bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Political Purpose and the Development of Mediatisation: Considering Media Representations and News Management During the Coal Dispute of 1984-5
Authors: Myers Frances
Published: February 2023

One major contestation of mediatisation is insufficient empirical historiography of its development, particularly in light of claims for its value in understanding political and social change and the processes of change. This article seeks to add to evidence on concept development by considering a single transformation from mediation towards mediatisation in public communication processes as an example of its phased development at the juncture of press and politics. Using a historical case framework from the British Coal Dispute of 1984-5 to consider political change agency, it explores print media representations of union activity and union leadership to examine how the Conservative government used the media as a proxy in seeking to change public attitudes toward industrial relations. Using three themes from the 1977 Stepping Stones strategy, the article discusses how media outlets were used as a vehicle for purposeful political communication.
Link between emotional and external eating behaviors, peripheral neuropeptide Y, and β-hydroxybutyrate in participants with obesity on 12-week ketogenic diet
Authors: Černelič-Bizjak Maša , Kenig Saša , Petelin Ana , Jenko-Pražnikar Zala , Mohorko Nina
Published: February 2023

Objective: Understanding the impact of stress on emotional and external eating behaviors and the psychological and the associated metabolic factors can help in designing subsequent interventions to protect health. In particular, psychological trait-like construct related to eating has been shown to be an important target for intervention. Methods and measures: This study aimed to investigate the biochemical variables associated with a decrease in emotional and external eating behaviors due to 12-week ketogenic diet (12KD) in 35 adult participants (12 males) with obesity. Results: Absolute changes in emotional and external eating were independent of changes in body mass, nutritional intake, and Δ cortisol, but were predicted with increases in serum β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and decreases in serum peripheral neuropeptide Y (pNPY) (all p’s < 0.050). Decrease in pNPY was also associated with an increase in BHB but was independent of anthropometrical changes, Δ fasting glucose, and Δ insulin. Conclusion: The reductions in emotional and external eating behaviors in participants with obesity were uniquely predicted by an increase in BHB and a decrease in pNPY after 12KD. In ketosis, emotional and external eating dropped independently of body mass change. Change in pNPY predicted changes in emotional and external eating. The role of BHB in modulating eating behavior should be further explored.
Words for Sale: Linguistic Complexity Associates with Higher Housing Prices in Online Realty Advertisements
Authors: Markowitz David M.
Published: February 2023

Prior work suggests when instrumental goals are salient, linguistic complexity associates with positive behavioral outcomes compared to linguistic simplicity. The current work tested this idea using descriptions from over 1,000 online realty advertisements to associate with housing prices. The evidence suggested linguistic complexity (e.g., fewer common words, more analytic writing, and less readable writing) indeed associated with higher housing prices. These data explicated the contingent-on-effort hypothesis: linguistic complexity is favored when people value effort in a particular setting.
Book Review: Riho Isaka, Language, Identity, and Power in Modern India: Gujarat, c. 1850-1960
Authors: Shodhan Amrita
Published: February 2023

Riho Isaka, Language, Identity, and Power in Modern India: Gujarat, c. 1850-1960 (London and New York: Routledge, 2022), xii + 193 pp.
Book Review: Koichi Fujita and Tsukasa Mizushima (Eds), Sustainable Development in India: Groundwater Irrigation, Energy Use, and Food Production
Authors: Sahu Rama Shankar
Published: February 2023

Koichi Fujita and Tsukasa Mizushima (Eds), Sustainable Development in India: Groundwater Irrigation, Energy Use, and Food Production (Abingdon: Routledge, 2020), xvii + 248 pp.
Perceptions on the use of distance learning by families of children with visual impairment and deafblindness
Authors: Parker Amy T , Inman Angelica , Yeung Faith , Ostrander Kelsey , Bullen Matt
Published: February 2023

The purpose of our qualitative study was to explore what distance-based teaching and learning practices have been supportive to students with visual impairments and their families. Using purposive sampling, interviews, and qualitative analysis, we found that supportive approaches for distance learning (DL) included parental involvement and participation, as well as tailored instructional approaches and accommodations for the student. In some instances, DL was identified as being more supportive for immune-compromised children. Negative facets of the practice included diminished richness in socializing, and the lack of certain strengths of in-person education. Families’ experiences ranged from finding DL helpful, to considering the practice as unfit for their child’s education, as well as a poor fit for family life. Flags for future research include family preparation for future DL needs, including culturally-diverse families in research opportunities, and evaluating what DL supports lead to improved outcomes for children and families.
Alternating direction method of multipliers-based distributed control for distributed manipulation by shaping physical force fields
Authors: Gurtner Martin , Zemánek Jiří , Hurák Zdeněk
Published: February 2023

This paper proposes an algorithm for decomposing and possibly distributing an optimization problem that naturally emerges in distributed manipulation by shaping physical force fields through actuators distributed in space (arrays of actuators). One or several manipulated objects located in this field can “feel the force” and move simultaneously and independently. The control system has to produce commands for all actuators so that desired forces are developed at several prescribed places. This can be formulated as an optimization problem that has to be solved in every sampling period. Exploiting the structure of the optimization problem is crucial for platforms with many actuators and many manipulated objects, hence the goal of decomposing the huge optimization problem into several subproblems. Furthermore, if the platform is composed of interconnected actuator modules with computational capabilities, the decomposition can give guidance for the distribution of the computation to the modules. We propose an algorithm for decomposing/distributing the optimization problem using Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM). The proposed algorithm is shown to converge to modest accuracy for various distributed platforms in a few iterations. We demonstrate our algorithm through numerical experiments corresponding to three physical experimental platforms for distributed manipulation using electric, magnetic, and pressure fields. Furthermore, we deploy and test it on real experimental platforms for distributed manipulation using an array of solenoids and ultrasonic transducers.
A Multidimensional Assessment of a Novel Adaptive Versus Traditional Passive Ankle Sprain Protection Systems
Authors: Willwacher Steffen , Bruder Anna , Robbin Johanna , Kruppa Jakob , Mai Patrick
Published: February 2023

Background:

Ankle braces aim to reduce lateral ankle sprains. Next to protection, factors influencing user compliance, such as sports performance, motion restriction, and users’ perceptions, are relevant for user compliance and thus injury prevention. Novel adaptive protection systems claim to change their mechanical behavior based on the intensity of motion (eg, the inversion velocity), unlike traditional passive concepts of ankle bracing.

Purpose:

To compare the performance of a novel adaptive brace with 2 passive ankle braces while considering protection, sports performance, freedom of motion, and subjective perception.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

The authors analyzed 1 adaptive and 2 passive (one lace-up and one rigid brace) ankle braces, worn in a low-cut, indoor sports shoe, which was also the no-brace reference condition. We performed material testing using an artificial ankle joint system at high and low inversion velocities. Further, 20 male, young, healthy team sports athletes were analyzed using 3-dimensional motion analysis in sports-related movements to address protection, sports performance, and active range of motion dimensions. Participants rated subjective comfort, stability, and restriction experienced when using the products.

Results:

Subjective stability rating was not different between the adaptive and passive systems. The rigid brace was superior in restricting peak inversion during the biomechanical testing compared with the passive braces. However, in the material test, the adaptive brace increased its stiffness by approximately 400% during the fast compared with the slow inversion velocities, demonstrating its adaptive behavior and similar stiffness values to passive braces. We identified minor differences in sports performance tasks. The adaptive brace improved active ankle range of motion and subjective comfort and restriction ratings.

Conclusion:

The adaptive brace offered similar protective effects in high-velocity inversion situations to those of the passive braces while improving range of motion, comfort, and restriction rating during noninjurious motions.

Clinical Relevance:

Protection systems are only effective when used. Compared with traditional passive ankle brace technologies, the novel adaptive brace might increase user compliance by improving comfort and freedom of movement while offering similar protection in injurious situations.
Stability analysis of electrical magneto hydrodynamic stagnation point flow of Ag-Cu/water hybrid nanofluid over a permeable stretching/shrinking slendering sheet: Entropy generation
Authors: Jakeer Shaik , Reddy P Bala Anki
Published: February 2023

The current study emphasises the stability test of electrical magneto hydrodynamic stagnation point flow of hybrid nanofluids with entropy generation in the existence of velocity and thermal slips over a porous slendering stretchable sheet. A mathematical modelling of [Formula: see text]/water hybrid nanofluid has been explored. Heat transfer proficiency of airplane wings is evaluated with the inclusion of distinguished effects like viscous dissipation and solar-based thermal radiation, so we included them in this article. Using suitable self-similarity transformations, the system of the fluid transport equations are converted into an ordinary differential system, which are determined by utilising the bvp4c in MATLAB software. The achieved outcomes are expressed as the skin friction, Nusselt number, velocity, temperature, Bejan number, entropy generation and streamlines with an influence of diverse physical parameters. The boundary-layer separation happens when the number of results fails to happen ahead of the critical value of the contracting parameter. To show the effect on flow and heat transfer of appropriate parameters, graphs are used. Stability is shown to be better in solution one than in the second, according to the results. The wall thickness variable augmented the velocity profile of the hybrid nanofluid for the first solution and a contrary for the second solution. Higher values of the thermal radiation parameter resulted in enhanced temperatures in the first and second solutions. It is also observed that the rate of heat transfer in the first solution increased as the electric field value increased.
Influence of surface features on the perception of nonadjacent musical phrases
Authors: Spyra Joanna , Woolhouse Matthew
Published: February 2023

Although temporally nonadjacent key relationships (e.g., Key X →Key Y→ Key X) are ubiquitous within tonal music, the full extent to which they are perceived is uncertain. Previous research suggests that memory for an initial key remains active up to 20 s after modulation; however, homophonic textures were used in these studies, leaving open the possibility that surface features such as figuration may contribute to nonadjacency effects. In two experiments, we investigated this issue by measuring goodness of completion ratings for stimuli in which musical surface features were manipulated. Two types of surface feature were tested: figuration and activity (total number of notes per stimulus). Stimuli were composed of three parts: (1) nonadjacent section (in either the same or a different key to the probe); (2) intervening section (in a different key to the probe); and (3) probe (a cadence in either the same or different key as the nonadjacent section). In Experiment 1, we tested whether the presence of surface features resulted in higher goodness of completion ratings for the probe; in Experiment 2, we manipulated nonadjacent key relationships to ascertain the effect of surface features on global perception of key. Results showed that figuration and activity contributed to goodness of completion ratings, particularly in stimuli where these features matched each other in the nonadjacent sections. Moreover, the presence of surface features strengthened the perceived relationships between the keys of nonadjacent sections, thereby appearing to contribute to the global perception of phrase. In sum, although from an analytical perspective surface features are often considered to be less important hierarchically, our results indicate that they contribute significantly to the perception of nonadjacent key relationships.
A Systematic Analysis of Diaspora Tourism: Geographical Perspectives and Superdiversity
Authors: Liu Adrienne Tingyao , Williams Allan M. , Liu Anyu , Kim Yoo Ri , Lin Pearl M.C.
Published: February 2023

This review provides novel and timely insights into research in the field of diaspora tourism. The principal originality of this work lies in capturing the full extent and richness of research on this topic by looking beyond tourism journals and the term “diaspora tourism” to situate the review in a broader social science research domain. It also adds to the small number of systematic syntheses of existing research on diaspora tourism by addressing both the geographical dimensions of diaspora tourism and the superdiversity of diasporas. Uneven research coverage exists between diaspora tourism studies across disciplines and continents, reflecting the superdiversity of diasporas and creating challenges, as well as opportunities for theoretical and methodological discussion and convergence as the topic matures. Future research can address these issues through research on irregular immigrants with diverse immigration histories, cross-continental comparative studies, and longitudinal methods.
The impact of national tourism day festivals on inbound tourism: A spatial difference-in-differences approach
Authors: Gu Jiafeng
Published: February 2023

A comprehensive and accurate assessment of the policy effect of national tourism days is of great significance to further promote urban inbound tourism. Based on the panel data of 59 cities in China from 2000 to 2017, this paper evaluates the local and spatial spillover effects of the China Tourism Day policy on urban inbound tourism using a spatial difference-in-differences model based on the establishment of the China Tourism Day as a quasi-natural experiment. The study found that the China Tourism Day policy significantly increased the number of foreign tourists in cities but significantly reduced their average length of stay, with a positive spatial spillover effect on inbound tourism in surrounding cities.
GDF15plays a critical role in insulin secretion in INS-1 cells and human pancreatic islets
Authors: Mohammad Mohammad G , Saeed Rania , Mohammed Abdul Khader , Khalique Anila , Hamad Mohamad , El-Huneidi Waseem , Hamad Mawieh , Taneera Jalal
Published: February 2023

Mounting evidence points to a link between growth differentiation factor-15 ( GDF15) expression and the onset and progression of diabetes mellitus. However, the exact role of GDF15 in pancreatic β-cell function is unclear. To examine the role of GDF15 in β-cell function, bioinformatics analysis and functional experiments involving GDF15 silencing and overexpression were performed in INS-1 cells and human islets. Public microarray and RNA-seq expression data showed that islets obtained from diabetic donors express high levels of GDF15 compared to islets obtained from normal donors. Moreover, analysis of RNA-seq expression data revealed that GDF15 expression correlates positively with that of insulin ( INS), KCNJ11, GLUT1, MAFA, INSR and negatively with that of Glucokinase ( GCK) and Alpha-Ketoglutarate Dependent Dioxygenase ( FTO). No T2D-associated genetic variants in the GDF15 were found to pass genome-wide significance in the TIGER portal. Expression silencing of Gdf15 in INS-1 cells reduced insulin release, glucose uptake levels, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptosis levels. While Gdf15-silenced cells downregulated mRNA expression of Ins, Pdx1, Mafa, and Glut2 genes, its overexpression human islets was associated with increased insulin secretion and upregulated expression of MAFA and GLUT1 but not INS or GCK. Silencing of Pdx1 or Mafa in INS-1 cells did not affect the expression of GDF15. These findings suggest that GDF15 plays a significant role in pancreatic β-cell function.
Weighted gene co-expression network analysis reveals the hub genes associated with pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Wang Shengyan , Sun Dejun , Liu Chuanchuan , Guo Yong , Ma Jie , Ge Ri-li , Cui Sen
Published: February 2023

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a cardiopulmonary vascular disease that acutely endangers human health and can be fatal. It progresses rapidly and has a high mortality rate. Its pathophysiology is complicated and still not completely elucidated; therefore, achieving treatment breakthroughs are difficult. In this study, data from 58 normal controls and 135 patients with PH were extracted from the GSE24988, GSE113439, and GSE117261 datasets in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and screened for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In addition, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify the key modules and hub genes associated with PH. Eight PH-associated hub genes were identified. Furthermore, correlation analysis between immune cell infiltration and hub genes was performed, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that TARDBP had the best diagnostic efficacy. Moreover, a rat hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) model was generated, and the expression of hub genes in the lungs and pulmonary arteries of HPH rats was verified using western blotting assays. Our results showed that mTOR, PSMD2, RBM8A, SMARCA4, TARDBP, and UBXN7 were highly expressed in the lungs. In addition, EFTUD2, mTOR, RBM8A, SMARCA4, TARDBP, and UBXN7 were significantly upregulated, whereas DDB1 was significantly downregulated in the pulmonary arteries of HPH rats compared with those of controls. In conclusion, we identified PH hub genes with diagnostic and predictive value by performing WGCNA on data from the GEO database. Furthermore, we provided novel insights of PH that might be utilized to evaluate potential biomarker genes and therapeutic targets.
The Rationale and Logistics for Incorporating Community Health Workers Into the Multidisciplinary Team
Authors: Vaughan Elizabeth M. , Cepni Aliye B. , Le Uyen Phuong N. , Johnston Craig A.
Published: February 2023

Community Health Workers (CHWs) have shown value in diabetes care. CHWs are often the individuals who provide behavioral lifestyle intervention to underserved communities and are often the first to assist patients in gaining appropriate access to care. As trusted members of their communities, they have the ability to significantly impact psychosocial and biomedical outcomes, making them important members of the behavioral medicine team. However, lack of recognition of CHWs within multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) gives rise to the issue of the underutilization of their services. Therefore, barriers to including CHWs in MDTs including standardized training and strategies to overcome these are discussed.
Staying Motivated: The Study Protocol for a Life-Course Analysis of the Career Paths of Canadian Public Servants
Authors: Wranik Wiesława Dominika , McGowan Rosemary , DeRiviere Linda , Caron Isabelle , Grace Joan , Boulet Maude , Filbee Katherine Sara
Published: February 2023

All Canadians benefit from a high quality of public service delivery, which is directly related to the motivation of public servants. A top priority for governments is to attract and retain a public sector workforce that is motivated and enthusiastic to serve the public good. The Public Service Motivation (PSM) theory offers a framework for the analysis of motivations of public servants. Knowledge is lacking on how motivations of public servants change over time and are shaped by the life-course dynamics of identities, roles, inequalities, and experiences. Our goal is to chronicle the motivations of individuals over a life course, specifically from the onset of their career in the public service to their current career stage. We will contribute to PSM theory by combining it with the Life Course Theory (LCT). This will allow for the analysis of change in PSM over time and in relation to other life events. We aim to further our understanding of determinants of motivation of public servants by unveiling the dynamic, gendered, and diverse nature of PSM, and its interconnections with professional and personal lives. Our approach is qualitative. We will interview 100 alumni of graduate public administration programs in four Canadian institutions with reference to their graduate program admissions letter as a point of departure. During reflexive interviews, participants will co-analyse their admissions letters, where our role will be to guide them along the PSM framework. We will hear from study participants how their motivations changed since those expressed in their admissions letter, to what extent motivations over time were influenced by the events in their professional and personal lives, their identities, and roles in the workplace and in society, and their personal characteristics. Interview transcripts will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and interpreted jointly with the study participants.
Evaluation of the concentration of growth associated protein-43 and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor in degenerated intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral region of the spine
Authors: Staszkiewicz Rafał , Gralewski Marcin , Gładysz Dorian , Bryś Kamil , Garczarek Michał , Gadzieliński Marcin , Marcol Wiesław , Sobański Dawid , Grabarek Beniamin Oskar
Published: February 2023

Important neurotrophic factors that are potentially involved in degenerative intervertebral disc (IVD) disease of the spine’s lumbosacral (L/S) region include glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and growth associated protein 43 (GAP-43). The aim of this study was to determine and compare the concentrations of GAP-43 and GDNF in degenerated and healthy IVDs and to quantify and compare the GAP-43-positive and GDNF-positive nerve fibers. The study group consisted of 113 Caucasian patients with symptomatic lumbosacral discopathy (confirmed by a specialist surgeon), an indication for surgical treatment. The control group included 81 people who underwent postmortem examination. GAP-43 and GDNF concentrations were significantly higher in IVD samples from the study group compared with the control group, and the highest concentrations were observed in the degenerated IVDs that were graded 4 on the Pfirrmann scale. In the case of GAP-43, it was found that as the degree of IVD degeneration increased, the number of GAP-43-positive nerve fibers decreased. In the case of GDNF, the greatest number of fibers per mm2 of surface area was found in the IVD samples graded 3 on the Pfirrmann scale, and the number was found to be lower in samples graded 4 and 5. Hence, GAP-43 and GDNF are promising targets for analgesic treatment of degenerative IVD disease of the lumbosacral region of the spine.
Phytochemicals Against SARS-COV-2 Infection
Authors: Agrawal Pawan K. , Blunden Gerald
Published: February 2023

Natural Product Communications Special Collection “Phytochemicals against SARS-COV-2 Infection” accepted 13 manuscripts, represented by 2 reviews, 9 original articles, and 1 letter to the editor. These deal with the use of traditional medicines, the use of network pharmacology, and docking studies to identify active compounds with prominent binding to various receptors responsible for internalization and replication, such as ACE2, S-protein, Mpro, PLpro, RdRp, and NSP15 endoribonuclease, as well as the possible use of phytochemicals against virus-associated inflammation.
A New Protest Paradigm: Toward a Critical Approach to Protest News Analyses
Authors: Harlow Summer , Brown Danielle K.
Published: February 2023

Decades after the development of the “protest paradigm,” scholarship continues to question the applicability of the paradigm under different circumstances, rather than pushing forward a more holistic theory that more adequately addresses the roles of producers, consumers, and media products. In this introduction to the special issue on news and protest, we argue that the relevance and any potential future advances of the protest paradigm depend on the (re)incorporation of its critical foundations, making explicit analyses of power hierarchies, and offering solutions for better journalistic coverage of protests. The articles in this special issue are linked by a recognition of the limitations of the protest paradigm and highlight emerging opportunities for moving beyond the paradigm and for considering the interplay of power structures to better understand protest news coverage. Acknowledging the media's place in and contribution to power hierarchies allows us to move beyond the paradigm's origins and contribute to a more holistic understanding of journalists’ role in the legitimization of social struggles. In doing so, we advocate for scholars to reimagine what news coverage should look like when it comes to social protests struggling against historic and systemic inequities and injustices.
Practicing Musical Intention: The Effects of External Focus of Attention on Musicians’ Skill Acquisition
Authors: Williams Susan G. , van Ketel Joram E. , Schaefer Rebecca S.
Published: February 2023

Movement science research indicates that an external focus of attention benefits learning as well as performing movement. Despite these findings from the field of sports, research on the effects of external focus in music pedagogy is sparse, especially in naturalistic settings. This in-depth, small-sample study investigated the effect of external focus on musical learning in terms of accuracy, self-efficacy, confidence, motivation, and engagement, as well as the qualitative performance experience. Seven conservatoire (natural trumpet) students practiced challenging, unfamiliar pieces in short practice sessions using their normal practice methods, followed by a trial using the instructions of the Audiation Practice Tool (APT). This tool was developed to enhance auditory and kinaesthetic engagement as well as detailed musical intention through vivid imagination, singing, gesturing, playing, and seeking musical variation. Use of the APT resulted in higher performance accuracy than participants’ usual practice methods, and a non-significant trend for improvement in self-efficacy and confidence compared to practice as usual. Logbook scores were inconclusive on motivation and engagement; however, exit questionnaire answers showed that most participants experienced audiation or external focus as engaging and enjoyable. Although none of the participants initially favored external focus, participants generally intended to continue using elements of the APT. This study suggests that the use of external focus could be more explicit and prominent in teaching and in practicing music.
Global Warming in Pakistan and Its Impact on Public Health as Viewed Through a Health Equity Lens
Authors: Somani Rozina
Published: February 2023

Pakistan is extremely vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. The recent monsoon season caused widespread, deadly flooding, affecting 15% of the total population when extreme heat waves were followed by the worst rains and floods in the country's history. But Pakistan was not the cause of its own misfortune. The atmospheric buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) is the greatest contributor to climate change. If we look at the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, we find that Pakistan is, like all developing nations, essentially a non-contributor of the problem, contributing considerably less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, although significant factors exacerbating the effects of climate change in Pakistan include an inadequate sewage system, air pollution from industrial waste, and deforestation, the country could not afford to proactively fix these, nor prepare for flooding and heavy rains. It lacks the funding for climate resilience efforts. As a result, Pakistan is suffering from a high prevalence of poor health outcomes. Children, the elderly, women, and the homeless, especially those living with poverty and disease, are at a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Since mitigating the devastating effects of climate change will continue to be an ongoing challenge for Pakistan, it urgently needs financial investment so that it can build climate-resilient infrastructures and institute mechanisms to deal with global warming's worst effects. Industrialized nations are responsible for global warming, and they must take responsibility for fighting global warming by helping developing countries cultivate greater public health emergency preparedness.
ShrinkCRISPR: a flexible method for differential fitness analysis of CRISPR-Cas9 screen data
Authors: Tissier Renaud L. M. , Schie Janne J. M. van , Wolthuis Rob M. F. , Lange Job de , Menezes Renée de
Published: February 2023

Background

CRISPR screens provide large-scale assessment of cellular gene functions. Pooled libraries typically consist of several single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) per gene, for a large number of genes, which are transduced in such a way that every cell receives at most one sgRNA, resulting in the disruption of a single gene in that cell. This approach is often used to investigate effects on cellular fitness, by measuring sgRNA abundance at different time points. Comparing gene knockout effects between different cell populations is challenging due to variable cell-type specific parameters and between replicates variation. Failure to take those into account can lead to inflated or false discoveries.

Results

We propose a new, flexible approach called ShrinkCRISPR that can take into account multiple sources of variation. Impact on cellular fitness between conditions is inferred by using a mixed-effects model, which allows to test for gene-knockout effects while taking into account sgRNA-specific variation. Estimates are obtained using an empirical Bayesian approach. ShrinkCRISPR can be applied to a variety of experimental designs, including multiple factors. In simulation studies, we compared ShrinkCRISPR results with those of drugZ and MAGeCK, common methods used to detect differential effect on cell fitness. ShrinkCRISPR yielded as many true discoveries as drugZ using a paired screen design, and outperformed both drugZ and MAGeCK for an independent screen design. Although conservative, ShrinkCRISPR was the only approach that kept false discoveries under control at the desired level, for both designs. Using data from several publicly available screens, we showed that ShrinkCRISPR can take data for several time points into account simultaneously, helping to detect early and late differential effects.

Conclusions

ShrinkCRISPR is a robust and flexible approach, able to incorporate different sources of variations and to test for differential effect on cell fitness at the gene level. These improve power to find effects on cell fitness, while keeping multiple testing under the correct control level and helping to improve reproducibility. ShrinkCrispr can be applied to different study designs and incorporate multiple time points, making it a complete and reliable tool to analyze CRISPR screen data.
Genotyping by sequencing for estimating relative abundances of diatom taxa in mock communities
Authors: Çiftçi Ozan , Wagemaker Cornelis A. M. , Mertens Adrienne , van Bodegom Peter , Pirovano Walter , Gravendeel Barbara
Published: February 2023

Background

Diatoms are present in all waters and are highly sensitive to pollution gradients. Therefore, they are ideal bioindicators for water quality assessment. Current indices used in these applications are based on identifying diatom species and counting their abundances using traditional light microscopy. Several molecular techniques have been developed to help automate different steps of this process, but obtaining reliable estimates of diatom community composition and species abundance remains challenging.

Results

Here, we evaluated a recently developed quantification method based on Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS) for the first time in diatoms to estimate the relative abundances within a species complex. For this purpose, a reference database comprised of thousands of genomic DNA clusters was generated from cultures of Nitzschia palea. The sequencing reads from calibration and mock samples were mapped against this database for parallel quantification. We sequenced 25 mock diatom communities containing up to five taxa per sample in different abundances. Taxon abundances in these communities were also quantified by a diatom expert using manual counting of cells on light microscopic slides. The relative abundances of strains across mock samples were over- or under-estimated by the manual counting method, and a majority of mock samples had stronger correlations using GBS. Moreover, one previously recognized putative hybrid had the largest number of false positive detections demonstrating the limitation of the manual counting method when morphologically similar and/or phylogenetically close taxa are analyzed.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that GBS is a reliable method to estimate the relative abundances of the N. palea taxa analyzed in this study and outperformed traditional light microscopy in terms of accuracy. GBS provides increased taxonomic resolution compared to currently available quantitative molecular approaches, and it is more scalable in the number of species that can be analyzed in a single run. Hence, this is a significant step forward in developing automated, high-throughput molecular methods specifically designed for the quantification of [diatom] communities for freshwater quality assessments.
Effects of cerium oxide (CeO2) on liver tissue in liver ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats undergoing desflurane anesthesia
Authors: Gobut Huseyin , Kucuk Aysegul , Şengel Necmiye , Arslan Mustafa , Ozdemir Cagrı , Mortas Tulay , Kasapbası Esat , Kurtipek Omer , Kavutcu Mustafa
Published: February 2023

Introduction

During liver surgery and transplantation, periods of partial or total vascular occlusion are inevitable and result in ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Nanomedicine uses the latest technology, which has emerged with interdisciplinary effects, such as biomedical sciences, physics, and engineering, to protect and improve human health. Interdisciplinary research has brought along the introduction of antioxidant nanoparticles as potential therapeutics. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of cerium oxide (CeO2) administration and desflurane anesthesia on liver tissue in liver IR injury.

Material and methods

Thirty rats were randomly divided into five groups: control (C), ischemia-reperfusion (IR), IR-desflurane (IRD), cerium oxide-ischemia reperfusion (CeO2-IR), and cerium oxide-ischemia reperfusion-desflurane (CeO2-IRD). In the IR, IRD, and CeO2-IRD groups, hepatic ischemia was induced after the porta hepatis was clamped for 120 min, followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Intraperitoneal 0.5 mg/kg CeO2was administered to the CeO2groups 30 min before ischemia. Desflurane (6%) was administered to the IRD and CeO2-IRD groups during IR. All groups were sacrificed under anesthesia. Liver tissue samples were examined under a light microscope by staining with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E). Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, catalase (CAT), glutathione-s-transferase (GST), and arylesterase (ARE) enzyme activities were measured in the tissue samples.

Results

The IR group had considerably more hydropic degeneration, sinusoidal dilatation, and parenchymal mononuclear cell infiltration than the IRD, CeO2-IR, and CeO2-IRD groups. Catalase and GST enzyme activity were significantly higher in the CeO2-IR group than in the IR group. The MDA levels were found to be significantly lower in the IRD, CeO2-IR, and CeO2-IRD groups than in the IR group.

Conclusion

Intraperitoneal CeO2with desflurane reduced oxidative stress and corrected liver damage.
Vascular dysfunction and body mass index in African adults with HIV
Authors: Kaluba Longa , Chikopela Theresa , Goma Fastone , Malambo Mordecai , Mutale Wilbroad , Heimburger Douglas C. , Koethe John R.
Published: February 2023

Background

Impaired vascular compliance is common among persons with HIV (PWH) and a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), though many studies documenting this are from regions with a high prevalence of overweight and obesity. The prevalence and characteristics of impaired vascular compliance among PWH with low body mass index (BMI) is not well described, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where the majority of PWH live, a low BMI is more common, and the burden of CVD is rising.

Aim

To assess non-invasive vascular compliance measurements, including augmentation index (AIX), pulse wave velocity (PWV) and pulse waveforms, in underweight, normal weight, and overweight PWH on long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) in SSA.

Methods

A cross-sectional study among PWH on ART at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. All participants had been on a regimen of efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for five or more years. Carotid-femoral PWV (cfPWV), carotid-radial PWV (crPWV), and the corresponding augmentation indexes (cfAIX and crAIX), were measured in all participants, in addition to aortic pressure waveforms, classified as type A, B, C and D according to reflected wave timings and amplitude. Multiple linear regression assessed relationships between demographic and clinical factors with vascular measurement endpoints.

Results

Ninety one PWH on long-term ART were enrolled; 38 (42%) were underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), 43 (47%) were normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg/m2) and 10 (11%) were overweight (> 25 kg/m2). Median age was 41, 40 and 40 years, among the three groups, respectively, and the proportion of women increased with BMI level. Overweight participants had a 39% higher cfAIX compared to normal-weight participants, while being underweight was associated with 27% lower cfAIX, after adjusting for age, sex and blood pressure (P = 0.02 and P = 0.01, respectively), but measurements of cfPWV, crPWV and crAIX did not differ.

Conclusion

Underweight PWH in SSA had lower cfAIX measurements compared to normal weight individuals, indicating less arterial stiffness. However, similar cfPWV, crPWV and crAIX values among the underweight and overweight PWH suggest a low BMI may not confer substantial protection against impaired vascular compliance as a contributor to CVD risk among individuals on ART.
IGF2BP3 overexpression predicts poor prognosis and correlates with immune infiltration in bladder cancer
Authors: Huang Wei , Zhu Lizhen , Huang Haoxuan , Li Yuanyuan , Wang Gongxian , Zhang Cheng
Published: February 2023

Background

IGF2BP3 expression is associated with poor prognosis in cancers of multiple tissue origins. However, the precise mechanism of its co-carcinogenic action in bladder cancer is unknown.

Methods

We aimed to demonstrate the relationship between IGF2BP3 expression and pan-cancer using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We next validated IGF2BP3 expression in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE3167). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic values of IGF2BP3. Cox and logistic regression were used to explore the factors affecting the prognosis. Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) network was constructed by STRING. Enrichment analyses were performed to infer involved pathways and functional categories of IGF2BP3 using the cluster Profiler package. We applied single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and TIMER database to evaluate the expression level of immune genes.

Results

Pan-cancer analyses reveal that IGF2BP3 was higher in most cancer types, including bladder cancer, and the same results were found in GSE3167. The area under the ROC curve of IGF2BP3 was 0.736, which indicated that IGF2BP3 may be a potential diagnostic biomarker. High IGF2BP3 expression was associated with poorer overall survival (OS) (P = 0.015). For validation, we collected 95 bladder cancer samples and found that IGF2BP3 expression was higher in bladder cancer tissues than that in non-tumor bladder tissues by immunohistochemistry staining. We found a positive correlation between the expression level of IGF2BP3 and the clinical stage of bladder cancer. Immunocyte infiltration analysis showed that high IGF2BP3 expression was correlated with regulating the infiltration level of immune cell, including neutrophil cells and macrophages. IGF2BP3 promotes migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells, while IGF2BP3 inhibition had the opposite effects. Higher IGF2BP3 expression was closely associated with advanced TNM stage.

Conclusion

IGF2BP3 overexpression was related to disease progression and poor prognosis, as well as infiltration of immune cells in bladder cancer. IGF2BP3 can be a promising independent prognostic biomarker and potential treatment target for bladder cancer.
A health impact assessment of gender inequities associated with psychological distress during COVID19 in Australia’s most locked down state—Victoria
Authors: Brucki Belinda M. , Bagade Tanmay , Majeed Tazeen
Published: February 2023

Background

Since March 2020, when the COVID19 pandemic hit Australia, Victoria has been in lockdown six times for 264 days, making it the world’s longest cumulative locked-down city. This Health Impact Assessment evaluated gender disparities, especially women’s mental health, represented by increased levels of psychological distress during the lockdowns.

Methods

A desk-based, retrospective Health Impact Assessment was undertaken to explore the health impacts of the lockdown public health directive with an equity focus, on the Victorian population, through reviewing available qualitative and quantitative published studies and grey literature.

Results

Findings from the assessment suggest the lockdown policies generated and perpetuated avoidable inequities harming mental health demonstrated through increased psychological distress, particularly for women, through psychosocial determinants.

Conclusion

Ongoing research is needed to elucidate these inequities further. Governments implementing policies to suppress and mitigate COVID19 need to consider how to reduce harmful consequences of these strategies to avoid further generating inequities towards vulnerable groups within the population and increasing inequalities in the broader society.
Burnout syndrome in different teaching levels during the covid-19 pandemic in Brazil
Authors: Ramos Daniela Karine , Anastácio Bruna Santana , da Silva Gleice Assunção , Rosso Leila Urioste , Mattar João
Published: February 2023

Background

This article’s purpose is to compare burnout syndrome indicators at different levels of teaching in Brazil during the covid-19 pandemic. The comparison also considers the teachers’ quality of life and health, working conditions, and digital competence.

Methods

The hypotheses of this study are that there are statistically significant differences in teachers’ burnout rates, quality of life, working conditions, and digital competences depending on the teaching level. A mixed-methods ex-post-facto survey involved 438 Brazilian teachers, with a mean age of 42.93 years (SD = 9.66), 330 females (75%) and 108 males (25%). Data were collected through an online questionnaire. Statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests was performed to compare groups, the Tukey test for paired comparison of the analyzed groups, and the chi-square to verify the association between variables.

Results

Higher levels of digital competence were associated with lower burnout syndrome scores. Elementary and middle school teachers presented worse quality of life and health indexes. Adapting pedagogical work involved learning but also overwork, exhaustion, and frustration.

Conclusions

The study concludes that basic education teachers had higher burnout rate scores than higher education teachers during the covid-19 pandemic and that early childhood education should be treated as a separate category.

Trial registration

Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) Research Ethics Committee (4.432.063, December 7, 2020). Informed consent was obtained from all subjects.