bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Yield performance of 14 novel inter‐ and intra‐species Miscanthus hybrids across Europe
Authors: Awty‐Carroll Danny , Magenau Elena , Al Hassan Mohamad , Martani Enrico , Kontek Mislav , van der Pluijm Philip , Ashman Chris , de Maupeou Emmanuel , McCalmont Jon , Petrie Gert‐Jan , Davey Chris , van der Cruijsen Kasper , Jurišić Vanja , Amaducci Stefano , Lamy Isabelle , Shepherd Anita , Kam Jason , Hoogendam Annick , Croci Michele , Dolstra Oene , Ferrarini Andrea , Lewandowski Iris , Trindade Luisa M. , Kiesel Andreas , Clifton‐Brown John
Published: December 2022

Miscanthus, a C4 perennial rhizomatous grass from Asia is a leading candidate for the supply of sustainable biomass needed to grow the bioeconomy. European Miscanthus breeding programmes have recently produced a new range of seeded hybrids with the objective of increasing scalability to large acreages limited by current clonal propagation. For the EU‐GRACE project, new replicated field trials were established in seven locations across Europe in 2018 with eight intraspecific M. sinensis hybrids (sin × sin) and six M. sacchariflorus × M. sinensis (sac × sin) from Dutch and UK breeding programmes, respectively, with clonal Miscanthus × giganteus. The planting density of the sin × sin was double that of sac × sin (30,000 & 15,000 plants ha−1), creating commercially relevant upscaling comparisons between systems. Over the first 3 years, the establishment depended on location and hybrid. The mature sin × sin hybrids formed tight tufts of shoots up to 2.5 m tall which flower and senesce earlier than the taller sac × sin hybrids. Following the third growing season, the highest yields were recorded in Northern Italy at a low altitude (average 13.7 (max 21) Mg DM ha−1) and the lowest yielding was on the industrially damaged marginal land site in Northern France (average 7.0 (max 10) Mg DM ha−1). Moisture contents at spring harvest were lowest in Croatia (21.7%) and highest in Wales, UK (41.6%). Overall, lower moisture contents at harvest, which are highly desirable for transport, storage and for most end‐use applications, were found in sin × sin hybrids than sac × sin (30% and 40%, respectively). Yield depended on climate interactions with the hybrid and their associated planting systems. The sin × sin hybrids appeared better adapted to northern Europe and sac × sin hybrids to southern Europe. Longer‐term yield observations over crop lifespans will be needed to explore the biological (yield persistence) and economic costs and benefits of the different hybrid systems.
MANNHEIM AND COMPANY: GENDER, ECONOMICS AND MODERATE STURM UND DRANG IN J. M. R. LENZ'S DER LANDPREDIGER (1777)1
Authors: Dupree Mary Helen
Published: December 2022

Published in 1777, J. M. R. Lenz's novella Der Landprediger has been read as a document of Lenz’ own intellectual and spiritual disorientation following his banishment from Goethe's Weimar in 1776. As Marcus Twellmann and others have shown, the novella responds to the agrarian reforms initiated by Margrave Carl Friedrich in Baden, which Lenz witnessed first hand. In this article, I argue that the novella's critique of gender and its discussion of economic and social reform are inextricably intertwined. My analysis proceeds from a key insight of recent scholarship in the field of ‘literarische Ökonomik’, namely that literature and philosophy do not simply exist in opposition to economics, but rather that all three share underlying concerns and, furthermore, that culture is ‘complicit’ with the ‘establishment and solidification of modern economic paradigms’ (Gray 2008). Lenz's novella underscores this complicity in a series of episodes that foreground themes of pedagogy, love and marriage, and Enlightenment social reform. Der Landprediger can be said to align with the concerns of twentieth‐ and twenty‐first‐century feminist economics, insofar as it depicts the struggles of the homo economicus as a crisis of masculinity and recognises women as economic actors in the domestic sphere.
THE LATENT RADICALISM OF ARISTOTLE AND J. M. R. LENZ
Authors: Wiggins Ellwood
Published: December 2022

J. M. R. Lenz's Anmerkungen übers Theater (1774) present the aesthetic manifesto of the Sturm und Drang. In order to express its programmatic agenda for the modern drama, the text repeatedly attacks Aristotle's Poetics. This article reads Lenz's treatment of the Poetics not merely as a handy rhetorical foil for showcasing his own innovative dramatic theories, but rather as an integral part of the performance of the text. It turns out that there are similarities in both form and content between the two disparate treatises. By tracing the series of opposing terms that the Anmerkungen take up in succession (imitation and viewpoint; man and fate; tragedy and comedy), the analysis sets up a final reevaluation of the aesthetics of effect implicit in Lenz's treatise. Though he never mentions catharsis, this ambiguous Aristotelian terminus technicus can be a key to understanding the paradoxes of Lenz's text and revealing its potential radicality.
THE FREEDOM OF A PLAYWRIGHT: STURM UND DRANG AESTHETIC INNOVATION THROUGH A LUTHERAN LENS
Authors: Wagner Martin
Published: December 2022

This article builds on a passage from Johann Georg Hamann's Fünf Hirtenbriefe das Schuldrama betreffend (1763) to argue that the discourse on the rules of dramatic composition in the Sturm und Drang is shaped by an implicitly Lutheran logic of Christian freedom. That means that rather than emphasising the transgression of established rules, Sturm und Drang writers, like Luther's free Christian, sought to replace obedience to lower‐level laws with submission to a higher principle. This Lutheran reframing of the Sturm und Drang revises the conventional understanding of the Sturm und Drang writers as literary revolutionaries and brings their aesthetic programme much more closely in line with their moderate political views. Moreover, in stressing the Lutheran underpinnings of Sturm und Drang aesthetics, this article also calls into question the established view that the theological aspects of Hamann's aesthetics are without parallel in the Sturm und Drang proper. At the centre of the Lutheran reinterpretation of the Sturm und Drang in this article stand analyses of J. M. R. Lenz's Anmerkungen übers Theater, Johann Gottfried Herder's ‘Shakespear’ and Johann Wolfgang Goethe's ‘Zum Schäkespears Tag’ and Götz von Berlichingen.
“Potential parenthood” and identity threats: Navigating complex fertility journeys alongside work and employment
Authors: Mumford Clare , Wilkinson Krystal , Carroll Michael
Published: December 2022

While many scholars have noted workplace inequalities generated by the presence of pregnancy and parenthood, this paper shifts the focus to explore the question: how do childless subjects negotiate between work identities and desired identities of parenthood? Drawing from empirical research interviews about navigating complex fertility journeys alongside work and employment, we show how themes of pregnancy and parenthood play out in the form of (non‐)potential rather than actual achievement, and where identity threats arise paradoxically from both too close and too distant an association with the maternal body.
Genetic and epigenetic analysis of hepatocellular adenomas with atypical morphological features
Authors: Haefliger Simon , Hench Juergen , O'Rourke Colm J , Meyer‐Schaller Nathalie , Uzun Sarp , Saldarriaga Joan , Weber Achim , Mazzucchelli Luca , Jermann Philip , Frank Stephan , Andersen Jesper B , Terracciano Luigi , Sempoux Christine , Matter Matthias S
Published: December 2022

Background

Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is a rare liver tumour, which can have atypical morphological features such as cytological atypia, pseudoglandular architecture, and altered reticulin framework. Little is known about the genetic and epigenetic alterations of such HCAs and whether they show the alterations classically found in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or in HCA without atypical morphology.

Methods

We analysed five HCAs with atypical morphological features and one HCA with transition to HCC. Every tumour was subtyped by immunohistochemistry, sequenced by a targeted NGS panel, and analysed on a DNA methylation microarray.

Results

Subtyping of the five HCAs with atypical features revealed two β‐catenin mutated HCA (b‐HCA), two β‐catenin mutated inflammatory HCA (b‐IHCA), and one sonic hedgehog activated HCA (shHCA). None of them showed mutations typically found in HCC, such as, e.g. TERT or TP53 mutations. The epigenomic pattern of HCAs with atypical morphological features clustered with reference data for HCAs without atypical morphological features but not with HCC. Similarly, phyloepigenetic trees using the DNA methylation data reproducibly showed that HCAs with morphological atypia are much more similar to nonmalignant samples than to malignant samples. Finally, atypical HCAs showed no relevant copy number variations (CNV).

Conclusion

In our series, mutational, DNA methylation, as well as CNV analyses, supported a relationship of atypical HCAs with nonatypical HCAs rather than with HCC. Therefore, in cases with difficult differential diagnosis between HCC and HCA, it might be advisable to perform targeted sequencing and/or combined methylation/copy number profiling.
Nest survival of threatened Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) breeding at low densities across a human‐modified landscape
Authors: Ewing Harry , Franks Samantha , Smart Jennifer , Burton Niall , Gill Jennifer A.
Published: December 2022

Targeted management actions to boost key demographic rates can help to restore rare and localized populations but are increasingly required to stabilize or reverse declines of formerly common and widespread species. Many breeding wader populations across Europe are declining because of unsustainably low rates of productivity, and the conservation tools designed to boost wader breeding productivity have been most effectively used for semi‐colonial species within protected areas. Targeted management for wader species that breed at low densities across human‐modified landscapes, such as the rapidly declining Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, is likely to be more challenging. Here, we quantify variation in Curlew nest survival to explore how management could be targeted to boost this key component of breeding productivity. Up to 80 pairs of Eurasian Curlew were monitored annually between 2019 and 2021 in eight locations across Breckland, eastern England, where nesting densities range from <1 to c 0.7 pairs/km2. For 136 nests across grassland‐ and arable‐dominated sites, the majority of failures (86%) were caused by (primarily nocturnal) predation and the mean probability of surviving incubation (PSI) for all hatched or predated nests (127) was c. 0.25. Nest survival showed little annual or seasonal variation but did vary slightly between sites; however, this spatial variation was not clearly related to management conditions or nest concealment at these sites. Fencing to exclude mammalian nest predators can be effective for waders, but too few Eurasian Curlews currently nest within fenced areas in Breckland to produce observable effects. Fencing the few sites with high nesting densities could potentially double the number of chicks hatched each year within the study area, but landscape‐scale actions to reduce predator impacts on nests and chicks are likely to be needed to maintain breeding numbers in the wider countryside.
Clinical efficacy of green tea, aloe vera and chlorhexidine mouthwashes in the treatment of dental biofilm induced gingivitis: A multi‐arm, double‐blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Andhare Mangesh G. , Shetty Sunaina , Vivekanandan Gopinath , Shetty Raghavendra M. , Rahman Betul , Shetty Shishir R. , Siddeshappa Srinivasa T. , Desai Vijay
Published: December 2022

Objective

This multi‐arm, randomized, double‐blinded, controlled clinical trial was designed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of 0.5% green tea (GT), 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX) and aloe vera (AV) mouthwash as compared to the control (CNT) group (scaling and polishing alone with no mouthwash) in the management of dental biofilm induced gingivitis among 18–40‐year‐old patients.

Material and Methods

Sixty patients with generalized dental biofilm‐induced gingivitis were randomly allocated to four study groups (n = 15 each) for treatment, namely Group GT, Group CHX, Group AV and Group CNT after scaling and polishing were administered to all the patients. Plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI) and sulcular bleeding index (SBI) were recorded at baseline, 14th and 21st day.

Results

PI, GI and SBI at various time intervals (baseline, 14th and 21st day) showed high statistically significant differences within the group (p < 0.01). Among these, the maximum percentage change was found in the CHX group followed by GT when evaluated from baseline to 21st day. The least percentage change was found in the AV group for PI and GI while the CNT group showed the least percentage change for sulcular index when evaluated from 14th to 21st day. Inter‐group results showed high statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) for PI and GI when evaluated between baseline to 14th day and baseline to 21st day. SBI also showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) when evaluated between baselines to 14th day and baseline to 21st day.

Conclusion

Green tea mouthwash displayed a significant reduction in plaque index, gingival index and sulcular bleeding index. 0.5% green tea catechin has equivalent anti‐plaque efficacy as 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate and can be considered a potent alternative to prevent and treat gingival diseases.
Spark plasma sintering of boron nitride micron tubes reinforced boron carbide ceramics with excellent mechanical property
Authors: Xuan Weiping , Ji Yuchun , Liu Bingsai , Li Shaofei , Chen Wenzhuo , Li Zhengdei , Wang Jilin , Zheng Guoyuan , Long Fei
Published: December 2022

In this paper, the novel boron nitride micron tubes (BNMTs) were used to reinforce commercial boron carbide (B4C) ceramics prepared via spark plasma sintering technology. The effects of the sintering parameters, sintering temperature, the holding time, and the BNMTs content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of B4C/BNMTs composite ceramics were studied. The results indicated that adding a proper amount of BNMTs could inhibit the grain growth of B4C and improve the fracture toughness of the B4C/BNMTs composite ceramics. The prepared composite ceramic sample with 5 wt% BNMTs at 1850°C, 8 min and 30 MPa displayed the best mechanical properties. The relative density, hardness, fracture toughness, and bending strength of the samples were 99.7% ± .1%, 35.62 ± .43 GPa, 6.23 ± .2 MPa m1/2, and 517 ± 7.8 MPa, respectively. Therein, the corresponding value of hardness, fracture toughness, and bending strength was increased by 10.3%, 43.59%, and 61.5%, respectively, than that of the B4C/BNMTs composite ceramic without BNMTs. It was proved that the high interface binding energy and bridging effect between boron carbide and BNMTs were the toughening principle of BNMTs.
Lightweight and resilient SiOC/SiC foam with efficient electromagnetic wave absorption and high‐temperature stability
Authors: Niu Min , Wang Hongjie , Su Lei , Cai Zhixin , Lu De , Gao Hongfei , Xu Liang , Peng Kang , Zhuang Lei , Fu Wei
Published: December 2022

Integrating multiple functions such as high electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption, thermal insulation, and resilience into one material is critical, especially for applications in harsh environment. SiC ceramic has received considerable attention as high‐temperature wave absorber, but its applications are limited by common wave absorption performance and brittleness of ceramics. Here by incorporating SiO2 with SiC in a unique three‐dimensional network structure, SiOC/SiC foam consisting of abundant SiOC thin flakes interconnected by numerous long interweaving SiC nanowires have been prepared. The foam shows high EM wave absorption with minimum reflection loss of −30.23 dB, broad effective absorption bandwidth of 5.4 GHz, and a nearly complete compressive resilience from 10% strain. Besides, the foam displays high‐temperature resistance up to 1400°C in air and good thermal insulation performance. Such multifunctional material is promising for applications in advanced aerospace industry under extreme conditions.
Optimized phase compositions and microwave dielectric properties of low loss Ca2Sn2Al2O9‐based ceramics by M4+ substitution
Authors: Du Kang , Wen Tailai , Zhou Mengdie , Liu Zheyu , Yin Changzhi , Zhu Wei , Zhou Cai , Zhang Bohan , Wang Shengxiang , Lei Wen
Published: December 2022

The traditional solid‐state reaction method was used to prepare Ca2Sn2−xMxAl2O9 (M = Ti, Zr, and Hf) ceramics. Then, the impact of an M4+ substitution of Sn4+ on the phase transition, crystal structural parameter, and microwave dielectric properties of Ca2Sn2−xMxAl2O9 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) ceramics were investigated. Ti4+ could not replace the Sn4+ of Ca2Sn2Al2O9 due to its small ionic radius, and the Al‐based second phases of Ca2Sn2−xTixAl2O9 ceramics were confirmed by the X‐ray diffractometer and EDS map scanning results. With the Zr4+ and Hf4+ substitutions of Sn4+, the SnO2 and CaSnO3 second phases of Ca2Sn2Al2O9 ceramic were inhibited, and the Ca2Sn2−xMxAl2O9 (M = Zr and Hf) (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) single‐phase ceramics with orthorhombic structure (Pbcn space group) were obtained. New MO2 (M = Zr and Hf) and CaAl2O4 second phases appeared in the Ca2Sn2−xMxAl2O9 (M = Zr and Hf) (0.3 ≤ x ≤ 0.4) ceramics, and their contents increased gradually with the increase in x. The Ca2Sn2−xMxAl2O9 (M = Zr and Hf) (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) ceramics exhibited high Q × f because of their pure phase compositions, and the Q × f of Ca2Sn2Al2O9 ceramic was improved to 77 800 GHz (12.6 GHz) in the Ca2Sn1.9Zr0.1Al2O9 ceramic. The Q × f values of Ca2Sn2−xMxAl2O9 single‐phase ceramics were mainly controlled by rc (Sn/M–O) and rc (Al–O). The τf values of single‐phase Ca2Sn2−xMxAl2O9 ceramics were related to octahedral distortions. The Zr4+ and Hf4+ substitution of Sn4+ optimized the phase compositions and microwave dielectric properties of the Ca2Sn2−xMxAl2O9 ceramics, and the Ca2Sn1.9Zr0.1Al2O9 ceramic sintered at optimal temperature exhibited excellent microwave dielectric properties (εr = 8.67, Q × f = 77 800 GHz at 12.6 GHz and τf = −69.8 ppm/°C).
Autosomal and Z‐linked genetic evaluation for body weight in Mazandaran native chicken using different models for dosage compensation on the Z chromosome
Authors: Kaviani Fereshte , Gholizadeh Mohsen , Hafezian Hasan
Published: December 2022

The objectives of this study were to assess the autosomal and sex‐linked genetic inheritance of growth traits and identify the effective dosage compensation on the Z chromosome in Mazandaran native chickens. The data included body weights at hatching (BW0), 8 weeks (BW8) and 12 weeks (BW12) of age, related to the first 21 generations of selection, were collected from Mazandaran native chicken breeding centre. The fixed effects included sex of birds in two classes, hatch in five classes and generation in 21 classes. The inverse of the sex‐linked additive genetic relationship matrix was constructed using nadiv package in R considering different models for dosage compensation on the Z chromosome. The setup inversed matrix was then supplied externally to WOMBAT using the GIN option. Twelve univariate animal models separating participation of autosomal additive genetic, sex‐linked additive genetic and maternal effects (both genetic and permanent environment effects) with considering the five different dosage compensation methods for models with sex‐linked effects were analysed by WOMBAT software. BW0 was not affected by sex‐linked additive genetic effects. For BW8 and BW12 the model which included autosomal, sex‐linked direct additive and maternal effects with no global dosage compensation for the Z chromosome was the most appropriate model. Autosomal heritability estimates were 0.05 ± 0.02, 0.10 ± 0.01 and 0.11 ± 0.01, for BW0, BW8 and BW12, respectively. For BW8 and BW12, sex‐linked heritability estimates were 0.07 and 0.27, respectively. Spearman rank correlation coefficient between autosomal and sex‐linked breeding values were 0.45 and 0.12 for BW8 and BW12, respectively. Spearman rank correlation coefficient between autosomal and sex‐linked breeding values were 0.45 and 0.12 for BW8 and BW12, respectively. The autosomal direct additive genetic correlations between all traits were positive. The estimate of direct sex‐linked additive genetic correlation between BW8 and BW12 was high (0.88). Also, maternal genetic correlations were 0.53, 0.54 and 0.91 between BW0–BW8, BW0–BW12 and BW8–BW12, respectively. Given the importance of Z‐linked genes for BW8 and BW12, it is recommended that Z‐linked effects be separated from autosomal effects in order to increase the accuracy of genetic evaluation of birds for these traits.
Metabarcoding reveals high‐resolution biogeographical and metaphylogeographical patterns through marine barriers
Authors: Antich Adrià , Palacín Creu , Zarcero Jesús , Wangensteen Owen Simon , Turon Xavier
Published: December 2022

Aim

It has been predicted that there should be concordance between biogeographical and phylogeographical processes structuring multi‐species regional assemblages. We hypothesise that oceanographic barriers in the marine environment affect concomitantly the distribution and the connectivity of the marine biota, thus producing congruent biogeographical and phylogeographical structures. We also predict that macro‐ and meio‐eukaryotes will be differentially affected by hydrological features.

Location

The Atlanto‐Mediterranean transition along the E Iberian coast marked by the Almeria‐Oran Front (AOF) and the Ibiza Channel hydrological discontinuities.

Taxon

Eukaryotes.

Methods

A new analytical framework based in the metabarcoding of community DNA and a hypervariable marker is presented. This framework allows the simultaneous detection of multispecies biogeographical and phylogeographical structures. Shallow hard‐bottom communities were sampled at 12 sites over the littoral zone and community‐DNA metabarcoding was performed using the cytochrome c oxidase I marker. The resulting dataset was analysed at several levels: beta diversity of Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) as surrogate for species, and Exact Sequence Variants as surrogate for haplotypes. We also assessed genetic differentiation within MOTUs (metaphylogeography). Analyses were performed for the combined dataset and separately for macro‐ and meio‐eukaryotes.

Results

Both hydrological discontinuities had a detectable effect, more marked at all levels for the AOF than for the Ibiza Channel. The MOTU dataset provided more clear‐cut patterns than the ESVs. The metaphylogeographical approach provided the highest resolution in terms of differentiating localities and identifying geographical barriers. The separate analyses of macro‐ and meio‐eukaryotes showed a higher differentiation of the latter, both in terms of beta diversity and genetic differentiation.

Main Conclusions

Metabarcoding coupled with metaphylogeography allowed the characterisation of the heterogeneity in community composition and population genetic structure along the Atlanto‐Mediterranean transition, coherent with known hydrological discontinuities. This methodology unlocks a vast amount of information on the geographical distribution of different components of biodiversity for basic and applied research.
Implantation of a leadless pacemaker in young adults
Authors: Strik Marc , Clementy Nicolas , Mondoly Pierre , Eschalier Romain , Ramirez F. Daniel , Racine Hugo‐Pierre , Haïssaguerre Michel , Ritter Philippe , Ploux Sylvain , Bordachar Pierre
Published: December 2022

Aims

Leadless pacing has emerged as an alternative to conventional transvenous pacemakers to mitigate the risks of pocket‐ and lead‐related complications but its use remains controversial in young adults mostly because experience in this patient population is limited. We sought to examine the feasibility and safety of implanting leadless single chamber pacemakers in young adults.

Methods

This multicenter, retrospective, observational study sought to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and electrical performance of the Micra VR Transcatheter Pacemaker System (Medtronic) in patients between 18 and 40 years who underwent implantation of a leadless pacemaker for any indication at the university medical centers of Bordeaux, Clermont‐Ferrand, Toulouse, and Tours (France), between 2015 and 2021. The primary safety endpoint was freedom from system‐related or procedure‐related major complications at 6 months. The primary efficacy endpoint was the combination of a low (≤2 V) and stable (increase within 1.5 V) pacing capture threshold at 6 months.

Results

Leadless pacemaker implantation was successful in all 35 patients. At 6 months, safety endpoint was met for 35 (100%) and efficacy endpoint for 34 (97%) patients. During a follow‐up of 26 ± 15 months (range: 6–60 months), Safety endpoint remained 100% and efficacy endpoint was 94%. Leadless pacemaker retrieval was not required in any patient. Approximately one‐third of patients (n = 13, 37%) had >40% ventricular pacing burdens at 1 year, including all 10 patients with a complete AV block but also 3 patients with normal AV conduction during implantation. One patient reported symptoms of pacemaker syndrome which was confirmed using Holter recording and successfully treated using reprogramming.

Conclusion

In this observational study, leadless pacemakers demonstrated favorable short‐ and intermediate‐term safety and effectiveness in young adults.
Pan‐Cancer analyses of Necroptosis‐Related genes as a potential target to predict immunotherapeutic outcome
Authors: Zhou Zheng , Wu Jiajun , Ma Wenli , Dong Feilin , Wang Jiafeng
Published: December 2022

Necroptosis is a unique programmed death mechanism of necrotic cells. However, its role and specific mechanism in cancer remain unclear, and a systematic pan‐cancer analysis of necroptosis is yet to be conducted. Thus, we performed a specific pan‐cancer analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype‐Tissue Expression databases to analyse necroptosis expression in terms of cancer prognosis, DNA methylation status, tumour mutative burden, microsatellite instability, immune cell infiltration in different types of cancer and molecular mechanisms. For the first time, we explored the correlation between necroptosis and immunotherapy prognosis. Thus, our study provides a relatively comprehensive understanding of the carcinogenicity of necroptosis in different types of cancer. It is suggested that necroptosis can be used to evaluate the sensitivity of different patients to immunotherapy and may become a potential target for tumour immunotherapy.
Is energy intensity a driver of structural change? Empirical evidence from the global economy
Authors: Nieto Jaime , Moyano Pedro B. , Moyano Diego , Miguel Luis Javier
Published: December 2022

Input–output tables (IOTs) provide a relevant picture of economic structure as they represent the composition and interindustry relationships of an economy. The technical coefficients matrix (A matrix) is considered to capture the technological status of an economy; so, it is of special relevance for the evaluation of long‐term, structural transformations, such as sustainability transitions in integrated assessment models (IAMs). The A matrix has typically been considered either static or exogenous. Endogenous structural change has rarely been applied to models. The objective of this paper is to analyze energy intensity, a widely used variable in IAMs, and its role as a driver of structural change. We therefore identify the most relevant technical coefficients in the IOTs time series and estimate an econometric model based on the energy intensity of five different final end‐use energy sources. The results of this analysis show that energy intensity has a significant influence on the evolution of the A matrix and should therefore be taken into consideration when analyzing endogenous structural change in models.
Bringing Back the Jobs Lost to Covid‐19: The Role of Fiscal Policy
Authors: BREDEMEIER CHRISTIAN , JUESSEN FALKO , WINKLER ROLAND
Published: December 2022

Covid‐19 induced job losses occurred predominantly in industries with intensive worker–client interaction as well as in pink‐collar and blue‐collar occupations. We study the ability of fiscal policy to stabilize employment by occupation and industry during the Covid‐19 crisis. We use a multisector, multioccupation macro‐economic model and investigate different fiscal‐policy instruments that help the economy recover faster. We show that fiscal stimuli foster job growth for hard‐hit pink‐collar workers, whereas stimulating blue‐collar job creation is more challenging. Only a cut in labor income taxes generates a substantial number of blue‐collar jobs.
COVID‐19: Implications for Nursing and Health Care in the United States
Authors: Reynolds Nancy R. , Baker Deborah , D'Aoust Rita , Docal Maria , Goldstein Nancy , Grubb Lisa , Hladek Melissa D. , Koirala Binu , Kverno Karan , Ling Catherine , Lukkahatai Nada , McIltrot Kimberly , Pandian Vinciya , Regier Natalie G. , Sloand Elizabeth , Tomori Cecília , Wenzel Jennifer
Published: December 2022

Purpose

COVID‐19 and other recent infectious disease outbreaks have highlighted the urgency of robust, resilient health systems. We may now have the opportunity to reform the flawed health care system that made COVID‐19 far more damaging in the United States (U.S.) than necessary.

Design and Methods

Guided by the World Health Organization (WHO) Health System Building Blocks framework (WHO, 2007) and the socio‐ecological model (e.g., McLeroy et al., 1988), we identified challenges in and strengths of the U.S.’ handling of the pandemic, lessons learned, and policy implications for more resilient future health care delivery in the U.S. Using the aforementioned frameworks, we identified crucial, intertwined domains that have influenced and been influenced by health care delivery in the U.S. during the COVID‐19 pandemic through a review and analysis of the COVID‐19 literature and the collective expertise of a panel of research and clinical experts. An iterative process using a modified Delphi technique was used to reach consensus.

Findings

Four critically important, inter‐related domains needing improvement individually, interpersonally, within communities, and for critical public policy reform were identified: Social determinants of health, mental health, communication, and the nursing workforce.

Conclusions

The four domains identified in this analysis demonstrate the challenges generated or intensified by the COVID‐19 pandemic, their dynamic interconnectedness, and the critical importance of health equity to resilient health systems, an effective pandemic response, and better health for all.

Clinical relevance

The novel coronavirus is unlikely to be the last pandemic in the U.S. and globally. To control COVID‐19 and prevent unnecessary suffering and social and economic damage from future pandemics, the U.S. will need to improve its capacity to protect the public's health. Complex problems require multi‐level solutions across critical domains. The COVID‐19 pandemic has underscored four interrelated domains that reveal and compound deep underlying problems in the socioeconomic structure and health care system of the U.S. In so doing, however, the pandemic illuminates the way toward reforms that could improve our ability not only to cope with likely future epidemics but also to better serve the health care needs of the entire population. This article highlights the pressing need for multi‐level individual, interpersonal, community, and public policy reforms to improve clinical care and public health outcomes in the current COVID‐19 pandemic and future pandemics, and offers recommendations to achieve these aims.
Evolutionary pressures of aerial insectivory reflected in anurognathid pterosaurs
Authors: Clark Alexander D. , Hone David W. E.
Published: December 2022

Across the evolution of powered flight, the ecological niche of aerial insectivore has been occupied by members of the three volant vertebrate clades—Aves and Chiroptera, and the first known volant vertebrates, pterosaurs. However, morphological and quantitative evidence to support pterosaurs exhibiting this ecology remains scant. Anurognathids are an unusual group of pterosaurs in which the skull exhibits the unique morphology of being mediolaterally expanded, so much so that their skulls may be wider than rostrocaudally long. Here, we conduct quantitative comparative cranial measurements and dental morphology in anurognathids against extant avian and chiropteran taxa, respectively, with ecologies and behaviors that are similar to predicted putative behaviors of anurognathids. Comparative analyses of both skull and dental morphology suggest anurognathid specimens in similar morphospaces as insectivorous crepuscular and nocturnal extant volant taxa. Our results support that this unique group of pterosaurs likely occupied a niche of mid‐flight insectivorous capture in low‐light conditions.
The utility of systemic immune‐inflammation index and systemic immune‐response index in the prediction of adverse outcomes in pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019: Analysis of 2649 cases
Authors: Tanacan Atakan , Oluklu Deniz , Laleli Koc Bergen , Sinaci Selcan , Menekse Beser Dilek , Uyan Hendem Derya , Yildirim Muradiye , Sakcak Bedri , Besimoglu Berhan , Tugrul Ersak Duygu , Akgun Aktas Betul , Gulen Yildiz Esra , Unlu Serpil , Kara Ozgur , Alyamac Dizdar Evrim , Canpolat Fuat Emre , Ates İhsan , Moraloglu Tekin Ozlem , Sahin Dilek
Published: December 2022

Aim

To investigate the association of systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII) and systemic immune‐response index (SIRI) with adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19).

Methods

The cases were divided into (1) the Mild–moderate COVID‐19 group (n = 2437) and (2) the Severe–critical COVID‐19 group (n = 212). Clinical characteristics, perinatal outcomes, SII (neutrophilXplatelet/lymphocyte), and SIRI (neutrophilXmonocyte/lymphocyte) were compared between the groups. Afterward, SII and SIRI values were compared between subgroups based on pregnancy complications, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and maternal mortality. A receiver operator characteristic analysis was performed for the determination of optimal cutoff values for SII and SIRI in the prediction of COVID‐19 severity, pregnancy complications, NICU admission, and maternal mortality.

Results

Both SII and SIRI were significantly higher in complicated cases (p < 0.05). Cutoff values in the prediction of severe–critical COVID‐19 were 1309.8 for SII, and 2.3 for SIRI. For pregnancy complications, optimal cutoff values were 973.2 and 1.6. Cutoff values of 1045.4 and 1.8 were calculated for the prediction of NICU admission. Finally, cut‐off values of 1224.2 and 2.4 were found in the prediction of maternal mortality.

Conclusion

SII and SIRI might be used in combination with other clinical findings in the prediction of poor perinatal outcomes.
Carbohydrate pellets to assess insulin dysregulation in horses
Authors: de Laat Melody A. , Warnken Tobias , Delarocque Julien , Reiche Dania B. , Grob Anne J. , Feige Karsten , Carslake Harry B. , Durham Andy E. , Sillence Martin N. , Thane Kristen E. , Frank Nicholas , Brojer Johan , Lindase Sanna , Sonntag Johanna
Published: December 2022

Background

A glycemic challenge test is used for the diagnosis of insulin dysregulation (ID) in horses and ponies. Different forms of the test exist where the administrative route and dose of glucose vary, which makes interpretation of results challenging.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To evaluate the palatability of, and blood glucose and insulin responses to, carbohydrate pellets fed as an oral glucose test (OGT), and to establish the diagnostic threshold for ID when using the pellets.

Animals

University and privately‐owned horses and ponies (n = 157) comprised of 31 breeds and both sexes.

Methods

Multicenter cohort study. A custom‐produced glycemic pellet was offered for free intake at 0.5 g/kg BW soluble carbohydrate and serum insulin and blood glucose concentrations measured before and after (60, 120, and 180 minutes) the pellets were offered. Pellet acceptance and intake time (those that finished within 10 minutes) were determined to assess palatability.

Results

The pellets were palatable to 132/157 animals, and ponies found the pellets more (P = .004) palatable than horses. The median intake time (4 [3‐6] minutes) was positively correlated with acceptance grade (r = .51; P < .0001). Consumption of the pellets elicited peak blood glucose (6.6 [5.8‐7.8] mmol/L) and serum insulin (40.5 [19‐99.8] μIU/mL) responses at 120 minutes. At 120 minutes the optimal cut‐off was 83 μIU/mL (95% CI: 70‐99 μIU/mL) for the IMMULITE 2000XPi assay.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The pellets were palatable and a suitable, novel carbohydrate source for the OGT.
Anti‐oppressive pedagogy in medical education: A qualitative study of trainees and faculty
Authors: Punchhi Gopika , Shum Kathryn , Sukhera Javeed
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Despite the proliferation of interest in health equity and justice in medical education, there is limited research into the practical implementation of pedagogical approaches that align with anti‐oppressive practices. This study sought to explore how to integrate anti‐oppressive pedagogy into medical education.

Methods

Using constructivist grounded theory, the authors conducted 19 semi‐structured interviews with a continuum of medical education stakeholders including learners and faculty in a Canadian context between June and August 2021. Transcripts were iteratively analysed using constant comparative analysis.

Results

Findings suggest that existing approaches to anti‐oppressive pedagogy in medical education are misaligned with the perceived values, priorities, pace, biomedical focus and hierarchical nature of medical education, and medical practice. Although some learners are motivated to advance anti‐oppressive teaching, their motivations are often related to their personal experiences of oppression. Participants suggested that transformative and structural changes are required to effectively integrate anti‐oppressive pedagogy into medical education. Suggestions included a shift to community‐based learning while ensuring adequate compensation for educators and addressing resistance at individual and institutional levels.

Conclusion

Anti‐oppressive pedagogy does not presently align with existing medical education practices. Effectively integrating anti‐oppressive approaches will require individual and institutional reflection on the values and assumptions that underpin the field before progress can be made in a meaningful and sustainable way.
Macrophage efferocytosis in atherosclerosis
Authors: Baraniecki Łukasz , Tokarz‐Deptuła Beata , Syrenicz Anhelli , Deptuła Wiesław
Published: December 2022

This paper presents the role of macrophage efferocytosis, the process of elimination of apoptotic bodies—elements formed during vascular atherosclerosis. The mechanisms of macrophage efferocytosis are presented, introducing the specific signals of this process, that is, ‘find me’, ‘eat me’ and ‘don't eat me’. The role of the process of efferocytosis in the formation of vascular atherosclerosis is also presented, including the factors and mechanisms that determine it, as well as the factors that determine the maintenance of homeostasis in the vessels, including the formation of vascular atherosclerosis.
Arabidopsis immune responses triggered by cellulose‐ and mixed‐linked glucan‐derived oligosaccharides require a group ofleucine‐rich repeat malectinreceptor kinases
Authors: Martín‐Dacal Marina , Fernández‐Calvo Patricia , Jiménez‐Sandoval Pedro , López Gemma , Garrido‐Arandía María , Rebaque Diego , del Hierro Irene , Berlanga Diego José , Torres Miguel Ángel , Kumar Varun , Mélida Hugo , Pacios Luis F. , Santiago Julia , Molina Antonio
Published: December 2022

The plant immune system perceives a diversity of carbohydrate ligands from plant and microbial cell walls through the extracellular ectodomains (ECDs) of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which activate pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI). Among these ligands are oligosaccharides derived from mixed‐linked β‐1,3/β‐1,4‐glucans (MLGs; e.g. β‐1,4‐D‐(Glc)2‐β‐1,3‐D‐Glc, MLG43) and cellulose (e.g. β‐1,4‐D‐(Glc)3, CEL3). The mechanisms behind carbohydrate perception in plants are poorly characterized except for fungal chitin oligosaccharides (e.g. β‐1,4‐d‐(GlcNAc)6, CHI6), which involve several receptor kinase proteins (RKs) with LysM‐ECDs. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization ofArabidopsis thalianamutants impaired in glycan perception (igp) that are defective in PTI activation mediated by MLG43 and CEL3, but not by CHI6.igp1–igp4are altered in three RKs – AT1G56145 (IGP1), AT1G56130 (IGP2/IGP3) and AT1G56140 (IGP4) – with leucine‐rich‐repeat (LRR) and malectin (MAL) domains in their ECDs.igp1harbors point mutation E906K andigp2andigp3harbor point mutation G773E in their kinase domains, whereasigp4is a T‐DNA insertional loss‐of‐function mutant. Notably, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) assays with purified ECD‐RKs of IGP1 and IGP3 showed that IGP1 binds with high affinity to CEL3 (with dissociation constantKD = 1.19 ± 0.03 μm) and cellopentaose (KD = 1.40 ± 0.01 μM), but not to MLG43, supporting its function as a plant PRR for cellulose‐derived oligosaccharides. Our data suggest that these LRR‐MAL RKs are components of a recognition mechanism for both cellulose‐ and MLG‐derived oligosaccharide perception and downstream PTI activation in Arabidopsis.
ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 4 coordinates eoplast formation to ensure acquisition of seed longevity during maturation in Medicago truncatula
Authors: Zinsmeister Julia , Lalanne David , Ly Vu Benoit , Schoefs Benoît , Marchand Justine , Dang Thi Thu , Buitink Julia , Leprince Olivier
Published: December 2022

Seed longevity, the capacity to remain alive during dry storage, is pivotal to germination performance and is essential for preserving genetic diversity. It is acquired during late maturation concomitantly with seed degreening and the de‐differentiation of chloroplasts into colorless, non‐photosynthetic plastids, called eoplasts. As chlorophyll retention leads to poor seed performance upon sowing, these processes are important for seed vigor. However, how these processes are regulated and connected to the acquisition of seed longevity remains poorly understood. Here, we show that such a role is at least provided by ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 4 (ABI4) in the legume Medicago truncatula. Mature seeds of Mtabi4 mutants contained more chlorophyll than wild‐type seeds and exhibited a 75% reduction in longevity and reduced dormancy. MtABI4 was necessary to stimulate eoplast formation, as evidenced by the significant delay in the dismantlement of photosystem II during the maturation of mutant seeds. Mtabi4 seeds also exhibited transcriptional deregulation of genes associated with retrograde signaling and transcriptional control of plastid‐encoded genes. Longevity was restored when Mtabi4 seeds developed in darkness, suggesting that the shutdown of photosynthesis during maturation, rather than chlorophyll degradation per se, is a requisite for the acquisition of longevity. Indeed, the shelf life of stay green mutant seeds that retained chlorophyll was not affected. Thus, ABI4 plays a role in coordinating the dismantlement of chloroplasts during seed development to avoid damage that compromises the acquisition of seed longevity. Analysis of Mtabi4 Mtabi5 double mutants showed synergistic effects on chlorophyll retention and longevity, suggesting that they act via parallel pathways.
Organoids of patient‐derived medullary thyroid carcinoma: The first milestone towards a new in vitro model in dogs
Authors: Scheemaeker Stephanie , Inglebert Marine , Daminet Sylvie , Dettwiler Martina , Letko Anna , Drögemüller Cord , Kessler Martin , Ducatelle Richard , Rottenberg Sven , Campos Miguel
Published: December 2022

Organoid cultures could constitute a valuable in vitro model to explore new treatments for canine (c) medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The study's objectives were to establish and characterize 3D organoid cultures of cMTC using histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) and to evaluate the effect of antitumor drugs on organoids' viability. Five cMTC tissue samples were used to develop organoid cultures of which one organoid line, named cMTC N°2, could be passaged for an extended period. This cMTC N°2 organoid line was further compared to the primary tumour regarding morphology and IHC expression of thyroid transcription factor‐1 (TTF‐1), thyroglobulin, calcitonin, synaptophysin, vimentin, Ki‐67, cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), P‐glycoprotein and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Quality control of the cMTC N°2 organoid line was achieved by a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array of the organoids, primary tumour and healthy blood cells of the same dog. The effect of carboplatin, meloxicam and toceranib phosphate (TOC) on cMTC N°2 organoids' viability was evaluated. The cMTC N°2 organoid line was cultured for 94 days and showed similar histological features with the primary tumour. Immunolabelling for TTF‐1, thyroglobulin, calcitonin and VEGF was similar between the primary tumour and cMTC N°2 organoids. Compared to the primary tumour, organoids showed higher immunolabelling for vimentin and Ki‐67, and lower immunolabelling for synaptophysin, COX‐2 and P‐glycoprotein. The SNP genotype was similar for each chromosome between healthy blood cells, primary tumour and cMTC N°2 organoids. Carboplatin, meloxicam and TOC had no effect on cMTC N°2 organoid cell viability within achievable in vivo concentration range. In conclusion, the cMTC N°2 organoid line is a promising first milestone towards an established in vitro organoid model to explore pathophysiology and new treatment modalities in cMTC.
Influence of feline brachycephaly on respiratory, gastrointestinal, sleep, and activity abnormalities
Authors: Gleason Hadley E. , Phillips Heidi , McCoy Annette M.
Published: December 2022

Objective

To determine the influence of brachycephaly on respiratory, gastrointestinal, sleep, and activity‐related parameters in cats.

Study design

Prospective questionnaire‐based study.

Animals

A total of 194 BC and 1003 non‐BC cats.

Methods

Owners completed an online questionnaire regarding respiratory, gastrointestinal, sleep, and activity‐related parameters. Response options were scored, and individual scores summed to give a total clinical severity score for each cat.

Results

Brachycephalic cats had more frequent snoring (odds ratio [OR] 6.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.06–9.41), sneezing (OR 6.52; CI: 4.75–8.98), nasal discharge (OR 8.26; 95% CI 5.77–11.85), coughing (OR 1.75; CI: 1.17–2.59), and dyspnea (OR 5.32; CI: 3.42–8.28); shorter activity before becoming dyspneic (OR 2.71; CI: 1.93–3.79), slower recovery from activity (OR 3.17; CI: 2.19–4.57), lower activity levels (OR 2.16; CI: 1.59–2.95), and increased respiratory noise (OR 6.68; CI: 4.71–9.52); and more hypersalivation (OR 2.50; CI: 1.47–4.16), halitosis (OR 1.40; CI: 1.00–1.95), and difficulty chewing (OR 5.19; CI: 3.65–7.38). Median clinical severity scores were higher for BC cats than non‐BC cats (p < .0001).

Conclusions

Brachycephalic cats (BC) were at risk for respiratory, gastrointestinal, and activity‐related symptoms compared to non‐BC cats.

Clinical relevance

Some BC cats exhibit clinically relevant symptoms and behaviors as reported by owners. Medical or surgical interventions may improve these symptoms and warrant investigation.