bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Housing microfinance, saving and credit cooperatives, and community development in low-income settings in Mexico
Authors: Escobar Luisa , Grubbauer Monika
Published: October 2020

Housing microfinance schemes for self-organized housing have been incorporated into Mexican housing policies since 2007. This is the result of World Bank loans to Mexico but also of housing activists who for decades have advocated for the development of financial instruments to support the ‘social production of housing’—a concept defined by them as a type of housing production geared to meet families’ shelter needs rather than to enhance capital accumulation. While these World Bank housing loans were mainly oriented to strengthen the housing finance sector, the housing activists pushed for the inclusion of saving and credit cooperatives as housing microfinance providers. These cooperatives seek to promote at the local level, alternative development projects built on solidarity economy principles. Taking inspiration from critical literature on the co-optation of progressive actors by international financial institutions we highlight the activists’ agency and examine their role at the community level. We argue that processes of co-optation pushed by international financial institutions can always be contested and negotiated at a local level. We propose that, in this case, the engagement of progressive actors such as saving and credit cooperatives working according to principles of the solidarity economy could open political opportunities to subvert financial rationalities inscribed in the housing finance schemes of the World Bank.
Plasma Ionized Calcium and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: 106 774 Individuals from the Copenhagen General Population Study
Authors: Kobylecki Camilla J , Nordestgaard Børge G , Afzal Shoaib
Published: October 2020

Background

Circulating total calcium or albumin-adjusted calcium is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. As the biologically active ionized calcium is a physiologically more relevant measure and its association with cardiovascular disease is poorly understood, we tested the hypothesis that high plasma ionized calcium is associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke in individuals in the general population.

Methods

We included 106 774 individuals from the Copenhagen General Population Study, and defined hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia by the lowest and highest 2.5 percentiles, respectively, using the central 95% reference interval. Information on myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke was from registries and risks calculated using Cox regression and Fine and Gray competing-risks regression.

Results

During a median follow-up of 9.2 years, 4932 individuals received a diagnosis of either myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke. Hypercalcemia was associated with subdistribution hazard ratios of 1.67 (95%CI: 1.05–2.67) for myocardial infarction, 1.28 (0.81–2.02) for ischemic stroke, and of 1.54 (1.10–2.15) for the combined endpoint compared to individuals with plasma ionized calcium within the reference interval; hypocalcemia was not associated with cardiovascular disease. In models using plasma ionized calcium as a continuous variable, the associations were nonlinear; above the median, each 0.1 mmol/L higher plasma ionized calcium was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.31(1.02–1.68) for myocardial infarction, 1.21 (0.95–1.54) for ischemic stroke, and of 1.28 (1.08–1.53) for the combined endpoint.

Conclusions

High plasma ionized calcium is associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke compared to plasma ionized calcium within the reference interval.
Long-term outcomes after myocardial infarction in middle-aged and older patients with congenital heart disease—a nationwide study
Authors: Fedchenko Maria , Mandalenakis Zacharias , Giang Kok Wai , Rosengren Annika , Eriksson Peter , Dellborg Mikael
Published: October 2020

Aims 

We aimed to describe the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in middle-aged and older patients with congenital heart disease (ACHD) and to evaluate the long-term outcomes after index MI in patients with ACHD compared with controls.

Methods and results 

A search of the Swedish National Patient Register identified 17 189 patients with ACHD (52.2% male) and 180 131 age- and sex-matched controls randomly selected from the general population who were born from 1930 to 1970 and were alive at 40 years of age; all followed up until December 2017 (mean follow-up 23.2 ± 11.0 years). Patients with ACHD had a 1.6-fold higher risk of MI compared with controls [hazard ratio (HR) 1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5–1.7, P < 0.001] and the cumulative incidence of MI by 65 years of age was 7.4% in patients with ACHD vs. 4.4% in controls. Patients with ACHD had a 1.4-fold increased risk of experiencing a composite event after the index MI compared with controls (HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.3–1.6, P < 0.001), driven largely by the occurrence of new-onset heart failure in 42.2% (n = 537) of patients with ACHD vs. 29.5% (n = 2526) of controls.

Conclusion 

Patients with ACHD had an increased risk of developing MI and of recurrent MI, new-onset heart failure, or death after the index MI, compared with controls, mainly because of a higher incidence of newly diagnosed heart failure in patients with ACHD. Recognizing and managing the modifiable cardiovascular risk factors should be of importance to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with ACHD.
Multimodal signal dataset for 11 intuitive movement tasks from single upper extremity during multiple recording sessions
Authors: Jeong Ji-Hoon , Cho Jeong-Hyun , Shim Kyung-Hwan , Kwon Byoung-Hee , Lee Byeong-Hoo , Lee Do-Yeun , Lee Dae-Hyeok , Lee Seong-Whan
Published: October 2020

Background

Non-invasive brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) have been developed for realizing natural bi-directional interaction between users and external robotic systems. However, the communication between users and BCI systems through artificial matching is a critical issue. Recently, BCIs have been developed to adopt intuitive decoding, which is the key to solving several problems such as a small number of classes and manually matching BCI commands with device control. Unfortunately, the advances in this area have been slow owing to the lack of large and uniform datasets. This study provides a large intuitive dataset for 11 different upper extremity movement tasks obtained during multiple recording sessions. The dataset includes 60-channel electroencephalography, 7-channel electromyography, and 4-channel electro-oculography of 25 healthy participants collected over 3-day sessions for a total of 82,500 trials across all the participants.

Findings

We validated our dataset via neurophysiological analysis. We observed clear sensorimotor de-/activation and spatial distribution related to real-movement and motor imagery, respectively. Furthermore, we demonstrated the consistency of the dataset by evaluating the classification performance of each session using a baseline machine learning method.

Conclusions

The dataset includes the data of multiple recording sessions, various classes within the single upper extremity, and multimodal signals. This work can be used to (i) compare the brain activities associated with real movement and imagination, (ii) improve the decoding performance, and (iii) analyze the differences among recording sessions. Hence, this study, as a Data Note, has focused on collecting data required for further advances in the BCI technology.
On-axis triplications in elastic orthorhombic media
Authors: Xu Shibo , Stovas Alexey , Mikada Hitoshi , Takekawa Junichi
Published: October 2020

Triplicated traveltime curve has three arrivals at a given distance with the bowtie shape in the traveltime-offset curve. The existence of the triplication can cause a lot of problems such as several arrivals for the same wave type, anomalous amplitudes near caustics, anomalous behaviour of rays near caustics, which leads to the structure imaging deviation and redundant signal in the inversion of the model parameters. Hence, triplication prediction becomes necessary when the medium is known. The research of the triplication in transversely isotropic medium with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI) has been well investigated and it has become clear that, apart from the point singularity case, the triplicated traveltime only occurs for S wave. On contrary to the VTI case, the triplication behaviour in the orthorhombic (ORT) medium has not been well focused due to the model complexity. In this paper, we derive the second-order coefficients of the slowness surface for two S waves in the vicinity of three symmetry axes and define the elliptic form function to examine the existence of the on-axis triplication in ORT model. The existence of the on-axis triplication is found by the sign of the defined curvature coefficients. Three ORT models are defined in the numerical examples to analyse the behaviour of the on-axis triplication. The plots of the group velocity surface in the vicinity of three symmetry axes are shown for different ORT models where different shapes: convex or the saddle-shaped (concave along one direction and convex along with another) indicates the existence of the on-axis triplication. We also show the traveltime plots (associated with the group velocity surface) to illustrate the effect of the on-axis triplication.
Ubiquitous expression of Akt1 p.(E17K) results in vascular defects and embryonic lethality in mice
Authors: Lindhurst Marjorie J , Li Wenling , Laughner Nathaniel , Shwetar Jasmine J , Kondolf Hannah C , Ma Xuefei , Mukouyama Yoh-suke , Biesecker Leslie G
Published: October 2020

Proteus syndrome is a progressive overgrowth disorder with vascular malformations caused by mosaic expression of the AKT1 c.49G > A, p.(E17K) activating variant which was predicted to cause lethality if expressed ubiquitously. To test that hypothesis, we used the ACTB-Cre gene to activate a conditional Akt1 p.(E17K) allele in the mouse. No offspring that was heterozygous for both Cre and the conditional allele (βA-Akt1WT/flx) was viable. Fewer than expected numbers of βA-Akt1WT/flx embryos were seen beginning at E11.5, but a few survived until E17.5. The phenotype ranged from mild to severe, but generally βA-Akt1WT/flx embryos had fewer visible blood vessels and more hemorrhages than their wild-type littermates, which was suggestive of a vascular abnormality. Examination of E13.5 limb skin showed a primitive capillary network with increased branching complexity and abnormal patterning compared with wild-type skin. By E15.5, wild-type skin had undergone angiogenesis and formed a hierarchical network of remodeled vessels, whereas in βA-Akt1WT/flx embryos, the capillary network failed to remodel. Mural cell coverage of the blood vessels was also reduced in βA-Akt1WT/flx skin compared with that of wild type. Restricting expression of Akt1E17K to endothelial, cardiac or smooth muscle cells resulted in viable offspring and remodeled vasculature and did not recapitulate the βA-Akt1WT/flx phenotype. We conclude that ubiquitous expression of Akt1E17K suppresses remodeling and inhibits the formation of a normal skin vasculature. We postulate that this failure prevents proper circulation necessary to support the growing embryo and that it is the result of interactions of multiple cell types with increased AKT signaling.
Gastrointestinal Surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Persistently Lowers Microbiome and Metabolome Diversity
Authors: Fang Xin , Vázquez-Baeza Yoshiki , Elijah Emmanuel , Vargas Fernando , Ackermann Gail , Humphrey Gregory , Lau Rebecca , Weldon Kelly C , Sanders Jon G , Panitchpakdi Morgan , Carpenter Carolina , Jarmusch Alan K , Neill Jennifer , Miralles Ara , Dulai Parambir , Singh Siddharth , Tsai Matthew , Swafford Austin D , Smarr Larry , Boyle David L , Palsson Bernhard O , Chang John T , Dorrestein Pieter C , Sandborn William J , Knight Rob , Boland Brigid S
Published: October 2020

Background

Many studies have investigated the role of the microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but few have focused on surgery specifically or its consequences on the metabolome that may differ by surgery type and require longitudinal sampling. Our objective was to characterize and contrast microbiome and metabolome changes after different surgeries for IBD, including ileocolonic resection and colectomy.

Methods

The UC San Diego IBD Biobank was used to prospectively collect 332 stool samples from 129 subjects (50 ulcerative colitis; 79 Crohn’s disease). Of these, 21 with Crohn’s disease had ileocolonic resections, and 17 had colectomies. We used shotgun metagenomics and untargeted liquid chromatography followed by tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics to characterize the microbiomes and metabolomes of these patients up to 24 months after the initial sampling.

Results

The species diversity and metabolite diversity both differed significantly among groups (species diversity: Mann-Whitney U test P value = 7.8e-17; metabolomics, P-value = 0.0043). Escherichia coli in particular expanded dramatically in relative abundance in subjects undergoing surgery. The species profile was better able to classify subjects according to surgery status than the metabolite profile (average precision 0.80 vs 0.68).

Conclusions

Intestinal surgeries seem to reduce the diversity of the gut microbiome and metabolome in IBD patients, and these changes may persist. Surgery also further destabilizes the microbiome (but not the metabolome) over time, even relative to the previously established instability in the microbiome of IBD patients. These long-term effects and their consequences for health outcomes need to be studied in prospective longitudinal trials linked to microbiome-involved phenotypes.
Categories and health impacts of intimate partner violence in the World Health Organization multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence
Authors: Potter Lucy C , Morris Richard , Hegarty Kelsey , García-Moreno Claudia , Feder Gene
Published: October 2020

Background

Intimate partner violence (IPV) damages health and is costly to families and society. Individuals experience different forms and combinations of IPV; better understanding of the respective health effects of these can help develop differentiated responses. This study explores the associations of different categories of IPV on women’s mental and physical health.

Methods

Using data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence, multilevel mixed effects logistic regression modelling was used to analyse associations between categories of abuse (physical IPV alone, psychological IPV alone, sexual IPV alone, combined physical and psychological IPV, and combined sexual with psychological and/or physical IPV) with measures of physical and mental health, including self-reported symptoms, suicidal thoughts and attempts, and nights in hospital.

Results

Countries varied in prevalence of different categories of IPV. All categories of IPV were associated with poorer health outcomes; the two combined abuse categories were the most damaging. The most common category was combined abuse involving sexual IPV, which was associated with the poorest health [attempted suicide: odds ratio (OR): 10.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.37-13.89, thoughts of suicide: 8.47, 7.03-10.02, memory loss: 2.93, 2.41-3.56]. Combined psychological and physical IPV was associated with the next poorest outcomes (attempted suicide: 5.67, 4.23-7.60, thoughts of suicide: 4.41, 3.63-5.37, memory loss: 2.33, 1.88-2.87-).

Conclusions

Understanding the prevalence and health impact of different forms and categories of IPV is crucial to risk assessment, tailoring responses to individuals and planning services. Previous analyses that focused on singular forms of IPV likely underestimated the more harmful impacts of combined forms of abuse.
New results on robust sliding mode control for linear time-delay systems
Authors: Palraj Jothiappan , Mathiyalagan Kalidass , Shi Peng
Published: October 2020

This work focuses on the sliding mode control (SMC) for a family of linear systems with uncertainties and time-varying delays. First, an integral switching surface is constructed to verify the robust asymptotic stability of the considered system and the results are extended to analyse the mixed $\mathscr{H}_{\infty }\big /$Passivity performance index. Thereafter, a suitable SMC law is developed to force the system state onto the predefined switching surface in short time. By using Lyapunov stability theory, some novel results are obtained, and the required stability conditions are established in terms of linear matrix inequalities which can be solved by standard Matlab toolbox. Finally, the results are validated over a Chua’s circuit model, which describes the practical application of the developed results.
The Effect of Sample Handling on Free Valproic Acid Levels
Authors: Wang Dan , Champion-Lyons Elizabeth , Neyens Ron , Bohm Nicole , Caddell Brittany , Babic Nikolina
Published: October 2020

Background

Valproic acid (VPA) is a broad-spectrum anticonvulsant drug. Under normal conditions, this drug is highly protein bound. However, in patients with hypoalbuminemia, the free fraction can increase substantially while the total VPA levels remain in therapeutic range. The neurologic activity and toxicity of the drug are directly related to free drug levels.

Methods

Our in-house free VPA assay was validated using 20 patient samples obtained from a reference laboratory (RL1). It was further evaluated by parallel testing with RL1 using samples collected from our patients. Subsequently, sample handling effects were investigated by comparing free VPA levels measured in our laboratory to 3 selected RLs with different sample transportation conditions.

Results

No significant bias was observed between the in-house assay (y) and RL1 (x) assay in free VPA measurement (y = 1.12x + 0.072, r = 0.994). However, patient samples collected in our institution and sent to RL1 revealed significant negative bias (y = 0.776x − 3.861, r = 0.954). A large discrepancy in free VPA levels was further observed from identical aliquots of the same samples transported to 3 RLs in different conditions.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that sample handling has significant impact on free VPA levels. The observed magnitude of variation exceeds a clinically acceptable limit and could alter clinical decisions.
Effects of feeding level on efficiency of high- and low-residual feed intake beef steers
Authors: Andreini Emily M , Augenstein Sheyenne M , Fales Carrie S , Sainz Roberto D , Oltjen James W
Published: October 2020

Comparing heat production after ad libitum (ADLIB) and restricted (RESTRICT) feeding periods may offer insight into how residual feed intake (RFI) groups change their energy requirements based on previous feeding levels. In this study, the authors sought to explain the efficiency changes of high- and low-RFI steers after feed restriction. To determine RFI classification, 56 Angus-cross steers with initial body weight (BW) of 350 ± 28.7 kg were individually housed, offered ad libitum access to a total mixed ration, and daily intakes were recorded for 56 d. RFI was defined as the residual of the regression of dry matter intake on mid-test BW0.75 and average daily gain. High- and low-RFI groups were defined as >0.5 SD above or below the mean of zero, respectively. Fourteen steers from each high and low groups (n = 28) were selected for the subsequent 56-d RESTRICT period. During the RESTRICT period, intake was restricted to 75% of previous ad libitum intake on a BW0.75 basis, and all other conditions remained constant. After the RESTRICT period, both RFI groups had decreased maintenance energy requirements. However, the low-RFI group decreased maintenance energy requirements by 32% on a BW0.75 basis, more (P < 0.05) than the high-RFI group decreased maintenance requirements (18%). Thus, the low-RFI steers remained more efficient after a period of feed restriction. We conclude that feed restriction decreases maintenance energy requirement in both high- and low-RFI groups that are restricted to the same degree.
Evaluating the utility of a CO2 surgical laser for piglet castration to reduce pain and improve wound healing: a pilot study
Authors: Viscardi Abbie V , Cull Charley A , Kleinhenz Michael D , Montgomery Shawnee , Curtis Andrew , Lechtenberg Kelly , Coetzee Johann F
Published: October 2020

CO2 surgical lasers are widely used for procedures in veterinary and human medicine. There is evidence to suggest surgery using a CO2 laser reduces pain and swelling and improves healing time compared with surgery with a scalpel. Millions of piglets in North America are surgically castrated each year using a scalpel. Therefore, piglet welfare may be improved by making refinements to the surgical procedure. The objectives of this preliminary study were to determine the ability of a CO2 surgical laser to (1) reduce pain and (2) improve wound healing of piglets undergoing surgical castration. Two-day-old male Yorkshire × Landrace piglets were used and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments (n = 10 piglets/treatment group): surgical castration with the CO2 laser, surgical castration with a scalpel, or sham (uncastrated control). Piglets were video recorded in their pens for 1 hr preprocedure and from 0 to 2, 6 to 8, and at 24 hr postprocedure for behavior scoring. Surgical site images were collected at baseline, 0, 8, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, and 168 hr postcastration for wound healing assessment. Infrared thermography images of the surgical site were also taken at baseline, 0, 0.5, 8, and 24 hr postprocedure to assess inflammation. Finally, blood was collected from each piglet at baseline and 0.5 hr postcastration to assess cortisol levels, prostaglandin E metabolite and pig-major acute phase protein concentration. Laser-castrated piglets displayed more pain behaviors across the observation period than scalpel-castrated piglets (P = 0.05). Laser-castrated piglets also displayed significantly more agonistic behavior than both scalpel-castrated piglets (P = 0.005) and sham piglets (P = 0.036); yet, laser-castrated piglets had significantly lower temperatures at the site of incision compared with scalpel-castrated piglets (P = 0.0211). There was no significant difference in wound healing or any of the blood parameters assessed between laser-castrated and scalpel-castrated piglets. There was evidence of thermal tissue damage on the scrotum of piglets that were castrated using the CO2 laser. This may have resulted in the unremarkable healing time and the increased pain behavior observed in this study. The surgical laser technique should be refined before conclusions can be made regarding the utility of a CO2 laser for piglet castration.
Adverse effects on growth performance and bone development in nursery pigs fed diets marginally deficient in phosphorus with increasing calcium to available phosphorus ratios
Authors: Becker Spenser L , Gould Stacie A , Petry Amy L , Kellesvig Leah M , Patience John F
Published: October 2020

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the growth performance and bone mineral content (BMC) of nursery pigs in response to increasing total calcium (Ca) to available phosphorus (aP) ratios in diets containing phytase (250 FTU/kg; Natuphos E, BASF, Florham Park, NJ). A total of 480 nursery pigs (body weight (BW) = 5.7 ± 0.6 kg) with 10 pigs per pen and 7 pens per treatment (6 pens fed 2.75:1 diet) were allotted to seven treatments consisting of increasing ratios of calcium to available phosphorus (Ca:aP): 1.25, 1.50, 1.75, 2.00, 2.25, 2.50, and 2.75. From day −7 to 0, pigs were fed a common diet. They were then fed the treatment diets during two experimental phases from day 1 to 14 and 15 to 28, respectively. Available P was formulated to 0.33% and 0.27% (approximately 90% of requirement) in dietary phases 1 and 2, respectively. BW, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) were determined. BMC of the femur was measured on day 28 on one pig per pen using dual x-ray absorptiometry. Data were analyzed as a linear mixed model using PROC MIXED (SAS, 9.3). Orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used to determine the linear and quadratic effects of increasing the Ca:aP. Over the 28-d experimental period, increasing Ca:aP resulted in a linear decrease in ADG (353, 338, 328, 304, 317, 291, and 280 g/d; P < 0.01), ADFI (539, 528, 528, 500, 533, 512, and 489 g/d; P < 0.05), and G:F (0.68, 0.66, 0.64, 0.62, 0.61, 0.59, and 0.58; P < 0.01). Increasing Ca:aP also resulted in decreased BW on days 14 and 28 (P < 0.01). The BMC of the femur decreased with increasing Ca:aP (6.2, 6.3, 5.7, 5.9, 5.5, 5.6, and 5.3 g; P < 0.05). Regression analysis explained the impact of Ca:aP as follows on ADG (ADG [g/d] = 339 − 36x; r2 = 0.81), G:F (G:F = 0.61 – 0.03x; r2 = 0.72), and BMC (BMC [g] = 6.4 – 0.27x; r2 = 0.43), where x is the Ca:aP. In conclusion, all outcomes indicated that any level of calcium above the minimum used in this experiment impaired growth performance and skeletal development. Further research using even lower levels of dietary Ca is warranted.
Management Strategies for Pediatric Burns During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Yaacobi (Shilo) Dafna , Ad-El Dean , Kalish Eyal , Yaacobi Eyal , Olshinka Asaf
Published: October 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been challenging global health, in many countries all non-urgent medical treatments were postponed in order to focus health systems, workforce and other resources on crucial treatments for COVID-19 patients. The pediatric cases are a minority of all COVID-19 patients and might present atypically. Due to an increase in pediatric burn cases we decided to establish an outpatient pre-hospital clinic as an intermediate “station”, in order to triage pediatric burn patients into those who present at our hospital, and those treated via telemedicine. We divided our tactics into environmental and patient management both in hospitalized and outpatient patients, also medical staff management including preventive care, surgery, and bedside procedures. We found that patients and their escorts waited longer before arriving to the Emergency Room, apparently trying to avoid the hospital visit. A higher proportion of patients was hospitalized during the pandemic (4.5% in 2020, compared to 2.6% and 2.0% in 2019 and 2018, respectively). However, the length of stay was similar to routine periods, the surgery rate and length of follow up until healing was similar to that of the same month in previous years. We assume that these factors reflect treatment quality, which was not affected, due to the use of telemedicine, and that our treatment standards were maintained. It is important to have a good regulation system of prevention and care, including the tactics described below.
Silencing Orco Impaired the Ability to Perceive Trail Pheromones and Affected Locomotion Behavior in Two Termite Species
Authors: Gao Yongyong , Huang Qiuying , Xu Huan
Published: October 2020

Sophisticated social behaviors in termite colonies are mainly regulated via chemical communication of a wide range of pheromones. Trail pheromones play important roles in foraging behavior and building tunnels and nests in termites. However, it is almost unclear how termites perceive trail pheromones. Here, we cloned and sequenced of olfactory co-receptor (Orco) genes from the two termites Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) and Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) (Isoptera: Termitidae), and then examined their responses to trail pheromones after silencing Orco through RNA interference (RNAi). We found that Orco knockdown impaired their ability to perceive trail pheromones and resulted in the disability of following pheromone trails in the two termite species. Our locomotion behavior assays further showed that Orco knockdown significantly decreased the distance and velocity in the two termite species, but significantly increased the angular velocity and turn angle in the termite R. chinensis. These findings strongly demonstrated that Orco is essential for termites to perceive their trail pheromones, which provides a potential way to control termite pests by damaging olfactory system.
The Evolution of Sex is Tempered by Costly Hybridization in Boechera (Rock Cress)
Authors: Rushworth Catherine A , Mitchell-Olds Tom
Published: October 2020

Despite decades of research, the evolution of sex remains an enigma in evolutionary biology. Typically, research addresses the costs of sex and asexuality to characterize the circumstances favoring one reproductive mode. Surprisingly few studies address the influence of common traits that are, in many organisms, obligately correlated with asexuality, including hybridization and polyploidy. These characteristics have substantial impacts on traits under selection. In particular, the fitness consequences of hybridization (i.e., reduced fitness due to interspecific reproductive isolation) will influence the evolution of sex. This may comprise a cost of either sex or asexuality due to the link between hybridity and asexuality. We examined reproductive isolation in the formation of de novo hybrid lineages between 2 widespread species in the ecological model system Boechera. Seventeen percent of 664 crosses produced F1 fruits, and only 10% of these were viable, suggesting that postmating prezygotic and postzygotic barriers inhibit hybrid success in this system. The postmating prezygotic barrier was asymmetrical, with 110 of 115 total F1 fruits produced when Boechera stricta acted as maternal parent. This asymmetry was confirmed in wild-collected lineages, using a chloroplast phylogeny of wild-collected B. stricta, Boechera retrofracta, and hybrids. We next compared fitness of F2 hybrids and selfed parental B. stricta lines, finding that F2 fitness was reduced by substantial hybrid sterility. Multiple reproductively isolating barriers influence the formation and fitness of hybrid lineages in the wild, and the costs of hybridization likely have profound impacts on the evolution of sex in the natural environment.
Capsular closure in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS): results of a matched-cohort study from the Danish hip arthroscopy registry
Authors: Mygind-Klavsen Bjarne , Lund Bent , Grønbech Nielsen Torsten , Kraemer Otto , Hölmich Per , Maagaard Niels , Winge Søren , Lind Martin
Published: October 2020

Capsular closure in femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) patients during hip arthroscopy procedures is debated. The Danish Hip Arthroscopy Registry (DHAR) contains data to perform matched-cohort analyses. The purpose of this study is to evaluate 1-year subjective outcome data from DHAR after hip arthroscopy for FAIS with capsular closure and compare these outcome data with a matched-cohort study group. The primary hypothesis was that there would be no difference in Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score (HAGOS) subjective outcome between patients with and without capsular closure. This is a retrospective cohort study (level of evidence, 3). FAIS patients eligible for hip arthroscopy between January 2012 and December 2017, and where the interportal capsulotomy was closed, were identified and matched with patients without capsular closure. Matching criteria were gender (1:1), age (±5 years), degree of cartilage injury: ICRS and modified Becks grade (±1 grade) and radiological parameters: lateral center edge angle and alpha angle (±10°). A comparison between cohorts regarding differences in patient outcome scores, HAGOS, Hip Sports Activity Scale (HSAS), EuroQol-5 Domain (EQ-5D) and numeric rating scale (NRS) pain at 1-year follow-up were performed. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare differences between preoperative and postoperative subjective outcome scores, level of statistical significance was 0.05. A total of 189 patients were included in the capsular closure group and matched with 189 control patients. The mean age in years (±standard deviation) was 39.4 (±11.8) and 39.3 (±11.2), respectively, 55% females. Both groups improved significantly at 1-year follow-up. Significant improvements in the capsular closure group were found in HSAS, EQ-5D, NRS pain (rest and walk) and most HAGOS subscales compared with the non-closure group. All patients underwent labral repair in combination with both femoral osteochondroplasty and acetabuloplasty. The revision rate reported after 2 years was 6.8% in the non-closure group and 3.5% in the closure group. One patient in each cohort received a total hip replacement after 2 years. Capsular closure during arthroscopic FAIS treatment resulted in better subjective outcomes and less pain during rest and walking compared with matched controls. Both groups demonstrated improved outcome at 1-year follow-up. Furthermore, capsular closure might result in a lower risk of a revision hip arthroscopy.
New Population of the Rare Dragonfly Ophiogomphus howei (Odonata: Gomphidae) in Southern Michigan, United States
Authors: Craves Julie A , O’Brien Darrin S , Marvin David A
Published: October 2020

Ophiogomphus howei Bromley is a rare North American dragonfly, given a global conservation rank of Vulnerable by NatureServe. This species inhabits localized stretches of a limited number of typically undisturbed, high-quality, forested rivers in two disjunct regions in North America. We describe a new population in between the known ranges from an impaired river in a largely urban watershed in southern Michigan, United States. We also report a previously overlooked specimen from a new location in Pennsylvania, United States, and provide current occurrence and conservation status of the species in North America.
Species-specific environmental conditions for winter bat acoustic activity in North Carolina, United States
Authors: Parker Kevin A , Li Han , Kalcounis-Rueppell Matina C
Published: October 2020

Low winter temperatures are a major driver of hibernation and migration in temperate North American bats. Hibernation and migration in turn affect bat mortality via white-nose syndrome and collisions with wind turbines. To describe winter bat acoustic activity across a wide temperature gradient and to understand species-specific responses to low temperatures, we recorded nightly acoustic activity of bats at 15 sites across the state of North Carolina, United States, from December through February 2016 – 2018. Bat acoustic activity was recorded at all sites during both winters. Nightly probability of bat acoustic presence regressed positively on ambient temperature. Nightly probability of presence in Lasionycteris noctivagans (silver-haired bat) and Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) regressed negatively on wind speed. The mean probability of presence within the same winter condition was highest for L. noctivagans, followed by E. fuscus, Perimyotis subflavus (tricolored bat), and Lasiurus cinereus (hoary bat). Differences in species’ mean body weight and roosting preference explained part of the variation of the species-specific probability of presence. Our results can be used to predict bat acoustic presence for these species across the southeastern United States in winter, and better understand the potential threats to bats such as white-nose syndrome and wind turbine interactions.
Infiltrating Hematogenous Macrophages Aggregate Around β-Amyloid Plaques in an Age- and Sex-Dependent Manner in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Kozyrev Natalie , Albers Shawn , Yang Jennifer , Prado Vania F , Prado Marco A M , Fonseca Gregory J , Rylett R Jane , Dekaban Gregory A
Published: October 2020

β-Amyloid (Aβ) plaques can trigger chronic inflammation in the cellular environment that recruits infiltrating macrophages during the course of Alzheimer disease (AD). Activated macrophages release pro-inflammatory cytokines that increase neurotoxicity associated with AD. A major impediment to investigating neuroinflammation involving macrophage activity is the inability to discriminate resident microglial macrophages (mMϕ) from hematogenous macrophages (hMϕ), as they are morphologically and phenotypically similar when activated. To distinguish between mMϕ and hMϕ and to determine their respective roles in chronic inflammation associated with the progression of amyloidosis, we used lys-EGFP-ki transgenic mice that express enhanced green fluorescent protein in hMϕ, but not in mMϕ. These mice were crossed with 5XFAD mice. The offspring demonstrated robust AD pathology and enabled visual discrimination of mMϕ from hMϕ. Mutant mice demonstrated robust increases in Aβ1–42, area of Aβ plaques, gliosis and deficits in spatial learning by age 5 months. The time-course of Aβ accumulation, paralleled by the accumulation of hMϕ around Aβ plaques, was more robust in female compared with male mice and preceded behavioral changes. Thus, the accumulation of infiltrating hMϕ around Aβ plaques was age- and sex-dependent and preceded cognitive impairment.
Recovering Refugee Stories: Chilean Refugees and World University Service
Authors: Ribeiro de Menezes Alison
Published: October 2020

Within the context of a special section of the Journal of Refugee Studies, this article charts and evaluates the work of the UK-based NGO, World University Service (WUS), in assisting Chileans who fled their country in the wake of the 1973 coup and subsequent Pinochet dictatorship. The article combines documentary research in the WUS archive, Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick, and a series of in-depth interviews with 26 Chileans who were assisted by WUS. It begins by outlining the history, structure and development-based focus of the WUS scholarship scheme, which was an important step in the establishment of formal refugee support structures in the UK. It also explores quantitative data of the scheme’s academic success, before enriching this with qualitative research focused on analysis of refugees’ individual life stories. The research findings reveal tensions between what Chanfrault-Duchet calls the ‘inner self’ and the ‘social self’ in the case of women interviewees. The article concludes that a focus on individual life stories as emplotted narratives can enrich quantitative understandings of the effectiveness of formal refugee support programmes and provide important insights into the grassroots experience of exile, helping to avoid the historical decontextualization of discussions of refugee support programmes.
FLOWERING LOCUS T4delays flowering and decreases floret fertility in barley
Authors: Pieper Rebecca , Tomé Filipa , Pankin Artem , von Korff Maria
Published: October 2020

FLOWERING LOCUS T-like (FT-like) genes control the photoperiodic regulation of flowering in many angiosperm plants. The family of FT-like genes is characterized by extensive gene duplication and subsequent diversification of FT functions which occurred independently in modern angiosperm lineages. In barley, there are 12 known FT-like genes (HvFT), but the function of most of them remains uncharacterized. This study aimed to characterize the role of HvFT4 in flowering time control and development in barley. The overexpression of HvFT4 in the spring cultivar Golden Promise delayed flowering time under long-day conditions. Microscopic dissection of the shoot apical meristem revealed that overexpression of HvFT4 specifically delayed spikelet initiation and reduced the number of spikelet primordia and grains per spike. Furthermore, ectopic overexpression of HvFT4 was associated with floret abortion and with the down-regulation of the barley MADS-box genes VRN-H1, HvBM3, and HvBM8 which promote floral development. This suggests that HvFT4 functions as a repressor of reproductive development in barley. Unraveling the genetic basis of FT-like genes can contribute to the identification of novel breeding targets to modify reproductive development and thereby spike morphology and grain yield.
Differences in Postmating Transcriptional Responses between Conspecific and Heterospecific Matings inDrosophila
Authors: Ahmed-Braimah Yasir H , Wolfner Mariana F , Clark Andrew G
Published: October 2020

In many animal species, females undergo physiological and behavioral changes after mating. Some of these changes are driven by male-derived seminal fluid proteins and are critical for fertilization success. Unfortunately, our understanding of the molecular interplay between female and male reproductive proteins remains inadequate. Here, we analyze the postmating response in a Drosophila species that has evolved strong gametic incompatibility with its sister species; Drosophila novamexicana females produce only ∼1% fertilized eggs in crosses with Drosophila americana males, compared to ∼98% produced in within-species crosses. This incompatibility is likely caused by mismatched male and female reproductive molecules. In this study, we use short-read RNA sequencing to examine the evolutionary dynamics of female reproductive genes and the postmating transcriptome response in crosses within and between species. First, we found that most female reproductive tract genes are slow-evolving compared to the genome average. Second, postmating responses in con- and heterospecific matings are largely congruent, but heterospecific matings induce expression of additional stress-response genes. Some of those are immunity genes that are activated by the Imd pathway. We also identify several genes in the JAK/STAT signaling pathway that are induced in heterospecific, but not conspecific mating. While this immune response was most pronounced in the female reproductive tract, we also detect it in the female head and ovaries. These results show that the female’s postmating transcriptome-level response is determined in part by the genotype of the male, and that divergence in male reproductive genes and/or traits can have immunogenic effects on females.
The IMG/M data management and analysis system v.6.0: new tools and advanced capabilities
Authors: Chen I-Min A , Chu Ken , Palaniappan Krishnaveni , Ratner Anna , Huang Jinghua , Huntemann Marcel , Hajek Patrick , Ritter Stephan , Varghese Neha , Seshadri Rekha , Roux Simon , Woyke Tanja , Eloe-Fadrosh Emiley A , Ivanova Natalia N , Kyrpides Nikos C
Published: October 2020

The Integrated Microbial Genomes & Microbiomes system (IMG/M: https://img.jgi.doe.gov/m/) contains annotated isolate genome and metagenome datasets sequenced at the DOE’s Joint Genome Institute (JGI), submitted by external users, or imported from public sources such as NCBI. IMG v 6.0 includes advanced search functions and a new tool for statistical analysis of mixed sets of genomes and metagenome bins. The new IMG web user interface also has a new Help page with additional documentation and webinar tutorials to help users better understand how to use various IMG functions and tools for their research. New datasets have been processed with the prokaryotic annotation pipeline v.5, which includes extended protein family assignments.
Assessment of Kidney Injury as a Severity Criteria for Clostridioides Difficile Infection
Authors: Carlson Travis J , Gonzales-Luna Anne J , Nebo Kimberly , Chan Hannah Y , Tran Ngoc-Linh T , Antony Sheena , Lancaster Chris , Alam M Jahangir , Begum Khurshida , Garey Kevin W
Published: October 2020

Background

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) revised their Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) severity classification criteria in 2017 to include an absolute serum creatinine (SCr) value above a threshold (≥1.5 mg/dL) rather than a relative increase from baseline (≥1.5 times the premorbid level). To date, how to best define kidney injury as a CDI disease severity marker has not been validated to assess severe outcomes associated with CDI.

Methods

This multicenter cohort study included adult hospitalized patients with CDI. Patients were assessed for the presence of acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and CDI severity using the 2010 and 2017 IDSA/SHEA CDI guidelines. Primary outcome was all-cause inpatient mortality.

Results

The final study cohort consisted of 770 CDI episodes from 705 unique patients aged 65 ± 17 years (female, 54%; CKD, 36.5%; AKI, 29.6%). Eighty-two episodes (10.6%) showed discordant severity classification results due to the inclusion of more patients with preexisting CKD in the severe disease category using an absolute SCr threshold criterion. The absolute SCr criterion better correlated with all-cause mortality (odds ratio [OR], 4.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.76–9.28; P = .001) than the relative increase in SCr (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.62–2.89; P = .46). This corresponded to an increased likelihood of the 2017 CDI severity classification criteria to predict mortality (OR, 5.33; 95% CI, 1.81–15.72; P = .002) compared with the 2010 criteria (OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.16–6.32; P = .02).

Conclusions

Our findings support the 2017 IDSA/SHEA CDI severity classification criteria of a single pretreatment SCr in future CDI guideline updates.
Hemifacial Spasm: Endoscopic Assistance in Facial Nerve Decompression With Lateral Spread Response Corroboration: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Brimley Cameron J , Sampath Raghuram
Published: October 2020

This video depicts the case of a 48-yr-old female with 3 yr of progressive left hemifacial spasm (HFS) refractory to medication. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a large anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) and also a labyrinthine artery loop around the facial nerve (FN) root exit zone. A large bony eminence was also noted in the superior and lateral aspects of the porous acousticus (PA). She preferred surgery if “cure” was possible in lieu of Botox injections. A left retro sigmoid craniotomy was performed with brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) and FN monitoring along with lateral spread response (LSR) assessment. The large bony prominence was drilled in its lateral aspect. Despite this, visualization was still limited and therefore we utilized a 30-degree-angled endoscope to observe the vessels caudal and cranial to the FN. This view prompted us to then drill further at the PA to decompress the FN as well as mobilize the labyrinthine artery away from the nerve. The LSR showed a dramatic improvement when FN decompression was accomplished, and then a further improvement with arterial mobilization and Teflon pledget placement. The BAERS remained at baseline throughout. FN function and hearing were intact on postoperative clinical assessment. Her symptomatic improvement was recorded at 12 mo after surgery.

This video illustrates a more complex case of microvascular decompression with skull base concepts and techniques. The patient provided consent for the procedure and use of her images and operative video for publication.
222RN EXHALATION FLUX RATE AND 226RA IN THE SOILS OF A COPPER-MINERALISED AREA
Authors: Mishra Asheesh , Sharma S K , Panigrahi D C
Published: October 2020

Uranium-series radionuclides exist in trace quantities in all soils and rocks on earth in variable concentrations. Among these, 222Rn gas exhaled by the soil of a geological location is the main contributor to the environmental radioactivity. A 222Rn exhalation flux study was carried out in the heavily mineralised area of the Singhbhum Copper Belt of Jharkhand, India. A significant seasonal variation in the soil gas exhalation was observed, which is attributable to the seasonal atmospheric parameters of the study area. The average 222Rn exhalation flux from the soil was estimated to be in the range of 4.5–$20.1\ \mathrm{Bq}\ {\mathrm{m}}^{-2}\ {\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ with a mean of $10.1\pm 3.9\ \mathrm{mBq}\ {\mathrm{m}}^{-2}\ {\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ and geometric mean (GM) of $9.5\ \mathrm{mBq}\ {\mathrm{m}}^{-2}\ {\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$. Also, 20 soil samples collected from the study area were analysed by the emanometric method, which estimated the 226Ra specific activity in the soils in the range of 9–$63\ \mathrm{Bq}\ \mathrm{k}{\mathrm{g}}^{-1}$ and a mean value of $39\pm 16\ \mathrm{Bq}\ \mathrm{k}{\mathrm{g}}^{-1}$.