recognition of substrates, and providing new clues for the development of antimicrobial drugs.
Functional Redundancy of the Posterior Hippocampi, but not Anterior Hippocampi or Left Frontal Cortex, is Disrupted in Pathological Brain Aging
Authors: Blujus Jenna K. , Cole Michael W. , Festa Elena K. , Buka Stephen L. , Salloway Stephen P. , Heindel William C. , Oh Hwamee ,   the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: June 2022

As prevalence rates of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia, are projected to more than double by 2050, emphasis has been placed on early intervention strategies that target resilience mechanisms to delay or prevent the onset of clinical symptoms. Several neural mechanisms underlying brain resilience to AD have been proposed, including redundant neural connections between the posterior hippocampi (HC) and all other brain regions, and global functional connectivity of the left frontal cortex (LFC). It remains unknown, however, if regional redundancy of the HC and LFC underscores neural resilience in the presence of AD pathologies. From the ADNI database, 363 cognitively normal older adults (CN) (N = 220; 36% Aβ+) and patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) (N = 143; 51% Aβ+) were utilized. Regional redundancy was calculated from resting state fMRI data using a graph theoretical approach by summing the direct and indirect paths (path lengths=1-4) between each ROI and its 262 functional connections. The results showed that Aβ-status significantly disrupted posterior HC, but not anterior HC or LFC, redundancy. Aβ- groups showed higher redundancy of the bilateral posterior HC than Aβ+. In regard to redundancy-cognition relationships, higher posterior HC redundancy was related to better episodic memory performance, an effect which was primarily driven by the Aβ- group. Despite the positive relationship between posterior HC redundancy and cognition, we did not find compelling evidence that redundancy of the posterior HC serves in a resilience manner, as posterior HC redundancy did not moderate the potentially deleterious relationship between Aβdeposition and cognition. No relationships were found between anterior HC or LFC redundancy and cognitive performance. Together, these findings suggest that redundancy of the LFC does not underpin its role in resilience and that posterior HC redundancy may capture disruptions to network connectivity that occur as a result of Aβdeposition.
Structure of the human heparan sulfate polymerase complex EXT1-EXT2
Authors: Leisico Francisco , Omeiri Juneina , Le Narvor Christine , Beaudouin Joёl , Hons Michael , Fenel Daphna , Schoehn Guy , Couté Yohann , Bonnaffé David , Sadir Rabia , Lortat-Jacob Hugues , Wild Rebekka
Published: June 2022

Heparan sulfates are complex polysaccharides that mediate the interaction with a broad range of protein ligands at the cell surface. A key step in heparan sulfate biosynthesis is catalyzed by the bi-functional glycosyltransferases EXT1 and EXT2, which generate the glycan backbone consisting of repeating N-acetylglucosamine and glucuronic acid units. The molecular mechanism of heparan sulfate chain polymerization remains, however, unknown. Here, we present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of human EXT1-EXT2, which reveals the formation of a tightly packed hetero-dimeric complex harboring four glycosyltransferase domains with their catalytic sites facing in opposite directions. Along with in vitro activity assays using fluorescently labeled and chemically defined substrates, these findings provide a molecular insight into donor substrate recognition and demonstrate that the glycosyltransferase reactions are highly specific. A combination of in vitro and in cellulo mutational studies was used to dissect the functional role of the four catalytic sites. While EXT1 is able to catalyze both glycosyltransferase reactions, EXT2 harbors only N-acetylglucosamine transferase activity. Our results provide mechanistic insight into heparan sulfate chain elongation as a non processive process and lay the cornerstone for future studies on EXT1-EXT2 function in health and disease.
Large-scale phage-based screening reveals extensive pan-viral mimicry of host short linear motifs
Authors: Mihalic Filip , Simonetti Leandro , Giudice Girolamo , Sander Marie Rubin , Lindqvist Richard , Akprioro Peters Marie Berit , Benz Caroline , Kassa Eszter , Badgujar Dilip , Inturi Raviteja , Ali Muhammad , Krystkowiak Izabella , Sayadi Ahmed , Andersson Eva , Aronsson Hanna , Söderberg Ola , Dobritzsch Doreen , Petsalaki Evangelia , Överby Anna K , Jemth Per , Davey Norman E. , Ivarsson Ylva
Published: June 2022

Viruses mimic host short linear motifs (SLiMs) to hijack and deregulate cellular functions. Studies of motif-mediated interactions therefore provide insight into virus-host dependencies, and reveal targets for therapeutic intervention. Here, we describe the pan-viral discovery of 1,712 SLiM-based virus-host interactions using a phage peptidome tiling the intrinsically disordered protein regions of 229 RNA viruses. We find mimicry of host SLiMs to be a ubiquitous viral strategy, reveal novel host proteins hijacked by viruses, and identify cellular pathways frequently deregulated by viral motif mimicry. Using structural and biophysical analyses, we show that viral mimicry-based interactions have similar binding strength and bound conformations as endogenous interactions. Finally, we establish polyadenylate-binding protein 1 as a potential target for broad-spectrum antiviral agent development. Our platform enables rapid discovery of mechanisms of viral interference and the identification of potential therapeutic targets which can aid in combating future epidemics and pandemics.
Anisotropic dense collagen hydrogels possessing two ranges of porosity to create the adequate microenvironment for muscle bundles: a step towards skeletal muscle modeling
Authors: Camman Marie , Joanne Pierre , Brun Julie , Marcellan Alba , Dumont Julien , Agbulut Onnik , Hélary Christophe
Published: June 2022

Despite the crucial role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the organotypic organization and function of skeletal muscles, most 3D models do not mimic its specific characteristics, namely its biochemical composition, stiffness, anisotropy, and porosity. Here, a novel 3D in vitro model of muscle extracellular matrix was developed to differentiate myogenic cells (C2C12 line) into myotubes and reproduce their natural cell/cell and cell/matrix interactions. An anisotropic hydrogel mimicking the perimysium was obtained thanks to unidirectional 3D printing of dense collagen with aligned collagen fibrils. The space between the different layers was tuned to generate an intrinsic porosity (100 µm) suitable for nutrient and oxygen diffusion. By modulating the gelling conditions, the mechanical properties of the construct reached those measured in the physiological muscle ECM. The addition of large channels (600 µm) by molding permitted to create a second range of porosity suitable for cell colonization without altering the physical properties of the hydrogel. C2C12 cells embedded in Matrigel®, seeded within the channels, organized in 3D, and differentiated into multinucleated mature myotubes. This organization reproduced the global muscular bundles, i.e., the endomysium encompassing myotubes. These results show that porous and anisotropic dense collagen hydrogels colonized with myoblasts are promising biomaterials to model skeletal muscle.

Table of contents

Highlights

A novel extracellular matrix-like hydrogel increases the physiological relevance of the skeletal muscle model.

Porous and anisotropic dense collagen hydrogels mimic the muscle ECM physical properties.

Unidirectional printing of dense collagen creates a porous and anisotropic scaffold in a single step.

Anisotropic dense collagen hydrogels promote C2C12 differentiation into myotubes and their 3D organization.
Novel insights on the contribution of plastoglobules and reactive oxygen species to chromoplast differentiation
Authors: Morelli Luca , Torres-Montilla Salvador , Glauser Gaetan , Shanmugabalaji Venkatasalam , Kessler Felix , Rodriguez-Concepcion Manuel
Published: June 2022

Enriching plant tissues in phytonutrients can be done by stimulating their biosynthesis but also by providing appropriate sink structures for their sequestering and storage. Chromoplasts are plastids specialized in the production and accumulation of carotenoids that are naturally formed in non-photosynthetic tissues such as flower petals and ripe fruit. Chromoplasts can also be artificially differentiated from leaf chloroplasts by boosting the production of phytoene (the first committed intermediate of the carotenoid pathway) with the bacterial phytoene synthase crtB. Here we show that crtB-induced leaf chromoplasts develop plastoglobules harboring high levels of carotenoids (mainly phytoene and pro-vitamin A β-carotene) but also other nutritionally-relevant isoprenoids such as tocopherols (vitamin E) and phylloquinone (vitamin K1). Further promoting plastoglobule proliferation by exposure to intense (high) light resulted in a higher accumulation of these health-related metabolites but also an acceleration of the chloroplast-to-chromoplast conversion. We further show that production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) stimulates chromoplastogenesis. Our data suggest that, similar to that already described for decreased photosynthesis and enhanced carotenoid biosynthesis, ROS production is not just a consequence but a promoter of the chromoplast differentiation process.
Financial literacy and its antecedents amongst the farmers: evidence from India
Authors: Maji Sumit Kumar , Laha Arindam
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The article makes a modest attempt to explore the level of financial literacy (FL) amongst the farmers in India. An effort was also made to unearth the factors affecting such FL.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used secondary data on 11,030 farmers across various regions of India from the Financial Inclusion Insight Survey, 2017. Standard and Poor Global FL questions were used to measure the level of FL amongst the respondents. In addition to the appropriate statistical tools and techniques, the censored tobit regression model and generalized structural equation model were applied to explore the determinants of FL of the Indian farmers.

Findings

The outcome of the study indicated that the majority of Indian farmers are financially illiterate. The average FL score obtained by the sample farmers was found to be only 33%. The results of the study signaled significant regional variation in FL amongst the farmers across India. Apart from the regional variation in FL, farmer type, state-specific agricultural productivity, gender, marital status, age, educational attainment and financial inclusion were found to be the major determinants of the FL amongst the farmers.

Originality/value

Evaluation of FL amongst farmers is scanty in the literature in developed nations and especially in the context of emerging economies, like India. The authors tried to fill this gap by exploring FL and its determinants amongst Indian farmers. In addition to this, the study for the first time used a comprehensive and rich dataset of 11,030 Indian farmers while exploring the level of FL and its determinants.
Learning from failure to enhance performance: a systematic literature review of retail failure
Authors: Ahmed Irfan , Mehta Sanjay S. , Ganeshkumar C. , Natarajan VivekShankar
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to develop a map of the contours of the phenomenon of retailer failure by aggregating, parsing and extracting known findings regarding business failure in marketing, business and other streams of inquiry to provide a comprehensive understanding of research on the topic. Defined as the converse of retailer performance, an understanding of retail failure is expected to yield insights for performance measurement and benchmarking studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper includes a systematic literature review, employing state-of-the-art tools such as VOSViewer.

Findings

The analysis reveals patterns in the intellectual structure of the research on retail failure, as well as patterns of influence. While the discipline of marketing has been surprisingly limited in the study of retail failure, study of retail failure has been pursued by other branches of the business discipline, and even some disciplines other than business.

Originality/value

This paper provides a comprehensive and systematic literature review on the topic of retail failure.
Green workers of Himalayas: evidence of transformation induced regeneration
Authors: Bhalla Rohan , Chowdhary Nimit
Published: June 2022

Purpose

The investigation of the relationship between the future of humanity and the future of ecology is a pertinent issue. In this context, the study aimed to explore people's travel experience in the Himalayan region of India for transformation and well-being and how transformation induces their involvement in regenerative practices. The authors investigated if transformations contribute to the well-being of all living beings and the environment and induce involvement in regenerative practices?

Design/methodology/approach

The authors preferred qualitative research design and selected narrative inquiry as a research approach to bring individuals' life stories to the centre stage for examination. Accordingly, diachronic data was collected, and a paradigmatic type of narrative inquiry was applied that uses paradigmatic analytical procedures to produce thematic categories and taxonomies from the database.

Findings

Nine themes were identified and discussed in the light of existing literature. Transformational tourism promotes well-being and reduces mental health anomalies. The study participants used words like calm, compose, stress-free, and compassion, indicating enhanced consciousness. They also reported satisfaction and induced environmentally friendly behaviour after serving the community and environment at tourist destinations situated in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the Union territory of Ladakh of the Himalayan region of India.

Originality/value

The paper collates evidence to establish a correlation between transformation and regeneration. There is a suggestion that transformative travel leads to participation in regenerative activities. The paper is based on people's experiences described as green workers of the Indian Himalayas and provides empirical conclusions that support the argument of transformational induced regenerative tourism.
Housing affordability crisis and vulnerable social groups in Turkey
Authors: Coskun Yener
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This paper investigates the housing affordability crisis from the perspective of vulnerable social groups (VSG) in Turkey and Turkey's megacities, Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, over the period of 2010 and 2019.

Design/methodology/approach

The author employ house cost and multiple income variables, involving residual income, to construct socially informative house cost-to-income (HCI) ratios. To measure the country/urban level socio-economic dimensions of the affordability crisis, the author develop 12 main and 76 specific housing affordability criteria.

Findings

The author find that housing is not affordable in Turkey and low/unequal distribution of income is a contributive factor for the affordability crisis of VSG. The evidence suggests that housing unaffordability for VSG is deeply rooted in the socio-economic/demographic disparities that eventually result in income and homeownership inequalities.

Social implications

Constructed HCI ratios provide precise information for the targeted housing affordability policies for the VSG defined by education level, age, location, income distribution, employment status/condition and gender. The author' socially targeted modeling approach briefly suggests that housing affordability policies should focus on low-educated groups, young generations, some elementary occupations, employees in low-income industries, and casual/regular-small firms' employees.

Originality/value

This is the first study that provides nuanced information on housing affordability for Turkey by employing HCI ratios for the targeted VSG. This socially targeted empirical analysis is the first analysis for developing housing markets as well. From the methodological perspective, the author contribute information quality of the housing affordability ratio by using income data of various aggregate-level socio-economic/demographic groups.
Phenotypic characterization of human peripheral γδT‐cell subsets in glioblastoma
Authors: Belghali Moulay Yassine , El Moumou Lahcen , Hazime Raja , Brahimi Maroua , El Marrakchi Malak , Belaid Hasna Ait , Benali Said Ait , Khouchani Mouna , Ba‐M'hamed Saadia , Admou Brahim
Published: June 2022

The antitumoral contribution of γδT cells depends on their activation and differentiation into effectors. This depends on different molecules and membrane receptors, which conditions their physiology. This study aimed to determine the phenotypic characteristics of γδT cells in glioblastoma (GBM) according to five layers of membrane receptors. Among ten GBM cases initially enrolled, five of them who had been confirmed by pathological examination and ten healthy controls underwent phenotyping of peripheral γδT cells by flow cytometry, using the following staining: αβTCR, γδTCR, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16, CD25, CD27, CD28, CD45, CD45RA, CD56, NKG2D, CD272(BTLA), and CD279(PD‐1). Compared with the controls, the results showed no significant change in the number of γδT cells. However, there was a decrease of double‐negative (CD4−CD8−) Tγδ cells and an increase of naive γδT cells, a lack of CD25 expression, a decrease of the expression of CD279, and a remarkable, but not significant, increase in the expression of the CD27 and CD28 costimulation markers. Among the γδT cell subsets, the number of Vδ2 decreased in glioblastoma and showed no significant difference in the expression of CD16, CD56, and NKG2D. In contrast, the number of Vδ1 increased in glioblastoma with overexpression of CD16, CD56, and NKG2D. Our results showed that γδT cells are prone to adopt a pro‐inflammatory profile in the glioblastoma context, which suggests that they might be a potential tool to consider in T cell‐based immunotherapy in glioblastoma. However, this requires additional investigation on a larger sample size.
Functional diversity and trait filtering of insectivorous bats on forest islands created by an Amazonian mega dam
Authors: Colombo Guthieri Teixeira , Di Ponzio Raffaello , Benchimol Maíra , Peres Carlos A. , Bobrowiec Paulo Estefano D.
Published: June 2022

Mega dams in lowland tropical forests often create large archipelagos, leading to biodiversity decay and disruption of ecosystem functioning in remnant habitat islands.

We investigated the functional diversity and functional trait filtering of aerial insectivorous bats in both insular forest patches created by a vast ~30‐year‐old hydropower reservoir and the adjacent mainland continuous forest in Central Amazonia.

Bats were surveyed using passive bat recorders across 34 forest sites. Based on a set of morphological traits derived for each species recorded, we estimated both the bat functional richness, functional evenness and functional dispersion at each surveyed site. We further assessed the effects of local vegetation, patch and landscape features on patterns of functional diversity. The interaction between functional traits, environmental characteristics, and species distribution was investigated using a combination of RLQ and fourth‐corner analyses.

We found that mainland sites retained higher functional richness and lower functional evenness compared to forest islands, indicating a more complete functional assemblage in the mainland. Additionally, species composition was affected by local vegetation structure and forest area, with small isolated islands exhibiting pervasive loss of functional traits. RLQ and fourth‐corner analyses showed that larger understorey foraging species with greater dispersal capacity, constant frequency–frequency modulated calls, and higher frequency of maximum energy were associated with more isolated small islands. Conversely, forest subcanopy species, exhibiting quasi‐constant frequency calls and presenting low dispersal capacity were associated with continuous forests and islands with greater forest area, and were therefore more sensitive to habitat insularization.

Our study calls attention to the pervasive impacts induced by large dams on the functional diversity of tropical insectivorous bats. We recommend that future assessments of the effects of habitat fragmentation on mammals should include traits linked to ecosystem services. In designing and licensing new dams, we suggest the creation of extensive protected areas surrounding mainland forests to minimize the detrimental impacts of small isolated islands and safeguard the full complement of key ecological functions provided by insectivorous bats.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
A Messy Mix: Religion, Feminism and Pentecostals
Authors: Ambrose Linda M.
Published: June 2022

Scholars of Canadian history have been remiss in overlooking conservative religious women, especially when such women claimed to be feminists. Given the commonly shared assumption that second‐wave feminism was tied to secularism, the idea that religious women could be committed feminists seems implausible. However, some conservative Christian women, including evangelicals and Pentecostals, considered themselves to be feminists, even as they actively opposed abortion. The Rev. Bernice Gerard (1923–2008) was a Pentecostal pastor, a media personality and a municipal politician in Vancouver from 1977 to 1980. Researching her life through using her own life writing provides a case study for grappling with larger questions about conservativism and feminism. In 2000, Gerard, the self‐proclaimed feminist, was named as the most significant spiritual figure in British Columbia in the twentieth century. My biographical work about her pays particular attention to her provocative and seemingly contradictory convictions and points to how she resolved the conceptual tensions that framed her religiosity using a process of ‘self‐authoring’. Theoretical frameworks from the sociology of religion challenge Western feminism's implicit biases and provide useful ways to frame the complexities and paradoxes that arise in the lives of conservative women.
‘Do I need to sit beside the man to be equal to Him’? Second‐Wave Feminism and Jewish Women in Montreal, 1962–1980
Authors: Eidinger Andrea
Published: June 2022

This article is a preliminary study into the impact of feminism within the Jewish‐Canadian community in Montreal in the 1960s and 1970s, based on a combination of archival research and oral history. This research reveals that while community, religious elites and ordinary Jewish women in Montreal did engage with feminist ideas right from the beginning, this engagement was limited in the 1960s and 1970s. Specifically, questions arose about the compatibility of feminism with Jewish religion and culture, particularly with respect to the devaluation of motherhood and family within the larger movement. As a result, Jewish women in Montreal selectively incorporated second‐wave feminism into their lives in contradictory and inconsistent ways, viewing the role of women in the home and family as a source of pride and strength. This suggests the need to rethink our image of feminism in this period by including new understandings of feminist activism and the possibility that the lack of connection over the subject of motherhood was the norm rather than the exception.
Baseline clinical features predicting macrophage activation syndrome in patients with systemic adult‐onset Still’s disease receiving interleukin‐6 inhibitor treatment
Authors: Naniwa Taio , Yamabe Toru , Ohmura Shin‐ichiro , Uehara Koji , Tamechika Shin‐ya , Maeda Shinji , Isogai Shuntaro , Wada Junichi
Published: June 2022

Aim

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), a severe complication of systemic adult‐onset Still’s disease (AOSD), has been reported to occur during interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) inhibitor treatment. However, predictors for MAS development are unknown. Therefore, this study investigated predictive features for MAS development after starting IL‐6 inhibitor treatment in systemic AOSD patients.

Method

In a single‐center retrospective study involving systemic AOSD patients who were refractory to high‐dose glucocorticoids with immunosuppressants and started IL‐6 inhibitor treatment between April 2008 and March 2020, we compared the baseline clinical features between patients who developed AOSD flare with MAS features (MAS group) and those who did not (non‐MAS group) during IL‐6 inhibitor treatment.

Results

Only tocilizumab was used as an IL‐6 inhibitor. Six of 14 refractory systemic AOSD patients developed AOSD flares with MAS features during tocilizumab treatment, including 4 who developed them shortly after initiation. The MAS group had significantly lower neutrophil counts, fibrinogen, and higher IL‐18/C‐reactive protein (CRP) ratio at starting tocilizumab (baseline) than the non‐MAS group. Before starting tocilizumab, neutrophil counts were trending downward and upward in the MAS and non‐MAS groups, respectively, with significant differences in changes. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that baseline neutrophil counts and fibrinogen and their changes before tocilizumab treatment and baseline IL‐18/CRP ratio had significant discriminatory abilities for subsequent MAS development.

Conclusion

We identified baseline laboratory features associated with MAS development after initiating an IL‐6 inhibitor in refractory systemic AOSD patients. These features may reflect the suppression of IL‐6 signaling, and further suppression of IL‐6 signaling might trigger early‐onset MAS.
SARS‐CoV‐2 whole‐proteome sequences from environment as an indicator of community viral distribution, evolution and epidemiological dynamics: A cohort analysis of Austria
Authors: Magateshvaren Saras Murali Aadhitya , Patro L. Ponoop Prasad , Uttamrao Patil Pranita , Rathinavelan Thenmalarchelvi
Published: June 2022

Several investigations have been carried out to detect SARS‐CoV‐2 samples from the environment such as sewage waters and surface swabs. Whole‐proteome sequence analysis of 847 SARS‐CoV‐2 genome sequences collected from the environment in Austria during 2021 and deposited in GISAID indicates that alpha and delta are two dominant variants, coinciding with the human clinical samples with a Pearson correlation coefficient in the range of 0.58 (alpha variant) to 0.82 (delta variant). Both environmental and human samples show that Austrian SARS‐CoV‐2 alpha variant is found to possess N protein R203K and G204R/P mutations, whereas they are absent in the delta variant. SARS‐CoV‐2 delta variant is continuously seen in both the environmental and human clinical samples from the month of September 2021 and it spiked in November 2021, which is directly reflected in the increase of the number of SARS‐CoV‐2 infections and deaths in Austria during November 2021. Thus, the results presented here indicate that the environmental SARS‐CoV‐2 whole‐genome sequences collected from Austria reflect the community viral distribution, evolution and the concomitant epidemiological dynamics. Since SARS‐CoV‐2 keeps evolving, the results presented here further suggest the need to monitor the environment for the early detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 variants to take appropriate precautionary measures.
How Accounting Ends: Self‐Undermining Repetition in Accounting Life Cycles*
Authors: Palermo Tommaso , Power Michael , Ashby Simon
Published: June 2022

This study develops a process model of how accounting may come to an end. Grounded in a longitudinal study of a risk culture survey, this model focuses on the dynamics that underpin the repetition of accounting practices, and sheds light on two boundary conditions of successful repetition and continuation, which are in tension with each other. On the one hand, there are pressures for repetition that preserves continuity and comparability. On the other hand, there is the ongoing organizational need to adjust accounting practices. Iterating between the case study findings, social studies of accounting, and the sociology of replication in scientific practice, the model shows how moving too close to either boundary increases the risk that repetition undermines the accounting practice being repeated: “perfect repetition” may be perceived as uninteresting and decision‐irrelevant; very “imperfect repetition” may be perceived as something too different and idiosyncratic, and hence also decision‐irrelevant. As a result, the analysis extends a rich literature that has examined empirical instances of failure of the conditions that sustain the repeatability of accounting practices. Via the theory of “self‐undermining repetition,” this study shows how the possibilities for accounting's ending are paradoxically inherent in the very act of repetition. This notion of “self‐undermining repetition” is deepened by a discussion of how it may be affected by four contingencies: task ambiguity, organizational politics, organizational actors' reflexivity, and external networks of support. Overall, the analysis of the self‐undermining dynamics of repetition and related contingencies contrasts with research that foregrounds the constitutive nature of repeated uses of accountings. It shows how repetition may also undermine, rather than cumulatively consolidate, accounting practices.
Foliar application of wood distillate boosts plant yield and nutritional parameters of chickpea
Authors: Fedeli Riccardo , Vannini Andrea , Celletti Silvia , Maresca Viviana , Munzi Silvana , Cruz Cristina , Alexandrov Dmitry , Guarnieri Massimo , Loppi Stefano
Published: June 2022

In the quest for eco‐friendly products with biostimulant properties, foliar application of wood distillate (WD) was tested on the growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). WD (pyroligneous acid) is a by‐product of plant biomass pyrolysis and is rich in biologically active substances like polyphenols, alcohols, acids and esters. In this work, chickpea plants were sprayed weekly with 100 ml 0.25% (v/v) chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) WD during the whole growing period, and at the end physiological and nutritional analyses were performed both on the whole plant and on seeds. While plant height and weight did not change significantly, seeds showed an increase in diameter (+11.2%) and weight (+33.3%), and in the content of starch (+45.9%), total soluble protein (+12.9%), total polyphenol (+16.4%) and antioxidant power (+28.4%). Overall, the content of essential free amino acids increased, except for lysine (−3.4%), phenylalanine (−10.5%) and methionine (−13.7%). Among all the mineral elements analysed, only potassium and magnesium decreased in WD‐treated plants, although values were within the common range for chickpea seeds. These results are a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of the use of WD on increasing the nutritional qualities of the edible parts of crop species, thus representing a possible solution to counteract human malnutrition and famine as well as environmental concerns.
Medication prescribing for alcohol use disorders during alcohol‐related encounters in a Colorado regional healthcare system
Authors: Chockalingam Leela , Burnham Ellen L. , Jolley Sarah E.
Published: June 2022

Rationale

Investigations show that medications for alcohol use disorders (MAUD) reduce heavy drinking and relapses. However, only 1.6% of individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUD) receive MAUD across care settings. The epidemiology of MAUD prescribing in the acute care setting is incompletely described. We hypothesized that MAUD would be under prescribed in inpatient acute care hospital settings compared to the outpatient, emergency department (ED), and inpatient substance use treatment settings.

Methods

We evaluated electronic health record (EHR) data from adult patients with an International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD‐10) alcohol‐related diagnosis in the University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) system between January 1, 2016 and 31 December, 2019. Data from patients with an ICD‐10 diagnosis code for opioid use disorder and those receiving MAUD prior to their first alcohol‐related episode were excluded. The primary outcome was prescribing of MAUD, defined by prescription of naltrexone, acamprosate, and/or disulfiram. We performed bivariate and multivariate analyses to identify independent predictors of MAUD prescribing at UCHealth.

Results

We identified 48,421 unique patients with 136,205 alcohol‐related encounters at UCHealth. Encounters occurred in the ED (42%), inpatient acute care (17%), inpatient substance use treatment (18%), or outpatient primary care (12%) settings. Only 2270 (5%) patients received MAUD across all settings. Female sex and addiction medicine consults positively predicted MAUD prescribing. In contrast, encounters outside inpatient substance use treatment, Hispanic ethnicity, and black or non‐white race were negative predictors of MAUD prescribing. Compared to inpatient substance use treatment, inpatient acute care hospitalizations for AUD was associated with a 93% reduced odds of receiving MAUD.

Conclusions

AUD‐related ED and inpatient acute care hospital encounters in our healthcare system were common. Nevertheless, prescriptions for MAUD were infrequent in this population, particularly in inpatient settings. Our findings suggest that the initiation of MAUD for patients with alcohol‐related diagnoses in acute care settings deserves additional evaluation.
Correlates of high phosphatidylethanol (PEth) levels and their concordance with self‐reported heavy alcohol consumption among men who have sex with men who binge drink alcohol
Authors: McLaughlin Matthew F. , Jain Jennifer P. , Ikeda Janet , Walker John E. , Coffin Phillip , Santos Glenn‐Milo
Published: June 2022

Background

Heavy alcohol use, including binge drinking, is associated with high morbidity and mortality among men who have sex with men (MSM). Self‐reported alcohol measures may lead to inaccurate estimates due to recall and social desirability biases. Objective alcohol biomarkers like phosphatidylethanol (PEth) can be used to corroborate self‐report and could help to inform treatment approaches and research strategies for alcohol using MSM.

Methods

From 2015 to 2020, alcohol using MSM ≥18 years were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of naltrexone in reducing binge drinking. Using this trial's baseline data, we applied multivariable logistic regression to identify the correlates of high PEth levels (i.e., ≥87 ng/ml) and concordance between PEth levels and self‐reported heavy drinking.

Results

Of 118 MSM, 64% had PEth levels ≥87 ng/ml and 72% had PEth levels that were concordant with self‐reported heavy alcohol use. Factors significantly associated in separate models with elevated PEth levels were income ≥$60,000 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.09; 95% CI = 1.13 to 14.82), being employed (aOR = 4.04; 95% CI = 1.45 to 11.32), episodic cannabis use (aOR = 4.63; 95% CI = 1.27 to 16.92), and any alcohol/substance use prior to or during anal intercourse (aOR = 2.52; 95% CI = 1.08 to 5.90). Living with HIV was associated with significantly lower odds of elevated PEth levels (aOR = 0.23; 95% CI = 0.09 to 0.61). Factors associated with significantly higher concordance between PEth levels and self‐reported heavy alcohol use included at least weekly use of poppers (aOR = 6.41; 95% CI = 1.27 to 32.28) and polysubstance use (aOR = 2.53; 95% CI = 1.02 to 6.27). Living with HIV was associated with lower odds of concordance (aOR = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.14 to 0.97).

Conclusions

PEth may enhance the detection of heavy drinking among MSM, including the identification of subpopulations that may benefit from targeted alcohol reduction interventions. However, PEth values for MSM living with HIV showed modest concordance with self‐reported alcohol use and may need to be supplemented with additional biomarkers or evaluated against a different cutoff.
Mice lacking α4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are protected against alcohol‐associated liver injury
Authors: Watson Walter H. , Ritzenthaler Jeffrey D. , Torres‐Gonzalez Edilson , Arteel Gavin E. , Roman Jesse
Published: June 2022

Background

Chronic heavy alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for the development of liver steatosis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis, but the mechanisms by which alcohol causes liver damage remain incompletely elucidated. This group has reported that α4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α4 nAChRs) act as sensors for alcohol in lung cells. This study tested the hypothesis that α4 nAChRs mediate the effects of alcohol in the liver.

Methods

Expression of acetylcholine receptor subunits in mouse liver was determined by RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq). α4 nAChR knockout (α4 KO) mice were generated in C57BL/6J mice by introducing a mutation encoding an early stop codon in exon 4 of Chrna4, the gene encoding the α4 subunit of the nAChR. The presence of the inactivating mutation was established by polymerase chain reaction and genomic sequencing, and the lack of α4 nAChR function was confirmed in primary fibroblasts isolated from the α4 KO mice. Wild‐type (WT) and α4 KO mice were fed the Lieber‐DeCarli diet (with 36% of calories from alcohol) or pair fed an isocaloric maltose‐dextrin control diet for a 6‐week period that included a ramping up phase of increasing dietary alcohol.

Results

Chrna4 was the most abundantly expressed nAChR subunit gene in mouse livers. After 6 weeks of alcohol exposure, WT mice had elevated serum transaminases and their livers showed increased fat accumulation, decreased Sirt1 protein levels, and accumulation of markers of oxidative stress and inflammation including Cyp2E1, Nos2, Sod1, Slc7a11, TNFα, and PAI1. All these responses to alcohol were either absent or significantly attenuated in α4 KO animals.

Conclusion

Together, these observations support the conclusion that activation of α4 nAChRs by alcohol or one of its metabolites is one of the initial events promoting the accumulation of excess fat and expression of inflammatory mediators. Thus, α4 nAChRs may represent viable targets for intervention in chronic alcohol‐related liver disease.
Financial statement comparability and audit pricing
Authors: Sun Jinghui , Li Liuchuang , Qi Baolei
Published: June 2022

This study examines the impact of financial statement comparability on audit pricing. Using the comparability measures of De Franco, Kothari and Verdi, we find that auditors charge lower audit fees for clients with greater financial statement comparability. This negative relation is more pronounced when auditors are industry specialists or clients in industries with higher operational heterogeneity. We also find that clients with greater financial statement comparability have lower audit risk, and their auditors exert less audit effort to provide assurance. Our study contributes to the current literature by documenting that homogeneity in financial statement reporting decreases audit risk and increases audit efficiency, reducing audit pricing.
Fish thieves: An alternative tactic of food capture in a Neotropical frugivorous species (Brycon falcatus)
Authors: Carvalho Lucélia Nobre , dos Santos Júnior João Batista , Correa Sandra Bibiana
Published: June 2022

Frugivorous fishes switch their diets seasonally in response to fluctuating food availability; a strategy that maximizes energy and nutrient intake and reduces competition for food. Kleptoparasitism is a form of competition that involves the stealing of already‐procured items, for which the host has invested energy in prey capture. We did not find previous studies on kleptoparasitism among Neotropical fish. Here we contribute the first record of kleptoparasitism among a frugivorous fish species. The matrinxã (Brycon falcatus) is a member of an iconic genus of broadly distributed frugivorous fishes. We made focal daylight underwater observations (by snorkeling) of frugivorous fish behavior in an Amazonian stream. Opportunistic feeding interactions between a school of juvenile matrinxã, (B. falcatus) and an individual of threespot leporinus (Leporinus friderici) were observed. The matrinxã stole the fruit that was captured in the substrate by the leporinus. Brycon falcatus usually lives between the middle of the water column to the surface of rivers and streams while Leporinus friderici occupies the lower portion of the water column and it actively forages close to the substrate. This suggests that stealing food from a benthic feeder is an opportunistic ecological interaction to take advantage of scarce resources during the period of food scarcity. This alternative technique of capturing fruits may be advantageous (i.e., save energy expenditures related to searching) for young matrinxã who do not eat fruit as frequently as adults. Our results reflect the trophic plasticity and foraging opportunism characteristic of most tropical freshwater fish. We believe that the hydrological period in which the observations were made, when a few trees were bearing fruit, can favor fruit stealing by Brycon falcatus.