bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Characteristics and Fecal Microbiome in Recurrent Versus Nonrecurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection
Authors: Lanjewar Swapnil , Kates Ashley , Watson Lauren , Safdar Nasia
Published: November 2021

Background: Up to 30% of patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) develop recurrent infection, which is associated with a 33% increased risk of mortality at 180 days. The gut microbiome plays a key role in initial and recurrent episodes of CDI. We examined the clinical characteristics and gut microbial diversity in patients with recurrent (rCDI) versus nonrecurrent CDI at a tertiary-care academic medical center. Methods: Stool samples were collected from 113 patients diagnosed with CDI between 2018 and 2019. Clinical and demographic data were extracted from the electronic medical record (Table 1), and 16S rRNA sequencing of the v4 region was carried out on the Illumina MiSeq using 2×250 paired-end reads. Sequences were binned into operational taxonomic units (OTUs) using mothur and were classified to the genus level whenever possible using the ribosomal database project data set version 16. Alpha diversity was calculated using the Shannon diversity index. Β diversity was calculated using the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrix. Differential abundance testing was done using DESeq to assess taxonomic differences between groups. A P value of .05 was used to assess significance. Results: In total, 55 patients had rCDI (prior positive C. difficile polymerase chain reaction in last 7–365 days) and 58 had nonrecurrent CDI (Table 1). Patients with rCDI had a higher frequency of organ transplant and comorbidity. No differences in α not β diversity were observed between groups. Also, 4 OTUs were more abundant in those with rCDI: Ruminococcus (n = 2), Odoribacter, and Lactobacillus. Patients with rCDI had microbiomes with greater proportions of Bacteroidetes (27% of OTUs) compared to the nonrecurrent group (18%) as well as fewer OTUs belonging to the Firmicutes phyla compared to the nonrecurrent patients (56% vs 59%). Among the rCDI patients, those experiencing 2 or more recurrences had greater abundances of Bacteroides and Ruminococcus, while those experiencing only 1 recurrence had significantly greater abundances of Akkermensia, Ruminococcus, Streptococcus, Roseburia, Clostridium IV, and Collinsella compared to those with only 1 recurrence (Table 2). Conclusions: Patients with rCDI had a more impaired microbiome than those with initial CDI. Ruminococcus OTUs have been previously indicated as a risk factor for recurrence and treatment failure, and they were significantly more abundant in those with rCDI and among those with multiple recurrences. The greatest differences in the microbiome were observed between those with 1 recurrence compared to those with multiple recurrences. Interventions for gut microbiome restoration should focus particularly on those with recurrent CDI.

Funding: No

Disclosures: None
Did Clostridioides difficile Testing and Infection Rates Change During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Authors: Hawes Armani , Patel Payal , Desai Angel
Published: November 2021

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of ongoing infection prevention efforts. Increased adherence to infection prevention recommendations, increased antibiotic use, improved hand hygiene, and correct donning and doffing of personal protective equipment may have influenced healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the United States during the pandemic. In this study, we investigated testing for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and incidence during the initial surge of the pandemic. We hypothesized that strict adherence to contact precautions may have resulted in a decreased incidence of CDI in hospitalized patients during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and that CDI testing may have increased even in the absence of directed diagnostic stewardship efforts. Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective, observational study at the Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, between January 2019 and June 2020. We compared data on CDI tests from January 2019 through February 2020 to data from March 2020 (the admission of the first patient with COVID-19 at our institution) through June 2020. Pre-peak and peak periods were defined by confirmed cases in Washtenaw County. No novel diagnostic or CDI-focused stewardship interventions were introduced by the antimicrobial stewardship program during the study period. An interrupted time series analysis was performed using STATA version 16.1 software (StataCorp LLC, College Station, TX). Results: There were 6,525 admissions and 34,533 bed days between January 1, 2019, and June 30, 2020. Also, 900 enzyme immunoassay (EIA) tests were obtained and 104 positive cases of CDI were detected between January 2019 and June 2020. A statistically significant decrease in EIA tests occurred after March 1, 2020 (the COVID-19 peak in our region) compared to January 1, 2019–March 1, 2020 (Figure 1). After March 1, 2020, the number of EIA tests obtained decreased by 10.2 each month (95% CI, −18.7 to −1.7; P = .02). No statistically significant change in the incidence of CDI occurred. The use of antibiotics that were defined as high risk for CDI increased in the months of April–June 2020 (Figure 2). Conclusions: In this single-center study, we observed a stable incidence of CDI but decreased testing during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding local HAI reporting is critical because changes in HAI reporting structures and exemptions during this period may have affected national reporting. Further research should be undertaken to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on other HAI reporting within the US healthcare system.

Funding: No

Disclosures: None
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Antibiotic Use on the United States–Mexico Border
Authors: Khan Sana , Ellingson Katherine , Parra Gemma , Villanueva Juan , Garrido Carlos
Published: November 2021

Background: The US–Mexico border represents a unique region of the country where antibiotics are more accessible and nonprescription treatment with antibiotics is deeply enculturated. Currently, both the United States and Mexico are experiencing widespread community transmission of SARS-CoV-2, which may have implications for antibiotic seeking and use. The objective of this study was to examine antibiotic seeking behavior as it relates to COVID-19 in the border region relative to the greater US and Mexico populations. Methods: An interdisciplinary team at The University of Arizona developed a survey to assess knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about antibiotics along the US–Mexico border region (defined as 100 km from the border) and to compare findings from the border region to the broader US and Mexico populations. The team recruited survey participants through Amazon’s MTurk survey platform and through the distribution of recruitment flyers to community partners in Arizona and Mexico border regions from October 2020 to January 2021. Targeted recruitment was 750 through March 2021. We report here on findings from the first round of recruitment (n = 116). These participants were asked whether they had sought out antibiotics specifically as a treatment for COVID-19, as well as their general beliefs and behaviors on self-seeking antibiotics for illness. Results: As of January 24, 2021, we surveyed 116 participants: 82 (70.7%) from the United States and 34 (29.3%) from Mexico. Most participants (71.2%) were aged 25–44 years; 56.9% were male; and 50% reported Hispanic ethnicity. Of these, 13.8% lived within 100 km of the US–Mexico border. Overall, 21.6% of participants reported taking antibiotics to fight COVID-19–like illness. Of these participants, 28% obtained the antibiotics directly from a pharmacy, without a physician prescription, and 16% obtained them from an online vendor. Additionally, 33% of US respondents reported that they would be willing to travel to Mexico to obtain antibiotics if they were too difficult to obtain in the United States. Of these respondents, 55% said they would be willing to travel for >1 hour to obtain antibiotics. Conclusions: Preliminary data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic will have widespread ramifications on antibiotic seeking behavior and could propagate antibiotic resistance. Targeted intervention strategies in the border region are necessary to mitigate the unique factors that contribute to antibiotic use in this area.

Funding: No

Disclosures: None
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody in Healthcare Workers in Central Pennsylvania
Authors: Kwon Taesung , Kenyon Stacy , Kilheeney Kimberly , Martin Stanley , Shelly Mark
Published: November 2021

Background: Determining the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers (HCW) is important in assessing the safety of the work environment. Though of limited use in acute illness, serologic testing can detect some infections that occur undetected. We compared the prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 to a place of work, exposure by role and department, and use of various prevention methods. Methods: Healthcare workers (HCWs) working in Geisinger Health System were offered voluntary serology through Employee Health. Before they had blood taken, they completed a brief questionnaire. Testing was conducted from June 15 to September 4, 2020. Blood was analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) (Roche and Diasorin platforms). Results: In total, 2,295 employees and contract workers providing care at Geisinger facilities were tested. Most of this group, 2,037 (88.8%), were involved in direct patient care. In total, 101 tests returned positive, a rate of 4.4% (95% CI, 3.6%–5.3%). Of 54 HCWs with a positive NAAT for SARS-CoV-2, positive serology results were found in 48, a sensitivity of 89% (95% CI, 78%–95%). Those involved in patient care were slightly more likely to become infected, 91 of 2,037 (4.6%) compared to 10 of 258 who were not involved in patient care (3.9%; P = .68). Those with unprotected exposure to a known case of COVID-19 were more likely than those not exposed to be positive for SARS-CoV-2, 51 of 792 (6.4% vs 3.3%; P = .0008). This risk was highest for those exposed outside work (7 of 33; 21%; P = .003). HCWs working in COVID-19 units were positive at a rate of 4.0% (95% CI, 3.8%–5.4%), no more than other inpatient areas, which were 5.0% positive (95% CI, 3.8%–6.4%). HCWs working with outpatients were at slightly lower risk, 2.8% positivity (95% CI, 1.9%–4.1%). The rates of infection ranged between 3.3% and 5.0% by job category. Employees were asked about symptoms experienced since March 2020. Positive serology occurred in 39 (2.8%) of 1,414 employees who did not recall any symptoms. Symptoms related to COVID-19, except sore throat, were strongly correlated with positive serology. Conclusions: When provided a safe work environment, the risk of COVID-19 in employees is comparable to that in the surrounding communities. Persons with patient care responsibilities have an absolute risk that is marginally higher.

Funding: No

Disclosures: None
From curves to currents
Authors: Martínez-Granado Dídac , Thurston Dylan P.
Published: November 2021

Many natural real-valued functions of closed curves are known to extend continuously to the larger space of geodesic currents. For instance, the extension of length with respect to a fixed hyperbolic metric was a motivating example for the development of geodesic currents. We give a simple criterion on a curve function that guarantees a continuous extension to geodesic currents. The main condition of our criterion is the smoothing property, which has played a role in the study of systoles of translation lengths for Anosov representations. It is easy to see that our criterion is satisfied for almost all known examples of continuous functions on geodesic currents, such as nonpositively curved lengths or stable lengths for surface groups, while also applying to new examples like extremal length. We use this extension to obtain a new curve counting result for extremal length.
Perinatal mental healthcare in Northern Ireland: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Mongan D. , Lynch J. , Anderson J. , Robinson L. , Mulholland C.
Published: November 2021

Perinatal mental health is a vital component of public mental health. The perinatal period represents the time in a woman’s life when she is at the highest risk of developing new-onset psychiatric disorders or relapse of an existing mental illness. Optimisation of maternal mental health in the perinatal period is associated with both short- and long-term benefits not only for the mother, but also for her infant and family. However, perinatal mental health service provision remains variable across the world. At present in Northern Ireland, 80% of women do not have access to specialist community perinatal mental health services, and without access to a mother and baby unit, mothers who require a psychiatric admission in the postnatal period are separated from their baby. However, following successful campaigns, funding for development of specialist perinatal mental health community teams has recently been approved. In this article, we discuss the importance of perinatal mental health from a public health perspective and explore challenges and opportunities in the ongoing journey of specialist service development in Northern Ireland.
FUJITA DECOMPOSITION AND MASSEY PRODUCT FOR FIBERED VARIETIES
Authors: RIZZI LUCA , ZUCCONI FRANCESCO
Published: November 2021

Let$f\colon X\to B$be a semistable fibration whereXis a smooth variety of dimension$n\geq 2$andBis a smooth curve. We give the structure theorem for the local system of the relative$1$-forms and of the relative top forms. This gives a neat interpretation of the second Fujita decomposition of$f_*\omega _{X/B}$. We apply our interpretation to show the existence, up to base change, of higher irrational pencils and on the finiteness of the associated monodromy representations under natural Castelnuovo-type hypothesis on local subsystems. Finally, we give a criterion to have thatXis not of Albanese general type if$B=\mathbb {P}^1$.
Kymlicka’s Alignment of Mill and Engels: Nationality, Civilization, and Coercive Assimilation
Authors: Beaumont Tim
Published: November 2021

John Stuart Mill claims that free institutions are next to impossible in a multinational state. According to Will Kymlicka, this leads him to embrace policies kindred to those of Friedrich Engels, aimed at promoting mononational states in Europe through coercive assimilation. Given Mill’s harm principle, such coercive assimilation would have to be justified either paternalistically, in terms of its civilizing effects upon the would-be assimilated, or non-paternalistically, with reference to the danger that their non-assimilation would pose to others. However, neither possible interpretation is plausible; Mill takes Europe’s civilized status to shield Europeans from paternalistic coercion, and he opposes coercive assimilation where it could conceivably be justified in the name of defense. Although this much suggests that Kymlicka misinterprets Mill by ignoring his definition ofnationality, it leaves scope for Kymlicka to argue that Mill favors policies that promote mononationality through neglecting the languages and cultures of national minorities.
Association between added sugar intake and overall diet quality in the Finnish adult population
Authors: Tammi Rilla , Maukonen Mirkka , Männistö Satu , Sares-Jäske Laura , Kanerva Noora , Kaartinen Niina E.
Published: November 2021

Added sugar intake has been associated with several health issues, but few studies have examined its association with overall diet quality. We aimed at examining the association between added sugar intake and overall diet quality in Finnish adults. Associations between added sugar intake and sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors, and BMI were also explored. Our data comprised 5094 adults residing in Finland who participated in the National FinHealth 2017 Study. Dietary intake was assessed by a validated FFQ. Food consumption and nutrient intakes were calculated using the Finnish national food composition database. Added sugar intake was estimated based on food categorisation and identifying naturally occurring sugar sources. Overall diet quality was assessed by the modified Baltic Sea Diet Score. The average added sugar intake was 7·6 E % in women and 8·3 E % in men in this study population. Added sugar intake was inversely associated with education (P = 0·03 women; P = 0·001 men), physical activity (P < 0·0001), and BMI in men (P = 0·003), and directly with smoking (P = 0·002 women; P < 0·0001 men). Added sugar intake was inversely associated with overall diet quality in both sexes (P < 0·0001). No interactions were found except for men’s physical activity subgroups, the inverse association being stronger among active men than moderately active or inactive men (Pfor interaction = 0·005). Our findings suggest that high added sugar intake is associated with several unhealthy dietary and lifestyle habits, including poor-quality diets, smoking and leisure-time inactivity in Finnish adults. Efforts to improve diet quality should consider added sugar intake equally in the whole population.
“A Sort of Public Living Room”: Ignorance and the Racial Management of Disorder in Postwar Los Angeles
Authors: CHABANY-DOUARRE VINCENT
Published: November 2021

Exploring sanitation in postwar Los Angeles, this article argues that as white voluntary groups formed task forces to clean up the city, they endangered Mexican and black Angelinos by endorsing solutions to urban welfare defined by antistatism and carceralism. I read these activities through the lens of white ignorance, whereby white Americans elaborated folk knowledge of successful urbanism on their own terrain and terms, which had no capacity to attend to other classes and races. I treat white ignorance not as a cognitive defect or proxy for innocence, but rather as a structural condition of postwar urban political economy.
The interpretational preferences of null and overt pronouns in Chinese
Authors: ZHANG AILI , KWON NAYOUNG
Published: November 2021

We report three reading comprehension experiments investigating the interpretational preferences and processing ofproand overt pronouns in Chinese, a ‘discourse-oriented’pro-drop language (Huang 1984). Our offline rating experiments showed that bothproand overt pronouns were subject-based, but the preference for the subject antecedents was stronger withprothan with overt pronouns. In addition, these different levels of subject biases were confirmed in a self-paced reading experiment; a processing penalty was incurred with object antecedent interpretation regardless of the pronominal type, but the penalty was bigger forprothan for overt pronouns. These experimental results are consistent with Accessibility theory that less specific anaphoric expressions (e.g.pro) were less likely than more specific anaphoric expressions (e.g. overt pronouns) to refer to a less prominent antecedent (e.g. syntactic object).
Locative Inversion, PP Topicalization, and Weak Crossover in English
Authors: BRUENING BENJAMIN
Published: November 2021

The literature on locative inversion in English currently disputes whether locative inversion differs from PP topicalization in permitting a quantifier in the fronted PP to bind a pronoun in the subject. In order to resolve this dispute, this paper runs two experiments on Amazon Mechanical Turk, one an acceptability judgment task and the other a forced-choice task. Both find that PP topicalization does not differ from locative inversion: both permit variable binding. Locative inversion also does not differ from a minimally different sentence with the overt expletivethere.These findings remove an argument against the null expletive analysis of English locative inversion, and they also show that weak crossover is not uniformly triggered by A-bar movement.
From Guild Artisans to Entrepreneurs: The Long Path of Italian Marble Mosaic and Terrazzo Craftsmen (16th c. Venice – 20th c. New York City)
Authors: Grossutti Javier P.
Published: November 2021

Marble mosaic and terrazzo were a very common type of stone paving in Venice, Italy, especially between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Throughout the period, migrant craftsmen from the nearby Alpine foothills area of Friuli (in northeastern Italy) virtually monopolized the Venetian marble mosaic and terrazzo trade. Thus, on February 9, 1583, the Venetian Council of Ten granted maestro (master) Sgualdo Sabadin from Friuli and his fellow Friulian workers of the arte dei terazzeri (art of terrazzo) the capacity to establish a school guild dedicated to St. Florian. The first chapters of the Mariegola de’ Terazzeri (Statutes of the Terrazzo Workers Guild), which set the rules for the guild of terrazzo workers, was completed three years later, in September 1586.

From the 1830s onward, Friulian craftsmen began to export their skills and trade from Venice across Europe and later, at the turn of the twentieth century, overseas to several American cities. Prior to reaching America, mosaic and terrazzo workers left from their work places outside Italy, initially from Paris. Friulian mosaic and terrazzo workers were regarded as the “aristocracy” of the Italian American building workforce due to their highly specialized jobs: This contrasted with the bulk of Italians in the United States who were largely employed as unskilled. The New York marble mosaic- and terrazzo-paving trade was completely in the hands of the Italian craftsmen, who demonstrated a strong tendency to become entrepreneurs. They made use of their craftsmanship comparative advantages to build a successful network of firms that dominated the domestic market, in a similar fashion to what had already been occurring in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other European countries.

This paper argues that immigrants can be powerful conduits for the transfer of skills and knowledge, and emphasizes the importance of studying skilled migrant artisan experiences. A closer look at ethnic migration flows reveals a variety of entrepreneurial experiences, even in groups largely considered unskilled. The Italian marble mosaic and terrazzo workers’ experience sheds new light on ethnic entrepreneurship catering for the community as a whole, it reveals a remarkable long-lasting craftsmanship experience, thus demonstrating the successful continuity in business ownership and the passing down of craftsmanship knowledge across family generations. Creativity skills and innovative productive methods adopted by firms appear as a key factor that allowed these artisans to control the trade for such a long time.
Gold rush: the political economy of the Yugoslavian gold exchange standard
Authors: Jevtic Aleksandar Radan
Published: November 2021

This article analyses the economic, political and cultural factors that influenced the decision of policy-makers in Yugoslavia to join the gold exchange standard in the midst of the Great Depression in June 1931. The analysis proceeds in three stages. First, the economic reasons why policy elites and interest groups endeavoured to adopt the gold exchange standard are examined by looking at debates in Yugoslavia's central bank, correspondence between governmental institutions and the views of policy elites as depicted in various economic newspapers. Subsequently, the article analyses how the beliefs in economic benefits analysed in the previous part were formed, considering the state of economic knowledge in the country, as well as pressures exerted by foreign lenders such as the Bank of England, the Banque de France and the Bank for International Settlements. The third part analyses reasons for legal stabilisation that go beyond economic rationales, considering how the government employed the prestige involved in legal stabilisation for its political agenda, and how cultural attachments to ‘gold core countries’ made sharing their monetary system a matter of cultural integration.
Managing information flow through prosody init-clefts
Authors: BOURGOIN CHARLOTTE , O'GRADY GERARD , DAVIDSE KRISTIN
Published: November 2021

This article addresses the question of how speakers manage information flow in specificationalit-clefts by balancing grammatical and prosodic choices in real time. We examine this in a qualitative and quantitative corpus study of both full and reducedit-clefts extracted from the firstLondon–Lund Corpus(LLC–1), whose prosody we studied combining auditory and instrumental analysis. Our empirical analysis resulted in the following findings about cleft usage in speech. Speakers have considerable freedom to choose what information to make prominent irrespective of the actual discourse-givenness of the constituents. Clefts allow speakers to highlight elements by means of two strategies, syntactic and prosodic, which may reinforce each other or create their own different types of prominence in sequence.It-clefts always have a high first pitch accent, which signals some form of reset of the expectations generated by preceding utterances. The choice of whether or not to produce a cleft relative clause is not purely informationally motivated. Rather, reduced clefts achieve specific unique rhetorical effects. All of this makes clefts a particularly useful device for speakers responding moment by moment to informational needs and shifting communicative goals.
A multi-level, multi-component obesity intervention (Obesity Prevention and Evaluation of InterVention Effectiveness in NaTive North Americans) decreases soda intake in Native American adults
Authors: Redmond Leslie C , Jock Brittany , Kolahdooz Fariba , Sharma Sangita , Pardilla Marla , Swartz Jacqueline , Caulfield Laura E , Gittelsohn Joel
Published: November 2021

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of a multi-level, multi-component (MLMC) adult obesity intervention on beverage intake in Native American adults living in five geographically and culturally diverse tribal communities.

Design:

A 14-month, community-randomised, MLMC design was utilised, with three communities randomised to Intervention and two communities randomised to Comparison. FFQ were administered pre- and post-interventions, and difference-in-differences (DiD) analysis was used to assess intervention impact on beverage intake.

Setting:

The intervention took place within food stores, worksites, schools and selected media outlets located in the five communities. Key activities included working with store owners to stock healthy beverages, display and dispersal of educational materials, support of policies that discouraged unhealthy beverage consumption at worksites and schools and taste tests.

Participants:

Data were collected from 422 respondents between the ages of 18 and 75 living in the five communities pre-intervention; of those, 299 completed post-intervention surveys. Only respondents completing both pre- and post-intervention surveys were included in the current analysis.

Results:

The DiD for daily servings of regular, sugar-sweetened soda from pre- to post-intervention was significant, indicating a significant decrease in Intervention communities (P < 0·05). No other changes to beverage intake were observed.

Conclusions:

Large, MLMC obesity interventions can successfully reduce the intake of regular, sugar-sweetened soda in Native American adults. This is important within modern food environments where sugar-sweetened beverages are a primary source of added sugars in Native American diets.
Adherence to the South African food based dietary guidelines may reduce breast cancer risk in black South African women: the South African Breast Cancer (SABC) study
Authors: Jacobs Inarie , Taljaard-Krugell Christine , Wicks Mariaan , Badham Jane M , Cubasch Herbert , Joffe Maureen , Laubscher Ria , Romieu Isabelle , Biessy Carine , Gunter Marc J , Rinaldi Sabina , Huybrechts Inge
Published: November 2021

Objective:

To determine the level of adherence and to assess the association between higher adherence to the South African food based dietary guidelines (SAFBDG) and breast cancer risk.

Design:

Population-based, case–control study (the South African Breast Cancer study) matched on age and demographic settings. Validated questionnaires were used to collect dietary and epidemiological data. To assess adherence to the SAFBDG, a nine-point adherence score (out of eleven guidelines) was developed, using suggested adherence cut-points for scoring each recommendation (0 and 1). When the association between higher adherence to the SAFBDG and breast cancer risk was assessed, data-driven tertiles among controls were used as cut-points for scoring each recommendation (0, 0·5 and 1). OR and 95 % CI were estimated using multivariate logistic regression models.

Setting:

Soweto, South Africa.

Participants:

Black urban women, 396 breast cancer cases and 396 controls.

Results:

After adjusting for potential confounders, higher adherence (>5·0) to the SAFBDG v. lower adherence (<3·5) was statistically significantly inversely associated with breast cancer risk overall (OR = 0·56, 95 % CI 0·38, 0·85), among postmenopausal women (OR = 0·64, 95 % CI 0·40, 0·97) as well as for oestrogen-positive breast cancers (OR = 0·51, 95 % CI 0·32, 0·89). Only 32·3 % of cases and 39·1 % of controls adhered to at least half (a score >4·5) of the SAFBDG.

Conclusions:

Higher adherence to the SAFBDG may reduce breast cancer risk in this population. The concerning low levels of adherence to the SAFBDG emphasise the need for education campaigns and to create healthy food environments in South Africa to increase adherence to the SAFBDG.
Direct and indirect contributions of molecular genetics to farm animal welfare: a review
Authors: Demir Eymen , Bilginer Umit , Balcioglu Murat Soner , Karsli Taki
Published: November 2021

Since domestication, farm animals have played a key role to increase the prosperity of humankind, while animal welfare (AW) is debated even today. This paper aims to comprehensively review the contributions of developing molecular genetics to farm animal welfare (FAW) and to raise awareness among both scientists and farmers about AW. Welfare is a complex trait affected by genetic structure and environmental factors. Therefore, the best welfare status can be achieved not only to enhance environmental factors such as management and feeding practices, but also the genetic structure of animals must be improved. In this regard, advances in molecular genetics have made great contributions to improve the genetic structure of farm animals, which has increased AW. Today, by sequencing and/or molecular markers, genetic diseases may be detected and eliminated in local herds. Additionally, genes related to diseases or adaptations are investigated by molecular techniques, and the frequencies of desired genotypes are increased in farm animals to keep welfare at an optimized level. Furthermore, stress on animals can be reduced with DNA extraction from stool and feather samples which reduces physical contact between animals and veterinarians. Together with molecular genetics, advances in genome editing tools and biotechnology are promising to improve FAW in the future.
The democratic deficit in South Korea: the democratic control of armed forces since 1993
Authors: Kim Kyung-Pil
Published: November 2021

This paper explains how South Korea's democracy has controlled the military since 1993. It reveals why the overpowered military has not faded even after the eradication ofHanahoeand the consolidation of democracy in South Korea in its aftermath. The democratic control over the military is examined focusing on: (1) budget, personnel, organization; (2) the judicial system; (3) security and defense policy; (4) personnel affairs, roles, and responsibilities; and an explanation based on laws and institutions, the strategy of key actors, and historical conditions of military confrontation. Under South Korea's democracy, the military budget, personnel, and organization are only partially controlled, leaving military commanders with jurisdiction over the military's judicial system. This is a result of legal and institutional limitations, as well as resistance from the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the military. In matters of security and defense policy, the president has taken the initiative to revitalize obsolete systems through political compromise with the military. The primary means for the president to control the military has been the personnel management of the MND and the military. The military is likely to pledge its allegiance to the regime instead of citizens because the former has control over personnel affairs, which has frequently led to unofficial private groups of military officers and their political interference. This case in South Korea shows that the way society controls the military sows the very seeds of risk and allows us to rethink the challenges in controlling the military in a democracy.
Reforming to Please: A Comprehensive Explanation for Non-Exit from the European Court of Human Rights
Authors: Smekal Hubert , Tsereteli Nino
Published: November 2021

States’ growing dissatisfaction with the performance of the European Court of Human Rights – Governments’ commitment to reform process – Threats of exit that failed to materialise – Adaptation of Hirschman’s exit–voice–loyalty framework to explain states’ non-exit from the European Court of Human Rights – Sufficiently effective voice, manifestations of loyalty, and high costs of exit as possible reasons behind non-exit – Governments’ inability to achieve change in the Court’s practice unilaterally – Divergent perceptions and expectations of governments – Court’s responsiveness to governments’ concerns – Showing the importance of cautious, incremental changes to accommodate diverse governmental expectations on the role of the European Court of Human Rights
Smart sensor tights: Movement tracking of the lower limbs in football
Authors: Steijlen Annemarijn , Burgers Bastiaan , Wilmes Erik , Bastemeijer Jeroen , Bastiaansen Bram , French Patrick , Bossche Andre , Jansen Kaspar
Published: November 2021

This article presents a novel smart sensor garment with integrated miniaturized inertial measurements units (IMUs) that can be used to monitor lower body kinematics during daily training activities, without the need of extensive technical assistance throughout the measurements. The smart sensor tights enclose five ultra-light sensor modules that measure linear accelerations, angular velocities, and the earth magnetic field in three directions. The modules are located at the pelvis, thighs, and shanks. The garment enables continuous measurement in the field at high sample rates (250 Hz) and the sensors have a large measurement range (32 g, 4,000°/s). They are read out by a central processing unit through an SPI bus, and connected to a centralized battery in the waistband. A fully functioning prototype was built to perform validation studies in a lab setting and in a field setting. In the lab validation study, the IMU data (converted to limb orientation data) were compared with the kinematic data of an optoelectronic measurement system and good validity (CMCs >0.8) was shown. In the field tests, participants experienced the tights as comfortable to wear and they did not feel restricted in their movements. These results show the potential of using the smart sensor tights on a regular base to derive lower limb kinematics in the field.
Linear Versus Nonlinear (Convex and Concave) Hedging Rules for Reservoir Optimization Operation
Authors: Zeng Xiang , Lund Jay R. , Cai Ximing
Published: November 2021

Hedging rules of reservoir operations decide the timing and magnitude of current water delivery reduction and consequent carryover water storage conservation based on the tradeoff between the utility of current and future water use. Different forms of hedging can be used for reservoir release decision. This study presents general optimality conditions for hedging with convex, concave, and linear relationships between reservoir water availability and release, using criteria based on the relative value of marginal value of risk tolerance (MVRT) with respect to current reservoir release versus carryover storage. MVRT is quantified to measure reservoir operators' risk tolerance change (sensitivity) to the change of reservoir release or carryover storage, reflecting their attitudes to the risk with current release and that with the carryover storage (i.e., future release), as well as their perception of future water availability uncertainty. Higher, equal, or lower MVRT with current release than that with carryover storage for future release corresponds to convex, linear or concave hedging. Various levels of risk tolerance toward hydrologic uncertainty underlie different hedging types for reservoir release decisions. Specifically, negative, positive, and null risk premiums (or risk seeking, risk aversion, and risk neutrality) result from convex, concave, and linear hedging rules, respectively. In general, high uncertainty will move the convex or concave curve closer to the linear curve. The MVRT‐based criteria for optimal hedging policies are illustrated through a real‐world case study.
Data‐Driven Velocity Model Evaluation Using K‐Means Clustering
Authors: Xiong Neng , Qiu Hongrui , Niu Fenglin
Published: November 2021

We develop a data‐driven clustering method to evaluate a velocity model using surface wave velocity dispersion. This is done by first computing theoretical dispersion curves for 1‐D velocity profiles of all the grid locations and then splitting the resulting dispersion curves into a certain number of groups via the K‐means clustering. The observed dispersion curves are also clustered following the same procedure and the velocity model is assessed by comparing the spatial patterns obtained for the observed and synthetic data sets. The method is applied to evaluate two community velocity models in southern California, CVM‐S4.26 and CVM‐H15.1, using phase velocity maps derived for 3–16 s Rayleigh waves. We found a good correlation in the spatial distribution of clusters between the result of CVM‐S4.26 and that of the observed data, suggesting that the CVM‐S4.26 fits the observed dispersion maps better than the CVM‐H15.1 in terms of features extracted from the clustering analysis.
Acute myeloid leukemia cell membrane-coated nanoparticles for cancer vaccination immunotherapy
Authors: Johnson Daniel T. , Zhou Jiarong , Kroll Ashley V. , Fang Ronnie H. , Yan Ming , Xiao Crystal , Chen Xiufen , Kline Justin , Zhang Liangfang , Zhang Dong-Er
Published: November 2021

Cancer vaccines are promising treatments to prevent relapse after chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, particularly for those who cannot tolerate intensive consolidation therapies. Here, we report the development of an AML cell membrane-coated nanoparticle (AMCNP) vaccine platform, in which immune-stimulatory adjuvant-loaded nanoparticles are coated with leukemic cell membrane material. This AMCNP vaccination strategy stimulates leukemia-specific immune responses by co-delivering membrane-associated antigens along with adjuvants to antigen-presenting cells. To demonstrate that this AMCNP vaccine enhances leukemia-specific antigen presentation and T cell responses, we modified a murine AML cell line to express membrane-bound chicken ovalbumin as a model antigen. AMCNPs were efficiently acquired by antigen-presenting cells in vitro and in vivo and stimulated antigen cross-presentation. Vaccination with AMCNPs significantly enhanced antigen-specific T cell expansion and effector function compared with control vaccines. Prophylactic vaccination with AMCNPs enhanced cellular immunity and protected against AML challenge. Moreover, in an AML post-remission vaccination model, AMCNP vaccination significantly enhanced survival in comparison to vaccination with whole leukemia cell lysates. Collectively, AMCNPs retained AML-specific antigens, elicited enhanced antigen-specific immune responses, and provided therapeutic benefit against AML challenge.
Novel metabolic interactions and environmental conditions mediate the boreal peatmoss-cyanobacteria mutualism
Authors: Carrell Alyssa A , Veličković Dušan , Lawrence Travis J , Bowen Benjamin P , Louie Katherine B , Carper Dana L , Chu Rosalie K , Mitchell Hugh D , Orr Galya , Markillie Lye Meng , Jawdy Sara S , Grimwood Jane , Shaw A Jonathan , Schmutz Jeremy , Northen Trent R , Anderton Christopher R , Pelletier Dale A , Weston David J
Published: November 2021

Interactions between Sphagnum (peat moss) and cyanobacteria play critical roles in terrestrial carbon and nitrogen cycling processes. Knowledge of the metabolites exchanged, the physiological processes involved, and the environmental conditions allowing the formation of symbiosis is important for a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these interactions. In this study, we used a cross-feeding approach with spatially resolved metabolite profiling and metatranscriptomics to characterize the symbiosis between Sphagnum and Nostoc cyanobacteria. A pH gradient study revealed that the Sphagnum–Nostoc symbiosis was driven by pH, with mutualism occurring only at low pH. Metabolic cross-feeding studies along with spatially resolved matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) identified trehalose as the main carbohydrate source released by Sphagnum, which were depleted by Nostoc along with sulfur-containing choline-O-sulfate, taurine and sulfoacetate. In exchange, Nostoc increased exudation of purines and amino acids. Metatranscriptome analysis indicated that Sphagnum host defense was downregulated when in direct contact with the Nostoc symbiont, but not as a result of chemical contact alone. The observations in this study elucidated environmental, metabolic, and physiological underpinnings of the widespread plant–cyanobacterial symbioses with important implications for predicting carbon and nitrogen cycling in peatland ecosystems as well as the basis of general host-microbe interactions.
Decreased PRC2 activity supports the survival of basal-like breast cancer cells to cytotoxic treatments
Authors: Mieczkowska Iga K. , Pantelaiou-Prokaki Garyfallia , Prokakis Evangelos , Schmidt Geske E. , Müller-Kirschbaum Lukas C. , Werner Marcel , Sen Madhobi , Velychko Taras , Jannasch Katharina , Dullin Christian , Napp Joanna , Pantel Klaus , Wikman Harriet , Wiese Maria , Kramm Christof M. , Alves Frauke , Wegwitz Florian
Published: November 2021

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer occurring in women but also rarely develops in men. Recent advances in early diagnosis and development of targeted therapies have greatly improved the survival rate of BC patients. However, the basal-like BC subtype (BLBC), largely overlapping with the triple-negative BC subtype (TNBC), lacks such drug targets and conventional cytotoxic chemotherapies often remain the only treatment option. Thus, the development of resistance to cytotoxic therapies has fatal consequences. To assess the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms and their therapeutic potential increasing cytotoxic drug efficiency, we combined high-throughput RNA- and ChIP-sequencing analyses in BLBC cells. Tumor cells surviving chemotherapy upregulated transcriptional programs of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness. To our surprise, the same cells showed a pronounced reduction of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) activity via downregulation of its subunits Ezh2, Suz12, Rbbp7 and Mtf2. Mechanistically, loss of PRC2 activity leads to the de-repression of a set of genes through an epigenetic switch from repressive H3K27me3 to activating H3K27ac mark at regulatory regions. We identified Nfatc1 as an upregulated gene upon loss of PRC2 activity and directly implicated in the transcriptional changes happening upon survival to chemotherapy. Blocking NFATc1 activation reduced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, aggressiveness, and therapy resistance of BLBC cells. Our data demonstrate a previously unknown function of PRC2 maintaining low Nfatc1 expression levels and thereby repressing aggressiveness and therapy resistance in BLBC.
Neural nano-optics for high-quality thin lens imaging
Authors: Tseng Ethan , Colburn Shane , Whitehead James , Huang Luocheng , Baek Seung-Hwan , Majumdar Arka , Heide Felix
Published: November 2021

Nano-optic imagers that modulate light at sub-wavelength scales could enable new applications in diverse domains ranging from robotics to medicine. Although metasurface optics offer a path to such ultra-small imagers, existing methods have achieved image quality far worse than bulky refractive alternatives, fundamentally limited by aberrations at large apertures and low f-numbers. In this work, we close this performance gap by introducing a neural nano-optics imager. We devise a fully differentiable learning framework that learns a metasurface physical structure in conjunction with a neural feature-based image reconstruction algorithm. Experimentally validating the proposed method, we achieve an order of magnitude lower reconstruction error than existing approaches. As such, we present a high-quality, nano-optic imager that combines the widest field-of-view for full-color metasurface operation while simultaneously achieving the largest demonstrated aperture of 0.5 mm at an f-number of 2.
Molecular architecture of black widow spider neurotoxins
Authors: Chen Minghao , Blum Daniel , Engelhard Lena , Raunser Stefan , Wagner Richard , Gatsogiannis Christos
Published: November 2021

Latrotoxins (LaTXs) are presynaptic pore-forming neurotoxins found in the venom of Latrodectus spiders. The venom contains a toxic cocktail of seven LaTXs, with one of them targeting vertebrates (α-latrotoxin (α-LTX)), five specialized on insects (α, β, γ, δ, ε- latroinsectotoxins (LITs), and one on crustaceans (α-latrocrustatoxin (α-LCT)). LaTXs bind to specific receptors on the surface of neuronal cells, inducing the release of neurotransmitters either by directly stimulating exocytosis or by forming Ca2+-conductive tetrameric pores in the membrane. Despite extensive studies in the past decades, a high-resolution structure of a LaTX is not yet available and the precise mechanism of LaTX action remains unclear. Here, we report cryoEM structures of the α-LCT monomer and the δ-LIT dimer. The structures reveal that LaTXs are organized in four domains. A C-terminal domain of ankyrin-like repeats shields a central membrane insertion domain of six parallel α-helices. Both domains are flexibly linked via an N-terminal α-helical domain and a small β-sheet domain. A comparison between the structures suggests that oligomerization involves major conformational changes in LaTXs with longer C-terminal domains. Based on our data we propose a cyclic mechanism of oligomerization, taking place prior membrane insertion. Both recombinant α-LCT and δ-LIT form channels in artificial membrane bilayers, that are stabilized by Ca2+ ions and allow calcium flux at negative membrane potentials. Our comparative analysis between α-LCT and δ-LIT provides first crucial insights towards understanding the molecular mechanism of the LaTX family.