bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of nalbuphine on the cardiotoxicity of ropivacaine in rats
Authors: Wang Chenran , Sun Shen , Jiao Jing , Yu Xinhua , Huang Shaoqiang
Published: April 2022

When combined with nalbuphine, local anesthetics show a longer duration of nerve block without increasing complications. However, no evidence is available concerning the effect of nalbuphine on the cardiotoxicity of local anesthetics. The objective of this work is to investigate whether nalbuphine pretreatment can increase the lethal dose threshold of ropivacaine in rats. Anesthetized Sprague Dawley rats were pretreated with different doses of nalbuphine (0.4, 0.8, 1.5, 3.0, 5.0 mg/kg) or NS (normal saline, negative control) or 30% LE (lipid emulsion, positive control) 2 ml/kg/min for 5 min (n = 6). Then 0.5% ropivacaine was infused at a rate of 2.5 mg/kg/min until asystole occurs. Time of arrhythmia, 50% mean arterial pressure‐ and 50% heart rate‐reduction, and asystole were recorded, and ropivacaine doses were calculated. Nalbuphine (0.4–5.0 mg/kg) did not affect ropivacaine‐induced arrhythmia, 50% mean arterial pressure‐reduction and 50% heart rate‐reduction, and asystole in rats compared with NS pre‐treatment. The asystole dose threshold (in milligrams per kilogram) of group LE was higher than that of group NS (NS 28.25(6.32) vs. LE, 41.58(10.65); P = 0.04; 95% confidence interval 0.23 to 26.45), while thresholds of arrhythmia, 50% mean arterial pressure‐reduction, and 50% heart rate‐reduction were not affected by LE. Nalbuphine doses of 0.4–5.0 mg/kg pretreatment did not increase the threshold of ropivacaine cardiotoxicity compared with NS control; 30% LE increases the lethal dose threshold of ropivacaine in rats.
Managed Aquifer Recharge for Drinking Water Protection—Glacial Aquifer in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Authors: Heisen Karilyn , Young David , Colby Jeff
Published: April 2022

Massachusetts's first large‐scale use of reclaimed water to irrigate a golf course began in 2001 at the Links at Bayberry Hills Golf Course. The project utilizes up to 28 million gallons per year (0.11 million cubic meters) of highly treated effluent from the nearby septage treatment plant and has a backup site for disposal of unused water. The golf course is over a large glacial aquifer, designated as a Sole Source Aquifer by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This aquifer provides most of the drinking water for Cape Cod. In addition to protecting drinking water, the project must meet limitations on nitrogen loads due to degraded water quality in the harbors and estuaries. The multisite design provides an adaptable approach for protection of drinking water aquifers and demonstrates beneficial use of reclaimed wastewater. The project required cooperation between the town and the state to develop new regulations to permit beneficial water reuse. The project provides recreational benefits, protects drinking water, reduces nitrogen loads to the groundwater, and reduces groundwater withdrawals.
Nonpharmacological pain management interventions in medical and surgical abortion: A scoping review
Authors: Qian Jialu , Sun Shiwen , Wang Man , Yu Xiaoyan
Published: April 2022

Aims

The study aimed to present a broad overview of the research conducted and to synthesize evidence of the utility of nonpharmacological interventions for pain management in medical and surgical abortions.

Background

High‐quality care for medical and surgical abortion requires pain to be managed effectively. However, women reported low satisfaction with pain management in abortion care.

Design

A scoping review design was employed.

Data sources

No date limit was set. PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ProQuest and Scopus were searched in April 2021.

Review methods

Arksey and O'Malley's framework was used. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐analysis extension‐Scoping Reviews was followed.

Results

Fifteen studies were included. The results revealed that support interventions, music therapy, acupoint stimulation and hypnotic analgesia were nonpharmacological interventions used to decrease abortion pain.

Conclusions

Clinical nurses, nurse managers and policymakers should attach full importance to the pain management in abortion and may use the study findings to guide the pain management practice.
Idiopathic factor V inhibitor in a patient starting haemodialysis
Authors: Sutherland Luke J. , Tan Sarah , Hanna Merit
Published: April 2022

A 74‐year‐old Pacific Island man with end‐stage renal failure planning to start haemodialysis presented with persistent bleeding after tunnelled dialysis catheter insertion. The laboratory findings revealed a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time of 118 s, prothrombin ratio of 4.2, factor V activity of <2% and a factor V inhibitor of 40 Bethesda Units. No clear underlying aetiology was identified. The bleeding settled with conservative measures and the factor V inhibitor was successfully treated with oral cyclophosphamide for 6 weeks.
Relationship between predisposing and facilitating factors: Does it influence the risk of developing peri‐operative pressure injuries?
Authors: Weng Pei‐Wei , Lin Yen‐Kuang , Seo Jang‐Dong , Chang Wen‐Pei
Published: April 2022

This study examined the relationship between the personal predisposing factors of patients and the severity of pressure injuries (PIs) developed during surgery. This retrospective cohort study collected 439 cases of peri‐operative PIs. Using binary logistic regression to identify the variables associated with PI severity, the effects of interactions between associated variables were then tested. The results of this study revealed that among the personal predisposing factors, only higher patient age (P = .001) and higher body mass index (P < .001) posed a greater risk of stage 2 PIs or higher. Among the surgery‐related facilitating factors, only patients who were placed in the prone position during surgery and patients who lost ≥1000 mL of blood during surgery were at greater risk of stage 2 PIs or higher, compared, respectively, to those placed in the supine position and those who lost ≤100 mL of blood. Furthermore, the amount of blood lost during surgery moderated the influence of age on PI severity. For elderly patients who are expected to lose a large blood volume during surgery or lose an immeasurable amount of blood due to the use of cardiopulmonary bypass, taking more precautionary measures to prevent PIs is recommended.
Cardiovascular events and atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance: What are the medical treatments to prevent cardiovascular events in such patients?
Authors: Ishii Hideki
Published: April 2022

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) significantly induce advanced coronary artery disease and systemic atherosclerosis. Thus, type 2 diabetes mellitus and IGT are traditional risk factors of cardiovascular disease. In contrast, acute coronary syndrome is frequently caused by the rupture of coronary atherosclerotic plaques, which reduces patients’ quality of life and might result in death. To date, many trials have sought to identify ways to determine the coronary plaque volume and its vulnerability, and many studies have shown that some specific antihyperglycemic agents might prevent coronary or carotid plaque progression, decrease plaque volume, induce plaque stability, and improve clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and IGT. This article reviews the following: (i) the association between coronary or carotid plaques and abnormal glucose tolerance, including type 2 diabetes mellitus; and (ii) the effects of oral antihyperglycemic drugs to improve clinical outcomes and stabilize atherosclerotic plaques in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and IGT.
Direct visualization of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 secretion by fluorescent fusion proteins
Authors: Tsuzuki Atsushi , Fujioka Yoichiro , Yoshida Aiko , Kashiwagi Sayaka , Amano Maho , Hira Tohru , Nakamura Akinobu , Miyoshi Hideaki , Atsumi Tatsuya , Ohba Yusuke
Published: April 2022

Live‐cell imaging with fluorescent proteins (FPs) is a powerful tool for investigating the exocytosis processes of hormones. However, the secretion process of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) has not been visualized by FPs, which might be because tagging FPs inhibits GLP‐1 synthesis through the post‐translational processing from proglucagon. Here, we have developed FP‐tagged GLP‐1 by inserting FPs into the middle of GLP‐1 and adding the proglucagon signal peptide. Confocal imaging confirmed that GLP‐1 fused to FPs with high folding efficiency showed granular structure, in which secretory vesicle markers colocalized. The fluorescence intensity of FP in the culture supernatant from cells treated with KCl or forskolin was significantly increased compared with those from untreated cells. Furthermore, FP‐tagged GLP‐1 enables direct visualization of stimulation‐dependent exocytosis of GLP‐1 at a single granule resolution with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. FP‐tagged GLP‐1 might facilitate the screening of GLP‐1 secretagogues and the discovery of new antidiabetic drugs.
Coverage error of three resin composite systems to vital unrestored maxillary anterior teeth
Authors: Diamantopoulou Sofia , Johnston William M. , Ghinea Razvan , Papazoglou Efstratios
Published: April 2022

Objective

Define the color of anterior teeth of a selected population and correlate it (by using coverage error [CE] and the frequency of best match) with the final color of all possible enamel‐dentine combinations of three different resin composite systems.

Materials and methods

Color of 636 vital unrestored anterior teeth (central incisors, lateral incisors and canines; n = 212) and disk specimens (12 mm diameter, varying thickness) corresponding to enamel‐dentin combinations of all available enamel (0.5 mm and 1.0 mm thickness) and dentin shades (3.0 mm thickness) of Essentia, Enamel Plus HRi and IPS Empress Direct composite systems was measured using a clinical dental spectrophotometer (Spectroshade Micro). CE and frequency of best match for all composite systems were calculated for the measured in‐vivo teeth color space.

Results

Natural in‐vivo teeth exhibit higher lightness when compared to enamel‐dentin composite combinations, independently of the enamel thickness used. The best (lowest) CE was found for IPS Empress, while the highest values were found for Enamel Plus Hri independently of tooth type and enamel thickness (p < 0.001). The use of 0.5 mm instead of 1.0 mm enamel thickness within enamel‐dentin composite combinations resulted in a lower CE for in‐vivo tooth color (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The color space defined by all possible enamel‐dentin combinations of the studied resin composite systems does not fully match the color range of anterior teeth. All composite systems examined lack combinations with lightness values as high as the population's. IPS Empress Direct composite system represented better the in‐vivo teeth color.

Clinical significance

The use of 0.5 mm enamel shade thickness is suggested when building layered restorations, as it provided better color coverage than using 1.0 mm thickness.
Bacterial diacetyl suppresses abiotic stress‐induced senescence in Arabidopsis
Authors: Singh Sunil K. , Sun Yazhou , Yang Yu , Zuo Ziwei , Wu Xiaoxuan , Shao Chuyang , Peng Li , Paré Paul W. , Zhang Huiming
Published: April 2022

Premature plant senescence induced by abiotic stresses is a major cause of agricultural losses worldwide. Tools for suppressing stress‐induced plant senescence are limited. Here, we report that diacetyl, a natural compound emitted by the plant‐beneficial bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, suppresses abscisic acid ‐mediated foliar senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana under various abiotic stress conditions. Our results establish diacetyl as an effective protector against stress‐induced plant senescence and reveal a molecular mechanism for bacteria‐enhanced plant stress resistance.
Skin biophysical properties including impaired skin barrier function determine ultraviolet sensitivity
Authors: Kim Min Ah , Jung Yu Chul , Suh Byung‐Fhy , Lee Han Na , Kim Eunjoo
Published: April 2022

Background

The levels of burning susceptibility to ultraviolet (UV) radiations are affected by various factors, including Fitzpatrick skin types, skin color, sex, and ethnicity. However, studies on the relationship between skin biophysical properties and erythemal responses to UV radiations are rare.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate biophysical properties of the skin that determined individual skin sensitivity to UV radiation.

Methods

As an indicator of skin sensitivity to UV radiation, Korean women were subjected to minimal erythema dose (MED) testing. The skin biophysical properties, such as skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), were measured. MED were also evaluated in further variations in the skin, including barrier disruption.

Results

A significant negative correlation was observed between TEWL and MED. With an increase in TEWL, that represents reduced skin barrier function, skin UV sensitivity also increased. Artificial alteration of skin conditions also changed erythemal response to UV radiation. When the skin barrier was disrupted, MED significantly decreased, indicating increased skin UV sensitivity. It is hypothesized that the altered penetration of UV radiation into the stratum corneum under the respective skin conditions caused different erythema reactions.

Conclusion

For the first time in a clinical study, the skin biophysical properties, including skin barrier function, were found to have significant effects on skin sensitivity to UV radiation. This finding could help predict individual susceptibility to UV damage. Therefore, skincare products that improve skin conditions associated with UV sensitivity, as well as sunscreen are important for protection against the hazards of UV radiation.
Filtration enlargement‐based time series forecast in view of insider trading
Authors: Bennett Luke M. , Hu Wei
Published: April 2022

This survey reviews filtration enlargement models in view of insider trading. Although filtration enlargement aptly models insiders' informational advantage, the theoretical results have not attracted the attention of the empiricists, owing mainly to the lack of a bridge transforming the results to testable hypotheses, and/or the absence of econometrics method linking the hypotheses and the data. This survey provides a feasible avenue to estimate insider information and to detect trading from a relatively sophisticated theoretical model, where the dynamics of publicly available data (e.g., stock price) implies insider information before the information is completely digested. We complete the survey with an empirical illustration based on simulated data.
A nomogram to assist blastocyst selection in vitrified‐warmed embryo transfer cycles
Authors: Xiong Feng , Sun Qing , Wang Sisi , Yao Zhihong , Chen Peilin , Wan Caiyun , Zhong Huixian , Zeng Yong
Published: April 2022

Aim

The purpose of the study was to establish a mathematical model to help rank the order of blastocysts and assist selection of which blastocysts to warm in vitrified‐thawed embryo transfer cycles.

Design

A total of 2862 women who underwent first vitrified‐thawed single blastocyst transfer (SBT) between July 2015 and July 2019 were retrospectively recruited and randomized into a training set (n = 2289) and testing set (n = 573). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to screen the factors critical to live birth (LB). Subsequently, a nomogram model was established to convert the effect of each factor on LB into a measurable score. The efficacy of the model was then evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic and calibration curve. The performance of the model was also internally tested in the testing set.

Results

Maternal age, endometrial thickness, oocyte number, day‐3 embryo quality, blastocyst morphology, and blastulation day were selected as the critical predictors of LB in the vitrified‐thawed SBT cycle and fitted into a nomogram model. The area under the curve (AUC) of the model was 0.67, and the AUC in the testing set was 0.64, which indicates moderate discrimination. The calibration curve showed good concordance between prediction and observation. Importantly, the score of each variable in the nomogram helped to rank the order of the blastocysts resulting in LB.

Conclusions

The nomogram model can provide guidance for embryo selection in vitrified‐thawed blastocyst transfer cycles, which may help to optimize the LB rate.
Impact of the post‐COVID‐19 condition on health care after the first disease wave in Lombardy
Authors: Mannucci Pier M. , Nobili Alessandro , Tettamanti Mauro , D'Avanzo Barbara , Galbussera Alessia A. , Remuzzi Giuseppe , Fortino Ida , Leoni Olivia , Harari Sergio
Published: April 2022

Background

Lombardy was affected in the early months of 2020 by the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic with very high morbidity and mortality. The post‐COVID‐19 condition and related public health burden are scarcely known.

Setting and design

Using the regional population administrative database including all the 48,932 individuals who survived COVID‐19 and became polymerase‐chain‐reaction negative for SARS‐CoV‐2 by 31 May 2020, incident mortality, rehospitalizations, attendances to hospital emergency room, and outpatient medical visits were evaluated over a mid‐term period of 6 months in 20,521 individuals managed at home, 26,016 hospitalized in medical wards, and 1611 in intensive care units (ICUs). These data were also evaluated in the corresponding period of 2019, when the region was not yet affected by the pandemic. Other indicators and proxies of the health‐care burden related to the post‐COVID condition were also evaluated.

Main results

In individuals previously admitted to the ICU and medical wards, rehospitalizations, attendances to hospital emergency rooms, and out‐patient medical visits were much more frequent in the 6‐month period after SARS‐CoV‐2 negativization than in the same prepandemic period. Performances of spirometry increased more than 50‐fold, chest CT scans 32‐fold in ICU‐admitted cases and 5.5‐fold in non‐ICU cases, and electrocardiography 5.6‐fold in ICU cases and twofold in non‐ICU cases. Use of drugs and biochemical tests increased in all cases.

Conclusions

These results provide a real‐life picture of the post‐COVID condition and of its effects on the increased consumption of health‐care resources, considered proxies of comorbidities.
Vitamin D–binding protein, total, “nonbioavailable,” bioavailable, and free 25‐hydroxyvitamin D, and mortality in a large population‐based cohort of older adults
Authors: Zhu Anna , Kuznia Sabine , Niedermaier Tobias , Holleczek Bernd , Schöttker Ben , Brenner Hermann
Published: April 2022

Background

Epidemiological studies consistently find low concentrations of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in blood to be associated with increased mortality, and a recent large‐scale Mendelian randomization study strongly supports a causal relationship among individuals with low vitamin D status. Evolving evidence suggested that bioavailable or free 25(OH)D may better predict mortality. We aimed to compare the prognostic values of vitamin D–binding protein (VDBP), total, bioavailable, complementary “nonbioavailable”, and free 25(OH)D for total and cause‐specific mortality in a large population‐based cohort study of older adults from Germany.

Methods

Bioavailable, complementary “nonbioavailable”, and free 25(OH)D concentrations were calculated among 5899 participants aged 50–75 years, based on serum concentrations of total 25(OH)D, VDBP, and albumin. The cohort was followed with respect to total and cause‐specific mortality from recruitment in 2001–2002 up to the end of 2018. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the associations between various vitamin D biomarkers and mortality, and further stratified by vitamin D status.

Results

During a median follow‐up of 17.1 years, 1739 participants died, of whom 575, 584, and 94 died of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases, respectively. Very similar inverse associations with total mortality (hazard ratio (HR) per standard deviation decrease: 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11, 1.24 for total 25(OH)D; HR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.21 for bioavailable 25(OH)D; HR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.18 for free 25(OH)D) and cause‐specific mortalities were seen for all biomarkers of vitamin D status. The strongest associations were consistently seen for respiratory mortality. These inverse associations were strongest among participants with low vitamin D levels (<50 nmol/L). No significant associations were seen between VDBP and mortality.

Conclusions

Total, nonbioavailable, bioavailable, and free 25(OH)D showed very similar inverse associations with total and cause‐specific mortality, which were strongest among those with low vitamin D status in this large population‐based cohort.
Racism and Indigenous Adolescent Development: A Scoping Review
Authors: Uink Bep , Bennett Rebecca , Bullen Jonathan , Lin Ashleigh , Martin Gregory , Woods Jenna , Paradies Yin
Published: April 2022

Previous studies on the impacts of racism on adolescent development have largely overlooked Indigenous youth. We conducted a scoping review of the empirical literature on racism against Indigenous adolescents to determine the nature and scope of this research and to establish associations with developmental outcomes. Our literature search resulted in 32 studies with samples from the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Studies were limited to self‐reported experiences of racism and thus primarily focused on perceived discrimination. Quantitative studies found small to moderate effects of perceived discrimination on adolescent psychopathology and academic outcomes. Qualitative studies provided insight into structural forms of racism. We offer recommendations for future investigations into the impacts of overt and covert racism on Indigenous adolescents.
Modelling the impact of hunting on the coexistence of congeneric deer species in Central Amazonia
Authors: de Pinho F. F. , Lemos L. P. , Montanarin A. , El Bizri H. R. , Santos J. , Rabelo R. M. , Valsecchi J. , Ramalho E. E. , Paglia A. P.
Published: April 2022

The long‐term coexistence of sympatric species is dependent on segregation in at least one of three niche dimensions: space, time or feeding habits. Hunting by people can influence species' temporal and spatial patterns and consequently affect their coexistence. We tested the hypothesis that hunting influences spatial and temporal patterns of coexistence of two sympatric deer species (Mazama americana and Mazama nemorivaga) in central Amazonia. We described deer hunting patterns using data from an 18‐year community‐based hunting monitoring program and predicted the spatial distribution of deer hunting trips. We used camera traps to (1) estimate the habitat use patterns of each species through conditional occupancy, (2) evaluate whether these species interact and (3) assess how modelled hunting intensity affects deer habitat occupancy. We also tested the temporal overlap of activity time between both species and hunters. We did not find evidence of hunting effects on occupancy and interaction, nor of spatial segregation among the deer species. M. americana was primarily nocturnal and M. nemorivaga primarily diurnal. The overlap between species' temporal activities was relatively low, suggesting temporal niche segregation between species. Hunting activity was mainly diurnal and overlapped with M. nemorivaga active hours. However, we found that M. americana was more frequently hunted than M. nemorivaga. The probability of daytime activity was not influenced by hunting intensity. Temporal segregation, with asynchrony of activity periods, seems to be the mechanism behind the coexistence of M. americana and M. nemorivaga in Central Amazonia. The absence of hunting effects on brocket deer species in our study area suggests a low impact of harvest on both species' behaviour. This indicates that contexts of low human density and large extensions of pristine forests can enable hunted brocket deer populations to be sustained through source‐sink dynamics.
Geographic distance, sedimentation, and substrate shape cryptic crustose coralline algal assemblages in the world’s largest subtropical intertidal algal reef
Authors: Zhan Shing Hei , Chen Ling , Liao Chen‐Pan , Chang Wun‐Ruei , Li Cheng‐Chin , Tang Guang‐You , Liou Ching‐Yu , Wang Wei‐Lung , Wang Shih‐Wei , Liu Shao‐Lun
Published: April 2022

Algal reefs, concreted by crustose coralline algae (CCA), are the main biotic reefs in temperate waters but rare in the subtropics and tropics. The world's largest known intertidal algal reef in the subtropics is the Taoyuan Algal Reef (TAR) located in the northwestern coast of Taiwan. The biodiversity and ecology of the TAR are scarcely explored, and now the reef is imperiled by industrialization. Here, we document cryptic species of CCA in Taiwan, particularly the TAR, by sequencing thepsbA genes of over 1800 specimens collected across Taiwan. We also examine the ecological background of the TAR by surveying its benthic composition and measuring its environmental parameters. Our data reveal that the TAR harbours a high diversity of cryptic CCA species (27 molecular operational taxonomic units, or mOTUs), many of which are potentially new to science (18 mOTUs) and/or endemic to the TAR (9 mOTUs). Comparing the CCA species inventory of the TAR with the rest of Taiwan shows that the TAR represents a unique hotspot of CCA taxa in the waters of Taiwan. Our analyses show that variation in the CCA assemblages in the TAR is associated with geographic distance, sedimentation, and substrate type (for example, reef vs. hermit crab shell), suggesting that dispersal limitation and contemporary environmental selection shape the CCA assemblages in the TAR. The data from this study can inform the monitoring of human impacts on the health of the TAR and contribute to our understanding of the ecological processes underlying algal reef development.
Community composition of bacteria isolated from Swiss banknotes varies depending on collection environment
Authors: Bischofberger Anna M. , Hall Alex R.
Published: April 2022

Humans interact constantly with surfaces and associated microbial communities in the environment. The factors shaping the composition of these communities are poorly understood: some proposed explanations emphasize the influence of local habitat conditions (niche‐based explanations), while others point to geographic structure and the distance among sampled locations (dispersal‐based explanations). However, the relative roles of these different drivers for microbial community assembly on human‐associated surfaces are not clear. Here, we used a combination of sampling, sequencing (16S rRNA) and culturing to show that the composition of banknote‐associated bacterial communities varies depending on the local collection environment. Using banknotes collected from various locations and types of shops across Switzerland, we found taxonomic diversity dominated by families such asPseudomonadaceaeandStaphylococcaceae, but with banknote samples from particular types of shops (especially butcher shops) having distinct community structure. By contrast, we found no evidence of geographic structure: similarity of community composition did not decrease with increasing distance among sampled locations. These results show that microbial communities associated with banknotes, one of the most commonly encountered and exchanged human‐associated surfaces, can reflect the local environmental conditions (in this case, the type of shop), and the signal for this type of variation was stronger than that for geographic structure among the locations sampled here.
Genetic composition and diversity of Arabica coffee in the crop’s centre of origin and its impact on four major fungal diseases
Authors: Zewdie Beyene , Bawin Yves , Tack Ayco J. M. , Nemomissa Sileshi , Tesfaye Kassahun , Janssens Steven B. , Van Glabeke Sabine , Roldán‐Ruiz Isabel , Ruttink Tom , Honnay Olivier , Hylander Kristoffer
Published: April 2022

Conventional wisdom states that genetic variation reduces disease levels in plant populations. Nevertheless, crop species have been subject to a gradual loss of genetic variation through selection for specific traits during breeding, thereby increasing their vulnerability to biotic stresses such as pathogens. We explored how genetic variation in Arabica coffee sites in southwestern Ethiopia was related to the incidence of four major fungal diseases. Sixty sites were selected along a gradient of management intensity, ranging from nearly wild to intensively managed coffee stands. We used genotyping‐by‐sequencing of pooled leaf samples (pool‐GBS) derived from 16 individual coffee shrubs in each of the 60 sites to assess the variation in genetic composition (multivariate: reference allele frequency) and genetic diversity (univariate: mean expected heterozygosity) between sites. We found that genetic composition had a clear spatial pattern and that genetic diversity was higher in less managed sites. The incidence of the four fungal diseases was related to the genetic composition of the coffee stands, but in a specific way for each disease. In contrast, genetic diversity was only related to the within‐site variation of coffee berry disease, but not to the mean incidence of any of the four diseases across sites. Given that fungal diseases are major challenges of Arabica coffee in its native range, our findings that genetic composition of coffee sites impacted the major fungal diseases may serve as baseline information to study the molecular basis of disease resistance in coffee. Overall, our study illustrates the need to consider both host genetic composition and genetic diversity when investigating the genetic basis for variation in disease levels.
Performance of rapid on‐site evaluation of touch imprints of lung tissue biopsies for the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis in patients without HIV infection
Authors: Wang Hansheng , Wang Lei , Luo Zhengning , Li Dan , Luo Guoshi , Ren Tao , You Hui , Liu Yan , Tang Yijun , Wang Meifang
Published: April 2022

Background and Objective

The diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis depends on serum testing, histopathology and mycological culture; there are few studies on touch imprints of lung tissue biopsies for the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis in patients without HIV infection. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the accuracy and timeliness of on‐site touch imprint cytology in the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis during CT‐guided percutaneous lung biopsy.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed the diagnosis and treatment of 56 patients with final proof of pulmonary cryptococcosis through histopathology and culture or surgical resection from September 2015 to February 2021. Diagnostic methods and treatment and the turnaround time for diagnosis were analysed.

Results

The sensitivity of rapid on‐site evaluation was 89.3%, and the sensitivity of serology, histopathology and mycological culture was 53.6%, 91.1% and 61.5%, respectively, compared with the final diagnosis. The average turnaround time to diagnose pulmonary cryptococcosis by on‐site touch imprint cytology was 8.3 ± 0.9 min, which was significantly faster than serum testing, histopathology and mycological culture.

Conclusion

On‐site touch imprint cytology showed good sensitivity and timeliness in the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis. In addition, it contributed to the triage of biopsies based on the preliminary diagnosis. On‐site touch imprint cytology should be applied and promoted in the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis during biopsy.
Convergent gene clusters underpin hyperforin biosynthesis in St John's wort
Authors: Wu Song , Malaco Morotti Ana Luisa , Wang Shanshan , Wang Ya , Xu Xiaoyan , Chen Jianghua , Wang Guodong , Tatsis Evangelos C.
Published: April 2022

The meroterpenoid hyperforin is responsible for the antidepressant activity of St John's wort extracts, but the genes controlling its biosynthesis are unknown.

Using genome mining and biochemical work, we characterize two biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that encode the first three steps in the biosynthesis of hyperforin precursors.

The findings of syntenic and phylogenetic analyses reveal the parallel assembly of the two BGCs. The syntenous BGC in Mesua ferrea indicates that the first cluster was assembled before the divergence of the Hypericaceae and Calophyllaceae families. The assembly of the second cluster is the result of a coalescence of genomic fragments after a major duplication event. The differences between the two BGCs – in terms of gene expression, response to methyl jasmonate, substrate specificity and subcellular localization of key enzymes – suggest that the presence of the two clusters could serve to generate separate pools of precursors.

The parallel assembly of two BGCs with similar compositions in a single plant species is uncommon, and our work provides insights into how and when these gene clusters form. Our discovery helps to advance our understanding of the evolution of plant specialized metabolism and its genomic organization. Additionally, our results offer a foundation from which hyperforin biosynthesis can be more fully understood, and which can be used in future metabolic engineering applications.
Initial oak regeneration responses to experimental warming along microclimatic and macroclimatic gradients
Authors: Meeussen C. , De Pauw K. , Sanczuk P. , Brunet J. , Cousins S. A. O. , Gasperini C. , Hedwall P.‐O. , Iacopetti G. , Lenoir J. , Plue J. , Selvi F. , Spicher F. , Uria Diez J. , Verheyen K. , Vangansbeke P. , De Frenne P.
Published: April 2022

Quercusspp. are one of the most important tree genera in temperate deciduous forests in terms of biodiversity, economic and cultural perspectives. However, natural regeneration of oaks, depending on specific environmental conditions, is still not sufficiently understood. Oak regeneration dynamics are impacted by climate change, but these climate impacts will depend on local forest management and light and temperature conditions.

Here, we studied germination, survival and seedling performance (i.e. aboveground biomass, height, root collar diameter and specific leaf area) of four oak species (Q. cerris, Q. ilex, Q.roburandQ. petraea). Acorns were sown across a wide latitudinal gradient, from Italy to Sweden, and across several microclimatic gradients located within and beyond the species’ natural ranges. Microclimatic gradients were applied in terms of forest structure, distance to the forest edge and experimental warming.

We found strong interactions between species and latitude, as well as between microclimate and latitude or species. The species thus reacted differently to local and regional changes in light and temperature ; in southern regions the temperateQ.roburandQ. petraeaperformed best in plots with a complex structure, whereas the MediterraneanQ. ilexandQ. cerrisperformed better in simply structured forests with a reduced microclimatic buffering capacity. The experimental warming treatment only enhanced height and aboveground biomass of Mediterranean species.

Our results show that local microclimatic gradients play a key role in the initial stages of oak regeneration; however, one needs to consider the species‐specific responses to forest structure and the macroclimatic context.
A Pluralistic Virtue‐Centered Theory of Judging
Authors: Bassham Gregory , Ostrowski Olivia
Published: April 2022

Though first proposed more than two decades ago, virtue jurisprudence—broadly, the attempt to apply the insights and perspectives of virtue ethics to law and legal theory—has failed to gain much traction in the legal academy. This is partly due, we suggest, to the dominance of traditionalist neo‐Aristotelian approaches to virtue jurisprudence—most notably in the work of Lawrence Solum, the most prominent theoretical architect and defender of virtue jurisprudence. In this paper, we sketch in broad strokes an alternative form of virtue jurisprudence—a pluralistic virtue‐centered approach—and explain how it might work, particularly in the field of constitutional adjudication. Such an approach, we argue, has major advantages over prevailing neo‐Aristotelian models, and may well have wider appeal.
Confronting inequality beyond sustainable development: The case for eco‐human rights and differentiation
Authors: Cullet Philippe
Published: April 2022

The development model emphasizing economic growth has been at the root of today's environmental crises. Its reshaping as ‘sustainable’ development was supposed to address its shortcomings while giving particular attention to the needs of the poor. This has largely failed and in the process inequalities have increased significantly. Inequalities between people need to be addressed through eco‐human rights that are collective and multi‐level to better reflect today's environmental challenges. These rights build on the idea of solidarity rights, are framed around the principle of subsidiarity and the need for accountability beyond a single State. Inter‐State inequality has been addressed in part through differential treatment in environmental law. It needs to be reconfirmed to address ongoing inequalities and increased resistance to such measures; needs to be more flexible to reflect the specific situation of smaller groups of countries; and needs to integrate elements of intra‐State inequality.
Robust Generalised Bayesian Inference for Intractable Likelihoods
Authors: Matsubara Takuo , Knoblauch Jeremias , Briol François-Xavier , Oates Chris J.
Published: April 2022

Generalised Bayesian inference updates prior beliefs using a loss function, rather than a likelihood, and can therefore be used to confer robustness against possible mis-specification of the likelihood. Here we consider generalised Bayesian inference with a Stein discrepancy as a loss function, motivated by applications in which the likelihood contains an intractable normalisation constant. In this context, the Stein discrepancy circumvents evaluation of the normalisation constant and produces generalised posteriors that are either closed form or accessible using the standard Markov chain Monte Carlo. On a theoretical level, we show consistency, asymptotic normality, and bias-robustness of the generalised posterior, highlighting how these properties are impacted by the choice of Stein discrepancy. Then, we provide numerical experiments on a range of intractable distributions, including applications to kernel-based exponential family models and non-Gaussian graphical models.
Detrital zircon in an active sedimentary recycling system: Challenging the ‘source‐to‐sink’ approach to zircon‐based provenance analysis
Authors: Andersen Tom , van Niekerk Herman , Elburg Marlina A.
Published: April 2022

The age and properties of detrital zircon in a sediment reflect properties of the rocks in which the zircon crystallized, and not necessarily the immediate precursor of the host sediment. Where clastic sediments are recycled, these properties are preserved so that U‐Pb ages and Lu‐Hf data on zircon grains will no longer give information on the routing of detritus. Because the crustal evolution and sedimentary recycling history of Southern Africa is well‐established, Holocene sediments in the region provide a good test example for detrital zircon geochronology applied to sands or sandstones with a complex recycling history. Data from 16 samples of unconsolidated sand, including dunes from the southern part of the Kalahari Basin, beach sands at the Atlantic coast, and isolated inland dune occurrences, yield ranges of early Mesozoic to late Archaean ages. Uranium–lead and lutetium–hafnium isotope data provide no evidence of direct derivation of zircon from protosources in crystalline bedrock. The complex distribution patterns can be decomposed into seven ‘provenance components’ that have previously been encountered in Palaeoproterozoic to Jurassic sedimentary rocks in the region. These components occur in non‐random combinations, in proportions that suggest mixing of recycled material from different sedimentary precursors. Taking pre‐Cenozoic geology, Cretaceous to Pleistocene drainage history of southern Africa and Holocene wind and current patterns into account, it is possible to work out a consistent model for transport of detritus from sedimentary precursors into the basin, followed by aeolian remobilization within the basin itself. The detrital zircon distributions can thus be interpreted from prior knowledge of the basin filling history, regional geology, geomorphology, drainage evolution and wind pattern. This amounts to a line of reasoning from ‘sink back to (intermediate) ‘source’, which is the opposite of the ‘(proto)source‐to‐sink’ paradigm commonly invoked in detrital zircon studies.
Negotiating Whiteness: Exploring White elementary school‐age children's racial identity development
Authors: Hazelbaker Taylor , Mistry Rashmita S.
Published: April 2022

A robust body of research has examined ethnic‐racial identity (ERI) development during middle childhood, predominantly among children of color. However, White children's ethnic‐racial identification and negotiation of Whiteness is less well understood. To address this gap, this study explored (a) the labels that White children use to define themselves and (b) their identity‐related beliefs and knowledge. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 53 monoracial White children (Mage = 8.97, SD = 1.72) attending a racially diverse elementary school in the Midwestern United States. Results revealed that children most often identified as American or with an ethnic heritage label (e.g., German); few used the label "White." In describing their identification choices, children endorsed colorblind beliefs (e.g., race does not matter), conflated their American identity with being White, and described practices associated with Whiteness as normative. In addition, they described cultural practices associated with their ethnic heritage. Implications for the racial socialization of White children and the development of anti‐racism among White children are discussed.
Buy what you want, today! Platform ecologies of ‘buy now, pay later’ services in Singapore
Authors: Tan Gordon Kuo Siong
Published: April 2022

The rising popularity of fintech‐driven solutions has reshaped financial markets and retail consumer behaviour. This paper examines the growing ‘buy‐now‐pay‐later’ (BNPL) phenomenon as a novel, platform‐driven financial innovation to understand how this digitally mediated economic arrangement has produced new financial subjects and subjectivities. Using the idea of ‘platform ecologies’ that combines the relational focus of financial ecologies with the logics of platform finance, this study highlights how the intermediary role of BNPL services has reshaped relational monetary practices through algorithmically driven modes of operating. Analysing Singapore's nascent BNPL landscape through content analysis of BNPL firm websites and critical media coverage of BNPL, this paper shows how automated technologies of risk assessment and debt collection are deployed to govern borrowers and keep them digitally attached to their debts, where creditworthiness is continuously evaluated in response to user transaction and repayment data. The strategic use of affect in framing BNPL services to satisfy immediate materialist consumption masks the fundamental nature of BNPL as debt, while the targeting of young individuals with no credit history through opaque techniques of credit and risk management creates new indebted subjects. The implications of such data‐driven practices in producing greater indebtedness and further shaping financial subjectivities are discussed.
A Compact WSGG Formulation to Account for Inhomogeneity of H2O–CO2 Mixtures in Combustion Systems
Authors: Selhorst Alexandre Huberto Balbino , Fraga Guilherme Crivelli , Coelho Felipe Ramos , Bordbar Hadi , França Francis Henrique Ramos
Published: April 2022

An alternative weighted-sum-of-gray-gases (WSGG) model is proposed with a single set of constant pressure-based absorption coefficients that accounts for different mole fraction ratios (MRs) of H2O–CO2. The method requires no further interpolation, which in turn brings not only less uncertainty into the model but also simplifies its use. The hitemp2010 spectral database along with the line-by-line (LBL) integration is employed to generate a set of accurate total emissivities from which the WSGG coefficients are fitted. The fitting procedure employs a novel formulation to account for the MR dependence, leading to a more compact set of WSGG correlations when compared to the alternatives available in the literature. The new formulation takes advantage of the weak interdependence of temperature and molar fraction ratio in the weight factors and therefore separates their effects by two independent correlations. As oxy-fired combustion usually occurs in two distinct scenarios, dry- and wet-flue gas recirculation (FGR), the paper also proposes two other sets of coefficients intended to support the MR ranges corresponding to these specific conditions. Comparisons made against the benchmark LBL integration and other WSGG models, for one- and three-dimensional calculations, show the satisfactory level of accuracy of the proposed sets of correlations. In particular, the three-dimensional test case illustrates that the new model is also applicable to conditions observed in air–fuel combustion.
What Is Behind Disordered Eating Behaviors? An Exploratory Study With Female Adolescents From Individual Esthetic and Nonesthetic Sports
Authors: Paixão Carolina , Oliveira Sara , Ferreira Cláudia
Published: April 2022

This study explored the differences in shame, perception of performance, the need to present a perfect body image, and disordered eating among 223 female athletes from esthetic (n = 114; Mage = 14.30; SDage = 1.65; Myearsofpractice = 6.62) and nonesthetic (n = 109; Mage = 14.75; SDage = 1.87; Myearsofpractice = 4.56) individual sports. Descriptive, t test, and correlational analyses were performed. Moreover, path analyses were conducted to examine the link between the variables. The two groups did not present significant differences in variables, except in perception of performance. The path model analyses explained 47% of disordered eating. Results suggested that individual characteristic of sports practice seems relevant in shame. This study suggests that female athletes from individual sports who experience inferiority tend to adopt perfectionist defensive strategies and engage in disordered eating behaviors. This study highlights the relevance of intervention and educational programs that promote more adaptative emotional regulation strategies in female athletes from individual sports.
Heterologous Lactate Synthesis in
Synechocystis
sp. Strain PCC 6803 Causes a Growth Condition-Dependent Carbon Sink Effect
Authors: Grund Marcel , Jakob Torsten , Toepel Jörg , Schmid Andreas , Wilhelm Christian , Bühler Bruno
Published: April 2022

Previous studies reported various and differing effects of the heterologous production of carbon-based molecules on photosynthetic and growth efficiency of cyanobacteria. The typically applied cultivation in batch mode, with continuously changing growth conditions, however, precludes a clear differentiation between the impact of cultivation conditions on cell physiology and effects related to the specific nature of the product and its synthesis pathway.
Clostridioides difficile Toxin B Activates Group 3 Innate Lymphocytes
Authors: Pope Rosemary L. , Chitrakar Alisha , Sah Prakash , Shadid Tyler , Ballard Jimmy D. , Zenewicz Lauren A.
Published: April 2022

Group 3 innate lymphocytes (ILC3s) are rare immune cells localized in mucosal tissues, especially the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Despite their rarity, they are a major source of the cytokine interleukin-22 (IL-22), which protects the GI epithelium during inflammation and infection.