bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managerial coaching as antecedent to employee engagement and organization citizenship behaviors: evidence from India
Authors: Wangchuk Sonam , Murari Krishna , Das Pradip Kumar
Published: June 2024

Purpose

Research on how managerial coaching effects employee cognitions and motivations is scarce, especially in the Indian context. This study aims to explore the association between managerial coaching, perceived investment in employee development (PIED), as antecedents, and employee engagement and organization citizenship behaviors directed to the organization (OCBO), as consequences, in the context of the pharmaceutical industry in Sikkim (India).

Design/methodology/approach

The target population for the study is the first-level line managers and non-managerial employees of pharmaceutical companies in Sikkim (India). A cross-sectional study was conducted using samples collected through a self-reported questionnaire and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results indicate that managerial coaching is positively associated with employee engagement and OCBO. PIED was not found to be associated with employee outcomes. Implications for theory and practice, limitations, and recommendations for research are discussed.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to test the association of managerial coaching and PIED with employee engagement and OCBO in a single model.
What is at stake and what does it take? Collaborative governance and policy (in)action in the adoption of a National Forest Programme
Authors: Johansson Johanna
Published: June 2024

Inspired by collaborative governance theory, this study analyzes the process dynamics, outputs, and perceived impacts of a collaborative initiative launched by the Swedish government in 2014. It draws on extensive empirical sources related to the Swedish government's efforts to develop and implement a National Forest Programme (NFP) from 2014 to 2021. These sources include semistructured interviews, observations, public consultation comments, records of meetings and public hearings, reports from dialogues, and enacted policy documents. The results show that the collaboration initially provided a space for joint deliberation and capacity building on complex and contentious issues related to current land use. However, the final programme endorsed by the government in 2018 failed to initiate ambitious proposals on several key issues raised by participating actors, offering little indication of priorities and policy instruments to address fundamental gaps in current policy goals and their implementation. Consequently, the case reveals that it was not sufficient, and perhaps not even desirable, to address existing conflicts and policy problems in a comprehensive collaborative setting run by the Government Offices. The paper concludes with key insights for research on collaboration and suggests ways to move forward with policy designs that integrate multiple and competing policy goals in contested areas.
‘Shut Up! Sit Down!’: The Politics of Disruption and the 1886 Home Rule Crisis in England*
Authors: Lloyd‐Jones Naomi
Published: June 2024

This article examines the oral and physical disruption of ‘public’ meetings in England in the spring of 1886, when such activity formed part of broader contests over the legitimacy of extra‐parliamentary responses to the Liberal government's Irish Home Rule Bill. Disruption is an important example of the diverse ways in which home rule energised politics outside Westminster and of the heatedness of grassroots responses to it. For those who engaged in it, disruption offered forms of political interaction and participation that, additionally, made claims to representation and opinion. However, disruption was a practice of contestation that was itself the subject of contention and it was decried as transgressing the bounds of appropriate political conduct. Disruption could be seen, in both intent and effect, as a permissive or subversive, inclusive or exclusionary, behaviour. It could therefore legitimise or undermine claims that popular feeling was on the side of or opposed to the policy. The ‘politics of disruption’ both reflected and generated intense debate about the state of politics in an age of ‘mass democracy’ – of which home rule was the first major crisis – and about the sanctity of political rights and liberties. This article argues that our understanding of political disruption is enhanced by examining its practice and reception at historical moments, outside the episodic election cycle, when contemporaries believed that it was critically important that ‘public opinion’ on a political issue be ascertained and voiced, and when the validity of such opinion was disputed.
Harm perceptions across vaping product features: An on‐line cross‐sectional survey of adults who smoke and/or vape in the United Kingdom
Authors: East Katherine , Vu Giang , Sun Tianze , D’Mello Kimberly , Perman‐Howe Parvati Rose , Taylor Eve , Nottage Matilda , Brose Leonie Sarah , Robson Deborah , McNeill Ann
Published: June 2024

Background and aims

Vaping products are diverse with a wide variety of features, and popular products change rapidly. This study examined the features and types of vaping products that people who smoke and/or vape perceive contribute to the health harms of vaping.

Design, setting and participants

This was a cross‐sectional survey co‐designed with adults who smoked/vaped and pre‐registered. An on‐line survey (November 2022) was used of a convenience sample of adults in the United Kingdom who smoked and/or vaped (n = 494).

Measurements

As primary outcomes, respondents were asked to select any of 15 vaping product features they perceived might have any effect on the health harms of vaping (for each: selected, not selected). Independent variables were smoking/vaping status (smoke and vape; vape, formerly smoked; vape, never regularly smoked; smoke, do not currently vape); relative vaping harm perceptions [less harmful than smoking (accurate), equally/more harmful than smoking or do not know/refused (other)]. Binary logistic regressions were used to compare outcomes by current vaping/smoking status and relative harm perceptions, adjusting for age and sex.

Findings

Most people (54.7%) selected between one and three features. The most frequently selected were nicotine concentration (62.2%) and amount of e‐liquid consumed (59.1%), followed by nicotine type (e.g. salt or freebase; 33.0%), source/purchase location (25.3%), flavours (24.7%), temperature to heat e‐liquid (21.1%), heat produced by device (20.9%), e‐liquid brand (20.9%), amount of emissions (18.6%), device type (e.g. disposable, pod, tank; 17.2%), material of tank (17.0%), power/wattage (13.0%), device brand (8.1%), device size (4.1%) and device weight (2.4%). Higher nicotine concentrations, more e‐liquid and salt (versus freebase) nicotine were perceived to confer greater harms. Disposables were perceived as slightly more harmful than reusable devices. There were few differences by current vaping/smoking status and between those with accurate (versus other) harm perceptions of vaping relative to smoking (P > 0.05 for most contrasts, adjusting for age and sex).

Conclusions

Certain features and types of vaping products [higher nicotine concentrations, more e‐liquid consumed and salt (versus freebase) nicotine] were perceived to confer greater health harms among a sample of UK adults who smoked and/or vaped. Findings are consistent with pervasive misperceptions that nicotine is a major cause of harm, although e‐liquid volume is likely to contribute to harms.
Response matters in light chain amyloidosis, whatever it takes
Authors: Palladini Giovanni , Milani Paolo
Published: June 2024

Access to upfront daratumumab for AL amyloidosis is expanding, but it is not universal. Bomsztyk et al. show that patients who do not receive front‐line daratumumab can be effectively rescued with this agent, indicating that deep haematological response should be pursued tenaciously.

Commentary on: Bomsztyk et al. Response rates to second‐line treatment with daratumumab bortezomib dexamethasone (DVD) in relapsed/refractory light chain (AL) amyloidosis after initial bortezomib‐based regime. Br J Haematol 2024;205:138–145.
The psychosocial impact of prostate cancer screening for BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers
Authors: Bancroft Elizabeth K. , Page Elizabeth C. , Brook Mark N. , Pope Jennifer , Thomas Sarah , Myhill Kathryn , Helfand Brian T. , Talaty Pooja , Ong Kai‐Ren , Douglas Emma , Cook Jackie , Rosario Derek J. , Salinas Monica , Buys Saundra S. , Anson Jo , Davidson Rosemarie , Longmuir Mark , Side Lucy , Eccles Diana M. , Tischkowitz Marc , Taylor Amy , Cruellas Mara , Ballestero Eduard Perez , Cleaver Ruth , Varughese Mohini , Barwell Julian , LeButt Mandy , Greenhalgh Lynn , Hart Rachel , Azzabi Ashraf , Jobson Irene , Cogley Lynn , Evans D. Gareth , Rothwell Jeanette , Taylor Natalie , Hogben Matthew , Saya Sibel ,   IMPACT Study Steering Committee; IMPACT Collaborators, Eeles Rosalind A. , Aaronson Neil K.
Published: June 2024

Objectives

To report the long‐term outcomes from a longitudinal psychosocial study that forms part of the ‘Identification of Men with a genetic predisposition to ProstAte Cancer: Targeted Screening in men at higher genetic risk and controls’ (IMPACT) study. The IMPACT study is a multi‐national study of targeted prostate cancer (PrCa) screening in individuals with a known germline pathogenic variant (GPV) in either the BReast CAncer gene 1 (BRCA1) or the BReast CAncer gene 2 (BRCA2).

Subjects and Methods

Participants enrolled in the IMPACT study were invited to complete a psychosocial questionnaire prior to each annual screening visit for a minimum of 5 years. The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographics and the following measures: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Impact of Event Scale, 36‐item Short‐Form Health Survey, Memorial Anxiety Scale for PrCa, Cancer Worry Scale, risk perception and knowledge.

Results

A total of 760 participants completed questionnaires: 207 participants with GPV in BRCA1, 265 with GPV in BRCA2 and 288 controls (non‐carriers from families with a known GPV). We found no evidence of clinically concerning levels of general or cancer‐specific distress or poor health‐related quality of life in the cohort as a whole. Individuals in the control group had significantly less worry about PrCa compared with the carriers; however, all mean scores were low and within reported general population norms, where available. BRCA2 carriers with previously high prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels experience a small but significant increase in PrCa anxiety (P = 0.01) and PSA‐specific anxiety (P < 0.001). Cancer risk perceptions reflected information provided during genetic counselling and participants had good levels of knowledge, although this declined over time.

Conclusion

This is the first study to report the longitudinal psychosocial impact of a targeted PrCa screening programme for BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers. The results reassure that an annual PSA‐based screening programme does not have an adverse impact on psychosocial health or health‐related quality of life in these higher‐risk individuals. These results are important as more PrCa screening is targeted to higher‐risk groups.
Difluorinated thromboxane A2 reveals crosstalk between platelet activatory and inhibitory pathways by targeting both the TP and IP receptors
Authors: Allen Megan F. , Hutchinson James L. , Keith Michael , Mallah Shahida , Corey Robin A. , Trory Justin S. , Jing Changcheng , Fang Huaquan , Wei Liang , Bennett Steven H. , Aggarwal Varinder K. , Mundell Stuart J. , Hers Ingeborg
Published: June 2024

Background and Purpose

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) is a prostanoid produced during platelet activaton, important in enhancing platelet reactivity by activation of TP receptors. However, due to the short half‐life, studying TXA2 signalling is challenging. To enhance our understanding of TP receptor‐mediated platelet biology, we therefore synthesised mono and difluorinated TXA2 analogues and explored their pharmacology on heterologous and endogenously expressed TP receptor function.

Experimental Approach

Platelet functional and signalling responses were studied using aggregometry, Ca2+ mobilisation experiments and immunoblotting and compared with an analogue of the TXA2 precursor prostaglandin H2, U46619. Gαq/Gαs receptor signalling was determined using a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assay in a cell line overexpression system.

Key Results

BRET studies revealed that F‐TXA2 and F2‐TXA2 promoted receptor‐stimulated TP receptor G‐protein activation similarly to U46619. Unexpectedly, F2‐TXA2 caused reversible aggregation in platelets, whereas F‐TXA2 and U46619 induced sustained aggregation. Blocking the IP receptor switched F2‐TXA2‐mediated reversible aggregation into sustained aggregation. Further BRET studies confirmed F2‐TXA2‐mediated IP receptor activation. F2‐TXA2 rapidly and potently stimulated platelet TP receptor‐mediated protein kinase C/P‐pleckstrin, whereas IP‐mediated protein kinase A/P‐vasodilator‐stimulated phosphoprotein was more delayed.

Conclusion and Implications

F‐TXA2 is a close analogue to TXA2 used as a selective tool for TP receptor platelet activation. In contrast, F2‐TXA2 acts on both TP and IP receptors differently over time, resulting in an initial wave of TP receptor‐mediated platelet aggregation followed by IP receptor‐induced reversibility of aggregation. This study reveals the potential difference in the temporal aspects of stimulatory and inhibitory pathways involved in platelet activation.
Sparse q‐ball imaging towards efficient visual exploration of HARDI data
Authors: Lei D. , Miandji E. , Unger J. , Hotz I.
Published: June 2024

Diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (D‐MRI) is a technique to measure the diffusion of water, in biological tissues. It is used to detect microscopic patterns, such as neural fibers in the living human brain, with many medical and neuroscience applications e.g. for fiber tracking. In this paper, we consider High‐Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging (HARDI) which provides one of the richest representations of water diffusion. It records the movement of water molecules by measuring diffusion under 64 or more directions. A key challenge is that it generates high‐dimensional, large, and complex datasets. In our work, we develop a novel representation that exploits the inherent sparsity of the HARDI signal by approximating it as a linear sum of basic atoms in an overcomplete data‐driven dictionary using only a sparse set of coefficients. We show that this approach can be efficiently integrated into the standard q‐ball imaging pipeline to compute the diffusion orientation distribution function (ODF). Sparse representations have the potential to reduce the size of the data while also giving some insight into the data. To explore the results, we provide a visualization of the atoms of the dictionary and their frequency in the data to highlight the basic characteristics of the data. We present our proposed pipeline and demonstrate its performance on 5 HARDI datasets.
Using eco‐evolutionary models to improve management of introgression in brown trout
Authors: Folio Dorinda , Caudron Arnaud , Vigier Laure , Oddou‐Muratorio Sylvie , Labonne Jacques
Published: June 2024

The management of intraspecific diversity in many species is usually disconnected from eco‐evolutionary processes happening in natura. A classic example is embodied in the problem of introgression in hybridized fish populations, wherein management practices are generally unaware of any selective process at work, and therefore generally rely on numbers (adding or removing individuals) to reduce introgression. Such an example can be observed in the French Alps, where native Mediterranea (MED) brown trout have been highly introgressed through decades of stocking with domesticated Atlantic (ATL) brown trout. Recently however, new results shed light on a potential selective mechanism that may affect differentially the fitness of MED and ATL genes depending on the environment (GxE interaction). Using a demogenetic agent‐based model able to account for such GxE interaction, we simulate a management scenario implemented in 2005 by some biodiversity managers and scientists, who attempted to restore the Mediterranea gene pool using translocation of near pure MED individuals in Atlantic‐dominated areas. We show that the model is unable to recreate the observed introgression dynamics if the GxE interaction is not included. This finding implies that (i) eco‐evolutionary mechanisms can have large effects on introgression dynamics on very short time scales and (ii) management of intraspecific diversity should increasingly rely on these natural mechanisms, so as to improve management targets and facilitate adaptation to rapid environmental changes.
Auxiliary osseous findings in fetlocks of non‐racing sports horses with sagittal groove disease of the proximal phalanx on low‐field magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Faulkner Josephine E. , Joostens Zoë , Broeckx Bart J. G. , Hauspie Stijn , Mariën Tom , Vanderperren Katrien
Published: June 2024

Background

Sagittal groove disease of the proximal phalanx in equine athletes is commonly considered a bone stress injury. Repetitive hyperextension of the fetlock under high load is thought to contribute to its development. Concurrent changes are often reported in the dorsal sagittal ridge of the third metacarpus/metatarsus (MC3/MT3).

Objectives

To describe the spectrum of associated osseous abnormalities that are present in the fetlock in a large group of horses diagnosed with sagittal groove disease on low‐field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Study design

Retrospective, cross‐sectional.

Methods

MRI images of horses diagnosed with sagittal groove disease at Equitom Equine Clinic between March 2014 and March 2023 were evaluated using semi‐quantitative grading schemes and a sagittal groove disease MRI classification system.

Results

MRIs of 132 limbs were evaluated, predominantly from warmbloods used for showjumping (n = 83) and dressage (n = 18). Osseous densification and bone oedema‐like signal grades were higher in the dorsal sagittal ridge than palmarly/plantarly (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). Grades of both osseous densification and bone oedema‐like signal in the dorsal sagittal ridge did not significantly differ between the different sagittal groove disease MRI classifications (both p > 0.05).

Main limitations

Inclusion based on original MRI reports, absence of control group, small numbers within some grading groups hindering statistical analyses.

Conclusions

Findings support the aetiological theories of chronic bone‐stress due to loaded fetlock hyperextension however the severity of osseous changes of the dorsal sagittal ridge does not appear to be associated with the severity of sagittal groove disease classification.
ATP‐dependent chromatin remodeller brahma related gene 1 promotes keratinocyte migration and modulates cell Signalling during wound healing in human skin
Authors: Kellett Carl , Bhogal Ranjit K. , Botchkareva Natalia V. , Fessing Michael Y.
Published: June 2024

Skin wound healing is driven by proliferation, migration and differentiation of several cell types that are controlled by the alterations in the gene expression programmes. Brahma Gene 1 (BRG1) (also known as SMARCA4) is a core ATPase in the BRG1 Associated Factors (BAF) ATP‐dependent chromatin remodelling complexes that alter DNA‐histone interaction in chromatin at the specific gene regulatory elements resulting in increase or decrease of the target gene transcription. Using siRNA mediated suppression of BRG1 during wound healing in a human ex vivo and in vitro (scratch assay) models, we demonstrated that BRG1 is essential for efficient skin wound healing by promoting epidermal keratinocytes migration, but not their proliferation or survival. BRG1 controls changes in the expression of genes associated with gene transcription, response to wounding, cell migration and cell signalling. Altogether, our data revealed that BRG1 play positive role in skin repair by promoting keratinocyte migration and impacting the genes expression programmes associated with cell migration and cellular signalling.
Family bonds and personal factors in caregiver burden in patients at the end of life
Authors: Ribera‐Asensi Olga , Pérez‐Marín Marián , Valero‐Moreno Selene
Published: June 2024

Family caregivers are defined as those who assume substantial responsibilities for the care of an ill loved one without formal health care training. This study aims to analyze the predictors of physical and emotional burden in caregivers of palliative patients using qualitative comparative analysis methodologies (QCA) and taking into account patient and caregiver personal and relational variables. A total of 125 caregivers of patients at the end of life were assessed using an ad hoc emotional and physical burden questionnaire and patient and caregiver personal and relational variables were recorded. Results indicate moderately high levels of both emotional and physical burden. Differences in burden are found only as a function of kinship. Emotional burden is positively associated with the use of physical health medication in the caregiver and kinship; meanwhile, physical burden is positively associated with time since diagnosis, patient functional independence, and economic problems. For the QCA models, several pathways predict the observed variance in the emotional and physical burden of family caregivers of patients at the end of life, based on patient, caregiver, and relationship variables. In conclusion, it is relevant to design intervention programs focused on patient–caregiver relationship to prevent the development of emotional and physical burden.
Woody plant encroachment drives population declines in 20% of common open ecosystem bird species
Authors: White Joseph D. M. , Stevens Nicola , Fisher Jolene T. , Reynolds Chevonne
Published: June 2024

Grassy ecosystems cover more than 40% of the world's terrestrial surface, supporting crucial ecosystem services and unique biodiversity. These ecosystems have experienced major losses from conversion to agriculture with the remaining fragments threatened by global change. Woody plant encroachment, the increase in woody cover threatening grassy ecosystems, is a major global change symptom, shifting the composition, structure, and function of plant communities with concomitant effects on all biodiversity. To identify generalisable impacts of encroachment on biodiversity, we urgently need broad‐scale studies on how species respond to woody cover change. Here, we make use of bird atlas, woody cover change data (between 2007 and 2016) and species traits, to assess: (1) population trends and woody cover responses using dynamic occupancy models; (2) how outcomes relate to habitat, diet and nesting traits; and (3) predictions of future occupancy trends, for 191 abundant, southern African bird species. We found that: (1) 63% (121) of species showed a decline in occupancy, with 18% (34) of species' declines correlated with increasing woody cover (i.e. losers). Only 2% (4) of species showed increasing population trends linked with increased woody cover (i.e. winners); (2) Open habitat specialist, invertivorous, ground nesting birds were the most frequent losers, however, we found no definitive evidence that the selected traits could predict outcomes; and (3) We predict open habitat loser species will take on average 52 years to experience 50% population declines with current rates of encroachment. Our results bring attention to concerning region‐wide declining bird population trends and highlight woody plant encroachment as an important driver of bird population dynamics. Importantly, these findings should encourage improved management and restoration of our remaining grassy ecosystems. Furthermore, our findings show the importance of lands beyond protected areas for biodiversity, and the urgent need to mitigate the impacts of woody plant encroachment on bird biodiversity.
Is transvaginal mesh surgery with polytetrafluoroethylene mesh ORIHIME® feasible for anterior pelvic organ prolapse?—Randomized comparative study between ORIHIME® and Polyform™
Authors: Takeyama Masami , Kuwata Tomoko , Kashihara Hiromi , Kato Chikako , Watanabe Masaki
Published: June 2024

Objective

Transvaginal mesh surgery for pelvic organ prolapse has been widely performed in Japan, but polypropylene mesh has not been used in Japan since the ban on TVM using polypropylene mesh in the United States. Currently, polytetrafluoroethylene mesh ORIHIME® is the only mesh available for TVM in Japan. Although polytetrafluoroethylene is a safe material, its low coefficient of friction and insufficient adhesion to the surrounding tissue make it difficult to maintain the mesh position when it is used in the transvaginal mesh surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of TVM‐A2 using ORIHIME®.

Methods

One hundred cases of TVM‐A2 were included in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: the ORIHIME® group (Group O) and the PolyformTM group (Group P). With 50 patients in each group, the complications and recurrences up to the fourth year were compared. Surgeries were performed using the TVM‐A2 method. Statistical analysis was performed using EZR.

Results

There were no significant differences in baseline parameters between the two groups. We observed no perioperative complications, and saw one case of postoperative abscess formation in Group O, which resolved successfully after incision and drainage. The 4‐year recurrence rate was significantly higher in Group O.

Conclusion

As the recurrence rate was significantly higher in Group O, we conclude that TVM‐A2 using ORIHIME® which is the same procedure as TVM‐A2 using polypropylene mesh is not feasible in repairing the pelvic organ prolapse.
Rapid eye movement sleep and epilepsy: exploring interactions and therapeutic prospects
Authors: Nobili Lino , Cordani Ramona , Arnaldi Dario , Mattioli Pietro , Veneruso Marco , Ng Marcus
Published: June 2024

While research interest in the relationship between sleep and epilepsy is growing, it primarily centres on the effects of non‐rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in favouring seizures. Nonetheless, a noteworthy aspect is the observation that, in the lives of patients with epilepsy, REM sleep represents the moment with the least epileptic activity and the lowest probability of having a seizure. Studies demonstrate a suppressive effect of phasic REM sleep on interictal epileptiform discharges, potentially offering insights into epilepsy localisation and management. Furthermore, epilepsy impacts REM sleep, with successful treatment correlating with improved REM sleep quality. Novel therapeutic strategies aim to harness REM's anti‐epileptic effects, including pharmacological approaches targeting orexinergic systems and neuromodulation techniques promoting cortical desynchronisation. These findings underscore the intricate relationship between REM sleep and epilepsy, highlighting avenues for further research and therapeutic innovation in epilepsy management.
Blood‐brain barrier dysfunction and decreased transcription of tight junction proteins in epileptic dogs
Authors: Hanael Erez , Baruch Shelly , Altman Rotem Kalev , Chai Orit , Rapoport Kira , Peery Dana , Friedman Alon , Shamir Merav H.
Published: June 2024

Background

Epilepsy in dogs and humans is associated with blood‐brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction (BBBD), which may involve dysfunction of tight junction (TJ) proteins, matrix metalloproteases, and astrocytes. Imaging techniques to assess BBB integrity, to identify potential treatment strategies, have not yet been evaluated in veterinary medicine.

Hypothesis

Some dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) will exhibit BBBD. Identifying BBBD may improve antiepileptic treatment in the future.

Animals

Twenty‐seven dogs with IE and 10 healthy controls.

Methods

Retrospective, prospective cohort study. Blood‐brain barrier permeability (BBBP) scores were calculated for the whole brain and piriform lobe of all dogs by using dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and subtraction enhancement analysis (SEA). Matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP9) activity in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was measured and its expression in the piriform lobe was examined using immunofluorescent staining. Gene expression of TJ proteins and astrocytic transporters was analyzed in the piriform lobe.

Results

The DCE‐MRI analysis of the piriform lobe identified higher BBBP score in the IE group when compared with controls (34.5% vs 26.5%; P = .02). Activity and expression of MMP9 were increased in the serum, CSF, and piriform lobe of IE dogs as compared with controls. Gene expression of Kir4.1 and claudin‐5 in the piriform lobe of IE dogs was significantly lower than in control dogs.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Our findings demonstrate BBBD in dogs with IE and were supported by increased MMP9 activity and downregulation of astrocytic potassium channels and some TJ proteins. Blood brain barrier dysfunction may be a novel antiepileptic therapy target.
Metagenome‐assembled genome of the glacier alga Ancylonema yields insights into the evolution of streptophyte life on ice and land
Authors: Bowles Alexander M. C. , Williams Tom A. , Donoghue Philip C. J. , Campbell Douglas A. , Williamson Christopher J.
Published: June 2024

Contemporary glaciers are inhabited by streptophyte algae that balance photosynthesis and growth with tolerance of low temperature, desiccation and UV radiation. These same environmental challenges have been hypothesised as the driving force behind the evolution of land plants from streptophyte algal ancestors in the Cryogenian (720–635 million years ago).

We sequenced, assembled and analysed the metagenome‐assembled genome of the glacier alga Ancylonema nordenskiöldii to investigate its adaptations to life in ice, and whether this represents a vestige of Cryogenian exaptations.

Phylogenetic analysis confirms the placement of glacier algae within the sister lineage to land plants, Zygnematophyceae. The metagenome‐assembled genome is characterised by an expansion of genes involved in tolerance of high irradiance and UV light, while lineage‐specific diversification is linked to the novel screening pigmentation of glacier algae. We found no support for the hypothesis of a common genomic basis for adaptations to ice and to land in streptophytes. Comparative genomics revealed that the reductive morphological evolution in the ancestor of Zygnematophyceae was accompanied by reductive genome evolution.

This first genome‐scale data for glacier algae suggests an Ancylonema‐specific adaptation to the cryosphere, and sheds light on the genome evolution of land plants and Zygnematophyceae.
Development of disease‐modifying therapies against Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Iwatsubo Takeshi
Published: June 2024

To successfully develop disease‐modifying therapies (DMT) against Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is important to target the mild stage of the disease, before the pathological changes progress and dementia symptoms are fully manifested. To this end, the AD Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a large‐scale observational study, was initiated in the U.S. with the goal of development of DMT that are effective in the early stages of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by utilizing imaging and biomarkers. In Japan, J‐ADNI enrolled and followed up 537 patients, mainly with MCI, and established a platform for evaluation including amyloid PET, and demonstrated a high similarity in the clinical course of amyloid‐positive MCI (prodromal AD) in Japan and the U.S. In 2023, the anti‐Aβ antibody lecanemab successfully completed a Phase III clinical trial for early AD (prodromal AD + mild AD dementia) and was granted regulatory approval and made available both in the US and Japan. Also, phase III trial of donanemab was completed successful. The J‐TRC study was initiated in Japan as a “trial ready cohort (TRC)” consisting of participants who met the eligibility criteria for participation in preclinical and prodromal AD trials. Based on such a platform, the development of DMT for AD will progress more rapidly in the future.
Rapid growth of a carbonate island over the last millennium
Authors: Cantine Marjorie , Orzechowski Emily , Stein Nathan , Lincoln Tyler , Hibner Brianna , Present Theodore , Thorpe Michael , Strauss Justin , Bahniuk Rumbelsperger Anelize Manuela , Knoll Andrew H. , Grotzinger John , Gomes Maya , Trower Elizabeth
Published: June 2024

Low‐lying islands in tropical regions are vulnerable to near‐term sea‐level rise and hurricane‐induced flooding, with substantial human impact. These risks motivate researchers to elucidate the processes and timescales involved in the formation, growth and stabilization of coastlines through the study of Holocene shoreline dynamics. Little Ambergris Cay (Turks and Caicos Islands) is a low‐lying carbonate island that provides a case study in the nucleation and growth of such islands. This study investigates the sedimentology and radiocarbon chronology of the island's lithified sediments to develop a model for its history. The island's lithified rim encloses a tidal swamp populated by microbial mats and mangroves. Preliminary radiocarbon data supported a long‐standing inference that the island is Holocene in age. This study integrates petrographic, sedimentological and new radiocarbon data to quantify the age of the island and develop a model for its evolution. Results indicate that the ages of most lithified sediments on the island are <1000 cal yr bp, and the generation and lithification of carbonate sediment in this system supports coastline growth of at least 5 cm/year. The lithification of anthropogenic detritus was documented, consistent with other evidence that in recent centuries the lithified rim has grown by rates up to tens of centimetres per year. A unit of mid‐Holocene age was identified and correlated with a similar unit of early transgressive aeolianite described from San Salvador, The Bahamas. It is proposed that this antecedent feature played an important role in the nucleation and formation of the modern island. Results extend an established Bahamian stratigraphic framework to the south‐western extreme of the Lucayan archipelago, and highlight the dynamism of carbonate shorelines, which should inform forward‐looking mitigation strategies to increase coastal resiliency to sea‐level rise. These results inform interpretation of the palaeoenvironmental record of carbonate environments, underscoring their geologically rapid pace of lithification.
Over‐accumulation of chloroplast‐nucleus located WHIRLY1 in barley leads to a decrease in growth and an enhanced stress resistance
Authors: Frank Susann , Saeid Nia Monireh , Schäfer Anke , Desel Christine , Mulisch Maria , Voigt Ulrike , Nowara Daniela , Tandron Moya Yudelsy Antonia , von Wiren Nicolaus , Bilger Wolfgang , Hensel Götz , Krupinska Karin
Published: June 2024

WHIRLY1 is a chloroplast‐nucleus located DNA/RNA‐binding protein with functions in development and stress tolerance. By overexpression of HvWHIRLY1 in barley, one line with a 10‐fold and two lines with a 50‐fold accumulation of the protein were obtained. In these lines, the relative abundance of the nuclear form exceeded that of the chloroplast form. Growth of the plants was shown to be compromised in a WHIRLY1 abundance‐dependent manner. Over‐accumulation of WHIRLY1 in chloroplasts had neither an evident impact on nucleoid morphology nor on the composition of the photosynthetic apparatus. Nevertheless, oeW1 plants were found to be compromised in the light reactions of photosynthesis as well as in carbon fixation. The reduction in growth and photosynthesis was shown to be accompanied by a decrease in the levels of cytokinins and an increase in the level of jasmonic acid. Gene expression analyses revealed that in nonstress conditions the oeW1 plants had enhanced levels of pathogen response (PR) gene expression indicating activation of constitutive defense. During growth in continuous light of high irradiance PR gene expression increased indicating that under stress conditions oeW1 are capable to further enhance defense.
Uncovering ghost introgression through genomic analysis of a distinct eastern Asian hickory species
Authors: Zhang Wei‐Ping , Ding Ya‐Mei , Cao Yu , Li Pan , Yang Yang , Pang Xiao‐Xu , Bai Wei‐Ning , Zhang Da‐Yong
Published: June 2024

Ghost introgression, or the transfer of genetic material from extinct or unsampled lineages to sampled species, has attracted much attention. However, conclusive evidence for ghost introgression, especially in plant species, remains scarce. Here, we newly assembled chromosome‐level genomes for both Carya sinensis and Carya cathayensis, and additionally re‐sequenced the whole genomes of 43 C. sinensis individuals as well as 11 individuals representing 11 diploid hickory species. These genomic datasets were used to investigate the reticulation and bifurcation patterns within the genus Carya (Juglandaceae), with a particular focus on the beaked hickory C. sinensis. By combining the D‐statistic and BPP methods, we obtained compelling evidence that supports the occurrence of ghost introgression in C. sinensis from an extinct ancestral hickory lineage. This conclusion was reinforced through the phylogenetic network analysis and a genome scan method VolcanoFinder, the latter of which can detect signatures of adaptive introgression from unknown donors. Our results not only dispel certain misconceptions about the phylogenetic history of C. sinensis but also further refine our understanding of Carya's biogeography via divergence estimates. Moreover, the successful integration of the D‐statistic and BPP methods demonstrates their efficacy in facilitating a more precise identification of introgression types.
Integrative taxonomy of an East Asian songbird indicates rapid dwarfism after island colonization
Authors: Wei Chentao , Peng Lanhui , Zhang Yanyun , Nishiumi Isao , Carey Geoff J. , Liu Zongzhuang , Alström Per , Dong Lu , Liu Yang
Published: June 2024

Animals that colonize islands often undergo significant evolutionary changes in comparison with their continental counterparts as a response to specific island conditions. The pace of such changes can be relatively fast, which poses challenges in the evaluation of the taxonomic status of island taxa. The Japanese and Manchurian Bush Warbler species complex (Horornis diphone–canturians), which breeds in East Asia and the Japanese Archipelago, is such an avian example. This species complex exhibits significant morphological differentiation between different taxa, and the taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships within the complex are debated. Here, we updated the taxonomy of this species complex and shed insight on its evolutionary history using multi‐locus phylogeographic and acoustic analyses. Our results support the conventional treatment of the two continental taxa borealis and canturians as subspecies of H. canturians, contrary to some recent proposals that they are affiliated to H. diphone. We also document a reduction in body size, that is dwarfism, and vocal divergence in the nominate subspecies H. d. diphone, which is endemic to the remote and isolated Ogasawara Islands. These changes may have happened following colonization of these islands, which was estimated to have taken place approximately 0.2 million years ago. Although H. d. diphone is clearly distinctive and deserves recognition as an evolutionarily significant unit, H. d. diphone and other H. diphone samples were not reciprocally monophyletic. Because of this lack of reciprocal monophyly and a relatively recent divergence time, we advocate maintaining its current subspecies status. We also detected reduced genetic diversity, measured as heterozygosity, in H. d. diphone. We suggest that conservation efforts in the Ogasawara Islands should prioritize the protection of this endemic subspecies. Collectively, our findings suggest that the separation between the populations on the East Asian continent and the Japanese Archipelago, followed by colonization of remote oceanic islands through long‐distance dispersal, underlie rapid phenotypic and genetic diversification of the Horornis diphone–canturians species complex.
Rare codon recoding for efficient noncanonical amino acid incorporation in mammalian cells
Authors: Ding Wenlong , Yu Wei , Chen Yulin , Lao Lihui , Fang Yu , Fang Chengzhu , Zhao Hongxia , Yang Bo , Lin Shixian
Published: June 2024

The ability to genetically encode noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) has empowered proteins with improved or previously unknown properties. However, existing strategies in mammalian cells rely on the introduction of a blank codon to incorporate ncAAs, which is inefficient and limits their widespread applications. In this study, we developed a rare codon recoding strategy that takes advantage of the relative rarity of the TCG codon to achieve highly selective and efficient ncAA incorporation through systematic engineering and big data–model predictions. We highlight the broad utility of this strategy for the incorporation of dozens of ncAAs into various functional proteins at the wild-type protein expression levels, as well as the synthesis of proteins with up to six-site ncAAs or four distinct ncAAs in mammalian cells for downstream applications.
A tiny, long-distance hunter
Authors: Gordillo Leonardo , Cerda Enrique
Published: June 2024

Lacrymaria olor
cytoskeleton and membrane “origami” enables rapid cell hyperextension
Connecting lab, clinic, and community
Authors: Bertagnolli Monica M.
Published: June 2024

Despite great progress in biomedical research, the health of the US population appears to be getting worse. The United States spends substantially more per capita on health care than other wealthy countries, yet US life expectancy ranks low among its peers. Mortality rates have been increasing for segments of the US population, including those in rural areas, certain racial and ethnic groups, and individuals with low socioeconomic status. A whole-of-society approach is required to address such negative trends and disparities, and the biomedical research enterprise must play a key role.
In Other Journals
Authors: Ross Sarah H. , Smith Keith T. , Hurtley Stella M. , Maroso Mattia , Yeston Jake S. , Lopez Bianca , Stajic Jelena
Published: June 2024

Editors’ selections from the current scientific literature
Study on the alleviative effect of
Lactobacillus plantarum
on
Eimeria falciformis
infection
Authors: Sun Yufei , Liu Pufang , Guo Wenhui , Guo Jun , Chen Jia , Xue Xinyu , Duan Chao , Wang Zixuan , Yan Xinlei
Published: June 2024

Coccidia of the genus
Eimeria
are specialized intracellular parasitic protozoa that cause severe coccidiosis when they infect their hosts. Animals infected with
Eimeria
develop clinical symptoms, such as anorexia, diarrhea, and hematochezia, which can even cause death. Although the current preferred regimen for the treatment of coccidiosis is antibiotics, this treatment strategy is limited by the ban on antibiotics and the growing problem of drug resistance. Therefore, the exploration of alternative methods for controlling coccidiosis has attracted much attention.
Lactobacillus plantarum
has been shown to have many beneficial effects. In this study,
L. plantarum
M2 was used as a research object to investigate the effect of
L. plantarum
on intestinal inflammation induced by infection with
Eimeria falciformis
in mice by detecting indicators, such as oocyst output, serum cytokines, and the intestinal microbiota. Compared with that in the infection group, the percent weight loss of the mice that were administered with
L. plantarum
M2 was significantly reduced (
P
< 0.05). Supplemented
L. plantarum
M2 and probiotics combined with diclazuril can reduce the total oocyst output significantly (
P
< 0.05,
P
< 0.001).
L. plantarum
M2 had outstanding performance in maintaining intestinal barrier function, and the levels of the mucin MUC1 and the tight junction protein E-cadherin were significantly elevated (
P
< 0.01,
P
< 0.05). Studies have shown that probiotic supplementation can alleviate adverse reactions after infection and significantly improve intestinal barrier function. In addition, probiotics combined with diclazuril could optimize the partial efficacy of diclazuril, which not only enhanced the effect of antibiotics but also alleviated their adverse effects. This study expands the application of probiotics, provides new ideas for alternative strategies for coccidia control, and suggests a basis for related research on lactobacilli antagonizing intracellular pathogen infection.

IMPORTANCE

Coccidia of the genus
Eimeria
are specialized intracellular parasitic protozoa, and the current preferred regimen for the treatment of coccidiosis is antibiotics. However, due to antibiotic bans and drug resistance, the exploration of alternative methods for controlling coccidiosis has attracted much attention. In this work, we focused on
Lactobacillus plantarum
M2 and found that probiotic supplementation can alleviate adverse reactions after infection and improve intestinal barrier function. This study proposes the possibility of using lactic acid bacteria to control coccidiosis, and its potential mechanism needs further exploration.
Complete genome sequence of
Peptostreptococcus porci
isolated from porcine endocarditis in Japan
Authors: Hayashi Masahiro , Yonetamari Jun , Muto Yoshinori , Tanaka Kaori
Published: June 2024

Peptostreptococcus porci
is a recently described bacterium belonging to the
Peptostreptococcaceae
family, which was isolated in 2016 from pig intestine. Herein, we report the complete genome sequence of a clinical isolate of
P. porci
(GAI11004) obtained from porcine endocarditis in Japan. The genome contains a 2.4-Mb circular chromosome.
Whole-genome sequence of
Streptomyces
sp. F41, a potent insecticidal
Streptomyces
isolated from soil in Sichuan, China
Authors: Du Shige , Guo Cheng , Wei Junhong , Li Chunfeng , Zhou Zeyang
Published: June 2024

Streptomyces
sp. F41 is a potent insecticidal metabolite producing actinomycetes isolated from the topsoil, and the complete genome sequence was determined. The genome consists of 8,343,496 bp, with 7,221 genes and a GC content of 71.84%.
Genetic architecture of heritable leaf microbes
Authors: Boyle Julia A. , Frederickson Megan E. , Stinchcombe John R.
Published: June 2024

Host-associated microbiomes are shaped by both their environment and host genetics, and often impact host performance. The scale of host genetic variation important to microbes is largely unknown yet fundamental to the community assembly of host-associated microbiomes, with implications for the eco-evolutionary dynamics of microbes and hosts. Using
Ipomoea hederacea
, ivyleaf morning glory, we generated matrilines differing in quantitative genetic variation and leaf shape, which is controlled by a single Mendelian locus. We then investigated the relative roles of Mendelian and quantitative genetic variation in structuring the leaf microbiome and how these two sources of genetic variation contributed to microbe heritability. We found that despite large effects of the environment, both Mendelian and quantitative genetic host variation contribute to microbe heritability and that the cumulative small effect genomic differences due to matriline explained as much or more microbial variation than a single large effect Mendelian locus. Furthermore, our results are the first to suggest that leaf shape itself contributes to variation in the abundances of some phyllosphere microbes.

IMPORTANCE

We investigated how host genetic variation affects the assembly of
Ipomoea hederacea
’s natural microbiome. We found that the genetic architecture of leaf-associated microbiomes involves both quantitative genetic variation and Mendelian traits, with similar contributions to microbe heritability. The existence of Mendelian and quantitative genetic variation for host-associated microbes means that plant evolution at the leaf shape locus or other quantitative genetic loci has the potential to shape microbial abundance and community composition.