bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Headgear in High School Girls’ Lacrosse
Authors: Caswell Shane V. , Kelshaw Patricia M. , Lincoln Andrew E. , Herman Daniel C. , Hepburn Lisa H. , Vincent Heather K. , Dunn Reginald E. , Cortes Nelson
Published: December 2020

Background:

Girls’ lacrosse headgear that met the ASTM International performance standard (ASTM F3137) became available in 2017. However, the effects of headgear use on impact forces during game play are unknown.

Purpose:

To evaluate potential differences in rates, magnitudes, and game-play characteristics associated with verified impacts among players with and without headgear during competition.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A total of 49 female high school participants (mean age, 16.2 ± 1.2 years; mean height, 1.66 ± 0.05 m; mean weight, 61.2 ± 6.4 kg) volunteered for this study, which took place during the 2016 (no headgear; 18 games) and 2017 (headgear; 15 games) seasons. Wearable sensors synchronized with video verification were used. Descriptive statistics, impact rates, and chi-square analyses described impacts and game-play characteristics among players with and without headgear. Differences in mean peak linear acceleration (PLA) and peak rotational velocity (PRV) between the no headgear and headgear conditions were evaluated using a linear generalized estimating equation regression model to control for repeated within-player measurements.

Results:

Overall, 649 sensor-instrumented player-games were recorded. A total of 204 impacts ≥20 g recorded by the wearable sensors were verified with video analysis (102 no headgear; 102 headgear). Most impacts were imparted to the player’s body (n = 152; 74.5%) rather than to the player’s head (n = 52; 25.5%). Impact rates per player-game did not vary between the no headgear and headgear conditions (0.30 vs 0.34, respectively; impact rate ratio, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.37-2.08]). There was no association between impact frequency by mechanism or penalties administered between the no headgear and headgear conditions for overall or direct head impacts. The generalized estimating equation model estimated a significant reduction in mean impact magnitudes overall (PLA: –7.9 g [95% CI, –13.3 to –2.5]; PRV: –212 deg/s [95% CI, –359 to –64]) with headgear relative to no headgear. No game-related concussions were reported during this study.

Conclusion:

Lacrosse headgear use was associated with a reduction in the magnitude of overall impacts but not a significant change in the rate of impacts, how they occur, or how penalties were administered for impacts sustained during competition. Further research is needed with a larger sample and different levels of play to evaluate the consequences of headgear use in girls’ lacrosse.
A Question of Access: Exploring the Perceived Benefits and Barriers of Intelligent Voice Assistants for Improving Access to Consumer Health Resources Among Low-Income Older Adults
Authors: Nallam Phani , Bhandari Siddhant , Sanders Jamie , Martin-Hammond Aqueasha
Published: December 2020

Intelligent voice assistants (IVAs) such as Amazon Echo and Google Home present a promising opportunity to improve access to consumer health information and resources for older adults. However, researchers know little about older adults’ opinions of using IVAs for these potentially critical tasks, particularly those with already limited access. In this paper, we explore older adults’ views about IVAs for consumer health and wellness information with the goal of better understanding what they envision as benefits and barriers of using such technology in the future. We shared an IVA prototype with ten older adults (60 years of age or older). We interviewed them about how a similar system might impact their access to consumer health information. Participants saw the potential for IVAs to improve their search experiences and support them with other health tasks. However, participants were also concerned about adopting an IVA for health due to access barriers, confidentiality risks, and concerns about receiving trusted information. Based on our findings, we discuss considerations for designing IVAs for underserved, older adult populations.
Transition from Childcare Institutions to Adulthood for Youth: Through the Lens of Identity and Gender
Authors: Sharma Garima
Published: December 2020

This article explores the transition of youth from childcare institutions into young adults through the lens of youth identity and gender. The research revolves around rethinking the delicate boundaries of adolescence and adulthood for the ‘institutionalised’ youth that is already on the edge of the society. This research tries to understand and decode the experiences of youth, who have lived in the childcare institutions. The childcare institutions reinforce the gender roles through its practices and structure, enabling gaps and challenges for both male and female youth outside the childcare institutions. There is an absence of a strong mechanism, enabling the smooth transition of youth from childcare institutions to adulthood. This results in unprepared young adults for an unplanned transition, fostering several challenges on them as they exit the childcare system.

This is a qualitative study. The research includes both male and female youth who have lived in childcare institutions situated in Delhi. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews with the youth.

This study finds that youth leaving childcare institutions are at higher risks of having negative adult outcomes in life. While there is an absolute absence of any body or mechanism to help the youth transit smoothly, childcare institutions reinforce the inferiority and exclusion on a child during the stay period, creating a foundation for youth to perceive the social factor outside the institutions.
Research and Development Intensity and Effective Tax Rate: Empirical Evidence from India
Authors: Shanmugam M.
Published: December 2020

This article examines the link between research and development (R&D) intensity and effective tax rates (ETRs) in India. We added a new perspective to the current base erosion and profit shifting debate in two ways. First, the study extends the literature on base erosion and profit shifting by providing empirical evidence on the link between R&D intensity and ETR in the context of emerging economy of India. Second, we investigate the R&D intensity and ETR relationship in a dynamic context using Bias Corrected Least Square Dummy Variable Model. We find that R&D intensity has a significant and negative effect on both average and current ETR. The results show that the effect of R&D intensity on current effective tax was more than average ETRs. We also find that larger firms are associated with lower ETR. A significant negative association was also observed between ETR and capital intensity. The dynamic analysis confirms the habit persistence in the ETR that current period ETR is highly dependent on its previous year ETR.
The Challenges of Social Engagement: Lessons from Conservation Practice
Authors: Srivastava Urvashi
Published: December 2020

People are central to the idea of any intervention The unprotected urban heritage in Indian historic cities and towns is getting lost at a very fast pace. Heritage buildings have been abandoned, neglected, abused and left to decay. Innumerable risk factors, at the macro and the micro level of the historic urban settlements have been responsible for the decay of heritage buildings, posing a serious threat to the existence of the unprotected urban heritage. This article highlights the problems impacting urban heritage by investigating the built heritage in Bharatpur and Shekhawati regions of Rajasthan in India. The article draws attention towards lack of involvement of local communities in protecting the urban heritage. It discusses the role of local communities, especially owners and craftsmen, in conserving heritage buildings. Majority of the owners and occupants are not interested in conserving these structures nor do they have the necessary technical and financial means to do so. In this scenario, a participatory approach to conservation and management is the only means to conserve unprotected heritage buildings and structures. The article shares practical experiences and learnings from 21 years of practice in the field of built heritage conservation, highlighting the social aspects in the conservation of built heritage.
Trauma-Informed Care Training for Educators: Some Preliminary Evidence
Authors: Liang Christopher T. H. , Liu Lian , Rocchino Gabrielle H. , Kohler Brooke A. , Rosenberger Teresa
Published: December 2020

A report of the findings of two studies conducted on the training of educators on trauma-informed care (TIC) is presented in this article. With one sample ( N = 552), Study 1 results indicated that both full-day and half-day training resulted in improved scores on attitudes regarding TIC. There were no significant differences in pre-training and post-training scores across those who received half-day and full-day training. With a second sample ( N = 159), Study 2 examined whether four middle schools within one school district with varying amounts of prior TIC training would differ in scores on the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC-35) scale before receiving this TIC training. A one-way ANOVA indicated significantly higher scores on the ARTIC-35 in schools that had received prior TIC training compared with those that had not. Overall, the results of both studies advance the understanding of TIC in schools.
Correction to: Bio-economics of Indian hybrid Bt cotton and farmer suicides
Authors: Gutierrez Andrew Paul , Ponti Luigi , Kranthi Keshav R. , Baumgärtner Johann , Kenmore Peter. E. , Gilioli Gianni , Boggia Antonio , Cure Jose Ricardo , Rodríguez Daniel
Published: December 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
LongGF: computational algorithm and software tool for fast and accurate detection of gene fusions by long-read transcriptome sequencing
Authors: Liu Qian , Hu Yu , Stucky Andres , Fang Li , Zhong Jiang F. , Wang Kai
Published: December 2020

Background

Long-read RNA-Seq techniques can generate reads that encompass a large proportion or the entire mRNA/cDNA molecules, so they are expected to address inherited limitations of short-read RNA-Seq techniques that typically generate < 150 bp reads. However, there is a general lack of software tools for gene fusion detection from long-read RNA-seq data, which takes into account the high basecalling error rates and the presence of alignment errors.

Results

In this study, we developed a fast computational tool, LongGF, to efficiently detect candidate gene fusions from long-read RNA-seq data, including cDNA sequencing data and direct mRNA sequencing data. We evaluated LongGF on tens of simulated long-read RNA-seq datasets, and demonstrated its superior performance in gene fusion detection. We also tested LongGF on a Nanopore direct mRNA sequencing dataset and a PacBio sequencing dataset generated on a mixture of 10 cancer cell lines, and found that LongGF achieved better performance to detect known gene fusions over existing computational tools. Furthermore, we tested LongGF on a Nanopore cDNA sequencing dataset on acute myeloid leukemia, and pinpointed the exact location of a translocation (previously known in cytogenetic resolution) in base resolution, which was further validated by Sanger sequencing.

Conclusions

In summary, LongGF will greatly facilitate the discovery of candidate gene fusion events from long-read RNA-Seq data, especially in cancer samples. LongGF is implemented in C++ and is available athttps://github.com/WGLab/LongGF.
Template-based prediction of protein structure with deep learning
Authors: Zhang Haicang , Shen Yufeng
Published: December 2020

Background

Accurate prediction of protein structure is fundamentally important to understand biological function of proteins. Template-based modeling, including protein threading and homology modeling, is a popular method for protein tertiary structure prediction. However, accurate template-query alignment and template selection are still very challenging, especially for the proteins with only distant homologs available.

Results

We propose a new template-based modelling method called ThreaderAI to improve protein tertiary structure prediction. ThreaderAI formulates the task of aligning query sequence with template as the classical pixel classification problem in computer vision and naturally applies deep residual neural network in prediction. ThreaderAI first employs deep learning to predict residue-residue aligning probability matrix by integrating sequence profile, predicted sequential structural features, and predicted residue-residue contacts, and then builds template-query alignment by applying a dynamic programming algorithm on the probability matrix. We evaluated our methods both in generating accurate template-query alignment and protein threading. Experimental results show that ThreaderAI outperforms currently popular template-based modelling methods HHpred, CNFpred, and the latest contact-assisted method CEthreader, especially on the proteins that do not have close homologs with known structures. In particular, in terms of alignment accuracy measured with TM-score, ThreaderAI outperforms HHpred, CNFpred, and CEthreader by 56, 13, and 11%, respectively, on template-query pairs at the similarity of fold level from SCOPe data. And on CASP13’s TBM-hard data, ThreaderAI outperforms HHpred, CNFpred, and CEthreader by 16, 9 and 8% in terms of TM-score, respectively.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that with the help of deep learning, ThreaderAI can significantly improve the accuracy of template-based structure prediction, especially for distant-homology proteins.
Seewis hantavirus in common shrew (Sorex araneus) in Sweden
Authors: Lwande Olivia Wesula , Mohamed Nahla , Bucht Göran , Ahlm Clas , Olsson Gert , Evander Magnus
Published: December 2020

Background

Rodent borne hantaviruses are emerging viruses infecting humans through inhalation. They cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hemorrhagic cardiopulmonary syndrome. Recently, hantaviruses have been detected in other small mammals such as Soricomorpha (shrews, moles) and Chiroptera (bats), suggested as reservoirs for potential pandemic viruses and to play a role in the evolution of hantaviruses. It is important to study the global virome in different reservoirs, therefore our aim was to investigate whether shrews in Sweden carried any hantaviruses. Moreover, to accurately determine the host species, we developed a molecular method for identification of shrews.

Method

Shrews (n = 198), caught during 1998 in Sweden, were screened with a pan-hantavirus PCR using primers from a conserved region of the large genome segment. In addition to morphological typing of shrews, we developed a molecular based typing method using sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome B (CytB) genes. PCR amplified hantavirus and shrew fragments were sequenced and phylogenetically analysed.

Results

Hantavirus RNA was detected in three shrews. Sequencing identified the virus as Seewis hantavirus (SWSV), most closely related to previous isolates from Finland and Russia. All three SWSV sequences were retrieved from common shrews (Sorex araneus) sampled in Västerbotten County, Sweden. The genetic assay for shrew identification was able to identify native Swedish shrew species, and the genetic typing of the Swedish common shrews revealed that they were most similar to common shrews from Russia.

Conclusion

We detected SWSV RNA in Swedish common shrew samples and developed a genetic assay for shrew identification based on the COI and CytB genes. This was the first report of presence of hantavirus in Swedish shrews.
Correction to: A randomized, open-label, adaptive, proof-of-concept clinical trial of modulation of host thromboinflammatory response in patients with COVID-19: the DAWn-Antico study
Authors:   DAWn consortium members, Vanassche T. , Engelen M. M. , Van Thillo Q. , Wauters J. , Gunst J. , Wouters C. , Vandenbriele C. , Rex S. , Liesenborghs L. , Wilmer A. , Meersseman P. , Van den Berghe G. , Dauwe D. , Verbeke G. , Thomeer M. , Fivez T. , Mesotten D. , Ruttens D. , Heytens L. , Dapper I. , Tuyls S. , De Tavernier B. , Verhamme P.
Published: December 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Explore a novel function of human condensins in cellular senescence
Authors: Wang Hongzhen , Liu Xin , Li Guiying
Published: December 2020

There are two kinds of condensins in human cells, known as condensin I and condensin II. The canonical roles of condensins are participated in chromosome dynamics, including chromosome condensation and segregation during cell division. Recently, a novel function of human condensins has been found with increasing evidences that they play important roles in cellular senescence. This paper reviewed the research progress of human condensins involved in different types of cellular senescence, mainly oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) and replicative senescence (RS). The future perspectives of human condensins involved in cellular senescence are also discussed.
Correction to: Content validity of a sleep numerical rating scale and a sleep diary in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis
Authors: Dias-Barbosa Carla , Matos Rodolfo , Vernon Margaret , Carney Colleen E. , Krystal Andrew , Puelles Jorge
Published: December 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
Augmented Reduced-Intensity Regimen Does Not Improve Postallogeneic Transplant Outcomes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Craddock Charles , Jackson Aimee , Loke Justin , Siddique Shamyla , Hodgkinson Andrea , Mason John , Andrew Georgia , Nagra Sandeep , Malladi Ram , Peniket Andrew , Gilleece Maria , Salim Rahuman , Tholouli Eleni , Potter Victoria , Crawley Charles , Wheatley Keith , Protheroe Rachel , Vyas Paresh , Hunter Ann , Parker Anne , Wilson Keith , Pavlu Jiri , Byrne Jenny , Dillon Richard , Khan Naeem , McCarthy Nicholas , Freeman Sylvie D.
Published: December 2020

PURPOSE

Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens have extended the curative potential of allogeneic stem-cell transplantation to older adults with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplasia (MDS) but are associated with a high risk of disease relapse. Strategies to reduce recurrence are urgently required. Registry data have demonstrated improved outcomes using a sequential transplant regimen, fludarabine/amsacrine/cytarabine-busulphan (FLAMSA-Bu), but the impact of this intensified conditioning regimen has not been studied in randomized trials.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Two hundred forty-four patients (median age, 59 years) with high-risk AML (n = 164) or MDS (n = 80) were randomly assigned 1:1 to a fludarabine-based RIC regimen or FLAMSA-Bu. Pretransplant measurable residual disease (MRD) was monitored by flow cytometry (MFC-MRD) and correlated with outcome.

RESULTS

There was no difference in 2-year overall survival (hazard ratio 1.05 [85% CI, 0.80 to 1.38] P = .81) or cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (hazard ratio 0.94 [95%CI, 0.60 to 1.46] P = .81) between the control and FLAMSA-Bu arms. Detectable pretransplant MFC-MRD was associated with an increased CIR (2-year CIR 41.0% v 20.0%, P = .01) in the overall trial cohort with a comparable prognostic impact when measured by an unsupervised analysis approach. There was no evidence of interaction between MRD status and conditioning regimen intensity for relapse or survival. Acquisition of full donor T-cell chimerism at 3 months abrogated the adverse impact of pretransplant MRD on CIR and overall survival.

CONCLUSION

The intensified RIC conditioning regimen, FLAMSA-Bu, did not improve outcomes in adults transplanted for high-risk AML or MDS regardless of pretransplant MRD status. Our data instead support the exploration of interventions with the ability to accelerate acquisition of full donor T-cell chimerism as a tractable strategy to improve outcomes in patients allografted for AML.
Comparative Evaluation of Pellet Cushioning Agents by Various Imaging Techniques and Dissolution Studies
Authors: Sántha Konrád , Kállai-Szabó Nikolett , Fülöp Viktor , Jakab Géza , Gordon Péter , Kállai-Szabó Barnabás , Balogh Emese , Antal István
Published: December 2020

Most of the commercially available pharmaceutical products for oral administration route are marketed in the tablet dosage forms. However, compression of multiparticulate systems is a challenge for the pharmaceutical research and industry, especially if the individual unit is a coated particle, as the release of the active ingredient depends on the integrity of the coating. In the present study, polymer-coated pellets tableted with different types of excipients (powder, granules, pellets) then were investigated by various tablet-destructive (microscopic) and tablet non-destructive (microfocus X-ray; microCT) imaging methods. The information obtained from the independent evaluation of the in vitro drug release profiles model is confirmed by the results obtained by image analysis, regardless of whether X-ray or stereomicroscopic images of the coated, tableted pellets were used for image analysis. The results of this study show that the novel easy-to-use, fast, and non-destructive MFX method is a good alternative to the already used microscopic image analysis methods regarding the characterization of particulates, compressed into tablets.
Putting Ethnohistory to Work: Jack Forbes and the Remaking of American Historical Consciousness
Authors: Smithers Gregory D.
Published: December 2020

Jack Forbes enjoyed a prolific and influential career as an ethnohistorian and educator. His groundbreaking analysis of the Southwest borderlands and interdisciplinary studies of mixed-race histories endures, and his championing of Native-centered pedagogies is now seamlessly woven into curricula throughout North America. This article examines Forbes’s efforts to remake the American historical consciousness—what Forbes called the “conqueror consciousness”—by using ethnohistorical methodologies in his scholarship and teaching. The article outlines Forbes’s career, paying particular attention to his scholarship and curriculum reform efforts during the 1960s. Those years proved crucial in Forbes’s development as a scholar and teacher and in advancing the nascent field of ethnohistory.
Pakistan Papers
Authors: Karim Farhan
Published: December 2020

As political questions behind Pakistan's emergence distilled themselves into aesthetic questions of how to represent a country without a past, the debate erupted through the spatial practices determining the form and architectural character of the nation's two capitols. President Ayub Khan's two ambitious urban projects—Islamabad, the new capital city of Pakistan and Ayub-Nagar (renamed Sher-e-Bangla Nagar), and a second capitol complex in East Pakistan—brought together local and foreign stakeholders with differing interpretations of the idea of “Pakistan.” A significant part of each project's documentation lies far from its site—with the University of Pennsylvania, in the personal papers of Louis Kahn, the US-based architect whose firm designed each. This collection—a vital resource to consider the expanded meaning of architecture, not as an end product, but as a process—emerges as a crucial body of evidence for the evolution of multiple narratives of the political idea of Pakistan. The design process, as documented in sketches, architectural drawings, reports, and correspondence, reflects the frictions created from unfulfilled expectations and the subsequent disillusionment of vested interest groups, shedding new light on constructions of the past and future in postindependence Pakistan.
Self-Determination between World and Nation
Authors: Dahl Adam
Published: December 2020

Rejecting the rigid dichotomy between anticolonial nationalism and postnational solidarity, Adom Getachew's Worldmaking after Empire argues that anticolonial leaders in the Caribbean and Africa did not outright reject the nation-state in their quest for self-determination. Instead, they internationalized the nation-state through the construction of new constituted powers that linked national sovereignties together in global juridical, political, and economic bodies. This essay explores a neglected question in this account: What were the constituent powers—the underlying sources of authority —that corresponded to these new global institutions? What, in other words, was the constituency of self-determination? Focusing on C. L. R. James and W. E. B. Du Bois, Dahl shows how anticolonial constituencies are at once the referent and effect of claims for self-determination. For James and Du Bois, politically delineating the constituency of self-determination is central to the institutional project of securing nondomination against international hierarchies of empire and enslavement.
Dear Science and Other Stories
Authors: McKittrick Katherine
Published: December 2020

In Dear Science and Other Stories Katherine McKittrick presents a creative and rigorous study of black and anticolonial methodologies. Drawing on black studies, studies of race, cultural geography, and black feminism as well as a mix of methods, citational practices, and theoretical frameworks, she positions black storytelling and stories as strategies of invention and collaboration. She analyzes a number of texts from intellectuals and artists ranging from Sylvia Wynter to the electronica band Drexciya to explore how narratives of imprecision and relationality interrupt knowledge systems that seek to observe, index, know, and discipline blackness. Throughout, McKittrick offers curiosity, wonder, citations, numbers, playlists, friendship, poetry, inquiry, song, grooves, and anticolonial chronologies as interdisciplinary codes that entwine with the academic form. Suggesting that black life and black livingness are, in themselves, rebellious methodologies, McKittrick imagines without totally disclosing the ways in which black intellectuals invent ways of living outside prevailing knowledge systems.
A novel mitosis-specific Cep215 domain interacts with Cep192 and phosphorylated Aurora A for organization of spindle poles
Authors: Kuriyama Ryoko , Fisher Cody R.
Published: December 2020

The centrosome, which consists of centrioles and pericentriolar material (PCM), becomes mature and assembles mitotic spindles by increasing the number of microtubules (MTs) emanating from the PCM. Among the molecules involved in centrosome maturation, Cep192 and Aurora A (AurA, also known as AURKA) are primarily responsible for recruitment of γ-tubulin and MT nucleators, whereas pericentrin (PCNT) is required for PCM organization. However, the role of Cep215 (also known as CDK5RAP2) in centrosome maturation remains elusive. Cep215 possesses binding domains for γ-tubulin, PCNT and MT motors that transport acentrosomal MTs towards the centrosome. We identify a mitosis-specific centrosome-targeting domain of Cep215 (215N) that interacts with Cep192 and phosphorylated AurA (pAurA). Cep192 is essential for targeting 215N to centrosomes, and centrosomal localization of 215N and pAurA is mutually dependent. Cep215 has a relatively minor role in γ-tubulin recruitment to the mitotic centrosome. However, it has been shown previously that this protein is important for connecting mitotic centrosomes to spindle poles. Based on the results of rescue experiments using versions of Cep215 with different domain deletions, we conclude that Cep215 plays a role in maintaining the structural integrity of the spindle pole by providing a platform for the molecules involved in centrosome maturation.
The impact of the gut microbiome on memory and sleep in Drosophila
Authors: Silva Valeria , Palacios-Muñoz Angelina , Okray Zeynep , Adair Karen L. , Waddell Scott , Douglas Angela E. , Ewer John
Published: December 2020

The gut microbiome has been proposed to influence diverse behavioral traits of animals, although the experimental evidence is limited and often contradictory. Here, we make use of the tractability of Drosophila melanogaster for both behavioral analyses and microbiome studies to test how elimination of microorganisms affects a number of behavioral traits. Relative to conventional flies (i.e., with unaltered microbiome), microbiologically-sterile (axenic) flies displayed a moderate reduction in memory performance in olfactory appetitive conditioning and courtship assays. The microbiological status of the flies had small or no effect on anxiety-like behavior (centrophobism) or circadian rhythmicity of locomotor activity, but axenic flies tended to sleep for longer and displayed reduced sleep rebound after sleep deprivation. The latter effects were robust for most tests conducted on both wildtype Canton S and w1118 strains, as well for tests using an isogenized panel of flies with mutations in the period gene, which causes altered circadian rhythmicity. Interestingly, the effect of absence of microbiota on a few behavioral features, most notably instantaneous locomotor activity speed, varied among wild-type strains. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the microbiome can have subtle but significant effects on specific aspects of Drosophila behavior, some of which are dependent on genetic background.
Physiology and behavior under food limitation support an escape, not preparative, response in the nomadic Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)
Authors: DeSimone Joely G. , Tobalske Bret W. , Breuner Creagh W.
Published: December 2020

Migration allows animals to use resources that are variable in time and/or space, with different migratory strategies depending on the predictability of resource variation. When food varies seasonally, obligate migrants anticipate and prepare for migration. In contrast, facultative migrants, whose movements are unpredictable in timing and destination, may either prepare for migration or escape when resources are depleted. We propose and test two alternative hypotheses regarding the behavioral and physiological responses of facultative migrants to declining food availability. (1) The Prepare Hypothesis predicts that facultative migrants prepare for departure by increasing fuel stores in response to declining food availability, and elevations of baseline corticosterone (CORT) facilitate increased activity. (2) The Escape Hypothesis predicts that facultative migrants do not prepare for departure, body condition declines as food availability declines, and stress-induced levels of CORT induce escape behavior when both energetic condition and food resources are low. We conducted a 16-day experiment, measuring body composition (using Quantitative Magnetic Resonance), activity (using force perches), and baseline CORT in Pine Siskins (Spinus pinus) given ad libitum food or a slow decline, fast decline, or randomly changing amount of food. Our results support the Escape Hypothesis: body condition declined as food declined, decreases in body and fat mass were associated with increases in baseline CORT, and activity increased only when food availability was low. This work suggests that facultative migration in autumn allows birds to escape low resource areas and that the underlying physiological mechanisms differ from those driving both seasonal, obligate migrations and spring nomadic movements.
Older Yet Fairer: How Extended Reproductive Time Horizons Reshaped Marriage Patterns in Israel
Authors: Gershoni Naomi , Low Corinne
Published: December 2020

Israel’s 1994 adoption of free in vitro fertilization (IVF) provides a natural experiment for how fertility time horizons impact women’s marriage timing and other outcomes. We find a substantial increase in average age at first marriage following the policy change, using both men and Arab-Israeli women as comparison groups. This shift appears to be driven by both increased marriages by older women and younger women delaying marriage. Age at first birth also increased. Placebo and robustness checks help pinpoint IVF as the source of the change. Our findings suggest age-limited fertility materially impacts women’s life timing and outcomes relative to men. (JEL J12, J13, J16)
Poverty and Migration in the Digital Age: Experimental Evidence on Mobile Banking in Bangladesh
Authors: Lee Jean N. , Morduch Jonathan , Ravindran Saravana , Shonchoy Abu , Zaman Hassan
Published: December 2020

Rapid urbanization is reshaping economies and intensifying spatial inequalities. In Bangladesh, we experimentally introduced mobile banking to very poor rural households and family members who had migrated to the city, testing whether mobile technology can reduce inequality by modernizing traditional ways to transfer money. One year later, for active mobile banking users, urban-to-rural remittances increased by 26 percent of the baseline mean. Rural consumption increased by 7.5 percent, and extreme poverty fell. Rural households borrowed less, saved more, sent additional migrants, and consumed more in the lean season. Urban migrants experienced less poverty and saved more but bore costs, reporting worse health. (JEL D31, G21, G51, I32, O15, O16, O18)
The Political Boundaries of Ethnic Divisions
Authors: Bazzi Samuel , Gudgeon Matthew
Published: December 2020

We use a policy experiment in Indonesia to show how local political boundaries affect ethnic tension. Redrawing district borders along group lines reduces conflict. However, the gains in stability are undone or even reversed when new boundaries increase ethnic polarization. Greater polarization leads to more violence around majoritarian elections but has little effect around lower-stakes, proportional representation elections. These results point to distinct incentives for violence in winner-take-all settings with contestable public resources. Overall, our findings illustrate the promise and pitfalls of redrawing borders in diverse countries where it is infeasible for each group to have its own administrative unit. (JEL D72, D74, J15, O15, O17, O18)
A mark of disease: how mRNA modifications shape genetic and acquired pathologies
Authors: Destefanis Eliana , Avşar Gülben , Groza Paula , Romitelli Antonia , Torrini Serena , Pir Pınar , Conticello Silvestro G. , Aguilo Francesca , Dassi Erik
Published: December 2020

RNA modifications have recently emerged as a widespread and complex facet of gene expression regulation. Counting more than 170 distinct chemical modifications with far-reaching implications for RNA fate, they are collectively referred to as the epitranscriptome. These modifications can occur in all RNA species, including messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). In mRNAs the deposition, removal, and recognition of chemical marks by writers, erasers and readers influence their structure, localization, stability, and translation. In turn, this modulates key molecular and cellular processes such as RNA metabolism, cell cycle, apoptosis, and others. Unsurprisingly, given their relevance for cellular and organismal functions, alterations of epitranscriptomic marks have been observed in a broad range of human diseases, including cancer, neurological and metabolic disorders. Here, we will review the major types of mRNA modifications and editing processes in conjunction with the enzymes involved in their metabolism and describe their impact on human diseases. We present the current knowledge in an updated catalog. We will also discuss the emerging evidence on the crosstalk of epitranscriptomic marks and what this interplay could imply for the dynamics of mRNA modifications. Understanding how this complex regulatory layer can affect the course of human pathologies will ultimately lead to its exploitation toward novel epitranscriptomic therapeutic strategies.
Fluorogenic aptamers resolve the flexibility of RNA junctions using orientation-dependent FRET
Authors: Jeng Sunny C.Y. , Trachman Robert J. , Weissenboeck Florian , Truong Lynda , Link Katie A. , Jepsen Mette D.E. , Knutson Jay R. , Andersen Ebbe S. , Ferré-D'Amaré Adrian R. , Unrau Peter J.
Published: December 2020

To further understand the transcriptome, new tools capable of measuring folding, interactions, and localization of RNA are needed. Although Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is an angle- and distance-dependent phenomenon, the majority of FRET measurements have been used to report distances, by assuming rotationally averaged donor–acceptor pairs. Angle-dependent FRET measurements have proven challenging for nucleic acids due to the difficulties in incorporating fluorophores rigidly into local substructures in a biocompatible manner. Fluorescence turn-on RNA aptamers are genetically encodable tags that appear to rigidly confine their cognate fluorophores, and thus have the potential to report angular-resolved FRET. Here, we use the fluorescent aptamers Broccoli and Mango-III as donor and acceptor, respectively, to measure the angular dependence of FRET. Joining the two fluorescent aptamers by a helix of variable length allowed systematic rotation of the acceptor fluorophore relative to the donor. FRET oscillated in a sinusoidal manner as a function of helix length, consistent with simulated data generated from models of oriented fluorophores separated by an inflexible helix. Analysis of the orientation dependence of FRET allowed us to demonstrate structural rigidification of the NiCo riboswitch upon transition metal-ion binding. This application of fluorescence turn-on aptamers opens the way to improved structural interpretation of ensemble and single-molecule FRET measurements of RNA.
IOUT Enabled Underwater WSN Using Dynamic Adaptive Routing Protocol with Improved Reliability
Authors:   College of Basic Education, the Public Authority of Applied Education and Training (PAAET), Safat 13092, Kuwait, Alostad Jasem M , Alkateeb Nizar , Sultan Ebraheem , Ebraheem Hameed K.
Published: December 2020

In this paper, a trade-off between the energy consumption and network lifetime is considered. This paper proposes an optimal routing protocol called Energy Dynamic Adaptive Routing (EDAR) protocol. The DAR protocol maintains a tradeoff between the reliability or packet delivery ratio (PDR) of sensor nodes and Bit Error Ratio (BER) using optimal dynamic adaptive routing approach. The proposed approach operates on three different phases, namely, initialization, dynamic routing and transmission. During initial phase, all the nodes in the UWSN share location and residual energy information among all the nodes in the network. During dynamic routing phase, an optimal Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) based route selection is exploited to select the neighbor and successor nodes. This facilitates the successive routing to transmit the packets from one node to another. Here, the cost function with directed acyclic graph is utilized for better transmission of packets. The experimental results show that proposed method encounters the issues raised in conventional protocol and improves the reliability of packets with higher BER.
La controversia del posthumanismo.
Authors: Guerrero  Ruiz Antonio
Published: December 2020

El debate sobre el posthumanismo representa una de las cuestiones más importantes del día. También forma parte de otra controversia: la de la posmodernidad, o lo que entendemos por ella, si suponemos que esta nomenclatura no es un reflejo fiel del momento presente. Ya se ha dicho que la ausencia de una verdadera cultura posmoderna declara y advierte de la situación actual como una crisis de la modernidad. Y como tal, ha significado la generación de múltiples perspectivas y versiones de esa modernidad, que representan el único contexto posible y no algo posterior (inexistente). En este ámbito de la crisis de la modernidad, está también la crisis del sujeto. En esta diatriba se cuestiona la idea del sujeto, del ser humano, del humanismo. Estos conceptos son ahora terminológicamente débiles. Considerar que los modelos de pensamiento heredados del Renacimiento sobre el hombre ya no pueden servir para seguir el hilo del humanismo es algo tremendo: la invalidación de los modelos culturales establecidos, de sus creencias y axiomas. Pero este es, en efecto, el caso. Hay una grieta, sin duda, en la idea del hombre.
Historicismo y temporalidades plurales en los desencuentros y reencuentros entre Gramsci y Althusser.
Authors: Santolalla Alfonsina
Published: December 2020

En el presente artículo me propongo trabajar sobre la presencia del concepto de “historicismo absoluto” en los Cuadernos de la cárcel de Gramsci, y sobre las críticas que Althusser le confirió al mismo. Sostengo que la noción de “historicismo absoluto” permite tematizar el problema de la historia y del tiempo en ambos autores, e intentaré mostrar que es justamente en ese terreno en que es posible trazar hoy caminos para el reencuentro entre Gramsci y Althusser a partir del reconocimiento de que el uno y el otro han desarrollado –a su manera– modelos de temporalidad plural.
Coronavirus: the science behind infection control and human exposure
Authors: Phillis Alison
Published: December 2020

Coronavirus SARS-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus responsible for the disease known as COVID-19. The global community is struggling with the health and economic repercussions of this novel disease, and this article is part of a series that seeks to explore and explain the science behind the foci of infection control measures being considered at both the individual and population health levels. Understanding the factors influencing the ability of this virus to select an appropriate host, breach initial defences and successfully assume a new reservoir from which to disseminate and disperse infective viral particles is considered here. Brief reference is made to infection control measures such as effective hand hygiene, glove usage, environmental decontamination and social distancing guidance against the context of the specific evidence around COVID-19 transmission. Predictors of poorer outcome are introduced in the light of these being target themes for therapeutic development.
Take a deep breath
Authors: Harries Judith
Published: December 2020

While children have a natural ‘mindfulness’ this can be developed to help them sustain focus and self-awareness. In the first of a new series, Judith Harries provides a practical guide to breathing techniques which promote well-being.
The abundance and diversity of grasshopper communities in relation to elevation and land use in Malang, Indonesia
Authors: Leksono Amin Setyo , Yanuwiadi Bagyo , Afandhi Aminudin , FARHAN MOHAMMAD , Zairina Anisa
Published: December 2020

Abstract. Leksono AS, Yanuwiadi B, Afandhi A, Farhan M, Zairina A. 2020. The abundance and diversity of grasshopper communities in relation to elevation and land use in Malang, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 5614-5620. Ecological factors include interactions of the community members with numerous biotic and abiotic factors such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, light intensity, and seasonality show an altitudinal gradient. Most grasshopper species play a role as herbivores and are a good source of protein for other animals such as amphibians, small reptiles, birds, and small mammals. This study aimed to analyze variations in the abundance, richness, and diversity of grasshopper species along an altitudinal gradient. This research was conducted in five locations in Malang District, East Java, Indonesia, namely Bantur, Sumber Pujung Lawang, Pujon, and Poncokusumo. Grasshopper sampling was carried out by the sweeping method using an insect net. Sweepings were carried out on four plots with each plot size of 2 x 10 m2. Sampling was conducted four times from June to August 2020. The data were analyzed using the Shannon Wiener index (diversity analysis) and the Bray-Curtis index. The differences between locations were tested by one-way analysis of variance. Land use was analyzed by ArcGIS, using Landsat imagery 8. The abundance of grasshoppers had a significant negative correlation with elevation. That correlation was positive to species richness and diversity of grasshoppers. That with species diversity was significant, while that with species richness was not significant. The greatest abundance of the grasshopper was found in the middle elevation in Lawang (19.39 ± 2.12). In contrast, the highest species richness and diversity were found in the highest elevation in Poncokusumo (richness = 15.75 ± 1.60 and H '= 2.58 ± 0.11). Land use variation was not significant on abundance, species, richness, and diversity of grasshoppers. Interestingly, the high similarity of the grasshopper compositions in low elevation habitats was detected, indicating that land use in the low land area was remarkable. The abundance of grasshopper had a significant positive correlation with temperature but negatively correlated with humidity. There was no significant correlation among species richness, species diversity with temperature and humidity.
Biological parameters of Luciobarbus callensis populates Beni-Haroun dam, north-eastern Algeria
Authors: Berrouk Houda , Sahtout Fatiha , Boualleg Chahinez
Published: December 2020

The fish age and growth data mainly assist many ichthyologists to understand the life history features of species and population. The growth is a major process of fish biology, and considered as one of the key processes of length-structured models of fishes. Thus,   the present study was devoted to studying the growth of an autochthonous species (Luciobarbus callensis), populating the dam of Beni-Haroun (Mila city, northeast Algeria), and is known by its socio-economic value and aquaculture interest. The study was conducted on a sampling of 257 fish individuals during the year 2015 – 2016. The age of Luciobarbus callensis was determined by using the described method or the scalimetry method, providing an easier sampling and reading procedures, and also a high precision.  Fish sexes were identified via the observation of gonads, by naked eye based on gonad shape and color, where the number of females was higher (165) than males (92). The obtained results revealed a maximum longevity as seven years of Luciobarbus callensis, and the determined growth parameters of the separated and combined fish sexes were found to be as follow: L∞= 47,37  cm ; K= 0,29  ; t0= -0,51  ; Ø’= 2,813 (females); L∞= 42,11  cm ; K =0,26  ; t0= -0,58 ; Ø’= 2,663 (males); and  L∞= 47 37  cm ; K= 0,20 ; t0= -0,75 ;  Ø’ =2,652 (combined sex). Moreover, the evolution of the total weight of fishes with respect to their size presents a minor allometry (b<3), (with or without sex distinction).
Advancing traceability using DNA sequence on seafood product: fraudulence in shrimp crackers
Authors: Nurilmala Mala , AJITAMA YOGHI , JACOEB AGOES M. , INDARWATI AFKAR RONA , NUGRAHA RONI
Published: December 2020

Abstract. Nurilmala M, Atjitama Y, Jacob AM, Indarwati AR, Nugraha R. 2020. Advancing traceability using DNA sequence on seafood product: fraudulence in shrimp crackers. Biodiversitas 21: 5650-5656. Shrimp crackers are snacks made from starch with the addition of shrimp and other ingredients. Authentication of shrimp crackers becomes a quality control method in line with its traceability since the morphological characters are not recognized in those products. The failure of the authentication will lead to adulteration of shrimp products. The study aimed to design shrimp-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers by and used them to authenticate shrimp cracker products to assure their traceability. The primers were designed from cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene with a GC content of 50% and a melting temperature of 57 °C. The amplicon had a length of 613 bp. Fourteen shrimp crackers having DNA concentrations 0.3 to 8.1 ng/µL were evaluated. Eight out of fourteen DNA samples were successfully amplified using the specific primer and could be visualized on the agarose gel at 500-750 bp. Those DNA samples were identified belonging to shrimp species, namely Litopenaeus vannamei, Metapenaeus ensis, and Fenneropenaeus merguiensis with 95% to 100% identity. Meanwhile, the other six DNA samples underwent PCR using universal primers. One sample was amplified and identified as fish (Sphyraena flavicauda). These results indicate illegal substitution of shrimp using unidentified species occurred in shrimp crackers.