bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hyperpoliticized sciences
Authors: Gordin Michael D.
Published: July 2023

“Hyperpoliticized sciences” are theories characterized by having a close compatibility with a reigning political ideology, and therefore often strive to — and sometimes receive — state support and enforcement, becoming official sciences. The two classic examples are both associated with twentieth-century dictatorships: Aryan Physics in Nazi Germany; and Lysenkoism in Stalin’s Soviet Union. The former claimed that relativity and quantum theory were “Jewish physics” that needed to be eliminated and replaced with classical physics from the previous century. Despite the ideological fervor of its proponents and the regime itself, the latter disregarded the Aryan Physicists. By contrast, Lysenkoism — an anti-genetic theory of heredity, insisting instead on the inheritance of acquired characters — became the official biology of the Soviet Union from 1948 to 1965, and genetics was criminalized. The chapter concludes by juxtaposing these with eugenics, a prominent hyperpoliticized science under democratic regimes.
Fighting “establishment” science
Authors: Gordin Michael D.
Published: July 2023

Some marginalized doctrines fight back against being called pseudosciences by mainstream scientists, or “the establishment.” They do so by creating parallel structures to those common in the sciences: specialized journals, conferences, and social organization. British phrenology in the early nineteenth century was one of the first to attempt this and managed fairly well, considering that the structures of professional science were being created at the same time and place. American creationism has been the most successful, given its superior financial and organizational resources. Other doctrines — cosmic catastrophism, ancient aliens theory, UFOlogy, cryptozoology (such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster) — have also tried this strategy to fight against demonization, with variable degrees of durability.
Genes: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Slack Jonathan
Published: July 2023

What are genes? What do they say about us? Genes: A Very Short Introduction explores the concept of the gene and looks at the discovery and nature of genes and their position in human thought today. It explains how hereditary factors were identified as molecules of DNA, the nature of genetic variation in the human population, and how certain specific mutations can lead to disease. It moves on to highlight how DNA variants are used to trace human ancestry and migration, and how they are used by forensic scientists to identify individuals in crime. It also explores issues such as genetic heritability and IQ, and the effects of gene-centred thinking on evolutionary theory.
Genes as DNA
Authors: Slack Jonathan
Published: July 2023

After 1944, a remarkable set of discoveries established modern molecular biology. Most famous was the discovery of the three-dimensional structure of DNA: the double helix, which explained how the substance could act as the genetic material. ‘Genes as DNA’ describes the structure of genes and explains the terms ‘genome’ and ‘genomics’. In the 1970s and 1980s the mechanisms of gene regulation were discovered, including some dependent on DNA methylation. In the 1980s and 1990s the processes were discovered whereby the activity of genes controls embryonic development, The complete sequencing of a typical human genome was started in the late 1990s and achieved in 2003 showing that the genome of human beings contains about 3 billion base pairs of DNA. Molecular biology has now produced effective methods for the genetic modification of microorganisms, plants, and animals.
Mutations and gene variants
Authors: Slack Jonathan
Published: July 2023

All gene variants originate as mutations. Most variants in the genome of any given individual are not new mutations but have been inherited from previous generations. ‘Mutations and gene variants’ shows that mutations can occur in any cell of the body, but in order to be inherited they must occur in the DNA of the reproductive cells. There are numerous genetic diseases caused by a single mutation in one gene, and the examples considered here are cystic fibrosis, haemophilia, and achondroplasia. In such cases, the inheritance of the abnormal gene variant follows simple Mendelian rules. The origin of cancer is explained as a combination of mutations occurring in a single cell of the body. Inherited gene variants predisposing to cancer do so because they reduce the number of new mutations required.
Genes of small effect
Authors: Slack Jonathan
Published: July 2023

‘Genes of small effect’ considers mostly unidentified genes whose variants collectively affect some characteristic of interest. Many aspects of living organisms depend not on the action of a few genes, but on the actions of many, each having a small effect on the overall characteristic. This assumption has been used successfully to inform the breeding of agricultural animals and plants. But some of the concepts have also been very controversial when applied to human beings. The heritability—the proportion of the variance in a population attributable to genetic variation—of human height, serious mental illness, and IQ is considered along with results from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Although the understanding of mechanisms remains limited, there is an increased possibility to predict the risk of specific diseases for individual patients based on the DNA variants that they carry.
Genes in evolution
Authors: Slack Jonathan
Published: July 2023

‘Genes in evolution’ discusses the impact of the gene concept on evolutionary theory. Natural selection is the process that creates evolutionary novelty, but a great deal of change in the primary sequence of DNA is not due to natural selection, but to ‘neutral evolution’ arising from genetic drift. This is an accumulation of mutations of no selective consequence that spread through the population by the effects of random sampling of variants from one generation to the next. Its occurrence enables organisms to be classified on the basis of their DNA sequences, revealing previously unknown relationships. In natural selection, generally what is good for the organism is good for the propagation of the gene variants it carries. But sometimes, as for sex and altruism, maximizing the inheritance of gene variants that bring them about appears at first sight to be of advantage to the group, but of disadvantage for the individual. Explaining how natural selection can bring about such features is an important area of modern evolutionary theory. The proposition that certain universal features of human belief and behaviour have evolved by biological evolution over some tens of thousands of years is the basis of a school known as evolutionary psychology.
Conclusion: the varied concepts of the gene
Authors: Slack Jonathan
Published: July 2023

The Conclusion reviews the different concepts of the gene that are introduced in the rest of the book. They are: The gene of the molecular biologist, which is a sequence of DNA having a defined function. The gene variants, or markers, used in studies of population and ancestry. The presumed genes of small effect in quantitative genetic theory. The presumed gene variants affecting behaviour in evolutionary theory. The genetic basis of universal attributes in evolutionary psychology.
CCIBP: a comprehensive cosmetic ingredients bioinformatics platform
Authors: Gong Linlin , Zhang Rui , Han Mengying , Hu Qian-Nan
Published: July 2023

Cosmetics form an important part of our daily lives, and it is therefore important to understand the basic physicochemical properties, metabolic pathways, and toxicological and safe concentrations of these cosmetics molecules. Therefore, comprehensive cosmetic ingredients bioinformatics platform (CCIBP) was developed here, which is a unique comprehensive cosmetic database providing information on regulations, physicochemical properties, and human metabolic pathways for cosmetic molecules from major regions of the world, whilst also correlating plant information in natural products. CCIBP supports formulation analysis, efficacy component analysis, and also combines knowledge of synthetic biology to facilitate access to natural molecules and biosynthetic production. CCIBP, empowered with chemoinformatics, bioinformatics, and synthetic biology data and tools, presents a very helpful platform for cosmetic research and development of ingredients.

Availability and implementation

CCIBP is available at: http://design.rxnfinder.org/cosing/
Innate preferences of Eristalis tenax L. (Syrphidae) for flower colour, size and symmetry are more intricate than the simple additive model
Authors: Matoušková Eva , Štenc Jakub , Janovský Zdeněk
Published: July 2023

Plants have evolved complex flowers that differ in visual traits such as colour, size and shape, to attract pollinators. However, pollinators seem to respond differently to individual traits. Our objective was to unravel the effect of individual traits and their interplay in forming pollinator preferences. We measured the preferences of naive drone flies, Eristalis tenax (Syrphidae), for artificial flowers differing in colour, size and flower symmetry, in controlled conditions to untangle the effects of individual traits on pollinator behaviour. Eristalis tenax showed the highest selectivity for colour, followed by size, and only moderate selectivity in relationship to flower symmetry. Flower colour interacted with flower size, in that yellow colour was generally preferred, particularly when the flowers were large in comparison to other forms. Our results suggest that preferences for flower traits are structured, which might suggest that there have been different evolutionary pressures on individual floral traits.
Use of the Dermatology Life Quality Index suite of patient-reported outcome measures in skin-related neglected tropical diseases
Authors: Junejo Muhammad H , Wolfe Isabella  , Patel Jaina  , Duus Emma  , Oyebanji Oluwatobiloba  , Walker Stephen L  
Published: July 2023

Skin-related neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affect nearly 1 billion people worldwide, contributing to significant physical and psychological morbidity. The DLQI suite of patient-reported outcome measures is widely used to assess the impact of skin diseases on individuals’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but it has not been validated for use in skin-related NTDs. The new strategic framework for the control of skin-related NTDs identified the socioeconomic and mental health impact of skin NTDs as research gaps to be addressed. Robust assessments of HRQoL will be an essential part of this research and will require validated appropriate tools, including the DLQI.
Phylogenetic relationships and diversification dynamics of Cerastium (Alsineae: Caryophyllaceae): implications for biogeographical patterns of herbs in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Liu Cui , Zhang Rui-Xia , Li Lin , Su Jun-Xia , Wu Sheng-Dan , Xiong Liang , Zhang Lin-Jing
Published: July 2023

The evolutionary history of herbaceous species in the Northern Hemisphere remains poorly understood. The genus Cerastium is one of the most species-rich herbaceous genera in the Alsineae (Caryophyllaceae), and is mainly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, it provides an ideal opportunity to explore the biogeographical history of herbs in the Northern Hemisphere. Here, we present a comprehensive phylogenetic tree for Cerastium with 75 species based on one nuclear and five plastid DNA markers. We then use an integrated phylogenetic, molecular dating, biogeographical, and diversification rate method to examine the spatiotemporal evolution of Cerastium. Cerastium is strongly supported as monophyletic and contains three major clades (Orthodon, Strephodon, and C. fragillimum). Cerastium originated from Europe in the middle Miocene (c. 13.45 million years ago), and subsequently colonized the New World, Africa, Asia, and Australasia through multiple intercontinental dispersal events. The dispersal of Cerastium from Europe (to both the East and West) and subsequent diversifications contributed to the formation of its contemporary Holarctic distribution pattern. The genus experienced rapid lineage accumulation during the late Miocene, possibly coinciding with a global decrease in temperature. These findings highlight the importance of the Northern Hemisphere in herbaceous species diversification in the late Miocene and Pliocene, and will deepen our understanding of the evolution of herbaceous plants.
Use of Digital Technologies for HR Management in Germany: Survey Evidence
Authors: Chugunova Marina , Danilov Anastasia
Published: July 2023

Using a survey with 57 German firms, we evaluate the level of digitalization of the human resource management (HRM) function and document perceived benefits and barriers of technology adoption from organizational and individual users’ perspectives. The results give reason for optimism. Most of the companies report that the core HR processes are digitized. We do not observe adverse effects of the digital HRM tools on users’ job satisfaction and work stress. Still, more than half of companies do not yet use digital tools for strategic HRM decisions. Respondents appreciate the increased speed and cost-efficiency of digital HR processes and associate them with a competitive advantage in talent acquisition. The most prominent barriers to adoption are lack of qualified professionals, high costs, and uncertainty regarding the legal framework. Additionally, we test whether small- and medium-sized enterprises differ systematically from larger organizations in how they use digital HRM tools.
Chromatographic Enantioseparation of Chiral Sulfoximines on Polysaccharide-Based Chiral Stationary Phases
Authors: Tang Qinqin , Zhao Ping , Zeng Qingle
Published: July 2023

Chiral sulfoximines have significant roles in pharmaceutical industry and agricultural chemicals. Furthermore, chiral structurally related sulfoximines are used for their wide potential applications in some uncharted territory. However, chromatographic study on these compounds has not been systematically performed. Herein, this paper describes the enantioseparation of 12 chiral sulfoximines on polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases (CSPs). Separation factors of chiral column, high-performance liquid chromatography parameters such as mobile phase composition and column temperature were carefully investigated. Chiralcel OJ-H column can resolve all of the 12 compounds, while Chiralpak AD-H column and Chiralpak AS-H column can separate eight and nine molecules, respectively. The sulfoximines are effectively resolved with Chiralcel OJ-H column with a mixture of n-hexane/2-propanol (80:20) as the mobile phase.
Behavioral evidence of olfactory imprinting during embryonic and larval stages in lake sturgeon
Authors: Kimmel Jacob G , Buchinger Tyler J , Larson Douglas L , Baker Edward A , Zorn Troy G , Scribner Kim T , Li Weiming
Published: July 2023

Many migratory fishes are thought to navigate to natal streams using olfactory cues learned during early life stages. However, direct evidence for early-life olfactory imprinting is largely limited to Pacific salmon, and other species suspected to imprint show life history traits and reproductive strategies that raise uncertainty about the generality of the salmonid-based conceptual model of olfactory imprinting in fishes. Here, we studied early-life olfactory imprinting in lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), which have a life cycle notably different from Pacific salmon, but are nonetheless hypothesized to home via similar mechanisms. We tested one critical prediction of the hypothesis that early-life olfactory imprinting guides natal homing in lake sturgeon: that exposure to odorants during early-life stages results in increased activity when exposed to those odorants later in life. Lake sturgeon were exposed to artificial odorants (phenethyl alcohol and morpholine) during specific developmental windows and durations (limited to the egg, free-embryo, exogenous feeding larvae and juvenile stages), and later tested as juveniles for behavioral responses to the odorants that were demonstrative of olfactory memory. Experiments revealed that lake sturgeon reared in stream water mixed with artificial odorants for as little as 7 days responded to the odorants in behavioral assays over 50 days after the initial exposure, specifically implicating the free-embryo and larval stages as critical imprinting periods. Our study provides evidence for olfactory imprinting in a non-salmonid fish species, and supports further consideration of conservation tactics such as stream-side rearing facilities that are designed to encourage olfactory imprinting to targeted streams during early life stages. Continued research on lake sturgeon can contribute to a model of olfactory imprinting that is more generalizable across diverse fish species and will inform conservation actions for one of the world’s most imperiled fish taxonomic groups.
Placing ‘moderns’ in a ‘classic’ series: the case of J. M. Dent’s Everyman’s Library
Authors: Domeneghini Caterina
Published: July 2023

This study offers a reappraisal of Everyman’s Library, the mass-market series of world 'classics' launched by the British publisher J. M. Dent & Sons in 1906. The collection’s reliance on the 1842 and 1911 Copyright Acts has fostered a misconception within literary studies: namely, that reprint series were ‘impervious to novelty’. Conversely, I argue that ‘liveliness’ and ‘timeliness’—being in line with current trends and (re)printed at the right moment—became fundamental ‘classic’ attributes during the interwar years. Everyman advanced a rhetoric of the ‘new’ besides a rhetoric of the ‘old’, based on the idea that what consecrated both terms was only the passage of time, a gaze from the future. When Dent’s series started featuring more contemporaneous authors, the American Modern Library (1917), formally considered its modern(ist) alter ego, began including more ‘classic’ literature instead. Both series exploited the tension between ancients and moderns as profitable: Confucius and Horace were advertised as ‘the classics which are still modern: the modern works which have become classics’. Exploring the blurry boundaries between ‘classic’ and ‘modern’ as marketing categories, this paper draws on the J. M. Dent & Sons Records, Chapel Hill to bridge the gap between modernism and mass production.
A close look at a systematic method for analyzing sets of security advice
Authors: Barrera David , Bellman Christopher , van Oorschot Paul C
Published: July 2023

We carry out a detailed analysis of the security advice coding method (SAcoding) of Barrera et al., which is designed to analyze security advice in the sense of measuring actionability and categorizing advice items as practices, policies, principles, or outcomes. The main part of our analysis explores the extent to which a second coder’s assignment of codes to advice items agrees with that of a first, for a dataset of 1013 security advice items nominally addressing Internet of Things devices. More broadly, we seek a deeper understanding of the soundness and utility of the SAcoding method, and the degree to which it meets the design goal of reducing subjectivity in assigning codes to security advice items. Our analysis results in suggestions for modifications to the coding tree methodology, and some recommendations. We believe the coding tree approach may be of interest for analysis of qualitative data beyond security advice datasets alone.
Cardiac device-related infective endocarditis need for lead extraction whatever the device according to the ESC EORP EURO-ENDO registry
Authors: Donal Erwan , Tribouilloy Christophe , Sadeghpour Anita , Laroche Cécile , Tude Rodrigues Ana Clara , Pereira Nunes Maria do Carmo , Kang Duk-Hyun , Hernadez-Meneses Marta , Kobalava Zhanna , De Bonis Michele , Dworakowski Rafal , Ivanovic Branislava , Holicka Maria , Kitai Takeshi , Cruz Ines , Huttin Olivier , Colonna Paolo , Lancellotti Patrizio , Habib Gilbert
Published: July 2023

Aims

Cardiac device–related infective endocarditis (CDRIE) is a severe complication of cardiac device (CD) implantation and is usually treated by antibiotic therapy and percutaneous device extraction. Few studies report the management and prognosis of CDRIE in real life. In particular, the rate of device extraction in clinical practice and the management of patients with left heart infective endocarditis (LHIE) and an apparently non-infected CD (LHIE+CDRIE−) are not well described.

Methods and results

We sought to study in EURO-ENDO, the characteristics, prognosis, and management of 483 patients with a CD included in the European Society of Cardiology EurObservational Research Programme EURO-ENDO registry. Three populations were compared: 280 isolated CDRIE (66.7 ± 14.3 years), 157 patients with LHIE and an apparently non-infected CD (LHIE+CDRIE−) (71.1 ± 13.6), and 46 patients with both LHIE and CDRIE (LHIE+CDRIE+) (70.2 ± 10.1). Echocardiography was not always transoesophageal echography (TOE); it was transthoracic echography (TTE) for isolated CDRIE in 88.4% (TOE = 67.6%), for LHIE+CDRIE− TTE = 93.0% (TOE = 58.6%), and for CDRIE+LHIE+ TTE = 87.0% (TOE = 63.0%). Nuclear imaging was performed in 135 patients (positive for 75.6%). In-hospital mortality was lower in isolated CDRIE 13.2% vs. 22.3% and 30.4% for LHIE+CDRIE− and LHIE+CDRIE+ (P = 0004). Device extraction was performed in 62.1% patients with isolated CDRIE, 10.2% of LHIE+CDRIE− patients, and 45.7% of CDRIE+LHIE+ patients. Device extraction was associated with a better prognosis [hazard ratio 0.59 (0.40–0.87), P = 0.0068] even in the LHIE+CDRIE− group (P = 0.047).

Conclusion

Prognosis of endocarditis in patients with a CD remains poor, particularly in the presence of an associated LHIE. Although recommended by guidelines, device extraction is not always performed. Device removal was associated with better prognosis, even in the LHIE+CDRIE− group.
Highly Abundant Proteins Are Highly Thermostable
Authors: Luzuriaga-Neira Agusto R , Ritchie Andrew M , Payne Bryan L , Carrillo-Parramon Oliver , Liberles David A , Alvarez-Ponce David
Published: July 2023

Highly abundant proteins tend to evolve slowly (a trend called E-R anticorrelation), and a number of hypotheses have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. The misfolding avoidance hypothesis attributes the E-R anticorrelation to the abundance-dependent toxic effects of protein misfolding. To avoid these toxic effects, protein sequences (particularly those of highly expressed proteins) would be under selection to fold properly. One prediction of the misfolding avoidance hypothesis is that highly abundant proteins should exhibit high thermostability (i.e., a highly negative free energy of folding, ΔG). Thus far, only a handful of analyses have tested for a relationship between protein abundance and thermostability, producing contradictory results. These analyses have been limited by 1) the scarcity of ΔG data, 2) the fact that these data have been obtained by different laboratories and under different experimental conditions, 3) the problems associated with using proteins’ melting energy (Tm) as a proxy for ΔG, and 4) the difficulty of controlling for potentially confounding variables. Here, we use computational methods to compare the free energy of folding of pairs of human–mouse orthologous proteins with different expression levels. Even though the effect size is limited, the most highly expressed ortholog is often the one with a more negative ΔG of folding, indicating that highly expressed proteins are often more thermostable.
Living Alone Increases the Risk of Hypertension in Older Chinese Adults: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study
Authors: Wang Xiang , Yuan Xiangyang , Xia Bin , He Quan , Jie Wei , Dai Miao
Published: July 2023

Background and Objectives

Cross-sectional studies have suggested a potential association between living alone and hypertension risk, but longitudinal evidence remains limited. We aimed to investigate the correlation between living alone, alterations in living arrangements, and hypertension risk among older adults utilizing a population-based longitudinal design.

Research Design and Methods

The study included 8 782 older adults (≥65 years) without hypertension from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Participants were surveyed during the 2008 and 2011/2012 waves and were subsequently followed up in the next wave. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or a self-reported diagnosis of hypertension by a physician. Cox proportional hazards model was used to explore the association between living alone and hypertension. Additionally, we analyzed how switching living arrangements during the follow-up period affects hypertension.

Results

During a median follow-up of 2.8 (1.7–3.0) years, 2 750 hypertension events occurred. Compared with living with family, the hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of living alone was 1.19 (1.06–1.33) for hypertension. Similarly, persisting in living alone during follow-up increased the risk of hypertension compared to continuing to live with family (HR 1.24; 95% CI: 1.06–1.45). Compared to married participants who continued to live with family, widowed/divorced participants who transitioned from living with family to living alone experienced a higher risk of hypertension (HR 1.21; 95% CI: 1.00–1.47). Stratified analyses showed that living alone was only associated with an increased hypertension risk for participants aged >80, men, and rural residents.

Discussion and Implications

Living alone at baseline or persisting in living alone during follow-up correlated with increased hypertension risk. Divorced or widowed individuals who transitioned from living with family to living alone were still at risk. These results indicate that social support and living arrangements may be important in preventing hypertension in older adults.
Efficient real-time selective genome sequencing on resource-constrained devices
Authors: Shih Po Jui , Saadat Hassaan , Parameswaran Sri , Gamaarachchi Hasindu
Published: July 2023

Background

Third-generation nanopore sequencers offer selective sequencing or “Read Until” that allows genomic reads to be analyzed in real time and abandoned halfway if not belonging to a genomic region of “interest.” This selective sequencing opens the door to important applications such as rapid and low-cost genetic tests. The latency in analyzing should be as low as possible for selective sequencing to be effective so that unnecessary reads can be rejected as early as possible. However, existing methods that employ a subsequence dynamic time warping (sDTW) algorithm for this problem are too computationally intensive that a massive workstation with dozens of CPU cores still struggles to keep up with the data rate of a mobile phone–sized MinION sequencer.

Results

In this article, we present Hardware Accelerated Read Until (HARU), a resource-efficient hardware–software codesign-based method that exploits a low-cost and portable heterogeneous multiprocessor system-on-chip platform with on-chip field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) to accelerate the sDTW-based Read Until algorithm. Experimental results show that HARU on a Xilinx FPGA embedded with a 4-core ARM processor is around 2.5× faster than a highly optimized multithreaded software version (around 85× faster than the existing unoptimized multithreaded software) running on a sophisticated server with a 36-core Intel Xeon processor for a SARS-CoV-2 dataset. The energy consumption of HARU is 2 orders of magnitudes lower than the same application executing on the 36-core server.

Conclusions

HARU demonstrates that nanopore selective sequencing is possible on resource-constrained devices through rigorous hardware–software optimizations. The source code for the HARU sDTW module is available as open source at https://github.com/beebdev/HARU, and an example application that uses HARU is at https://github.com/beebdev/sigfish-haru.
Genome-wide association study identifies multiple HLA loci for sarcoidosis susceptibility
Authors: Liao Shu-Yi , Jacobson Sean , Hamzeh Nabeel Y , Culver Daniel A , Barkes Briana Q , Mroz Margarita , Macphail Kristyn , Pacheco Karin , Patel Divya C , Wasfi Yasmine S , Koth Laura L , Langefeld Carl D , Leach Sonia M , White Elizabeth , Montgomery Courtney , Maier Lisa A , Fingerlin Tasha E ,   GRADs Investigators
Published: July 2023

Sarcoidosis is a complex systemic disease. Our study aimed to (1) identify novel alleles associated with sarcoidosis susceptibility; (2) provide an in-depth evaluation of HLA alleles and sarcoidosis susceptibility and (3) integrate genetic and transcription data to identify risk loci that may more directly impact disease pathogenesis. We report a genome-wide association study of 1335 sarcoidosis cases and 1264 controls of European descent (EA) and investigate associated alleles in a study of African Americans (AA: 1487 cases and 1504 controls). The EA and AA cohort was recruited from multiple United States sites. HLA alleles were imputed and tested for association with sarcoidosis susceptibility. Expression quantitative locus and colocalization analysis were performed using a subset of subjects with transcriptome data. Forty-nine SNPs in the HLA region in HLA-DRA, -DRB9, -DRB5, -DQA1 and BRD2 genes were significantly associated with sarcoidosis susceptibility in EA, rs3129888 was also a risk variant for sarcoidosis in AA. Classical HLA alleles DRB1*0101, DQA1*0101 and DQB1*0501, which are highly correlated, were also associated with sarcoidosis. rs3135287 near HLA-DRA was associated with HLA-DRA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and bronchoalveolar lavage from subjects and lung tissue and whole blood from GTEx. We identified six novel SNPs (out of the seven SNPs representing the 49 significant SNPs) and nine HLA alleles associated with sarcoidosis susceptibility in the largest EA population. We also replicated our findings in an AA population. Our study reiterates the potential role of antigen recognition and/or presentation HLA class II genes in sarcoidosis pathogenesis.
Asian conceptions of international order: what Asia wants
Authors: Bajpai Kanti , Laksmana Evan A
Published: July 2023

How do major Asian states regard the current international security order? Do they agree or disagree among themselves? This is an introduction to a special section on ‘Asian conceptions of international order: what Asia wants’. It draws on articles analysing the stances of China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam towards the existing international security order usually described as a liberal international order (LIO). It argues that Asian states substantially support the main constitutive and regulatory norms and institutions of the LIO, but they worry that the LIO does not consistently honour these norms. Asians disagree on the centrality of political liberalism, but even Japan and South Korea, the most liberal states, are uncomfortable with strident criticism, punishment and the exclusion of less liberal states. Asians also disagree on the role of US alliances: some are strongly supportive, some are ambivalent and some are negative. Finally, Asians disagree on how they voice dissatisfaction. Japan and South Korea supplement existing norms and institutions as a way of transcending the limitations of the LIO; south-east Asian states promote ASEAN's mediatory role for peace and security above and beyond existing global arrangements; and Indonesia, India and China want to move from being norm takers to becoming norm shapers. The introduction ends with six policy implications.
Fabricating a war? Russian (dis)information on Ukraine
Authors: Johansson-Nogués Elisabeth , Şimanschi Elena
Published: July 2023

Propaganda has been an age-old part of warmongering. It is thus no surprise that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was preceded by, and continues to be fuelled by, propaganda transmitted by state-controlled Russian media. What is more unusual about the Russian (dis)information campaigns is the sheer volume of distorted narratives or complete fictional accounts about the conflict. This article explores the content and technologies of Russian information manipulation of domestic audiences in the context of the invasion of Ukraine. We also examine the bases for the sustained robust public support for the war within Russia during the first 12 months of the conflict, despite being based on mostly fabricated (dis)information. Relying on political psychology and communication theory we explain how emotions and associative memories have played an important role in the Russian public's sustained approval to the war. Our findings point to that in the absence of contrasted and independently-verified information, the volume, frequency, emotional intensity of slick, plug-and-play media packages on Ukraine have acted to displace and distort the average Russian's associative social monitoring processes.
Diel vertical migration in Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus)—a pelagic forage fish associated with benthic substrates
Authors: Baker Matthew R , Smeltz T S , Williams Kresimir , Greufe Casey , Ewing Megan , Chapman Jonathan , Glassy Julia , Hasegawa Eva , Cieri Kathleen P , Matson Sofia , Towler Rick
Published: July 2023

Diel vertical migration (DVM) in marine organisms is an evolved response to maximize foraging opportunities and minimize predation risk. This pattern in vertical distribution is a widely observed phenomenon and common in pelagic forage fish species. Modelling these dynamics has important relevance to understanding marine ecosystem dynamics, predator–prey interactions, and marine food webs. We examine DVM in sand lance—an ecologically important taxa of forage fishes throughout northern hemisphere marine systems and target of commercial fisheries. Much remains unknown about their diurnal emergence from sediments. We apply data from autonomous stereo-camera deployments and tank observations to provide new insight to DVM patterns in Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus). We model emergence curves using beta regression models with random effects, depicting important differences in the shape of ascent and descent. Our observations and analyses document crepuscular movement patterns, suggesting pelagic foraging occurs primarily at dawn and dusk. Results suggest critical light thresholds are necessary to initiate and maintain pelagic foraging. Results also suggest the importance of seasonality and life stage, such that adult fish exhibit reduced pelagic foraging in the fall relative to juvenile fish. These results constitute a comprehensive evaluation of DVM in this species, better define the physical drivers, and mathematically depict the pattern and shape of emergence timing.
Genetic analyses of nutrient digestibility measured by fecal near-infrared spectroscopy in pigs
Authors: Hov Martinsen Kristine , Thingnes Signe Lovise , Wallén Sini Elena , Mydland LivTorunn , Afseth Nils Kristian , Grindflek Eli , Meuwissen Theodorus Hendrikus Elisabeth
Published: July 2023

Improved nutrient digestibility is an important trait in genetic improvement in pigs due to global resource scarcity, increased human population and greenhouse gas emissions from pork production. Further, poor nutrient digestibility represents a direct nutrient loss, which affects the profit of the farmer. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for apparent total tract digestibility of nitrogen (ATTDn), crude fat (ATTDCfat), dry matter (ATTDdm), and organic matter (ATTDom) and to investigate their genetic relationship to other relevant production traits in pigs. Near-infrared spectroscopy was used for prediction of total nitrogen content and crude fat content in feces. The predicted content was used to estimate apparent total tract digestibility of the different nutrients by using an indicator method, where acid insoluble ash was used as an indigestible marker. Average ATTDdm, ATTDom, ATTDn, and ATTDCfat ranged from 61% to 75.3%. Moderate heritabilities was found for all digestibility traits and ranged from 0.15 to 0.22. The genetic correlations among the digestibility traits were high (>0.8), except for ATTDCfat, which had no significant genetic correlation to the other digestibility traits. Significant genetic correlations were found between ATTDn and feed consumption between 40 and 120 kg live weight (F40120) (−0.54 ± 0.11) and ATTDdm and F40120 (−0.35 ± 0.12) and ATTDom and F40120 (−0.28 ± 0.13). No significant genetic correlations were found between digestibility traits and loin depth at 100 kg, nor backfat thickness at 100 kg (BF), except between BF and ATTDn (−0.31 ± 0.14). These results suggested that selection for improved feed efficiency through reduced feed intake within a weight interval, also has led to improved ATTDdm, ATTDom, and ATTDn. Further, the digestibility traits are heritable, but mainly related to feed intake and general function of the intestines, as opposed to allocation of feed resources to different tissues in the body.
A C-type lectin in saliva of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) bind and agglutinate microorganisms with broad spectrum
Authors: Lin Zimin , Cheng Jinzhi , Mu Xiaohui , Kuang Xiaoyuan , Li Zhiqiang , Wu Jiahong
Published: July 2023

Via complex salivary mixture, mosquitos can intervene immune response and be helpful to transmit several viruses causing deadly human diseases. Some C-type lectins (CTLs) of mosquito have been reported to be pattern recognition receptor to either resist or promote pathogen invading. Here, we investigated the expression profile and agglutination function of an Aedes albopictus CTL (Aalb_CTL2) carrying a single carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) and WND/KPD motifs. The results showed that Aalb_CTL2 was found to be specifically expressed in mosquito saliva gland and its expression was not induced by blood-feeding. The recombinant Aalb_CTL2 (rAalb_CTL2) could agglutinate mouse erythrocytes in the presence of calcium and the agglutinating activity could be inhibited by EDTA. rAalb_CTL2 also displayed the sugar binding ability to D-mannose, D-galactose, D-glucose, and maltose. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that rAalb_CTL2 could bind and agglutinate Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, Gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as fungus Candida albicans in vitro in a calcium dependent manner. However, rAalb_CTL2 could not promote type 2 dengue virus (DENV-2) replication in THP-1 and BHK-21 cell lines. These findings uncover that Aalb_CTL2 might be involved in the innate immunity of mosquito to resist microorganism multiplication in sugar and blood meals to help mosquito survive in the varied natural environment.
Population structure of Phanaeus vindex (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in SE Michigan
Authors: Wassmer Thomas , Armstrong Elise
Published: July 2023

Until now, little is known about the population structure and mobility of temperate dung beetles including the rainbow scarab, Phanaeus vindex (MacLeay 1819), although this knowledge is essential for their conservation as pastures become increasingly rare and the landscape fragmented by monocultures and urbanization. Here, we estimated population size, longevity, and dispersal within and between pastures. For 3 yr, we life-trapped beetles every week on 2 adjacent farms in SE Michigan, determined their sex, male morph, and size, and marked their elytra with individual tattoo patterns before releasing them. We marked a total of 470 rainbow scarabs of which 14 were recaptured once and 2 were recaptured twice. The sex ratio was not significantly sex-biased but fluctuated between months with no apparent uniformity between years. While the minor to major male ratios were unbiased in 2019 and 2020, they were marginally minor-biased in 2021. The gross population estimates for the 2 farms were 458–491 and 217 rainbow scarabs, respectively. Beetles traveled distances of up to 178 m within farms. No beetles dispersed between farms. One large female was recaptured after 338 days documenting the first cold hardiness and long lifespan of a cold-temperate dung beetle species in the wild. The low population estimates on both farms indicate 2 vulnerable populations with no or extremely limited connectivity. Supplementary funding for the land stewardship of small-scale cattle farmers could stabilize populations of native dung beetles and maintain their ecosystem services.
What’s the Harm in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation?
Authors: Koch Peter M
Published: July 2023

In clinical ethics, there remains a great deal of uncertainty regarding the appropriateness of attempting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for certain patients. Although the issue continues to receive ample attention and various frameworks have been proposed for navigating such cases, most discussions draw heavily on the notion of harm as a central consideration. In the following, I use emerging philosophical literature on the notion of harm to argue that the ambiguities and disagreement about harm create important and oft-overlooked challenges for the ethics of CPR. I begin by elucidating the standard account of harm, called the Counterfactual Comparative Account (CCA). I then show that three challenges to the CCA—preemptive harms, the harm of death, and non-experiential harms—are particularly salient when assessing potential harms for candidates of CPR and likely impact-related decision-making and communication. I extend this argument to explore how the ambiguities of harm might extend to other realms of clinical decision-making, such as the use and limitations of life-sustaining treatments. To address these challenges, I propose two strategies for identifying and minimizing the impact of such uncertainty: first, clinicians and ethicists ought to promote pluralistic conversations that account for different understandings of harm; second, they ought to invoke harm-independent considerations when discussing the ethics of CPR in order to reflect the nuances of such conversations. These strategies, coupled with a richer philosophical understanding of harm, promise to help clinicians and ethicists navigate the prevalent and difficult cases involving patient resuscitation and many other harm-based decisions in the clinical setting.
Forest Biomass Feedstock Availability and Economic Contribution of Biopower Facilities in the Lake States Region
Authors: Pokharel Raju , Poudel Jagdish , Dahal Ram , GC Shivan
Published: July 2023

The Lake States (MI, MN, WI) region holds 54.8 million acres of forest and offers the potential to meet the increasing demand for sustainable energy through forest biomass. The objective of this study is to estimate the annual availability of biomass, after considering the sustainability threshold, for a wood price and its economic impact in the Lake States region. This study identified twenty-seven active power facilities using biomass in addition to oil, gas, and coal, with a total capacity of 3.85 million MWh per year. They consumed 2.80 million dry tons of biomass in 2019. At the current delivered wood price, an additional 9.72 million dry tons of biomass is economically available, which, if used, would generate an additional 11,112 jobs (1,583 direct and 9,529 indirect and induced), $1.54 billion in value added ($803 million direct and $733 million indirect and induced), and $2.71 billion ($1.46 billion direct and $1.25 billion indirect and induced) in total output. Operating at least one-third of the existing capacity for biomass-based power generation would add 1,969 jobs, $293 million in value added, and $413 million in total output. The expansion of the biomass biopower industry has the potential to significantly increase economic impact, especially in rural areas.

Study Implications: Mapping procurement zones for resource allocation using delivered wood prices for biomass helps identify the economic availability of biomass for electric power production in the Lake States. Our results establish the market extent for biomass and identify potential areas where investment in biopower production or capacity upgrade is feasible. This study also provides insight into the economic impacts of additional biomass utilization to produce power. Most of these impacts would come about in rural areas, improving economic growth in these communities. A combined analysis estimating the potential supply and demand and the economic effects of biopower industry expansion provides valuable insight into decision-making for state forest action plans and private sector forest management plans. Furthermore, the findings from this study will help inform effective regional policy and investment decisions on biomass power industries. The method used can also be tailored to a specific facility to estimate its procurement zone, feedstock availability, and economic impacts.
The benefit of complete resection of contrast enhancing tumor in glioblastoma patients: A population-based study
Authors: Mendoza Mireles Eduardo Erasmo , Skaga Erlend , Server Andres , Leske Henning , Brandal Petter , Helseth Eirik , Rønning Pål A , Vik-Mo Einar O
Published: July 2023

Background

New treatment modalities have not been widely adopted for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) after the addition of temozolomide to radiotherapy. We hypothesize that increased extent of resection (EOR) has resulted in improved survival for surgically treated patients with glioblastoma at the population level.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of adult patients operated for glioblastoma in the population of South–Eastern Norway. Patients were stratified into Pre-temozolomide- (2003–2005), temozolomide- (2006–2012), and resection-focused period (2013–2019) and evaluated according to age and EOR.

Results

The study included 1657 adult patients operated on for supratentorial glioblastoma. The incidence of histologically confirmed glioblastoma increased from 3.7 in 2003 to 5.3 per 100 000 in 2019. The median survival was 11.4 months. Complete resection of contrast-enhancing tumor (CRCET) was achieved in 386 patients, and this fraction increased from 13% to 32% across the periods. Significant improvement in median survival was found between the first 2 periods and the last (10.5 and 10.6 vs. 12.3 months; P < .01), with a significant increase in 3- and 5-year survival probability to 12% and 6% (P < .01). Patients with CRCET survived longer than patients with non-CRCET (16.1 vs. 10.8 months; P < .001). The median survival doubled in patients ≥70 years and (12.1 months). Survival was similar between the time periods in patients where CRCET was achieved.

Conclusions

We demonstrate an improved survival of GBM patients at the population level associated with an increased fraction of patients with CRCET. The data support the importance of CRCET to improve glioblastoma patient outcomes.