bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“I Don’t Even Want to Come Out”: the Suppressed Voices of Our Future and Opening the Lid on Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Workplace Discrimination in Europe: a Qualitative Study
Authors: Seiler-Ramadas Radhika , Markovic Lovro , Staras Chase , Medina Laura Llop , Perak Jelena , Carmichael Christina , Horvat Matej , Bajkusa Mario , Baros Sladjana , Smith Lee , McDermott Daragh T. , Grabovac Igor
Published: September 2021

Introduction

In Europe, young sexual and gender minority (SGM) people continue to face discrimination in the labour sector despite advances in legislation towards their acceptance and equal treatment. Non-discrimination policy strategies helping SGM individuals are not equally enforced in all contexts, making it difficult for many SGM individuals to disclose their identity, hence undermining their health and well-being.

Methods

Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2020 and February 2021 with 55 SGM youth (18–27 years) having work experience from Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain and the UK.

Results

From the analysis, three overarching themes were significant: (1) societal discrimination played a major role in sociocultural factors and policy considerations, (2) workplace discrimination had distinct factors and impacts on SGM individuals and (3) SGM inclusion should use strategies to ensure workplace diversity and equality.

Conclusions

SGM individuals from contexts of poor acceptance tended to hide their identity in the workplace, while transgender and non-binary individuals were prone to experience force-disclosure and discrimination in all aspects of employment. There is a lack of resolute reaction from policy makers in managing problems faced by SGM people in workplaces. New laws improving the status of SGM people need to be further adopted, staff training should be implemented, and managers are crucial in achieving an inclusive climate in the workplace.

Policy Implications

It is essential to implement policies on how to effectively handle problems faced by sexual and gender minority people in the workplace.
Prenatal Diagnosis of a Fetus with Trisomy 18 and Inherited Reciprocal Translocation Between Chromosomes 7 and 18
Authors: Jadhav Yamini , James Jiju , Jadhav Ajinkya , Bhairi Vidya , Kadandale Jayaram
Published: September 2021

It is widely known that the increased prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities is mainly due to Robertsonian and reciprocal translocations as compared to duplication, deletion and inversion. In case of balanced translocations, there are no phenotypic characteristics observed in the carrier, but it leads to increased risk of producing unbalanced gametes. In this case report we present a prenatal case diagnosed at 16 weeks of gestation with trisomy for chromosome 18 along with inherited balanced reciprocal translocation between chromosome 7 and 18. Chromosome analysis of fetal amniotic fluid and maternal peripheral blood was performed at the Clinical Genetics Department. Fetal chromosome analysis confirmed a rare genetic abnormality 47,t(7;18)(p13;q21)mat, + 18. Maternal karyotype confirmed a balanced reciprocal translocation 46,XX,t(7;18)(p13;q21). The pregnancy was terminated at 16–17 weeks due to abnormal karyotype results. The present findings can be used as an effective tool for reproductive guidance and genetic counseling of the couple.
Pregnancy and delivery in women receiving maintenance hemodialysis in Japan: analysis of potential risk factors for neonatal and maternal complications
Authors: Hirano Hiroko , Ueda Tomomi , Tani Hirohiko , Kosaka Kenzo , Nakatani Eiji , Hawke Philip , Mori Kiyoshi , Mori Noriko
Published: September 2021

Introduction

Average dialysis vintage in Japan is among the longest in the world, providing a unique opportunity to characterize pregnancy under conditions of long dialysis vintage. In 2017, we carried out a nationwide survey following up on a similar survey in 1996, in which we investigated the prevalence and outcomes of pregnancy in women undergoing dialysis and assessed risk factors associated with neonatal and maternal complications.

Methods

The target population was women aged 15–44 years undergoing maintenance dialysis between 2012 and 2016. The survey was conducted in 2693 dialysis units.

Results

A response was obtained from 951 dialysis units, yielding a target population of 1992 women of childbearing age receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Pregnancy occurred only among women receiving hemodialysis, with 25 pregnancies (1.26% in 5 years) being reported for 20 women. Detailed information about 19 pregnancies (mean age 34.6 ± 5.7 years at conception, mean dialysis vintage 8.4 ± 7.3 years) indicated 4 spontaneous abortions, 1 elective abortion, no neonatal deaths, and 14 surviving infants, including 5 full-term (≥ 37 weeks at birth), 2 late preterm (34–36), and 3 extremely preterm (< 28) cases. Neonatal complications occurred in the offspring of 3 mothers who had end-stage renal disease (ESRD) caused by primary glomerulonephritis and serum albumin levels (sAlb) ≤ 3.2 mg/dL in the first trimester. These mothers had started dialysis at 12, 17, and 30 years of age. ESRD caused by diabetic nephropathy or primary glomerulonephritis, age at conception ≥ 38 years, and sAlb ≤ 3.2 mg/dL were associated with maternal complications, although not significantly.

Conclusions

In this study, the pregnancy rate of Japanese women with ESRD was 0.25% per year. The study generates the hypothesis that ESRD caused by diabetic nephropathy and age at conception ≥ 38 years are potential risk factors for maternal complications but not for neonatal complications in dialysis patients, and that hypoalbuminemia is a potential risk factor for both kinds of complications.

Graphic Abstract
Initial vancomycin versus metronidazole for the treatment of first-episode non-severe Clostridioides difficile infection
Authors: Zhang Kevin , Beckett Patricia , Abouanaser Salaheddin , Smieja Marek
Published: September 2021

Objective:

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of infectious nosocomial diarrhea. Although initial fidaxomicin or vancomycin treatment is recommended by most major guidelines to treat severe CDI, there exists varied recommendations for first-episode non-severe CDI. Given the discrepancy in current treatment guidelines, we sought to evaluate the use of initial vancomycin versus metronidazole for first-episode non-severe CDI.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all adult inpatients with first-episode CDI at our institution from January 2013 to May 2018. The initial vancomycin versus initial metronidazole cohorts were examined using a multivariate logistic regression model.

Results:

The study cohort of 737 patients had a median age of 72.3 years, and 357 of these patients (48.4%) had hospital-acquired infection. Among 326 patients with non-severe CDI, recurrence, new incident infection, and 30-day mortality rates were 16.2%, 10.9%, and 5.3%, respectively, when treated with initial metronidazole, compared to 20.0%, 1.4%, and 10.0%, respectively, when treated with initial vancomycin. In an adjusted multivariable analysis, the use of initial vancomycin for the treatment of non-severe CDI was associated with a reduction in new incident infection (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj], 0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02–0.86; P = .035), compared to initial metronidazole.

Conclusions:

Initial vancomycin was associated with a reduced rate of new incident infection in the treatment of adult inpatients with first-episode non-severe CDI. These findings support the use of initial vancomycin for all inpatients with CDI, when fidaxomicin is unavailable.
Evaluating integration in collaborative cross-disciplinary FDA new drug reviews using an input-process-output model
Authors: Bugin Kevin , Lotrecchiano Gaetano R. , O’Rourke Michael , Butler Joan
Published: September 2021

Background/Objectives:

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for assessing safety (risks) and effectiveness (benefits) of new drug products using the data provided in a Sponsor’s new drug product marketing application before they can be marketed. The FDA forms cross-disciplinary review teams to conduct these assessments. Recently, the FDA began implementing more interdisciplinary approaches to its assessments, reducing redundancy in review processes and documentation by increasing team integration around review issues.

Methods:

Through a phenomenological descriptive comparative case study, the impact of FDA’s new interdisciplinary approach on review team integration was compared with its traditional multidisciplinary review approach.

Results:

We identified collaborative integration occurring in one FDA review team using the new interdisciplinary review and another team using the traditional review and then modeled and analyzed the collaborative, cross-disciplinary integration in each case using an input-process-output (IPO) model drawn from the Science-of-Team-Science (SciTS).

Conclusion:

This study provides a systematic method for understanding and visualizing integration in each type of review previously and presently used at FDA and illustrates how the new interdisciplinary approach can ensure more integration than more traditional approaches previously used. In addition, our study suggests that an IPO model of integration can characterize how effectively FDA review teams are integrating around issues and assist in the evaluation of differences in integration between FDA’s new interdisciplinary review and the existing multidisciplinary approach. The approach used here is a new application of SciTS scholarship in a unique sector, and it also serves as an example for measuring review team effectiveness.
CATEGORIZING LABORERS: GLIMPSES OF QIN MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE DOCUMENT FROM LIYE, HUNAN PROVINCE
Authors: Ma Tsang Wing
Published: September 2021

The excavation of the Qin wooden documents from Well No. 1 at Liye 里耶, Hunan province has significantly reshaped our knowledge of Qin history. This article examines a multi-slip manuscript from Liye on the Qin management of human resources in a newly conquered area, Qianling County. The manuscript is the best example of the multi-layered structure of a Qin administrative document; it also sheds new light on the difficulties the Qin encountered in resource management during the early years of unification. The manuscript shows that the responsible officials in Qianling County had failed to engage tuli 徒隸 (laborer-servants)—a major labor source in the Qin—in agricultural production, which appears to have deviated from the Qin strategy of managing human resources. To minimize the harmfulness that this deviation might cause, the Qin heavily relied upon a system of supervision and punishment. This article offers a contextualized study of the manuscript with an analysis of the related Qin excavated sources.
RECENTLY EXCAVATED INSCRIPTIONS AND MANUSCRIPTS (2008–2018)
Authors: Venture Olivier
Published: September 2021

Between 2008 and 2018 a significant number of inscriptions and manuscripts from early China were discovered or published. These sources include hundreds of new oracle bone and bronze inscriptions; more than thirty scientifically excavated literary manuscripts; thousands of private and official scientifically excavated documents; and more than seventy literary texts acquired from the antiquities market. This review article, focusing mainly on artifacts with archaeological provenance, offers a global overview of these new materials that have already renewed, or will certainly soon renew, the field of early China studies.
Unique stochastic Lagrangian particle dispersion models for inhomogeneous turbulent flows
Authors: Esler J.G.
Published: September 2021

It is well established that Lagrangian particle dispersion models, for inhomogeneous turbulent flows, must satisfy the ‘well-mixed condition’ of Thomson (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 180, 1987, pp. 529–556) in order to produce physically reasonable results. In more than one dimension, however, the well-mixed condition is not sufficient to define the dispersion model uniquely. The non-uniqueness, which is related to the rotational degrees of freedom of particle trajectories, permits models with trajectory curvatures and velocity autocorrelation functions which are clearly unphysical. A spin condition is therefore introduced to constrain the models. It requires an ensemble of particles with fixed initial position and velocity to have, at short times, expected angular momentum, measured relative to the mean position and velocity of an ensemble of fluid particles with initially random velocity, equal to the relative angular momentum of the mean flow at the ensemble mean location. The resulting unique model is found explicitly for the canonical example of inhomogeneous Gaussian turbulence and is characterised by accelerations which are exponential in the particle velocity. A simpler unique model with a quadratic acceleration is obtained using a weaker version of the spin condition. Unlike previous models, the unique models defined by the spin condition lead to particles having the correct (ensemble mean) angular speed in a turbulent flow in solid-body rotation. The properties of the new models are discussed in the settings of a turbulent channel flow and an idealised turbulent atmospheric boundary-layer flow.
Music and dance are two parallel routes for creating social cohesion
Authors: Brown Steven
Published: September 2021

Savage et al. do an excellent job of making the case for social bonding in general, but do a less good job of distinguishing the manners by which dance and music achieve this. It is important to see dance and music as two parallel and interactive mechanisms that employ the “group body” and “group voice,” respectively, in engendering social cohesion.
Music production deficits and social bonding: The case of poor-pitch singing
Authors: Pfordresher Peter Q.
Published: September 2021

Both of the companion target articles place considerable performance on music performance ability, with specific attention paid to singing in harmony for the music and social bonding (MSB) hypothesis proposed by Savage and colleagues. In this commentary, I evaluate results from recent research on singing accuracy in light of their implications for the MSB hypothesis.
Rapid dissonant grunting, or, but why does music sound the way it does?
Authors: Sievers Beau R. , Wheatley Thalia
Published: September 2021

Each target article contributes important proto-musical building blocks that constrain music as-we-know-it. However, neither the credible signaling nor social bonding accounts elucidate the central mystery of why music sounds the way it does. Getting there requires working out how proto-musical building blocks combine and interact to create the complex, rich, and affecting music humans create and enjoy.
Human evolution of gestural messaging and its critical role in the human development of music
Authors: Gardiner Martin F.
Published: September 2021

By fostering bonding (Mehr et al.; Savage et al.), music illustrates marvelously its ability to induce emotional experience. But, music can induce emotion more generally as well. To help explain how music fosters bonding and induces other emotions, I propose that music derives this power from the evolution of what I term “gestural messaging.”
A boldly comparative approach will strengthen co-evolutionary accounts of musicality's origins
Authors: Rendell Luke , Doolittle Emily L. , Garland Ellen C. , South Alex
Published: September 2021

Focus on the evolutionary origins of musicality has been neglected relative to attention on language, so these new proposals are welcome stimulants. We argue for a broad comparative approach to understanding how the elements of musicality evolved, and against the use of overly simplistic evolutionary accounts.
Music's putative adaptive function hinges on a combination of distinct mechanisms
Authors: Gingras Bruno
Published: September 2021

Music's efficacy as a credible signal and/or as a tool for social bonding piggybacks on a diverse set of biological and cognitive processes, implying different proximate mechanisms. It is likely this multiplicity of mechanisms that explains why it is so difficult to account for music's putative biological role(s), as well as its possible origins, by proposing a single adaptive function.
Toward a productive evolutionary understanding of music
Authors: Mehr Samuel A. , Krasnow Max M. , Bryant Gregory A. , Hagen Edward H.
Published: September 2021

We discuss approaches to the study of the evolution of music (sect. R1); challenges to each of the two theories of the origins of music presented in the companion target articles (sect. R2); future directions for testing them (sect. R3); and priorities for better understanding the nature of music (sect. R4).
How not to answer interdisciplinary “Why?” questions
Authors: Bookstein Fred L.
Published: September 2021

The book under review tries to link the economic concept of “reward,” or, more accurately, “capture rate,” to the experimental literature of various neuroscientific quantities dealing with motor control. But this reviewer argues that such a linkage requires a richer language of quantification than the book actually affords: a language not just of “greater” or “less,” but of how much greater or less. Without such a methodology, the arguments here cannot be persuasive.
A Nuclear Generator of Clouds: Accidents and Radioactive Contamination Identified on Declassified Satellite Photographs in the Mayak Chemical Combine, Southern Urals
Authors: Kiarszys Grzegorz
Published: September 2021

The Mayak Chemical Combine was one of the most secretive places in the Soviet Union. It was built in the southern Urals, close to Kyshtym. The facility produced weapons-grade plutonium and other radioactive isotopes for the Soviet nuclear military programme. Fugitives from behind the Iron Curtain mentioned the site, usually due to accidents and peculiar, unexplained observations. Such reports were often treated in the West as exaggerated or fictional, as they spoke of large-scale disasters, deportations and vast landscape transformations. This paper aims to present the research potential of declassified Cold War intelligence records for archaeological landscape studies of off-limits military sites. To outline a somewhat broader perspective, I will combine those sources with contemporary historical knowledge and modern remote sensing data. The analysis will be focused on the Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] satellite imagery (CORONA and GAMBIT) from the 1960s to the beginning of the 1970s. The discussed sources recorded outcomes of nuclear disasters, hundreds of square kilometres of uninhabited wasteland, abandoned villages, disappearing lakes, dying forests, diverted rivers, and other features related to this clandestine plutonium facility.
The relationship between mitochondrial ND5 gene polymorphisms and in vitro embryo production in Sanjabi sheep
Authors: Teymouri Fereshteh , Foroutanifar Saheb , Abdolmohammadi Alireza , Hajarian Hadi
Published: September 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate mitochondrial ND5 gene polymorphisms and their relationship with in vitro maturation (IVM) and in vitro culture (IVC) of Sanjabi sheep. Blood and ovarian samples of adult ewes were obtained from a local slaughterhouse. For each ovarian sample, cumulus–oocyte complexes larger than 3 mm in diameter were aspirated from follicles, and their IVM and IVC rates were recorded. A 666-bp fragment of the ND5 gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction. The samples were genotyped using a modified single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) method, and an association study was conducted with IVM and IVC rates. Six different SSCP patterns, designated A, B, C, D, E and F with respective frequencies of 8, 47, 4, 4, 32 and 5%, respectively, were observed. According to the results of association analysis, there was no significant association between the ND1 gene polymorphisms and the IVM and IVC rates (P > 0.05).
Topographic Roughness on Forested Hillslopes: A Theoretical Approach for Quantifying Hillslope Sediment Flux From Tree Throw
Authors: Doane Tyler H. , Edmonds Douglas , Yanites Brian J. , Lewis Quinn
Published: September 2021

Wind‐driven tree throw is an observable and consequential process that suddenly moves soil downslope, inverts the soil column, and roughens the surface with pit‐mound topography. Quantifying fluxes due to tree throw is complicated by its stochastic nature and estimation requires averaging over a large area or long time. Here, we develop a theory that leads to a dimensionless metric directly measurable from high resolution topographic data. The theory explains the flux and topographic roughness as a function of tree throw production and decay rate by creep‐like processes. We then form a measurable dimensionless variable that is the ratio of fluxes due to tree throw versus creep‐like processes. Applying the theory to hillslopes in Southern Indiana, we find that tree throw accounts for 11%–18% of the hillslope sediment flux. The theoretical and observational findings provide important constraints on quantifying Critical Zone function from topographic parameters such as roughness.
ULF Waves Observed by Lunar Prospector
Authors: Baek Seul‐Min , Kim Khan‐Hyuk , Seough Jungjoon , Choi Young‐Jun , Jin Ho
Published: September 2021

We have studied the spatial distribution of ultra‐low frequency (ULF) in the vicinity of the Moon using Lunar Prospector (LP) magnetometer data obtained at ∼100 km altitude during the period from February 20, 1998 to November 30, 1998. The lunar ULF waves are mostly identified over a broad frequency range of 10–60 mHz in the spacecraft frame. The occurrence rate of the ULF wave is high on the dayside above strong magnetic anomalies and depends on the interplanetary magnetic field orientation. We examine wave properties including the wave propagation direction and polarization. They are very similar to Kaguya observations, indicating that the ULF waves observed at LP and Kaguya are generated by the same mechanism. Although lunar ULF waves are commonly observed on the dayside above lunar magnetic anomalies, how they are established as a regular oscillation is not completely understood. In the present study, we suggest that the electromagnetic ion beam instability, driven by protons reflected from lunar magnetic anomalies, is the likely source of ULF waves observed at LP.
Defining the Coseismic Phase of the Crustal Deformation Cycle With Seismogeodesy
Authors: Golriz Dorian , Bock Yehuda , Xu Xiaohua
Published: September 2021

Earth's crustal deformation cycle is traditionally divided into coseismic, postseismic, and interseismic phases upon which transient motions from various sources may be superimposed. Here we present a new seismogeodetic methodology to define and identify the transition from the coseismic to the early postseismic phase. While this early period of postseismic deformation has not been well observed, it plays an important role in better understanding fault processes and crustal rheology because it is where the fastest evolution of fault slip occurs. Current methods often choose to rely on geodetic displacements with several hour to daily resolution to estimate static coseismic offsets. The choice of data span is often arbitrary and introduces some fraction of postseismic motion. Instead, we apply a more physics‐based approach that is applicable to interleaved regional networks of high‐rate Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and seismic sensors. The start time of the coseismic phase is based on P wave arrivals and its end time on the total release of energy derived from seismic velocities integrated from strong‐motion accelerations. In the absence of physical collocations, we interpolate the coseismic time window to the GNSS stations and estimate the static offsets from the high‐rate displacements. We demonstrate our methodology by applying it to 10 earthquakes over a range of magnitudes and fault mechanisms. We observe that the presence of early postseismic motions within the widely used estimates of daily coseismic offsets can lead to an overprediction of coseismic moment and fault slip, up to several meters depending on the magnitude and mechanism of the event.
Handling of targeted amplicon sequencing data focusing on index hopping and demultiplexing using a nested metabarcoding approach in ecology
Authors: Guenay-Greunke Yasemin , Bohan David A. , Traugott Michael , Wallinger Corinna
Published: September 2021

High-throughput sequencing platforms are increasingly being used for targeted amplicon sequencing because they enable cost-effective sequencing of large sample sets. For meaningful interpretation of targeted amplicon sequencing data and comparison between studies, it is critical that bioinformatic analyses do not introduce artefacts and rely on detailed protocols to ensure that all methods are properly performed and documented. The analysis of large sample sets and the use of predefined indexes create challenges, such as adjusting the sequencing depth across samples and taking sequencing errors or index hopping into account. However, the potential biases these factors introduce to high-throughput amplicon sequencing data sets and how they may be overcome have rarely been addressed. On the example of a nested metabarcoding analysis of 1920 carabid beetle regurgitates to assess plant feeding, we investigated: (i) the variation in sequencing depth of individually tagged samples and the effect of library preparation on the data output; (ii) the influence of sequencing errors within index regions and its consequences for demultiplexing; and (iii) the effect of index hopping. Our results demonstrate that despite library quantification, large variation in read counts and sequencing depth occurred among samples and that the sequencing error rate in bioinformatic software is essential for accurate adapter/primer trimming and demultiplexing. Moreover, setting an index hopping threshold to avoid incorrect assignment of samples is highly recommended.
Designs for a two-dimensional Si quantum dot array with spin qubit addressability
Authors: Tadokoro Masahiro , Nakajima Takashi , Kobayashi Takashi , Takeda Kenta , Noiri Akito , Tomari Kaito , Yoneda Jun , Tarucha Seigo , Kodera Tetsuo
Published: September 2021

Electron spins in Si are an attractive platform for quantum computation, backed with their scalability and fast, high-fidelity quantum logic gates. Despite the importance of two-dimensional integration with efficient connectivity between qubits for medium- to large-scale quantum computation, however, a practical device design that guarantees qubit addressability is yet to be seen. Here, we propose a practical 3 × 3 quantum dot device design and a larger-scale design as a longer-term target. The design goal is to realize qubit connectivity to the four nearest neighbors while ensuring addressability. We show that a 3 × 3 quantum dot array can execute four-qubit Grover’s algorithm more efficiently than the one-dimensional counterpart. To scale up the two-dimensional array beyond 3 × 3, we propose a novel structure with ferromagnetic gate electrodes. Our results showcase the possibility of medium-sized quantum processors in Si with fast quantum logic gates and long coherence times.
Characterization of fluorescent probe substrates to develop an efficient high-throughput assay for neonatal hepatic CYP3A7 inhibition screening
Authors: Work Hannah M. , Kandel Sylvie E. , Lampe Jed N.
Published: September 2021

CYP3A7 is a member of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A enzyme sub-family that is expressed in the fetus and neonate. In addition to its role metabolizing retinoic acid and the endogenous steroid dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), it also has a critical function in drug metabolism and disposition during the first few weeks of life. Despite this, it is generally ignored in the preclinical testing of new drug candidates. This increases the risk for drug-drug interactions (DDI) and toxicities occurring in the neonate. Therefore, screening drug candidates for CYP3A7 inhibition is essential to identify chemical entities with potential toxicity risks for neonates. Currently, there is no efficient high-throughput screening (HTS) assay to assess CYP3A7 inhibition. Here, we report our testing of various fluorescent probes to assess CYP3A7 activity in a high-throughput manner. We determined that the fluorescent compound dibenzylfluorescein (DBF) is superior to other compounds in meeting the criteria considered for an efficient HTS assay. Furthermore, a preliminary screen of an HIV/HCV antiviral drug mini-library demonstrated the utility of DBF in a HTS assay system. We anticipate that this tool will be of great benefit in screening drugs that may be used in the neonatal population in the future.
The Upper Triassic deposits of the west Bangong-Nujiang suture zone and their paleogeographic implications
Authors: Wu Guichun , Ji Zhansheng , Lash Gary G. , Yao Jianxin
Published: September 2021

The Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone (BNSZ) of Tibet (Xizang) has been interpreted to represent a relic of the Bangong-Nujiang Ocean. However, the existence of this ocean during Triassic time remains a point of contention. A sedimentary succession spanning the Upper Permian through Triassic described from the central BNSZ suggests that the Lhasa and South Qiangtang terranes were contiguous thus negating the existence of a terrane-separating ocean during Triassic time. However, the apparent lack of Triassic deposits in the west BNSZ has called into question the existence of Triassic deposits in the central region of the BNSZ. Our biostratigraphic work in the Wuga Formation of the Gaize area has yielded abundant Norian conodonts thus confirming the existence of Upper Triassic deposits in the west BNSZ. The clastic deposits of the Wuga Formation are herein interpreted to be of Rhaetian age. Moreover, intercalated limestone and chert are termed the Dongnale Formation of Norian age. The Norian to Rhaetian succession can be correlated with strata of the central BNSZ as well as with deposits of the Lhasa Terrane and the South Qiangtang Terrane. Similar stratigraphies among these regions through the Late Triassic suggests a shared depositional setting and that the BNSZ was not an ocean in Norian and Rhaetian time.
Tracking forest loss and fragmentation between 1930 and 2020 in Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) range in Nepal
Authors: Ram Ashok Kumar , Yadav Nabin Kumar , Kandel Pem Narayan , Mondol Samrat , Pandav Bivash , Natarajan Lakshminarayanan , Subedi Naresh , Naha Dipanjan , Reddy C. Sudhakar , Lamichhane Babu Ram
Published: September 2021

Forest cover is the primary determinant of elephant distribution, thus, understanding forest loss and fragmentation is crucial for elephant conservation. We assessed deforestation and patterns of forest fragmentation between 1930 and 2020 in Chure Terai Madhesh Lanscape (CTML) which covers the entire elephant range in Nepal. Forest cover maps and fragmentation matrices were generated using multi-source data (Topographic maps and Landsat satellite images of 1930, 1975, 2000, and 2020) and spatiotemporal change was quantified. At present, 19,069 km2 forest cover in CTML is available as the elephant habitat in Nepal. Overall, 21.5% of elephant habitat was lost between 1930 and 2020, with a larger (12.3%) forest cover loss between 1930 and 1975. Area of the large forests (Core 3) has decreased by 43.08% whereas smaller patches (Core 2, Core 1, edge and patch forests) has increased multifold between 1930 and 2020. The continued habitat loss and fragmentation probably fragmented elephant populations during the last century and made them insular with long-term ramifications for elephant conservation and human-elephant conflict. Given the substantial loss in forest cover and high levels of fragmentation, improving the resilience of elephant populations in Nepal would urgently require habitat and corridor restoration to enable the movement of elephants.
Effect of host switching simulation on the fitness of the gregarious parasitoid Anaphes flavipes from a novel two-generation approach
Authors: Samková Alena , Raška Jan , Hadrava Jiří , Skuhrovec Jiří
Published: September 2021

Herbivorous insects can escape the strong pressure of parasitoids by switching to feeding on new host plants. Parasitoids can adapt to this change but at the cost of changing their preferences and performance. For gregarious parasitoids, fitness changes are not always observable in the F1 generation but only in the F2 generation. Here, with the model species and gregarious parasitoid Anaphes flavipes, we examined fitness changes in the F1 generation under pressure from the simulation of host switching, and by a new two-generation approach, we determined the impact of these changes on fitness in the F2 generation. We showed that the parasitoid preference for host plants depends on hatched or oviposited learning in relation to the possibility of parasitoid decisions between different host plants. Interestingly, we showed that after simulation of parasitoids following host switching, in the new environment of a fictitious host plant, parasitoids reduced the fictitious host. At the same time, parasitoids also reduced fertility because in fictitious hosts, they are not able to complete larval development. However, from a two-generation approach, the distribution of parasitoid offspring into both native and fictitious hosts caused lower parasitoid clutch size in native hosts and higher individual offspring fertility in the F2 generation.
Prospective association of air purifier use during pregnancy with the neurodevelopment of toddlers in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study
Authors: Matsumura Kenta , Hamazaki Kei , Tsuchida Akiko , Inadera Hidekuni ,   The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group, Kamijima Michihiro , Yamazaki Shin , Ohya Yukihiro , Kishi Reiko , Yaegashi Nobuo , Hashimoto Koichi , Mori Chisato , Ito Shuichi , Yamagata Zentaro , Nakayama Takeo , Iso Hiroyasu , Shima Masayuki , Kurozawa Youichi , Suganuma Narufumi , Kusuhara Koichi , Katoh Takahiko
Published: September 2021

We examined the association between maternal air purifier use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental delay in toddlers by analysing data from 82,457 mother-toddler pairs. Air purifier use was measured using a simple yes/no question. Developmental delays at 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 years were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition. Generalized additive mixed model analysis with 21 covariates revealed that air purifier use was associated with lower prevalence of developmental delay in all five areas—communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social—at all four time points (adjusted risk ratios ranged from 0.827 to 0.927, and only one 95% confidence interval crossed the reference). These findings suggest a negative association between air purifier use during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental delay in toddlers.

Trial registration: UMIN000030786 (15/01/2018).
Electronic data collection to enhance disease surveillance at the slaughterhouse in a smallholder production system
Authors: Falzon Laura C. , Ogola Joseph G. , Odinga Christian O. , Naboyshchikov Leonid , Fèvre Eric M. , Berezowski John
Published: September 2021

Globally, meat inspection provides data for animal health surveillance. However, paper-based recording of data is often not reported through to higher authorities in sufficient detail. We trialled the use of an electronic meat inspection form in Kenyan slaughterhouses, in lieu of the currently used paper-based format. Meat inspectors in two ruminant slaughterhouses completed and submitted an electronic report for each animal slaughtered at their facility. The reports, which captured information on the animal demographics and any eventual condemnations, were stored in a central database and available in real-time. A stakeholder meeting was held towards the end of the study. Over the 2.75 year study period, 16,386 reports were submitted; a downward linear trend in the monthly submissions was noted. There was a week effect, whereby more reports were submitted on the market day. Of the slaughtered animals, 23% had at least a partial condemnation. The most frequently condemned organs were the liver, lungs and intestines; the primary reasons for condemnations were parasitic conditions. Lack of feedback and difficulty capturing animal origin information were the primary challenges highlighted. The study demonstrated that electronic data capture is feasible in such challenging environments, thereby improving the timeliness and resolution of the data collected.
UAV reveals substantial but heterogeneous effects of herbivores on Arctic vegetation
Authors: Siewert Matthias B. , Olofsson Johan
Published: September 2021

Understanding how herbivores shape plant biomass and distribution is a core challenge in ecology. Yet, the lack of suitable remote sensing technology limits our knowledge of temporal and spatial impacts of mammal herbivores in the Earth system. The regular interannual density fluctuations of voles and lemmings are exceptional with their large reduction of plant biomass in Arctic landscapes during peak years (12–24%) as previously shown at large spatial scales using satellites. This provides evidence that herbivores are important drivers of observed global changes in vegetation productivity. Here, we use a novel approach with repeated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights, to map vegetation impact by rodents, indicating that many important aspects of vegetation dynamics otherwise hidden by the coarse resolution of satellite images, including plant–herbivore interactions, can be revealed using UAVs. We quantify areas impacted by rodents at four complex Arctic landscapes with very high spatial resolution UAV imagery to get a new perspective on how herbivores shape Arctic ecosystems. The area impacted by voles and lemmings is indeed substantial, larger at higher altitude tundra environments, varies between habitats depending on local snow cover and plant community composition, and is heterogeneous even within habitats at submeter scales. Coupling this with spectral reflectance of vegetation (NDVI), we can show that the impact on central ecosystem properties like GPP and biomass is stronger than currently accounted for in Arctic ecosystems. As an emerging technology, UAVs will allow us to better disentangle important information on how herbivores maintain spatial heterogeneity, function and diversity in natural ecosystems.
Multifaceted empathy differences in children and adults with autism
Authors: Quinde-Zlibut Jennifer M. , Williams Zachary J. , Gerdes Madison , Mash Lisa E. , Heflin Brynna H. , Cascio Carissa
Published: September 2021

Although empathy impairments have been reported in autistic individuals, there is no clear consensus on how emotional valence influences this multidimensional process. In this study, we use the Multifaceted Empathy Test for juveniles (MET-J) to interrogate emotional and cognitive empathy in 184 participants (ages 8–59 years, 83 autistic) under the robust Bayesian inference framework. Group comparisons demonstrate previously unreported interaction effects between: (1) valence and autism diagnosis in predictions of emotional resonance, and (2) valence and age group in predictions of arousal to images portraying positive and negative facial expressions. These results extend previous studies using the MET by examining differential effects of emotional valence in a large sample of autistic children and adults with average or above-average intelligence. We report impaired cognitive empathy in autism, and subtle differences in emotional empathy characterized by less distinction between emotional resonance to positive vs. negative facial expressions in autism compared to neurotypicals. Reduced emotional differentiation between positive and negative affect in others could be a mechanism for diminished social reciprocity that poses a universal challenge for people with autism. These component- and valence- specific findings are of clinical relevance for the development and implementation of target-specific social interventions in autism.
Mitigating multiple stresses in Pangasianodon hypophthalmus with a novel dietary mixture of selenium nanoparticles and Omega-3-fatty acid
Authors: Kumar Neeraj , Singh Dilip Kumar , Bhushan Shashi , Jamwal Ankur
Published: September 2021

Effects of a novel dietary mixture of selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) and omega-3-fatty acids i.e., Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on mitigating arsenic pollution, high-temperature stress and bacterial infection were investigated in Pangasianodon hypophthalmus. To aim this, four isocaloric and iso-nitrogenous diets were prepared: control feed (no supplementation), Se-NPs at 0.2 mg kg−1 diet with EPA + DHA at 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6% as supplemented diets. Fish were reared under normal condition or concurrent exposure to arsenic (2.65 mg L−1), and temperature (34 °C) (As + T) stress for 105 days. The experiment was conducted with eight treatments in triplicates. Response to various stresses i.e., primary (cortisol), secondary (oxidative stress, immunity, and stress biomarkers) and tertiary stress response (growth performance, bioaccumulation and mortality due to bacterial infection) were determined. Supplementation of dietary Se-NPs at 0.2 mg kg−1 diet and EPA + DHA at 0.2 and 0.4% reduced the primary stress level. Exposure to arsenic and temperature (As + T) and fed with control diet and EPA + DHA at 0.6% aggravated the cortisol level. Anti-oxidative enzymes (Catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-s-transferase) and immunity (Nitroblue tetrazolium, total protein, albumin, globulin, A:G ratio, total immunoglobulin and myeloperoxidase) of the fish were augmented by supplementation of Se-NPs and EPA + DHA at 0.2 and 0.4%. Neurotransmitter enzyme, HSP 70, Vitamin C were significantly enhanced (p < 0.01) with supplementation of Se-NPs at 0.2 mg kg−1 and EPA + DHA at 0.2 and 0.4%. Whereas total lipid, cholesterol, phospholipid, triglyceride and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) were reduced (p < 0.01) with the supplementation of Se-NPs at 0.2 mg kg−1 diet and EPA + DHA at 0.2 and 0.4%. Tertiary stress response viz. growth performance was also significantly enhanced with supplementation of Se-NPs at 0.2 mg kg−1 and EPA + DHA at 0.2 and 0.4% reared under As + T. Whereas arsenic bioaccumulation in fish tissues was significantly reduced with dietary supplementation of Se-NPs and EPA + DHA. Cumulative mortality and relative percentage survival were reduced with Se-NPs at 0.2 mg kg−1 and EPA + DHA at 0.2 and 0.4%. The investigation revealed that a novel combination of Se-NPs at 0.2 mg kg−1 and EPA + DHA at 0.4% followed by 0.2% has the potential to alleviate temperature stress, bacterial infection and arsenic pollution. Whereas diet containing Se-NPs at 0.2 mg kg−1 diet and EPA + DHA at 0.6% was noticeably enhanced the stress in P. hypophthalmus.
Degree of anisogamy is unrelated to the intensity of sexual selection
Authors: Mokos Judit , Scheuring István , Liker András , Freckleton Robert P. , Székely Tamás
Published: September 2021

Males and females often display different behaviours and, in the context of reproduction, these behaviours are labelled sex roles. The Darwin–Bateman paradigm argues that the root of these differences is anisogamy (i.e., differences in size and/or function of gametes between the sexes) that leads to biased sexual selection, and sex differences in parental care and body size. This evolutionary cascade, however, is contentious since some of the underpinning assumptions have been questioned. Here we investigate the relationships between anisogamy, sexual size dimorphism, sex difference in parental care and intensity of sexual selection using phylogenetic comparative analyses of 64 species from a wide range of animal taxa. The results question the first step of the Darwin–Bateman paradigm, as the extent of anisogamy does not appear to predict the intensity of sexual selection. The only significant predictor of sexual selection is the relative inputs of males and females into the care of offspring. We propose that ecological factors, life-history and demography have more substantial impacts on contemporary sex roles than the differences of gametic investments between the sexes.
GWAS identifies an ortholog of the rice D11 gene as a candidate gene for grain size in an international collection of hexaploid wheat
Authors: Tekeu Honoré , Ngonkeu Eddy L. M. , Bélanger Sébastien , Djocgoué Pierre F. , Abed Amina , Torkamaneh Davoud , Boyle Brian , Tsimi Patrick M. , Tadesse Wuletaw , Jean Martine , Belzile François
Published: September 2021

Grain size is a key agronomic trait that contributes to grain yield in hexaploid wheat. Grain length and width were evaluated in an international collection of 157 wheat accessions. These accessions were genetically characterized using a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) protocol that produced 73,784 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. GBS-derived genotype calls obtained on Chinese Spring proved extremely accurate when compared to the reference (> 99.9%) and showed > 95% agreement with calls made at SNP loci shared with the 90 K SNP array on a subset of 71 Canadian wheat accessions for which both types of data were available. This indicates that GBS can yield a large amount of highly accurate SNP data in hexaploid wheat. The genetic diversity analysis performed using this set of SNP markers revealed the presence of six distinct groups within this collection. A GWAS was conducted to uncover genomic regions controlling variation for grain length and width. In total, seven SNPs were found to be associated with one or both traits, identifying three quantitative trait loci (QTLs) located on chromosomes 1D, 2D and 4A. In the vicinity of the peak SNP on chromosome 2D, we found a promising candidate gene (TraesCS2D01G331100), whose rice ortholog (D11) had previously been reported to be involved in the regulation of grain size. These markers will be useful in breeding for enhanced wheat productivity.
Mathematical modeling based on RT-qPCR analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater as a tool for epidemiology
Authors: Krivoňáková Naďa , Šoltýsová Andrea , Tamáš Michal , Takáč Zdenko , Krahulec Ján , Ficek Andrej , Gál Miroslav , Gall Marián , Fehér Miroslav , Krivjanská Anna , Horáková Ivana , Belišová Noemi , Bímová Paula , Škulcová Andrea Butor , Mackuľak Tomáš
Published: September 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerges to scientific research and monitoring of wastewaters to predict the spread of the virus in the community. Our study investigated the COVID-19 disease in Bratislava, based on wastewater monitoring from September 2020 until March 2021. Samples were analyzed from two wastewater treatment plants of the city with reaching 0.6 million monitored inhabitants. Obtained results from the wastewater analysis suggest significant statistical dependence. High correlations between the number of viral particles in wastewater and the number of reported positive nasopharyngeal RT-qPCR tests of infected individuals with a time lag of 2 weeks/12 days (R2 = 83.78%/R2 = 52.65%) as well as with a reported number of death cases with a time lag of 4 weeks/27 days (R2 = 83.21%/R2 = 61.89%) was observed. The obtained results and subsequent mathematical modeling will serve in the future as an early warning system for the occurrence of a local site of infection and, at the same time, predict the load on the health system up to two weeks in advance.