bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Demography and Natural Selection Have Shaped Genetic Variation in Drosophila melanogaster: A Multi-locus Approach
Authors: Glinka Sascha , Ometto Lino , Mousset Sylvain , Stephan Wolfgang , De Lorenzo David
Published: April 2021

Demography and selection have been recognized for their important roles in shaping patterns of nucleotide variability. To investigate the relative effects of these forces in the genome of Drosophila melanogaster, we used a multi-locus scan (105 fragments) of X-linked DNA sequence variation in a putatively ancestral African and a derived European population. Surprisingly, we found evidence for a recent size expansion in the African population, i.e., a significant excess of singletons at a chromosome-wide level. In the European population, such an excess was not detected. In contrast to the African population, we found evidence for positive natural selection in the European sample: (i) a large number of loci with low levels of variation and (ii) a significant excess of derived variants at the low-variation loci that are fixed in the European sample but rare in the African population. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the European population has experienced frequent selective sweeps in the recent past during its adaptation to new habitats. Our study shows the advantages of a genomic approach (over a locus-specific analysis) in disentangling demographic and selective forces.
A Theoretical Model for the Regulation of Sex-lethal, a Gene That Controls Sex Determination and Dosage Compensation in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Louis Matthieu , Holm Liisa , Sánchez Lucas , Kaufman Marcelle
Published: April 2021

Cell fate commitment relies upon making a choice between different developmental pathways and subsequently remembering that choice. Experimental studies have thoroughly investigated this central theme in biology for sex determination. In the somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster, Sex-lethal (Sxl) is the master regulatory gene that specifies sexual identity. We have developed a theoretical model for the initial sex-specific regulation of Sxl expression. The model is based on the well-documented molecular details of the system and uses a stochastic formulation of transcription. Numerical simulations allow quantitative assessment of the role of different regulatory mechanisms in achieving a robust switch. We establish on a formal basis that the autoregulatory loop involved in the alternative splicing of Sxl primary transcripts generates an all-or-none bistable behavior and constitutes an efficient stabilization and memorization device. The model indicates that production of a small amount of early Sxl proteins leaves the autoregulatory loop in its off state. Numerical simulations of mutant genotypes enable us to reproduce and explain the phenotypic effects of perturbations induced in the dosage of genes whose products participate in the early Sxl promoter activation.
The extended auricle1 (eta1) Gene Is Essential for the Genetic Network Controlling Postinitiation Maize Leaf Development
Authors: Osmont Karen S , Jesaitis Lynne A , Freeling Michael
Published: April 2021

The maize leaf is composed of distinct regions with clear morphological boundaries. The ligule and auricle mark the boundary between distal blade and proximal sheath and are amenable to genetic study due to the array of mutants that affect their formation without severely affecting viability. Herein, we describe the novel maize gene extended auricle1 (eta1), which is essential for proper formation of the blade/sheath boundary. Homozygous eta1 individuals have a wavy overgrowth of auricle tissue and the blade/sheath boundary is diffuse. Double-mutant combinations of eta1 with genes in the knox and liguleless pathways result in synergistic and, in some cases, dosage-dependent interactions. While the phenotype of eta1 mutant individuals resembles that of dominant knox overexpression phenotypes, eta1 mutant leaves do not ectopically express knox genes. In addition, eta1 interacts synergistically with lg1 and lg2, but does not directly affect the transcription of either gene in leaf primordia. We present evidence based on genetic and molecular analyses that eta1 provides a downstream link between the knox and liguleless pathways.
Heterochronic Expression of Sexual Reproductive Programs During Apomictic Development in Tripsacum
Authors: Grimanelli Daniel , García Marcelina , Kaszas Etienne , Perotti Enrico , Leblanc Olivier
Published: April 2021

Some angiosperms reproduce by apomixis, a natural way of cloning through seeds. Apomictic plants bypass both meiosis and egg cell fertilization, producing progeny that are genetic replicas of the mother plant. In this report, we analyze reproductive development in Tripsacum dactyloides, an apomictic relative of maize, and in experimental apomictic hybrids between maize and Tripsacum. We show that apomictic reproduction is characterized by an alteration of developmental timing of both sporogenesis and early embryo development. The absence of female meiosis in apomictic Tripsacum results from an early termination of female meiosis. Similarily, parthenogenetic development of a maternal embryo in apomicts results from precocious induction of early embryogenesis events. We also show that male meiosis in apomicts is characterized by comparable asynchronous expression of developmental stages. Apomixis thus results in an array of possible phenotypes, including wild-type sexual development. Overall, our observations suggest that apomixis in Tripsacum is a heterochronic phenotype; i.e., it relies on a deregulation of the timing of reproductive events, rather than on the alteration of a specific component of the reproductive pathway.
The EGL-13 SOX Domain Transcription Factor Affects the Uterine Cell Lineages in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Cinar Hediye Nese , Richards Keri L , Oommen Kavita S , Newman Anna P
Published: April 2021

We isolated egl-13 mutants in which the cells of the Caenorhabditis elegans uterus initially appeared to develop normally but then underwent an extra round of cell division. The data suggest that egl-13 is required for maintenance of the cell fate.
A Role for GEA1 and GEA2 in the Organization of the Actin Cytoskeleton in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Zakrzewska Ewa , Perron Marjorie , Laroche André , Pallotta Dominick
Published: April 2021

Profilin is an actin monomer-binding protein implicated in the polymerization of actin filaments. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the pfy1-111 rho2Δ double mutant has severe growth and actin cytoskeletal defects. The GEA1 and GEA2 genes, which code for paralog guanosine exchange factors for Arf proteins, were identified as multicopy suppressors of the mutant phenotype. These two genes restored the polarized distribution of actin cortical patches and produced visible actin cables in both the pfy1-111 rho2Δ and pfy1Δ cells. Thus, overexpression of GEA1 or GEA2 bypassed the requirement for profilin in actin cable formation. In addition, gea1 gea2 double mutants showed defects in budding and in actin cytoskeleton organization, while overexpression of GEA1 or GEA2 led to the formation of supernumerary actin cable-like structures in a Bni1p/Bnr1p-dependent manner. The ADP-ribosylation factor Arf3p may be a target of Gea1p/Gea2p, since overexpression of ARF3 partially suppressed the profilin-deficient phenotype and a deletion of ARF3 exacerbated the phenotype of a pfy1-111 mutant. Gea1p, Gea2p, Arf1p, and Arf2p but not Arf3p are known to function in vesicular transport between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi. In this work, we demonstrate a role for Gea1p, Gea2p, and Arf3p in the organization of the actin cytoskeleton.
Phenotypic and Transcriptional Plasticity Directed by a Yeast Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Network
Authors: Breitkreutz Ashton , Boucher Lorrie , Breitkreutz Bobby-Joe , Sultan Mujahid , Jurisica Igor , Tyers Mike
Published: April 2021

The yeast pheromone/filamentous growth MAPK pathway mediates both mating and invasive-growth responses. The interface between this MAPK module and the transcriptional machinery consists of a network of two MAPKs, Fus3 and Kss1; two regulators, Rst1 and Rst2 (a.k.a. Dig1 and Dig2); and two transcription factors, Ste12 and Tec1. Of 16 possible combinations of gene deletions in FUS3, KSS1, RST1, and RST2 in the Σ1278 background, 10 display constitutive invasive growth. Rst1 was the primary negative regulator of invasive growth, while other components either attenuated or enhanced invasive growth, depending on the genetic context. Despite activation of the invasive response by lesions at the same level in the MAPK pathway, transcriptional profiles of different invasive mutant combinations did not exhibit a unified program of gene expression. The distal MAPK regulatory network is thus capable of generating phenotypically similar invasive-growth states (an attractor) from different molecular architectures (trajectories) that can functionally compensate for one another. This systems-level robustness may also account for the observed diversity of signals that trigger invasive growth.
Monosaccharide biosynthesis pathways database
Authors: Srivastava Jaya , Sunthar P , Balaji Petety V
Published: April 2021

A distinctive feature of glycans vis-à-vis proteins and nucleic acids is its structural complexity, which arises from the huge repertoire of monosaccharides, isomeric linkages and branching. A very large number of monosaccharides have so far been discovered in natural glycans. Experimentally, pathways for the biosynthesis have been characterized completely for 55 monosaccharides and partially for a few more. However, there is no single platform, which provides information about monosaccharide biosynthesis pathways and associated enzymes We have gathered 572 experimentally characterized enzymes of 66 biosynthesis pathways from literature and set up a first of its kind database called the Monosaccharide Biosynthesis Pathways Database http://www.bio.iitb.ac.in/mbpd/). Annotations such as the reaction catalyzed, substrate specificity, biosynthesis pathway and PubMed IDs are provided for all the enzymes in the database. Sequence homologs of the experimentally characterized enzymes found in nearly 13,000 completely sequenced genomes from Bacteria and Archaea have also been included in the database. This platform will help in the deduction of evolutionary relationships among enzymes such as aminotransferases, nucleotidyltransferases, acetyltransferases and SDR family enzymes. It can also facilitate experimental studies such as direct enzyme assays to validate putative annotations, establish structure–function relationship, expression profiling to determine the function, determine the phenotypic consequences of gene knock-out/knock-in and complementation studies.
Aging and IBD: A New Challenge for Clinicians and Researchers
Authors: Faye Adam S , Colombel Jean-Frederic
Published: April 2021

Evidence from recent epidemiological data suggests that the patient population with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is chronologically aging. As these individuals become older, cellular senescence leads to a state of chronic inflammation. This process, known as inflammaging, is thought to be closely linked with biological aging and may be upregulated within IBD. As a consequence, we see an increased risk of aging-related disorders within IBD. In addition, we see that frailty, which results from physiologic decline, is increasing in prevalence and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in IBD. As such, in this review we explore the potential overlapping biology of IBD and aging, discuss the risk of aging-related disorders in IBD, and describe frailty and its relation to clinical outcomes within IBD. Finally, we discuss current considerations for clinical care and potential research avenues for further investigation.
Glucocorticoid-Mediated Changes in Male Green Treefrog Vocalizations Alter Attractiveness to Females
Authors: Leary Christopher J , Crocker-Buta Sarah , Holloway Ashli , Kennedy Joseph G C
Published: April 2021

Synopsis

Adrenal glucocorticoids (GCs) are increasingly recognized as important modulators of male courtship signals, suggesting that circulating levels of these steroids can play a central role in sexual selection. However, few studies have examined whether GC-mediated effects on male sexual signals actually impact mate choice by females. Here, we examine how corticosterone (CORT)-mediated changes in the vocalizations of male green treefrogs, Dryophytes cinereus, influence attractiveness to females. In this species, agonistic acoustic signaling between rival males competing for mates increases circulating CORT levels in contest losers. Acute elevations in CORT, in turn, decrease the duration of male advertisement calls and increase the latency between successive calls, resulting in a net reduction in vocal effort (the amount of signaling per unit time) that occurs independently of changes in circulating androgens. Based on known preferences for acoustic features in D. cinereus, and other anuran species, the direction of CORT-mediated effects on temporal call characteristics is expected to compromise attractiveness to females, but whether they are of sufficient magnitude to impact female mate choice decisions is unclear. To examine whether CORT-mediated effects on male advertisement calls reduce attractiveness to females, we broadcast vocalizations in dual speaker playback experiments approximating the mean and 1 SD above and below the mean call duration and vocal effort values (the two primary vocal features impacted by elevated CORT) of males with low and high CORT levels. Results revealed strong preferences by females for the calls characteristic of males with low CORT in tests using the approximate mean and 1 SD above the mean call duration and vocal effort values, but females did not show a preference for calls of males with low CORT in trials using call values approximating 1 SD below the mean. Overall, females preferred males with signal traits predictive of low CORT, however this effect was nonlinear with attenuated preferences when signal alternatives differed only marginally indicating a possible thresholding effect. Specifically, females appeared to discriminate between males with low versus high CORT based primarily on differences in call rates associated with CORT-mediated changes in call duration and vocal effort. Our results highlight that changes in circulating CORT during male–male vocal interactions can decrease attractiveness to females, suggesting that circulating levels of CORT can play a critical role in both intra- and intersexual selection.
Does lung cancer screening with low-dose computerized tomography improve survival?
Authors: Manuel Lucy , Fong Laura S , Ly Thompson , Meredith Graham
Published: April 2021

A best evidence topic in thoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was ‘Does lung cancer screening with low-dose computerised tomography (LDCT) improve survival?’ More than 963 papers were found, of which 8 randomized control trials and 1 meta-analysis represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers were tabulated. The majority of studies trended towards greater incidence of early lung cancer detection, and subsequent curative treatment, in the LDCT screening populations with appropriately powered randomized control trials (NELSON and NLST) demonstrating survival benefits of >20% in lung cancer-specific mortality. However, this reduction must be evaluated against the potential harms associated with screening, including complications from diagnostic procedures, and costs of overdiagnosis, as evidenced in several studies. We conclude that in high-risk populations, lung cancer screening with LDCT results in earlier detection of low-stage cancers and improved survival when compared to usual clinical care or screening with a chest X-ray.
Lives and Costs Saved by Expanding and Expediting Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination
Authors: Bartsch Sarah M , Wedlock Patrick T , O’Shea Kelly J , Cox Sarah N , Strych Ulrich , Nuzzo Jennifer B , Ferguson Marie C , Bottazzi Maria Elena , Siegmund Sheryl S , Hotez Peter J , Lee Bruce Y
Published: April 2021

Background

With multiple coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines available, understanding the epidemiologic, clinical, and economic value of increasing coverage levels and expediting vaccination is important.

Methods

We developed a computational model (transmission and age-stratified clinical and economics outcome model) representing the United States population, COVID-19 coronavirus spread (February 2020–December 2022), and vaccination to determine the impact of increasing coverage and expediting time to achieve coverage.

Results

When achieving a given vaccination coverage in 270 days (70% vaccine efficacy), every 1% increase in coverage can avert an average of 876 800 (217 000–2 398 000) cases, varying with the number of people already vaccinated. For example, each 1% increase between 40% and 50% coverage can prevent 1.5 million cases, 56 240 hospitalizations, and 6660 deaths; gain 77 590 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs); and save $602.8 million in direct medical costs and $1.3 billion in productivity losses. Expediting to 180 days could save an additional 5.8 million cases, 215 790 hospitalizations, 26 370 deaths, 206 520 QALYs, $3.5 billion in direct medical costs, and $4.3 billion in productivity losses.

Conclusions

Our study quantifies the potential value of decreasing vaccine hesitancy and increasing vaccination coverage and how this value may decrease with the time it takes to achieve coverage, emphasizing the need to reach high coverage levels as soon as possible, especially before the fall/winter.
Study on novel PtNP–sorafenib and its interaction with VEGFR2
Authors: Liu Ruirui , Meng Yajie , Zhu Min , Zhai Honglin , Lv Wenjuan , Wen Tao , Jin Nengzhi
Published: April 2021

With the developments of nanodrugs, some drugs have combined with nanoparticles (NPs) to reduce their side-effects and increase their therapeutic activities. Here, a novel nanodrug platinum nanoparticle–sorafenib (PtNP–SOR) was proposed for the first time. By means of molecular dynamics simulation, the stability and biocompatibility of PtNP–SOR were investigated. Then, the interaction mechanism between PtNP–SOR and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) was explored and compared with that of the peptide 2a coated PtNPs. The results showed that PtNP–SOR could bind to VEGFR2 more stably, which was driven by the Coulombic and strong dispersion interaction between PtNP–SOR and VEGFR2. According to their contributions obtained from the decomposition of binding free energies, the key residues in VEGFR2 were identified to form the specific space, which increased the affinity with PtNP–SOR. This study provided useful insights to the design of PtNP-drugs as well as important theoretical proofs to the interaction between PtNP–SOR and VEGFR2 at a molecular level, which can be of large help during the development and optimization of novel nanodrugs.
Creating Responsible Subjects: The Role of Mediated Affective Encounters
Authors: Bajde Domen , Rojas-Gaviria Pilar
Published: April 2021

Why do people willingly bestow upon themselves the responsibility to tackle social problems such as poverty? Consumer research has provided valuable insight into how individuals are created as responsible subjects but has yet to account for the crucial role of affective dynamics in subject formation. We draw upon affect theorizing and nascent research on “affective governmentality” in organization and policy studies to theorize the formation of responsible subjects via affective encounters (i.e., consumption encounters through which consumers’ capacities to affect and to be affected change), and to explore how affective encounters are mediated downstream. Through a qualitative investigation of the online microloan market, we explain how market intermediaries contribute to the creation of affective-entrepreneurial subjects who willingly supply interest-free loans to the disadvantaged. The intermediaries accomplish this by nurturing and dramatizing a structure of feeling that subtends affective encounters and by deploying apparatuses of affirmation and relatability to target and intervene into affective encounters. In addition to illuminating the affective dynamics involved in consumer responsibilization and subject formation more broadly, our study facilitates critical reflection on the subject-formative power of consumer experiences and experiential marketing and carries important implications for research on charitable giving and critical thinking on microcredit.
Exhibition Making in Crisis: Professional Identity and Radical Museum Exhibition Design in Britain after the Second World War
Authors: Wintle Claire
Published: April 2021

This article examines the shifting professional identities and forms of exhibition design that were activated by the post-war crisis in UK museums. Drawing on professional publications and museum archives across the UK, it focuses on museum exhibition design for ‘ethnographic collections’ between 1945 and 1965. It documents the sense of collections excess that occurred as objects returned from war-time storage to their bomb-damaged museums; it highlights how – as funding, materials and government attention turned to reconstruction elsewhere – museum staff faced this crisis alone.

The article identifies two key tropes in post-war museum exhibition design that relate to this crisis. Both draw upon a ‘makeshift’ approach and both can be aligned with a ‘Do-It-Yourself’ ethic associated with a shortage of professional labour and more democratic modes of production. Firstly, some exhibition makers responded with creativity and innovation, drawing on new materials and commercial and artistic practices to design exhibitions that were radical for museums at this time. Without external support, museum technicians took a leading role in this experimental practice. Secondly, curatorial apathy towards display temporarily carved out inclusive spaces for artists, academics and local communities to design their own exhibitions in ways that remain radical in museums even today.
The Death of Sodium Pentothal: The Rise and Fall of an Anesthetic Turned Lethal
Authors: Orkaby Asher , Desai Sukumar P
Published: April 2021

For nearly a century, sodium pentothal was the undisputed king of anesthetics. Anesthesiologists were not, however, the sole consumers of pentothal, as psychiatrists used it to treat acute anxiety during psychoanalysis. The associated drug-induced inhibitions were attractive not only to psychotherapists, but also to a new generation of policing and Cold War espionage searching for the elusive truth serum. Cameo appearances of pentothal in media, film, and popular culture propagated the anesthetic’s negative public image. While legal challenges to the admissibility of pentothal-induced confessions and congressional investigations of clandestine truth serum programs may have tainted the popular anesthetic, it was pentothal’s widespread adaptation as part of the lethal injection cocktail that finally killed the king of anesthetics as pharmaceutical companies around the world refused to manufacture what had been transformed into a largely unprofitable drug, associated with capital punishment.
Special Economic Zones in International Economic Law: Towards Unilateral Economic Law
Authors: Chaisse Julien , Dimitropoulos Georgios
Published: April 2021

The international economic regime has entered a new phase of reassertion of sovereignty by States. While States continue to show respect for the values of international (economic) law, the institutionalization of these values has devolved from the international (to the regional) to the domestic level of governance. A new form of ‘unilateral economic law’ is thus gaining importance in the development of international and domestic laws and institutions. However, it remains largely understudied. This article discusses the development and proliferation as well as the importance of special economic zones as a new form of unilateral economic law in the overall system of international economic law. This article identifies four types of economic unilateralism: classical unilateralism, embedded unilateralism, sustainability unilateralism, and national security unilateralism. The new special economic zone unilateralism represents a middle ground between the two extremes of unilateral liberalization and aggressive unilateralism. Accordingly, special economic zone unilateralism introduces a new layer in the overall system of international economic law. First, special economic zones embody a new compromise between the State and the market. The State-controlled promotion of trade and investment taking place through special economic zones represents a complex compromise between the liberalization and protection of economic sovereignty. Second, the spatiality of trade and investment promotion through special economic zones is different from that of international economic law. The liberalization of trade and investment does not take place for the whole country but for an isolated jurisdiction within the broader national jurisdiction, while the focus is on the supply side rather than the traditional input factors of production. Overall, the new special economic zone unilateralism provides insights into the future of international economic law as envisaged by States. Special economic zones have been employed by States both as an alternative and as a complement to trade and investment promotion through the instruments of international economic law.
Early diving behavior in Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) pups
Authors: Weitzner Emma L , Pearson Linnea E , Tomanek Lars , Liwanag Heather E M
Published: April 2021

During the dependency period in mammals with parental care, offspring must develop the behavioral skills that allow them to forage independently and thus survive into early adulthood. Deep-diving Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) are a model species for research on diving physiology, yet previous studies lack a thorough investigation into the diving behavior of dependent pups when they first begin to enter the water. To capture fine-scale dive behavior during the dependency period, we deployed time-depth recorders (TDRs) on Weddell seal pups (n = 18) from the age of 1 week through 7 weeks, during the 2017 and 2019 breeding seasons in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Dive parameters were correlated with time of day, age, sex, and weaning status, to characterize diving behavior, and we used raw wet/dry data to determine which times of the day pups were most likely to be in the water. Pups made their deepest and longest dives and had the longest post-dive durations in the morning hours. Pups were in the water more during the late night and morning hours than in the afternoon. Whereas dive depth significantly increased with age, dive duration significantly increased with age and after weaning. Post-dive duration significantly decreased with age and after weaning. We discuss how dependent pups may prioritize the development of swimming and navigational abilities as opposed to building and practicing foraging skills.
Spatial and temporal variability in summer diet of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Authors: Lodberg-Holm Hanna K , Teglas Bonnie S , Tyers Daniel B , Jimenez Michael D , Smith Douglas W
Published: April 2021

The role of predation by large carnivores in suppressing prey populations and structuring ecosystems is highly debated, calling for a detailed understanding of carnivore diets. Wolves (Canis lupus) roam across three continents and persist throughout widely different ecosystems. Their diet is flexible and may vary spatially as well as seasonally, which requires analysis of diet on different spatial and temporal scales. Few studies have investigated the summer diet of wolves, which is more variable, consists of smaller prey, and requires different methods than studying their winter diet. To better understand the summer diet of wolves, we combined three independently collected wolf scat data sets from three distinctly different portions of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: Yellowstone National Park (2009), Grand Teton National Park (2003 – 2009), and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (2009 – 2010). These areas represent different ecological conditions and management regimes, which may impact wolf diet. We estimated relative biomass and compared occurrence of different prey species among packs, years, as well as the three regions. In total, we analyzed 1,906 wolf scats and found that neonate cervids, adult elk, and adult deer were the most important prey species in the summer diet of the wolves. We found dietary variation among packs residing in the same area, as well as across years. The occurrence of neonate cervids displayed the most variation, and low occurrence of this prey type often was associated with a more diverse diet. Wolf packs within the national parks had a higher occurrence of medium-sized prey (~ 50 – 70 kg) and lower occurrence of small-sized prey (≤ 20 kg) compared to wolves in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. These results demonstrate flexibility in summer diet across packs, years, and between regions within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Furuncular myiasis in a traveller to West Africa
Authors: Malek Alexandre E , Ostrosky-Zeichner Luis
Published: April 2021

Cutaneous myiasis with swarming and oscillatory movement inside the wounds.
Discovery of a new extragalactic circular radio source with ASKAP: ORC J0102–2450
Authors: Koribalski Bärbel S , Norris Ray P , Andernach Heinz , Rudnick Lawrence , Shabala Stanislav , Filipović Miroslav , Lenc Emil
Published: April 2021

We present the discovery of another odd radio circle (ORC) with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) at 944 MHz. The observed radio ring, ORC J0102–2450, has a diameter of ∼70 arcsec or 300 kpc, if associated with the central elliptical galaxy DES J010224.33–245039.5 (z ∼ 0.27). Considering the overall radio morphology (circular ring and core) and lack of ring emission at non-radio wavelengths, we investigate if ORC J0102–2450 could be the relic lobe of a giant radio galaxy seen end on or the result of a giant blast wave. We also explore possible interaction scenarios, for example, with the companion galaxy, DES J010226.15–245104.9, located in or projected on to the south-eastern part of the ring. We encourage the search for further ORCs in radio surveys to study their properties and origin.
Case Report—Staged brachytherapy achieving complete metabolic response in unresectable oligometastatic colorectal cancer to the liver
Authors: Appalanaido Gokula Kumar , Bahajjaj Sheikh Izzat Bin Zainal-Abidin , Shukor Syadwa Abdul , Ahmad Muhammad Zabidi , Francis Ho Cho Hao
Published: April 2021

Liver is the most common site for metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC). Non-surgical treatment options for oligometastatic CRC confined to the liver which represents an intermediate state in the metastatic cascade are fast expanding. Currently, several liver-directed local therapeutic options are available, such as hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) therapy, radio-frequency ablation (RFA), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), stereotactic body radiotherapy and high dose rate brachytherapy (HDRBT). Many factors such as patient’s fitness, liver function (LF), tumour size, location of the tumour in the liver and scheduling of systemic therapy need to be considered when selecting patients for surgery or local liver-directed therapy. This case report illustrates a successful local treatment with staged HDRBT for a large and unresectable, liver only oligometastatic disease from CRC. This patient underwent 4 cycles of chemotherapy (FOLFOX 4) followed by primary tumour resection and first stage of HDRBT to liver for a residual 14 cm tumour after the chemotherapy. After completing a further 4 cycles of chemotherapy with the same regimen, the tumour remained stable at 8 cm. She underwent a second stage of HDRBT to the same lesion and a repeat PET-CT scan done 8 weeks after the second HDRBT showed complete metabolic response. To our knowledge, this is the largest CRC metastatic liver lesion that has been successfully treated with HDRB.
Read, speak, sing: Promoting early literacy in the health care setting
Authors: Shaw Alyson
Published: April 2021

This statement will help health care providers assess and advise on early literacy with families in almost any practice setting. It defines emergent literacy skills, including early language learning and storytelling, and explores the benefits of reading, speaking, and singing with infants and toddlers for both children and caregivers. Book sharing at bedtime and other language-related routines positively affect family, relational, and social-emotional health. Early exposure to any language, when spoken at home, can benefit literacy learning in other languages children may encounter. Specific recommendations for clinicians counselling families on early literacy are included.
Harnessing Chemical Ecology for Environment-Friendly Crop Protection
Authors: Kang Seogchan , Lumactud Rhea , Li Ningxiao , Bell Terrence H. , Kim Hye-Seon , Park Sook-Young , Lee Yong-Hwan
Published: April 2021

Heavy reliance on synthetic pesticides for crop protection has become increasingly unsustainable, calling for robust alternative strategies that do not degrade the environment and vital ecosystem services. There are numerous reports of successful disease control by various microbes used in small-scale trials. However, inconsistent efficacy has hampered their large-scale application. A better understanding of how beneficial microbes interact with plants, other microbes, and the environment and which factors affect disease control efficacy is crucial to deploy microbial agents as effective and reliable pesticide alternatives. Diverse metabolites produced by plants and microbes participate in pathogenesis and defense, regulate the growth and development of themselves and neighboring organisms, help maintain cellular homeostasis under various environmental conditions, and affect the assembly and activity of plant and soil microbiomes. However, research on the metabolites associated with plant health-related processes, except antibiotics, has not received adequate attention. This review highlights several classes of metabolites known or suspected to affect plant health, focusing on those associated with biocontrol and belowground plant–microbe and microbe–microbe interactions. The review also describes how new insights from systematic explorations of the diversity and mechanism of action of bioactive metabolites can be harnessed to develop novel crop protection strategies.
Incidences and Risk factors of Screw-related Superior Facet Articular Surface Violation at L4 and L5 levels in Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Authors: Huang Chen-Pang , Lin Hsi-Hsien , Yao Yu-Cheng , Lu Yi , Liu Po-Chun , Chang Ming-Chau , Wang Shih-Tien , Chou Po-Hsin
Published: April 2021

Study Design.

A retrospective comparative study with radiographic measurements.

Objective.

The aim of this study was to investigate incidences and risk factors of screw-related superior facet articular surface violation (FASV) and optimal pedicle screw angles (PSAs) to avoid FASV at L4 and L5 levels in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) with either open surgery (OS) or minimal invasive (MIS) techniques with 3D C-arm navigation.

Summary of Background Data.

L4 to S1 are common levels in TLIF. Adjacent segment diseases (ASD) following TLIF is not uncommon. Screw-related FASV at the superior level is one of the potential risk factors for ASD.

Methods.

In the OS and MIS groups, 111 and 110 screws were included at L4 level, and 114 and 110 screws at L5 level, respectively. Postoperative computed tomography examined screw-related FASV at L3-4 and L4-5 facet levels. The entry point was the location where pedicle screws placed into the facet joints.

Results.

The OS technique and insertion at the L5 level increased the likelihood of FASV 2.56 and 1.81 times, respec-tively. Multivariate logistic regressions analysis determined PSA was a significant factor associated with FASV. Pearson r between PSA and the distance between midline and entry point was 0.905 (P < .0001). Adding one degree of convergence in PSA led to a mean 0.87 lower odds of an FASV event, regardless of surgical techniques. In 90% of patients in the OS and MIS groups, PSA with FASV was < 11.9° and <15.9° at L4 level, and <15.9° and <21.8° at L5 level, respectively.

Conclusion.

PSAs played an important role in FASV. MIS allowed greater PSAs and resulted in fewer incidences of FASV. To avoid FASV in 90% of patients, the PSAs might be at least 11.9° and 15.9° at L4 level, and 15.9° and 21.8° at L5 level for OS and MIS techniques, respectively.

Level of Evidence: 3
Global and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Levels Among People Living With HIV on Antiretroviral Therapy in Burundi: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Havyarimana Eric , Sinzakaraye Alexis , Ndikumasabo Zéphyrin , Caty Gilles , Ininahazwe Chanelle Ella , Batcho Charles Sèbiyo
Published: April 2021

The latest recommendations for HIV therapeutic management emphasize the importance of regular physical activity (PA). This cross-sectional study assessed the self-reported level of PA, amount of leisure time PA (LTPA), and the predictors of PA practiced in 257 people living with HIV (PLWH) in Burundi. The World Health Organization recommends 150 min of PA per week. In our study, 80.2% of the participants met this recommendation. Participants were more engaged in PA at work (436.8 ± 682.1 min/week) compared with leisure time (231.7 ± 383.8 min/week) and transportation (235.9 ± 496.5 min/week). Multivariate analysis revealed that men (β = −101.65; p = .01) who were white-collar workers (β = 67.21; p < .03) with higher education level (β = 274.21; p < .001) reported higher levels of LTPA than other groups. Integrating PA counseling into the routine care and implementing community-based exercise programs could enhance participation in PA in PLWH.
The Role of Employees’ Age for the Relation Between Job Autonomy and Sickness Absence
Authors: Grund Christian , Rubin Maike
Published: April 2021

Objective:

We investigate whether job autonomy is associated with employees’ sickness absence. In particular, we examine the role of employees’ age for this relationship.

Methods:

We can make use of the representative German Study of Mental Health at Work data (n = 3099 employees) and control for relevant covariates.

Results:

Applying theoretical consideration such as the Job Demand Control Model, we do find evidence for an inverse relation between employees’ job autonomy and days of sickness absence. This relation is only weakly mediated by job satisfaction and particularly relevant for more senior employees.

Conclusions:

Theoretical implications are aimed at extending the existing theoretical models by individuals age and derive age-specific propositions. Managerial implications include recommendations which directly affect the individuals work content with regard to the use of our definition of job autonomy.
Neuroblastoma metastasized to the mandible and the spinal extradural regions
Authors: Sun Xiaomei , Xu Hui , Xin Kai , Sun Bo
Published: April 2021

Neuroblastoma (NB) metastasized into the mandible and spinal extradural region was rarely reported. We present a case with metastatic NB to the mandible and the spinal extradural regions. The patient received chemotherapy using NB 97 regimen and was tumor free after 8 months, but 9 months after the treatment, the patient presented with lower limb paralysis and persistent pain in maxillofacial region as well as swelling in the left mandibular area. Metastasis to the mandible and the spinal extradural regions was diagnosed based on the spinal and maxillofacial magnetic resonance imaging. Radiotherapy with a density of 2 Gy per day was given via a linear accelerator. The total dose of the intraspinal occupying lesion was subject to radiotherapy with a regimen of 30 Gy (10 fractions). For the management of the maxillofacial pain, tumor in the maxillofacial region was subject to a density of 50 Gy (25 fractions). The maxillofacial pain disappeared after a density of 10 Gy and soft tissue tumefaction was eliminated after a density of 50 Gy, and the maxillofacial appearance was much better than before. Finally, the patient died from tumor progression 2 years after diagnosis for NB.
The role of genetic polymorphisms in STIM1 and ORAI1 for erythropoietin resistance in patients with renal failure
Authors: Kao Chih-Chin , Wong Henry Sung-Ching , Wang Yu-Jia , Chou Wan-Hsuan , Perwitasari Dyah Aryani , Wu Mai-Szu , Chang Wei-Chiao
Published: April 2021

Anemia is a common complication in patients with renal failure. While erythropoietin is commonly used to treat anemia, some patients exhibit a poor response to erythropoietin. Since store-operated calcium channel (SOC) signaling is one of the erythropoietin activated pathways, we aimed to investigate the association between the genetic polymorphisms of SOC signaling pathway and erythropoietin resistance in patients with renal failure.

Four tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms in STIM1 and five in ORAI1 were selected in this study. Genotyping was performed with the TaqMan Allelic Discrimination assay and the association of individual tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms with erythropoietin resistance was analyzed by multivariable adjusted random intercepts model.

194 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age of participants is 68 years, and 56% were men. The mean erythropoietin resistance index was 9.04 ± 4.51 U/Kg/week/g/dL. We found that patients with the AA genotype of rs1561876 in STIM1, and the CC or CT genotypes of rs6486795 in ORAI1, were associated with increased risk of erythropoietin resistance. Functional annotation of expression quantitative trait loci revealed that the AA genotype of rs1561876 in STIM1 has a relatively lower expression of ribonucleotide reductase catalytic subunit M1 in skeletal muscle, while the CC genotype of rs6486795 in ORAI1 has a relatively higher expression of ORAI1 in the whole blood and thyroid.

Overall, we demonstrate a significant association between erythropoietin resistance and genetic polymorphisms of STIM1 and ORAI1. Annotation prediction revealed the importance of SOC-mediated calcium signaling for erythropoietin resistance.
Stability analysis of clustering of Norris’ visual analogue scale
Authors: Guan Zheng , Chen X. Gregory , Hay Justin , van Gerven Joop , Burggraaf Jacobus , de Kam Marieke
Published: April 2021

Visual analogue scales are widely used to measure subjective responses. Norris’ 16 visual analogue scales (N_VAS) measure subjective feelings of alertness and mood. Up to now, different scientists have clustered items of N_VAS into different ways and Bond and Lader's way has been the most frequently used in clinical research. However, there are concerns about the stability of this clustering over different subject samples and different drug classes. The aim of this study was to test whether Bond and Lader's clustering was stable in terms of subject samples and drug effects. Alternative clustering of N_VAS was tested.

Data from studies with 3 types of drugs: cannabinoid receptor agonist (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]), muscarinic antagonist (scopolamine), and benzodiazepines (midazolam and lorazepam), collected between 2005 and 2012, were used for this analysis. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to test the clustering algorithm of Bond and Lader. Consensus clustering was performed to test the stability of clustering results over samples and over different drug types. Stability analysis was performed using a three-cluster assumption, and then on other alternative assumptions.

Heat maps of the consensus matrix (CM) and density plots showed instability of the three-cluster hypothesis and suggested instability over the 3 drug classes. Two- and four-cluster hypothesis were also tested. Heat maps of the CM and density plots suggested that the two-cluster assumption was superior.

In summary, the two-cluster assumption leads to a provably stable outcome over samples and the 3 drug types based on the data used.
The association between 5, 10 – methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase and the risk of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss in China
Authors: Wang Genzhu , Lin Zhaohui , Wang Xiaoying , Sun Qiang , Xun Zhikun , Xing Baiqian , Li Zhongdong
Published: April 2021

Backgroud:

To analyze the correlation between gene polymorphisms of 5,10- methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and risk of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL) in Chinese women.

Methods:

Eligible studies were searched in Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. Established inclusion criteria were used to screening articles, subsequently evaluate the quality of the included studies, Stata 16.0 PM and RevMan 5.3 software were conducted for meta-analysis. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was determined to assess the relationship between MTHFR and risk of URPL in Chinese women.

Results:

For MTHFR C677T, fifty studies were included, involving 6677 URPL cases and 8111 controls. The overall results showed that MTHFR C677T was significantly correlated with URPL risk, especially in the homozygous model (TT vs CC; OR 3.06; 95% CI 2.56–3.66). For MTHFR A1298C, twenty-first studies were included, involving 3439 URPL cases and 3155 controls. The results showed that MTHFR A1298C was also significantly correlated with URPL risk in recessive (CC vs AC + AA; OR 1.55; 95% CI 1.25–1.93) and homozygous (CC vs AA; OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.22–1.91) models. In addition, sub-group results showed that no significant difference between north and south China populations in the MTHFR gene polymorphisms and URPL risk. Of note, the patients carrying MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C joint mutants had no synergistic effect (OR 2.71; 95% CI 0.84–8.70) on the occurrence of URPL compared with the wild-type homozygous genotype (MTHFR 677CC/ MTHFR 1298AA).

Conclusion:

Studies included in this meta-analysis suggested that MTHFR 677T allele and 677TT genotype and MTHFR 1298CC genotype were both associated with URPL; testing MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism was a more appropriate target compared with other mutations in the prediction of URPL.