bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forward and Reverse Genetic Dissection of Morphogenesis Identifies Filament-CompetentCandida aurisStrains
Authors: Santana Darian J. , O’Meara Teresa R.
Published: April 2021

Candida aurisis an emerging healthcare-associated pathogen of global concern. Although this organism does not display the same morphological plasticity as the related fungal pathogenCandida albicans, recent reports have identified numerousC. aurisisolates that grow in cellular aggregates or filaments. However, the genetic circuitry governingC. aurismorphology remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we developed anAgrobacterium-mediatedtransformation system to generate mutants exhibiting aggregating or filamentous cell morphologies. Aggregating strains were associated with disruption of homologs ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaechitinase and chitin synthase regulatory proteins, including components of the Regulation ofACE2Morphogenesis (RAM) pathway, while disruption of a homolog of theS. cerevisiae ELM1gene resulted in a novel filamentous strain ofC. auris. To facilitate targeted genetic manipulation, we developed a transiently expressed Cas9 and sgRNA expression system for use inC. auris. Transformation using this system significantly increased the efficiency of homologous recombination and targeted integration of a reporter cassette in all four clades ofC. auris. Using this system, we generated targeted deletion mutants to confirm the roles of RAM and Elm1 proteins in regulatingC. aurismorphogenesis. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into the genetic regulation of aggregating and filamentous morphogenesis inC. auris. Furthermore, the genetic manipulation tools described here will allow for inexpensive and efficient manipulation of theC. aurisgenome.

Importance

Candida aurisis an emerging and often multi-drug resistant fungal pathogen responsible for outbreaks globally. Current difficulties in performing genetic manipulation in this organism remain a barrier to understandingC. aurisbiology. Homologous recombination approaches can result in less than 1% targeted integration of a reporter cassette, emphasizing the need for new genetic tools specific for manipulatingC. auris. Here, we adapted Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and a transient Cas9 and sgRNA expression system for use in forward and reverse genetic manipulation ofC. auris. We demonstrated the efficacy of each system by uncovering genes underlying cellular morphogenesis inC. auris. We identified a novel filamentous mutant ofC. auris, demonstrating that this organism has maintained the capacity for filamentous growth. Our findings provide additional options for improving the genetic tractability ofC. auris, which will allow for further characterization of this emerging pathogen.
Dynamics and heterogeneity of Erk-induced immediate-early gene expression
Authors: Jena Siddhartha G. , Yu Catherine , Toettcher Jared E.
Published: April 2021

Many canonical signaling pathways exhibit complex time-varying responses, yet how minutes-timescale pulses of signaling interact with the dynamics of transcription and gene expression remains poorly understood. Erk-induced immediate early gene (IEG) expression is a model of this interface, exemplifying both dynamic pathway activity and a rapid, potent transcriptional response. Here, we quantitatively characterize IEG expression downstream of dynamic Erk stimuli in individual cells. We find that IEG expression responds rapidly to acute changes in Erk activity, but only in a sub-population of stimulus-responsive cells. We find that while Erk activity partially predicts IEG expression, a majority of response heterogeneity is independent of Erk and can be rapidly tuned by different mitogenic stimuli and parallel signaling pathways. We extend our findings to anin vivocontext, the mouse epidermis, where we observe heterogenous immediate-early gene accumulation in both fixed tissue and single-cell RNA-sequencing data. Our results demonstrate that signaling dynamics can be faithfully transmitted to gene expression and suggest that the signaling-responsive population is an important parameter for interpreting gene expression responses.
A survey on the pedagogical features of language massive open online courses
Authors: Wong Billy Tak-ming
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This paper examines the pedagogical features of massive open online courses (MOOCs) for language learning–known as language MOOCs. The mainstream pedagogy of MOOCs typically involves the provision of short videos and reading materials for self-study; discussion forums, mostly for peer-to-peer interaction on course content; and machine-graded quizzes for self-assessment. For language learning, which has been conventionally understood as skill development, the pedagogical features of relevant MOOCs have yet to be comprehensively surveyed.

Design/methodology/approach

This study surveyed a total of 123 language MOOCs from the major MOOC platforms. The pedagogical features shown in these courses were identified and categorised according to the types of course materials and learning activities as well as the participation of learners and instructors.

Findings

English was the most common language taught in the courses. Over 80% of the courses took not more than six hours to complete. Most of these courses followed the typical approach of xMOOC delivery, with video watching, reading and auto-graded assessment being the most common learning activities. Less than half of the courses included discussion as part of learning, and instructors were involved in less than 30% of the discussion.

Originality/value

The findings show that, despite the technological advances in course delivery, current language MOOCs do not differ substantially from conventional distance language learning. Yet, the utilisation of computer-assisted language learning technology and the massive student base of MOOCs for creating a virtual social community are opportunities for developing learners' language proficiency on this learning environment.
Promoting digital citizenship education in junior secondary schools in Hong Kong: supporting schools in professional development and action research
Authors: Chong Eric King-man , Pao Shun Shing
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This study investigated the effectiveness of a professional development project on digital citizenship education (DCE) conducted by a team at the Education University of Hong Kong. The project aimed to promote digital citizenship education in local junior secondary schools in Hong Kong and support the professional development of in-service teachers.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was based on a departmental knowledge transfer and curriculum development project that provided professional development training workshops to in-service teachers from seven partner schools. This paper analyses some findings from the quantitative research questionnaires, lesson observations and qualitative interviews.

Findings

Eleven of the 12 participants reported that they were satisfied with the training workshops in the end. We also conducted paired sample t-tests of inferential data. The results show that after the workshops, the teachers tended to teach their students more about aspects of digital law, digital commerce and digital safety and security when teaching digital citizenship. This selection helps us to better understand the priorities of teachers in teaching digital citizenship.

Originality/value

This paper is the product of an original knowledge transfer and curriculum development project supported by the Education University of Hong Kong in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR) of China. The topic of digital citizenship education has also been under developed since citizenship education has always been about conventional citizenship in the physical world.
Evaluation of postural-assist exoskeleton for manual material handling
Authors: Ogunseiju Omobolanle , Olayiwola Johnson , Akanmu Abiola , Olatunji Oluwole Alfred
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders constitute a severe problem in the construction industry. Workers' lower backs are often affected by heavy or repetitive lifting and prolonged awkward postures. Exoskeletal interventions are effective for tasks involving manual lifting and repetitive movements. This study aims to examine the potential of a postural-assist exoskeleton (a passive exoskeleton) for manual material handling tasks.

Design/methodology/approach

From an experimental observation of participants, the effects of postural-assist exoskeleton on tasks and workers were measured. Associated benefits of the exoskeleton were assessed through task performance, range of motion and discomfort.

Findings

Findings suggest that the exoskeleton influenced discomfort significantly, however range of motion decreased with lifting tasks. The reduced back flexion and increased hip flexion were also indicatives of the participants' responsiveness to the feedback from the exoskeleton. In addition, task completion time increased by 20%, and participants' back pain did not reduce.

Research limitations/implications

The work tasks were performed in a controlled laboratory environment and only wearable inertia measurement units (IMUs) were used to assess the risk exposures of the body parts.

Practical implications

This study opens a practical pathway to human-exoskeleton integration, artificial regeneration or enablement of impaired workforce and a window toward a new order of productivity scaling. Results from this study provide preliminary insights to designers and innovators on the influence of postural assist exoskeleton on construction work. Project stakeholders can be informed of the suitability of the postural assist exoskeletons for manual material handling tasks.

Originality/value

Little has been reported on the benefits and impact of exoskeletons on tasks' physical demands and construction workers' performance. This study adds value to the existing literature, in particular by providing insights into the effectiveness and consequences of the postural-assist exoskeleton for manual material handling tasks.
Machine learning-aided cost prediction and optimization in construction operations
Authors: Sharma Virok , Zaki Mohd , Jha Kumar Neeraj , Krishnan N. M. Anoop
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to use a data-driven approach towards optimizing construction operations. To this extent, it presents a machine learning (ML)-aided optimization approach, wherein the construction cost is predicted as a function of time, resources and environmental impact, which is further used as a surrogate model for cost optimization.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking a dataset from literature, the paper has applied various ML algorithms, namely, simple and regularized linear regression, random forest, gradient boosted trees, neural network and Gaussian process regression (GPR) to predict the construction cost as a function of time, resources and environmental impact. Further, the trained models were used to optimize the construction cost applying single-objective (with and without constraints) and multi-objective optimizations, employing Bayesian optimization, particle swarm optimization (PSO) and non-dominated sorted genetic algorithm.

Findings

The results presented in the paper demonstrate that the ensemble methods, such as gradient boosted trees, exhibit the best performance for construction cost prediction. Further, it shows that multi-objective optimization can be used to develop a Pareto front for two competing variables, such as cost and environmental impact, which directly allows a practitioner to make a rational decision.

Research limitations/implications

Note that the sequential nature of events which dictates the scheduling is not considered in the present work. This aspect could be incorporated in the future to develop a robust scheme that can optimize the scheduling dynamically.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates that a ML approach coupled with optimization could enable the development of an efficient and economic strategy to plan the construction operations.
Application of Lean Six Sigma in conservative dentistry: an action research at an Indian dental college
Authors: Noronha Ajay , Bhat Shreeranga , Gijo E.V. , Antony Jiju , Bhat Suma
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The article evaluates the obstacles, lessons learned and managerial implications of deploying Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in a dental college hospital in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The work adopts the action research (AR) methodology to establish a case study, which is carried out using the LSS define–measure–analyze–improve–control (DAMIC) approach in a dental college. It uses LSS tools to enhance the productivity and performance of the Conservative Dentistry Department of a dental college and to unravel the obstacles and success factors in applying it to the education and healthcare sector together.

Findings

The root cause for high turn-around time (TAT) is ascertained using LSS tools and techniques. The effective deployment of the solutions to the root causes of variation assists the dental college to reduce the TAT of the Conservative Dentistry process from an average of 63.9 min–36.5 min (i.e. 42.9% improvement), and the process Standard Deviation (SD) was reduced from 2.63 to 2 min. This, in turn, raises the sigma level from 0.48 to 3.23, a noteworthy successful story for this dental college.

Research limitations/implications

While the results and recommendations of this research are focused on a single case study, it is to be noted that the case study is carried out with new users of LSS tools and techniques, especially with the assistance of interns. This indicates the applicability of LSS in dental colleges; thus, the adopted modality can be further refined to fit India's education and hospital sector together.

Originality/value

This article explains the implementation of LSS from an aspiring user viewpoint to assist dental colleges and policymakers in improving competitiveness. In addition, the medical education sector can introduce an LSS course in the existing programme to leverage the potential of this methodology to bring synergy and collaborative research between data-based thinking and the medical field based on the findings of this study. The most important contribution of this article is the illustration of the design of experiments (DOE) in the dental college process.
Air quality management using genetic algorithm based heuristic fuzzy time series model
Authors: Bhagat Lalit , Goyal Gunjan , Bisht Dinesh C.S. , Ram Mangey , Kazancoglu Yigit
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a better method for quality management to maintain an essential level of quality in different fields like product quality, service quality, air quality, etc.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a hybrid adaptive time-variant fuzzy time series (FTS) model with genetic algorithm (GA) has been applied to predict the air pollution index. Fuzzification of data is optimized by GAs. Heuristic value selection algorithm is used for selecting the window size. Two algorithms are proposed for forecasting. First algorithm is used in training phase to compute forecasted values according to the heuristic value selection algorithm. Thus, obtained sequence of heuristics is used for second algorithm in which forecasted values are selected with the help of defined rules.

Findings

The proposed model is able to predict AQI more accurately when an appropriate heuristic value is chosen for the FTS model. It is tested and evaluated on real time air pollution data of two popular tourism cities of India. In the experimental results, it is observed that the proposed model performs better than the existing models.

Practical implications

The management and prediction of air quality have become essential in our day-to-day life because air quality affects not only the health of human beings but also the health of monuments. This research predicts the air quality index (AQI) of a place.

Originality/value

The proposed method is an improved version of the adaptive time-variant FTS model. Further, a nature-inspired algorithm has been integrated for the selection and optimization of fuzzy intervals.
Forest structure drives changes in light heterogeneity during tropical secondary forest succession
Authors: Matsuo Tomonari , Martínez‐Ramos Miguel , Bongers Frans , van der Sande Masha T. , Poorter Lourens
Published: April 2021

Light is a key resource for tree performance and hence, tree species partition spatial and temporal gradients in light availability. Although light distribution drives tree performance and species replacement during secondary forest succession, we yet lack understanding how light distribution changes with tropical forest development.

This study aims to evaluate how changes in forest structure lead to changes in vertical and horizontal light heterogeneity during tropical forest succession.

We described successional patterns in light using a chronosequence approach in which we compared 14 Mexican secondary forest stands that differ in age (8–32 years) since agricultural abandonment. For each stand, we measured vertical light profiles in 16 grid cells, and structural parameters (diameter at breast height, height and crown dimensions) for each tree.

During succession, we found a rapid increase in stand size (basal area, crown area and length) and stand differentiation (i.e. a gradual leaf distribution along the forest profile), which leads to fast changes in light conditions and more light heterogeneity. The inflection points of the vertical light gradient (i.e. the absolute height at which 50% relative light intensity is attained) rapidly moved towards higher heights in the first 20 years, indicating that larger amounts of light are intercepted by canopy trees. Light attenuation rate (i.e. the rate of light extinction) decreased during succession due to slower accumulation of the crown area with height. Understorey light intensity and heterogeneity slightly decreased during succession because of an increase in crown size and a decrease in lateral gap frequency. Understorey relative light intensity was 1.56% at 32 years after abandonment.

Synthesis. During succession, light conditions changed linearly, which should lead to a continuous and constant replacement of species. Especially in later successional stages, stronger vertical light gradients can limit the regeneration of light‐demanding pioneer species and increase the proportion of shade‐tolerant late‐successional species under the canopy. These changes in light conditions were largely driven by the successional changes in forest structure, as basal area strongly determined the height where most light is absorbed, whereas crown area, and to a lesser extent crown length, determined light distribution.
Effect of dialyzer membranes on mortality in uremic patients undergoing long‐term hemodialysis: A Nationwide population‐based study using the Taiwan Dialysis Registry Data System 2005–2012
Authors: Chang Chih‐Yu , Wu Mai‐Szu , Chang Chen‐Hao , Lin Chih‐Chieh , Lin Hsiang‐Ling , Kao Chih‐Chin , Chen Hsi‐Hsien , Li Albert , Hsu Chih‐Cheng , Lin Yen‐Chung
Published: April 2021

The characteristics in dialyzer are associated with mortality in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving hemodialysis (HD). This study is to investigate the effects of dialyzer membranes on 3‐year mortality in ESRD patients. From the long‐term nationwide population database. Prevalent HD patients during 2005–2012 were enrolled. Our main analysis to calculate the effect was cox regression multivariate model. Overall, the mean age of all population (N = 73 565) was 61.0 ± 13.6 years, the observation period is 2.46 years ±0.98 within 3 years and 64.6% used polysulfone (PS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) (11.6%), polyethersulfone (11.4%), and cellulose triacetate (CTA) (10.7%), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVAL) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.71–4.33) and CTA (HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.12–1.64) were associated with higher mortality than PS, but PMMA was not. EVAL and CTA adversely affected mortality and PMMA had no protective role. Further investigations on membrane characters on HD patients are warranted. Taipei Medical University (TMU) (TMU‐JIRB (No. N201804051).
Relationship between the index of protein modification (Kolbach index) and degradation of macromolecules in wheat malt
Authors: Liu Junhan , Chu Bao , Yang Xiao , Jin Yuhong
Published: April 2021

Kolbach index (KI) is an important index to evaluate the qualities of malt, which will affect protein molecular composition, enzyme activity, and other macromolecules degradation during wheat malting. In this paper, the relationship between wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) malts KI and the (i) characterization of albumins, globulins, gliadins, and glutenins and their hydrolysis and (ii) the enzymatic breakdown of starch and arabinoxylans during malting were studied. As malt KI values increased, all fractions of glutenins and gliadins were extensively hydrolyzed. The higher Mw globulins (36.6 to 70.8 kDa) were also increasingly degraded at higher KI values, but the concentration of smaller globulin fractions (14.9 to 35.0 kDa) had increased significantly. As for albumins, although their overall concentration had increased as KI increased, changes in the concentration of individual albumin fractions was more complex. While there were significant increases in the concentration of some new albumin proteins (43.8 and 84.4 kDa), the concentration of some albumins decreased (21.1 to 64.3 kDa), and some fractions had completely disappeared (28.8 and 64.3 kDa). Following mashing, the hydrophobicity of the worts had decreased significantly at higher KI values. At malt KI values between 39.5% and 42.7%, the enzymatic activity was at its highest, the degradation of starch was adequate and stable, and the concentration of water‐soluble arabinoxylans was optimal.

A KI value of about 39.5% to 42.7% was therefore considered optimal for the production of wheat malts with superior quality attributes.

Practical Application

The findings from this study will be valuable to beer companies; a more precise control of the malting and brewing parameters, fundamental for the production of high‐quality wheat malts and wheat beer, can be achieved.
The interaction mechanism between liposome and whey protein: Effect of liposomal vesicles concentration
Authors: Chen Yang , Yi Xiangzhou , Pan Min‐Hsiung , Chiou Yi‐Shiou , Li Zhenshun , Wei Shudong , Yin Xiaoli , Ding Baomiao
Published: April 2021

The interaction mechanism between liposomes (Lips) and whey protein isolates (WPI) with different mass ratios was explored in this paper. After binding with different concentration of Lips, the changes in hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions of WPI were investigated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and pyrene fluorescence probes. The spatial structure changes of WPI were further characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and circular dichroism. The results indicated that the structure of WPI was changed due to binding with Lips in hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups. The binding process might result in the migration, recombination, and alignment of WPI and Lip groups. Moreover, the oil‐water interfacial tension with WPI decreased from 9.20 mN/m to 3.29 mN/m upon increasing the Lip‐to‐WPI ratio. This work suggests that the physiochemical properties of Lip–WPI complexes could be manipulated by adjusting the Lip‐to‐WPI ratio. This study shed some light on the mechanism explanation of the WPI structural changes due to the interaction with Lips during food processing.
Incidence, outcomes and effect of delayed intervention in patients with hollow viscus injury due to major trauma in the Northern region of New Zealand
Authors: Kommunuri Jophia Sushith , Loto‐Aso Eseta , Harmston Christopher
Published: April 2021

Background

Patients with hollow viscus injury (HVI) are often a cause for diagnostic uncertainty. The incidence and outcomes of patients suffering hollow viscus injury secondary to major trauma have not been previously described in New Zealand. These metrics are important to guide quality improvement and resource allocation. The aim of our study is to define the incidence, outcomes and effect of delayed intervention on patients admitted to hospital with hollow viscus injury secondary to blunt abdominal trauma in the Northern region of New Zealand.

Methods

A 4‐year multicentre retrospective study was performed in the Northern region of New Zealand between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2019. A primary cohort of patients with confirmed hollow viscus injury secondary to blunt abdominal injury, who underwent a laparotomy, were assessed. The primary outcome measures were incidence, 30‐day mortality and morbidity. Secondary outcomes included the effect of timing of surgical intervention.

Results

The incidence of hollow viscus injury in the region was 2.03 per 100 000. The 30‐day mortality rate was 5% and the 30‐day morbidity rate was 82%. Immediate surgical intervention was carried out in 36%, early surgical intervention in 56% and delayed surgical intervention in 8%.

Conclusion

The incidence of hollow viscus injury is in keeping with similar studies, but with lower mortality and higher morbidity. The rate of immediate or early surgical intervention was high. These findings are important to clinicians managing patients with major trauma and those involved in planning and allocation of resources.
“Watching the tsunami come”: A case study of female healthcare provider experiences during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Austin Elizabeth J. , Blacker Alexandria , Kalia Isha
Published: April 2021

As health systems rapidly respond to COVID‐19, it is unclear how these changes influence the experiences and well‐being of female healthcare providers (FHCPs), including the potential for FHCPs to develop compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress. We conducted qualitative interviews (n = 15) with FHCPs at three locations (Washington, California, and New York). Interviews explored FHCP's perspectives on how care delivery changed, processes of information delivery and decision‐making, gender inclusion, and approaches to managing stress and well‐being. An inductive coding process was used to generate themes. FHCPs described significant changes to the way they delivered care, and their work environments, during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Five themes emerged that characterized the experiences of FHCPs during COVID‐19, including conflicting feelings while providing care, managing information and decisions, balancing roles, coping and well‐being, and considerations for moving forward. FHCPs experienced many impacts to their professional and personal lives during COVID‐19 that further complicated their ability to manage stress and well‐being. The themes identified through this work offer important lessons about how to support the well‐being of FHCPs and signify the widespread potential for compassion fatigue among FHCPs as a result of COVID‐19.
Pancreas‐left gastric artery angle is associated with postoperative inflammation and drain amylase after laparoscopic gastrectomy
Authors: Sugase Takahito , Takahashi Tsuyoshi , Takiguchi Shuji , Kurokawa Yukinori , Teranishi Ryugo , Saito Takuro , Miyazaki Yasuhiro , Yamamoto Kazuyoshi , Yamashita Kotaro , Tanaka Koji , Makino Tomoki , Nakajima Kiyokazu , Motoori Masaaki , Kimura Yutaka , Yamasaki Makoto , Eguchi Hidetoshi , Doki Yuichiro
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The pancreas often interferes with the surgical field during laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) and its disorders cause severe postoperative complications. This study aimed to evaluate the association between the anatomical location of the pancreas and surgical outcome and to investigate the optimal surgical position in LG.

Methods

We newly defined the angle formed between the supra‐pancreatic region and the root of the left gastric artery (LGA) as the pancreas‐LGA angle (PLA). The association between PLA and surgical outcomes in 107 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) was investigated. Then, the change in PLA before and after insertion of the back pillow in 30 patients with gastric cancer was examined.

Results

The median PLA was 62° (range, 2°‐157°). No differences were found in the patient background between patients with small PLA (PLA < 62°; n = 53) and those with large PLA (PLA ≧ 62°; n = 54). The postoperative inflammation response (white blood cells, neutrophils, and C‐reactive protein) and amylase concentration in the drainage fluid (D‐AMY) were significantly higher in the small PLA group than large PLA group. Multivariable analyses demonstrated that small PLA was an independent risk factor for high D‐AMY. After insertion of a back pillow, PLA was noninvasively increased in all patients, and the median PLA was changed to 92° (range, 8°‐151°) from 61° (range, 2°‐140°). Of 17 patients with small PLA, nine developed large PLA.

Conclusions

These results suggest that PLA can become one of the indicators of postoperative complications related to anatomical patient factors in LDG.
Ecophysiological steps of marine adaptation in extant and extinct non‐avian tetrapods
Authors: Motani Ryosuke , Vermeij Geerat J.
Published: April 2021

Marine reptiles and mammals are phylogenetically so distant from each other that their marine adaptations are rarely compared directly. We reviewed ecophysiological features in extant non‐avian marine tetrapods representing 31 marine colonizations to test whether there is a common pattern across higher taxonomic groups, such as mammals and reptiles. Marine adaptations in tetrapods can be roughly divided into aquatic and haline adaptations, each of which seems to follow a sequence of three steps. In combination, these six categories exhibit five steps of marine adaptation that apply across all clades except snakes: Step M1, incipient use of marine resources; Step M2, direct feeding in the saline sea; Step M3, water balance maintenance without terrestrial fresh water; Step M4, minimized terrestrial travel and loss of terrestrial feeding; and Step M5, loss of terrestrial thermoregulation and fur/plumage. Acquisition of viviparity is not included because there is no known case where viviparity evolved after a tetrapod lineage colonized the sea. A similar sequence is found in snakes but with the haline adaptation step (Step M3) lagging behind aquatic adaptation (haline adaptation is Step S5 in snakes), most likely because their unique method of water balance maintenance requires a supply of fresh water. The same constraint may limit the maximum body size of fully marine snakes. Steps M4 and M5 in all taxa except snakes are associated with skeletal adaptations that are mechanistically linked to relevant ecophysiological features, allowing assessment of marine adaptation steps in some fossil marine tetrapods. We identified four fossil clades containing members that reached Step M5 outside of stem whales, pinnipeds, sea cows and sea turtles, namely Eosauropterygia, Ichthyosauromorpha, Mosasauroidea, and Thalattosuchia, while five other clades reached Step M4: Saurosphargidae, Placodontia, Dinocephalosaurus, Desmostylia, and Odontochelys. Clades reaching Steps M4 and M5, both extant and extinct, appear to have higher species diversity than those only reaching Steps M1 to M3, while the total number of clades is higher for the earlier steps. This suggests that marine colonizers only diversified greatly after they minimized their use of terrestrial resources, with many lineages not reaching these advanced steps. Historical patterns suggest that a clade does not advance to Steps M4 and M5 unless these steps are reached early in the evolution of the clade. Intermediate forms before a clade reached Steps M4 and M5 tend to become extinct without leaving extant descendants or fossil evidence. This makes it difficult to reconstruct the evolutionary history of marine adaptation in many clades. Clades that reached Steps M4 and M5 tend to last longer than other marine tetrapod clades, sometimes for more than 100 million years.
Design and preliminary experience of a transportable equine operating theatre
Authors: Riggs Christopher M. , Riggs Simon J. , Cheung TY , Tsang Frankie , Oldaker Lachlan
Published: April 2021

Background

Equine surgical facilities are not always available, even in situations where high‐value horses are involved in relatively high‐risk activities.

Objectives

To develop a self‐contained equine surgical unit that can be relocated and transported by road.

Study design

Proof of concept.

Methods

A modular operating suite for horses, which included a theatre, scrub room, instrument preparation and storage room, and an anaesthetic induction/recovery box: Transportable Equine Operating Theatre (TEOT) was designed, constructed and tested. A second, larger unit was then built following the same design criteria.

Results

Both units were based on modifications of standard 6.06 × 2.35 m (20 × 8 ft), steel shipping containers that were fitted out to provide anaesthetic and surgical facilities in a functional and safe working environment. The two TEOTs consisted of either two or three containers that had selected sections of their sides removed so that they could be joined together to create a single large internal space. This space was subdivided to create separate working areas. A dedicated anaesthetic induction/recovery box was fabricated from a modular steel frame that could be disassembled for transport. The component parts could be loaded onto the bed of a standard lorry for road transport. The unit was designed to incorporate equipment that is found in any high‐quality equine operating theatre. Surgical procedures on adult Thoroughbred horses have been successfully completed in both units.

Main limitations

The two units have had minimal use to date, and there is little data on their performance.

Conclusions

The equipment described here is a way to provide equine surgical facilities that can be assembled and disassembled to allow their relocation to different sites.
Combination of human papillomaviruses L1 and L2 multiepitope constructs protects mice against tumor cells
Authors: Namvar Ali , Bolhassani Azam , Javadi Gholamreza , Noormohammadi Zahra
Published: April 2021

Different types of cancer including cervical (>90%), anal (~88%), vaginal (~40%), and penile (~40%) cancers are associated with human papillomaviruse (HPV) infections. Three prophylactic vaccines (Cervarix, Gardasil, and Gardasil‐9) were approved to provide immuno‐protection against certain types of HPVs. Currently, next‐generation HPV vaccines such as L1/L2‐based vaccines are being developed to provide broad‐type HPV protection. In this study, we introduced a comprehensive framework for design of L1/L2 polyepitope‐based HPV vaccine candidate. This framework started with protein sequence retrieval and followed by conservancy analysis between high‐risk HPVs, MHC‐I and MHC‐II epitope mapping, and B‐cell and T‐cell epitope mapping. Subsequently, we performed Tap transport and proteasomal cleavage, population coverage, antigenicity, allergenicity and cross‐reactivity. After that, peptide‐MHCI/II flexible docking and comprehensive conservancy analysis against all HPV types were carried out. The next steps were prediction of interferon‐gamma and interleukin‐10 inducing epitopes, epitope selection and construct design, tertiary structure prediction, refinement and validation, discontinuous B‐cell epitope prediction, vaccine‐TLR4 molecular docking, and codon optimization. Our data showed that two designed vaccine constructs harboring 8 L1 peptides or 7 L2 peptides, individually were highly conserved between all well‐known HPV types. In addition, the combination of in silico/in vivo approaches indicated the potential ability of L1 and L2 polyepitope constructs for development of next generation prophylactic/therapeutic HPV vaccine.
Coordination of transcription and processing of tRNA
Authors: Jarrous Nayef , Mani Dhivakar , Ramanathan Aravind
Published: April 2021

Coordination of transcription and processing of RNA is a basic principle in regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes. In the case of mRNA, coordination is primarily founded on a co‐transcriptional processing mechanism by which a nascent precursor mRNA undergoes maturation via cleavage and modification by the transcription machinery. A similar mechanism controls the biosynthesis of rRNA. However, the coordination of transcription and processing of tRNA, a rather short transcript, remains unknown. Here, we present a model for high molecular weight initiation complexes of human RNA polymerase III that assemble on tRNA genes and process precursor transcripts to mature forms. These multifunctional initiation complexes may support co‐transcriptional processing, such as the removal of the 5’ leader of precursor tRNA by RNase P. Based on this model, maturation of tRNA is predetermined prior to transcription initiation.
Is there value in international accreditation beyond quality? An empirical analysis of the AACSB accredited schools
Authors: Okulova Olga , Shakina Elena
Published: April 2021

The paper investigates the value of AACSB accreditation for business schools. The status of an accredited school decreases the asymmetry of information and the study aims to fill the gap if this market signal has a value beyond enhancing the quality itself. It is based on the international panel data of the AACSB Business Schools Questionnaire and shows that, on average, business schools demonstrate a higher economic performance after the accreditation is received. The results contribute to the signalling theory hypothesis that quality enhances the ability to observe the signal by the market. The positive effect of AACSB accreditation is heterogeneous and stronger for MBA programmes. In addition, we discovered that the effect lags in time and the market fully observes it at least one enrolment cycle later. The results provide an international perspective of the effects that AACSB accreditation has on the performance of business schools and is relevant both for academics and education policymakers.
Biological functions of IL‐17‐producing cells in mycoplasma respiratory infection
Authors: Luo Ying , Li Cheng , Zhou Zhou , Gong Zhande , Zhu Cuiming , Lei Aihua
Published: April 2021

Mycoplasmas are the smallest and simplest bacteria that lack a cell wall but have the capability of self‐replication. Among them, Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most common causes of community‐acquired pneumonia. The hallmark of mycoplasma respiratory diseases is the persistence of lung inflammation that involves both innate and adaptive immune responses. In recent years, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that IL‐17 plays an important role in respiratory mycoplasma infection, and associates with the pathologic outcomes of infection, such as pneumonitis and asthma. Numerous studies have shown that a variety of cells, in particular Th17 cells, in the lung can secrete IL‐17 during respiratory mycoplasma infection. In this article, we review the biological functions of distinct IL‐17‐producing cells in mycoplasma respiratory infection with a focus on the effect of IL‐17 on the outcomes of infection.
Associations between safety perceptions and medical error reporting among neonatal intensive care unit staff
Authors: Culbreth Rachel E. , Spratling Regena , Scates Lauranne , Frederick Laryssa , Kenney Jordan , Gardenhire Douglas S.
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Critically ill neonates are particularly susceptible to medical errors; however, few studies have evaluated NICU safety climate in the context of medical error reporting. This study aims to identify the association between perceptions of safety and culture among NICU staff with medical error reporting behaviours.

Methods

This study used a convenience sample of 79 NICU staff members (38 Nurses and 41 Respiratory Therapists). Questionnaires consisted of demographic factors (years of experience, sex and education), the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) and hypothetical medical error reporting scenarios (categorized into minor harm or major harm). The SAQ consists of six domains: job satisfaction, teamwork climate, safety climate, perceptions of management, working conditions and stress recognition. Scores ranged from 0–5, with a 5 indicating a more positive perception. Logistic regression was used to determine statistically significant predictors for each individual harm scenario (odds of being very likely/likely to report vs. all other responses).

Results

Among those who completed the study, approximately 84.8% were female. Safety attitude domain scores were similar for both NICU respiratory therapists and nurses across all domains except for job satisfaction and stress. Respiratory therapists reported higher levels of job satisfaction compared to nurses (24 vs. 23, respectively, p = 0.01). However, nurses reported higher levels of stress management compared to respiratory therapists (12 vs. 9, respectively, p < 0.01). While we did not find a significant association between safety attitudes and hypothetical medical error reporting, NICU staff overall were more likely to report major medical errors compared to minor medical errors.

Conclusions

This study suggests that safety climate may not play a significant role in promoting medical error reporting in the NICU setting.

Relevance to clinical practice

Interventions aimed at increasing medical error reporting should also incorporate established employees rather than targeting new employees only.
MRI characteristics of Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis: Comparison to human diseases
Authors: Tagge Ian J. , Kohama Steven G. , Sherman Larry S. , Bourdette Dennis N. , Woltjer Randall , Wang Paul , Wong Scott W. , Rooney William D.
Published: April 2021

Background and Purpose

To describe MRI findings in Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis (JME) with emphasis on lesion characteristics, lesion evolution, normal‐appearing brain tissue, and similarities to human demyelinating disease.

Methods

MRI data were obtained from 114 Japanese macaques, 30 presenting neurological signs of JME. All animals were screened for presence of T2‐weighted white matter signal hyperintensities; animals with behavioral signs of JME were additionally screened for contrast‐enhancing lesions. Whole‐brain quantitative T1 maps were collected, and histogram analysis was performed with regression across age to evaluate microstructural changes in normal appearing brain tissue in JME and neurologically normal animals. Quantitative estimates of blood‐brain‐barrier (BBB) permeability to gadolinium‐based‐contrast agent (GBCA) were obtained in acute, GBCA‐enhancing lesions. Longitudinal imaging data were acquired for 15 JME animals.

Results

One hundred and seventy‐three focal GBCA‐enhancing lesions were identified in 30 animals demonstrating behavioral signs of neurological dysfunction. JME GBCA‐enhancing lesions were typically focal and ovoid, demonstrating highest BBB GBCA permeability in the lesion core, similar to acute, focal multiple sclerosis lesions. New GBCA‐enhancing lesions arose rapidly from normal‐appearing tissue, and BBB permeability remained elevated for weeks. T1 values in normal‐appearing tissue were significantly associated with age, but not with sex or disease.

Conclusions

Intense, focal neuroinflammation is a key MRI finding in JME. Several features of JME compare directly to human inflammatory demyelinating diseases. Investigation of JME combined with the development and validation of noninvasive imaging biomarkers offers substantial potential to improve diagnostic specificity and contribute to the understanding of human demyelinating diseases.
The black rim susceptibility sign in the MRI evaluation of intracranial colloid cysts
Authors: Sayah Anousheh , Berkowitz Frank , Thakkar Rashmi S.
Published: April 2021

Background and Purpose

Colloid cysts are relatively rare intracranial lesions located in the rostral aspect of third ventricle. They may produce acute hydrocephalus, brain herniation, and death. On conventional MRI, the appearance of a colloid cyst varies depending on its composition. Small isointense cysts can be missed. The purpose of this study is to introduce a new sign, “black rim susceptibility” sign for the accurate diagnosis of colloid cyst on susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI).

Methods

A retrospective case–control study consisted of 100 MRI brain scans (19 cases and 81 controls) performed from January 2012 to September 2018. Two fellowship trained neuroradiologists individually interpreted SWI sequences for the presence of the “black rim susceptibility” sign (thin rim of dark signal along the periphery of a rounded, hyperintense focus).

Results

The sample was 43% male and 57% female, with an average age of 51.8 ± 17.7. Out of 19 cases, 9 had undergone surgery in which pathology had confirmed colloid cyst. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for reader 1 was 94.8%, 98.8%, and 98% and for reader 2 was 89.5%, 100%, and 98%, respectively. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value for reader 1 was 94.7% and 98.8% and for reader 2 was 100% and 97.6%, respectively. Interrater correlation between the two readers was calculated with kappa of 0.93.

Conclusion

The black rim susceptibility appearance of colloid cyst on SWI is a novel description and an effective sign that can be used by radiologists for accurate diagnosis.
Trade with enemy: Economic interdependence and stability under anarchy
Authors: Choi Gyoung‐Gyu , Kim Jeong‐Yoo
Published: April 2021

This paper considers the problem of allocating resources between economic goods and military goods in a contest model. We characterize the equilibrium and its stability in both cases where the two states' economic goods are substitutes and complements, and compare the outcomes. If the two states' economic goods are substitutes, there may exist multiple equilibria including at least one unstable equilibrium when a state has a comparative advantage in a sector. Without any such comparative advantage, a unique stable equilibrium results in which both states build‐up the same level of military goods regardless of their relative sizes. A unique stable equilibrium also emerges if the two states' economic goods are complements with Cobb–Douglas utility characteristics. These results suggest that greater economic interdependence due to the complementarity slows down the arms races, and help stabilize the system. If the contest between the two states is a winner‐take‐all all‐pay auction, there exists a pure strategy equilibrium. In this equilibrium, the state with an absolute advantage in the military sector takes all the resources by spending slightly more in the military sector than the other state. Such a finding contradicts most of the standard all‐pay auctions, in which only a mixed strategy equilibrium exists.