bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A pleiotropic ATM variant (rs1800057 C>G) is associated with risk of multiple cancers
Authors: Qian Danwen , Liu Hongliang , Zhao Lingling , Luo Sheng , Walsh Kyle M , Huang Jiaoti , Li Chuan-yuan , Wei Qingyi
Published: October 2021

ATM (ataxia–telangiectasia mutated) is an important cell-cycle checkpoint kinase required for cellular response to DNA damage. Activated by DNA double strand breaks, ATM regulates the activities of many downstream proteins involved in various carcinogenic events. Therefore, ATM or its genetic variants may have a pleiotropic effect on cancer development. We conducted a pleiotropic analysis to evaluate associations between genetic variants of ATM and risk of multiple cancers. With genotyping data extracted from previously published genome-wide association studies of various cancers, we performed multivariate logistic regression analysis, followed by a meta-analysis for each cancer site, to identify cancer risk-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In the ASSET two-sided analysis, we found that two ATM SNPs were significantly associated with risk of multiple cancers. One tagging SNP (rs1800057 C>G) was associated with risk of multiple cancers (two-sided P = 5.27 × 10−7). Because ATM rs1800057 is a missense variant, we also explored the intermediate phenotypes through which this variant may confer risk of multiple cancers and identified a possible immune-mediated effect of this variant. Our findings indicate that genetic variants of ATM may have a pleiotropic effect on cancer risk and thus provide an important insight into common mechanisms of carcinogenesis.
Using theory-based evaluation to understand what works in asset-based community development
Authors: Ward Sarah
Published: October 2021

Asset-based community development (ABCD) has become a popular approach to community work, with the claim that it can support high poverty communities to drive the process of community development. Yet there is little detailed evidence on the efficacy of the ABCD model, and how this relates to the political, economic, and social context in which the intervention is located. This article presents research from a community case study in Scotland to explore how Theory-Based Evaluation can clarify ABCD’s hypothesis for change. Understanding ABCD’s causal mechanisms allows a nuanced consideration of why it may have limited impact and highlights the importance of context when planning community interventions. The study demonstrates that ABCD can generate locally led activity and build social networks but is unlikely to achieve a ‘tipping point’ from activity generation into wider community association without pre-existing resources being in place. Community association relies on pathways of activism that support local action incrementally and require resources in support of this.
Constitutional Biography of Hong Kong and Ambiguities of One Country, Two Systems Policy
Authors: Husa Jaakko
Published: October 2021

This essay reviews Albert Chen’s ‘The Changing Legal Orders in Hong Kong and Mainland China: Essays on One Country, Two Systems' (2021). The aim is to address the most significant points raised by the author of the book and provide a readable and critical synthesis of Chen’s key arguments. The focus is on the background of the tension points between China and Hong Kong that are generated by the One Country, Two Systems policy. The article ends with discussion on the book’s contribution and the possible future of Hong Kong’s common law heritage as a part of China.
Can social housing help to integrate divided cities?
Authors: Turok Ivan , Scheba Andreas , Visagie Justin
Published: October 2021

Social housing has the potential to contribute to economic inclusion and urban integration if it is well-located. However, this is complicated by economic forces that shape land and property markets and constrain the ability of social housing organisations to afford suitable sites for development on the open market. The paper shows how South Africa’s transformative vision for social housing has been diluted by the gradual spatial drift of projects from the accessible urban core towards outlying areas. Poor coordination has meant that social housing organisations have operated in relative isolation without the consistent government support required to obtain surplus public land in well-situated areas.
Long-term follow-up of passive containment surgery in patients with aortic regurgitation
Authors: Bredin Fredrik , Franco-Cereceda Anders
Published: October 2021

The goal of this case-control study was to evaluate the long-term effects on cardiac dimensions, cardiac function and coronary circulation in patients with aortic regurgitation (AR) and left ventricular dilatation undergoing aortic valve replacement and application of the Acorn CorCap cardiac support device Of 10 patients with AR and ventricular dilatation who had a mechanical aortic valve implanted, 5 in addition received the cardiac support device. Cardiac dimensions and cardiac function were measured by echocardiography preoperatively and 1, 5 and 10 years postoperatively. The coronary circulation was assessed by computed tomography angiography. After aortic valve replacement, there was a rapid and sustained decrease in cardiac dimensions. This result did not differ after application of the cardiac support device. Improvement in cardiac function remained unchanged in both groups at the 10-year follow-up. None of the patients had developed any signs of coronary artery disease. Application of the Acorn CorCap cardiac support device in patients with AR and left ventricular dilatation did not add to the reversed remodelling or cardiac function at the long-term follow-up compared to aortic valve replacement alone.
Feasibility of hybrid Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy after sleeve gastrectomy
Authors: Pines Guy , Khalayleh Harbi , Mashni Ibrahim , Bar Ilan
Published: October 2021

Oesophageal resection is a challenging procedure, and it is more so in patients who have undergone bariatric procedures, especially after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. We present the case of a patient with a history of an laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy who underwent a hybrid Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy in which the sleeve was successfully used to reconstruct the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Identifying the mechanisms that contribute to safe and effective electronic test result management systems— a multisite qualitative study
Authors: Georgiou Andrew , Li Julie , Thomas Judith , Dahm Maria R
Published: October 2021

Objective

Suboptimal design of health information technology (IT) systems can lead to the introduction of errors in the diagnostic process. We aimed to identify mechanisms that can affect the safety and effectiveness of these systems in hospital settings thus contributing to the building of an explicit and replicable understanding of the variables that can affect the functioning of IT systems.

Materials and Methods

This qualitative study drew from observations and semistructured interviews from a purposive sample of 46 participants (26 emergency department and 20 laboratory and medical imaging staff) across 3 Australian hospitals. Iterative, inductive coding of the data led to the development of higher-level themes based on relationships between codes.

Results

Two overarching themes emerged: (1) usability and safety of the electronic test result management system; and (2) system redesign considerations about who is meant to follow up, when and how. The usability and safety of digital systems and the way these systems deal with accountability processes are triggered by mechanisms that are contextually dependent.

Discussion

Our findings highlighted the multitransactional nature of the test result management process involving numerous healthcare professionals across different settings. This communication requires integration of the systems utilized by different departments and transparency of the test result follow-up process to facilitate clear lines of responsibility and accountability.

Conclusion

Identifying mechanisms that shape the functionality and sustainability of electronic result management can offer a valuable appreciation of key elements that need to be accounted for, and the circumstances in which they need to operate effectively.
PSII-14 Inclusion of popcorn and crawfish shells as components in non-feedstock silage production
Authors: Bielamowicz Lauren P , Keele Jennifer A , Nix Lauren M , Smith William B
Published: October 2021

As the future of agricultural sciences, it is imperative that student scientists seek to investigate alternatives to help improve production by lowering costs while meeting dietary requirements, increasing output, and maintaining sustainability. Anthropogenic waste as potential feedstock, we are engaging in an innovative wave of agricultural research. While previous research in our laboratory has evaluated newspaper, waste popcorn, and crawfish shells as feedstock, their potential for ensiling represents an alternative avenue for upcycling and long-term storage. The objective of this experiment was to determine the optimum concentrations of newspaper, waste popcorn, and crawfish shells for ideal silage fermentation. This experiment was conducted as a Box-Wilson composite design with four replications. Prescribed amounts of shredded newspaper, ground crawfish shells and heads, and waster popcorn were thoroughly mixed, and water and inoculant were added to achieve 25% dry matter. Central points for popcorn were 35.5, 1.3, 35.5, and 1.3% dry matter, respectively, for grain silage, grass silage, high combination, and low combination. Central points for crawfish were 4.0, 6.4, 4.0, and 6.4% dry matter, respectively, for grain silage, grass silage, high combination, and low combination. Samples were sealed using a food-grade sealer and allowed to ferment for 35 d. A subsample was frozen for assay of pH and silage acids. The remaining sample was dried at 55°C, ground, and assayed for NDF, ADF, CP, and IVTD. Across block, there was no effect of crawfish or popcorn inclusion on NDF (P ≥ 0.09; μ = 74%), ADF (P ≥ 0.24; μ = 60%), or IVTD (P ≥ 0.12; μ = 35%). Results are interpreted to mean that these feed ingredients may be used in non-feedstock silage production, but its usefulness to livestock production is questionable.
PSX-B-16 Recovery of live cells from refrigerated sheep skin after different days of cold storage
Authors: Singh Mahipal , Ma Xiaoling
Published: October 2021

Cryopreservation of tissues from domesticated and wild relatives has been suggested to conserve genetic diversity. Ensuring that the tissues have live cells prior to preservation, especially in postmortem tissues, is an essential stem for success. How long cells live after clinical death is not precisely known in animals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the limits of cell survival in sheep skin stored at 4°C postmortem. Ear skin was procured from six random but healthy slaughtered animals and stored at 4°C in the lab. Ten explants (2–3 mm2) were cultured from each animal in DMEM media with 10% FBS, 50 units/mL of penicillin, 50 µg/mL of streptomycin, and 2.5 µg/mL of fungizone on two 60 mm dishes after 0, 10, 20, 27, 30, 35, 38, 41, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 days of storage. Outgrowth of fibroblast-like cells around the explants was scored after 10 days of culture in a CO2 incubator. Results show outgrowth of cells up to 65 days of postmortem storage. Out of 476 explants adhered to dish surface, 374 (78.58%) exhibited outgrowth. The number of outgrowing cells decreased with increasing postmortem storage time interval. To test the differences between cell cultures obtained from postmortem fresh and stored tissues, we established secondary cultures from primary cells of 0-dpm and 65-dpm time points from selected cell lines. Both cultures exhibited similar growth morphology and growth curve, could be cryopreserved with >80% post freezing cell viability, lasted in cultures up to 35 passages, and expressed GFP gene upon transfection with a GFP gene containing plasmid vector. The karyotype analysis of 65-dpm tissue derived cells revealed a normal female karyotype without any genetic aberrations. These results suggest that normal proliferative cells can be recovered from sheep skin up to about 2 months postmortem, if kept refrigerated.
PSXVI-16 The quality of cows’ oocyte derived at different timing regimens of transvaginal follicular puncture
Authors: Chinarov Roman , Singina Galina , Taradajnik Nikolay , Pozyabin Sergey
Published: October 2021

Recovery of oocytes from live animals through ultrasound-guided transvaginal follicular aspiration (Ovum Pick-Up, OPU) is an essential element of modern livestock development. The aim of our work was to study the effect of two different timing regimens on the quality of oocytes, recovered from cycled Simmental heifers (n = 4). Follicle aspirations were performed once a week (1/w) or twice a week (2/w). The same donor animals were used for each timing regimens. 228 and 224 follicles were aspirated at 2/w and 1/w regimen, respectively, and 280 cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were recovered (140 COCs at each of timing regimen), which corresponds to the recovery rate of 61.4±5.9% and 62.1±6.3%. On average, 4.4 oocytes were received from each donor per session. We observed a significant increase by 1.2 times (P < 0.05) of the proportion of OPU-oocytes of good quality, which were characterized by normal morphology, when performing the procedure in the 2/w compared to 1/w regimen (65.7±4.0% vs. 53.6±3.0% of the total number of recovered oocytes, respectively). The proportion of oocytes at the MII stage of meiosis after 24 hours of maturation was similar in both groups: 73.3±5.6% (2/w regimen) and 74.7±2.4% (1/w regimen). Proportion of oocytes with signs of apoptotic changes was also not significantly differed between the groups: 8.0±3.1 and 9.8±3.3%, respectively. We did not observe the effect of the frequency of OPU sessions on the embryo cleavage rate (on average 63.5%) and the blastocysts development rate (on average 16.7%). Our data will be used to optimize the timing regimen of oocyte retrieval from living Simmental donor heifers. The studies were performed under financial support of the RFBR (project No. 20-316-90003) and the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
PSV-B-19 Dietary choline supplementation increases transmethylation through the one-carbon cycle in overweight cats
Authors: Rankovic Alexandra , Godfrey Hannah , Grant Caitlin E , Shoveller Anna-Kate , Bakovic Marica , Kirby Gordon , Verbrugghe Adronie
Published: October 2021

The objective of this study was to determine the dose-response relationship between dietary choline intake and one-carbon cycle activity in overweight cats at maintenance energy requirements. This study was approved by the University of Guelph Animal Care Committee (AUP#4118). Overweight (body condition score:≥6/9) adult male neutered cats (n = 14) received each of five choline chloride doses individually for three weeks in a 5x5 latin square design. Doses were based on body weight (BW) and the daily recommended allowance (RA) for choline for adult cats (63 mg/kg BW0.67). Doses were: 2xRA (126 mg/kg BW0.67), 4xRA (252 mg/kg BW0.67), 6xRA (378 mg/kg BW0.67), 8xRA (504 mg/kg BW0.67), and control (no additional choline). Choline was administered onto the commercial extruded cat food (3620 mg choline/kg diet), given once a day at maintenance energy requirements (130 kcal/kg BW0.4). Fasted serum samples were analyzed for metabolomics through quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and direct infusion mass spectrometry (DI-MS) at the end of each period. Data was analyzed using proc GLIMMIX in SAS, with group and period as the random effects, and dose as the fixed effect. Statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05. Tukey’s post-hoc test was performed to assess multiple comparisons. Choline at 6x and 8x RA appears to increase transmethylation through the one-carbon cycle, as suggested by increased serum betaine, dimethylglycine (DMG) and methionine (P < 0.05). Carnitine, methylated by s-adenosylmethionine (SAM), increased (P < 0.05). Serine and threonine, precursors for the biosynthesis of homocysteine, appear to have been spared (P < 0.05). Supplemental dietary choline (6x and 8xRA) may be beneficial for overweight cats, as it may increase activity of the one-carbon cycle and methyl status; which are necessary for hepatic function. To better understand the impact of choline on methylation reactions, the quantification of specific proteins, gene expression and/or conversion rates is required.
PSVII-23 Experimental evaluation of the effectiveness of the Quercus cortex extract in the carp feeding system
Authors: Miroshnikova Mariya , Miroshnikova Elena , Sizentsov Alexey , Arinzhanov Azamat , Kilyakova Yuliya
Published: October 2021

One of the most promising ways to improve the effectiveness of fish farming is the use of phytobiotics in the diet of fish. On this basis, we set the aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the Quercus cortex extract in the concentration of 1 mg/kg on biological features and the productivity of carp. The object of the research was yearling carp grown in the conditions of Orenburgskiy Osetr LLC. Two groups (n = 20) were formed by the method of analogs to conduct the research. After the adaption period (7 days), the groups came to the experimental period (35 days). The feed KRK-110–1 produced by PJSC Orenburg Combined-Feed Plant was used as the basal diet. The live fish were monitored weekly by individual weighing during the accounting period. The elemental composition was determined by the method of atomic emission and mass spectrometry (ICP-AES and ICP-MS). The microflora analysis was carried out by the method of metagenomic sequencing. The use of the Quercus cortex extract in the diet in the studied concentration increased body weight by 15.1% (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the control group. There was experimentally revealed a stimulating effect on the population growth of individual representatives of the microbiome (Luteolibacter, Lactococcus) (P ≤ 0.05) without significantly changing the overall picture of the microbial profile, which, in our view, affects the metabolic processes, in particular, by stimulating the formation of biologically available forms of essential elements and their subsequent accumulation in the tissues of the studied fish. Thus, the experimental group found: (against the background of an increase in the total mineralization (ash residue) by 17.95 % (P ≤ 0.05)) the calcium content increased by 133.9% (P ≤ 0.05), phosphorus by 83% (P ≤ 0.05), iron by 337.7% (P ≤ 0.05), respectively, in comparison with the control group.
PSXI-17 Performance of beef cattle overwintered on bale-grazed pasture or in a dry lot in south-central North Dakota
Authors: Undi Michael , Sedivec Kevin K K
Published: October 2021

The performance of beef cows managed in two overwintering environments, bale-grazed pasture or dry lot pens, was evaluated in a study conducted over four winters, from 2016 to 2019. Non-lactating pregnant Angus cows (2016, n = 32, body weight [BW] = 599 ± 68 kg; 2017, n = 40, BW = 620 ± 59 kg; 2018, n = 40, BW = 643 ± 47; 2019, n = 40, BW = 624 ± 30) were divided into four groups of similar body weight and randomly assigned to either bale grazing paddocks or dry lot pens. Cows in both housing scenarios were fed the same hay (7.5% CP; 51.7% TDN). Two-day body weights were taken at the start and end of the study. Two independent observers assigned body condition score (BCS) using a 9-point system (1 = emaciated, 9 = obese at the start and end of the study. Keeping cows on pasture or in dry lot pens did not influence (P > 0.05) final BW and BCS. However, daily gains and BCS change were greater (P ≤ 0.05) in bale-grazed cows relative to cows kept in dry lot pens. Birth weights, weaning weights and daily gains of calves from cows kept in the two overwintering environments were similar (P > 0.05). This study suggests that there are no advantages to keeping cows in dry lot pens in winter as long as cows are protected from wind and have adequate access to water and feed. In certain situations, such as in blizzards, it may be an advantage to keep cows on pasture where they can access feed since challenging weather conditions can prevent access to cows in dry lot pens.
PSXI-21 Soil emission of carbon dioxide and behavior of microorganisms in soils of Western Kazakhstan
Authors: Nagiyeva Aliya , Sergaliyev Nurlan , Bissembayev Anuarbek T
Published: October 2021

Kazakhstan Western ecosystems are intensively used in agricultural production. Assessing greenhouse gas emissions from soils, especially CO2, is important. In the upper stages, microbiology, characteristics and condition of the soil change. Biological intensity indicators are soil respiration processes, numerous microbiocenoses species composition. Soil CO2 emissions were measured 5 times monthly during three years. The CO2 flow rate from soil surface is measured by a closed dynamic chamber method with Li-8100A field respirometer. Metagenomic soil testing used bacteria DNA, archaea, real-time PCR, 16SrRNA sequencing. The soil CO2 monthly dynamics fluxes varied among the lands, within the season. In 2020, the CO2 emissions soil peak noted in the pasture. There is a slight decline in summer with a decrease towards the cold season. Comparison between the CO2 flux pasture soils is less in virgin soil. The minimum CO2 flux was recorded in November - February; in the spring, the flux increases. The above CO2 emissions were recorded in summer. In soils, there is wide variety of microorganisms with opposite and incompatible properties for one habitat. The microbial communities structure identified at the family level. The taxonomic samples structure ominated by phylae - Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria. The spread explained by increased actinomycetes resistance characteristic to low moisture content with long dry period. For comparative evaluation microbial communities results comparing by cenoses of upper horizons with dark chestnut soil indicators. This violation caused microorganisms resistance to disturbing factors. On anthropogenically disturbed saline soils, the bacteria found were specific and resistant to critical conditions. CO2 emission in soil varied cenosis type. The CO2 intensity factors were precipitation deficit, high temperature. The profile microorganisms distribution corresponded to the soil horizons humus content. During summer soil drying, the deep soil horizons abundance occurred where moisture is retained.
PSII-B-27 miRNA transcriptome of lamb skeletal muscle during hypertrophic growth from mid-gestation to market weight
Authors: Greene Maslyn A , Britt Jessica , Justice S Maggie M , Duckett Susan K
Published: October 2021

The objective of this study was to characterize the miRNA transcriptome of the longissimus muscle during skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Longissimus samples were collected from Suffolk x Texel cross sheep at six developmental time points: Prenatal [gd 85 (PN1), 110 (PN2), and 133 (PN3)] and postnatal [preweaning (d 40; PW1), weaning (d 65; PW2), and maturity (57 kg; MKT)]. Total RNA was extracted for miRNA sequencing. Data were analyzed using a priori comparisons PN1 vs. PN2, PN2 vs. PN3, PN3 vs. PW1, PW1 vs. PW2, PW2 vs. MKT to examine stages of muscle hypertrophy. One hundred forty-two miRNAs were differentially expressed between the 5 comparisons made. The stage from PN3 to PW1 had the most differentially expressed miRNA (115). Examination of the differentially expressed miRNA also showed that 4 miRNA, miR-154a-3p, miR-3956-5p, miR-410-3p, and miR-431, had a log fold change greater than 3 and miR-22-3p had a log fold change greater than 4. Target genes of differentially expressed miRNA were identified and the functional associations of genes were assessed with GOseq. Between all 5 comparisons made, 195 terms were significantly enriched, 86 were from biological process, 42 were from cellular component, and 67 were from molecular function. The miRNA transcriptome of skeletal muscle changes with advancing development and the period from gd133 to d40 appears to have increased transcriptome alteration.
PSXII-28 Effects of the nutritional plane before and after breeding on performance of different hair sheep breeds
Authors: Belkasmi Farida , Lourencon Raquel V , Puchala Ryszard , Gipson Terry A , Ribeiro Luana , Dawson Lionel J , Encinas Fabiola L , Calle Mauricio , Goetsch Arthur L
Published: October 2021

Female hair sheep, 27 Dorper (DOR), 41 Katahdin (KAT), and 39 St. Croix (STC), were used to determine influences of nutritional planes before and after breeding on performance. There were 35 multiparous and 72 primiparous sheep, the latter 2.8±0.20 yr of age. Wheat straw [4% crude protein; dry matter (DM) basis] was consumed ad libitum and supplemented with approximately 0.25% initial body weight (BW) of soybean meal (SBM; Low) or a 1:3 mixture of SBM and rolled corn at 1% BW (High; DM). The supplementation period was 162 d, and with breeding of animals in 2 groups sequentially the pre-breeding period was 84 and 97 d and that after breeding began was 78 and 65 d. Wheat straw DM intake (1.75, 1.30, 1.57, 1.15, 1.80, and 1.38% BW; SEM=0.112), average daily gain (-46, 42, -44, 70, -47, and 51 g; SEM=7.3), and change in body condition score (-0.61, 0.36, -0.53, 0.27, -0.39, and -0.18 for DOR-Low, DOR-High, KAT-Low, KAT-High, STC-Low, and STC-High, respectively; SEM=0.058) were influenced (P < 0.05) by supplement treatment. Birth rate (66.7, 93.5, 84.6, 95.5, 82.8, and 100.0; SEM=9.83) and individual lamb birth weight (4.50, 4.61, 4.28, 3.98, 3.73, and 3.88 kg; SEM=0.201) were not affected by supplement treatment (P = 0.063 and 0.787, respectively), although litter size (0.92, 1.21, 1.17, 1.86, 1.12, and 1.82; SEM=0.221) and total litter birth weight (5.84, 5.74, 5.92, 7.52, 5.04, and 6.78 kg for DOR-Low, DOR-High, KAT-Low, KAT-High, STC-Low, and STC-High, respectively; SEM=0.529) were greater (P < 0.05) for High than for Low. In conclusion, although there was some compensation in wheat straw intake for the different levels of supplementation, SBM given alone rather than with cereal grain adversely affected body weight and condition and reproductive performance, the latter primarily through litter size but also via a trend for an effect on birth rate.
PSIX-21 Assessment of barrier function and cell junctional expression on differentiated intestinal porcine epithelial cells in response to Salmonella LPS challenge and treatment with Yeast cell wall products
Authors: Browne Niall , Daly Daniel , Horgan Karina
Published: October 2021

Mannan rich fractions were previously demonstrated to improve junctional gene expression which can reduce leaky intestinal tracts that facilitate bacterial infection in piglets. The work here assessed MRF and other yeast mannan products’ effects on intestinal barrier function in response to bacterial challenge from Salmonella LPS. Differentiated IPEC cells were grown to 14 days until a trans-epithelial electrical resistance reading (TEER) of ~ 4500 Ohms/cm2 was reached. Prior to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (1µg/mL) challenge, cells were pre-treated and post-treated with MRF or yeast products A, B, and C (16mg/mL). Post treated cells were lysed in RLT buffer and RNA isolated (RNeasy). RIN values above 7 were used to synthesise cDNA (SuperScript®-III). Junctional genes Occludin, Claudin3 and Tight junction protein1 (TJP1) were assessed by qPCR (Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast). TNFα proinflammatory secretion was measured by ELISA. Three independent biological replicates were performed, with One-way ANOVA carried out unless stated otherwise. TEER results showed MRF significantly recovered barrier function (5090.3±187.0, P ≤ 0.05) over the positive control (PC) (3754.2±605.8) while product A (3502.5±182.7749), B (3414.289±733.8854) and C (3938.4±491.4) demonstrated no significant improvement to the PC. MRF treated cells were significantly higher for Claudin3 gene expression (1.33±0.18, P ≤ 0.05) over the control (0.671661±0.277) and treatments A (0.53±0.16, P ≤ 0.05), B (0.91±0.18, P ≤ 0.05) and C (0.69±0.25, P ≤ 0.05). Occludin expression was significantly higher in MRF treated cells (1.09±0.01, P ≤ 0.05) over the PC (0.89±0.09, P ≤ 0.05) and treatment B (0.88±0.04, P ≤ 0.05). TJP-1 gene expression was highest in the MRF treated cells (1.30±0.41) but not significantly, compared to the PC (1.00±0.14). TNFα (pg/mL) protein secretion was significantly lower in both the MRF treated (0.0809±0.86x10-3, P ≤ 0.05) and treatment C 0.081±0.18 x10-3, P ≤ 0.05) over the PC (0.0813±0.22x10-3). MRF augmented junctional expression improving TEER readings and potentially lessened LPS intracellular leakage that led to lower proinflammatory protein secretion. The present study highlights differences in efficacy of a variety of yeast cell wall products.
The southern hemisphere narrow-line seyfert 1 infrared survey
Authors: Durré Mark , Mould Jeremy
Published: October 2021

We present a near-infrared spectroscopic survey of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies in the Southern hemisphere (using the SOFI instrument on the ESO-NTT telescope), sampled from optical surveys. We examine the kinematics of the broad-line region (BLR), probed by the emission line width of hydrogen (Pa α and H β). We observed 57 objects, of which we could firmly measure Pa α in 49 cases. We find that a single Lorentzian fit (preferred on theoretical grounds) is preferred over multicomponent Gaussian fits to the line profiles; a lack of narrow-line region emission, overwhelmed by the pole-on view of the BLR light, supports this. We recompute the catalogue black hole (BH) mass estimates, using the values of full width half-maximum and luminosity of H β, both from catalogue values and re-fitted Lorentzian values. We find a relationship slope greater than unity compared to the catalogue values. We ascribe this to contamination by galactic light or difficulties with line flux measurements. However, the comparison of masses computed by the fitted Lorentzian and Gaussian measurements show a slope close to unity. Comparing the BH masses estimated from both Pa α and H β, the line widths and fluxes shows deviations from expected; in general, however, the computed BH masses are comparable. We posit a scenario where an intermixture of dusty and dust-free clouds (or alternately a structured atmosphere) differentially absorbs the line radiation of the BLR, due to dust absorption and hydrogen bound-free absorption.
Protoplanet collisions: Statistical properties of ejecta
Authors: Crespi Samuele , Dobbs-Dixon Ian , Georgakarakos Nikolaos , Haghighipour Nader , Maindl Thomas I , Schäfer Christoph M , Winter Philip Matthias
Published: October 2021

The last phase of the formation of rocky planets is dominated by collisions among Moon- to Mars-sized planetary embryos. Simulations of this phase need to handle the difficulty of including the post-impact material without saturating the numerical integrator. A common approach is to include the collision-generated material by clustering it into few bodies with the same mass and uniformly scattering them around the collision point. However, this approach oversimplifies the properties of the collision material by neglecting features that can play important roles in the final structure and composition of the system. In this study, we present a statistical analysis of the orbital architecture, mass, and size distributions of the material generated through embryo–embryo collisions and show how they can be used to develop a model that can be directly incorporated into the numerical integrations. For instance, results of our analysis indicate that the masses of the fragments follow an exponential distribution with an exponent of −2.21 ± 0.17 over the range of 10−7 to 2 × 10−2 Earth-masses. The distribution of the post-impact velocities show that a large number of fragments are scattered towards the central star. The latter is a new finding that may be quite relevant to the delivery of material from the outer regions of the asteroid belt to the accretion zones of terrestrial planets. Finally, we present an analytical model for the 2D distribution of fragments that can be directly incorporated into numerical integrations.
Timely termination of repair DNA synthesis by ATAD5 is important in oxidative DNA damage-induced single-strand break repair
Authors: Park Su Hyung , Kim Youyoung , Ra Jae Sun , Wie Min woo , Kang Mi-Sun , Kang Sukhyun , Myung Kyungjae , Lee Kyoo-young
Published: October 2021

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generate oxidized bases and single-strand breaks (SSBs), which are fixed by base excision repair (BER) and SSB repair (SSBR), respectively. Although excision and repair of damaged bases have been extensively studied, the function of the sliding clamp, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), including loading/unloading, remains unclear. We report that, in addition to PCNA loading by replication factor complex C (RFC), timely PCNA unloading by the ATPase family AAA domain-containing protein 5 (ATAD5)-RFC–like complex is important for the repair of ROS-induced SSBs. We found that PCNA was loaded at hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-generated direct SSBs after the 3′-terminus was converted to the hydroxyl moiety by end-processing enzymes. However, PCNA loading rarely occurred during BER of oxidized or alkylated bases. ATAD5-depleted cells were sensitive to acute H2O2 treatment but not methyl methanesulfonate treatment. Unexpectedly, when PCNA remained on DNA as a result of ATAD5 depletion, H2O2-induced repair DNA synthesis increased in cancerous and normal cells. Based on higher H2O2-induced DNA breakage and SSBR protein enrichment by ATAD5 depletion, we propose that extended repair DNA synthesis increases the likelihood of DNA polymerase stalling, shown by increased PCNA monoubiquitination, and consequently, harmful nick structures are more frequent.
Efficacy and Utilization of Smartphone Applications for Smoking Cessation Among American Indians and Alaska Natives: Results From the iCanQuit Trial
Authors: Santiago-Torres Margarita , Mull Kristin E , Sullivan Brianna M , Kwon Diana M , Nez Henderson Patricia , Nelson Lonnie A , Patten Christi A , Bricker Jonathan B
Published: October 2021

Introduction

There is tremendous need for efficacious and accessible interventions for smoking cessation among American Indians and Alaska Natives. We tested the efficacy of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based smartphone application (iCanQuit) versus US Clinical Practice Guidelines-based smartphone application (QuitGuide) for smoking cessation among American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Aims and Methods

We compared cessation, changes in ACT-based processes, engagement and satisfaction between American Indian and Alaska Native iCanQuit (n = 89) and QuitGuide (n = 80) participants enrolled in the iCanQuit trial. The primary outcome was self-reported, complete-case, 30-day point-prevalence abstinence. Follow-up timepoints were 12, 6, and 3 months.

Results

Randomized American Indians and Alaska Natives from 31 US states (70% urban, 30% rural, with 25% of participants residing on tribal land). The outcome data retention rates were 93%, 92%, and 90% at the 12-, 6-, and 3-month follow-ups, respectively, with no differential retention between arms. The 30-day point-prevalence abstinence for iCanQuit versus QuitGuide was 30% versus 18% at 12 months (odds ratio [OR] = 1.96; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90 to 4.26) 25% versus 11% at 6 months (OR = 2.62; 95% CI: 1.06 to 6.45), and 15% versus 6% at 3 months (OR = 2.93; 95% CI: 0.90 to 9.59). Increases in acceptance of internal cues to smoke mediated the effect of treatment on smoking cessation at 12 months. iCanQuit arm participants were also significantly more engaged and satisfied with their assigned application.

Conclusions

In a nationwide sample with high data retention and participant engagement, this is the first study to show that a digital intervention may be efficacious for helping American Indians and Alaska Natives quit smoking.

Implications

This is the first study to provide evidence of an efficacious, accessible, and engaging treatment for helping American Indians and Alaska Natives quit smoking. Compared to a US Clinical Practice Guidelines-based smartphone application (QuitGuide), an ACT-based smartphone application (iCanQuit) was more efficacious, engaging, and satisfactory among American Indians and Alaska Natives nationwide. Our results will inform the tailoring of the iCanQuit smartphone application for American Indian and Alaska Native tribal communities and organizations with potential for broad dissemination and high impact.
The role of vitamin B12 in viral infections: a comprehensive review of its relationship with the muscle–gut–brain axis and implications for SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Batista Kamila S , Cintra Vanessa M , Lucena Paulo A F , Manhães-de-Castro Raul , Toscano Ana E , Costa Larissa P , Queiroz Maria E B S , de Andrade Suellen M , Guzman-Quevedo Omar , Aquino Jailane de S
Published: October 2021

This comprehensive review establishes the role of vitamin B12 as adjunct therapy for viral infections in the treatment and persistent symptoms of COVID-19, focusing on symptoms related to the muscle–gut–brain axis. Vitamin B12 can help balance immune responses to better fight viral infections. Furthermore, data from randomized clinical trials and meta-analysis indicate that vitamin B12 in the forms of methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin may increase serum vitamin B12 levels, and resulted in decreased serum methylmalonic acid and homocysteine concentrations, and decreased pain intensity, memory loss, and impaired concentration. Among studies, there is much variation in vitamin B12 doses, chemical forms, supplementation time, and administration routes. Larger randomized clinical trials of vitamin B12 supplementation and analysis of markers such as total vitamin B12, holotranscobalamin, total homocysteine and methylmalonic acid, total folic acid, and, if possible, polymorphisms and methylation of genes need to be conducted with people with and without COVID-19 or who have had COVID-19 to facilitate the proper vitamin B12 form to be administered in individual treatment.
The relative importance of work-related psychosocial factors in physician burnout
Authors: Gluschkoff K , Hakanen J J , Elovainio M , Vänskä J , Heponiemi T
Published: October 2021

Background

Identifying the most significant risk factors for physician burnout can help to define the priority areas for burnout prevention. However, not much is known about the relative importance of these risk factors.

Aims

This study was aimed to examine the relative importance of multiple work-related psychosocial factors in predicting burnout dimensions among physicians.

Methods

In a cross-sectional sample of 2423 Finnish physicians, dominance analysis was used to estimate the proportionate contribution of psychosocial factors to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. The psychosocial factors included job demands (time pressure, patient-related stress, lack of support, stress related to information systems, work–family conflict) and job resources (job control, team climate, organizational justice).

Results

Together, psychosocial factors explained 50% of the variance in emotional exhaustion, 24% in depersonalization and 11% in reduced professional efficacy. Time pressure was the most important predictor of emotional exhaustion (change in total variance explained ΔR2 = 45%), and patient-related stress was the most important predictor of both depersonalization (ΔR2 = 52%) and reduced professional accomplishment (ΔR2 = 23%). Stress related to information systems was the least important predictor of the burnout dimensions (ΔR2 = 1–2%).

Conclusions

Psychosocial factors in physicians’ work are differently associated with the dimensions of burnout. Among the factors, the most significant correlates of burnout are job demands in the form of time pressure and patient-related stress.
Germany
Authors: Herold Katharina
Published: October 2021

The idea of German decadence cannot be contained by a single term. Its temporal, linguistic, and geographical reach requires further definition and suggests a plurality of decadent forms. This re-definition also includes a revisionary view of the perception of German decadence as understood by predominantly male writers and artists. This article addresses these issues by focusing on the work of two female writers, Franziska zu Reventlow (1871–1918) and Ruth Landshoff-Yorck (1904–1966), whose cultural activities span the two most significant eras of German decadence, the Wilhelmine Empire (1890–1918) and the Weimar Republic (1918–1933). Both participated in the bohemian lifestyles of their respective eras, but they also produced a body of writing in a range of literary genres that brought fresh gender perspectives to a culture of decadence otherwise dominated by male authors. Together, the two women help to clarify the paradoxically vitalist nature of German decadence.
Social Organization, Macro Phenomena, and Symbolic Interactionism
Authors: McGinty Patrick J. W.
Published: October 2021

This chapter analyzes the study of social organization within the interactionist perspective as a historically conditioned pursuit as well as a conditioning influence on the interactionist analysis of macro phenomena. The argument demonstrates that while the development of the social-organization concept helped to focus scholarly attention on the interactionist analysis of macro phenomena, the explicitly interactionist study of social organization and macro phenomena in contemporary sociology is suffering from a lack of attention—despite it having been a significant part of the interactionist toolkit from the earliest expressions of the perspective. The chapter identifies a number of the interactionist analyses of macro phenomena, and the chapter concludes with a set of directions for future development and reinvigorating of the interactionist analyses of social organization and macro phenomena.
The Peninsula Campaign and Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley, 1862
Authors: Stowe Christopher S.
Published: October 2021

The 1862 Peninsula and Shenandoah Valley campaigns were transformative events for those who experienced the escalation of the Civil War in both size and scope. Its battles, the first in Virginia employing mass, people’s armies, marked the emergence of the famed command relationship between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Maj. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. For the Federals, the operations exacerbated differences between Northern radicals and the Union’s principal eastern commander, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan. Adhering to the early war policy of conciliation in the occupied South, McClellan and other federal officers and soldiers confronted a resistant White population, engendering retaliation from Union troops, while African American slaves flocked to Northern arms for protection and support. This, when coupled with Jackson’s stunning battlefield victories in the Shenandoah Valley and McClellan’s painstaking operational approach upon the Peninsula, frustrated President Abraham Lincoln and sharpened the ongoing debate over federal confiscation policy and emancipation.
The Battle of Fredericksburg
Authors: Myers Barton A.
Published: October 2021

The December 13, 1862, Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, marked the defeat of Union Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside’s Army of the Potomac by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, an important setback for the Union cause and military effort to seize the Confederate capital city of Richmond, Virginia. The battle and military campaign preceding it, which occurred primarily along the Rappahannock River at the city of Fredericksburg and in adjacent Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, was the most lopsided victory the Army of Northern Virginia achieved during the American Civil War, with the Union Army sustaining combat casualties equivalent to more than double those suffered by Confederates. The campaign also saw the use of urban combat, military occupation, and the direct role of civilians at the center of the November and December military maneuvers around the city, which was positioned approximately equidistant between Washington, D.C., and Richmond. Principal battle locations included the Confederate position of Lt. Gen. James Longstreet’s corps on Marye’s Heights behind the city, the Union artillery position on Stafford Heights, the position of Lt. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s Confederate corps at Prospect Hill south of the city of Fredericksburg, and the Rappahannock River itself, which was crossed only after Union engineers built a pontoon bridge under fire. The campaign is noted for Union Army shelling of the city itself as a military position, the failed, multiwave Union infantry assaults against fortified positions, and the destruction of property on December 12 as the town itself was sacked.
Grant’s North Mississippi Campaign, Chickasaw Bayou, and the Bottomlands
Authors: Hess Earl J.
Published: October 2021

Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s North Mississippi Campaign (November 1862 until January 1863) planted a powerful Federal army only a few miles north of Vicksburg. The most important Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River, Vicksburg was the key to control of the valley that split the Confederacy in two. Grant failed to capture it, but he opened a two-hundred-mile stretch of the valley from Memphis to Vicksburg for federal exploitation. From January to the end of April 1863, during the Bottomlands phase of Grant’s campaign, his men confiscated food and animals from the region, collected slaves as laborers and soldiers, and cared for Black women and children. Federal agents worked abandoned plantations with refugee Black labor. Temporarily stymied in capturing Vicksburg, the Federals reaped benefits from the fertile Mississippi Delta land they occupied, broke down the institution of slavery, and made effective Lincoln’s new directions in war policy.
The Overland Campaign
Authors: Frank Lisa Tendrich , Simpson Brooks D.
Published: October 2021

This chapter recasts the military history of the Overland Campaign in ways that reveal the blurred boundaries between homefront and battlefront. The campaign, which took place in Virginia during spring 1864, began in the Wilderness and ended with Cold Harbor. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant directed major elements of the U.S. Army in operations against Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. The contours of the fighting and its importance were shaped by the constant interaction of free Whites and enslaved African American civilians, men and women, as well as by the national political context in which Lincoln ran for and ultimately won reelection. As part of the campaign’s design, U.S. soldiers invaded homesteads, destroyed the landscapes of towns and farms, looted and foraged what they needed while they destroyed any surplus, and otherwise terrorized civilians by their presence. When the campaign ended, Grant’s forces had pinned Lee against Richmond and Petersburg, eventually leading to the capture of the Confederate capital the following April.
Industry Dynamics and Path Dependencies
Authors: Sydow Jörg , Schreyögg Georg , Endo Takahiro
Published: October 2021

Industry dynamics are about stability and change on the field level of analysis. This chapter uses the lens of path dependence to study the emergent field of renewable energy. On this level of analysis, path dependence theory has to address not only technological but also organizational and institutional dynamics that intricately interact. More specifically, by means of such a multi-dimensional lens, this chapter will look at the increasing generation of electric energy through wind power to illustrate different industry dynamics in four countries. The United Kingdom and Japan will illustrate the persistence of an established path in generating electric energy through fossil fuels and nuclear, while the German and, more tenuously, Chinese cases serve as examples for path-breaking change and the conditions making the emergence of renewables, and in particular wind energy, possible.