bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the shape and size of female and male genitalia in snakes using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics
Authors: Lara Granados Genesis , Greenwood Juliet , Secor Stephen , Shan Shan , Hedrick Brandon P , Brennan Patricia L R
Published: April 2022

Quantification of genital variation in males and females can inform our understanding of likely copulatory interactions and evolution of genital diversity. However, no studies have quantified genital shape variation within a single snake species or examined the shape and size of both the vaginal pouch and hemipenes. Here, we examine the shape and size of the genitalia of female and male diamondback water snakes, Nerodia rhombifer, using a three-dimensional automated landmark geometric morphometric approach on models of the lumen of the vaginal pouch and inflated hemipenes, applying these techniques for the first time to the genital shape of vertebrates. Vaginal pouch shape is significantly associated with body size and reproductive status. As females grow larger and become reproductive, the vaginal pouch enlarges, widens and becomes more bifurcated. In reproductive males, the shape of the hemipenes is also significantly associated with body size. As males grow larger, the hemipenes enlarge and widen; their bifurcation becomes more defined and the spines at the base become more prominent. Vaginal pouch and hemipenial centroid size are isometric with respect to body length. The centroid sizes of the hemipenes and vaginal pouch are not significantly different from one another, hence the genitalia match in size. Reproductive females and males covary in the degree of bifurcation and size of their genitalia. We demonstrate the utility of three-dimensional analysis in studies of the shape of soft tissues and advocate its use in future studies of genitalia.
Reproductive complications after stroke: Long-lasting impairment of gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal network?
Authors: Salehi Mohammad Saied , Pandamooz Sareh , Tamadon Amin , Jafarzadeh Shirazi Mohammad Reza , Borhani-Haghighi Afshin
Published: April 2022

Some studies have demonstrated that stroke may increase the risk of pregnancy complications and early menopause. In addition, preclinical investigations revealed the middle cerebral artery occlusion could affect hypothalamus. Since hypothalamus is the core of central circuits regulating reproductive processes, impairment of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal network following stroke might be manifested in long-lasting reproductive disorders.
Airflow Patterns in Double-Occupancy Patient Rooms May Contribute to Roommate-to-Roommate Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
Authors: Cadnum Jennifer L , Jencson Annette L , Alhmidi Heba , Zabarsky Trina F , Donskey Curtis J
Published: April 2022

Background

Hospitalized patients are at risk to acquire severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from roommates with unrecognized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We hypothesized that airflow patterns might contribute to SARS-CoV-2 transmission in double-occupancy patient rooms.

Methods

A device emitting condensed moisture was used to identify airflow patterns in double-occupancy patient rooms. Simulations were conducted to assess transfer of fluorescent microspheres, 5% sodium chloride aerosol, and aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 between patient beds 3 meters apart and to assess the effectiveness of privacy curtains and portable air cleaners in reducing transfer.

Results

Air flowed from inlet vents in the center of the room to an outlet vent near the door, resulting in air currents flowing toward the bed adjacent to the outlet vent. Fluorescent microspheres (212–250-µm diameter), 5% sodium chloride aerosol, and aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 released from the inner bed were carried on air currents toward the bed adjacent to the outlet vent. Closing curtains between the patient beds reduced transfer of each of the particles. Operation of a portable air cleaner reduced aerosol transfer to the bed adjacent to the outlet vent but did not offer a benefit over closing the curtains alone, and in some situations, resulted in an increase in aerosol exposure.

Conclusions

Airflow patterns in double-occupancy patient rooms may contribute to risk for transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between roommates. Keeping curtains closed between beds may be beneficial in reducing risk.
Occult myocardial infarction due to an unusual cause: a case report of periarteritis involving the left coronary artery
Authors: Liu Xiaoyan , Zhao Yan , Wu Naqiong , Zhang Wenjia
Published: April 2022

Background

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an immune-mediated condition that affects multiple organs and systems.

Case summary

A 51-year-old man with a history of occult left apex myocardial infarction diagnosed based on electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings underwent coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography for the evaluation of coronary artery disease; the findings revealed a soft-tissue mass that surrounded the aortic root and the distal portion of the left coronary artery. The mass was considered an inflammatory lesion; high glucose uptake on positron emission tomography/CT supported this assumption. Coronary angiography revealed 80% stenosis of the distal portion of the left anterior descending artery, which corresponded with the infarction. Intravascular ultrasound revealed hypoechoic regions outside the lumina of the stenotic segment. Based on these findings, IgG4-related periaortitis/periarteritis was suspected; the patient was accordingly treated with oral prednisone and methotrexate. At the 3-month follow-up, the periaortic mass had slightly reduced in size.

Discussion

Identification and diagnosis of IgG4-related cardiovascular disease are challenging; cases with localized coronary artery involvement may be misdiagnosed as atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Although imaging techniques, including intracoronary imaging, may aid in differential diagnosis, their sensitivity and specificity still warrant further studies. Practical criteria that facilitate diagnosis and a better understanding of the disease are required.
Repurposing the PDMA-approved drugs in Japan using an insect model of staphylococcal infection
Authors: Miyashita Atsushi , Mitsutomi Shuhei , Mizushima Tohru , Sekimizu Kazuhisa
Published: April 2022

A total of 1253 compounds approved as therapeutic drugs in Japan (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA)-approved compounds) were screened for their therapeutic effects against Staphylococcus aureus infection using the silkworm infection model. In the first stage of screening with an index of prolonged survival, 80 compounds were identified as hits. Of these, 64 compounds were clinically used as antimicrobial agents, and the remaining 16 compounds were not. The 16 compounds were examined for their dose-dependent therapeutic effects on the silkworm model as a second screening step, and we obtained five compounds as a result. One of the compounds (capecitabine) had no documented in vitro minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value against S. aureus. The MIC value of capecitabine against S. aureus strains ranged from 125 to 250 µg/ml, and capecitabine was therapeutically effective at a dose of 200 mg/kg in a murine model of S. aureus infection. These results suggest that silkworm-based drug repositioning studies are of potential value. Furthermore, the therapeutic effects of capecitabine demonstrated in this study provide an important scientific rationale for clinical observational studies examining the association between staphylococcal infection events and capecitabine administration in cancer chemotherapy patients.
Con: freeze-all for all? One size does not fit all
Authors: Vuong Lan N
Published: April 2022

IVF has traditionally involved transfer of fresh embryos. However, a ‘freeze-all’ strategy where all embryos are cryopreserved for transfer in subsequent, unstimulated cycles has emerged as an alternative approach. This is thought to eliminate the negative effects of controlled ovarian stimulation on the endometrium and reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). There are a growing number of studies evaluating live birth rates after use of a freeze-all versus fresh embryo transfer (ET) strategy. However, results to date are inconsistent. Certainly, the benefits of a freeze-all strategy appear to be less clear cut in ovulatory women with infertility, while those with a good ovarian response (more than 10 or 15 oocytes retrieved) may be suitable candidates. Variable responses to a freeze-all strategy compared with fresh ET have also been reported depending on whether cleavage stage embryos or blastocysts were transferred. In terms of safety, the risk of OHSS appears to be lower with a freeze-all strategy. For other safety endpoints, some appear to be better when a freeze-all approach is used (e.g. rates of pregnancy loss/miscarriage, preterm delivery, low birthweight and small for gestational age) while other complications are more common (e.g. hypertensive disorders of pregnancy/pre-eclampsia, large for gestational age and high birthweight). Preliminary longer-term data suggest that a freeze-all strategy does not have a negative impact on childhood development. Other factors to consider include time to pregnancy (longer after freeze-all) and the relative cost-effectiveness of the two approaches. Available data are too inconsistent to allow a freeze-all approach to be recommended for all patients. Instead, a personalized, balanced approach should be taken based on individual patient characteristics (especially steroid hormone levels on the day of trigger) and incorporating patient preference. While a freeze-all strategy might be the right choice for some patients, freeze-all is definitely not good for all.
Irreducibility of a Universal Prym–Brill–Noether Locus
Authors: Bud Andrei
Published: April 2022

For genus $g = \frac {r(r+1)}{2}+1$, we prove that via the forgetful map, the universal Prym–Brill–Noether locus $\mathcal {V}^r_g$ has a unique irreducible component dominating the moduli space $\mathcal {R}_g$ of Prym curves.
Plasma SARS-CoV-2 RNA Levels as a Biomarker of Lower Respiratory Tract SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19
Authors: Jacobs Jana L , Naqvi Asma , Shah Faraaz A , Boltz Valerie F , Kearney Mary F , McVerry Bryan J , Ray Prabir , Schaefer Caitlin , Fitzpatrick Meghan , Methé Barbara , Lee Janet S , Morris Alison , Mellors John W , Kitsios Georgios D , Bain William
Published: April 2022

Plasma SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA (vRNA) levels are predictive of COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized patients, but whether plasma vRNA reflects lower respiratory tract (LRT) vRNA levels is unclear. We compared plasma and LRT vRNA levels in serially collected samples from mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19. LRT and plasma vRNA levels were strongly correlated at first sampling (n = 33, r = 0.83, P < 10−9) and then declined in parallel in available serial samples except in nonsurvivors who exhibited delayed vRNA clearance in LRT samples. Plasma vRNA measurement may offer a practical surrogate of LRT vRNA burden in critically ill patients, especially early after ICU admission.
Explaining Cyberspace Dynamics in the COVID Era
Authors: Katagiri Nori
Published: April 2022

This article explores new cyberspace developments witnessed in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) era and analyzes their significance relative to trajectories of pre-pandemic events. I show how COVID allowed hackers to scale up operational methods, use cryptocurrencies, and launch ransomware attacks and helped to widen resource gaps between states. My analysis also demonstrates that many events that appeared to be distinct at first have turned out to be more of the intensification of previous modes of cybersecurity activity before COVID. Indeed, COVID showed that the state of cyberspace stability was more durable than initially thought. Pre-COVID problems such as the limited effectiveness of preventive mechanism in international institutions and principles of cyberspace behavior continued to reveal the structural tenacity of cyber anarchy in forcing states to avoid overrelying on international law and social norms for protection. Hardly any substantive change has occurred to the structure of cyberspace dynamics, power relations, and strategic interests of major cyber powers. The article concludes with an emphasis on the need to reflect the continuing forms of cybersecurity through the crisis times.
A bias evaluation checklist for predictive models and its pilot application for 30-day hospital readmission models
Authors: Wang H Echo , Landers Matthew , Adams Roy , Subbaswamy Adarsh , Kharrazi Hadi , Gaskin Darrell J , Saria Suchi
Published: April 2022

Objective

Health care providers increasingly rely upon predictive algorithms when making important treatment decisions, however, evidence indicates that these tools can lead to inequitable outcomes across racial and socio-economic groups. In this study, we introduce a bias evaluation checklist that allows model developers and health care providers a means to systematically appraise a model’s potential to introduce bias.

Materials and Methods

Our methods include developing a bias evaluation checklist, a scoping literature review to identify 30-day hospital readmission prediction models, and assessing the selected models using the checklist.

Results

We selected 4 models for evaluation: LACE, HOSPITAL, Johns Hopkins ACG, and HATRIX. Our assessment identified critical ways in which these algorithms can perpetuate health care inequalities. We found that LACE and HOSPITAL have the greatest potential for introducing bias, Johns Hopkins ACG has the most areas of uncertainty, and HATRIX has the fewest causes for concern.

Discussion

Our approach gives model developers and health care providers a practical and systematic method for evaluating bias in predictive models. Traditional bias identification methods do not elucidate sources of bias and are thus insufficient for mitigation efforts. With our checklist, bias can be addressed and eliminated before a model is fully developed or deployed.

Conclusion

The potential for algorithms to perpetuate biased outcomes is not isolated to readmission prediction models; rather, we believe our results have implications for predictive models across health care. We offer a systematic method for evaluating potential bias with sufficient flexibility to be utilized across models and applications.
Efficacy of Intravenous Ustekinumab Reinduction in Patients With Crohn’s Disease With a Loss of Response
Authors: Heron Valerie , Li Fraine Steven , Panaccione Nicola , Restellini Sophie , Germain Pascale , Candido Kristina , Bernstein Charles N , Bessissow Talat , Bitton Alain , Chauhan Usha K , Lakatos Peter L , Marshall John K , Michetti Pierre , Seow Cynthia H , Rosenfeld Greg , Panaccione Remo , Afif Waqqas
Published: April 2022

Background/Aims

In patients receiving ustekinumab (UST) for treatment of Crohn’s disease, there is no proven strategy to enhance or re-capture response. We assessed the utility of UST intravenous (IV) reinduction (~6 mg/kg) to achieve clinical, biochemical and endoscopic response or remission, in patients with partial or loss of response to UST maintenance therapy.

Methods

A multicentre, retrospective cohort study was performed. Adults who received an IV reinduction dose of UST for either partial response or secondary loss of response to UST were assessed. The primary outcome was clinical remission off corticosteroids (Harvey Bradshaw Index <5), with biochemical response (defined as ≥ 50% decrease of CRP or FCP and/or endoscopic response (defined as a decrease in Simple Endoscopic Score-CD ≥ 50%). Secondary outcomes included clinical, biomarker and endoscopic response/remission, as well as safety.

Results

Sixty-five patients (median age 38 years, 54.7% women) underwent IV UST reinduction between January 2017 and April 2019. Most patients (88.3%) were already on escalated maintenance dosing of UST 90 mg subcutaneous every 4 weeks. Clinical outcomes were assessed at a median of 14 weeks (IQR: 12–19) post-reinduction. The primary outcome of clinical remission off corticosteroids with biochemical and/or endoscopic response was achieved in 31.0% (n = 18). Pre-reinduction UST concentrations were ≥1 μg/mL in 88.6% (mean 3.2 ± 2.0 μg/mL). No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions

UST IV reinduction can be effective in patients with Crohn’s disease with partial or loss of response to UST maintenance therapy. Further studies evaluating this strategy are warranted.
Double-layer omics analysis of castration- and X-ray-resistant prostate cancer cells
Authors: Iwanaga Mototaro , Kawamura Hidemasa , Kubo Nobuteru , Mizukami Tatsuji , Oike Takahiro , Sato Hiro , Miyazawa Yoshiyuki , Sekine Yoshitaka , Kawabata-Iwakawa Reika , Nishiyama Masahiko , Ohno Tatsuya , Nakano Takashi
Published: April 2022

Castration-resistant prostate cancer shows resistance to not only androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) but also X-ray therapy. On the other hand, carbon ion beams have a high biological effect and are used for various cancers showing resistance to X-ray therapy. The purposes of this study are to clarify the difference in the sensitivity of Castration-resistant prostate cancer to X-ray and carbon ion beams and to elucidate the mechanism. The androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cell line LNCaP-LA established by culturing the androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cell line LNCaP for 2 years in androgen-free medium was used for this study. First, colony formation assays were performed to investigate its sensitivity to X-ray and carbon ion beams. Next, DNA mutation analysis on 409 cancer-related genes and comprehensive transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq) were performed with a next-generation sequencer. Lethal dose 50 values of X-rays for LNCaP and LNCaP-LA were 1.4 Gy and 2.8 Gy, respectively (P < 0.01). The Lethal dose 50 values of carbon ion beams were 0.9 Gy and 0.7 Gy, respectively (P = 0.09). On DNA mutation analysis, AR mutation was observed specifically in LNCaP-LA. From RNA-seq, 181 genes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs; FDR <0.10, P < 0.00076) between LNCaP and LNCaP-LA. Function analysis suggested that cell death was suppressed in LNCaP-LA, and pathway analysis suggested that the NRF2-pathway involved in intracellular oxidative stress prevention was activated in LNCaP-LA. LNCaP-LA showed X-ray resistance compared to LNCaP and sensitivity to carbon ion beams. The AR mutation and the NRF2-pathway were suggested as causes of resistance.
Epidemics in Nineteenth-Century British Towns: How Important was Cholera?
Authors: Pelling Margaret
Published: April 2022

One major legacy of the bacteriological revolution of the later nineteenth century is a simplified model of cause and effect. Looking back, this model seems entirely appropriate for a century dominated by infectious diseases. In this widely accepted picture of the nineteenth-century mortality experience the leading role is taken by the cholera epidemics which invaded Britain between 1831 and 1866. Historians have followed this lead by making cholera an exciting cause of political and social change, including the first Reform Bill. This essay suggests that the sporadic incursions of cholera were less a spur to reform than a distraction from the perpetual, or endemic, causes of death, which are inevitably those with the closest connections with the social, economic and political contexts of Victorian Britain. The Benthamite sanitarians built their case primarily on what they called continued fever, which we now identify as typhus and, increasingly, typhoid. The endemic diseases, year upon year, caused more deaths than cholera, and it is they which provided the quantitative definition of excess mortality which came to justify government intervention. Similarly, a further phase of public health reform was necessary after cholera was no longer a factor. These later reformers deplored the degeneration and mortality associated with extreme urbanization, and attributed them to respiratory conditions, fluxes, and what we might now call the pneumonia-diarrhoea complex among children. Cholera was an important phenomenon, but its effects on society need to be defined with some precision.

Note: this is a revised version of the 12th Henry Cohen History of Medicine Lecture, given in 1983, and republished by kind permission of the Liverpool Medical Institution.
Recovering the mass distribution of an extended gravitational lens
Authors: Turyshev Slava G , Toth Viktor T
Published: April 2022

We investigate the possibility of determining the mass distribution of a gravitational lens via lensing observations. We consider an extended, compact gravitational lens, representing its static external gravitational potential via an infinite set of symmetric trace free (STF) multipole moments. Within the wave-optical treatment, we evaluate the caustics formed in the lens’s point spread function (PSF). We study the only quantity that is available in astronomical lensing observations: the image of that PSF formed by an imaging telescope. This observable may be used to recover some physical characteristics of the lens, including its shape, orientation, and composition. Illustrating this, we study exotic gravitational lenses formed by several well-known solids with uniform density. We show that when moments beyond the quadrupole are observed, some of the symmetry properties of the lens can be recovered. The presence of an octupole moment implies breaking the ‘north–south’ symmetry of the mass distribution in the lens. The presence of a rotated hexadecapole moment implies breaking axial symmetry. As such, if observations of lensed images allow the reconstruction of these moments, important information about the mass distribution and dynamics of the lens can be obtained. This may help with choosing the most appropriate mass profile that is used to characterize the mass distribution of astrophysical lenses, such as the dark matter haloes that are presumed to contain most of the mass of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. Our results are novel and offer new insight into gravitational lensing by realistic astrophysical systems.
DNA binding by polycomb-group proteins: searching for the link to CpG islands
Authors: Owen Brady M , Davidovich Chen
Published: April 2022

Polycomb group proteins predominantly exist in polycomb repressive complexes (PRCs) that cooperate to maintain the repressed state of thousands of cell-type-specific genes. Targeting PRCs to the correct sites in chromatin is essential for their function. However, the mechanisms by which PRCs are recruited to their target genes in mammals are multifactorial and complex. Here we review DNA binding by polycomb group proteins. There is strong evidence that the DNA-binding subunits of PRCs and their DNA-binding activities are required for chromatin binding and CpG targeting in cells. In vitro, CpG-specific binding was observed for truncated proteins externally to the context of their PRCs. Yet, the mere DNA sequence cannot fully explain the subset of CpG islands that are targeted by PRCs in any given cell type. At this time we find very little structural and biophysical evidence to support a model where sequence-specific DNA-binding activity is required or sufficient for the targeting of CpG-dinucleotide sequences by polycomb group proteins while they are within the context of their respective PRCs, either PRC1 or PRC2. We discuss the current knowledge and open questions on how the DNA-binding activities of polycomb group proteins facilitate the targeting of PRCs to chromatin.
PaintOmics 4: new tools for the integrative analysis of multi-omics datasets supported by multiple pathway databases
Authors: Liu Tianyuan , Salguero Pedro , Petek Marko , Martinez-Mira Carlos , Balzano-Nogueira Leandro , Ramšak Živa , McIntyre Lauren , Gruden Kristina , Tarazona Sonia , Conesa Ana
Published: April 2022

PaintOmics is a web server for the integrative analysis and visualisation of multi-omics datasets using biological pathway maps. PaintOmics 4 has several notable updates that improve and extend analyses. Three pathway databases are now supported: KEGG, Reactome and MapMan, providing more comprehensive pathway knowledge for animals and plants. New metabolite analysis methods fill gaps in traditional pathway-based enrichment methods. The metabolite hub analysis selects compounds with a high number of significant genes in their neighbouring network, suggesting regulation by gene expression changes. The metabolite class activity analysis tests the hypothesis that a metabolic class has a higher-than-expected proportion of significant elements, indicating that these compounds are regulated in the experiment. Finally, PaintOmics 4 includes a regulatory omics module to analyse the contribution of trans-regulatory layers (microRNA and transcription factors, RNA-binding proteins) to regulate pathways. We show the performance of PaintOmics 4 on both mouse and plant data to highlight how these new analysis features provide novel insights into regulatory biology. PaintOmics 4 is available at https://paintomics.org/.
Effects of ferric citrate and intravenous iron sucrose on markers of mineral, bone, and iron homeostasis in a rat model of CKD-MBD
Authors: Biruete Annabel , Metzger Corinne E , Chen Neal X , Swallow Elizabeth A , Vrabec Curtis , Clinkenbeard Erica L , Stacy Alexander J , Srinivasan Shruthi , O'Neill Kalisha , Avin Keith G , Allen Matthew R , Moe Sharon M
Published: April 2022

Background

Anemia and chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) are common and begin early in CKD. Limited studies have concurrently compared the effects of ferric citrate (FC) versus intravenous (IV) iron on CKD-MBD and iron homeostasis in moderate CKD.

Methods

We tested the effects of 10 weeks of 2% FC versus IV iron sucrose in rats with moderate CKD (Cy/+ male rat) and untreated normal (NL) littermates. Outcomes included a comprehensive assessment of CKD-MBD, iron homeostasis and oxidative stress.

Results

CKD rats had azotemia, elevated phosphorus, parathyroid hormone and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23). Compared with untreated CKD rats, treatment with FC led to lower plasma phosphorus, intact FGF23 and a trend (P = 0.07) toward lower C-terminal FGF23. FC and IV iron equally reduced aorta and heart calcifications to levels similar to NL animals. Compared with NL animals, CKD animals had higher bone turnover, lower trabecular volume and no difference in mineralization; these were unaffected by either iron treatment. Rats treated with IV iron had cortical and bone mechanical properties similar to NL animals. FC increased the transferrin saturation rate compared with untreated CKD and NL rats. Neither iron treatment increased oxidative stress above that of untreated CKD.

Conclusions

Oral FC improved phosphorus homeostasis, some iron-related parameters and the production and cleavage of FGF23. The intermittent effect of low-dose IV iron sucrose on cardiovascular calcification and bone should be further explored in moderate–advanced CKD.
Intersecting Inequalities: Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Differences in Math Achievement and School Contexts in California
Authors: Owens Ann , Tom Thalia
Published: April 2022

Past research extensively documents inequalities in educational opportunity and achievement by students’ race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status (SES). Less scholarship focuses on how race/ethnicity and SES interact and jointly contribute to educational inequalities. We advance this burgeoning line of scholarship by charting math achievement trajectories and school socioeconomic composition by both student race/ethnicity and SES in California from 2014–15 through 2017–18. Linked administrative data allow us to operationalize student SES more richly than point-in-time free meal eligibility, a measure commonly used in education research. We find evidence of considerable racial/ethnic disparities in math achievement and school socioeconomic composition among same-SES students. White and Asian students score substantially higher on math achievement tests and attend higher-SES schools than same-SES Hispanic and Black students. Achievement and contextual inequalities are related: differential exposure to school SES by student race/ethnicity is associated with racial/ethnic achievement disparities within SES groups. Our findings show that SES does not translate into the same contextual or achievement advantages for students of all racial/ethnic groups, demonstrating the importance of jointly considering student race/ethnicity and SES in future research and policy development.
Multiple PHT1 family phosphate transporters are recruited for mycorrhizal symbiosis in Eucalyptus grandis and conserved PHT1;4 is a requirement for the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis
Authors: Che Xianrong , Lai Wenzhen , Wang Sijia , Wang Xinyang , Hu Wentao , Chen Hui , Xie Xianan , Tang Ming
Published: April 2022

Eucalypts engage in a mutualistic endosymbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi to acquire mineral nutrients from soils, particularly inorganic phosphate (Pi). In return, the host plant provides organic carbons to its fungal partners. However, the mechanism by which the Eucalyptus plants acquire Pi released from the AM fungi has remained elusive. In this study, we investigated the characterization of potential PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER1 (PHT1) family Pi transporters in AM symbiosis in Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden. We show that multiple PHT1 family Pi transporters were recruited for AM symbiosis in E. grandis. We further report that EgPT4, an E. grandis member of the PHT1 family, is conserved across angiosperms and is exclusively expressed in AM roots with arbuscule-containing cells and localizes to the periarbuscular membrane (PAM). EgPT4 was able to complement a yeast mutant strain defective in all inorganic Pi transporters and mediate Pi uptake. Importantly, EgPT4 is essential for improved E. grandis growth, total phosphorus concentration and arbuscule development during symbiosis. Moreover, silencing of EgPT4 led to the induction of polyphosphate accumulation relevant genes of Rhizophagus irregularis DAOM 197198. Collectively, our results unravel a pivotal role for EgPT4 in symbiotic Pi transport across the PAM required for arbuscule development in E. grandis.
Factors Related to Meaning in Life Among Residents of Long-Term Care Institutions
Authors: HUNG Chaw-Mew , LI I-Chuan
Published: April 2022

Background

Meaning in life plays an important role in, and is associated with all dimensions of, well-being. Finding meaning in life has been shown to increase life satisfaction in residents of long-term care (LTC) institutions, whereas social support has been found to relate positively with meaning of life. Interactions with LTC staff are the main source of social support for LTC residents.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors related to meaning in life in LTC residents, especially those associated with interactions between nursing assistants and residents.

Methods

A cross-sectional study design was applied to interview participants from October 2015 through July 2016. One hundred fifty-four residents from six LTC institutions participated in this study. The Staff–Patient Interaction Scale and Meaning-in-Life Scale were used to collect data. The statistical methods of t test, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise regression of forward selection analysis were used to explore the factors related to meaning in life in the study population.

Results

The participants were found to perceive a moderate level of meaning in their lives, with a Meaning-in-Life Scale average total score of 42.75 (range: 17–63, SD = 10.19). Staff–patient interaction (β = .50), financial support from government subsidies and social assistance (β = −.41), and number of medical diagnoses (β = −.18) were the three most important factors related to meaning in life, explaining 44.2% of the variance.

Conclusions/Implications for Practice

Improving the quality of interactions between nurse assistants and residents and health promotion may increase meaning in life in LTC residents.
The Mediating Effect of Self-Regulated Learning on the Relationships Among Emotional Intelligence, Collaboration, and Clinical Performance in Korean Nursing Students
Authors: KIM Sun-Hee
Published: April 2022

Background

Clinical performance is an important competence for nursing students to achieve. However, little is known about the degree to which self-regulated learning mediates the relationships among emotional intelligence, collaboration, and clinical performance in nursing students.

Purpose

This study was designed to investigate the mediating effect of self-regulated learning on clinical performance.

Methods

A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design was used, and a convenience sample of 302 nursing students in Years 3 and 4 of a bachelor's degree program were recruited as participants from five universities in South Korea. Information on participant characteristics, emotional intelligence, collaboration, self-regulated learning, and clinical performance was collected from the participants using self-reported questionnaires from September to October 2019. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the research model.

Results

Emotional intelligence, collaboration, and self-regulated learning were found to be statistically significantly related to clinical performance. Moreover, self-regulated learning was identified as a full mediator of the relationship between emotional intelligence and clinical performance (accounting for 62.0% of the variance) and a partial mediator of the influence of collaboration on clinical performance (accounting for 25.4% of the variance).

Conclusions/Implications for Practice

Nursing educators should encourage self-regulated learning among their students and provide a collaborative learning environment to enhance their students' clinical performance.
Antibiotic prescribing patterns and guideline-concordant management of acute respiratory tract infections in virtual urgent care settings
Authors: Turk Kelsey , Jacobson Vann Julie , Oppewal Sonda
Published: April 2022

Background:

Antibiotic overprescribing for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) commonly occurs and can lead to higher medical costs, antibiotic resistance, and health complications. Inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics for ARTIs has been shown to occur more frequently in urgent care than other outpatient settings. It is not clear whether antibiotic overprescribing varies between virtual and in-person urgent care.

Objectives:

Summarize published primary scientific literature on antibiotic prescribing patterns for ARTIs among adults in virtual urgent care settings.

Data sources:

We conducted a systematic review to compare antibiotic prescribing for ARTIs between virtual and in-person urgent care. Our review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. We assessed risk of bias using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies—of Interventions (ROBINS-I) assessment tool. We summarized study results from seven included retrospective cohort studies.

Conclusions:

Antibiotic prescribing frequency may be similar between virtual urgent care and in-person care for adult patients treated for ARTIs. However, variability existed in intervention characteristics, settings, and outcome measures. Additional studies are needed to better understand the conditions in which virtual care may be most effective.

Implications for practice:

Evidence suggests that giving providers direct access to evidence-based guidelines and electronic health records within the virtual visit may support diagnosis and management. Furthermore, practices that use telemedicine platforms for virtual urgent care visits should consider how to potentially improve diagnosis and management of conditions through the use of home-based point-of-care testing or accessory “e-tools.”
Family Caregivers of Veterans Experience Clinically Significant Levels of Distress Prepandemic and During Pandemic
Authors: Miller Katherine E.M. , Van Houtven Courtney H. , Smith Valerie A. , Lindquist Jennifer H. , Gray Kaileigh , Richardson Colleen , Shepherd-Banigan Megan
Published: April 2022

Background:

Of the 26.4 million family caregivers in the United States, nearly 40% report high levels of emotional strain and subjective burden. However, for the 5 million caregivers of Veterans, little is known about the experiences of caregivers of Veterans during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Objective:

The aim was to examine pandemic-related changes of caregiver well-being outcomes.

Research Design, Subjects, and Measures:

Using a pre/post design and longitudinal data of individual caregivers captured pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19, we use multilevel generalized linear mixed models to examine pandemic-related changes to caregiver well-being (n=903). The primary outcome measures include Zarit Subjective Burden, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale, perceived financial strain, life chaos, and loneliness.

Results:

During the pandemic, we observe slight improvements for caregivers across well-being measures except for perceived financial strain. Before the pandemic, we observed that caregivers screened positive for clinically significant caregiver burden and probable depression. While we do not observe worsening indicators of caregiver well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, the average predicted values of indicators of caregiver well-being remain clinically significant for caregiving subjective burden and depression.

Conclusions:

These findings illuminate pandemic-related impacts of caregivers receiving support through the Veterans Affairs (VA) pre-COVID and during the COVID-19 pandemic while caring for a population of frail, older care-recipients with a high burden of mental illness and other chronic conditions. Considering the long-term impacts of the pandemic to increase morbidity and the expected increased demand for caregivers in an aging population, these consistently high levels of distress despite receiving support highlight the need for interventions and policy reform to systematically support caregivers more broadly.
Dietary shifts may underpin the recovery of a large carnivore population
Authors: Campbell Mariana A. , Udyawer Vinay , Jardine Timothy D. , Fukuda Yusuke , Kopf R. Keller , Bunn Stuart E. , Campbell Hamish A.
Published: April 2022

Supporting the recovery of large carnivores is a popular yet challenging endeavour. Estuarine crocodiles in Australia are a large carnivore conservation success story, with the population having extensively recovered from past heavy exploitation. Here, we explored if dietary changes had accompanied this large population recovery by comparing the isotopesδ13C andδ15N in bones of crocodiles sampled 40 to 55 years ago (small population) with bones from contemporary individuals (large population). We found thatδ13C andδ15N values were significantly lower in contemporary crocodiles than in the historical cohort, inferring a shift in prey preference away from marine and into terrestrial food webs. We propose that an increase in intraspecific competition within the recovering crocodile population, alongside an increased abundance of feral ungulates occupying the floodplains, may have resulted in the crocodile population shifting to feed predominantly upon terrestrial food sources. The number of feral pigs consumed to sustain and grow crocodile biomass may help suppress pig population growth and increase the flow of terrestrially derived nutrients into aquatic ecosystems. The study highlights the significance of prey availability in contributing to large carnivore population recovery.
Individual exploration and selective social learning: balancing exploration–exploitation trade-offs in collective foraging
Authors: Garg Ketika , Kello Christopher T. , Smaldino Paul E.
Published: April 2022

Search requires balancing exploring for more options and exploiting the ones previously found. Individuals foraging in a group face another trade-off: whether to engage in social learning to exploit the solutions found by others or to solitarily search for unexplored solutions. Social learning can better exploit learned information and decrease the costs of finding new resources, but excessive social learning can lead to over-exploitation and too little exploration for new solutions. We study how these two trade-offs interact to influence search efficiency in a model of collective foraging under conditions of varying resource abundance, resource density and group size. We modelled individual search strategies as Lévy walks, where a power-law exponent (
μ
) controlled the trade-off between exploitative and explorative movements in individual search. We modulated the trade-off between individual search and social learning using a selectivity parameter that determined how agents responded to social cues in terms of distance and likely opportunity costs. Our results show that social learning is favoured in rich and clustered environments, but also that the benefits of exploiting social information are maximized by engaging in high levels of individual exploration. We show that selective use of social information can modulate the disadvantages of excessive social learning, especially in larger groups and when individual exploration is limited. Finally, we found that the optimal combination of individual exploration and social learning gave rise to trajectories with
μ
≈ 2 and provide support for the general optimality of such patterns in search. Our work sheds light on the interplay between individual search and social learning, and has broader implications for collective search and problem-solving.
Parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification using information geometry
Authors: Sharp Jesse A. , Browning Alexander P. , Burrage Kevin , Simpson Matthew J.
Published: April 2022

In this work, we: (i) review likelihood-based inference for parameter estimation and the construction of confidence regions; and (ii) explore the use of techniques from information geometry, including geodesic curves and Riemann scalar curvature, to supplement typical techniques for uncertainty quantification, such as Bayesian methods, profile likelihood, asymptotic analysis and bootstrapping. These techniques from information geometry provide data-independent insights into uncertainty and identifiability, and can be used to inform data collection decisions. All code used in this work to implement the inference and information geometry techniques is available onGitHub.
Efficient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene disruption in the tetraploid protist
Giardia intestinalis
Authors: Horáčková Vendula , Voleman Luboš , Hagen Kari D. , Petrů Markéta , Vinopalová Martina , Weisz Filip , Janowicz Natalia , Marková Lenka , Motyčková Alžběta , Najdrová Vladimíra , Tůmová Pavla , Dawson Scott C. , Doležal Pavel
Published: April 2022

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing has become an extremely powerful technique used to modify gene expression in many organisms, including parasitic protists.
Giardia intestinalis
, a protist parasite that infects approximately 280 million people around the world each year, has been eluding the use of CRISPR/Cas9 to generate knockout cell lines due to its tetraploid genome. In this work, we show the ability of the
in vitro
assembled CRISPR/Cas9 components to successfully edit the genome of
G. intestinalis
. The cell line that stably expresses Cas9 in both nuclei of
G. intestinalis
showed effective recombination of the cassette containing the transcription units for the gRNA and the resistance marker. This highly efficient process led to the removal of all gene copies at once for three independent experimental genes,
mem
,
cwp1
and
mlf1.
The method was also applicable to incomplete disruption of the essential gene, as evidenced by significantly reduced expression of
tom40.
Finally, testing the efficiency of Cas9-induced recombination revealed that homologous arms as short as 150 bp can be sufficient to establish a complete knockout cell line in
G. intestinalis
.
A chromosome-scale genome assembly of the tomato pathogen Cladosporium fulvum reveals a compartmentalized genome architecture and the presence of a dispensable chromosome
Authors: Zaccaron Alex Z. , Chen Li-Hung , Samaras Anastasios , Stergiopoulos Ioannis
Published: April 2022

Cladosporium fulvum is a fungal pathogen that causes leaf mould of tomato. The reference genome of this pathogen was released in 2012 but its high repetitive DNA content prevented a contiguous assembly and further prohibited the analysis of its genome architecture. In this study, we combined third generation sequencing technology with the Hi-C chromatin conformation capture technique, to produce a high-quality and near complete genome assembly and gene annotation of a Race 5 isolate of C. fulvum. The resulting genome assembly contained 67.17 Mb organized into 14 chromosomes (Chr1-to-Chr14), all of which were assembled telomere-to-telomere. The smallest of the chromosomes, Chr14, is only 460 kb in size and contains 25 genes that all encode hypothetical proteins. Notably, PCR assays revealed that Chr14 was absent in 19 out of 24 isolates of a world-wide collection of C. fulvum, indicating that Chr14 is dispensable. Thus, C. fulvum is currently the second species of Capnodiales shown to harbour dispensable chromosomes. The genome of C. fulvum Race 5 is 49.7 % repetitive and contains 14 690 predicted genes with an estimated completeness of 98.9%, currently one of the highest among the Capnodiales. Genome structure analysis revealed a compartmentalized architecture composed of gene-dense and repeat-poor regions interspersed with gene-sparse and repeat-rich regions. Nearly 39.2 % of the C. fulvum Race 5 genome is affected by Repeat-Induced Point (RIP) mutations and evidence of RIP leakage toward non-repetitive regions was observed in all chromosomes, indicating the RIP plays an important role in the evolution of this pathogen. Finally, 345 genes encoding candidate effectors were identified in C. fulvum Race 5, with a significant enrichment of their location in gene-sparse regions, in accordance with the ‘two-speed genome’ model of evolution. Overall, the new reference genome of C. fulvum presents several notable features and is a valuable resource for studies in plant pathogens.
The structure ofPhocaeicola vulgatussialic acid acetylesterase
Authors: Scott Hannah , Davies Gideon J. , Armstrong Zachary
Published: April 2022

Sialic acids terminate many N- and O-glycans and are widely distributed on cell surfaces. There are a diverse range of enzymes which interact with these sugars throughout the tree of life. They can act as receptors for influenza and specific betacoronaviruses in viral binding and their cleavage is important in virion release. Sialic acids are also exploited by both commensal and pathogenic bacteria for nutrient acquisition. A common modification of sialic acid is 9-O-acetylation, which can limit the action of sialidases. Some bacteria, including human endosymbionts, employ esterases to overcome this modification. However, few bacterial sialic acid 9-O-acetylesterases (9-O-SAEs) have been structurally characterized. Here, the crystal structure of a 9-O-SAE fromPhocaeicola vulgatus(PvSAE) is reported. The structure of PvSAE was determined to resolutions of 1.44 and 2.06 Å using crystals from two different crystallization conditions. Structural characterization revealed PvSAE to be a dimer with an SGNH fold, named after the conserved sequence motif of this family, and a Ser–His–Asp catalytic triad. These structures also reveal flexibility in the most N-terminal α-helix, which provides a barrier to active-site accessibility. Biochemical assays also show that PvSAE deacetylates both mucin and the acetylated chromophorepara-nitrophenyl acetate. This structural and biochemical characterization of PvSAE furthers the understanding of 9-O-SAEs and may aid in the discovery of small molecules targeting this class of enzyme.