bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monitoring Behaviour Change of Farmers to Support Ecologically Friendly Agricultural Management Program in Peatland Ecosystems
Authors: Hutasuhut Junaidi , Lusiana Betha , Hartiyadi Romadhona , Isnurdiansyah  , Rahayu Subekti
Published: February 2024

Conserving peatland areas requires the commitment and the capacities of all stakeholders, including farmers living within the areas. Two business models, agro-silvo-fishery and Trigona apiculture, have been established in a demonstration plot in the peatland ecosystem of Baru Village, Banyuasin, South Sumatra, as new options for farmers to improve livelihoods while also managing peatland sustainably. Trainings on sustainable production, post-harvest, and markets were provided to the rice-based farmers to help them manage new livelihood options. Monitoring the behavioural transformation of farmers engaged in the two business model pilots is a crucial aspect of the program. This is accomplished using the ADKAR approach, which posits that attaining long-term behavioural change involves progressing through stages of Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement. A survey instrument was created to monitor farmers behaviour changes in (i) collective action, and (ii) managing agroecosystems sustainably, reflecting collaborative effort required to conserve peatland. Prior to the intervention program, a baseline survey (n=43) was conducted to record farmers’ current knowledge. The findings revealed that most farmers (60%) never joined a group but motivated to actively participate, whereas 25% of farmers had actively participated in groups and were eager to urge other farmers to join. Most farmers (52%) acknowledge the significance of safeguarding peatland areas but lack the knowledge to do so, whereas 25% have implemented ecologically friendly agricultural management in peatland areas. When the program began, none of the farmers were involved in agro-silvo-fishery or Trigona apiculture. According to a mid-program assessment aimed at recording the performance of the business models, 3 farmers have adopted apiculture with a total of 101 beehives. While none of the farmers adopt agro-silvo-fishery individually, 5 farmers produced organic fertilizer individually using the training program’s new competence. However, producing organic fertilizer as collective action was halted, suggesting farmers partiality to work individually rather than collectively. A final survey to assess behavioural changes is planned towards the end of the program next year. The ADKAR approach for monitoring farmers’ behavior change is useful for evaluating the performance of intervention programs and seek solutions to ensure it is aligned with the landscape level NRM goals.
Imaging through a multimode optical fiber with principal component analysis and a variational autoencoder
Authors: Yue Shichao , Che Zifan , Xu Minzhi
Published: February 2024

Imaging through the multi-mode fiber (MMF) becomes an attractive approach for gaining visual access to confined spaces. However, current imaging techniques through a MMF still encounter challenges including modal dispersion, complex wave-front shaping mechanism, and expensive light sources and modulations. This work proposed a cost-efficient setup with three light-emitting diodes as the illumination light source (including red, green, and blue light) and a hybrid model including the principal component analysis and a variational auto-encoder (PCAVAE) for reconstructing the transmitted images. The reconstructed images demonstrate high fidelity compared with their ground truth images. The average similarity index value of the reconstructed images is as high as 0.99. Experimental works indicated that the proposed approach was capable of rejecting 10% white noise in the imaging process. The proposed triple-color illumination method paves a cost-effective way of transmitting images through an MMF. The PCAVAE model established in this work demonstrates great potential for processing scrambled images transmitted by the MMF.
Bi-directional high-order orbital angular momentum mode generation using gratings in high numerical aperture fiber
Authors: Koley Avijit , Mani Tripathi Saurabh
Published: February 2024

We propose a novel design and theoretically analyse it for bi-directional orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode generation in high numerical aperture (NA) optical fibers using the combination of a long period grating (LPG), a short-period (Bragg) grating and a three-port optical circulator. The proposed design consists only of standard fiber gratings rather than specially designed fibers, such as ring-shaped or other types of fibers, making our model relatively simple. Full-vector true-mode analysis has been used to study the modal characteristics of the supported modes in the high-NA fiber. High-NA optical fibers can effectively relieve the degeneracy of the linearly polarized modes. A circularly polarized (CP) light is injected into a single mode fiber, the output end of which is axially spliced into a high-NA fiber. An appropriately designed raised-cosine apodized tilted LPG (TLPG) is used for broad bandwidth coupling of the fundamental HE11 mode to the co-propagating HE21 mode. The employed TLPG converts the CP fundamental core mode (HE

11

x

± iHE

11

y

) to ±1 order OAM modes (HE

21

e
v
e
n

± iHE

21

o
d
d

). Both the CP mode and the generated OAM pass through the circulator in the direction of port 1 to port 2. A second fiber is connected at the output of port 2 and a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) is used to couple the forward-propagating HE11 core mode with the counter-propagating HE21, EH11 and HE31 core modes. The TFBG reflected higher order (±1 and ±2) OAM modes are transmitted through port 3. We observe that the TFBG has a mode-conversion efficiency of more than 95

%

for each mode conversion. The generated vortex beam topological charges have been verified using the coaxial interference method.
A five-band terahertz metamaterial absorber with properties of polarization-insensitive and wide-angle tolerance based on bulk Dirac semimetal
Authors: Qin Xuefeng , Jiang Jieying , Duan Guiyuan , Xu Chongyang , Zhang Xiangyang , Zhu Huaxin , Huang Yang , Xu Nianxi , Wang Ben-Xin
Published: February 2024

We design a bulk Dirac semimetal (BDS) metamaterial-based terahertz absorber consisted of a BDS layer, a dielectric layer and a gold grounding layer from top to bottom, which produces five excellent terahertz absorption peaks having 99.55%, 99.63%, 99.65%, 97.72%, and 99.87% absorption at 0.49 THz, 0.85 THz, 1.68 THz, 2.00 THz, and 2.27 THz, respectively. The five-band BDS-based absorber is polarization-insensitive and wide-angle tolerance, with good absorption in the incident angle range of 0°–60°. The tuning of the Fermi energy level of BDS in the range of 40–70 meV enables the dynamic adjustment of absorption frequencies and absorption rates of these peaks. We also analyze the refractive index sensing sensitivity of five-band BDS-based absorber, it is revealed that when the refractive index of surrounding analyte is changed from 1.0 to 1.8, the refractive indices of the five absorption peaks are 57.75 GHz/RIU, 107.25 GHz/RIU, 101.75 GHz/RIU, 101.75 GHz/RIU, and 134.75 GHz/RIU, which approximately exhibit an enhanced sensing sensitivity as the absorption frequency increases. The design is simultaneously characterized by multiple bands, high absorption, high stability,and high refractive index sensitivity, which should have great potential for application in the fields of terahertz technology.
Improving orbital angular momentum mode transmission with imperfect ring–core fiber
Authors: Wang Xiaohui , Yu Yongze , Deng Dongdong , Mao Shuai , Wang Yang , Gu Haoyu , Song Yingxiong , Pang Fufei , Zhuang Liyun , Yang Song , He Xiaofeng , Wang Chao , Zhu Tiezhu , Yang Yudong
Published: February 2024

Orbital angular momentum (OAM), inherent to light beams characterized by helical phase fronts, represents an alternative spatial degree of freedom for photons. In recent years, OAM-based communication has gained significant attention as a potential solution to increase the capacity and spectral efficiency of optical fiber communication systems. In optical fibers, OAM modes can be generated and manipulated by utilizing specialized optical components and techniques. One approach involves using specially designed optical fibers, such as ring–core fibers, which have the capability to support multiple OAM modes. In the manufacturing process, the ring fiber is hardly made perfectly, especially the doped-cores. The introduced defect breaks the symmetry of the ring–core, which has a serious impact on OAM mode transmission. Using a material with a slightly higher refractive index than the cladding to wrap the ring–core is effective in reducing impairment of defects. After numerical simulation, the proposed method improves the walk-off length by a factor of 2–40.
The Sublime of Consciousness
Authors: Niikawa Takuya , Kriegel Uriah
Published: February 2024

The aesthetic tradition has identified as paradigmatically sublime such objects as imposing mountains and intense storms, as well as monumental art. But the tradition also acknowledges less paradigmatic cases, including sometimes mathematical structures or abstract concepts. In this paper, we argue that there is also a case for considering phenomenal consciousness—the experiential quality of subjective awareness—as a sublime phenomenon. One appreciates this, we argue, when one is struck by (fitting) awe upon contemplating (a) the perplexing existence of something like phenomenal consciousness in an otherwise completely material universe and (b) the role of consciousness in injecting meaning and value in an otherwise brutally factual reality.
Neurocognitive Concussion Test Performance for Student Athletes on the Autism Spectrum
Authors: Fontanals Joseph , McCleery Joseph P , Schatz Philip
Published: February 2024

Objective

To examine baseline neurocognitive functioning among adolescent athletes on the autism spectrum based on self-reported level of academic performance.

Method

Participants in this cross-sectional, observational study were 6,441 adolescent athletes with a self-reported diagnosis of autism who completed pre-season neurocognitive testing using Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT); 4,742 reported a co-occurring learning disorder (LD), and 6,612 individuals without autism or LD were included as a control group. The majority (57%) self-reported Average Academic Performance, 39% Above Average, and 4% Below Average performance.

Results

Athletes with self-reported autism (with or without LD; 12.2%) were 2.74x (95% CI: 2.17–2.82) more likely to fall below cutoffs for ImPACT Embedded Invalidity Indicators (EVIs), with a significant interaction between self-reported Diagnosis and Academic Performance; individuals with co-occurring autism and LD who reported Below Average Academic Performance had the greatest likelihood of scoring below cutoffs (22%), followed by ASD without LD (14.8%) and Controls (14.6%) with Below Average Academic Performance. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed main effects of Diagnosis and Academic Performance on neurocognitive performance, with interactions on all ImPACT Composite Scores except Processing Speed.

Conclusion

Athletes with self-reported ASD are more likely to fall below ImPACT EVIs and score worse on ImPACT, with greater likelihood/worse performance related to level of academic functioning. Academic performance should be considered when interpreting neurocognitive testing data, to best index neuropsychological functioning associated with concussion in this population. The current findings highlight the importance of individual participant baseline neuropsychological testing for individuals on the autism spectrum.
Japanese sake making using wild yeasts isolated from natural environments
Authors: Nakagawa Tomoyuki , Yoshimura Akihiro , Sawai Yoshinori , Hisamatsu Kentaro , Akao Takeshi , Masaki Kazuo
Published: February 2024

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the most important microorganisms for the food industry, including Japanese sake, beer, wine, bread, and other products. For sake making, Kyokai sake yeast strains are considered one of the best sake yeast strains because these strains possess fermentation properties that are suitable for the quality of sake required. In recent years, the momentum for the development of unique sake, which is distinct from conventional sake, has grown, and there is now a demand to develop unique sake yeasts that have different sake making properties than Kyokai sake yeast strains. In this minireview, we focus on “wild yeasts,” which inhabit natural environments, and introduce basic research on the wild yeasts for sake making, such as their genetic and sake fermentation aspects. Finally, we also discuss the molecular breeding of wild yeast strains for sake fermentation and the possibility for sake making using wild yeasts.
Homogeneity pursuit and variable selection in regression models for multivariate abundance data
Authors: Hui Francis K C , Maestrini Luca , Welsh Alan H
Published: February 2024

When building regression models for multivariate abundance data in ecology, it is important to allow for the fact that the species are correlated with each other. Moreover, there is often evidence species exhibit some degree of homogeneity in their responses to each environmental predictor, and that most species are informed by only a subset of predictors. We propose a generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach for simultaneous homogeneity pursuit (ie, grouping species with similar coefficient values while allowing differing groups for different covariates) and variable selection in regression models for multivariate abundance data. Using GEEs allows us to straightforwardly account for between-response correlations through a (reduced-rank) working correlation matrix. We augment the GEE with both adaptive fused lasso- and adaptive lasso-type penalties, which aim to cluster the species-specific coefficients within each covariate and encourage differing levels of sparsity across the covariates, respectively. Numerical studies demonstrate the strong finite sample performance of the proposed method relative to several existing approaches for modeling multivariate abundance data. Applying the proposed method to presence–absence records collected along the Great Barrier Reef in Australia reveals both a substantial degree of homogeneity and sparsity in species-environmental relationships. We show this leads to a more parsimonious model for understanding the environmental drivers of seabed biodiversity, and results in stronger out-of-sample predictive performance relative to methods that do not accommodate such features.
Incorporating participants’ welfare into sequential multiple assignment randomized trials
Authors: Wang Xinru , Deliu Nina , Narita Yusuke , Chakraborty Bibhas
Published: February 2024

Dynamic treatment regimes (DTRs) are sequences of decision rules that recommend treatments based on patients’ time-varying clinical conditions. The sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trial (SMART) is an experimental design that can provide high-quality evidence for constructing optimal DTRs. In a conventional SMART, participants are randomized to available treatments at multiple stages with balanced randomization probabilities. Despite its relative simplicity of implementation and desirable performance in comparing embedded DTRs, the conventional SMART faces inevitable ethical issues, including assigning many participants to the empirically inferior treatment or the treatment they dislike, which might slow down the recruitment procedure and lead to higher attrition rates, ultimately leading to poor internal and external validities of the trial results. In this context, we propose a SMART under the Experiment-as-Market framework (SMART-EXAM), a novel SMART design that holds the potential to improve participants’ welfare by incorporating their preferences and predicted treatment effects into the randomization procedure. We describe the steps of conducting a SMART-EXAM and evaluate its performance compared to the conventional SMART. The results indicate that the SMART-EXAM can improve the welfare of the participants enrolled in the trial, while also achieving a desirable ability to construct an optimal DTR when the experimental parameters are suitably specified. We finally illustrate the practical potential of the SMART-EXAM design using data from a SMART for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Perceptions of Safe Staffing, Self-Reported Mental Well-being and Intentions to Leave the Profession among UK Social Workers: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: McFadden Paula , Maclochlainn Justin , Manthorpe Jill , Naylor Rachel , Schroder Heike , McGrory Susan , Ravalier Jermaine , Nicholl Patricia , Currie Denise , Kirby Karen , Davies Hannah , Mullineux Judith , McColgan Mary , Mallett John
Published: February 2024

The purpose of this study was to examine social workers’ perceptions of safe staffing levels and correlate these perceptions with standardised measurements of well-being in the UK. This cross-sectional mixed-methods study analysed data from 406 social workers from November 2022 until late January 2023. Data were collected using anonymous online surveys including both qualitative and quantitative methods examining mental well-being, burnout and intentions to leave the profession post-coronavirus disease 2019. Findings revealed that only one-third of social workers responding perceived that they work in an environment of safe staffing. There were also significant differences in well-being and an increase in personal, work-related and client-related burnout in social workers who believed their service did not operate a safe staff-to-service user ratio. Likewise, compared to those who perceived their service to operate within a safe staff-to-service-user ratio, those who perceived unsafe ratios were more likely to communicate their intention to leave the profession. Qualitative findings helped contextualise the quantitative results. These findings suggest that increased demand for social work services, shortage of qualified social workers, high workloads, inadequate resources and retention problems, contribute to additional pressure on existing staff and have implications for policy, practice and research in social work.
Effect of secukinumab on inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal naevus with a somatic mutation in CARD14
Authors: Zhao Xinrong , Miao Chaoyang , Xiang Xin , Liu Yuanxiang , Wang Zhaoyang , Chen Yunliu , Xu Zigang
Published: February 2024

We report a patient who presented with erythematous plaques with scales distributed all over the body, following the lines of Blaschko. The patient was diagnosed clinically with inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal naevus. Deep next-generation sequencing of the lesion showed a somatic mutation in CARD14. The patient was treated with secukinumab and experienced significant improvement.
Splenectomy at early stage of autoimmune arthritis delayed inflammatory response and reduced joint deterioration in mice
Authors: Khanfar Esam , Olasz Katalin , Gál Szonja , Gajdócsi Erzsébet , Kajtár Béla , Kiss Tamás , Balogh Péter , Berki Timea , Boldizsár Ferenc
Published: February 2024

The spleen plays a role in innate and adaptive immunity, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated the effect of splenectomy in early and moderate stages of autoimmune arthritis in a mouse model. To induce recombinant human G1-induced arthritis (GIA), BALB/c mice were immunized intraperitoneally three times in 4-week intervals with the rhG1 antigen. Mice were splenectomized on day 7 (SPE1) or day 35 (SPE2) after the initiation of immunization; tested for clinical severity, joint radiological and histological changes, serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and autoantibodies, and rhG1-specific immune responses; and compared to those in control mice with spleen left intact. Circulating Tregs and T-helper subset ratios in the spleen and inguinal lymph nodes (LNs) were also examined using flow cytometry. The onset of severe inflammatory response was significantly delayed in SPE1 and SPE2 groups compared to control mice at early stages of GIA, which was associated with increased circulating Tregs. After the third immunization, as disease progressed, the severity scores were robustly increased in all mice. Nevertheless, in splenectomized mice, we observed reduced joint deterioration and cartilage damage, more Th2 cells in LNs, and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and autoantibodies in their sera. Mesenteric LN cells of splenectomized mice exhibited weaker response in vitro against the rhG1 antigen compared to control mice spleen. In conclusion, splenectomy in the early stages of GIA delayed the inflammatory response, suggesting a protective effect against the development and progression of severe destructive arthritis.
Neural correlates of an illusionary sense of agency caused by virtual reality
Authors: Cai Yiyang , Yang Huichao , Wang Xiaosha , Xiong Ziyi , Kühn Simone , Bi Yanchao , Wei Kunlin
Published: February 2024

Sense of agency (SoA) is the sensation that self-actions lead to ensuing perceptual consequences. The prospective mechanism emphasizes that SoA arises from motor prediction and its comparison with actual action outcomes, while the reconstructive mechanism stresses that SoA emerges from retrospective causal processing about the action outcomes. Consistent with the prospective mechanism, motor planning regions were identified by neuroimaging studies using the temporal binding (TB) effect, a behavioral measure often linked to implicit SoA. Yet, TB also occurs during passive observation of another’s action, lending support to the reconstructive mechanism, but its neural correlates remain unexplored. Here, we employed virtual reality (VR) to modulate such observation-based SoA and examined it with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). After manipulating an avatar hand in VR, participants passively observed an avatar’s “action” and showed a significant increase in TB. The binding effect was associated with the right angular gyrus and inferior parietal lobule, which are critical nodes for inferential and agency processing. These results suggest that the experience of controlling an avatar may potentiate inferential processing within the right inferior parietal cortex and give rise to the illusionary SoA without voluntary action.
Divergent growth of the transient brain compartments in fetuses with nonsyndromic isolated clefts involving the primary and secondary palate
Authors: Masse Olivia , Brumfield Olivia , Ahmad Esha , Velasco-Annis Clemente , Zhang Jennings , Rollins Caitlin K , Connolly Susan , Barnewolt Carol , Shamshirsaz Alireza A , Qaderi Shohra , Javinani Ali , Warfield Simon K , Yang Edward , Gholipour Ali , Feldman Henry A , Grant Patricia E , Mulliken John B , Pierotich Lana , Estroff Judy
Published: February 2024

Cleft lip/palate is a common orofacial malformation that often leads to speech/language difficulties as well as developmental delays in affected children, despite surgical repair. Our understanding of brain development in these children is limited. This study aimed to analyze prenatal brain development in fetuses with cleft lip/palate and controls. We examined in utero MRIs of 30 controls and 42 cleft lip/palate fetal cases and measured regional brain volumes. Cleft lip/palate was categorized into groups A (cleft lip or alveolus) and B (any combination of clefts involving the primary and secondary palates). Using a repeated-measures regression model with relative brain hemisphere volumes (%), and after adjusting for multiple comparisons, we did not identify significant differences in regional brain growth between group A and controls. Group B clefts had significantly slower weekly cerebellar growth compared with controls. We also observed divergent brain growth in transient brain structures (cortical plate, subplate, ganglionic eminence) within group B clefts, depending on severity (unilateral or bilateral) and defect location (hemisphere ipsilateral or contralateral to the defect). Further research is needed to explore the association between regional fetal brain growth and cleft lip/palate severity, with the potential to inform early neurodevelopmental biomarkers and personalized diagnostics.
Mapping individual aspects of bilingual experience to adaptations in brain structure
Authors: DeLuca Vincent , Voits Toms , Ni Jianzhang , Carter Felix , Rahman Foyzul , Mazaheri Ali , Krott Andrea , Segaert Katrien
Published: February 2024

Individual differences in using multiple languages are thought to differentially affect brain structure and function. The present study assessed the neuroanatomical predictions of an emerging theory, the Unifying the Bilingual Experience Trajectories framework, which provides the most comprehensive set of predictions of how individual differences in bilingual experiences lead to specific neural and cognitive adaptations. A total of 140 young adults with variable language experiences were scanned using magnetic resonance imaging and completed demographic questionnaires. Brain structure measures implicated in predictions of the Unifying the Bilingual Experience Trajectories model were extracted and regressed against the model’s experiential factors. Consistent with the model’s predictions, greater intensity and diversity of bilingual language use resulted in changes in gray matter volume in cortical regions involved in executive control (including inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, angular gyrus, and medial frontal gyrus), indicating adaptations toward handling increased executive control demands. Conversely, duration of bilingual engagement resulted in changes within white matter microstructure (bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus) and increases in subcortical gray matter (left caudate), indicative of adaptations toward increased efficiency of control. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of how bilingual experiences influence brain structure and provides the first direct empirical evidence for the predictions made by the Unifying the Bilingual Experience Trajectories framework.
Denise Levertov’s “Histrionics”
Authors: Parrish Melissa
Published: February 2024

This essay argues that Denise Levertov’s antiwar poetry challenges contemporary assumptions about the limits of bearing witness to war. Contrary to George Oppen’s intimation that she should limit her writing to “authentic” accounts of her own domestic experience, Levertov wrote about her uneven relationship with the “here” of the Cold War homefront and the “there” of the Vietnam War’s violence. In grappling with these two seemingly disparate domains, she exposes the Cold War security state’s reliance on gendered household motifs to justify state-sponsored violence across geographic and temporal divides. Levertov treats wartime witnessing as an imaginative and critical encounter with racial and gendered violence—one that relies less on narrating discrete and directly observed events and more on challenging the permissibility of perpetual war itself.
Pragmatic Trial Design to Compare Real-world Effectiveness of Different Treatments for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: The PRACTICE-IBD European Consensus
Authors: Fantini Massimo Claudio , Fiorino Gionata , Colli Agostino , Laharie David , Armuzzi Alessandro , Caprioli Flavio Andrea , Gisbert Javier P , Kirchgesner Julien , Macaluso Fabio Salvatore , Magro Fernando , Ghosh Subrata ,   PRACTICE-IBD study group, Allez Matthieu , Amiot Aurelien , Atreya Raja , Barreiro-de Acosta Manuel , Biancone Livia , Castiglione Fabiana , Chaparro María , Dignass Axel , Doherty Glen , Domènech Eugeni , Fries Walter , Halfvarson Jonas , Kopylov Uri , Onali Sara , Pugliese Daniela , Ribaldone Davide Giuseppe , Saibeni Simone , Savarino Edoardo Vincenzo
Published: February 2024

Background and Aims

Pragmatic studies designed to test interventions in everyday clinical settings can successfully complement the evidence from registration and explanatory clinical trials. The European consensus project PRACTICE-IBD was developed to identify essential criteria and address key methodological issues needed to design valid, comparative, pragmatic studies in inflammatory bowel diseases [BDs].

Methods

Statements were issued by a panel of 11 European experts in IBD management and trial methodology, on four main topics: [I] study design; [II] eligibility, recruitment and organisation, flexibility; [III] outcomes; [IV] analysis. The consensus process followed a modified Delphi approach, involving two rounds of assessment and rating of the level of agreement [1 to 9; cut-off ≥7 for approval] with the statements by 18 additional European experts in IBD.

Results

At the first voting round, 25 out of the 26 statements reached a mean score ≥7. Following the discussion that preceded the second round of voting, it was decided to eliminate two statements and to split one into two. At the second voting round, 25 final statements were approved: seven for study design; six for eligibility, recruitment and organisation, flexibility; eight for outcomes; and four for analysis.

Conclusions

Pragmatic, randomised, clinical trials can address important questions in IBD clinical practice, and may provide complementary, high-level evidence, as long as they follow a methodologically rigorous approach. These 25 statements intend to offer practical guidance in the design of high-quality, pragmatic, clinical trials that can aid decision making in choosing a management strategy for IBDs.
Unilateral nasal obstruction mediates reversible morphological and phenotypic changes in masticatory muscles of growing rats
Authors: Iwaki Shuntaro , Yonemitsu Ikuo , Tabata Makoto , Keitoku Mirei , Guan Hao , Ono Takashi
Published: February 2024

Objective

Mouth breathing as a result of nasal obstruction affects craniofacial growth and development. This study aimed to investigate the effects of unilateral nasal obstruction and its recovery, along with the role of nitric oxide (NO) in masticatory muscle physiology.

Materials and Methods

Forty-eight 4-week-old male rats were divided into control and experimental groups. The five experimental groups were subjected to left-sided nasal obstruction by suturing the external nostril, and the sutures were removed after 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 weeks to allow for varying recovery periods. We assessed morphological changes in masseter, temporalis, and digastric muscle, by examining cross-sectional area (CSA) and myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform composition of muscle fibers. Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to measure messenger RNA (mRNA) levels for tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) were conducted.

Results

The SpO2, CSA, and fibers showing MHC-2b isoforms were significantly lower, while RT-PCR showed higher mRNA levels in TNF-α and nNOS, and a decrease in GLUT4 mRNA in the jaw-closing muscles in the long-term nasal obstruction groups than that in the control group.

Limitations

The study findings should be interpreted cautiously because of the functional differences between rodents and humans in terms of respiratory mechanisms.

Conclusions

Unilateral nasal obstruction affects the morphology and contractile characteristics of the rat masticatory muscles during development, with possible involvement of NO in muscle hypofunction. These changes may revert to baseline levels if the nasal obstruction is eliminated before puberty in rats.
A bootstrap-based approach to combine individual-based forest growth models and remotely sensed data
Authors: Fortin Mathieu , van Lier Olivier , Côté Jean-François , Erdle Heidi , White Joanne
Published: February 2024

Combining forest growth models with remotely sensed data is possible under a generalized hierarchical model-based (GHMB) inferential framework. This implies the existence of two submodels: the growth model itself ($\mathcal{M}_{1}$) and a second submodel that links the growth predictions to some remotely sensed variables ($\mathcal{M}_{2}$). Analytical GHMB estimators are available to fit submodel $\mathcal{M}_{2}$ and account for the uncertainty stemming from submodel $\mathcal{M}_{1}$, i.e. the growth model. However, when the growth model is individual based, it is usually too complex to be differentiated with respect to its parameters. As a result, the analytical GHMB estimators cannot be used. In this study, we developed a bootstrap approach for the GHMB inferential framework in order to combine individual-based forest growth models with remotely sensed data. Through simulation studies, we showed that the bootstrap estimators were nearly unbiased when both submodels were linear. The estimator of the parameter estimates remained nearly unbiased when submodel $\mathcal{M}_{1}$ became complex, i.e. non-differentiable, and submodel $\mathcal{M}_{2}$ was nonlinear with heterogeneous variances and correlated error terms. The variance estimator showed some biases but these were relatively small. We further demonstrated through a real-world case study that the predictions of a complex individual-based model could be linked to a Landsat-8 near-infrared spectral band in the boreal forest zone of Quebec, Canada.
Skeletal muscle ageing: lessons from teleosts
Authors: Quach Tuyen K , Taylor Megan F , Currie Peter D , Eynon Nir , Ruparelia Avnika A
Published: February 2024

Ageing is the greatest risk factor for a multitude of age-related diseases including sarcopenia -the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength - which occurs at remarkable rates each year. There is an unmet need not only to understand the mechanisms that drive sarcopenia, but also to identify novel therapeutic strategies. Given the ease and affordability of husbandry, along with advances in genomics, genome editing technologies and imaging capabilities, teleost models are increasingly used for ageing and sarcopenia research. Here, we explain how teleost species such as zebrafish, African turquoise killifish and medaka recapitulate many of the classical hallmarks of sarcopenia, and discuss the various dietary, pharmacological and genetic approaches that have been used in teleosts to understand the mechanistic basis of sarcopenia.
Words of Chinese Origin in the OED: Misinformation and Attestation
Authors: Zhong Ai
Published: February 2024

Recent decades have seen small batches of Chinese loanwords and words from Chinese English entering the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Meanwhile, a muddle of misinformation on the dictionary’s inclusion of certain Chinese-origin words has occurred again and again in various Chinese media forms. The present study examines the extent to which these uninformed news stories are associated with prominent features of the OED. In order to assess the possibility of including the words mentioned in the pieces of misinformation, the study explores the current treatment of Chinese-origin words in the OED and adopts Diamond’s (2016) four criteria for entry, namely evidence of usage, longevity, naturalization, and lexicographical significance. Although the words examined are inadequate in meeting all criteria for inclusion, the misinformed new stories attest to an awareness of Chinese influence on the English lexicon and evidence the reception and reputation of the OED in Chinese media and culture. Moreover, the bits of false news reports expose lexicographers to new knowledge of some prospective candidates for lexicographical inclusion.
Reprogramming T-cell metabolism to enhance adoptive cell therapies
Authors: Kates Meghan , Saibil Samuel D
Published: February 2024

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) is an immunotherapeutic approach that involves isolating T cells from a patient, culturing them ex vivo, then reinfusing the cells back into the patient. Although this strategy has shown remarkable efficacy in hematological malignancies, the solid-tumour microenvironment (TME) has presented serious challenges for therapy efficacy. Particularly, the TME has immunosuppressive signalling and presents a metabolically challenging environment that leads to T-cell suppression. T-cell metabolism is an expanding field of research with a focus on understanding its inherent link to T-cell function. Here, we review the current model of T-cell metabolism from naïve cells through effector and memory life stages, as well as updates to the model from recent literature. These models of metabolism have provided us with the tools and understanding to explore T-cell metabolic and mitochondrial insufficiency in the TME. We discuss manipulations that can be made to these mitochondrial and metabolic pathways to enhance the persistence of infused T cells, overcome the metabolically challenging TME and improve the efficacy of therapy in ACT models. Further understanding and investigation of the impact of metabolic pathways on T-cell performance could contribute to improving therapy efficacy for patients.
A1 PRE-CLINICAL CROHN’S DISEASE MICROBIOME PROMOTES INFLAMMATION IN GNOTOBIOTIC RECIPIENT MICE
Authors: Dang C , Chen-Liaw A , Luchak A , Sandhu I , Mu K , Xue M , Lee S , Mogno I , Streutker C , Britton G J , Faith J J , Turpin W , Croitoru K
Published: February 2024

Background

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic disorder of unknow etiology. We recently demonstrated that microbiome composition is associated with the risk of CD development; however, its potential causal effect remains unknown.

Aims

Given the fact that first-degree relatives (FDRs) that are sibling likely to share similar environmental and genetic makeup, we selected pairs of discordant siblings (one remaining healthy referred to as healthy matched control-HMC, and the other who developed CD later on referred to as pre-CD) to investigate whether the microbiome contributes to or triggers dysregulated immune response by transplanting microbiome from them into germ-free mice (GFM).

Methods

Faecal samples from discordant siblings, recruited as part of the CCC-GEM project, a cohort of prospectively followed healthy first-degree relatives, were transplanted into RAG1-/- GFM before T-cell transfer-induced colitis. Fecal Lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) was measured by ELISA to assess gut inflammation. Body weight was monitored for 6 weeks after T-cell transfer. Intestinal tissue damage was assessed by histology scoring (PMID: 8623920). Pro-inflammatory cytokine gene profile of ileum and colon tissue was measured by qPCR. R-software was used for statistical analysis.

Results

Our results showed that mouse recipients of pre-CD microbiota experienced more weight loss than HMC group, with a greater difference observed in the second week after inducing colitis (p=0.0019). LCN-2 of pre-CD mice was significantly higher after T-cell transfer for 3 weeks. Intriguingly, pre-CD stool recipient mice had higher histological damage score in the ileum (p=0.025). Histological analysis revealed that granulomatous inflammation, mucin depletion, crypt loss were greater in pre-CD group (p≤0.05). Pre-CD stool promoted the expression of selected pro-inflammatory cytokine genes in the ileum with significant increases of TNFα, IL-1β, IFNγ, IL10 and TGFβ compared to mice that received HMC microbiome. Colonic tissue showed significant increases in TNFα and TGFβ in the mice recipient of the pre-CD microbiome.

Conclusions

These results suggests that pre-CD microbiome can worsen T cell transfer colitis in mice compared to HMC microbiome. This suggests that microbiome or other constituents of stool from pre-CD subjects are major contributors to the onset of disease. Modulating pre-CD microbiome composition could lead to novel methods to prevent CD onset.

Funding Agencies

CCC, CIHRWeston Family Foundation, Helmsley, Biocodex
A3 INVESTIGATING MACROPHAGE-TISSUE CELL COMMUNICATION AXES IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
Authors: Ngai L , Mortha A
Published: February 2024

Background

The gastrointestinal tract boasts the highest concentration of macrophages (MPs) in the body, acting as vital immune sentinels that oversee tissue balance. Three distinct subsets of MPs, namely CCR2+, Tim4+, and CCR2,Tim4 double-negative (DN) MPs, populate distinct gut niches. Their functional specialization suggests unique interactions within their non-hematopoietic tissue microenvironments. Despite their crucial roles, the intricacies of these interactions remain elusive. One recently discovered interaction involves a communication axis between MPs and neurons within the muscularis layer of the gut. Here, neurons secrete Colony Stimulating Factor 1 (CSF1), a survival factor for MPs. These MPs reciprocate by producing Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 (BMP2), assisting neurons in regulating gut motility.

Aims

Based on the aforementioned interaction, we hypothesize that BMP2, derived from tissue-resident MPs, might influence functions of other tissue niches, subsequently prompting survival of MP via CSF1 production. Our aims are twofold: (1) Identify the role of BMP2 in gut macrophages; (2) Identify BMP2-responsive CSF1-producing tissue cells within the gut.

Methods

To discern the roles of MP subsets, we developed a conditional knockout mouse model, targeting Bmp2 expression in MPs. We validated successful Bmp2 deletion(BMP2 KO) through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and an in-situ hybridization immunofluorescence assay (RNAscope). Subsequently, single cell RNA (scRNAseq) was performed, combining samples from both control and KO small intestines. This was done to further confirm BMP2 KO and to identify BMP2-responsive CSF1-producing cells. Flow cytometry was then used to characterize the intestinal MPs in control and KO mice.

Results

Tim4+ MPs emerged as the primary source of BMP2. Comprehensive analysis using qPCR, RNAscope, and scRNAseq validated the complete KO of BMP2 across all macrophage subsets. The loss of MP-produced BMP2 led to a disruption in MP development. Notably, a marked reduction in DN and Tim4+ MPs was observed following deletion of Bmp2 in MPs, emphasizing the critical role of BMP2-driven CSF1 in sustaining these subsets. CSF1 producing cells co-expressing the cognate BMP receptor in the gut, were predominantly non-hematopoietic tissue cells. Among these, distinct fibroblast populations emerged as a potent but not the sole source of CSF1.

Conclusions

Our work underscores the involvement of multiple tissue cell populations, revealing an intricate network of interactions that extends beyond fibroblasts. This study unveils the multifaceted nature of tissue-MP interactions and their critical roles in maintaining gut homeostasis. Disturbances of these pathways may pave the way for disease by altering tissue homeostasis.

Funding Agencies

NSERC
A6 LYSOPHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE (LPC) AND LYSOPHOSPHATIDIC ACID (LPA) INDUCE VISCERAL HYPERSENSITIVITY IN IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)
Authors: Pujo J , De Palma G , Lu J , Rueda G H , Hall-Bruce M , Nardelli A , Vicentini F A , Verdu E , Vanner S , Collins S , Bercik P
Published: February 2024

Background

Chronic abdominal pain is the key symptom in IBS. Gut microbiota produces a large variety of molecules that can regulate pain perception, including bioactive lipids. LPC and LPA are phospholipids, known to generate and maintain neurogenic pain in mammals, by directly activating multiple channels and G-protein coupled receptors on sensory neurons. LPC and LPA result from the conversion of phosphatidylcholine (PC), a major membrane-forming phospholipid in eucaryotes, as byproducts of inflammation. PC is also present in high concentration in eggs, meat and soybeans. It is unknown whether these two phospholipids play any role in chronic abdominal pain and whether they can be produced by the gut microbiota.

Aims

To investigate whether 1) LPC and LPA are increased in stool of IBS patients, and 2) whether microbiota from IBS patients can produce LPC and LPA and lead to visceral hypersensitivity.

Methods

Stool samples from 27 patients with IBS, collected both during periods of severe and minimal/no pain, were assessed for LPC and LPA levels by ELISA. Germ-free (GF) NIH Swiss and Swiss Webster mice (n=101) both sexes were colonized with fecal microbiota from IBS patients with either high or low fecal LPC and LPA levels, or microbiota from healthy controls. Mice were fed with control diet or diet enriched with PC diet (2g/kg of diet) for 5 weeks. Their visceral sensitivity was then assessed by measuring visceromotor responses to colorectal distension. The fecal samples were collected to measure the production of LPC and LPA

Results

The fecal concentrations of LPC and LPA were higher in IBS patients when experiencing severe abdominal pain, compared to periods of minimal or no pain. Mice colonized with fecal microbiota from IBS patients with high fecal LPC and/or LPA displayed visceral hypersensitivity compared to mice colonized with microbiota from healthy controls, or microbiota from patients with low fecal LPC and/or LPA levels. However, this increase in visceral sensitivity was only found in mice fed with diet enriched with PC. Furthermore, the increased pain responses to colorectal distension correlated with higher concentrations of fecal LPC and LPA.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that bacterial LPC and LPA is responsible for chronic abdominal pain in a subset of patients with IBS. Further studies are needed to identify the specific bacterial strains that produce these nociceptive phospholipids and precise mechanisms by which LPC and LPA induce visceral hypersensitivity.

Funding Agencies

CIHRThe W.Garfield Weston Foundation
A9 LOSS OF INTESTINAL EPITHELIAL NCOR1 INCREASES OXIDATIVE METABOLISM
Authors: Lecours M , Di Castro A , Herrera Pulido J , Gendreau M , Jones C , Perreault N , Boudreau F
Published: February 2024

Background

The nuclear co-repressor NCOR1 acts as a central platform of a complex that represses gene expression associated with inflammatory response. Literature also recently uncovered its possible role in oxidative metabolism in some tissues and organs. Although intestinal epithelial NCOR1 is crucial to restrict IBD symptoms during experimental colitis, its precise role in controlling intestinal epithelial cell biology has not been established.

Aims

We aimed to investigate the role of intestinal epithelial NCOR1 in oxidative metabolism.

Methods

Crossing Villin-Cre and Ncor1loxP/loxP mice was performed to delete Ncor1 in the whole intestinal epithelium conditionally. Crypts from control and NCOR1ΔIEC littermates were isolated to generate colonoids 3D cultures. Phenotypic, genotypic, and transcriptomic analyses were performed on those colonoids.

Results

Colonoids from NCOR1ΔIEC mice were phenotypically smaller but were found to display drastic higher intestinal stem cell propagation features during organoid clonogenic assays. A Gene Set Enrichment Analysis from RNA sequencing predicted an increase in oxidative metabolism in NCOR1ΔIEC colonoids. Several genes associated with oxidative metabolism were confirmed to be modulated in both NCOR1ΔIEC colonoids and the colon of NCOR1ΔIEC mice. Mitochondrial mass was also significantly increased in colonoids when NCOR1 was absent. Loss of the co-repressor did not affect the expression of PGC1-α, a known antagonist of NCOR1. However, transcripts of cytochrome c somatic (Cycs), a target gene of PGC1-α, were found higher in NCOR1ΔIEC colonoids, suggesting that the coactivator activity is increased in the absence of NCOR1.

Conclusions

Our results highlight a new role for NCOR1 in the oxidative metabolism of intestinal epithelial cells. Its action via PGC1-α activity could potentially be targeted as a therapeutic measure during inflammatory bowel diseases.

Funding Agencies

CIHR