bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theft of Host Transferrin Receptor-1 byToxoplasma gondiiis required for infection
Authors: Denton Stephen L. , Mejia Alexa , Nevarez Lindsay L. , Soares Miguel P. , Fox Barbara A. , Bzik David J. , Gigley Jason P.
Published: June 2023

Nutrient acquisition by apicomplexan parasites is essential to drive their intracellular replication, yet the mechanisms that underpin essential nutrient acquisition are not defined. Using the apicomplexan modelToxoplasma gondii, we show that host cell proteins including the transferrin receptor 1, transferrin, ferritin heavy and light chains, and clathrin light chain are robustly taken up by tachyzoites. Tachyzoite acquisition of host cell protein was not related to host cell type or parasite virulence phenotypes. Bradyzoites possessed little capacity to acquire host cell proteins consistent with the cyst wall representing a barrier to host cell protein cargo. Increased trafficking of host cell transferrin receptor 1 and transferrin to endolysosomes boosted tachyzoite acquisition of host proteins and growth rate. Theft of host transferrin 1 and transferrin did not significantly affect iron levels in the tachyzoite. This study provides insight into essential functions associated with parasite theft of host iron sequestration and storage proteins.
A fast method to distinguish between fermentative and respiratory metabolisms in single yeast cells
Authors: Luzia L. , Battjes J. , Zwering V. E. , Jansen D. B. , Melkonian C. , Teusink B.
Published: June 2023

Saccharomyces cerevisiaeadapts its metabolism according to nutrient availability. Typically, it rapidly ferments glucose to ethanol, and then shifts to respiration when glucose becomes limited. However, our understanding of the regulation of metabolism is largely based on population averages, whereas nutrient transitions may cause heterogeneous responses at the individual cell level. Although protein expression can be followed at the single-cell level as a proxy for metabolic modes, direct assessment of the contribution of respiration or (respiro)fermentation to energy metabolism is lacking. Here we describe a method to quickly differentiate between fermentative and respiratory metabolisms in individual cells of budding yeast. The method explores the use of the fluorescent FRET-based biosensor yAT1.03 to measure cytosolic ATP, coupled with the respiratory inhibitor Antimycin A. For the method validation, we used cells under fermentative and respiratory regimes from batch and chemostat cultures. Upon Antimycin A addition, we observed a sharp decrease of the normalized FRET ratio for respiratory cells; respirofermentative cells showed no response. Next, we tracked the changes in metabolism during the diauxic shift of a glucose pre-grown batch culture. Following glucose exhaustion, the entire cell population experienced a progressive rise in intracellular ATP produced via respiration, suggesting a uniform and gradual increase in respiratory capacity as cells pick up growth in a medium with ethanol as the sole carbon source. Overall, the combination of yAT1.03 with Antimycin A is a robust tool to distinguish fermentative from respiratory yeast cells, offering a new single-cell opportunity to study yeast metabolism.

Graphical abstract

Identification of fermentative and respiratory metabolisms in yeast cells using an ATP sensor coupled with a respiration inhibitor.

(a) yAT1.03 consists of a donor (tdTomato) and an acceptor (ymTq2Δ11) domain linked by a binding domain with affinity to ATP. When ATP binds to the binding domain, donor and acceptor come together and the Förster energy is transferred from the first to the second domain. When expressed inin vivocells the sensor allows real time measurements of ATP changes. (b) Depending on the growth conditions, yeast cells expressing yAT1.03 show a distinct response after being pulsed with the respiratory inhibitor Antimycin A (AA). The drop in ATP levels in respiratory cells caused by AA results from the inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. (c) Distinct metabolic responses to an AA pulse pre-, during and post-diauxic shift reveal distinct metabolic phenotypes.
Harnessing Escherichia coli’s Dark Genome to Produce Anti-Alzheimer Peptides
Authors: Verma Neeraj , Manvati Siddharth , Dhar Pawan K.
Published: June 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration. The critical molecular trigger is believed to be the accumulation of Aβ neurotoxic oligomers. Given the proteolytic processing of Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) by β-secretase (beta-site APP cleaving enzyme 1, BACE1) as the key step in the building up of Aβ oligomers, BACE inhibitors come with therapeutic prospects of preventing or delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s. To find inhibitory peptides against BACE1, a library of ‘dark peptides’ was constructed from 4400 intergenic DNA sequences ofEscherichia coli. The sequence level analysis was followed by protein structure predictions, molecular docking, and simulation. Based on bioinformatics analysis, 5 potential peptides were screened for experimental validation. Out of these two peptides were identified as lead molecules based on BACE1 inhibitory activity, followed by FRET inhibitory assay, western blot, and RT-PCR. An 86.7 % drop in BACE1 level was observed in the presence of the ECOI2 peptide. Though encouraging results were obtained from in-silico and in-vitro studies, more work is required to study the efficacy of these peptides in suitable animal models.
The effects of nano– and microplastic ingestion on the survivorship and reproduction ofAedes aegypti(L.) andAedes albopictus(Skuse)
Authors: McConnel Gabriella , Lawson Jordann , Cañas-Carrell Jaclyn E. , Brelsfoard Corey L.
Published: June 2023

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are pervasive environmental pollutants that raise concerns due to their potential impact on organisms across different trophic levels. While the effects of MPs on aquatic organisms have been extensively studied, their impacts on terrestrial organisms, mainly insects, still need to be explored. This study investigates the effects of MP and NP ingestion on the survivorship and reproduction of two medically important mosquito species,Aedes aegypti(L.), andAe. albopictus(Skuse). Larval and pupal survivorship were not significantly affected by particle size or concentration, but there was a reduction ofAe. aegyptipupal survivorship associated with the ingestion of 0.03 µm NPs. Results also suggest that ingesting 0.03 µm NPs reduced egg production in both mosquito species. However, there was little impact of 0.03 NP and 1.0 µm MP ingestion on adult survivorship and longevity. To further investigate the effects of MP ingestion on mosquito fitness, we also examined the effects of lab generated MPs of varying shape, size, and plastic polymer type onAe. aegyptiimmature and adult survivorship. The data suggests that the polymer type and shape did not impactAe. aegyptiimmature or adult survivorship. These findings highlight the potential consequences and the need to investigate further the ecological and potential public health implications of MP and NP ingestion by mosquitoes.
Structural insights into Rad18 targeting by the SLF1 BRCT domains
Authors: Huang Wei , Qiu Fangjie , Zheng Lin , Shi Meng , Shen Miaomiao , Zhao Xiaolan , Xiang Song
Published: June 2023

Rad18 interacts with the SMC5/6 localization factor 1 (SLF1) to recruit the SMC5/6 complex to DNA damage sites for repair. The mechanism of the specific Rad18 recognition by SLF1 is unclear. Here, we present crystal structure of the tandem BRCT repeat (tBRCT) in SLF1 (SLF1tBRCT) bound with the interacting Rad18 peptide. Our structure and biochemical studies demonstrate that SLF1tBRCTinteracts with two phosphoserines and adjacent residues in Rad18 for high affinity and specificity Rad18 recognition. We found that SLF1tBRCTutilizes mechanisms common among tBRCTs as well as unique ones for Rad18 binding, the latter include interactions with an α-helical structure in Rad18 that has not been observed in other tBRCT-bound ligand proteins. Our work provides structural insights into Rad18 targeting by SLF1 and expands the understanding of BRCT-mediated complex assembly.
The probiotic roles ofLactiplantibacillus plantarumE2 as a dietary supplement in growth promotion and disease resistance of juvenile large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)
Authors: Ruizhe Liu , Shan Wang , Dongliang Huang , Yulu Huang , Tianliang He , Xinhua Chen
Published: June 2023

Bacterial diseases are the most important limiting factors for the development of large yellow croaker aquaculture. Probiotics are considered to be a promising alternative approach for the control of bacterial diseases in aquaculture. However, the studies on probiotics used in farmed large yellow croakers were very limited. In this study, we isolated and identified aLactiplantibacillus plantarumE2 from the intestinal tract of large yellow croaker.L. plantarumE2 showed significant antibacterial activities against several aquaculture pathogenic bacteria, intestinal environmental tolerance, and biosafety. After 7 weeks of feeding, the E2 supplementation of dietary significantly improved the growth and the survival rates of large yellow croakers afterPseudomonas plecoglossicidaPQLYC4 challenge. Further analysis showed that E2 effectively improved the intestinal integrity, and increased the intestinal α-amylase, trypsin and lipase activities. Moreover, the E2 supplementation also significantly suppressed the mRNA expression of IL-10 and increased the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-12α, IL- 17D, IFN-γ, and TNF-α-R. Gut microbiota analysis showed that E2 significantly affected gut microbial community composition by decreasing the relative abundance ofSphingomonasand increasing the relative abundance ofLactobacillusandPseudomonas.Finally, E2 could improve resistance of large yellow croaker againstP. plecoglossicidaPQLYC4 infection. Therefore, our findings showed thatL. plantarumE2 has potential application as a probiotic in large yellow croaker, which may provide a new strategy of preventing and controlling bacterial diseases in this species.

Highlights

Lactiplantibacillus plantarumE2 showed significant antibacterial activities against several aquaculture pathogenic bacteria, intestinal environmental tolerance, and biosafety.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarumE2 supplementation improved growth rates, and intestinal health of large yellow croaker.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarumE2 increased the abundance of potential probiotics in the intestine tract of large yellow croaker.
Se-Glargine II. Native Function of a Basal Insulin Analog Stabilized by an Internal Diselenide Bridge
Authors: Chen Yen-Shan , Dhayalan Balamurugan , Yang Yanwu , Weil-Ktorza Orit , Metanis Norman , Weiss Michael A.
Published: June 2023

Insulin glargine, the active component of basal clinical pharmaceutical formulations Lantus® and Toujeo® (Sanofi), provides a model for principles of therapeutic protein design. Formulated in solution at pH 4, insulin glargine exhibits a shifted isoelectric point (from pH 5.3 to neutral pH) due to a basic dipeptide B-chain extension (ArgB31-ArgB32). In the first article in this series, we described pairwise substitution of CysA6and CysA11by seleno-cysteine (Sec; the 21stencoded amino acid) by solid-phase peptide synthesis.1H-2H amide proton exchange, as monitored by1H-NMR spectroscopy, provides evidence that substitution of internal cystine A6-A11 by a diselenide bridge stabilizes the protein and damps segmental conformational fluctuations. Further, this analog and its major metabolites M1 and M2 (respectively denoting proteolytic derivatives lacking ArgB31-ArgB32or ThrB30-ArgB31-ArgB32) exhibit native hormonal activity in mammalian cell-based assays measuring dose-dependent autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor (pIR/IR ratio) and metabolic gene regulation in human liver-derived HepG2 cells. The internal diselenide bridge also did not alter respective baseline mitogenicities of insulin glargine or its proteolytic products as evaluated by a qPCR-based assay of the balance between proliferative and antiproliferative cyclin gene expression; the assays employed L6 myoblasts over-expressing mitogenic IR isoform A. Given such native function, shelf life—and hence global access to insulin in the developing world—may be enhanced by stabilizing diselenide chemistry.
Intrinsically disordered CsoS2 acts as a general molecular thread for α-carboxysome shell assembly
Authors: Ni Tao , Jiang Qiuyao , Ng Pei Cing , Shen Juan , Dou Hao , Zhu Yanan , Radecke Julika , Dykes Gregory F. , Huang Fang , Liu Lu-Ning , Zhang Peijun
Published: June 2023

Carboxysomes are a paradigm of self-assembling proteinaceous organelles found in nature, offering compartmentalisation of enzymes and pathways to enhance carbon fixation. In α-carboxysomes, the disordered linker protein CsoS2 plays an essential role in carboxysome assembly and Rubisco encapsulation. Its mechanism of action, however, is not fully understood. Here we synthetically engineered α-carboxysome shells using minimal shell components and determined cryoEM structures of these to decipher the principle of shell assembly and encapsulation. The structures reveal that the intrinsically disordered CsoS2 C-terminus is well-structured and acts as a universal “molecular thread” stitching through multiple shell protein interfaces. We further uncovered in CsoS2 a remarkable highly conserved repetitive key interaction motif, [IV]TG, which is critical to the shell assembly and architecture. Our study provides a general mechanism for the CsoS2-govern carboxysome shell assembly and cargo encapsulation and further advances synthetic engineering of carboxysomes for diverse biotechnological applications.
Dietary restriction fails to extend life in stressful environments
Authors: Zajitschek Felix , Zajitschek Susanne R. K. , Vasconcelos Ana C. O. , Bonduriansky Russell
Published: June 2023

Moderate dietary restriction often prolongs life in laboratory animals, and this response has been interpreted as an adaptive strategy that promotes survival during famine. However, dietary restriction can also increase frailty, and it therefore remains unclear whether restricted diets prolong life under stressful conditions like those experienced by wild animals.

We manipulated adult dietary protein of Drosophila melanogaster across a gradient of ambient temperature, and examined effects on survival. To test for trade‐offs, we also quantified reproduction, and performance of F1, F2 and F3 descendants.

We found that protein restriction increased longevity of one or both sexes at benign ambient temperatures (25°C and 27°C), but failed to extend longevity of flies maintained in cold (21°C and 23°C) or hot (29°C) conditions. Instead, in females, protein restriction resulted in strongly elevated mortality at cold temperatures. Protein restriction also generally reduced reproductive performance, and did not consistently enhance performance of F1, F2 or F3 descendants.

Taken together, our results challenge the long‐held idea that extended longevity of diet‐restricted laboratory animals represents an adaptive survival strategy in natural populations. Our findings suggest instead that this response is an artefact of benign laboratory conditions, and that DR‐induced life extension might not be achieved in the more stressful conditions experienced in the wild.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Automatic first break picking with structured random forests
Authors: Zhang Chun‐Xia , Zhang Qi , Wei Xiao‐Li , Guo Zhen‐Bo , Wang Yong‐Jun , Kim Sang‐Woon
Published: June 2023

In the seismic wave exploration field, first break picking is an important underlying task. With the emergence of massive seismic data, it is urgent to develop automatic and accurate picking algorithms to relieve the huge workload of manual picking. Although many traditional and machine learning based techniques have been developed, it is still a challenging task to obtain satisfactory picking results in practice because of complex subsurface structures and low signal‐to‐noise ratio. Ensemble learning has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool to produce good prediction results in many fields. Its core idea is to create multiple models with some special techniques and then to combine the prediction results of each model with a fusion strategy. Structured random forests , a type of ensemble learning method, have been proven to be quite effective in implementing structured learning tasks. Based on the observation that adjacent traces can provide useful information to pick the first arrival time for a specific trace, we propose in this paper a novel structured random forest based first break picking framework. In particular, a multi‐scale normalization technique is presented to make full use of the amplitude information at different scales. To capture local features of first breaks, an enhanced feature map based on the short‐term/long‐term average ratio method is also computed. By extracting patches from two channel feature maps, we construct a structured random forest to predict the locations of the first breaks. On the basis of the probability score map produced by the structured random forest, an effective post‐processing strategy is proposed to further deal with the detected results. By conducting experiments with synthetic and field data, the proposed method is shown to be effective in identifying first breaks. It is significantly superior to the short‐term/long‐term average ratio method and support vector machine in terms of picking accuracy. With the advantage of parallel computing, the computational cost of structured random forest is acceptable, that is, it is much lower than the support vector machine while being higher than the short‐term/long‐term average ratio method. In addition, the experiments also confirm that the multi‐scale normalization plays an important role in improving the picking performance of the structured random forest.
Normal incidence reflection coefficient approximation at an isotropic–poroelastic interface
Authors: Yang Chun , Stovas Alexey , Wang Yun , Wang Yujie , Wang Zhiheng
Published: June 2023

Seismic response from porous sediments can be used in reservoir characterization and fluid detection. Reflection coefficient at the isotropic/poroelastic interface is essential to reveal seismic response from the fluid‐saturated deposits. The exact normal incidence reflection coefficient is given by complex mathematic expression and not very clear relations with solid and fluid properties. Therefore, we derive the reflection coefficient approximate formula in series with respect to the square root of the imaginary unit multiplying by the ratio between angular frequency and the characteristic angular frequency. Compared to the exact reflection coefficient, the proposed approximate formula has a more concise mathematical form and clearer relationship with the moduli and densities. Meanwhile, there is no need to calculate the complex wavenumbers of poroelastic media from the dispersion equation as the exact reflection coefficient. When the frequency tends to zero, the approximate formula is consistent with reflection coefficient for the isotropic/isotropic interface. The proposed formula's applicability is verified through two models with an interface separating the mudstone and fully fluid‐saturated sandstone with pore fluids as water or carbon dioxide.
Seismic characterization of Cenomanian–Turonian carbonate platform based on sedimentological and geophysical investigation of onshore analogue outcrop (northern Lebanon)
Authors: Abbani Ghina , Adelinet Mathilde , Inati Lama , Bailly Cédric , Nader Fadi
Published: June 2023

Outcrop
analogues play a key role in the characterization of subsurface carbonate platforms. The lack of well data and relevant outcrop analogues can result in the misinterpretation of seismic data. To address this issue, we apply an integrated workflow based on sedimentology, geophysics and petrophysics on outcrop analogues present onshore Lebanon, to constrain the carbonate platform's properties on onshore seismic data. A thorough sedimentary description is completed for a 400‐m‐thick Cenomanian–Turonian carbonate platform located in Kfarhelda, northern Lebanon. P‐wave velocity is acquired directly on the outcrop, and the petrophysical properties are measured on 44 samples. A 1D synthetic seismogram is computed with Ricker wavelet 25 Hz resembling seismic resolution. The resulting reflectors are mainly (1) high amplitude reflectors at the limit between two facies with contrasting physical properties enhanced by diagenesis, (2) moderate amplitude reflectors corresponding to stratigraphic limits at the transition between facies and (3) very low amplitude reflectors in karstified units. The integration of outcrop and seismic data is based on the generation of the synthetic seismogram to identify the geological origin of reflectors. The best fit between the synthetic seismic and seismic profile is used to interpret a seismic facies representing bedded limestones of Sannine and Maameltain formations (Cenomanian–Turonian). Two other distinctive reflectors are identified at the boundary of the Marly Limestone Zone, and the Channel facies unit characterized by bioclastic packstone to floatstone. This study highlights the importance of using outcrop analogues to identify the seismic signal of stratigraphic sequences and improve the interpretation of onshore seismic data.
A rock physics model in vertical transverse isotropy media and its application to Eagle Ford shale
Authors: Durmus Ufuk , Binder Gary , Simmons James L.
Published: June 2023

Shales are rocks with a complex structure. Shales contain high clay content, which constitutes a load‐bearing skeleton. In this study, we present a novel rock physics model to obtain elastic stiffness coefficients of both clays and shales. The robustness of the model is then verified by a field dataset from Eagle Ford shale. We utilize the extended Maxwell homogenization scheme as a rock physics model for transversely isotropic media, which honours the aspect ratio of each inhomogeneity embedded in an effective inclusion domain. Estimated anisotropy parameters ε, γ and δ, on average, are 0.19, 0.29 and 0.04, respectively, based on our modelling results in Eagle Ford shale. Anisotropic modelling results exhibit a good correlation with dipole sonic logs. Both dipole sonic log analysis and rock physics results demonstrate that clay content is the main driver of anisotropy in the field, and there is a direct relationship between clay volume and anisotropy parameters of ε and γ. The method shown here can be readily applied to other unconventional reservoirs.
Non‐neonicotinoid pesticides impact bumblebee activity and pollen provisioning
Authors: O'Reilly Alison D. , Stanley Dara A.
Published: June 2023

Bees are essential pollinators of crops and wild plants and their ability to forage and pollinate are key aspects of their behaviour. Bee populations are under threat, with the use of insecticides a contributing factor. Most research has focused on neonicotinoid insecticides and bee mortality, and little is known about impacts on bee foraging and delivery of pollination services. However, other insecticide classes, such as organophosphates and pyrethroids, are increasingly used globally, but little is known about how these widely used substances may impact bees, particularly non‐honeybees.

We exposed bumblebeeBombus terrestriscolonies to field‐relevant doses of a pyrethroid (lambda‐cyhalothrin) and an organophosphate (dimethoate) and investigated sublethal effects on behaviour at the individual and colony level, in addition to pollination service delivery under semi‐field conditions.

We show, for the first time, that exposure to these chemicals impacts the activity and pollen provisioning of bumblebeeBombus terrestris audaxcolonies, while no short‐term effects on flower handling behaviour or pollination service delivery were detected.

We found that colonies exposed to dimethoate were less active, with 67% fewer bees leaving the colony to forage than control colonies, and of those that returned, 92% fewer returned pollen provisions to the nest. Colonies exposed to lambda‐cyhalothrin did not differ in activity; however, 62% fewer of these bees returned with pollen provisions.

Policy implications. These findings give important insights into how exposure to different classes of insecticides could impact bumblebee activity and their provision of pollen required for colony development. With a focus on neonicotinoids in terms of policy changes regarding insecticides and bees, we show that other insecticide classes should also be re‐examined in relation to their potential risks for pollinators. We confirm the need to improve risk assessment of insecticides to assess sublethal effects, include non‐honeybee species in risk assessment processes and also consider key behaviours such as foraging and interactions with plants.
New directions for the Tea Bag Index: Alternative teabags and concepts can advance citizen science
Authors: Middelanis Thomas , Pohl Chiara Marie , Looschelders Dana , Hamer Ute
Published: June 2023

Since its first publication in 2013, the Tea Bag Index (TBI) has attained widespread ecological application, generating scientific data on stabilization and turnover of organic matter in soils. As a result of manufacturing changes (net structure, net material, tea varieties) in the past years, a critical examination of alternative tea bag products is necessary. The present study for the first time generated decomposition data on a wide range of potential alternative tea brands (four brands tested) and varieties (rooibos [RB], green [GT], black [BT], and peppermint tea [PM]). They were tested in both a laboratory and a field experiment lasting 90 days. Under controlled laboratory conditions GT, BT, and PM corresponded well to the kinetic assumptions of an asymptote model of the TBI, but RB did not. In the field experiment, the tea mass remaining after 90 days was determined for all tea bags across different land uses (arable land, grassland, and forest). BT imitated the decomposition behavior of Lipton's original GT even better than any of the GT tested. The finer structure of Lipton's new tea bag nets did not negatively affect the precision of resultant remaining masses and thus can be recommended for future studies. In conclusion, alternative tea bags should be explored across brands as well as varieties. Based on our findings, we proposed an update of the TBI, which is based on the readily feasible modeling of the decomposition curve. Crucial is the combined consideration of both multiple tea varieties and incubation intervals of different durations.
Does belief in meritocracy increase with inequality? A reconsideration for European countries
Authors: Bartram David
Published: June 2023

Recent research finds that higher inequality reinforces a tendency to see inequality as legitimate, via beliefs about meritocracy. That pattern appears in a cross‐sectional analysis—but it is seemingly evident also in a longitudinal analysis: an increase in inequality apparently leads to a stronger perception of a meritocratic process. I reconsider that finding here via an analysis that uses (1) a different set of countries, (2) a different time‐period, and (3) different measures of inequality and beliefs about meritocracy. Using data from the European Social Survey on 17 countries from 2008 to 2016, I present results that are in tension with earlier research: an increase in inequality leads people to disagree more strongly with a core meritocratic principle—that is, the idea that large differences in incomes are needed to reward talents and effort.
Predictors of coping behavior during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Evidence from China
Authors: Zhu Weiwei , Lu Shanshan , Huang Panpan , Hu Xiaoli , Wei Jiuchang
Published: June 2023

This study aims to describe public risk perception regarding COVID‐19 and corresponding self‐protection behavior using samples in China. An online survey was operated to investigate the perception of the COVID‐19 pandemic and their coping behavior (n = 1144). Structural equation models were applied to analyze data. Empirical results indicate that intention to adopt self‐protection behaviors and public risk perception are high. Risk perception, perception of governmental COVID‐19 prevention, and systematic processing positively influence coping behavioral intentions. Perception of governmental COVID‐19 prevention, knowledge regarding COVID‐19, and systematic processing positively impact risk perception. Knowledge regarding COVID‐19 positively influences systematic processing. Information acquisition positively affects perception of governmental COVID‐19 prevention and knowledge regarding COVID‐19. The epidemic prevention and control efforts of the government could trigger public coping behavioral intentions. Improving the information processing capability of the public helps maintain a high level of risk perception.
Do parties benefit from overhauling their image? The electoral consequences of ‘party rebranding’ in Europe
Authors: AVINA MATTHIAS
Published: June 2023

Political parties are typically seen as conservative institutions which rarely change. Despite this common perception, parties do change, and on occasion, transform themselves by changing features such as the party name and logo, or their policy program. How can we conceptualize these kinds of changes, and what are the electoral consequences for parties which change in these ways? In this paper, I argue that feature changes and policy changes are instances of party rebranding, or situations where a party attempts to overhaul its entire image. I then test the electoral consequences of feature and policy rebrands on a dataset of 239 political parties from 1945 to 2019. The results indicate that feature rebrands increase party vote share for the election after the rebrand, while policy rebrands have no effect. These findings have implications for our understanding of parties themselves and the kinds of party signals that voters respond to.
Economic Consequences of Transparency Regulation: Evidence from Bank Mortgage Lending
Authors: NICOLETTI ALLISON , ZHU CHRISTINA
Published: June 2023

We examine the economic consequences of a rule designed to improve consumers' understanding of mortgage information. The 2015 TILA‐RESPA Integrated Disclosures rule (TRID) simplifies the mortgage disclosures provided to consumers. As a consequence, TRID‐affected mortgages become a less attractive investment opportunity to banks. Our main results document that mortgage applications affected by TRID are less likely to be approved following the rule's effective date. We find evidence consistent with both a decrease in consumers' information processing costs and an increase in banks' secondary market frictions, providing insight into the potential channels through which this reduction in mortgage credit operates. We also find that banks partially compensate for reduced mortgage lending by increasing small business lending, and that fintechs absorb mortgage demand in areas with reduced mortgage lending by banks. Our study documents real actions that firms take in response to disclosure transparency regulation and contributes to the literature on the economic consequences of such regulation.
Microbial hydrogen cycling in agricultural systems – plant beneficial or detrimental?
Authors: Islam Zahra F. , Greening Chris , Hu Hang‐Wei
Published: June 2023

Hydrogen‐oxidising bacteria play a key role in maintaining the composition of gases within the atmosphere and are ubiquitous in agricultural soils. While studies have shown that hydrogen accumulates in soil surrounding legume nodules and the soil surface, soils as a whole act as a net sink for hydrogen, raising questions about how hydrogen is internally recycled by soils. Can the energy derived from hydrogen oxidation be directly funnelled into plants to promote their growth or does it only act as a booster for other plant‐growth promoting bacteria? Moreover, while the fertilisation effect of hydrogen on plants has previously been shown to be beneficial, questions remain about the upper limit of hydrogen uptake by plants before it becomes detrimental. Agricultural practices such as fertilisation may impact the balance of hydrogen‐oxidisers and hydrogen‐producers in these ecosystems, potentially having detrimental effects on not only agricultural land but also global biogeochemical cycles. In this perspectives piece, we highlight the importance of understanding the contribution of hydrogen to agricultural soils and the effects of agricultural practices on the ability for bacteria to cycle hydrogen in agricultural soils. We propose a framework to gain better insights into microbial hydrogen cycling within agroecosystems, which could contribute to the development of new agricultural biotechnologies.
Paternal alcohol exposure attenuates maintenance and reinstated operant responding for alcohol in the offspring of rats
Authors: Nieto Steven J. , Kosten Therese A.
Published: June 2023

Background

The heritability of alcohol use disorder is close to 50%, yet common genetic variants account for less than 5% of risk. The missing heritability may reflect environmental exposure in the parents prior to conception. Indeed, paternal alcohol exposure has many behavioral and biological consequences for rodent offspring. We recently found that paternal alcohol exposure attenuated the acquisition of operant alcohol self‐administration in offspring of rats of both sexes. Here we test whether this effect extends to other phases of operant self‐administration thought to model motivation, craving, and relapse.

Methods

Wistar male rats exposed to alcohol vapors or air for 6 weeks were mated with alcohol‐naïve females 8 weeks later. The adult offspring were trained to lever press for alcohol and tested under several conditions: (1) maintenance responding under a progressive ratio schedule, (2) extinction responding due to removal of the alcohol delivery contingency, (3) reinstatement of extinguished responding in the presence of alcohol‐associated cues, and (4) reinitiation of lever press responding for alcohol delivery under fixed and progressive ratio schedules.

Results

Alcohol‐sired offspring showed reduced responding under the progressive ratio schedule and blunted cue‐induced reinstatement of extinguished responding. Alcohol‐sired offspring also emitted fewer responses during extinction sessions and did not reinitiate responding to the same extent as control‐sired rats after alcohol delivery was restored.

Conclusions

Across all conditions, paternal alcohol exposure led to a reduction in the reinforcing effects of alcohol in offspring. These results are consistent with studies conducted with paternal cocaine exposure except that here we find effects in rats of both sexes.
Quantitative history studies on China: State capacity, institutions, culture and human capital from prehistoric times to the present
Authors: Chen Zhiwu , Ma Chicheng
Published: June 2023

Volumes of historical archives in China have been digitised, from which various datasets have been constructed for scholarly inquiry. Furthermore, the excavation of thousands of archaeological sites provided detailed data about prehistoric development across China's landmass. As a result, there has been remarkable progress in quantitative studies on China's past. This article reviews recent work in five theme areas to provide a background for the papers included in this special issue. These themes include state formation, Confucianism, human capital, Christian missionaries, and long‐term persistence studies. The five papers in this issue fall into these themes and are introduced where appropriate.
Patch test results in dental staff with dermatitis
Authors: Stoeva Iliyana , Kanazirska Petya , Dogandzhiyska Violeta , Karova Emilia , Tomova Zlatina , Chervenkov Lyubomir
Published: June 2023

Background

Dental workers are exposed to allergenic materials in the workplace.

Objectives

To summarize patch test results in dental staff with work‐related dermatitis.

Materials and Methods

Cross‐sectional study of dental staff with dermatitis was conducted. Symptoms, clinical findings and results from patch tests with 40 dental allergens were summarized.

Results

Of 329 participants, 155 (47.1%) had at least one positive patch reaction. The highest frequency of positive reactions was observed for metals (38.6%), acrylics (7.3%) and additives in acrylic resins (3.6%). One hundred and eighty‐five (56.2%) participants were currently symptomatic; in this group, 79 (42.7%) had current dermatitis. Thirty‐eight patients had at least one positive patch test considered occupationally related to their current dermatitis.

Conclusion

Almost half of the dental staff with dermatitis had at least one positive patch test and approximately 12% had current occupational relevance of the allergens. Our results underscore the importance of patch testing in the evaluation of dental staff with dermatitis.
Longitudinal profile of high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein in women with pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Dangat Kamini , Wadhwani Nisha , Randhir Karuna , Poddar Anupam , Gupte Sanjay , Wagh Girija , Lalwani Sanjay , Joshi Sadhana
Published: June 2023

Problem

C‐reactive protein (CRP) is a marker for inflammation and its role as a possible biomarker for an early prediction of pre‐eclampsia (PE) is unclear. The present study investigates the levels of high‐sensitivity CRP (hs‐CRP) longitudinally across pregnancy in women with PE and compares them to women without PE (non‐PE).

Method of Study

A total of 324 pregnant women [216 non‐PE and 108 PE women] were included in this study. Maternal blood was taken at four different intervals (V1 = 11–14 weeks, V2 = 18–22 weeks, V3 = 26–28 weeks, and V4 = at delivery).

Results

Maternal serum hs‐CRP levels were higher at V1, V2, and V3 (p < .05 for all) in the PE group compared to the non‐PE group. The hs‐CRP levels were associated with maternal blood pressure throughout pregnancy. Maternal hs‐CRP levels did not differ among early and late onset PE. Higher maternal hs‐CRP levels were associated with the increased risk of PE in unadjusted model in early pregnancy. However, there was no significance after adjusting for confounding factors.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest although the levels of hs‐CRP were higher in PE in early pregnancy, they are not associated with an increased risk of PE.
Implementation of the South Australian Regional Telestroke service is associated with improved care quality and lower stroke mortality: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Goh Rudy , Hillier Susan , Kelly Thu‐Lan , Worley Anthea , Dixon Karen , Kurunawai Craig , Tan Aaron , Mahadevan Joshua , Willcourt Matthew , Jannes Jim , Kleinig Timothy
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Stroke in Regional Australia may have worse outcomes due to difficulties accessing optimal care. The South Australian Regional Telestroke service aimed to improve telestroke neurologist access, supported by improved ambulance triage.

Objective

To assess stroke care quality and patient mortality pre‐ and postimplementation of a vascular neurologist‐led Telestroke service.

Design

Historically controlled mixed methods cohort study comparing key quality indicators and patient mortality (6 months pre‐ vs. 18 months postimplementation date [4 June 2018]) at the three major South Australian regional stroke centres. The primary outcome was 13 care quality indicators as a combined composite risk‐adjusted score, and the secondary outcome was risk‐adjusted mortality at 12‐month postadmission.

Findings

On an annualised basis, of 189 patients with stroke, more were admitted postintervention to the regional stroke centres than in the control period (158 [annualised rate 105.3, 95% CI 86.2–127.4] vs. 31 [annualised rate 62.0, 95% CI 47.5–79.5]) Baseline patient characteristics were similar in both periods. Post‐implementation, median last‐known‐well time to presentation (3.5 h [IQR 1.6–17] vs. 2.0 [IQR 1–14]; p = 0.46) and door to needle times (121 min [IQR 97–144] vs. 90 [IQR 75–138]; p = 0.65) were not significantly lower but an improvement in the combined composite quality score was observed (0.069 [95% CI 0.004–0.134; p = 0.04]), reflecting individual improvements in some quality indicators. Mortality at 12‐month postimplementation was substantially lower postimplementation (prechange 23% vs. postchange 13% [hazard ratio 0.58 (95% CI 0.44–0.76; p < 0.001)]).

Conclusion

Implementation of a South Australian Regional Telestroke service was associated with improved care metrics and lower mortality.
Contact zone
Authors: Dudley Kathryn
Published: June 2023

This vignette of a mustang's first training session, two years after her abduction from a herd of wild horses and indefinite detention in Bureau of Land Management holding facilities, is part of a special section of “hundreds” in honor of Kathleen Stewart.
Heterogeneity in clinical practices for post‐cardiotomy extracorporeal life support: A pilot survey from the PELS‐1 multicenter study
Authors: Mariani Silvia , Bari Gabor , Ravaux Justine M. , van Bussel Bas C. T. , De Piero Maria Elena , Schaefer Ann‐Kristin , Jawad Khalil , Pozzi Matteo , Loforte Antonio , Kalampokas Nikolaos , Jankuviene Agne , Flecher Erwan , Hou Xiaotong , Bunge Jeroen J. H. , Sriranjan Kogulan , Salazar Leonardo , Meyns Bart , Mazzeffi Michael A. , Matteucci Sacha , Sponga Sandro , Ramanathan Kollengode , Costetti Alessandro , Formica Francesco , Sakiyalak Pranya , Fiore Antonio , Schmid Chistof , Raffa Giuseppe Maria , Castillo Roberto , Wang I‐wen , Jung Jae‐Seung , Grus Tomas , Pellegrino Vin , Bianchi Giacomo , Pettinari Matteo , Barbone Alessandro , Garcia José P. , Kowalewski Mariusz , Shekar Kiran , Whitman Glenn , Lorusso Roberto ,   the PELS‐1 Investigators
Published: June 2023

Background

High‐quality evidence for post‐cardiotomy extracorporeal life support (PC‐ECLS) management is lacking. This study investigated real‐world PC‐ECLS clinical practices.

Methods

This cross‐sectional, multi‐institutional, international pilot survey explored center organization, anticoagulation management, left ventricular unloading, distal limb perfusion, PC‐ECLS monitoring, and transfusion practices. Twenty‐nine questions were distributed among 34 hospitals participating in the Post‐cardiotomy Extra‐Corporeal Life Support Study.

Results

Of the 32 centers [16 low‐volume (50%); 16 high‐volume (50%)] that responded, 16 (50%) had dedicated ECLS specialists. Twenty‐six centers (81.3%) reported using additional mechanical circulatory supports. Anticoagulation practices were highly heterogeneous: 24 hospitals (75%) reported using patients bleeding status as a guide, without a specific threshold in 54.2% of cases. Transfusion targets ranged from 7 to 10 g/dL. Most centers used cardiac venting on a case‐by‐case basis (78.1%) and regular distal limb perfusion (84.4%). Nineteen (54.9%) centers reported dedicated monitoring protocols, including daily echocardiography (87.5%), Swan‐Ganz catheterization (40.6%), cerebral near‐infrared spectroscopy (53.1%), and multimodal assessment of limb ischemia. Inspection of the circuit (71.9%), oxygenator pressure drop (68.8%), plasma free hemoglobin (75%), d‐dimer (59.4%), lactate dehydrogenase (56.3%), and fibrinogen (46.9%) are used to diagnose hemolysis and thrombosis.

Conclusions

This study shows remarkable heterogeneity in clinical practices for PC‐ECLS management. More standardized protocols and better implementation of the available evidence are recommended.
Pre‐existing, treatment‐specific resistance‐associated substitutions in hepatitis C virus genotype 1 and 3 and viral RNA titers during treatment with direct‐acting antivirals
Authors: Sølund Christina , Pedersen Martin S. , Fahnøe Ulrik , Filskov Jonathan , Jenssen Håvard , Weis Nina , Schønning Kristian , Bukh Jens
Published: June 2023

The introduction of direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients has greatly increased treatment success rates. However, viral response kinetics to DAA treatment may depend on pre‐existing resistance‐associated substitutions (RASs) in HCV. The aim of this study was to describe how pre‐existing RASs affect DAA treatment‐induced reduction in HCV RNA titers in HCV genotypes 1‐ and 3‐infected individuals. Patients with HCV genotype 1 infection (N = 31) treated with either sofosbuvir/ledipasvir/ribavirin or paritaprevir/ombitasvir/ritonavir/dasabuvir/ribavirin and HCV genotype 3‐infected patients (N = 16) treated with either sofosbuvir/daclatasvir/ribavirin or sofosbuvir/ribavirin were analyzed. HCV RNA levels were determined at baseline and frequently during treatment, and RAS profiles were obtained by deep sequencing at baseline. In total, 33/47 (70.2%) of the patients had baseline RASs. However, treatment‐specific RASs were detected at baseline only in 12.9% and 18.8% of HCV genotypes 1‐ and 3‐infected patients, respectively. In genotype 1‐infected individuals, reduction in HCV RNA titer during the first week of treatment was not affected by evidence of either treatment‐specific RASs or cirrhosis or treatment regimen. In genotype 3‐infected individuals receiving sofosbuvir/daclatasvir/ribavirin, the presence of daclatasvir‐specific NS5A RASs at baseline correlated with a reduced decline of HCV RNA in the first treatment week. For both genotypes 1‐ and 3‐infected individuals, cirrhosis but not treatment‐specific RAS were associated with the time of clearance of HCV RNA. It is, however, important to note that this study involves DAA regimens that were used only during the original introduction of interferon‐free DAA‐based treatments.
Editorial: Antibiotics and risk of IBD—Can we close the books?
Authors: Ebrahimi Fahim , Forss Anders
Published: June 2023

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Oh et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17542 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17608
Do they see what he experiences? Objectification and sexual harassment
Authors: Wiener Richard L. , Vardsveen Trace C. , Petty Taylor
Published: June 2023

Two studies tested the hypothesis that men who are sexually objectified during an interview will experience a negative emotion, rate the experience as harassing, and perform badly on tasks compared to un‐objectified controls. However, observers who watch videos of objectified experiencers and predictors who read about the interaction will demonstrate stronger effects, with women showing the strongest. In Study 1, 90 undergraduates (60 men) were interviewees or watched a video of a mock job interview in a 2 (objectification: objectifying interview vs. non‐objectifying interview) × 3 (perspective: experiencer who was a man vs. observers, some men and some women) mixed model design with repeated measures on the second factor. In Study 2, 71 undergraduates read about a job interview in a 2 (objectification: objectifying vs. non‐objectifying interview) × 2 (gender: man vs. woman) between‐subjects design. Results showed that while objectified experiencers (men) showed no objectification effects, observers and predictors anticipated a reasonable person would experience more harassment than the experiencers reported, with observers’ enjoyment of sexualization moderating these forecasts. Additionally, the predictors’ forecasted negative emotions mediated the effects of objectification on judgments and task performance. These studies argue for informing Title VII's 2‐prong subjective‐objective test with social fact testimony in same‐sex harassment cases.