bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigation into the deterioration of Castanopsis hystrix buried wood by anatomical, chemical and thermal analysis
Authors: Zhenzhong Gao , Mengjie Chen , Shuqi Cao , Jin Sun
Published: July 2022

Comparative studies of the anatomy and composition had been investigated to learn about the degradation characteristics of Castanopsis hystrix wood. Its chemical degradation was analyzed with wet chemical analysis, Fourier-transform infrared analysis, x-ray diffraction analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. Its morphology was observed with light microscopes and scanning electron techniques. It was found that the deformation and separation of cell walls have no effect on the identification of C. hystrix wood. The degradation of polysaccharides leads to the mechanical properties of C. hystrix buried wood decreased. The inclusions exist in cells of C. hystrix buried wood increased, and the dark color is related to the inclusions and ferric oxide. Furthermore, the hemicellulose was heavily degraded but there was no obvious degradation of crystalline cellulose. Large amounts of inorganic elements such as Fe and S were detected in the ash of C. hystrix buried wood.
Deformation evolution depending on grain boundary type and hydrogen concentration in nickel investigated by molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Zheng Yuanyuan , Cao Lili , Huang Jianghua , Zhang Lin
Published: July 2022

The impacts of hydrogen concentration on tensile deformation in the nickel bicrystals with different typical grain boundaries (GB) were investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The deformation behavior was dependent on the GB type and hydrogen concentration. A critical hydrogen concentration was obtained from a drastic change of the theoretical yield strength. Below critical concentration, hydrogen increased the yield strength and the atomic rearrangement was effectively hindered due to uniform distribution of hydrogen. Above critical concentration, the nickel-hydride formed and caused a sharp decrease in yield strength, which was independent of the GB type.
Microstructural, optical, and magnetic properties and specific absorption rate of bismuth ferrite/SiO2 nanoparticles
Authors: Juwita Erna , Sulistiani Fitria Ayu , Darmawan Mahardika Yoga , Istiqomah Nurul Imani , Suharyadi Edi
Published: July 2022

In this study, the microstructural, optical, and magnetic properties and specific absorption rate (SAR) of bismuth ferrite/SiO2 nanoparticles were successfully investigated. The coprecipitation method was used to synthesize the nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction patterns showed the presence of sillenite-type Bi25FeO40 with a body-centered cubic structure. The crystallite size of Bi25FeO40 was 35.0 nm, which increased to 41.5 nm after SiO2 encapsulation. Transmission electron microscopy images confirmed that all samples were polycrystalline. The presence of Si–O–Si (siloxane) stretching at 1089 cm−1 in Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed the encapsulation of SiO2. Magnetic measurements at room temperature indicated weak ferromagnetic properties of the samples. The coercivity of the bismuth ferrite nanoparticles was 78 Oe, which increased after SiO2 encapsulation. In contrast, their maximum magnetization, 0.54 emu g−1, reduced after SiO2 encapsulation. The determined bandgap energy of the bismuth ferrite nanoparticles was approximately 2.1 eV, which increased to 2.7 eV after SiO2 encapsulation. The effect of SiO2 encapsulation on the SAR of the samples was investigated using a calorimetric method. The SAR values of the bismuth ferrite nanoparticles were 49, 61, and 84 mW g−1 under alternating magnetic field (AMF) strengths of 150, 200, and 250 Oe, respectively, which decreased after SiO2 encapsulation. The maximum magnetization and the AMF strength influenced the SAR of the nanoparticles. The results showed that SiO2 has a significant effect in determining the microstructural, optical, and magnetic properties and SAR of the nanoparticles.
On realizations of the subalgebra 𝒜^{ℝ}(1) of the ℝ-motivic Steenrod algebra
Authors: Bhattacharya P. , Guillou B. , Li A.
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we show that the finite subalgebra

A

R

(
1
)

\mathcal {A}^\mathbb {R}(1)

, generated by

S
q

1

\mathrm {Sq}^1

and

S
q

2

\mathrm {Sq}^2

, of the

R

\mathbb {R}

-motivic Steenrod algebra

A

R

\mathcal {A}^\mathbb {R}

can be given 128 different

A

R

\mathcal {A}^\mathbb {R}

-module structures. We also show that all of these

A

\mathcal {A}

-modules can be realized as the cohomology of a

2
2

-local finite

R

\mathbb {R}

-motivic spectrum. The realization results are obtained using an

R

\mathbb {R}

-motivic analogue of the Toda realization theorem. We notice that each realization of

A

R

(
1
)

\mathcal {A}^\mathbb {R}(1)

can be expressed as a cofiber of an

R

\mathbb {R}

-motivic

v
1

v_1

-self-map. The

C

2

{\mathrm {C}_2}

-equivariant analogue of the above results then follows because of the Betti realization functor. We identify a relationship between the

R
O

(

C

2

)

\mathrm {RO}({\mathrm {C}_2})

-graded Steenrod operations on a

C

2

{\mathrm {C}_2}

-equivariant space and the classical Steenrod operations on both its underlying space and its fixed-points. This technique is then used to identify the geometric fixed-point spectra of the

C

2

{\mathrm {C}_2}

-equivariant realizations of

A

C

2

(
1
)

\mathcal {A}^{\mathrm {C}_2}(1)

. We find another application of the

R

\mathbb {R}

-motivic Toda realization theorem: we produce an

R

\mathbb {R}

-motivic, and consequently a

C

2

{\mathrm {C}_2}

-equivariant, analogue of the Bhattacharya-Egger spectrum

Z

\mathcal {Z}

, which could be of independent interest.
Contexts and contradictions: a roadmap for computational drug repurposing with knowledge inference
Authors: Sosa Daniel N , Altman Russ B
Published: July 2022

The cost of drug development continues to rise and may be prohibitive in cases of unmet clinical need, particularly for rare diseases. Artificial intelligence-based methods are promising in their potential to discover new treatment options. The task of drug repurposing hypothesis generation is well-posed as a link prediction problem in a knowledge graph (KG) of interacting of drugs, proteins, genes and disease phenotypes. KGs derived from biomedical literature are semantically rich and up-to-date representations of scientific knowledge. Inference methods on scientific KGs can be confounded by unspecified contexts and contradictions. Extracting context enables incorporation of relevant pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic detail, such as tissue specificity of interactions. Contradictions in biomedical KGs may arise when contexts are omitted or due to contradicting research claims. In this review, we describe challenges to creating literature-scale representations of pharmacological knowledge and survey current approaches toward incorporating context and resolving contradictions.
The behavioral sensitivity of mice to acetate esters
Authors: Jennings Liam , Williams Ellie , Avlas Marta , Dewan Adam
Published: July 2022

Measures of behavioral sensitivity provide an important guide for choosing the stimulus concentrations used in functional experiments. This information is particularly valuable in the olfactory system as the neural representation of an odorant changes with concentration. This study focuses on acetate esters because they are commonly used to survey neural activity in a variety of olfactory regions, probe the behavioral limits of odor discrimination, and assess odor structure–activity relationships in mice. Despite their frequent use, the relative sensitivity of these odorants in mice is not available. Thus, we assayed the ability of C57BL/6J mice to detect seven different acetates (propyl acetate, butyl acetate, pentyl acetate, hexyl acetate, octyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate) using a head-fixed Go/No-Go operant conditioning assay combined with highly reproducible stimulus delivery. To aid in the accessibility and applicability of our data, we have estimated the vapor-phase concentrations of these odorants in five different solvents using a photoionization detector-based approach. The resulting liquid-/vapor-phase equilibrium equations successfully corrected for behavioral sensitivity differences observed in animals tested with the same odorant in different solvents. We found that mice are most sensitive to isobutyl acetate and least sensitive to propyl acetate. These updated measures of sensitivity will hopefully guide experimenters in choosing appropriate stimulus concentrations for experiments using these odorants.
Deliberating alone: deliberative bias and giving up on political talk
Authors: McLaughlin Bryan , Wilkinson Kenton T , Rendon Hector , Martinez T J
Published: July 2022

In our research examining how people think and talk about immigration, we consistently find that people want to have a reasonable conversation about politics, but they often decide that productive conversations are not possible because other people are uninformed, irrational, close-minded, and uncivil. We argue that self-serving biases and phenomenological experiences lead to the biased perception that the self is far more capable of adhering to the ideals of rational deliberation than others, a process that we refer to as deliberative bias. In Study 1, we use data from in-depth interviews to develop the concept of deliberative bias. In Study 2, we use a survey to demonstrate that perceptions that other people are uninformed, irrational, close-minded, and uncivil are related to a decreased likelihood of talking politics with loose ties or those with opposing perspectives. These results suggest that deliberative bias may be a significant impediment to productive political conversations.
Whose Victims and Whose Survivors? Polish Jewish Refugees between Holocaust and Gulag Memory Cultures
Authors: Zessin-Jurek Lidia
Published: July 2022

Holocaust and Gulag studies are witnessing the belated emergence of the Soviet experience of Jewish escapees from Nazi-occupied Poland as a lieu de mémoire in its own right. Although not commemorated in official ritual, museum spaces, or memorial sites, the sheer mass of published testimonies by survivors of this experience far outweighs the previous lack of attention to the refugees’ story. It was the agency of the refugee survivors themselves which subsequently put their Soviet experience on the mnemonic map of World War II. This article discusses both the reasons for that lack of attention and the current growing interest in their accounts. It proposes a typology based on questions of victimhood and perpetratorship, analyzed through the contrast between the way the Jewish exiles in the USSR interpreted their experiences and how those who experienced the Holocaust directly interpreted theirs. The article thus asks, whose victims did the refugees consider themselves, the Germans’ or the Soviets’?
Ceftriaxone dosing based on the predicted probability of augmented renal clearance in critically ill patients with pneumonia
Authors: Dreesen Erwin , Gijsen Matthias , Elkayal Omar , Annaert Pieter , Debaveye Yves , Wauters Joost , Karlsson Mats O , Spriet Isabel
Published: July 2022

Objectives

PTA of protein-unbound ceftriaxone may be compromised in critically ill patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) with augmented renal clearance (ARC). We aimed to determine an optimized ceftriaxone dosage regimen based on the probability of developing ARC on the next day (PARC,d+1; www.arcpredictor.com).

Patients and methods

Thirty-three patients enrolled in a prospective cohort study were admitted to the ICU with severe CAP and treated with ceftriaxone 2 g once daily. Patients contributed 259 total ceftriaxone concentrations, collected during 1 or 2 days (±7 samples/day). Unbound fractions of ceftriaxone were determined in all peak and trough samples (n = 76). Population pharmacokinetic modelling and simulation were performed using NONMEM7.4. Target attainment was defined as an unbound ceftriaxone concentration >4 mg/L throughout the dosing interval.

Results

A two-compartment population pharmacokinetic model described the data well. The maximal protein-bound ceftriaxone concentration decreased with lower serum albumin. Ceftriaxone clearance increased with body weight and PARC,d+1 determined on the previous day. A high PARC,d+1 was identified as a clinically relevant predictor for underexposure on the next day (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve 0.77). Body weight had a weak predictive value and was therefore considered clinically irrelevant. Serum albumin had no predictive value. An optimal PARC,d+1 threshold of 5.7% was identified (sensitivity 73%, specificity 69%). Stratified once- or twice-daily 2 g dosing when below or above the 5.7% PARC,d+1 cut-off, respectively, was predicted to result in 81% PTA compared with 47% PTA under population-level once-daily 2 g dosing.

Conclusions

Critically ill patients with CAP with a high PARC,d+1 may benefit from twice-daily 2 g ceftriaxone dosing for achieving adequate exposure on the next day.
Up-regulation of LsKN1 promotes cytokinin and suppresses gibberellin biosynthesis to generate wavy leaves in lettuce
Authors: Jia Yue , Yu Pei , Shao Wei , An Guanghui , Chen Jiongjiong , Yu Changchun , Kuang Hanhui
Published: July 2022

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the most popular vegetables worldwide, and diverse leaf shapes, including wavy leaves, are important commercial traits. In this study, we examined the genetics of wavy leaves using an F2 segregating population, and identified a major QTL controlling wavy leaves. The candidate region contained LsKN1, which has previously been shown to be indispensable for leafy heads in lettuce. Complementation tests and knockout experiments verified the function of LsKN1 in producing wavy leaves. The LsKN1∇ allele, which has the insertion of a transposon and has previously been shown to control leafy heads, promoted wavy leaves in our population. Transposition of the CACTA transposon from LsKN1 compromised its function for wavy leaves. High expression of LsKN1 up-regulated several key genes associated with cytokinin (CK) to increase the content in the leaves, whereas it down-regulated the expression of genes in the gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis pathway to decrease the content. Application of CK to leaves enhanced the wavy phenotype, while application of GA dramatically flattened the leaves. We conclude that the changes in CK and GA contents that result from high expression of LsKN1 switch determinate cells to indeterminate, and consequently leads to the development of wavy leaves.
Hydromagnetic waves in an expanding universe – cosmological MHD code tests using analytic solutions
Authors: Berlok Thomas
Published: July 2022

We describe how analytic solutions for linear hydromagnetic waves can be used for testing cosmological magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) codes. We start from the comoving MHD equations and derive analytic solutions for the amplitude evolution of linear hydromagnetic waves in a matter-dominated, flat Einstein-de-Sitter (EdS) universe. The waves considered are comoving, linearly polarized Alfvén waves and comoving, magnetosonic (fast) waves modified by self-gravity. The solution for compressible waves is found for a general adiabatic index and we consider the limits of hydrodynamics without self-gravity in addition to the full solution. In addition to these analytic solutions, the linearized equations are solved numerically for a Λ cold dark matter cosmology. We use the analytic and numeric solutions to compare with results obtained using the cosmological MHD code arepo and find good agreement when using a sufficient number of grid points. We interpret the numerical damping clearly evident in simulations with few grid points by further deriving the Alfvén wave solution including physical Navier–Stokes viscosity. A comparison between Alfvén wave simulations and theory reveals that the dissipation can be described by a numerical viscosity coefficient ηnum ∝ a−5/2, where a is the scale factor. We envision that our examples could be useful when developing a new cosmological MHD code or for regression testing of existing codes.
Transparency of fast radio burst waves in magnetar magnetospheres
Authors: Qu Yuanhong , Kumar Pawan , Zhang Bing
Published: July 2022

At least some fast radio bursts (FRBs) are produced by magnetars. Even though mounting observational evidence points towards a magnetospheric origin of FRB emission, the question of the location for FRB generation continues to be debated. One argument suggested against the magnetospheric origin of bright FRBs is that the radio waves associated with an FRB may lose most of their energy before escaping the magnetosphere because the cross-section for e± to scatter large-amplitude electromagnetic waves in the presence of a strong magnetic field is much larger than the Thompson cross-section. We have investigated this suggestion and find that FRB radiation travelling through the open field line region of a magnetar’s magnetosphere does not suffer much loss due to two previously ignored factors. First, the plasma in the outer magnetosphere ($r \gtrsim 10^9$ cm), where the losses are potentially most severe, is likely to be flowing outwards at a high Lorentz factor γp ≥ 103. Secondly, the angle between the wave vector and the magnetic field vector, θB, in the outer magnetosphere is likely of the order of 0.1 radian or smaller due in part to the intense FRB pulse that tilts open magnetic field lines so that they get aligned with the pulse propagation direction. Both these effects reduce the interaction between the FRB pulse and the plasma substantially. We find that a bright FRB with an isotropic luminosity $L_{\rm frb} \gtrsim 10^{42} \, {\rm erg \ s^{-1}}$ can escape the magnetosphere unscathed for a large section of the γp − θB parameter space, and therefore conclude that the generation of FRBs in magnetar magnetosphere passes this test.
Detectability of wandering intermediate-mass black holes in the Milky Way galaxy from radio to x-rays
Authors: Seepaul Bryan S , Pacucci Fabio , Narayan Ramesh
Published: July 2022

Intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs, $10^{3\!-\!6} \, {\rm M_\odot }$), are typically found at the centre of dwarf galaxies and might be wandering, thus far undetected, in the Milky Way (MW). We use model spectra for advection-dominated accretion flows to compute the typical fluxes, in a range of frequencies spanning from radio to X-rays, emitted by a putative population of $10^5 \, {\rm M_\odot }$ IMBHs wandering in five realistic volume-weighted MW environments. We predict that $\sim 27{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the wandering IMBHs can be detected in the X-ray with Chandra, $\sim 37{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ in the near-infrared with the Roman Space Telescope, $\sim 49{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ in the sub-mm with CMB-S4, and $\sim 57{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ in the radio with ngVLA. We find that the brightest fluxes are emitted by IMBHs passing through molecular clouds or cold neutral medium, where they are always detectable. We propose criteria to facilitate the selection of candidates in multiwavelength surveys. Specifically, we compute the X-ray to optical ratio (αox) and the optical to sub-mm ratio, as a function of the accretion rate of the IMBH. We show that at low rates the sub-mm emission of IMBHs is significantly higher than the optical, UV, and X-ray emission. Finally, we place upper limits on the number N• of these objects in the MW: N• < 2000 and N• < 100, based on our detectability expectations and current lack of detections in molecular clouds and cold neutral medium, respectively. These predictions will guide future searches of IMBHs in the MW, which will be instrumental to understanding their demographics and evolution.
The impact of one-parent family payment reforms on the labour market outcomes of lone parents
Authors: Redmond Paul , McGuinness Seamus , Keane Claire
Published: July 2022

We evaluate the impact of a reduction in the child qualifying age for the One-Parent Family Payment in Ireland. From 2012 to 2015, the child qualifying age was reduced from 18 to 7 years. Lone parents who no longer qualified for the payment, based on the age of their child, could avail of Jobseekers Transitional Payment, which involves a labour activation component. The reforms led to an increase in the average hours worked of lone parents of between 2 and 5 h per week. Lone parents impacted by the policy were 13 percentage points more likely to be working. In addition, we find an increase in household income of between 9% and 12%, and an increase of between 23% and 29% in earnings from employment. Finally, the policy was associated with a 10–14 percentage point reduction in the poverty rate of lone parents.
Primary cicatricial alopecias are characterized by dysregulation of shared gene expression pathways
Authors: Wang Eddy H C , Monga Isha , Sallee Brigitte N , Chen James C , Abdelaziz Alexa R , Perez-Lorenzo Rolando , Bordone Lindsey A , Christiano Angela M
Published: July 2022

The primary forms of cicatricial (scarring) alopecia (PCA) are a group of inflammatory, irreversible hair loss disorders characterized by immune cell infiltrates targeting hair follicles (HFs). Lichen planopilaris (LPP), frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), and centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) are among the main subtypes of PCAs. The pathogenesis of the different types of PCAs are poorly understood, and current treatment regimens yield inconsistent and unsatisfactory results. We performed high-throughput RNA-sequencing on scalp biopsies of a large cohort PCA patients to develop gene expression-based signatures, trained into machine-learning-based predictive models and pathways associated with dysregulated gene expression. We performed morphological and cytokine analysis to define the immune cell populations found in PCA subtypes. We identified a common PCA gene signature that was shared between LPP, FFA, and CCCA, which revealed a significant over-representation of mast cell (MC) genes, as well as downregulation of cholesterogenic pathways and upregulation of fibrosis and immune signaling genes. Immunohistological analyses revealed an increased presence of MCs in PCAs lesions. Our gene expression analyses revealed common pathways associated with PCAs, with a strong association with MCs. The indistinguishable differences in gene expression profiles and immune cell signatures between LPP, FFA, and CCCA suggest that similar treatment regimens may be effective in treating these irreversible forms of hair loss.
Examination of nailfold videocapillaroscopy findings in ANCA-associated vasculitis
Authors: Matsuda Shogo , Kotani Takuya , Wakura Reiko , Suzuka Takayasu , Kuwabara Hiroko , Kiboshi Takao , Wada Yumiko , Shiba Hideyuki , Hata Kenichiro , Shoda Takeshi , Hirose Yoshinobu , Takeuchi Tohru
Published: July 2022

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) as a useful tool for assessing the disease activity of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV).

Methods

This study enrolled 51 patients with AAV and 21 healthy controls. We scored NVC findings semiquantitatively, and compared them between AAV patients and controls. We examined the association of NVC findings with disease activity indicators, histopathological findings of skin biopsies, and high-resolution CT (HRCT) scores in AAV. Additionally, we repeatedly rated the NVC findings 3 months after immunosuppressive therapy.

Results

Of the 51 enrolled patients, 36 (70.6%) showed a microangiopathy pattern and 4 (7.8%) showed a scleroderma pattern in AAV. The scores for microhaemorrhage, capillary loss, neoangiogenesis, and tortuosity were significantly higher in the AAV group than in the control group. NVC abnormalities correlated with the severity of skin, lung and kidney involvement. The scores of giant capillaries significantly correlated with the total BVAS and the chest BVAS; the scores of capillary loss correlated with the chest BVAS and the renal BVAS. The scores of microhaemorrhage significantly correlated with perivascular inflammatory cell infiltrations in the upper dermis of the purpura and tended to correlate with the total ground-glass opacity and consolidation scores on HRCT. In addition, capillary loss scores had a significant positive correlation with serum creatinine levels. Additionally, the microhaemorrhage scores were significantly reduced after 3 months of immunosuppressive therapy.

Conclusion

In AAV patients, NVC abnormalities are significantly associated with disease severity. This result suggests that NVC is a useful tool for assessing the disease activity and treatment response in AAV.
Faith
Authors: Esposito John L.
Published: July 2022

Like Jews and Christians, Muslims are monotheists. They believe in one God:
the creator, sustainer, ruler, and judge of the universe. Muslims believe in
prophets, not just the Prophet Muhammad but the prophets of the Hebrew
Bible, including Abraham and Moses, and of the New Testament, Jesus and John
the Baptist. They also believe in angels, heaven, hell, and the Day of
Judgment. Islam acknowledges that God’s revelation was received in
the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospels, and the Quran: “We sent Jesus the
son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had come before him: We sent him the
Gospel in which is guidance and light, and confirmation of the Torah that
had come before him, a guidance and an admonition to those who fear
God” (Quran 5:46). Thus Muslims view Jews and Christians as
“People of the Book,” a community of believers who received
revelations, through prophets, in the form of scriptures or revealed books
from God.
Violence And Terrorism
Authors: Esposito John L.
Published: July 2022

Jihad (exertion or struggle) is sometimes referred to as the Sixth Pillar of
Islam. The importance of jihad is rooted in the Quran’s command to
struggle (the literal meaning of the word jihad) in the path of God and in
the example of the Prophet Muhammad and his early Companions.
Society, Politics, And Economy
Authors: Esposito John L.
Published: July 2022

Islam means submission to the will of God. Therefore Muslims put primary
emphasis on obeying God as prescribed in Islamic law. Islam’s
worldview is a vision of individual and communal moral responsibility;
Muslims must strive or struggle (jihad) in the path (shariah) of God in
order to implement God’s will on earth, expand and defend the Muslim
community, and establish a just society. The purpose of Islamic law is to
provide the guidelines and requirements for two types of interactions: those
between human beings and God, or worship, and those between human beings, or
social transactions. Both have private and public dimensions, and both give
Islam a prominent public role in Muslim community life.
Rhizomania: Hide and Seek of Polymyxa betae and the Beet Necrotic Yellow Vein Virus with Beta vulgaris
Authors: Decroës Alain , Mahillon Mathieu , Genard Margaux , Lienard Charlotte , Lima-Mendez Gipsi , Gilmer David , Bragard Claude , Legrève Anne
Published: July 2022

The molecular interactions between Polymyxa betae, the protist vector of sugar beet viruses, beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV), the causal agent of rhizomania, and Beta vulgaris have not been extensively studied. Here, the transmission of BNYVV to sugar beet by P. betae zoospores was optimized using genetically characterized organisms. Molecular interactions of aviruliferous and viruliferous protist infection on sugar beet were highlighted by transcriptomic analysis. P. betae alone induced limited gene expression changes in sugar beet, as a biotrophic asymptomatic parasite. Most differentially expressed plant genes were down-regulated and included resistance gene analogs and cell wall peroxidases. Several enzymes involved in stress regulation, such as the glutathione- S-transferases, were significantly induced. With BNYVV, the first stages of the P. betae life cycle on sugar beet were accelerated with a faster increase of relative protist DNA level and an earlier appearance of sporangia and sporosori in plants roots. A clear activation of plant defenses and the modulation of genes involved in plant cell wall metabolism were observed. The P. betae transcriptome in the presence of BNYVV revealed induction of genes possibly involved in the switch to the survival stage. The interactions were different depending on the presence or absence of the virus. P. betae alone alleviates plant defense response, playing hide-and-seek with sugar beet and allowing for their mutual development. Conversely, BNYVV manipulates plant defense and promotes the rapid invasion of plant roots by P. betae. This accelerated colonization is accompanied by the development of thick-walled resting spores, supporting the virus survival.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Evaluation and Nonsurgical Treatment of Neonatal Ear Anomalies
Authors: Moss Colleen Reilly , Gargaro Clare
Published: July 2022

Background:

Inspection and evaluation of the neonate's ears are important parts of the neonatal examination. Neonates display a wide variety of ear size and configuration. In many cases, ear molding techniques obviate the need for future surgical correction. This article provides a review of the fetal ear development and describes common physical examination findings of the newborn's external ear. A case report reviews a successful nonsurgical treatment of a minor ear deformity.

Clinical Findings:

Newborn infant with near absent to very thin bilateral helical rims and otherwise normal bilateral ear shape and structures.

Primary Diagnosis:

Bilateral Stahl's ear deformity.

Interventions:

The EarBuddies product was applied to bilateral ears in an outpatient pediatric plastic surgery clinic. This product remained in place for 8 weeks.

Outcomes:

The family was pleased with the overall progress and shape of their child's ears. At 18 months of age, the family has no desire to pursue surgical correction of their child's ears.

Practice Recommendations:

Assessment of the newborn's external ear is part of a routine admission examination. Careful attention to abnormal or unusual findings allows for prompt evaluation and nonsurgical intervention.
Surgical procedures with questionable indications: an update
Authors: Jargin Sergei
Published: July 2022

  

This review summarizes available data on invasive procedures applied with questionable clinical indications in Russia in the recent past: mastectomy with the removal of muscles, extensive gastric resections for peptic ulcers, thoracic and abdominal surgery for diabetes mellitus, bronchial asthma and other respiratory conditions, overuse of surgery in tuberculosis, overtreatment of alcoholics. Among factors contributing to the use of invasive procedures with unproven efficiency have been the partial isolation from international scientific community, disregard for the principles of informed consent and scientific polemics. It is known that invasive procedures can exert a placebo effect. By definition, placebo must be harmless.
Evaluating the neuropeptide–social cognition link in ageing: the mediating role of basic cognitive skills
Authors: Polk Rebecca , Horta Marilyn , Lin Tian , Porges Eric , Ojeda Marite , Nazarloo Hans P. , Carter C. Sue , Ebner Natalie C.
Published: July 2022

The roles of oxytocin (OT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) as crucial modulators of social cognition and related behaviours have been extensively addressed in the literature. The involvement of these neuropeptides in social cognition in ageing, however, and a potential mediating effect of basic cognitive capacities on this link, are not well understood. To fill these research gaps, this study assessed associations of plasma OT and AVP levels with dynamic emotion identification accuracy in generally healthy older men (aged 55–95 years) and probed the underlying roles of crystallized and fluid cognition in these associations. Higher plasma OT levels were associated with lower accuracy in dynamic emotion identification, with this negative relationship fully mediated by cognition. For plasma AVP levels, in contrast, there was no association with dynamic emotion identification accuracy. Integrated within existing theoretical accounts, results from this study advance understanding of the neuropeptide–social cognition link in ageing and support basic cognitive capacities as mediators in this association.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours’.
Sex-specific and social experience-dependent oxytocin–endocannabinoid interactions in the nucleus accumbens: implications for social behaviour
Authors: Borie Amélie M. , Young Larry J. , Liu Robert C.
Published: July 2022

Oxytocin modulates social behaviour across diverse vertebrate taxa, but the precise nature of its effects varies across species, individuals and lifetimes. Contributing to this variation is the fact that oxytocin's physiological effects are mediated through interaction with diverse neuromodulatory systems and can depend on the specifics of the local circuits it acts on. Furthermore, those effects can be influenced by both genetics and experience. Here we discuss this complexity through the lens of a specific neuromodulatory system, endocannabinoids, interacting with oxytocin in the nucleus accumbens to modulate prosocial behaviours in prairie voles. We provide a survey of current knowledge of oxytocin–endocannabinoid interactions in relation to social behaviour. We review in detail recent research in monogamous female prairie voles demonstrating that social experience, such as mating and pair bonding, can change how oxytocin modulates nucleus accumbens glutamatergic signalling through the recruitment of endocannabinoids to modulate prosocial behaviour toward the partner. We then discuss potential sex differences in experience-dependent modulation of the nucleus accumbens by oxytocin in voles based on new data in males. Finally, we propose that future oxytocin-based precision medicine therapies should consider how prior social experience interacts with sex and genetics to influence oxytocin actions.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours’.
Oxytocin interactions with central dopamine and serotonin systems regulate different components of motherhood
Authors: Grieb Zachary A. , Lonstein Joseph S.
Published: July 2022

The role of oxytocin in maternal caregiving and other postpartum behaviours has been studied for more than five decades. How oxytocin interacts with other neurochemical systems to enact these behavioural changes, however, is only slowly being elucidated. The best-studied oxytocin–neurotransmitter interaction is with the mesolimbic dopamine system, and this interaction is essential for maternal motivation and active caregiving behaviours such as retrieval of pups. Considerably less attention has been dedicated to investigating how oxytocin interacts with central serotonin to influence postpartum behaviour. Recently, it has become clear that while oxytocin–dopamine interactions regulate the motivational and pup-approach aspects of maternal caregiving behaviours, oxytocin–serotonin interactions appear to regulate nearly all other aspects including postpartum nursing, aggression, anxiety-like behaviour and stress coping strategy. Collectively, oxytocin's interactions with central dopamine and serotonin systems are thus critical for the entire suite of behavioural adaptations exhibited in the postpartum period, and these sites of interaction are potential pharmacological targets for where oxytocin could help to ameliorate deficits in maternal caregiving and poor postpartum mental health.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours’.
Oxytocin and testosterone administration amplify viewing preferences for sexual images in male rhesus macaques
Authors: Jiang Yaoguang , Sheng Feng , Belkaya Naz , Platt Michael L.
Published: July 2022

Social stimuli, like faces, and sexual stimuli, like genitalia, spontaneously attract visual attention in both human and non-human primates. Social orienting behaviour is thought to be modulated by neuropeptides as well as sex hormones. Using a free viewing task in which paired images of monkey faces and anogenital regions were presented simultaneously, we found that male rhesus macaques overwhelmingly preferred to view images of anogenital regions over faces. They were more likely to make an initial gaze shift towards, and spent more time viewing, anogenital regions compared with faces, and this preference was accompanied by relatively constricted pupils. On face images, monkeys mostly fixated on the forehead and eyes. These viewing preferences were found for images of both males and females. Both oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide linked to social bonding and affiliation, and testosterone (TE), a sex hormone implicated in mating and aggression, amplified the pre-existing orienting bias for female genitalia over female faces; neither treatment altered the viewing preference for male anogenital regions over male faces. Testosterone but not OT increased the probability of monkeys making the first gaze shift towards female anogenital rather than face pictures, with the strongest effects on anogenital images of young and unfamiliar females. Finally, both OT and TE promoted viewing of the forehead region of both female and male faces, which display sexual skins, but decreased the relative salience of the eyes of older males. Together, these results invite the hypothesis that both OT and TE regulate reproductive behaviours by acting as a gain control on the visual orienting network to increase attention to mating-relevant signals in the environment.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours’.
Effect of hospital assignment on mortality for AMI patients
Authors: Grøsland Mari , Telle Kjetil , Øien Henning
Published: July 2022

International guidelines recommend percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to treat acute myocardial infarction (AMI) if PCI can be performed within two hours. PCI is a centralized treatment, and therefore a common trade-off is whether to send AMI patients directly to a hospital that performs PCI, or postponing a potential PCI-treatment by first receiving acute treatment at a non-PCI-hospital. In this paper, we estimate the effect of sending patients directly to a PCI-hospital on AMI mortality. Since the underlying health of patients may affect both hospital assignment and mortality, estimates from traditional multivariate risk adjustment models are likely biased. We therefore apply an instrumental variable (IV) model using the historical municipal share that is sent directly to a PCI-hospital as an instrument for being sent directly to a PCI-hospital. Our results disclose that patients sent directly to a PCI-hospital are younger and have fewer comorbidities than patients who are first sent to a non-PCI-hospital. Our IV results suggest that those initially sent to PCI-hospitals have 4.8 percentage points decrease (95% CI (-18.1)-8.5) in mortality after one month compared to those initially sent to non-PCI-hospitals. However, the estimates are too imprecise to conclude that health personnel should change their practice.
Trauma-informed approaches in primary healthcare and community mental healthcare: a mixed methods systematic review of organisational change interventions
Authors: Lewis Natalia V , Bierce Angel , Feder Gene S , Macleod John , Turner Katrina M , Zammit Stan , Dawson Shoba
Published: July 2022

A trauma-informed approach is a framework for organisational (synonym system) change interventions that address the universal prevalence and impact of trauma. This mixed methods systematic review assessed the effects of trauma-informed approaches on psychological, behavioural, and health outcomes in healthcare providers and adult patients in primary care and community mental healthcare. We searched five databases and grey literature and consulted experts for reports published in January 1990-June 2021. The quantitative descriptive and qualitative framework syntheses were integrated through a line of argument and mapped onto a logic model. We included six non-randomized studies that evaluated eight interventions with varied theoretical development, components, and outcomes. The most common components were budget allocation, workforce development, identification/response to violence and trauma, and evaluation. Evidence for intervention effects was limited and conflicting. Four studies reported improvement in provider readiness and sense of community, while three reported conflicting effects on provider behaviour regarding delivery of trauma-informed care. Four studies reported some improvement in patient readiness for disease management and access to services; however, the evidence for patient satisfaction was conflicting. Two studies found that patients and providers felt safe.

While one study reported improvement in patient quality of life and chronic pain, another found no effect on substance use, and three studies reported conflicting effects on mental health. Interventions mechanisms included a package of varied components, tailoring to the organisational needs, capacities, and preferences, staff education and self-care, creating safe environments, shared decision-making. Intervention effects were moderated by contextual (health system values, policies, governance, business models, trauma-informed movement, organisational culture, social determinants of health) and intervention factors (buy-in from all staff, collective learning through conversations, equal attention to staff and patient well-being, sustainable funding). No studies measured adverse events/harm, cost effectiveness, or providers’ health. We need more methodologically robust evaluations of trauma-informed organisational change interventions.

A preprint of this article has previously been deposited in the preprint server for health sciences [1].
An integrated multi-omics analysis of sleep-disordered breathing traits across multiple blood cell types
Authors: Kurniansyah Nuzulul , Wallace Danielle A , Zhang Ying , Yu Bing , Cade Brian , Wang Heming , Ochs-Balcom Heather M. , Reiner Alexander P , Ramos Alberto R , Smith Joshua D , Cai Jianwen , Daviglus Martha , Zee Phyllis C , Kaplan Robert , Kooperberg Charles , Rich Stephen S , Rotter Jerome I , Gharib Sina A. , Redline Susan , Sofer Tamar
Published: July 2022

Background

Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) is characterized by repeated breathing reductions or cessations during sleep, often accompanied by oxyhemoglobin desaturation. How SDB affects the molecular environment is still poorly understood.

Methods

We studied the association of three SDB measures: the Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI), average and minimum oxyhemoglobin saturation during sleep (AvgO2 and MinO2) with gene expression measured using RNA-seq in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), monocytes, and T-cells, in ∼500 individuals from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). We developed genetic instrumental variables (IVs) for the associated transcripts as polygenic risk scores (tPRS), then generalized and validated the tPRS in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). Next, we constructed the tPRS and studied their association with SDB measures (to identify potential reverse causal associations) and with serum metabolites (to identify downstream effects) in ∼12,000 and ∼4,000 participants, respectively, from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). Finally, we estimated the association of these SDB measures with transcript IV-associated metabolites in HCHS/SOL, to verify complete association pathways linking SDB, gene expression, and metabolites.

Results

Across the three leukocyte cell types, 96 gene transcripts were associated with at least one SDB exposure (False Discovery Rate (FDR) p-value <0.1). Across cell populations, estimated log-fold expression changes were similar between AHI and MinO2 (Spearman correlations>0.90), and less similar between AvgO2 and the other exposures. Eight and four associations had FDR p-value<0.05 when the analysis was not adjusted and adjusted to BMI, respectively. Associations include known genes that respond to (PDGFC) and regulate response to (AJUBA) hypoxia. We identified a complete “chain” linking AvgO2,P2RX4, and butyrylcarnitine (C4), suggesting that increased expression of the purinergic receptorP2RX4may improve average oxyhemoglobin saturation and decrease butyrylcarnitine (C4) levels.

Conclusions

Our results support a mechanistic role for purinergic signaling and hypoxic signaling, among others, in SDB. These findings show differential gene expression by blood cell type in relation to SDB traits and linkP2XR4expression to influencing AvgO2 and butyrylcarnitine (C4) levels. Overall, we employed novel methods for integrating multi-omic data to evaluate biological mechanisms underlying multiple SDB traits.
Stalled malaria control – root causes and possible remedies
Authors: Hargrove J. W. , Vale G. A.
Published: July 2022

Background

Malaria control has been stalled for some years in many African countries. We suggest reasons for the stalling, and ways of remedying the situation.

Methods

We analyse malaria data from Kenya and Tanzania using mathematical analysis and a deterministic model for mosquito and malaria population dynamics. The model was produced in Microsoft Excel and is usable by persons who are neither mathematicians nor specialised modellers.

Results

In Kenya, there was no significant decline in malaria incidence during the last decade, despite 50-80% of the human population owning and using insecticide-treated bed-nets (ITN). Similar situations exist in Tanzania and Uganda. There were only limited declines in malaria incidence in Kenyan counties where indoor spraying of residual insecticides covered about 90% of the dwellings. This is especially surprising since, in the earlier decade, a rapid drop in malaria incidence followed much less intense control operations. While there have been well documented increases in resistance of anopheline mosquitoes to various pyrethroids, these are not sufficient to explain the stalled control. Instead, we suggest that this is largely due to a change in the species composition and behaviour of the vector populations, consequent on the widespread use of ITN. Quantitative support for this view is offered by our mathematical analyses and modelling of published data on changes in malaria incidence and levels of access to, and use of, ITN. The modelling also suggests that a resumed decline in the incidence of malaria might best be achieved by increasing ITN coverage as close as possible to 100% and supplementing this effort with limited application of control measures that kill mosquitoes attempting to feed off non-humans. Particular attention deserves to be given to the insecticide treatment of cattle hosts and the refinement of artificial baits for outdoor deployment.

Conclusions

Current levels of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and ITN will not result in any significant improvement. If, however, ITN ownership and effective use can be increased closer to 100%, modest levels of additional control outdoors should result in substantial reductions in incidence. Treatment of adult mosquitoes visiting livestock is a promising option.