bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patients carrying pathogenic SCN8A variants with loss‐ and gain‐of‐function effects can be classified into five subgroups exhibiting varying developmental and epileptic components of encephalopathy
Authors: Hack Joshua B. , Watkins Joseph C. , Schreiber John M. , Hammer Michael F.
Published: September 2024

Objective

Phenotypic heterogeneity presents challenges in providing clinical care to patients with pathogenic SCN8A variants, which underly a wide disease spectrum ranging from neurodevelopmental delays without seizures to a continuum of mild to severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs). An important unanswered question is whether there are clinically important subgroups within this wide spectrum. Using both supervised and unsupervised machine learning (ML) approaches, we previously found statistical support for two and three subgroups associated with loss‐ and gain‐ of‐ function vari‐ants, respectively. Here, we test the hypothesis that the unsupervised subgroups (U1–U3) are distinguished by differential contributions of developmental and epileptic components.

Methods

We predicted that patients in the U1 and U2 subgroups would differ in timing of developmental delay and seizure onset, with earlier and concurrent onset of both features for the U3 subgroup. Standard statistical procedures were used to test these predictions, as well as to investigate clinically relevant associations among all five subgroups.

Results

Two‐population proportion and Kruskal–Wallis tests supported the hypothesis of a reversed order of developmental delay and seizure onset for patients in U1 and U2, and nearly synchronous developmental delay/seizure onset for the U3 (termed DEE) subgroup. Association testing identified subgroup variation in treatment response, frequency of initial seizure type, and comorbidities, as well as different median ages of developmental delay onset for all five subgroups.

Significance

Unsupervised ML approaches discern differential developmental and epileptic components among patients with SCN8A‐related epilepsy. Patients in U1 (termed developmental encephalopathy) typically gain seizure control yet rarely experience improvements in development, whereas those in U2 (termed epileptic encephalopathy) have fewer if any developmental impairments despite difficulty in achieving seizure control. This understanding improves prognosis and clinical management and provides a framework to discover mechanisms underlying variability in clinical outcome of patients with SCN8A‐related disorders.
Exploring the Lived Experiences of Young Women With Congenital Heart Disease Through Adolescence: A Qualitative Feminist Study Using Focus Groups
Authors: Tylek Anna , Summers Charlotte , Maulder Ellen , Welch Lindsay , Calman Lynn
Published: September 2024

Objectives

The overarching aim of this study is to explore, examine and identify the experience that young women with congenital heart disease face as they transition through adolescence into womanhood.

Design

This is an empirical qualitative study conducted in the form of three focus groups. The study design and analysis adopted a feminist ontological positioning to elucidate the voice of women and offer an alternative perspective of cardiology health care. Data were analysed using the inductive thematic approach informed by the study aims.

Participants

A group of seven female participants (mean age 26) based in the United Kingdom, each with varying degrees of congenital heart defects that required open heart surgery growing up, was included in the study.

Results

Three key themes with antecedent concepts emerged: (a) the impact of womanhood and the potential influence of motherhood on the young women themselves transitioning through adolescence with CHD within medical and sociocultural contexts, (b) the challenges of being a woman and undergoing heart surgery during adolescence on the young women's health before, during and after surgery and (c) the effect of existing online/offline healthcare and social structures on women's health during transitioning through adolescence These themes were encompassed under an overarching theme of psychological complexities developed throughout the cardiac journey from diagnosis through to post‐surgery.

Conclusion

This study built on the limited exploration of being a young woman and having CHD and confirmed that there are vulnerabilities and challenges in having CHD as a young woman transitioning through adolescence. This was a result of sex (biological characteristics) and gender factors (socially constructed roles). This leads to short‐ and long‐term implications on psychological well‐being. This research indicates that enhancements are needed in the provision of care and psychological support for young women with CHD. This will help to enable women to achieve a good quality of life in addition to increased life expectancy offered by medical advancements.

Patient or Public Contribution

Active participant involvement was crucial to ensure the authentic female voice in the study. This study received support from young women with congenital heart disease. Young women contributed to the study design, recruitment of participants and analysis of results. Two of the women were also co‐authors of this paper.
Defining the Role of the Fire and Rescue Service in Mental Health Support for Older Adults: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Fisher Tamsin , Chew‐Graham Carolyn A. , Corp Nadia , Farooq Saeed , Kingston Paul , Read Ian , Spolander Gary , Southam Jane , Stevens Dean , Warren Carmel , Kingstone Tom
Published: September 2024

Introduction

Anxiety and depression in older adults (60+ years of age) are under‐diagnosed and under‐treated. Older adults are less likely to seek help for these problems due to a lack of awareness, difficulty accessing health care due to availability or disability and fear of loss of independence. Existing points of contact between older adults and non‐traditional services, for example, the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS), could provide opportunities to support help‐seeking for mental ill‐health. The FRS conduct Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs) with older adults and are well positioned to provide health‐related support. This study examines a range of perspectives on the potential role of the FRS in the identification of, and signposting for, anxiety and depression in older adults.

Methods

This was a qualitative study carried out using mixed methods in West Midlands, UK. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with older adults and health and social care providers (practitioners, managers, commissioners) to explore the acceptability of the FRS expanding its role to detect and signpost for anxiety and depression in older adults. Observations examined delivery of existing HFSVs to older adults. Data were combined and analysed using a reflexive thematic approach.

Results

Eighteen health and social care providers and 8 older adults were interviewed; 10 HFSVs were observed. Two overarching themes were identified: (1) Potential role for the FRS and (2) Operationalising identification of mental health problems by FRS. Interviews and observations demonstrated how HFSVs offer a suitable opportunity to start conversations about mental health. All interview participants felt that although the FRS would be well placed to deliver an intervention, they would require training, support and a referral pathway co‐produced with and supported by health and social care partners.

Conclusion

A whole‐system approach is needed if the FRS are to expand HFSVs to identify mental health problems in older adults and provide signposting to appropriate services.

Patient or Public Contribution

J.S. is a public co‐investigator. A Patient Advisory Group contributed to the initial funding application, design and conduct of the study, including data analysis and advice on dissemination.
A VIRTUE ETHICS FOR HISTORIANS: PROSPECTS AND LIMITATIONS
Authors: PAUL HERMAN
Published: September 2024

How feasible would it be to develop a virtue ethics for historians that is analogous or similar to virtue‐ethical approaches to research integrity that have been proposed for other areas of academic inquiry? The field of history is an interesting one, as few disciplines have an equally well‐documented history of thinking, talking, and writing about virtues. This history merits ethicists’ attention, as it offers a unique opportunity for grounding ethical reflection in the lived realities of historical research and teaching. In the spirit of a “history and philosophy of history,” this article contributes to such a project by staging a conversation between virtue ethics and the history of historiography. Drawing on a range of nineteenth‐ and twentieth‐century examples, it argues that much of what applied virtue ethicists are recommending scholars to do has a long pedigree in the history of historiography. Critical virtue ethics, too, is a project to which historians can easily relate, especially insofar as they are committed to virtues of truthfulness in an age of post‐truth. If this suggests that there is room, or perhaps even a need, for a virtue ethics for historians, the cases examined in this article also prompt critical questions, especially ones regarding the teachability of virtue, the potential of virtue talk to be misused for polemical and exclusionary purposes, and the sort of tasks that a virtue ethics is capable of addressing. In light of these considerations, the article calls for reflection on the “affordances” of virtue. It claims that the case for a virtue ethics will be strongest if it is grounded in a realistic understanding not only of the beneficial uses to which categories of virtue can be put but also of unintended uses to which virtue talk is susceptible and of tasks for which virtue thinking is less prepared.
Ethnic minorities and the leadership glass cliff: Insights into a field experiment
Authors: Adamovic Mladen , Leibbrandt Andreas
Published: September 2024

Using a resume study, we investigate hiring discrimination for leadership positions against job applicants with Chinese and Indian names before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We submitted more than 8000 job applications to job advertisements in Australia. We find hiring discrimination against applicants with Chinese and Indian names for non‐leadership positions before and during the pandemic. However, hiring discrimination has not increased during the pandemic. Importantly, and consistent with the glass cliff theory, hiring discrimination has largely vanished for leadership positions during the pandemic, for which discrimination was most pronounced before the pandemic.
COVID‐19 as a financial opportunity for the millennials
Authors: Tal Sharon Garyn
Published: September 2024

This study aims to examine how COVID‐19 affects the views of the members of Generation Y (millennials) regarding their financial future. The literature often describes and perceives millennials as spoiled, unindustrious and lacking in focus. This research uses data collected via interviews with 20 participants in their 20s and 30s who live in the centre of Israel. The participants were recruited by a polling company during September 2021. The study finds that participants’ behaviour during this crisis was more level‐headed than in the past due to their understanding that the future is uncertain and they can rely on no one other than themselves. The study's participants reported making decisions to improve their financial future. Most view COVID‐19 as a rare opportunity to make changes in their lives, primarily in their finances and their employment. This is reflected by current choices intended to create a better financial future for themselves. The main finding of this research is that following the shock caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic, millennials have been forced to take care of themselves. They understand that if their parents get sick, they will not be able to continue making a living and will be unable to provide financial help to their children.
Strain engineering of the structural, electronic, and optical properties of phosphorene‐like ZnS ceramic nanolayers: Density functional theory study
Authors: Pakizeh Esmaeil , Mohammadi Mahnaz
Published: September 2024

Strain engineering is a powerful technique for controlling the performance of semiconductor ceramic systems. In this article, the effect of strain engineering, specifically biaxial compressive and tensile strains, on the bonding characteristics, structure, electronic, and optical properties of nonplanar phosphorene‐like (NPP) ZnS ceramic nanolayers was investigated using density functional theory. It was observed that this ceramic exhibits greater stability under significant tensile strains. The structural stability of NPP‐ZnS ceramic, both with and without biaxial strain, was confirmed by its negative formation energy. Biaxial strain strongly influences the electronic band structure of NPP‐ZnS ceramic nanolayers, leading to a transformation from a direct band gap to an indirect gap under tensile strain. Additionally, the bandgap decreases under compressive strain, while it slightly increases under tensile strain. Various optical properties, including refractive index, extinction coefficient, absorption, reflectivity, optical conductivity, and optical susceptibility, were calculated. Biaxial compressive and tensile strains alter the optical properties, shifting them to higher or lower frequencies. NPP‐ZnS ceramic nanolayers exhibit high optical absorption in the UV range, which can be further enhanced by biaxial strain. Furthermore, under increasing compressive strain, the absorption edge moves toward higher energies. This improvement in optical absorption expands the potential applications of NPP‐ZnS ceramic nanolayers in optoelectronic devices.
Single‐cell RNA sequencing reveals the heterogeneity of MYH11+ tumour‐associated fibroblasts between left‐sided and right‐sided colorectal cancer
Authors: Wang Chao , Zhao Yue , Zhang Sainan , Du Meiyu , He Guanzhi , Tan Senwei , Li Hailong , Zhang Duoyi , Cheng Liang
Published: September 2024

Colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits considerable heterogeneity on tumour location. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive annotation regarding the characteristics and differences between the left‐sided (L‐CRC) and right‐sided (R‐CRC) CRC. Here, we performed single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) on immune and stromal cells from 12 L‐CRC and 10 R‐CRC patients. We found that L‐CRC exhibited stronger tumour invasion and poor prognosis compared with R‐CRC. In addition, functional enrichment analysis of a normal cohort showed that fibroblasts of left colon are associated with tumour‐related pathways. This suggested that the heterogeneity observed in both L‐CRC and R‐CRC may be influenced by the specific location within the colon itself. Further, we identified a potentially novel MYH11+ cancer‐associated fibroblast (CAF) subset predominantly enriched in L‐CRC. Moreover, we found that MYH11+ CAFs may promote tumour migration via interacting with macrophages, and was associated with poor prognosis in CRC. In summary, our study revealed the crucial role of MYH11+ CAFs in predicting a poor prognosis, thereby contributing valuable insights to the exploration of heterogeneity in L‐CRC and R‐CRC.
A computer tool for Aiken's coefficients calculation: Applications in clinical and research settings
Authors: Ventura‐León José , Lluncor‐Vasquez Ariana , Chuquillanqui‐Silva Marco
Published: September 2024

Rationale

In clinical and research settings, the validity and reliability of measurement instruments are crucial for reliable results. Current methods for computing validation metrics like Aiken's coefficients are often complex and error‐prone, highlighting the need for a standardized computational tool to simplify and enhance this process.

Aims and Objectives

The objective of this study was to develop AikenCalc, a tool created to automate the calculation of Aiken coefficients. This tool provides a quantitative method for examining the validity and reliability of consensus among expert judges.

Method

AikenCalc was developed with Shiny app, an R library that allows an easy‐to‐use interface and improved computational efficiency. It was validated using a convergence method by comparing the manual calculations with those obtained using AikenCalc. Additionally, to examine usability and interface, six experts evaluated their experience using AikenCalc and provided improvement feedback.

Results

AikenCalc demonstrated good convergent validity, closely aligning with the results obtained manually, and the six experts gave favorable ratings regarding the usability and interface of AikenCalc. Finally, it was shown that AikenCalc significantly reduced the time required for calculations, thanks to its user‐friendly interface.

Conclusion

AikenCalc represents a significant improvement in the validation of measurement instruments by automating and simplifying the calculation of Aiken's coefficients through a Shiny web application. Additionally, it fills a knowledge gap, as there is currently no similar calculator available in the field of research.
Effect of positive psychological capital on burnout in public hospital nurses: Mediating effect of compassion fatigue is greater than compassion satisfaction
Authors: Kim Sin Ah , Kim Sung Reul , Kim Hye Young
Published: September 2024

Aim

Although relationships among positive psychological capital (PsyCap), compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and burnout have been reported, causal relationships among these variables have not been identified. This study examined the influence of positive PsyCap on burnout and confirmed the mediating effects of compassion fatigue and satisfaction among public hospital nurses.

Methods

This study adopted a correlational cross‐sectional design. We recruited 237 nurses working at a public hospital, using convenience sampling.

Results

The fit of the hypothetical model was adequate. Positive PsyCap directly affected compassion fatigue and satisfaction, and burnout. It had an indirect effect on burnout. Compassion fatigue and satisfaction directly affect burnout. This finding indicates that compassion fatigue and satisfaction partially mediate between positive PsyCap and burnout. In addition, the mediating effect of compassion fatigue was greater than that of compassion satisfaction on the relationship between positive PsyCap and burnout. Finally, positive PsyCap, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction explained 70.4% of the total variance in burnout scores. The effect size (f2) was 2.38 (large effect size).

Conclusions

Burnout should be assessed with positive PsyCap, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction among public hospital nurses. Given that the mediating effect of compassion fatigue was greater than that of compassion satisfaction, interventions for compassion fatigue may be a strategy to reduce burnout, especially among public hospital nurses with low levels of positive PsyCap.
How much do family‐supportive supervisor behaviours matter? A meta‐analysis based on the ability‐motivation‐opportunity framework
Authors: Hao Leilei , Zong Zhaobiao , Zhao Teng , Meng Weixuan , Meng Hui
Published: September 2024

Family‐supportive supervisor behaviours (FSSB) and their association with employees' work, family, and health outcomes have been widely investigated in workplace contexts. We aimed to acquire a comprehensive understanding of whether FSSB have valuable associations with work, family, and health outcomes and to investigate how FSSB are related to these outcomes using 126 independent samples retrieved from 122 articles (N = 59,068). Our findings revealed several outcomes. First, the bivariate results demonstrated that FSSB were significantly associated with essential work, family, and health outcomes. Second, FSSB exerted beneficial incremental effects on task performance, burnout, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction beyond coworker support, flexible work arrangements, and family‐supportive organizational perceptions, providing further support for its discriminant validity. Third, we built an integrative model that uses ability‐motivation‐opportunity as our organizational framework. Our findings demonstrate that FSSB are significantly associated with employees' work and health outcomes through self‐efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and autonomy. Intrinsic motivation exerts the largest mean indirect effect, followed by self‐efficacy and autonomy. Based on these findings, we discuss theoretical and practical implications as well as directions for future research.
Network versus spatial proximity and firm innovation: The case of the R&D service sector
Authors: Turkina Ekaterina , Frigon Anthony , Doloreux David
Published: September 2024

The paper analyzes the relationship between different types of proximities—network and spatial—in relation to innovation in the context of the R&D service industry. In doing so, it contributes to the recent debate in the literature on the effects of network connectivity versus geographical colocation. The paper uses original data from a survey of 145 R&D service establishments in Montreal (Canada) and their interactions with both local and nonlocal organizations. The findings of the paper indicate that collaborative networks (both local and nonlocal) have a stronger association with R&D service innovation than spatial proximity to R&D service organizations and other collaborators. However, when these two dimensions are interacted, they are shown to function as substitutes. The paper also demonstrates that the relationship between spatial proximity and networking varies across three dimensions: local versus nonlocal networking, the type of relationship (client, supplier, competitor, and research institutes and university), and the type of network connectivity—brokerage versus closure.
Comparative analysis of RNA interference and pattern‐triggered immunity induced by dsRNA reveals different efficiencies in the antiviral response to potato virus X
Authors: Necira Khouloud , Contreras Lorenzo , Kamargiakis Efstratios , Kamoun Mohamed Selim , Canto Tomás , Tenllado Francisco
Published: September 2024

Antiviral responses induced by double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) include RNA interference (RNAi) and pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI), but their relative contributions to antiviral defence are not well understood. We aimed at testing the impact of exogenous applied dsRNA on both layers of defence against potato virus X expressing GFP (PVX‐GFP) in Nicotiana benthamiana. Co‐inoculation of PVX‐GFP with either sequence‐specific (RNAi) or nonspecific dsRNA (PTI) showed that nonspecific dsRNA reduced virus accumulation in both inoculated and systemic leaves. However, nonspecific dsRNA was a poor inducer of antiviral immunity compared to a sequence‐specific dsRNA capable of triggering the RNAi response, and plants became susceptible to systemic infection. Studies with a PVX mutant unable to move from cell to cell indicated that the interference with PVX‐GFP triggered by nonspecific dsRNA operated at the single‐cell level. Next, we performed RNA‐seq analysis to examine similarities and differences in the transcriptome triggered by dsRNA alone or in combination with viruses harbouring sequences targeted or not by dsRNA. Enrichment analysis showed an over‐representation of plant‐pathogen signalling pathways, such as calcium, ethylene and MAPK signalling, which are typical of antimicrobial PTI. Moreover, the transcriptomic response to the virus targeted by dsRNA had a greater impact on defence than the non‐targeted virus, highlighting qualitative differences between sequence‐specific RNAi and nonspecific PTI responses. Together, these results further our understanding of plant antiviral defence, particularly the contribution of nonspecific dsRNA‐mediated PTI. We envisage that both sequence‐specific RNAi and nonspecific PTI pathways may be triggered via topical application of dsRNA, contributing cumulatively to plant protection against viruses.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Dermatoscopy Versus Microbiological Culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Diagnosis of Onychomycosis: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Navarro‐Pérez David , Tardáguila‐García Aroa , García‐Oreja Sara , León‐Herce Diego , Álvaro‐Afonso Francisco Javier , Lázaro‐Martínez José Luis
Published: September 2024

Background

Several clinical signs in dermatoscopy are very characteristic of onychomycosis and can be a quick complement for the diagnosis of onychomycosis.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dermatoscopy compared to microbiological culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), as well as the clinical signs associated with onychomycosis.

Methods

The clinical signs of 125 patients were assessed cross‐sectionally using dermatoscopy, and a positive or negative result was assigned. A sample was then taken for PCR and microbiological culture.

Results

Of the 125 patients, 69.6% (87/125) had positive results when both laboratory tests were combined. When they were not combined, the prevalence was lower at 48% (60/125) with PCR and at 43.2% (54/125) with culture. Furthermore, 76.8% (96/125) were classified as positive with dermatoscopy with a sensitivity of 1, a specificity of 0.76, positive predictive value of 0.91 and negative predictive value of 1 (with 95% confidence intervals). Of the 96 dermatoscopy‐positive samples, 36 were negative with PCR (p < 0.001), 42 were negative with culture (p < 0.001) and nine were negative when both tests were combined (p < 0.001). Clinical signs that were significantly associated with the presence of onychomycosis were subungual hyperkeratosis (dermatoscopy: p = 0.004, odds ratio (OR) = 2.438; PCR + microbiological culture: p = 0.004, OR = 3.221), subungual detritus (p = 0.033, OR = 3.01, only with dermatoscopy) and dermatophytoma (dermatoscopy: p = 0.049, OR = 3.02; PCR + microbiological culture: p = 0.022, OR = 2.40).

Conclusions

The results suggest that dermatoscopy is a good tool for the diagnosis of onychomycosis but should be used as a complementary test or for screening patients to be sampled for laboratory testing. The combination of the three tests can lead to a reduction of false‐positive and false‐negative clinical and laboratory results. This allows for early diagnosis and specific treatment based on test results.
Crafting a national identity: The role of geography textbooks in 1930s Turkey's nation‐building project
Authors: Gür Hande , Çalışkan Gül
Published: September 2024

This paper investigates geography textbooks of the 1930s in Turkey, contending that geographical knowledge played a pivotal role in shaping nationhood within a modernising state. This study's critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the early republican geography textbooks showcases how (1) Turkey's spatial formation was reimagined in 1930s; (2) defining markers of Turkishness and the Turkish nation were forged through erasures and breakups of minority groups, and (3) the new national identity was “bridged” to the geography of the newly founded Republic. This paper posits that a nation's portrayal of its geography and global positioning is not merely a factual recording, but also a reflection of ideological and political choices. Such portrayals are complete social constructs, inherently influenced by power dynamics and disputes. Beneath the ostensibly impartial depictions of space and spatial relations, invisible power dynamics and assertions underlie the assignments of specific meanings to geographic areas.
Sepsis‐associated acute kidney injury in patients with chronic kidney disease: Patient characteristics, prevalence, timing, trajectory, treatment and associated outcomes
Authors: White Kyle C. , Bellomo Rinaldo , Tabah Alexis , Attokaran Antony G. , White Hayden , McCullough James , Shekar Kiran , Ramanan Mahesh , Garrett Peter , McIlroy Philippa , Senthuran Siva , Luke Stephen , Serpa‐Neto Ary , Larsen Tom , Laupland Kevin B. ,   the Queensland Critical Care Research Network (QCCRN)
Published: September 2024

Aim

The features and outcomes of sepsis‐associated acute kidney injury (SA‐AKI) may be affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD). Accordingly, we aimed to compare SA‐AKI in patients with or without CKD.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study in 12 intensive care units (ICU). We studied the prevalence, patient characteristics, timing, trajectory, treatment and outcomes of SA‐AKI with and without CKD.

Results

Of 84 240 admissions, 7255 (8.6%) involved patients with CKD. SA‐AKI was more common in patients with CKD (21% vs 14%; p < .001). CKD patients were older (70 vs. 60 years; p < .001), had a higher median Charlson co‐morbidity index (5 vs. 3; p < .001) and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) III score (78 vs. 60; p < .001) and were more likely to receive renal replacement therapy (RRT) (25% vs. 17%; p < .001). They had less complete return to baseline function at ICU discharge (48% vs. 60%; p < .001), higher major adverse kidney events at day 30 (MAKE‐30) (38% vs. 27%; p < .001), and higher hospital and 90‐day mortality (21% vs. 13%; p < .001, and 27% vs. 16%; p < .001, respectively). After adjustment for patient characteristics and severity of illness, however, CKD was not an independent risk factor for increased 90‐day mortality (OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.76–1.02; p = .08) or MAKE‐30 (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.80–1.09; p = .4).

Conclusion

SA‐AKI is more common in patients with CKD. Such patients are older, more co‐morbid, have higher disease severity, receive different ICU therapies and have different trajectories of renal recovery and greater unadjusted mortality. However, after adjustment day‐90 mortality and MAKE‐30 risk were not increased by CKD.
Differential expression of vitellogenin in the brain of Solenopsis invicta workers based on social and nutritional context
Authors: Hawkings Chloe , Tamborindeguy Cecilia
Published: September 2024

Vitellogenin (Vg) has been recognized as a co‐opted gene involved in social colonies where it is associated with reproduction in the queen and task transitions in workers. The Solenopsis invicta genome harbours four Vg genes, Vg1, Vg2, Vg3 and Vg4, and this study explored the regional expression of these genes in the brain and head of the worker caste in different subcaste and social contexts. Transcriptomic analyses of the worker brain while in the presence or absence of brood revealed differential expression of genes involved with social behaviours. Among these, we found higher expression of Vg2 and Vg3 in the brains of workers in the absence of brood. The influence of brood on expression of Vg between worker castes was also investigated. RT‐qPCR revealed higher expression of Vg in the head of workers in the absence of brood. Further studies demonstrated that Vg was also differentially expressed in the heads of workers conducting specific tasks and differing between subcastes. Nurses maintained higher Vg expression than foragers. We conclude worker Vg expression may be linked to the brood and/or nutritional state. Vg expression changes when workers are deprived of protein suggesting it is regulated by nutritional signalling and the presence of brood.
Meloidogyne hapla dominates plant‐parasitic nematode communities associated with kiwifruit orchards in Portugal
Authors: Gonçalves A. Rita , Conceição I. Luci , Carvalho Rui P. , Costa Sofia R.
Published: September 2024

Kiwifruit, Actinidia spp., is an important crop worldwide and its cultivation has been increasing in Portugal. Kiwifruit plants are susceptible to plant‐parasitic nematodes (PPNs), including Meloidogyne spp. M. hapla and M. incognita have been reported to affect kiwifruit in major production regions worldwide, although information is lacking on the distribution and identity of PPNs associated with kiwifruit orchards in Portugal. Moreover, research is scarce on the drivers of PPN communities in this crop. Our primary objective was to investigate the diversity, density and distribution of PPNs within kiwifruit orchards of Portugal and to elucidate the influence of environmental factors on their community composition. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate population densities and identity of Meloidogyne spp. Nematodes were extracted from composite soil and root samples collected from orchards. Analysis of soil nematode communities suggested bacterial‐driven decomposition and high nutrient enrichment in these soils. Sixteen different genera of PPNs were detected, with Meloidogyne spp. as the dominant genus, mostly represented by a single species, M. hapla. PPN communities exhibited low richness, and β‐diversity analysis indicated a high degree of similarity among them. Additionally, their composition was significantly influenced by soil and climatic parameters. We found that 37 out of 40 kiwifruit orchards in Portugal were infested by root‐knot nematodes. The unexpectedly low species diversity, dominated by M. hapla, merits further research to establish underlying factors for its high incidence in this crop and to assess the impact of these nematodes on kiwifruit performance and productivity.
ScRNA‐seq reveals the spatiotemporal distribution of camptothecin pathway and transposon activity in Camptotheca acuminata shoot apexes and leaves
Authors: Wang Shu , Zhang Chuyi , Li Ying , Li Rucan , Du Ke , Sun Chao , Shen Xiaofeng , Guo Baolin
Published: September 2024

Camptotheca acuminata Decne., a significant natural source of the anticancer drug camptothecin (CPT), synthesizes CPT through the monoterpene indole alkaloid (MIA) pathway. In this study, we used single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) to generate datasets encompassing over 60,000 cells from C. acuminata shoot apexes and leaves. After cell clustering and annotation, we identified five major cell types in shoot apexes and four in leaves. Analysis of MIA pathway gene expression revealed that most of them exhibited heightened expression in proliferating cells (PCs) and vascular cells (VCs). In contrast to MIA biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus, CPT biosynthesis in C. acuminata did not exhibit multicellular compartmentalization. Some putative genes encoding enzymes and transcription factors (TFs) related to the biosynthesis of CPT and its derivatives were identified through co‐expression analysis. These include 19 cytochrome P450 genes, 8 O‐methyltransferase (OMT) genes, and 62 TFs. Additionally, these pathway genes exhibited dynamic expression patterns during VC and EC development. Furthermore, by integrating gene and transposable element (TE) expression data, we constructed novel single‐cell transcriptome atlases for C. acuminata. This approach significantly facilitated the identification of rare cell types, including peripheral zone cells (PZs). Some TE families displayed cell type specific, tissue specific, or developmental stage‐specific expression patterns, suggesting crucial roles for these TEs in cell differentiation and development. Overall, this study not only provides novel insights into CPT biosynthesis and spatial–temporal TE expression characteristics in C. acuminata, but also serves as a valuable resource for further comprehensive investigations into the development and physiology of this species.
Number of Blastodisc Cells During the Laying Period for Two Successive Generations of Layer and Broiler Breeder
Authors: Bernardi Ophélie , Fréville Mathias , Ramé Christelle , Reverchon Maxime , Dupont Joëlle
Published: September 2024

In the poultry industry, genetic selection for growth performance is associated with poor reproductive efficiency and an increase in embryo mortality. The identification of new biomarkers is essential to improve these parameters. The blastodisc, composed of blastodermal cells, undergoes cellular events to achieve embryo development. Factors such as hen's age, temperature and time of egg storage could influence the number of blastodermal cells and impair embryo development. In this study, we investigated the variability of the number of viable cells of blastodisc (NVCB) that could be dependent on the stage of laying and on the breed and potentially associated with reproductive parameters. In experimental breeds, eggs were collected during the whole cycle of laying. Then, the protocol was repeated on industrial breeds (breeder hens) during five successive days at three stages of laying (before, after laying peak and at the end of laying period) for two generations (mothers and offsprings). For each egg, the blastodisc was dissected in order to count viable cells. For both experiments, the NVCB increased during the laying cycle. The NVCB was higher in broiler blastodisc compared to layer blastodisc for both generations. For layer breed, the NVCB were negatively correlated with laying rate for the first generation while positively associated for offsprings. However, the NVCB was positively correlated with laying rates in both generations for broiler hens and with fertility and hatchability rates. The NVCB from fresh oviposited fertilised eggs could be a potential tool in predicting on reproductive performances in poultry.
Epistemic attunements: Experiments in intermedial anthropology
Authors: Deger Jennifer , Coffey Victoria Baskin , Kingston Caleb , Lowe Sebastian J. , Stefanoff Lisa
Published: September 2024

‘Epistemic attunements – Regenerating anthroplogy's form’ is a collective experiment in expanding the expressive and analytic repertoire of anthropology and related disciplines. It features eleven peer‐reviewed research articles published on a standalone website that has been designed, built, and maintained by our editorial collective, independent of Wiley's infrastructure and oversight. The result is a unique off‐grid adventure in academic publishing that seeks to contribute to the re‐orientation and outward opening of a discipline long committed to finding new ways to apprehend—and respond to—worlds undergoing constant, messy, and often‐brutal transformation. In this essay we describe the making of this double special issue of TAJA to make the case for intermedial research and co‐design as regenerative praxis.
Improvisations towards a sonorous ethics in Aotearoa New Zealand
Authors: Lowe Sebastian J.
Published: September 2024

Taonga puoro is a Māori instrumental tradition through which one cultivates an improvisational form of playing with the world. It does not follow musical notation. ‘Instruments’ vary from rocks, to bones, wood and other non‐traditional materials, such as glass. They can be found in situ, or carefully crafted and gifted. Each performance is different, new and responsive not only to the riffing soundings of fellow humans but also to the wider worlds of more‐than‐human sensuous agency with which we attune, respond and participate. In both their materiality and their performativity, taonga puoro draws attention to points of convergence, in which histories, ancestors, human and more‐than‐human entities mingle as affective co‐collaborators in a world already playing in co‐composition. Thinking and riffing with this idea of co‐composition as a practice of attuning to how I participate in the world that I have come to know, this sound–image–text article is made to revisit and dwell within moments of creative‐critical world‐making through playing with my close friend Jessica Kahukura (Te Ātihaunui‐a‐Pāpārangi, Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa). It focuses particularly on my own practices as a Pākehā (non‐Māori New Zealander) researcher‐musician by attuning to my creative‐critical positionality in relation to a broader politics and ethics of participation and invention.
Discovery of the novel HLA‐B*35:611 allele, a variant of the HLA‐B*35:64:01 allele
Authors: Loginova Maria , Smirnova Daria , Paramonov Igor
Published: September 2024

Five nucleotide substitutions in exon 3 of HLA‐B*35:64:01 results in the novel allele, HLA‐B*35:611.
Data-Driven Modeling of Tire–Soil Interaction With Proper Orthogonal Decomposition-Based Model Order Reduction
Authors: Okada Taiki , He Hao , Yamashita Hiroki , Sugiyama Hiroyuki
Published: September 2024

A data-driven model capable of predicting time-domain solutions of a high-fidelity tire–soil interaction model is developed to enable quick prediction of mobility capabilities on deformable terrain. The adaptive model order reduction based on the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), for which the high-dimensional equations are projected onto the reduced subspace, is utilized as the basis for predicting the time-domain tire–soil interaction behavior. The projection-based model order reduction, however, requires many online matrix operations due to the successive updates of the nonlinear functions and Jacobians at every time-step, thereby hindering the computational improvement. Therefore, a data-driven approach using a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network is introduced to predict the reduced order coordinates without the projection and time integration processes for computational speedup. With this model, a hybrid data-driven/physics-based off-road mobility model is proposed, where four separate LSTM-POD data-driven tire–soil interaction models are integrated into the physics-based multibody dynamics (MBD) vehicle model through a force–displacement coupling algorithm. By doing so, the individual data-driven tire–soil interaction model can be constructed efficiently, and the MBD and LSTM models are assembled as a single off-road mobility model and analyzed with existing off-road mobility solvers. The predictive ability and computational benefit of the proposed data-driven tire–soil interaction model with the POD-based model order reduction are examined with several numerical examples.
Briefe einer Antifaschistin. Marianne Angermann an ihre Eltern, Antifaschisten in Deutschland vom 22. 12. 1935 bis 24. 2. 1936.
Authors: Angermann Marianne
Published: September 2024

Marianne Angermann, Briefe an ihre Eltern, Teil 1
Briefe einer Antifaschistin: 1938
Authors: Obermayer August
Published: September 2024

Der Text enthält kurze Informationen über die Situation von Marianne Angermann in Madrid, die Freunde außerhalb Deutschlands an ihre Mutter, Charlotte, in Dresden weiterleiteten, da es im Jahre 1938 keine direkte Postverbindung zwischen Spanien und Hitler-Deutschland gab. Diese Informationen werden durch Kommentare von Charlotte Angermann ergänzt. Marianne Angermann und ihr Ehemann, Franz Bielschowsky, engagierten sich für die republikanische Sache in Madrid während des Spanischen B¨ürgerkriegs und wurden beide im Militärlazarett von Madrid-Chamartín angestellt (Hospital militar no. 6).
The texts contain information about the situation of Marianne Angermann in Madrid which were passed on to her mother, Charlotte Angermann in Dresden, by friends living outside Germany. In 1938 there was no longer any direct postal route between Civil War Spain and Hitler's Germany. Marianne and her husband, Franz Bielschowsky, supported the Republican cause during the Spanish Civil War and worked at Military Hospital No. 6 in Madrid-Chamartín.
Briefe einer Antifaschistin: 1942
Authors: Obermayer August
Published: September 2024

Diese Eintragungen zeichnen das tägliche Leben während der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus auf, wie es Charlotte Angermann, Einwohnerin von Dresden, während des Zweiten Weltkrieges erlebte. Angermann beschreibt Bombenangriffe auf andere deutsche Städte, den Mangel an Lebensnotwendigem, der von der allgemeinen Bevölkerung erlitten wurde und den Tod von Freunden und Familienmitgliedern. Diese kurzen Texte erscheinen in Form einer direkten Anrede an ihre Tochter, Marianne Angermann-Bielschowsky, die, zusammen mit ihrem Ehemann, dem deutsch-jüdischen Internisten Franz Bielschowsky, in Großbritannien wohnte, wo beide an der Universität Sheffield einer Forschungstätigkeit nachgingen.
These texts record daily life under National Socialism during the Second World War as it was experienced by Charlotte Angermann in Dresden. Angermann describes bombing raids on other German cities, the rationing of food and shortages of consumer goods, and the deaths of friends and family members. These short journal entries are written in the form of a direct address to Charlotte’s daughter, Marianne Angermann-Bielschowsky, who lived with her husband, the German-Jewish physician Franz Bielschowsky, in Great Britain where they both worked as researchers at the University of Sheffield.
Briefe einer Antifaschistin: 1945
Authors: Obermayer August
Published: September 2024

Diese Eintragungen zeichnen das tägliche Leben im Jahre 1945 auf, wie es Charlotte Angermann, Einwohnerin von Dresden, erlebte. Angermann beschreibt den Bombenangriff auf Dresden, den Mangel an Lebensnotwendigem, der von der allgemeinen Bevölkerung erlitten wurde, den Tod von Freunden und Familienmitgliedern und das unberechenbare Zusammenleben mit der sowjetischen Besatzungsmacht. Diese kurzen Texte erscheinen in Form einer direkten Anrede an ihre Tochter, Marianne Angermann-Bielschowsky, die zu der Zeit in Sheffield, Großbritannien, lebte, wo sie und ihr Ehemann, Franz Bielschowsky, im Forscherteam um Prof. H. N. Green an der University of Sheffield arbeiteten.
The text records day to day life under National Socialism as it was experienced by Charlotte Angermann, a resident of Dresden at the end of the Second World War and in the first months after the German capitulation in May 1945. Angermann writes of the bombing of Dresden, the shortages faced by the general population, the deaths of friends and family members and the difficult co-existence with Soviet occupation forces. The diary entries are constructed as an address to her daughter, Marianne Angermann-Bielschowsky, who was at the time in Great Britain where she and her husband, Franz Bielschowsky, worked as researchers with Professor H.N. Green at the University of Sheffield.
Heat resistance differences are common between both vegetative cells and spores of
Clostridium perfringens
type F isolates carrying a chromosomal vs plasmid-borne enterotoxin gene
Authors: Mehdizadeh Gohari Iman , Li Jihong , Shivers Robert , Sparks Shauna G. , McClane Bruce A.
Published: September 2024

Clostridium perfringens
type F isolates utilize
C. perfringens
enterotoxin (CPE) to cause food poisoning (FP) and nonfoodborne gastrointestinal diseases. The enterotoxin gene (
cpe
) can be located on either the chromosome or plasmids, but most FP isolates carry a chromosomal
cpe
(c
-cpe
) gene. Our 2000 article in
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
(66:3234–3240, 2000,
https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.66.8.3234-3240.2000
https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.66.8.3234-3240.2000
) determined that vegetative cells and spores of c-
cpe
isolates are more heat resistant than those of plasmid
cpe
(p-
cpe
) isolates, which is favorable for their survival in improperly cooked or held food. However, that 2000 article was recently retracted (90:e00249-24, 2024,
https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00249-24
). To our knowledge, the 2000 article remains the only study reporting that heat resistance differences are common between both vegetative cells and spores of type F c-
cpe
isolates vs type F p-
cpe
isolates. To confirm and preserve this information in the literature, the heat resistance portion of the 2000 study has been repeated. The 2024 results reproduced the 2000 results by indicating that, relative to the surveyed type F p-
cpe
isolates, the vegetative cells of surveyed type F c-
cpe
isolates are ~2-fold more heat resistant and the spores of most surveyed c-
cpe
isolates are ~30-fold more heat resistant. However, consistent with several reports since our 2000 paper, one surveyed type F c-
cpe
isolate (which did not appreciably sporulate in 2000 but sporulated in 2024) produced spores with intermediate heat sensitivity, confirming that spores of some type F c-
cpe
isolates lack exceptional heat resistance.

IMPORTANCE

Clostridium perfringens
type F food poisoning (FP), which is the second most common bacterial cause of FP, involves the production of
C. perfringens
enterotoxin. While the enterotoxin gene (
cpe
) can be located on either the chromosome or plasmids in type F isolates, most FP cases are caused by chromosomal
cpe
isolates. The current results support the conclusion that the vegetative cells and spores of type F chromosomal
cpe
isolates are often more heat resistant than vegetative cells and spores of type F plasmid
cpe
isolates. Greater heat resistance should favor the survival of the spores and vegetative cells of those chromosomal
cpe
isolates in temperature-abused food, which may help explain the strong association of type F chromosomal
cpe
strains with FP.