bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Staphylococcus aureusPersistence in Osteocytes: Weathering the Storm of Antibiotics and Autophagy/Xenophagy
Authors: Gunn Nicholas J. , Zelmer Anja R. , Kidd Stephen P. , Solomon Lucian B. , Yang Dongqing , Roscioli Eugene , Atkins Gerald J.
Published: October 2023

Background

Staphylococcus aureusis a major causative pathogen of osteomyelitis. The intracellular infection of osteocytes and related bone cells can persist despite application of gold-standard clinical interventions. The mechanisms by which intracellularS. aureuspersists during antibiotic therapy are unknown. In this study, we applyS. aureusto anin vitromodel of differentiated osteocytes to investigate whether antibiotic-mediated dysregulation of autophagy contributes to this phenomenon.

Methods

Human osteocyte-like cells were exposed to combinations of rifampicin, vancomycin and modulators of autophagy, in the presence or absence ofS. aureus. Intracellular bacterial growth characteristics were assessed through CFU analysis, viable bacterial DNA abundance and the rate of escape into antibiotic-free medium, in parallel with measures of host cell autophagic flux.

Results

Rifampicin, alone or in combination with vancomycin, caused a rapid decrease in the culturability of the intracellular bacterial community, concomitant with stable or increased absolute bacterial DNA levels. Both antibiotics significantly inhibited autophagic flux. However, while the modulation of autophagic flux affected bacterial culturability, this modulation did not affect viable bacterial DNA levels.

Conclusions

Autophagy was shown to be a factor in the host-pathogen relationship in this model, as its modulation affected the growth state of intracellularS. aureuswith respect to both their culturability and propensity to escape the intracellular niche. Whilst rifampicin and vancomycin treatments moderately suppressed autophagic flux acutely, this did not explain the paradoxical response of antibiotic treatment in decreasingS. aureusculturability while failing to clear bacterial DNA and hence intracellular bacterial load. Thus, whilst rifampicin and vancomycin exhibited off-target effects that modulated autophagy in osteocyte-like cells, this could not explain the persistent infection observed forS. aureus.
Validation of body surface colonic mapping against high resolution colonic manometry: a novel non-invasive tool for evaluation of colonic motility
Authors: Seo Sean HB , Wells Cameron I , Dickson Tully , Rowbotham David , Gharibans Armen , Calder Stefan , Bissett Ian , O’Grady Greg , Erickson Jonathan C
Published: October 2023

Abnormal cyclic motor pattern (CMP) activity is implicated in colonic dysfunction, but the only tool to evaluate CMP activity, high-resolution colonic manometry (HRCM), remains expensive and not widely accessible. This study aimed to validate body surface colonic mapping (BSCM) through direct correlation with HRCM. Synchronous meal-test recordings were performed in asymptomatic participants with intact colons. A signal processing method for BSCM was developed to detect CMPs. Quantitative temporal analysis was performed comparing the meal responses and motility indices (MI). Spatial heat maps were also compared. Post-study questionnaire evaluated participants’ preference and comfort/distress experienced from either test. 11 participants were recruited and 7 had successful synchronous recordings (5 females/2 males; median age: 50 years [range: 38-63]). The best-correlating MI temporal analyses achieved a high degree of agreement (median Pearson correlation coefficient (Rp) value: 0.69; range: 0.47 - 0.77). HRCM and BSCM meal response start and end times (Rp= 0.998 and 0.83; bothp <0.05) and durations (Rp= 0.85;p= 0.03) were similar. Heat maps demonstrated good spatial agreement. BSCM is the first non-invasive method to be validated by demonstrating a direct spatio-temporal correlation to manometry in evaluating colonic motility.
Co-transcriptional capping using an RNA capping enzyme-T7 RNA polymerase fusion protein
Authors: Chan S. Hong , Tirole Louise , Kneller Daniel , Kelley Theresa M. , Dai Nan , Robb G. Brett
Published: October 2023

mRNA vaccines and therapeutics are highly effective and can be developed and manufactured with a relatively short lead time. Here we report an all-enzyme platform to generate capped synthetic RNA in a one-step process based on an RNA capping enzyme-T7 RNA polymerase fusion protein. Under standard in vitro transcription reaction conditions, the fusion protein, in conjunction with an RNA cap 2′-O-methyltransferase, can generate synthetic mRNA with up to 95% of Cap-1 incorporation, greatly simplifying mRNA manufacturing workflows.
HDAC activity is dispensable for repression of cell-cycle genes by DREAM and E2F:RB complexes
Authors: Barrett Alison , Shingare Manisha R. , Rechtsteiner Andreas , Wijeratne Tilini U. , Rodriguez Kelsie M. , Rubin Seth M. , Müller Gerd A.
Published: October 2023

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are pivotal in transcriptional regulation, and their dysregulation has been associated with various diseases including cancer. One of the critical roles of HDAC-containing complexes is the deacetylation of histone tails, which is canonically linked to transcriptional repression. Previous research has indicated that HDACs are recruited to cell-cycle gene promoters through the RB protein or the DREAM complex via SIN3B and that HDAC activity is essential for repressing G1/S and G2/M cell-cycle genes during cell-cycle arrest and exit.

In this study, we sought to explore the interdependence of DREAM, RB, SIN3 proteins, and HDACs in the context of cell-cycle gene repression. We found that genetic knockout of SIN3B did not lead to derepression of cell-cycle genes in non-proliferating HCT116 and C2C12 cells. A combined loss of SIN3A and SIN3B resulted in a moderate upregulation in mRNA expression of several cell-cycle genes in arrested HCT116 cells, however, these effects appeared to be independent of DREAM or RB. Furthermore, HDAC inhibition did not induce a general upregulation of RB and DREAM target gene expression in arrested transformed or non-transformed cells. Our findings provide evidence that E2F:RB and DREAM complexes can repress cell-cycle genes without reliance on HDAC activity.
Willingness of Japanese people in their 20s, 30s and 40s to pay for genetically modified foods
Authors: Mine Akihiro , Okamoto Sawako , Myojin Tomoya , Hamada Miki , Imamura Tomoaki
Published: October 2023

The application of genetically modified (GM) technology to food products has increased worldwide. The adaptation has extended to conventional grains and animal products, such as salmon. However, in Japan, the public’s acceptance of GM foods is low and experts and policymakers need to know the public’s preference for various types of GM foods. Therefore, this study aims to clarify and compare the preferences for various GM foods among Japanese people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, using the Willingness-to-pay (WTP) indicator. An online survey with 1122 valid responses from people in their 20s-40s was used for analysis. The results showed that the percentages of willingness to purchase various items were as follows – GM blue roses (n = 628; 56%), tomatoes fertilized with GM oil cake (n = 519; 46.3%), potato chips made from GM potatoes (n = 489; 43.6%), chicken thighs fed on GM corn (n = 472; 42.1%), corn flakes made from GM corn (n = 471; 42.0%), GM apples (n = 420; 37.4%), wine brewed with GM yeast (n = 416; 37.1%), GM tomatoes (n = 408; 36.4%), GM chicken thighs (n = 360; 32.1%), GM salmon (n = 349; 31.1%). Comparing the WTP discount rates for animal and plant foods, it was around 20% for animal products (GM chicken thighs = 17.8% and GM salmon = 19.5%), and 15–35% for plant foods (GM corn flakes = 24.1%, GM tomatoes = 17.2%, GM potato chips = 16.4%, GM yeast wine = 36.7%, GM apples = 25.3%). The WTP discount rates were 11.9% for tomatoes fertilized with GM oil cake compared with 17.2% for GM tomatoes, and 21.5% for GM-fed animal products compared with 17.8% for chicken thighs fed with GM corn. Therefore, the WTP values of GM animal foods were lower than GM plant foods and ornamental products.
Does Physician Over-Service Improve the Quality of Care? A Standardised Patient Audit Study
Authors: Si Yafei , Bateman Hazel , Chen Shu , Hanewald Katja , Li Bingqin , Su Min , Zhou Zhongliang
Published: October 2023

Physicians’ “know-do gaps” are a key factor driving the poor quality of healthcare in many developing countries, but there is little guidance on how to address these gaps. We designed a standardised patient audit study in China to evaluate the impact of physician over-service on their investment in learning and disease management decisions. We find that physicians’ total over-service leads to a 19.2%, 15.6% and 10.8% significant increase in consultation length, adherence to checklists, and patient-centred communication, respectively, but no significant improvement in giving a correct diagnosis, drug prescription or referral. The effects on physicians’ investment in learning are driven by over-service in drug prescription rather than over-service in medical tests. Moreover, over-service in drug prescription significantly leads to a 28.0 percentage-point increase in the prescription of a correct drug. Our findings imply that physician over-service reduces their “know-do gaps” and improves healthcare quality despite the related inefficient use of medical resources.

JEL classification

D82; H75; I10; I11; I18; J45
Investigating the importance of surface exposed loops in the gonococcal HpuB transporter for hemoglobin binding and utilization
Authors: Awate Olivia A. , Ng Dixon , Stoudenmire Julie L. , Moraes Trevor F. , Cornelissen Cynthia N.
Published: October 2023

Neisseria gonorrhoeaeis the etiological agent of the sexually-transmitted infection gonorrhea and a global health challenge since no protective immunity results from infection and far fewer treatment options are available with increasing antimicrobial resistance. With no efficacious vaccines, researchers are exploring new targets for vaccine development and innovative therapeutics. The outer membrane TonB-dependent transporters (TdTs) produced byN. gonorrhoeaeare considered promising antigen targets as they are highly conserved and play crucial roles in overcoming nutritional immunity. One of these TdTs, the hemoglobin transport system comprised of HpuA and HpuB, allowsN. gonorrhoeaeto acquire iron from hemoglobin (hHb). In the current study, mutations in thehpuBgene were generated to better understand the structure-function relationships in HpuB. This study is one of the first to demonstrate thatN. gonorrhoeaecan bind to and utilize hemoglobin produced by animals other than humans. This study also determined that when HpuA is absent, mutations targeting extracellular loop 7 of HpuB led to defective hHb binding and utilization. However, when the lipoprotein HpuA is present, these loop 7 mutants recovered their ability to bind hHB, although their growth phenotype remained significantly impaired. Interestingly, loop 7 contains putative heme binding motifs and a hypothetical α-helical region. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of loop 7 in the functionality of HpuB in binding hHb, and extracting and internalizing iron.
The C-word: how critical cartography, critical GIS and critical data studies can repoliticise disaster-related maps
Authors: Carraro Valentina
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are widely used in disaster research and practice. While, in some cases, these practices incorporate methods inspired by critical cartography and critical GIS, they rarely engage with the theoretical discussions that animate those fields.

Design/methodology/approach

In this commentary, the author considers three such discussions, and draws out their relevance for disaster studies: the turn towards processual cartographies, political economy analysis of datafication and calls for theorising computing of and from the South.

Findings

The review highlights how these discussions can contribute to the work of scholars engaged in mapping for disaster risk management and research. First, it can counter the taken-for-granted nature of disaster-related maps, and encourage debate about how such maps are produced, used and circulated. Second, it can foster a reflexive attitude towards the urge to quantify and map disasters. Third, it can help to rethink the role of digital technologies with respect to ongoing conversations on the need to decolonise disaster studies.

Originality/value

The paper aims to familiarise disaster studies scholars with literature that has received relatively little attention in this field and, by doing so, contribute to a repoliticisation of disaster-related maps.
Relaxed gradient-based iterative solutions to coupled Sylvester-conjugate transpose matrix equations of two unknowns
Authors: Bayoumi Ahmed M. E.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This article proposes a relaxed gradient iterative (RGI) algorithm to solve coupled Sylvester-conjugate transpose matrix equations (CSCTME) with two unknowns.

Design/methodology/approach

This article proposes a RGI algorithm to solve CSCTME with two unknowns.

Findings

The introduced (RGI) algorithm is more efficient than the gradient iterative (GI) algorithm presented in Bayoumi (2014), where the author's method exhibits quick convergence behavior.

Research limitations/implications

The introduced (RGI) algorithm is more efficient than the GI algorithm presented in Bayoumi (2014), where the author's method exhibits quick convergence behavior.

Practical implications

In systems and control, Lyapunov matrix equations, Sylvester matrix equations and other matrix equations are commonly encountered.

Social implications

In systems and control, Lyapunov matrix equations, Sylvester matrix equations and other matrix equations are commonly encountered.

Originality/value

This article proposes a relaxed gradient iterative (RGI) algorithm to solve coupled Sylvester conjugate transpose matrix equations (CSCTME) with two unknowns. For any initial matrices, a sufficient condition is derived to determine whether the proposed algorithm converges to the exact solution. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the suggested method and to compare it with the gradient-based iterative algorithm proposed in [6] numerical examples are provided.
Beyond zero-sum thinking in teacher education: cognitive science, educational neuroscience, and the history of education
Authors: Low Remy
Published: October 2023

Purpose

I take as a starting point the disparaging comments about the place of history and philosophy of education in initial teacher education (ITE) made by the chair of the Teacher Education Expert Panel established by the Australian Government in 2023, which I take to be the most recent attempt at resurrecting the tired debate over “the art versus science of teaching”. I draw on an example from my own ITE classroom to tease possibilities for how historical research and research in the sciences of learning can be in dialogue and collaborate to deepen educational scholarship.

Design/methodology/approach

The purpose of this essay is to reflect on the scholarly discussions and debates in the sciences of learning that historical researchers of education have largely been absent or excluded from. I argue that historical researchers have an important role to play as “critical friends” to the burgeoning fields of cognitive science and educational neuroscience.

Findings

From my cursory and singular account, I highlight two key areas of education where historical research and the sciences of learning can be fruitfully in dialogue and collaboration: Firstly, on the cultural dimension that prefigures learners' approach to learning; and secondly, on the factors that enable or disable effective learning.

Originality/value

This essay sets an agenda for historical researchers in education to exercise “critical friendship” with the cognitive and brain sciences of learning, specifically by adding temporal considerations to the way biology, psychology, and sociality interact to produce different educational outcomes. This will be of “practical” service to ITE – and to students in schools.
The ABC of history education: a comparison of Australian, British and Canadian approaches to teaching national and First Nations histories
Authors: Bedford Alison
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This essay engages with scholarship on history as a discipline, curriculum documents and academic and public commentary on the teaching of history in Australian, British and Canadian secondary contexts to better understand the influence of the tension between political pressure and disciplinary practice that drives the history wars in settler-colonial nations, how this plays out in secondary history classrooms and the ramifications this may have on students' democratic dispositions.

Design/methodology/approach

This article aims to compare secondary history curricula and pedagogies in Australia, Britain and Canada to better articulate and conceptualise the influence of the “history wars” over the teaching of national histories upon the intended and enacted curriculum and how this contributes to the formation of democratic dispositions within students. A conceptual model, drawing on the curriculum assessment of Porter (2006) and Gross and Terra's definition of “difficult pasts” has been developed and used as the basis for this comparison. This model highlights the competing influences of political pressure upon curriculum creation and disciplinary change shaping pedagogy, and the impact these forces may have upon students' experience.

Findings

The debate around what content students learn, and why, is fraught because it is a conversation about what each nation values and how they construct their own national identity(ies). This is particularly timely when the democratic self-identification of many nations is being challenged. The seditious conspiracy to storm the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, Orban's “illiberal democracy” in Hungary and the neo-Nazis in Melbourne, Australia are examples of the rise of anti-democratic sentiment globally. Thus, new consideration of how we teach national histories and the impact this has on the formation of democratic dispositions and skills is pressing.

Originality/value

The new articulation of a conceptual model for the impact of the history wars on education is an innovative synthesis of wide-ranging research on: the impacts of neoliberalism and cultural restorationism upon the development of intended curriculum; discipline-informed inquiry pedagogies used to enact the curriculum; and the teaching of national narratives as a political act. This comprehensive comparison of the ways in which history education in settler-colonial nations has developed over time provides new insight into the common elements of national history education, and the role this education can play in developing democratic dispositions.
The interplay of sustainability reporting and management control – an exploration of ways for dovetailing to develop reporting beyond accountability
Authors: Traxler Albert Anton , Schrack Daniela , Greiling Dorothea , Feldbauer Julia , Lautner Michaela
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Companies must no longer just report on corporate sustainability (CS) performance but also demonstrate that they are aligning their strategies with sustainability. However, suitable management control systems (MCS) are required to implement a sustainability strategy. Thereby, sustainability reporting (SR) can also be employed for control purposes. On the other hand, existing MCS can be used to develop SR that goes beyond accountability. Accordingly, this paper explores how this interplay can be designed.

Design/methodology/approach

For the study, 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with persons from ATX and DAX companies. Since the interplay should be examined from a holistic control perspective, the authors used the MCS package of Malmi and Brown as an analysis framework.

Findings

Nowadays, merely focusing on reporting is too narrow a view. It is therefore not surprising that the investigation was able to reveal various possible linkages between MCS and SR that span the full range of the MCS package of Malmi and Brown.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should also consider non-listed companies to investigate potential differences and take a closer look at the proposed reciprocal nature of the interplay.

Practical implications

The findings expand the knowledge of how companies can use SR for control purposes and how existing MCS can help develop a reporting that goes beyond accountability.

Originality/value

The study contributes by highlighting the potential of SR to control CS performance from a holistic MCS perspective and likewise the impact of existing MCS on reporting. In addition, different theoretical perspectives are used to explain why the interplay can be designed differently in practice.
Fostering supply chain agility by prominent enablers’ identification and developing conceptual modeling based on the ISM-MICMAC approach
Authors: Can Saglam Yesim
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Today’s marketplace has witnessed intense competitive pressures and high levels of uncertainty and disruption. Therefore, supply chains require agility to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage and cope with uncertainties as well as disruptions. Although a wide range of studies exists on supply chain agility (SCA) from the perspective of antecedents or consequences, there is little research on the investigation of enablers of SCA and their relations among them. Furthermore, the literature has investigated proactive and reactive enablers for enhancing SCA, but most studies have not sufficiently framed their analysis of both aspects synchronically. This paper aims to find out the interrelationships among the proactive and reactive enablers for enhancing SCA.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive literature review has been conducted to identify SCA enablers and a Delphi study has been performed to elucidate SCA enablers in the manufacturing industry in Turkey. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) has been used to identify the contextual relationship among the SCA enablers, and the model has been validated based on Matriced Impact Croises Multiplication Appliquee a un Classement (MICMAC) analysis.

Findings

On theoretical and practical levels, the proposed ISM model in this study can help organizations analyze and interpret interrelationships among enablers of SCA. For managers, it can provide better insights and understanding of the facilitators of SCA to enhance the effectiveness of the supply chain and cope with uncertainties and turbulence. According to results, enhancing “supply and demand side competency”, “delivery speed” and “strategic sourcing” are the most significant enablers of SCA.

Originality/value

The study extends the existing literature related to the enablers of SCA by modeling the proactive and reactive enablers of SCA based on the Al Humdan et al. (2020) classification. Arranging the enablers of SCA in a hierarchy and classifying the enablers into different levels with the help of the ISM-MICMAC approach is an exclusive effort to achieve successful management of the supply chain.
Investigation of herding behavior using machine learning models
Authors: Asim Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Yar , Shafi Khuram
Published: October 2023

Purpose

The study aims to investigate the presence of herding behavior in the stock market of UK with a special emphasis on news sentiment regarding the economy. The authors focus on the news sentiment because in the current digital era, investors take their decision making on the basis of current trends projected by news and media platforms.

Design/methodology/approach

For empirical modeling, the authors use machine learning models to investigate the presence of herding behavior in UK stock market for the period starting from 2006 to 2021. The authors use support vector regression, single layer neural network and multilayer neural network models to predict the herding behavior in the stock market of the UK. The authors estimate the herding coefficients using all the models and compare the findings with the linear regression model.

Findings

The results show a strong evidence of herding behavior in the stock market of the UK during different time regimes. Furthermore, when the authors incorporate the economic uncertainty news sentiment in the model, the results show a significant improvement. The results of support vector regression, single layer perceptron and multilayer perceptron model show the evidence of herding behavior in UK stock market during global financial crises of 2007–08 and COVID’19 period. In addition, the authors compare the findings with the linear regression which provides no evidence of herding behavior in all the regimes except COVID’19. The results also provide deep insights for both individual investors and policy makers to construct efficient portfolios and avoid market crashes, respectively.

Originality/value

In the existing literature of herding behavior, news sentiment regarding economic uncertainty has not been used before. However, in the present era this parameter is quite critical in context of market anomalies hence and needs to be investigated. In addition, the literature exhibits varying results about the existence of herding behavior when different methodologies are used. In this context, the use of machine learning models is quite rare in the herding literature. The machine learning models are quite robust and provide accurate results. Therefore, this research study uses three different models, i.e. single layer perceptron model, multilayer perceptron model and support vector regression model to investigate the herding behavior in the stock market of the UK. A comparative analysis is also presented among the results of all the models. The study sheds light on the importance of economic uncertainty news sentiment to predict the herding behavior.
Employment and technology: Creative creation or creative destruction? An asymmetric analysis
Authors: Irandoust Manuchehr
Published: October 2023

Theoretical predictions of the effect of technological change on employment are ambiguous and depend on the extent to which new technology is embodied in new jobs. This paper separates positive and negative shocks and examines the extent to which technological shocks have an asymmetric effect on unemployment in nine European countries by using hidden cointegration analysis within a likelihood‐based panel framework. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that technological changes have had an unequal effect on unemployment because negative and positive shocks have different impacts on unemployment in terms of sign and size. It is interesting to note that women appear to be the group most negatively impacted by technological shocks. The estimates also show that the results are inconsistent because technological advancement has resulted in ‘creative destruction’ in four countries while ‘creative creation’ has occurred in five of them. It is worth mentioning that the methodological framework utilized in this paper can be a useful tool for predicting the behaviour of technological shocks. Policy implications are discussed.
Increasing self‐esteem for vulnerable young women: A case study of entrepreneurship training for vulnerable young women in Thailand
Authors: Chalayonnavin Auschala
Published: October 2023

Disadvantaged young people who have experienced violence often have low self‐esteem due to the difficult circumstances to which they are exposed. Abuse, bullying and other forms of mistreatment have a permanent impact on their sense of self‐worth, generating negative emotions and self‐protective behaviour in order to shield themselves from further harm. As a result, these young people may struggle to maintain their self‐esteem in the context of the challenges they face. This article aims to explore how training can be used to combat this issue to build self‐esteem among vulnerable young people, through a case study of a training entrepreneurship programme for vulnerable Thai young people residing in a home for girls. Through conducting a 16‐week training programme and follow‐up interviews, the study finds that entrepreneurship training has a positive effect on building self‐esteem. Findings indicate that the young women who participated reported feeling more confident, with better self‐reliance, and more capable of pursuing future endeavours, especially since the training enhances their understanding of long‐term effects and outcomes, including employment and the impact of job creation and sustainable development. Ultimately, the study underlines the importance of entrepreneurship training to build self‐esteem and confidence in young people who are vulnerable and in need of such an opportunity.
Blood for bread: Necro‐labor, nonsovereign bodies, and the state of exception in Rojhelat
Authors: Mohammadpour Ahmad
Published: October 2023

As members of a stateless nation that is geopolitically divided across Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, Kurds are known mainly in the West as excellent fighters and political revolutionaries. Amid the devastation of war and political unrest, most Kurds struggle for economic survival. This is especially true for Eastern Kurds living under Iranian rule. They have seen their lands confiscated, their resources plundered, and their access to capital and educational mobility severely restricted. Moreover, under the rule of the Iranian Persian‐Shi'i necropolitics, Kurds have been culturally and economically subjected to a regime of internal colonialism that has eroded their capacity for economic survival. Building on the literature on sovereignty and violence, this article investigates the nexus between precarity, spatiality, and necropolitics as embodied in the practice of Kurdish cross‐border labor, or kolberi. I argue that the Iranian state deploys the discourse of a securitized borderland as a weapon to inflict a permanent state of exception on Rojhelat, condemning Kurds to the status of living dead through the imposition of precarious necro‐labor practice. Furthermore, this study articulates the border as an archive where registers of state necropolitics are deposited, preserved, and revealed in the lives of kolbers.
Zhi Zi Chi decoction (Gardeniae fructus and semen Sojae Praeparatum) attenuates anxious depression via modulating microbiota–gut–brain axis in corticosterone combined with chronic restraint stress‐induced mice
Authors: Tian Xuanhe , Wang Guangyan , Teng Fei , Xue Xiaoyan , Pan Jin , Mao Qiancheng , Guo Dongjing , Song Xiaobin , Ma Ke
Published: October 2023

Background

The microbiota–gut–brain axis plays a critical role in neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly anxious depression, and attracts more attention gradually. Zhi Zi Chi decoction (ZZCD) consisting of Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis and Glycine max (L.) Merr, is a classic formula in clinic and widely applied in anxiety and depression treatment. However, the underlying mechanisms of regulating microbiota–gut–brain axis in the treatment of anxious depression by oral administration of ZZCD remain elusive.

Materials and Methods

In this project, we clarified the origin and preparation methods of the Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis and Glycine max (L.) Merr and examined the chemical ingredients of ZZCD by liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer. Then, corticosterone combined with chronic restraint stress was applied to establish an anxious depression model. After treated with ZZCD standard decoction, based on enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 16S rRNA technology, high‐throughput sequencing, quantitative RT‐PCR and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), the multiple associations between nucleus accumbens and intestinal flora in anxious depression mice were determined to clarify the mechanism of ZZCD in the treatment of anxiety and depression disorder.

Results

We found various substances with antidepressant and antianxiety properties in ZZCD such as rosiridin and oleanolic acid. ZZCD could alleviate depressive and anxiety behaviors in anxious depression mice via regulating the disturbance of gut microbiota. Meanwhile, the bioactive compounds of ZZCD might directly active on neurodevelopment and neuroimmune‐related genes. Furthermore, the secretion of prolactin and estrogen, and interfering with mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathways were mainly involved in the multi‐target therapeutic effects of ZZCD against anxiety and depression.

Conclusions

These findings suggested that ZZCD exerts antidepressant effects pleiotropically through modulating the microbiota‐gut‐brain.
Introducing Elinor for monitoring the governance and management of area‐based conservation
Authors: Mahajan Shauna L. , Obiene Samson , Ojwang Lenice , Olwero Nasser , Valdivia Abel , Wosu Adaoma , Adrid Emily , Andradi‐Brown Dominic A. , Andriamalala Gildas , Ban Natalie C. , Bennett Nathan J. , Blythe Jessica , Cheng Samantha H. , Darling Emily , De Nardo Matheus , Drury O'Neill Elizabeth , Epstein Graham , Fidler Robert Y. , Fisher Kim , Geldmann Jonas , Gill David A. , Kroner Rachel Golden , Gurney Georgina , Jagadish Arundhati , Jonas Harry D. , Lazuardi Muhammad Erdi , Petersen Samantha , Ranarivelo Valencia V. , Rasoloformanana Lilia , Rasolozaka Tojo M. , Read Daniel J. , Mwaiteleke Elia Sabula , Ahmadia Gabby
Published: October 2023

Monitoring the governance and management effectiveness of area‐based conservation has long been recognized as an important foundation for achieving national and global biodiversity goals and enabling adaptive management. However, there are still many barriers that prevent conservation actors, including those affected by governance and management systems from implementing conservation activities and programs and from gathering and using data on governance and management to inform decision‐making across spatial scales and through time. We explored current and past efforts to assess governance and management effectiveness and barriers actors face in using the resulting data and insights to inform conservation decision‐making. To help overcome these barriers, we developed Elinor, a free and open‐source monitoring tool that builds on the work of Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom to facilitate the gathering, storing, sharing, analyzing, and use of data on environmental governance and management across spatial scales and for areas under different governance and management types. We consider the process of codesigning and piloting Elinor with conservation scientists and practitioners and the main components of the assessment and online data system. We also consider how Elinor complements existing approaches by addressing governance and management in a single assessment at a high level for different types of area‐based conservation, providing flexible options for data collection, and integrating a data system with an assessment that can support data use and sharing across different spatial scales, including global monitoring of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Although challenges will continue, the process of developing Elinor and the tool itself offer tangible solutions to barriers that prevent the systematic collection and use of governance and management data. With broader uptake, Elinor can play a valuable role in enabling more effective, inclusive, and durable area‐based conservation.
Scleroderma en Coup de Sabre with Central Nervous System Involvement
Authors: Higashi Yuko , Kanekura Takuro , Fukumaru Keiko , Kanzaki Tamotsu
Published: October 2023

We describe a patient with scleroderma en coup de sabre and central nervous system symptoms. She presented with a linear scleroderma on her left paramedian forehead and scalp and suffered from headaches and dizziness. Axial T2‐weighted MRI showed a 1 cm, high intense signal abnormality in the medial aspect of the left frontal lobe.
β‐1,3‐Galactosyl‐N‐acetylhexosamine phosphorylase from Bifidobacterium bifidum DSM 20082: characterization, partial purification and relation to mucin degradation
Authors: Derensy‐Dron Danielle , Krzewinski Frédéric , Brassart Colette , Bouquelet Stéphane
Published: October 2023

A new enzyme has been characterized in a cell‐free extract of Bifidobacterium bifidum that catalysed the reversible phosphorolytic cleavage of β‐1,3‐galacto‐oligosaccharides. In the presence of Pi, the phosphorolysis reaction was favoured and was accompanied by a Walden reaction. Cleavage of the β‐glycosidic linkage gave an α‐galactoside derivative (α‐D‐galactose 1‐phosphate). The enzyme possesses a high specificity for β‐D‐galactosido‐(1,3)‐N‐acetylglucosamine and β‐D‐galactosido‐(1,3)‐N‐acetylgalactosamine. This purified intracellular enzyme had an estimated molecular mass of 140 kDa. The galactophosphorolytic activity on disaccharides was optimal at pH 6–6.5 and the reverse reaction was optimal at pH 5.5–6. The temperature optimum for phosphorolysis and the reverse reaction was approx. 50–55 °C. This enzyme is of particular interest in degrading some β‐D‐Gal(1,3) linkages and should be classified as EC 2.4.1.‐.
Biochemical characterization of a UDP‐sugar pyrophosphorylase fromThermus caldophilusGK24
Authors: Kim Joong Su , Koh Sukhoon , Shin Hyun‐Jae , Lee Dae‐Sil , Lee Se Yong
Published: October 2023

An extremely thermostable UDP‐GlcNAc pyrophosphorylase has been purified fromThermus caldophilusGK24 by chromatographic methods including ion‐exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and affinity chromatographies. The specific activity of the enzyme was enriched 41.8‐fold, with a recovery of 2%. The molecular mass of the enzyme was 41 kDa by SDS/PAGE and 45 kDa by gel‐filtration chromatography. The activity was maximum at 86 °C and its half‐life at 95 °C was 30 min. Its optimum pH was 6.9 in the presence of Mg2+ions. A biochemical study showed that UDP‐GlcNAc pyrophosphorylase activity could be enhanced by fructose 1‐phosphate, a precursor of UDP‐GlcNAc. The enzyme showed a broad substrate specificity with sugar 1‐phosphates, including glucose 1‐phosphate, GlcNAc‐1‐P and xylose 1‐phosphate. The enzyme was therefore named UDP‐sugar pyrophosphorylase. The N‐terminal and internal peptide sequences were determined and compared with known sequences from various sources. It was found that N‐terminal sequence is similar to that of UDP‐GlcNAc and UDP‐glucose pyrophosphorylases from other bacterial sources.
Purification and properties ofThermus filiformisDNA polymerase expressed inEscherichia coli
Authors: Choi Jeong Jin , Jung Seung Eun , Kim Hyun‐Kyu , Kwon Suk‐Tae
Published: October 2023

The gene encodingThermus filiformis(Tfi) DNA polymerase was expressed under the control of thetacpromoter on a high‐copy plasmid, pJR, inEscherichia coli. TheTfiDNA polymerase was purified by using heat treatment and DEAE‐Sephacel column chromatography. The purified enzyme had a molecular mass of 92 kDa, as estimated by SDS/PAGE. The optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme were 8.4–9.0 and 70–72.5 °C respectively. The half‐life of the enzyme at 94 °C was approx. 40 min. The enzyme was activated by the bivalent cations, Mg2+and Mn2+, and was inhibited by EDTA. The optimal Mg2+concentration of the enzyme was 4 mM. The optimal conditions for the PCR reaction were slightly different from those for the enzyme activity except for the optimal Mg2+concentration. Low concentrations of KCl had no effect on either the enzymic activity or the PCR amplification. The result of the PCR experiment with the enzyme indicates thatTfiDNA polymerase might be useful in DNA amplification.
Progesterone‐Induced Blocking Factor Inhibits Degranulation of Natural Killer Cells
Authors: Faust Zs. , Laškarin G. , Rukavina D. , J. Szekeres‐Bartho M.D., Ph.D.
Published: October 2023

PROBLEM: During the first trimester of pregnancy, nonclassical (CD3—, CD56+, CD16—, perforin [P]bright +) natural killer (NK) cells comprise the major decidual lymphocyte population. These cells, in spite of their high perforin content, exert a low cytolytic activity. Peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy pregnant women produce progesterone‐induced blocking factor (PIBF), which inhibits NK activity. PIBF‐producing cells are likely to be present in decidua and might contribute to low decidual NK activity.

METHOD OF STUDY: Decidual cells obtained from elective pregnancy termination were double labeled for CD56 and PIBF. We tested the effect of PIBF on perforin liberation by activated peripheral blood NK cells.

RESULTS: Sixty percent of decidual lymphocytes were CD56 + and expressed PIBF at the same time. PIBF‐treated and untreated peripheral blood NK cells were incubated with K‐562 cells, and perforin content of target conjugated NK cells was detected with immunocytochemistry. PIBF treatment of peripheral blood lymphocytes significantly reduced lysis of K‐562 cells. Among target bound lymphocytes in PIBF‐treated samples, we found a significantly (P < 0.01) higher rate of P+ cells than in untreated samples.

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that PIBF inhibits cytotoxicity of NK cells via a block of degranulation, and since decidual NK cells are PIBF+, it cannot be ruled out that this effect of PIBF contributes to low decidual NK activity.
Cytokines and the Regulation of Apoptosis in Reproductive Tissues: A Review
Authors: Lea Richard G. , Riley Simon C. , Antipatis Christos , Hannah Lisa , Ashworth Cheryl J. , Clark David A. , Critchley Hilary O.D.
Published: October 2023

PROBLEM: To determine the role of apoptosis‐regulating genes bax and bcl‐2 in reproduction.

METHOD OF STUDY: Review of literature and current data.

RESULTS: The bcl‐2 family of apoptotic regulatory gene products interact and form dimers of anti‐ and pro‐apoptotic proteins (e.g., bcl‐2 and bax respectively), the ratio of which determines cell death or survival. Menses is associated with increased apoptosis in the glands, a change in bcl‐2:bax ratio and increased levels of the pro‐apoptotic cytokine TNFα. Apoptosis occurs in all placental cell types and increases from first to third trimester. Placental apoptosis is induced by TNFα in vitro and increased levels in utero characterize most failing pregnancies, intra‐uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and labour. An increased bcl‐2:bax ratio and apoptosis in the syncytiotrophoblast characterizes failing first trimester pregnancies. Apoptosis in the syncytiotrophoblast is also associated with IUGR. In a rat model, maternal vitamin A deficiency perturbs fetal development. This is associated with a placental infiltrate of TNFα positive neutrophils (day 20) and increased placental apoptosis in areas of infiltration. A similar infiltrate occurs in a mouse model of early pregnancy loss. In the fetal membranes, clusters of bcl‐2 negative chorion trophoblast cells undergo apoptosis. This may allow passage of myometrial stimulatory factors that induce labour.

CONCLUSION: The ratio of bcl‐2:bax is crucial in the regulation of apoptosis, particularly in the human placenta. Changes in trophoblast apoptosis characterize (1) early pregnancy failure, (2) IUGR and (3) pre‐term and term labour. Regardless of gestational age, TNFα plays a major role in the induction of placental apoptosis.
Characteristics of Suicide Attempters in a Slovenian High School Population
Authors: Tomori Martina , Zalar Bojan
Published: October 2023

The study was carried out on a representative sample of Slovenian high school students (n = 3687) of whom 238 (137 girls and 101 boys) have already attempted suicide. Both suicide attempters and nonattempters were assessed by a questionnaire consisting of Zung's (1965) Depression Scale, Rosenberg's (1965) Self‐Esteem Scale, sociodemographic data, information on suicide attempt, suicide ideation, family relations, and substance abuse. Statistical analyses indicated that groups differed in the levels of self‐esteem, emotional reaction to family problems, running away from home, and substance abuse. The differences in the level of depression, frequency of suicide ideation, family suicide occurrence, smoking, and alcohol use were significant.
Use of Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) for Suicide and Nonfatal Poisoning: Worldwide Patterns of Use and Misuse
Authors: Gunnell David , Murray Virginia , Hawton Keith
Published: October 2023

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is one of the most frequently used drugs in intentional overdoses. We have investigated associations between its availability and its use for overdose and suicide around the world by means of a postal questionnaire and literature review. Countries that limit the quantity of paracetamol available in a single purchase generally report lower rates of paracetamol‐related morbidity and mortality. National policy decisions regarding restrictions on its availability need to weigh the inconvenience caused to the many who use the drug safely against those of the few in whom overdose may be fatal. We recommend restricting the quantity of drug available as a single purchase as the most pragmatic means of reducing paracetamol‐related suicide and liver failure.
Risk of Future Suicide Attempts in Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients at 18‐month Follow‐up
Authors: Brinkman‐Sull David C. , Overholser James C. , Silverman Eden
Published: October 2023

This study investigated potential predictors of suicidal behavior in adolescents during an 18‐month follow‐up period. Subjects included 60 adolescent psychiatric inpatients initially assessed in a private psychiatric hospital. Follow‐up suicidality was most strongly predicted by high intake levels of hopelessness, and an increase in or persistent problems with depression during follow‐up. Some family functioning variables measured at intake were predictive of suicidal behavior at the univariate level but did not add to the predictive ability of individual functioning variables. A mediational model was proposed in which the impact of family functioning on adolescent suicidality is mediated by its impact on individual functioning.
Developing advanced L2 German writing: A functionally oriented longitudinal study
Authors: Maxim Hiram H.
Published: October 2023

Competent L2 writing has been described in research in terms of an increasing incidence, variety, and length of clauses; a countervailing compactness and tightness with reduced number of clauses even as clause length expands; and various interrelationships between syntactic realizations of texts and the genres they represent. These partly contradictory features are typically related to the fact that “advancedness” is both a notoriously vague term and a developmental stage that is more expansive than are introductory and intermediate levels of L2 performance. To contribute to a more differentiated understanding of advancedness—particularly its gradual development in instructed settings—this article examines the characteristics of advanced writing through an analysis of data that are (a) longitudinal, rather than cross‐sectional, (b) embedded in an instructional environment that has implemented principled, articulated curricular, and pedagogical practices for the development of advancedness, and (c) analyzed within a systemic–functional linguistic framework in order to focus on the notions of experiential and logical meaning. By analyzing the intraclausal and interclausal resources that evolving advanced learners use and by relating them to the learners’ developmental trajectory, this article contributes to a better understanding not only of the nature of advancedness but also of its development by adult instructed learners.