bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The relationship between global distress, mentalizing and well-being in a German teacher sample
Authors: Schwarzer Nicola-Hans , Nolte Tobias , Fonagy Peter , Griem Julia , Kieschke Ulf , Gingelmaier Stephan
Published: February 2021

Many studies have linked global distress including higher psychological symptom severity and high levels of stress with low levels of well-being among teachers, indicating a need to identify and empirically evaluate protective factors. Mentalizing—the capacity to understand behavior in terms of intentional mental states—may be a candidate protective factor to mediate this association, enhancing well-being in the face of high levels of global distress. The present study examines whether the capacity to mentalize can buffer subjectively experienced stress and psychological symptom severity in a sample of teachers. 215 teachers completed questionnaires measuring self-rated experiences of stress, psychological symptoms, mentalizing capacities and well-being in a cross-sectional design. Structural equation modeling was used to test mediation effects. Our findings show that mentalizing was positively associated with well-being. In addition, mentalizing counteracted the negative influence of stress and psychological symptom severity. However, a structural equation model assessing the mediating effect of global distress on well-being via mentalizing was not significant. Therefore, the data indicate that teachers’ capacity to mentalize, regardless of psychological symptom load and subjective experience of stress, has a positive impact on their well-being. The study highlights the protective function of mentalizing and forms a framework for psychological interventions to increase teachers’ well-being.
A life less ordinary: analysis of the uniquely preserved tattooed dermal remains of an individual from 19th century France
Authors: Smith Martin J. , Starkie A. , Slater R. , Manley H.
Published: February 2021

‘Anthropologies of the Body’ often view the human form as a sort of text, onto which meanings and experiences are inscribed during people’s lives, rendering the body effectively as an artefact of material culture. Such ‘inscription’ is generally metaphorical; however, in the case of tattooing, aspects of the way people wish to be perceived are quite literally inscribed upon the body. The current article presents analysis of an unusual ‘artefact’ in the form of the major anterior portion of the preserved, tattooed skin of an adult male. The skin’s provenance was previously unknown, as was the reason why he had been subject to such treatment after death. The current project has progressed towards resolving these issues using multiple approaches, including CT scanning, multispectral light sources, infrared reflectography and spectroscopic dating. The latter technique produced a date range of 1861 ±15 years for the wood on which the skin was mounted. Multispectral and infrared light examination made it possible to discern many of the tattooed motifs much more clearly. The images and text that were made visible suggested this man had been French and had probably spent time overseas, possibly in naval service. Towards the end of his life, he may have been imprisoned and the date ‘1883’ was decipherable. The current analysis allowed the investigators to glean far more information than was initially expected, providing a considerably richer personal narrative of this individual through the content of his tattoos than is usually possible in biological anthropology.
An investigation into high-speed train interior noise with operational transfer path analysis method
Authors: Li Muxiao , Zhu Ziwei , Deng Tiesong , Sheng Xiaozhen
Published: February 2021

Passengers' demands for riding comfort have been getting higher and higher as the high-speed railway develops. Scientific methods to analyze the interior noise of the high-speed train are needed and the operational transfer path analysis (OTPA) method provides a theoretical basis and guidance for the noise control of the train and overcomes the shortcomings of the traditional method, which has high test efficiency and can be carried out during the working state of the targeted machine. The OTPA model is established from the aspects of "path reference point-target point" and "sound source reference point-target point". As for the mechanism of the noise transmission path, an assumption is made that the direct sound propagation is ignored, and the symmetric sound source and the symmetric path are merged. Using the operational test data and the OTPA method, combined with the results of spherical array sound source identification, the path contribution and sound source contribution of the interior noise are analyzed, respectively, from aspects of the total value and spectrum. The results show that the OTPA conforms to the calculation results of the spherical array sound source identification. At low speed, the contribution of the floor path and the contribution of the bogie sources are dominant. When the speed is greater than 300 km/h, the contribution of the roof path is dominant. Moreover, for the carriage with a pantograph, the lifted pantograph is an obvious source. The noise from the exterior sources of the train transfer into the interior mainly through the form of structural excitation, and the contribution of air excitation is non-significant. Certain analyses of train parts provide guides for the interior noise control.
Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of Large-Scale Nutrition Interventions in Africa: A Scoping Review
Authors: Ezezika Obidimma , Gong Jenny , Abdirahman Hajara , Sellen Daniel
Published: February 2021

The effective implementation of large-scale nutrition interventions in Africa is an ongoing challenge. This scoping review identifies and explores the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of large-scale nutrition interventions in the African region. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, ERIC, and Web of Science using search terms focused specifically on barriers and facilitators to the implementation of nutrition interventions in Africa. To supplement the database search, reference lists in publications included for full-text review were also examined to identify eligible articles for inclusion. Eligible studies underwent quality assessment, and a directed content analysis approach to data extraction was conducted and aligned to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to facilitate narrative synthesis. The search identified 1452 citations and following removal of duplicates and our inclusion/exclusion criteria, 34 papers were eligible for inclusion. More than half of included studies (n = 19) reflect research conducted in East Africa. Overarching thematic areas spanning the barriers and facilitators that were identified included policy and legislation; leadership management; resources mobilization; and cultural context and adaptability. Key activities that facilitate the development of successful implementation include (1) more supportive policy and legislation to improve government competency, (2) effective leadership, strategic partnership, and coordination across multiple sectors, (3) more effective resource mobilization, and (4) adequate adaptation of the intervention so that it is culturally relevant, tailored to local needs and aligned to research data. The barriers and facilitators identified under the CFIR domains can be used to build knowledge on how to adapt large-scale nutrition interventions to national and local settings.

Registration Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/6m8fy).
Factors Impacting Reproductive Success and Asset Value of Beef Breeding Females in Mississippi Auctions
Authors: Marshall Tori L. , Coatney Kalyn T. , Parish Jane A. , Little Randall D. , Maples Josh G. , Williams Brian R.
Published: February 2021

A breeding female’s perceived value is a complicated process and depends on a combination of expected production costs, reproductive success, and calf values. A conceptual asset value model based on female characteristics as signals and net implicit marginal value expectations is developed. A hedonic model based on sequentially sold individuals at multiple Mississippi auction locations is estimated by panel regression. Among other findings, pregnant females are discounted in proportion to abortion risk, which decreases toward birth. A follow-up cost/benefit analysis indicates producers are better off from at home pregnancy checking and selling only nonpregnant females or cow/calf pairs.
Sampling methods and estimation of triangle count distributions in large networks
Authors: Antunes Nelson , Guo Tianjian , Pipiras Vladas
Published: February 2021

This paper investigates the distributions of triangle counts per vertex and edge, as a means for network description, analysis, model building, and other tasks. The main interest is in estimating these distributions through sampling, especially for large networks. A novel sampling method tailored for the estimation analysis is proposed, with three sampling designs motivated by several network access scenarios. An estimation method based on inversion and an asymptotic method are developed to recover the entire distribution. A single method to estimate the distribution using multiple samples is also considered. Algorithms are presented to sample the network under the various access scenarios. Finally, the estimation methods on synthetic and real-world networks are evaluated in a data study.
Natural variation in host-finding behaviour of gastropod parasitic nematodes (Phasmarhabditisspp.) exposed to host-associated cues
Authors: Cutler J. , Rae R.
Published: February 2021

The gastropod parasitic nematodePhasmarhabditis hermaphroditahas been formulated into a successful biological control agent (Nemaslug®, strain DMG0001) used to kill slugs on farms and gardens. When applied to soil,P. hermaphroditauses slug mucus and faeces to find potential hosts. However, there is little information on what cues other species ofPhasmarhabditis(P. neopapillosaandP. californica) use to find hosts and whether there is natural variation in their ability to chemotax to host cues. Therefore, using chemotaxis assays, we exposed nine wild isolates ofP. hermaphrodita, five isolates ofP. neopapillosaand three isolates ofP. californicato mucus from the pestiferous slug hostDeroceras invadens, as well as 1% and 5% hyaluronic acid – a component of slug mucus that is highly attractive to these nematodes. We foundP. hermaphrodita(DMG0010) andP. californica(DMG0018) responded significantly more toD. invadensmucus and 1% hyaluronic acid than other strains. Also,P. hermaphrodita(DMG0007),P. neopapillosa(DMG0015) andP. californica(DMG0017) were superior at locating 5% hyaluronic acid compared to other isolates of the same genera. Ultimately, there is natural variation in chemoattraction inPhasmarhabditisnematodes, with some strains responding significantly better to host cues than others.
Anosmia in the first coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in Europe: functional recovery after eight months
Authors: Capelli M , Gatti P
Published: February 2021

Background

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 is a formidable virus, responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 and endowed with marked neurotropism. The damage it causes to the nervous system is manifold. The main neurological manifestation is anosmia. Olfactory damage is often transient, but there are no data reflecting an observational period of several months.

Objective

This study evaluated the trend of anosmia in patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 in the eight months following diagnosis.

Methods

Fifty-five subjects who presented with symptoms suggestive of coronavirus disease 2019 and who developed anosmia, between the end of February and the beginning of March 2020, were investigated. The patients were interviewed after eight months to determine functional recovery and assess the degree of recovery.

Results

Ninety-one per cent of the population reported olfactory recovery and, of these, 53 per cent had total recovery after eight months. Females and younger age groups seem slightly advantaged in functional recovery. The elderly population appears to have excellent prospects for full functional recovery.

Conclusion

Anosmia represents a frequent neurological manifestation during coronavirus disease 2019. Fortunately, it is transient in most cases, and only a small percentage of patients affected by it report long-term functional deficits.
Parham v. J.R.: “Voluntary” Commitment of Minors to Mental Institutions
Authors: Tiano Linda V.
Published: February 2021

InParham v. J.R.,442 U.S. 584 (1979), the U.S. Supreme Court held that a parent or a guardian can commit a minor to a mental institution if a staff physician certifies that the minor should be committed, even if the minor strenuously opposes their decision. The Court specifically rejected claims that commitment of a minor by a parent or guardian without an adversary hearing is a deprivation of the minor's liberty without due process of law. This Note reviews theParhamopinion, with special attention to its impact on “mature minors” and wards of the state and to its definition of a neutral factfinder. The Note argues first that the Court's failure to establish special safeguards for “mature minors” and wards of the state is inconsistent with constitutional standards of due process, and second, that the Court's acceptance of staff physicians as neutral factfinders may be unwarranted. The Note recommends the creation of moire stringent procedural safeguards for the commitment of minors by parents and guardians, including the use of independent mental health professionals as “neutral factfinders.”
Shifting Paradigms in Bioethics and Health Law: The Rise of a New Pragmatism
Authors: Wolf Susan M.
Published: February 2021

Neither bioethics nor health law is old as an established discipline. Modern bioethics dates from the late 1960s or early 1970s. Health law as a domain characterized by its own casebooks, courses, and specialists arguably began somewhat earlier. While each has far older precursors, the two fields have seen a modern resurgence in the last thirty years or so. Yet each in these three decades has been dominated by a certain method or paradigm. In bioethics that has come to be known as “principlism, ” deductive reasoning from a limited set of middle-level ethical principles, albeit with some reciprocal attention to the implications of the case at hand for those principles. No comparable term has emerged in health law, and the field has arguably been less enamored of philosophical abstraction. But the pattern has often been similar: the creation of middle-level rules (on informed consent, surrogate decision-making, advance directives and so on) and then their downward application with insufficient attention to the clinical context, the specific characteristics of the disputants (such as insurance status, race or ethnicity, and gender), and whether the rules will actually work in medical settings.
Medicolegal Education and the Crisis in Interprofessional Relations
Authors: Naitove Benjamin J.
Published: February 2021

An increase in malpractice claims is only one-indication of the problem physicians and attorneys have in their interprofessional relations. This Note explores the factors, such as increased specialization and social responsibility, that have given these professionals a myopic view of their respective roles.

The Note suggests that the crisis in interprofessional relations can be alleviated by interdisciplinary education in professional schools. It examines the problems inherent in current interdisciplinary programs and offers a model program jointly taught to law and medical students. The model course uses a problem solving approach that forces each student to examine the methods and limitations of both professions and to develop a concept of the professional’s role in society.
Making Non-Discriminatory Fitness-For-Duty Decisions About Persons With Disabilities Under The Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act
Authors: Maffeo Patricia A.
Published: February 2021

This article describes an assessment role performed by clinical psychologists in the employment context, and examines how it has been evaluated by the courts from the standpoint of discrimination against persons with disabilities. Guidelines are offered for making fitness-for-duty decisions which are legally defensible, and examples of the decision-making process are provided. Data-based limitations on professional expertise are articulated, and conclusions drawn are aimed at practicing psychologists and the courts dealing with these uncertainties. Issues are analyzed principally in relation to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which has been passed by both houses of Congress.
The Patient Who Refuses Medical Treatment: A Dilemma for Hospitals and Physicians
Authors: Swartz Martha
Published: February 2021

This Article reviews recent case and statutory law concerning patients who refuse medical treatment. Among the special cases considered are: 1) the competent adult patient who refuses treatment on religious or privacy grounds; 2) the incompetent patient whose own wishes were never expressed, but whose family refuses treatment; 3) the incompetent patient who expressed the wish not to be treated before becoming incompetent; and 4) parents who refuse treatment on behalf of their child.

It is pointed out that recent court decisions have blurred the distinctions between “extradordinary” care and “ordinary” care and between withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment. Reference is made to the recent trend toward allowing the family of an incompetent patient to assert the patient’s rights without court intervention either in the form of direct court order or through guardianship proceedings.

Finally, the implications of these legal developments for health care institutions are discussed. A protocol pertaining to incompetent patients is proposed. Health care institutions are encouraged to develop formal policies for dealing with patients who refuse treatment, and to work with their professional associations in lobbying for legislation which will clarify the law in this area.
A Moment in Human Development: Legal Protection, Ethical Standards and Social Policy on the Selective Non-Treatment of Handicapped Neonates
Authors: Gostin Larry
Published: February 2021

Selective non-treatment decisions involving severely handicapped neonates have recently come under renewed judicial and legislative scrutiny. In this Article, the Author examines the legal, ethical and social considerations attendant to the non-treatment decision. In Part II of this Article the Author discusses the predominant ethical viewpoints relating to this issue and proposes a new moral standard based on personal interests. Part III presents a survey of the jurisprudence relating to selective non-treatment decisions. Parts IV and V of this Article provide a critical examination of the recently enacted Child Abuse Amendments of 1984, a federal legislative initiative designed to regulate treatment decisions relating to handicapped infants. The Author suggests that the ethical standards and treatment criteria proposed in this Article may prove useful to courts seeking to balance the handicapped neonate's constitutional right to privacy with the requirements of the new federal law.
Protecting Soldiers from Friendly Fire: The Consent Requirement for Using Investigational Drugs and Vaccines in Combat
Authors: Annas George J.
Published: February 2021

This could be the world's largest friendly fire incident.

In his classic treatiseOn War,Karl von Clausewitz emphasizes that courage is the “first quality of a warrior.” He defines two types of courage: “courage in the presence of danger to the person; next, moral courage, or courage in the presence of responsibility, whether before the judgment seat of an external authority or before that of the internal authority of conscience.“ Both were involved in the U.S. military's decision to seek a waiver of informed consent requirements for the use of investigational drugs and vaccines on U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf War. The danger of chemical and biological attack was seen as demanding this waiver; while the Nuremberg Code, medical ethics, and respect for the human rights and dignity of American soldiers cautioned against it. The legal maneuvering to revise consent regulations for wartime conditions provides a case study illustrating how the boundary line between therapy and experimentation can become hopelessly blurred, the differences between law and ethics, and the ethical obligations of military physicians.
Cyber-Malpractice: Legal Exposure for Cybermedicine
Authors: Terry Nicolas P.
Published: February 2021

This Article examines the content-related liability exposure of health care providers operating in cyberspace (cybermedicine). The Article maps real space theories of liability such as professional negligence, misrepresentation and products liability to cybermedicine fact patterns.

This Article examines cybermedicine in contrast to the more widely discussed but narrower issue of telemedicine. The latter typically refers to technologies, primarily preconvergence telephony, satellite and video, used to patch geographical holes in health coverage. Thus, telemedicine is to medicine what distance learning is to education. Just as telemedicine technologies and goals have been more limited, so too have the legal issues been analyzed in a narrower regulatory or licensure issues.
The Routinization of Prenatal Testing
Authors: Suter Sonia Mateu
Published: February 2021

By now everyone is familiar with the recent accomplishments of the Human Genome Project. Accomplished in ten, rather than the initially expected fifteen, years, the human genome has been fully sequenced. Genetics is in its golden age. A product of the technology era, genetics has, in a short time, offered vast amounts of information. This increased knowledge promises potential benefits for our understanding of the disease process and, ultimately, treatment and prevention. The rapid flow of information, however, presents complications and challenges. It can complicate the decision making process for those involved in genetic testing, not only because our knowledge of genetics is more complex, but because there is so much more potential information to obtain. The sheer quantity of information for both researcher, clinician and especially patient, can be overwhelming. In addition, our ability to glean predictive or susceptibility information has vastly exceeded our ability to develop cures for diseases; patients can increasingly identify risks for conditions that they can do little to avoid.
Holomorphic one-forms, fibrations over the circle, and characteristic numbers of Kähler manifolds
Authors: KOTSCHICK D.
Published: February 2021

We prove that the only relation imposed on the Hodge and Chern numbers of a compact Kähler manifold by the existence of a nowhere zero holomorphic one-form is the vanishing of the Hirzebruch genus. We also treat the analogous problem for nowhere zero closed one-forms on smooth manifolds.
Framing Effects and Group Differences in Public Opinion about Prison Pell Grants
Authors: Johnston Travis M. , Wozniak Kevin H.
Published: February 2021

After years of gridlock on the issue, a bipartisan group of members of Congress struck a deal in 2020 to restore eligibility for inmates to access Pell Grants. Evidence indicates that college education programs in prison reduce recidivism and, consequently, state corrections expenditures, but legislators in prior decades feared that voters would resent government subsidy of college classes for criminals. To assess the contemporary politics of the issue, we analyze data from a framing experiment embedded in the 2016 Cooperative Congressional Election Study. We find that Americans, on average, neither support nor oppose the proposal to restore inmates’ Pell Grant eligibility; however, exposure to arguments about the proposal’s benefits to inmates in particular and American society more broadly both increased subjects’ support. We further explore how this framing effect varies across political partisanship and racial resentment. We find that both frames elicited a positive response from subjects, especially among Democrats and subjects with low or moderate racial resentment.
Healthy eating: a matter of prioritisation by households or policymakers?
Authors: Mackenbach Joreintje Dingena
Published: February 2021

I reflect upon the potential reasons why American low-income households do not spend an optimal proportion of their food budgets on fruits and vegetables, even though this would allow them to meet the recommended levels of fruit and vegetable consumption. Other priorities than health, automatic decision-making processes and access to healthy foods play a role, but solutions for the persistent socio-economic inequalities in diet should be sought in the wider food system which promotes cheap, mass-produced foods. I argue that, ultimately, healthy eating is not a matter of prioritisation by individual households but by policymakers.
RF Small and large signal characterization of a 3D integrated GaN/RF-SOI SPST switch
Authors: Drillet Frédéric , Loraine Jérôme , Saleh Hassan , Lahbib Imene , Grandchamp Brice , Iogna-Prat Lucas , Lahbib Insaf , Sow Ousmane , Kumar Albert , U'Ren Gregory
Published: February 2021

This paper presents the radio frequency (RF) measurements of an SPST switch realized in gallium nitride (GaN)/RF-SOI technology compared to its GaN/silicon (Si) equivalent. The samples are built with an innovative 3D heterogeneous integration technique. The RF switch transistors are GaN-based and the substrate is RF-SOI. The insertion loss obtained is below 0.4 dB up to 30 GHz while being 1 dB lower than its GaN/Si equivalent. This difference comes from the vertical capacitive coupling reduction of the transistor to the substrate. This reduction is estimated to 59% based on a RC network model fitted to S-parameters measurements. In large signal, the linearity study of the substrate through coplanar waveguide transmission line characterization shows the reduction of the average power level of H2 and H3 of 30 dB up to 38 dBm of input power. The large signal characterization of the SPST shows no compression up to 38 dBm and the H2 and H3 rejection levels at 38 dBm are respectively, 68 and 75 dBc.
Termination of Solar Cycles and Correlated Tropospheric Variability
Authors: Leamon Robert J. , McIntosh Scott W. , Marsh Daniel R.
Published: February 2021

The Sun provides the energy required to sustain life on Earth and drive our planet's atmospheric circulation. However, establishing a solid physical connection between solar and tropospheric variability has posed a considerable challenge. The canon of solar variability is derived from the 400 years of observations that demonstrates the waxing and waning number of sunspots over an 11(‐ish) year period. Recent research has demonstrated the significance of the underlying 22 years magnetic polarity cycle in establishing the shorter sunspot cycle. Integral to the manifestation of the latter is the spatiotemporal overlapping and migration of oppositely polarized magnetic bands. We demonstrate the impact of “terminators”—the end of Hale magnetic cycles—on the Sun's radiative output and particulate shielding of our atmosphere through the rapid global reconfiguration of solar magnetism. Using direct observation and proxies of solar activity going back some six decades we can, with high statistical significance, demonstrate a correlation between the occurrence of terminators and the largest swings of Earth's oceanic indices: the transition from El Niño to La Niña states of the central Pacific. This empirical relationship is a potential source of increased predictive skill for the understanding of El Niño climate variations, a high‐stakes societal imperative given that El Niño impacts lives, property, and economic activity around the globe. A forecast of the Sun's global behavior places the next solar cycle termination in mid‐2020; should a major oceanic swing follow, then the challenge becomes: when does correlation become causation and how does the process work?
Hyporheic Exchange in Sand Dunes Under a Freely Deforming River Water Surface
Authors: Lee Anzy , Aubeneau Antoine , Liu Xiaofeng , Cardenas M. Bayani
Published: February 2021

Bedform‐driven hyporheic exchange is conditioned by the head gradients at the sediment‐water interface. Local exchange phenomena between the surface and the subsurface are often driven by the dynamic forces related to the velocity distributions around sediment waves. In open channels, the static forces are represented by the water depth, yet most computational fluid dynamics models use a rigid‐lid approximation. We investigated whether and when the deformation of the river’s free‐surface influences bedform‐driven hyporheic exchange. This was done through simulations of coupled open channel and hyporheic flows with the air‐water interface modeled either as a free‐surface or a rigid‐lid across increasing subcritical Froude numbers from ∼0.05 to ∼0.95. The normalized hyporheic flux was higher when considering free‐surface deformation across most of the range of Froude numbers considered. When the Froude number was larger than 0.6 and smaller than 0.85, both hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic‐driven fluxes increased significantly compared to the rigid‐lid approach and the total flux was about five times that predicted with the rigid‐lid. These results indicate that bedform‐driven hyporheic fluxes are underestimated in most studies that use a rigid‐lid assumption in subcritical flows.
The application of BH3 mimetics in myeloid leukemias
Authors: Parry Narissa , Wheadon Helen , Copland Mhairi
Published: February 2021

Execution of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway is controlled by the BCL-2 proteins at the level of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM). This family of proteins consists of prosurvival (e.g., BCL-2, MCL-1) and proapoptotic (e.g., BIM, BAD, HRK) members, the functional balance of which dictates the activation of BAX and BAK. Once activated, BAX/BAK form pores in the MOM, resulting in cytochrome c release from the mitochondrial intermembrane space, leading to apoptosome formation, caspase activation, and cleavage of intracellular targets. This pathway is induced by cellular stress including DNA damage, cytokine and growth factor withdrawal, and chemotherapy/drug treatment. A well-documented defense of leukemia cells is to shift the balance of the BCL-2 family in favor of the prosurvival proteins to protect against such intra- and extracellular stimuli. Small molecule inhibitors targeting the prosurvival proteins, named ‘BH3 mimetics’, have come to the fore in recent years to treat hematological malignancies, both as single agents and in combination with standard-of-care therapies. The most significant example of these is the BCL-2-specific inhibitor venetoclax, given in combination with standard-of-care therapies with great success in AML in clinical trials. As the number and variety of available BH3 mimetics increases, and investigations into applying these novel inhibitors to treat myeloid leukemias continue apace the need to evaluate where we currently stand in this rapidly expanding field is clear.
Targeted de-repression of neuronal Nrf2 inhibits α-synuclein accumulation
Authors: Baxter Paul S. , Márkus Nóra M. , Dando Owen , He Xin , Al-Mubarak Bashayer R. , Qiu Jing , Hardingham Giles E.
Published: February 2021

Many neurodegenerative diseases are associated with neuronal misfolded protein accumulation, indicating a need for proteostasis-promoting strategies. Here we show that de-repressing the transcription factor Nrf2, epigenetically shut-off in early neuronal development, can prevent protein aggregate accumulation. Using a paradigm of α-synuclein accumulation and clearance, we find that the classical electrophilic Nrf2 activator tBHQ promotes endogenous Nrf2-dependent α-synuclein clearance in astrocytes, but not cortical neurons, which mount no Nrf2-dependent transcriptional response. Moreover, due to neuronal Nrf2 shut-off and consequent weak antioxidant defences, electrophilic tBHQ actually induces oxidative neurotoxicity, via Nrf2-independent Jun induction. However, we find that epigenetic de-repression of neuronal Nrf2 enables them to respond to Nrf2 activators to drive α-synuclein clearance. Moreover, activation of neuronal Nrf2 expression using gRNA-targeted dCas9-based transcriptional activation complexes is sufficient to trigger Nrf2-dependent α-synuclein clearance. Thus, targeting reversal of the developmental shut-off of Nrf2 in forebrain neurons may alter neurodegenerative disease trajectory by boosting proteostasis.
SARS-CoV-2 nsp12 attenuates type I interferon production by inhibiting IRF3 nuclear translocation
Authors: Wang Wenjing , Zhou Zhuo , Xiao Xia , Tian Zhongqin , Dong Xiaojing , Wang Conghui , Li Li , Ren Lili , Lei Xiaobo , Xiang Zichun , Wang Jianwei
Published: February 2021

SARS-CoV-2 is the pathogenic agent of COVID-19, which has evolved into a global pandemic. Compared with some other respiratory RNA viruses, SARS-CoV-2 is a poor inducer of type I interferon (IFN). Here, we report that SARS-CoV-2 nsp12, the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), suppresses host antiviral responses. SARS-CoV-2 nsp12 attenuated Sendai virus (SeV)- or poly(I:C)-induced IFN-β promoter activation in a dose-dependent manner. It also inhibited IFN promoter activation triggered by RIG-I, MDA5, MAVS, and IRF3 overexpression. Nsp12 did not impair IRF3 phosphorylation but suppressed the nuclear translocation of IRF3. Mutational analyses suggested that this suppression was not dependent on the polymerase activity of nsp12. Given these findings, our study reveals that SARS-CoV-2 RdRp can antagonize host antiviral innate immunity and thus provides insights into viral pathogenesis.
Impairment of novelty-related theta oscillations and P3a in never medicated first-episode psychosis patients
Authors: Solís-Vivanco Rodolfo , Mondragón-Maya Alejandra , Reyes-Madrigal Francisco , de la Fuente-Sandoval Camilo
Published: February 2021

We explored the neurophysiological activity underlying auditory novelty detection in antipsychotic-naive patients with a first episode of psychosis (FEP). Fifteen patients with a non-affective FEP and 13 healthy controls underwent an active involuntary attention task along with an EEG acquisition. Time-frequency representations of power, phase locking, and fronto-parietal connectivity were calculated. The P3a event-related potential was extracted as well. Compared to controls, the FEP group showed reduced theta phase-locking and fronto-parietal connectivity evoked by deviant stimuli. Also, the P3a amplitude was significantly reduced. Moreover, reduced theta connectivity was associated with more severe negative symptoms within the FEP group. Reduced activity (phase-locking and connectivity) of novelty-related theta oscillations, along with P3a reduction, may represent a failure to synchronize large-scale neural populations closely related to fronto-parietal attentional networks, and might be explored as a potential biomarker of disease severity in patients with emerging psychosis, given its association with negative symptoms.
A DNA barcode-based survey of wild urban bees in the Loire Valley, France
Authors: Villalta Irene , Ledet Romain , Baude Mathilde , Genoud David , Bouget Christophe , Cornillon Maxime , Moreau Sébastien , Courtial Béatrice , Lopez-Vaamonde Carlos
Published: February 2021

The current decline of wild bees puts important ecosystem services such as pollination at risk. Both inventory and monitoring programs are needed to understand the causes of wild bee decline. Effective insect monitoring relies on both mass-trapping methods coupled with rapid and accurate identifications. Identifying wild bees using only morphology can be challenging, in particular, specimens from mass-trapped samples which are often in poor condition. We generated DNA barcodes for 2931 specimens representing 157 species (156 named and one unnamed species) and 28 genera. Automated cluster delineation reveals 172 BINs (Barcodes Index Numbers). A total of 36 species (22.93%) were found in highly urbanized areas. The majority of specimens, representing 96.17% of the species barcoded form reciprocally exclusive groups, allowing their unambiguous identification. This includes several closely related species notoriously difficult to identify. A total of 137 species (87.26%) show a “one-to-one” match between a named species and the BIN assignment. Fourteen species (8.92%) show deep conspecific lineages with no apparent morphological differentiation. Only two species pairs shared the same BIN making their identification with DNA barcodes alone uncertain. Therefore, our DNA barcoding reference library allows reliable identification by non-experts for the vast majority of wild bee species in the Loire Valley.
Evaluation of indigenous aromatic rice cultivars from sub-Himalayan Terai region of India for nutritional attributes and blast resistance
Authors: Mondal Debayan , Kantamraju Prudveesh , Jha Susmita , Sundarrao Gadge Sushant , Bhowmik Arpan , Chakdar Hillol , Mandal Somnath , Sahana Nandita , Roy Bidhan , Bhattacharya Prateek Madhab , Chowdhury Apurba Kr , Choudhury Ashok
Published: February 2021

Indigenous folk rice cultivars often possess remarkable but unrevealed potential in terms of nutritional attributes and biotic stress tolerance. The unique cooking qualities and blissful aroma of many of these landraces make it an attractive low-cost alternative to high priced Basmati rice. Sub-Himalayan Terai region is bestowed with great agrobiodiversity in traditional heirloom rice cultivars. In the present study, ninety-nine folk rice cultivars from these regions were collected, purified and characterized for morphological and yield traits. Based on traditional importance and presence of aroma, thirty-five genotypes were selected and analyzed for genetic diversity using micro-satellite marker system. The genotypes were found to be genetically distinct and of high nutritive value. The resistant starch content, amylose content, glycemic index and antioxidant potential of these genotypes represented wide variability and ‘Kataribhog’, ‘Sadanunia’, ‘Chakhao’ etc. were identified as promising genotypes in terms of different nutritional attributes. These cultivars were screened further for resistance against blast disease in field trials and cultivars like ‘Sadanunia’, ‘T4M-3-5’, ‘Chakhao Sampark’ were found to be highly resistant to the blast disease whereas ‘Kalonunia’, ‘Gobindabhog’, ‘Konkanijoha’ were found to be highly susceptible. Principal Component analysis divided the genotypes in distinct groups for nutritional potential and blast tolerance. The resistant and susceptible genotypes were screened for the presence of the blast resistantpigenes and association analysis was performed with disease tolerance. Finally, a logistic model based on phenotypic traits for prediction of the blast susceptibility of the genotypes is proposed with more than 80% accuracy.
The conditional deletion of steroidogenic factor 1 (Nr5a1) in Sox9-Cre mice compromises testis differentiation
Authors: Ikeda Yayoi , Tagami Ayako , Maekawa Mamiko , Nagai Akiko
Published: February 2021

Steroidogenic factor 1 (NR5A1) is essential for gonadal development. To study the importance of NR5A1 during early gonadal sex differentiation, we generated Sox9-Cre-Nr5a1 conditional knockout (cKO) mice: Sox9-Cre;Nr5a1flox/flox and Sox9-Cre;Nr5a1flox/− mice. Double-immunostaining for NR5A1 and AMH revealed silenced NR5A1 in Sertoli cells and reduced AMH+ cells in the gonads of XY Sox9-Cre-Nr5a1 cKO mice between embryonic days 12.5 (E12.5) and E14.5. Double-immunostaining for SOX9 and FOXL2 further indicated an early block in Sertoli cells and ectopic granulosa cell differentiation. The number of cells expressing the Leydig cell marker 3βHSD obviously reduced in the gonads of XY Sox9-Cre;Nr5a1flox/− but not Sox9-Cre;Nr5a1flox/flox mice at E15.5. The presence of STRA8+ cells indicated that germ cells entered meiosis in the gonads of XY Sox9-Cre-Nr5a1 cKO mice. The results of qRT-PCR revealed remarkably reduced and elevated levels of testis and ovary markers, respectively, in the gonads of XY Sox9-Cre-Nr5a1 cKO mice at E12.5‒E13.5. These data suggested that the loss of Nr5a1 abrogates the testicular pathway and induces the ectopic ovarian pathway, resulting in postnatal partial/complete male-to-female gonadal sex reversal. Our findings provide evidence for the critical role of NR5A1 in murine gonadal sex determination in vivo.
Gharial nesting in a reservoir is limited by reduced river flow and by increased bank vegetation
Authors: Vashistha Gaurav , Mungi Ninad Avinash , Lang Jeffrey W. , Ranjan Vivek , Dhakate Parag Madhukar , Khudsar Faiyaz Ahmad , Kothamasi David
Published: February 2021

The gharial (Gavialis gangeticusGmelin) is a fish-eating specialist crocodylian, endemic to south Asia, and critically endangered in its few remaining wild localities. A secondary gharial population resides in riverine-reservoir habitat adjacent to the Nepal border, within the Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS), and nests along a 10 km riverbank of the Girwa River. A natural channel shift in the mainstream Karnali River (upstream in Nepal) has reduced seasonal flow in the Girwa stretch where gharials nest, coincident with a gradual loss of nest sites, which in turn was related to an overall shift to woody vegetation at these sites. To understand how these changes in riparian vegetation on riverbanks were related to gharial nesting, we sampled vegetation at these sites from 2017 to 2019, and derived an Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from LANDSAT 8 satellite data to quantify riverside vegetation from 1988 through 2019. We found that sampled sites transitioned to woody cover, the number of nesting sites declined, and the number of nests were reduced by > 40%. At these sites, after the channel shift, woody vegetation replaced open sites that predominated prior to the channel shift. Our findings indicate that the lack of open riverbanks and the increase in woody vegetation at potential nesting sites threatens the reproductive success of the KWS gharial population. This population persists today in a regulated river ecosystem, and nests in an altered riparian habitat which appears to be increasingly unsuitable for the continued successful recruitment of breeding adults. This second-ranking, critically endangered remnant population may have incurred an "extinction debt" by living in a reservoir that will lead to its eventual extirpation.
Tuning flavin environment to detect and control light-induced conformational switching in Drosophila cryptochrome
Authors: Chandrasekaran Siddarth , Schneps Connor M. , Dunleavy Robert , Lin Changfan , DeOliveira Cristina C. , Ganguly Abir , Crane Brian R.
Published: February 2021

Light-induction of an anionic semiquinone (SQ) flavin radical in Drosophila cryptochrome (dCRY) alters the dCRY conformation to promote binding and degradation of the circadian clock protein Timeless (TIM). Specific peptide ligation with sortase A attaches a nitroxide spin-probe to the dCRY C-terminal tail (CTT) while avoiding deleterious side reactions. Pulse dipolar electron-spin resonance spectroscopy from the CTT nitroxide to the SQ shows that flavin photoreduction shifts the CTT ~1 nm and increases its motion, without causing full displacement from the protein. dCRY engineered to form the neutral SQ serves as a dark-state proxy to reveal that the CTT remains docked when the flavin ring is reduced but uncharged. Substitutions of flavin-proximal His378 promote CTT undocking in the dark or diminish undocking in the light, consistent with molecular dynamics simulations and TIM degradation activity. The His378 variants inform on recognition motifs for dCRY cellular turnover and strategies for developing optogenetic tools.
A versatile microfluidic platform measures hyphal interactions between Fusarium graminearum and Clonostachys rosea in real-time
Authors: Gimeno Alejandro , Stanley Claire E. , Ngamenie Zacharie , Hsung Ming-Hui , Walder Florian , Schmieder Stefanie S. , Bindschedler Saskia , Junier Pilar , Keller Beat , Vogelgsang Susanne
Published: February 2021

Routinely, fungal–fungal interactions (FFI) are studied on agar surfaces. However, this format restricts high-resolution dynamic imaging. To gain experimental access to FFI at the hyphal level in real-time, we developed a microfluidic platform, a FFI device. This device utilises microchannel geometry to enhance the visibility of hyphal growth and provides control channels to allow comparisons between localised and systemic effects. We demonstrate its function by investigating the FFI between the biological control agent (BCA) Clonostachys rosea and the plant pathogen Fusarium graminearum. Microscope image analyses confirm the inhibitory effect of the necrotrophic BCA and we show that a loss of fluorescence in parasitised hyphae of GFP-tagged F. graminearum coincides with the detection of GFP in mycelium of C. rosea. The versatility of our device to operate under both water-saturated and nutrient-rich as well as dry and nutrient-deficient conditions, coupled with its spatio-temporal output, opens new opportunities to study relationships between fungi.
Dexamethasone and lactoferrin induced PMN-MDSCs relieved inflammatory adverse events of anti-cancer therapy without tumor promotion
Authors: Li Xing , Chen Jie , Chen Yong-Jian , Qiao Yi-Dan , Zhao Li-Yun , Jiang Nan , Wu Xiang-Yuan , Xing Yan-Fang
Published: February 2021

In this era of immune checkpoint inhibitors, inflammatory adverse events of anti-cancer therapies continue to pose a major challenge. Glucocorticoids, as the mainstay, were limited by serious side effects. Glucocorticoids induce myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and lactoferrin-induced polymorphonuclear MDSCs (PMN-MDSCs) were shown to relieve inflammatory conditions. Combined treatment with dexamethasone (DXM) and lactoferrin increased the generation of PMN-MDSCs in vitro (DXM/lactoferrin PMN-MDSCs) compared to DXM or lactoferrin treatment alone. DXM/lactoferrin PMN-MDSCs were distinct from tumor PMN-MDSCs in vivo with regard to gene expression profiles. DXM upregulated the myeloid cell response to lactoferrin by inducing the lactoferrin receptor Lrp1. DXM/lactoferrin PMN-MDSCs presented anti-bacterial capability, increased PGE2 production, increased survival capability, and decreased tumor tissue homing. Transfer of DXM/lactoferrin PMN-MDSCs relieved cisplatin-induced acute kidney failure, bleomycin-induced interstitial pneumonia, and allergic pneumonitis effectively without promoting tumor development. Our study shows that DXM/lactoferrin PMN-MDSCs are a promising cell therapy for inflammatory adverse events of anti-cancer therapies.
Sociality sculpts similar patterns of molecular evolution in two independently evolved lineages of eusocial bees
Authors: Shell Wyatt A. , Steffen Michael A. , Pare Hannah K. , Seetharam Arun S. , Severin Andrew J. , Toth Amy L. , Rehan Sandra M.
Published: February 2021

While it is well known that the genome can affect social behavior, recent models posit that social lifestyles can, in turn, influence genome evolution. Here, we perform the most phylogenetically comprehensive comparative analysis of 16 bee genomes to date: incorporating two published and four new carpenter bee genomes (Apidae: Xylocopinae) for a first-ever genomic comparison with a monophyletic clade containing solitary through advanced eusocial taxa. We find that eusocial lineages have undergone more gene family expansions, feature more signatures of positive selection, and have higher counts of taxonomically restricted genes than solitary and weakly social lineages. Transcriptomic data reveal that caste-affiliated genes are deeply-conserved; gene regulatory and functional elements are more closely tied to social phenotype than phylogenetic lineage; and regulatory complexity increases steadily with social complexity. Overall, our study provides robust empirical evidence that social evolution can act as a major and surprisingly consistent driver of macroevolutionary genomic change.