bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Basel 2.5 capital regulatory framework and the COVID-19 crisis: evidence from the ethical investment market
Authors: Ben Ayed Wassim , Ben Hassen Rim
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This research aims to evaluate the accuracy of several Value-at-Risk (VaR) approaches for determining the Minimum Capital Requirement (MCR) for Islamic stock markets during the pandemic health crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

This research evaluates the performance of numerous VaR models for computing the MCR for market risk in compliance with the Basel II and Basel II.5 guidelines for ten Islamic indices. Five models were applied—namely the RiskMetrics, Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity, denoted (GARCH), fractional integrated GARCH, denoted (FIGARCH), and SPLINE-GARCH approaches—under three innovations (normal (N), Student (St) and skewed-Student (Sk-t) and the extreme value theory (EVT).

Findings

The main findings of this empirical study reveal that (1) extreme value theory performs better for most indices during the market crisis and (2) VaR models under a normal distribution provide quite poor performance than models with fat-tailed innovations in terms of risk estimation.

Research limitations/implications

Since the world is now undergoing the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study will not be able to assess performance of VaR models during the fourth wave of COVID-19.

Practical implications

The results suggest that the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) should enhance market discipline mechanisms, while central banks and national authorities should harmonize their regulatory frameworks in line with Basel/IFSB reform agenda.

Originality/value

Previous studies focused on evaluating market risk models using non-Islamic indexes. However, this research uses the Islamic indexes to analyze the VaR forecasting models. Besides, they tested the accuracy of VaR models based on traditional GARCH models, whereas the authors introduce the Spline GARCH developed by Engle and Rangel (2008). Finally, most studies have focus on the period of 2007–2008 financial crisis, while the authors investigate the issue of market risk quantification for several Islamic market equity during the sanitary crisis of COVID-19.
When you see nothing at all: Outcomes following a negative laparoscopy. A systematic review
Authors: Steele Lucy A. , Mooney Samantha S. , Gilbee Ebony S. , Grover Sonia R.
Published: September 2023

Background

Persistent pelvic pain (PPP) is a complex and often debilitating condition. While widely accepted to be multifactorial in nature, the precise aetiology of PPP remains elusive. In many cases, women who undergo laparoscopy for PPP will have no visible pathology identified (a ‘negative’ laparoscopy). Currently, there are no consensus guidelines which outline the recommended management following a negative laparoscopy, and the woman's experiences and outcomes are not widely known.

Aims

This review aims to identify and summarise the literature surrounding the experiences of women with PPP who have a negative laparoscopy; specifically, their outcomes of pain, quality of life (QoL), satisfaction with care, and their overall management.

Materials and Methods

A systematic search of the electronic databases Ovid Medline, PubMed and Embase was performed. Studies in English exploring the outcomes of women with PPP following a negative laparoscopy were included.

Results

Four studies consisting of a total of 200 women were included. Results were inconsistent. Three studies concluded that the majority of women with PPP had persistent pain following a negative laparoscopy. A single study found that pain significantly improved after negative laparoscopy. QoL outcomes varied, with two studies reporting a positive impact and two studies reporting a deleterious impact on QoL following a negative laparoscopy.

Conclusions

The impact on pain outcomes and QoL following a laparoscopy that does not diagnose pathology remains unknown, and the available evidence is insufficient to guide evidence‐based practice. This review highlights a significant gap in our understanding of surgical management for PPP.
Burden of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP): Special considerations for refractory ITP
Authors: Rüfer Axel , Terrell Deirdra R.
Published: September 2023

It is known that patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) have fatigue and impairment of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). However, it is hypothesized that patients with refractory ITP have additional burdens that should be considered. Specifically, fatigue is more pronounced in patients with refractory disease, there are additional side effects from second‐ and third‐line treatments, additional anxiety about the long‐term course of the disease, impairment in HRQoL resulting from heavy menstrual bleeding and concerns related to family planning. The burden of disease, therefore, should be carefully assessed and considered in these patients. However, researchers have utilized numerous tools for evaluating HRQoL and fatigue, making comparison of data across studies challenging. There is a need to standardize assessment using either disease‐specific or generic instruments that can be easily implemented in routine clinical practice. Additionally, whether treatment of low platelet count and bleeding symptoms will have a positive influence on HRQoL remains to be seen and published evidence is conflicting. Nevertheless, improvement of HRQoL is a major treatment goal for both patients and physicians and should be especially considered when treating patients with refractory ITP.
Early immunomodulation in immune thrombocytopenia—A report of the ICIS meeting in Lenzerheide, Switzerland 2022
Authors: González‐López Tomás José , Schifferli Alexandra
Published: September 2023

The only way to prevent immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) from becoming refractory would be to restore tolerance to platelets at an early phase of the disease. Numerous immune alterations probably accumulate in chronic ITP; thus, the chances of cure decrease significantly with time. Currently, sustained remission off treatment (SROT) is a clinical definition describing patients who can discontinue their ITP treatment without risk and maintain a state of remission. Different treatment strategies are presently being evaluated with the goal of attaining SROT, mostly combining drugs targeting the innate and/or the adaptive immune system, the inflammation state, so as increasing the platelet load. In this sense, thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO‐RAs) have shown promising results if used as upfront treatment. TPO‐RAs seem to exhibit immunomodulation and immune tolerance properties, increasing not only the platelet antigen mass but also increasing the transforming growth factor‐β concentration, and stimulating regulatory T and B lymphocytes. However, more immunological studies are needed to establish accurate molecular alterations in ITP that are potentially reversed with treatments.
Allende in Athens: The Political and Cultural Impact of the Chilean 1970s in Greece during the Colonels' Dictatorship and theMetapolitefsi(1970–1981)
Authors: Palieraki Eugenia
Published: September 2023

This article discusses how Greeks perceived Salvador Allende's overthrow, Pinochet's military dictatorship, and US interventionism in Chile. By the end of Greece's dictatorship (1967–1974), left‐wing militants emotionally identified with the ‘Chilean tragedy’ through their own experiences of military authoritarianism. Indeed, the Greek Colonels' Junta amplified the 1973 Chilean coup's local impact. Subsequently, during the earlyMetapolitefsiperiod (1974–1981), a wide variety of Greek political, social, and cultural actors used the Chilean 1970s as a key reference in the crucial debates that ultimately redefined Greece's collective political and cultural identities.
Identifying Mozambique's most critical areas for plant conservation: An evaluation of protected areas and Important Plant Areas
Authors: Richards Sophie L. , Farooq Harith , Matimele Hermenegildo , Alves Tereza , Datizua Castigo , Langa Clayton , Massingue Alice , Osborne Jo , Rokni Saba , de Sousa Camila , Darbyshire Iain
Published: September 2023

Successful protected area networks must represent biodiversity across taxonomic groups. However, too often plant species are overlooked in conservation planning, and the resulting protected areas may, as a result, fail to encompass the most important sites for plant diversity. The Mozambique Tropical Important Plant Areas project sought to promote the conservation of Mozambique's flora through the identification of Important Plant Areas (IPAs). Here, we use the Weighted Endemism including Global Endangerment (WEGE) index to identify the richest areas for rare and endemic plants in Mozambique and subsequently evaluate how well represented these hotspots are within the current protected area and IPA networks. We also examine the congruence between IPA and protected areas to identify opportunities for strengthening the conservation of plants in Mozambique. We found that high WEGE scores, representing areas rich in endemic/near‐endemic and threatened species, predict the presence of IPAs in Mozambique, but do not predict the presence of protected areas. We also find that there is limited overlap between IPAs and protected areas in Mozambique. We demonstrate how IPAs could be an important tool for ensuring priority sites for plant diversity are included within protected area network expansions, particularly following the adoption of the “30 by 30” target agreed within the post‐2020 Convention on Biological Diversity framework, with great potential for this method to be replicated elsewhere in the global tropics.
Rasd1 is involved in white matter injury through neuron‐oligodendrocyte communication after subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Fu Wenqiao , Che Xudong , Tan Jiahe , Cui Shizhen , Ma Yinrui , Xu Daiqi , Long Haibo , Yang Xiaolin , Wen Tangmin , He Zhaohui
Published: September 2023

Aims

Rasd1 has been reported to be correlated with neurotoxicity, metabolism, and rhythm, but its effect in case of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) remained unclear. White matter injury (WMI) and ferroptosis participate in the early brain injury (EBI) after SAH. In this work, we have investigated whether Rasd1 can cause ferroptosis and contribute to SAH‐induced WMI.

Methods

Lentivirus for Rasd1 knockdown/overexpression was administrated by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v) injection at 7 days before SAH induction. SAH grade, brain water content, short‐ and long‐term neurobehavior, Western blot, real‐time PCR, ELISA, biochemical estimation, immunofluorescence, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were systematically performed. Additionally, genipin, a selective uncoupling protein 2(UCP2) inhibitor, was used in primary neuron and oligodendrocyte co‐cultures for further in vitro mechanistic studies.

Results

Rasd1 knockdown has improved the neurobehavior, glia polarization, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, ferroptosis, and demyelination. Conversely, Rasd1 overexpression aggravated these changes by elevating the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inflammatory cytokines, MDA, free iron, and NCOA4, as well as contributing to the decrease of the levels of UCP2, GPX4, ferritin, and GSH mechanistically. According to the in vitro study, Rasd1 can induce oligodendrocyte ferroptosis through inhibiting UCP2, increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS), and activating NCOA4‐mediated ferritinophagy.

Conclusions

It can be concluded that Rasd1 exerts a modulated role in oligodendrocytes ferroptosis in WMI following SAH.
NcRNAs: A synergistically antiapoptosis therapeutic tool in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Li Liangxian , Jin Mingyue , Tan Jie , Xiao Bo
Published: September 2023

Aims

The aim of this review is to systematically summarize and analyze the noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), especially microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), in the cell apoptosis among Alzheimer's disease (AD) in recent years to demonstrate their value in the diagnosis and treatment of AD.

Methods

We systematically summarized in vitro and in vivo studies focusing on the ncRNAs in the regulation of cell apoptosis among AD in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar.

Results

We discover three patterns of ncRNAs (including ‘miRNA‐mRNA’, ‘lncRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA’, and ‘circRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA’) form the ncRNA‐based regulatory networks in regulating cell apoptosis in AD.

Conclusions

This review provides a future diagnosis and treatment strategy for AD patients based on ncRNAs.
The prevalence and risk factors study of cognitive impairment: Analysis of the elderly population of Han nationality in Hunan province, China
Authors: Xu Tianyan , Bu Guiwen , Yuan Li , Zhou Lu , Yang Qijie , Zhu Yuan , Zhang Sizhe , Liu Qianqian , Ouyang Ziyu , Yang Xuan , Tang Beisha , Jiao Bin , Bei Yuzhang , Shen Lu
Published: September 2023

Objective

A large number of studies have found that the prevalence of cognitive impairment varies in different regions. However, data on cognitive impairment in the Chinese population is still lacking. The goal of this study was to assess the prevalence of cognitive impairment among the elderly in a region of China and explore the associated risk factors.

Methods

We performed a population‐based cross‐sectional survey from April to June 2022. Residents come from three villages and six urban communities in the county‐level city of Liuyang in southern China (N = 3233) and the coverage rate of our study population reached 73%. Participants were assessed with a series of clinical examinations and neuropsychological measures. A total of 2598 participants were selected after filtering out those under 60 years old or with incomplete data. Patients with cognitive impairment included those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia who met standard diagnostic criteria.

Results

The prevalence of cognitive impairment, MCI, and dementia among participants aged 60 years and older were 21.48% (95% CI, 19.90–23.10), 15.70% (95% CI, 14.30–17.10), and 5.77 (95% CI, 4.90–6.70), respectively. And residents in villagers were more likely to have cognitive impairment than in urban communities (p < 0.001). Age growth and education level were independent influencing factors for cognitive impairment in all populations (p < 0.001). For lifestyles factors, both smoking and drinking reduced the risk of cognitive impairment (p < 0.05), but when further quantified, the link disappeared. Moreover, having cerebrovascular disease and severe vision impairment were risk factors (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

A representative prevalence of cognitive impairment, MCI, and dementia was found in the elderly Han Chinese population in Southern China. And we further explored the role of known risk factors, particularly in physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption.
Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic bioequivalence of Gan & Lee insulin analogues aspart (rapilin®), lispro (prandilin®) and glargine (basalin®) with EU‐ und US‐sourced reference insulins
Authors: Chen Wei , Lu Jia , Plum‐Mörschel Leona , Andersen Grit , Zijlstra Eric , He Anshun , Xie Tian , Li Longling , Hao Chunyue , Gan Zhongru , Heise Tim
Published: September 2023

Aim

For the successful approval and clinical prescription of insulin biosimilars, it is essential to show pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) bioequivalence to the respective reference products sourced from the European Union and the United States.

Methods

Three phase 1, randomized, double‐blind, three‐period crossover trials compared single doses of the proposed biosimilar insulin analogues aspart (GL‐Asp, n = 36), lispro (GL‐Lis, n = 38) and glargine (GL‐Gla, n = 113), all manufactured by Gan & Lee pharmaceuticals, to the respective EU‐ and US‐reference products in healthy male participants (GL‐Asp and GL‐Lis) or people with type 1 diabetes (GL‐Gla). Study participants received 0.2 U/kg (aspart and lispro) or 0.5 U/kg (glargine) of each treatment under automated euglycaemic clamp conditions. The clamp duration was 12 h (aspart and lispro) or 30 h (glargine). Primary PK endpoints were the total area under the PK curves (AUCins.total) and maximum insulin concentrations (Cins.max). Primary PD endpoints were the total area under the glucose infusion rate curve (AUCGIR.total) and maximum glucose infusion rate (GIRmax).

Results

Bioequivalence to both EU‐ and US‐reference products were shown for all three GL insulins. Least squares mean ratios for the primary PK/PD endpoints were close to 100%, and both 90% and 95% confidence intervals were within 80%–125% in all three studies. There were no noticeable differences in the safety profiles between test and reference insulins, and no serious adverse events were reported for the GL insulins.

Conclusion

GL‐Asp, GL‐Lis and GL‐Gla are bioequivalent to their EU‐ and US‐reference products.
An innate immune sensor wandering around – NOD1 promotes cell migration via non‐canonical signaling
Authors: Schmitz Ingo , Mühlen Sabrina
Published: September 2023

NOD1 is a cytosolic immune receptor well known for recognizing intracellular bacteria and inducing innate immune responses. Upon ligand binding, it usually forms a complex with the serine/threonine kinase RIPK2 to activate the transcription factor NF‐κB. Next to its role in pathogen recognition, NOD1 has been associated with cancer progression. In this regard, Hezinger et al. investigated a non‐canonical role of NOD1 in cell migration. They discovered that NOD1 is crucial for the migration and chemotaxis of HeLa cells and identified HAX‐1 as a novel interaction partner.
How global narratives shape local management: A history of fire in the tropical savannas of Belize and Guyana
Authors: Smith Cathy , De Freitas Kayla , Mistry Jayalaxshmi
Published: September 2023

The suppression of anthropogenic fire is an important legacy of European colonisation worldwide. Fire suppression has undermined human livelihoods and fire‐dependent ecologies. Belize and Guyana are the only former British colonies on the mainland of Central and South America. Both countries have fire‐dependent tropical savanna ecosystems, where fire is used within local livelihoods, for example, for hunting. We compare the creation and implementation of savanna fire suppression and management policies and projects by agencies in twentieth to twenty‐first‐century Belize and Guyana, and the extent to which global environmental narratives have shaped this process. In both countries, a picture emerges of weak state efforts to control fire, largely driven by economic concerns. In colonial Belize, the state made intermittent attempts to suppress or manage savanna fires in limited areas, owing to interest in pine forestry. In Guyana, the colonial state did not attempt to control fires, given economic interest in cattle ranching, and the remoteness of the savannas. Since 2000, both states have developed new fire policies, and state agencies, conservation non‐governmental organisations and Indigenous advocacy groups have won funding for fire‐related projects. We show that these contemporary policies and projects, like those of the colonial period, primarily financed by inconsistent international funding, continue to lean heavily on international discourses about fire that make assumptions about fire problems and propose solutions incompatible with local realities. Understanding the local geography, ecology and politics, and recognising the ways colonial fire legacies altered, and continue to impact these places, could inform more just and productive approaches to working with local fire users in Belize, Guyana and beyond.
Lessons learned from identifying clusters of severe acute respiratory infections with influenza sentinel surveillance, Bangladesh, 2009–2020
Authors: Islam Md Ariful , Hassan Md Zakiul , Aleem Mohammad Abdul , Akhtar Zubair , Chowdhury Sukanta , Rahman Mustafizur , Rahman Mohammed Ziaur , Ahmmed Md Kaousar , Mah‐E‐Muneer Syeda , Alamgir A. S. M. , Anwar Shah Niaz Rubaid , Alam Ahmed Nawsher , Shirin Tahmina , Rahman Mahmudur , Davis William W. , Mott Joshua A. , Azziz‐Baumgartner Eduardo , Chowdhury Fahmida
Published: September 2023

Background

We explored whether hospital‐based surveillance is useful in detecting severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) clusters and how often these events result in outbreak investigation and community mitigation.

Methods

During May 2009–December 2020, physicians at 14 sentinel hospitals prospectively identified SARI clusters (i.e., ≥2 SARI cases who developed symptoms ≤10 days of each other and lived <30 min walk or <3 km from each other). Oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza and other respiratory viruses by real‐time reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (rRT‐PCR). We describe the demographic of persons within clusters, laboratory results, and outbreak investigations.

Results

Field staff identified 464 clusters comprising 1427 SARI cases (range 0–13 clusters per month). Sixty percent of clusters had three, 23% had two, and 17% had ≥4 cases. Their median age was 2 years (inter‐quartile range [IQR] 0.4–25) and 63% were male. Laboratory results were available for the 464 clusters with a median of 9 days (IQR = 6–13 days) after cluster identification. Less than one in five clusters had cases that tested positive for the same virus: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in 58 (13%), influenza viruses in 24 (5%), human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in five (1%), human parainfluenza virus (HPIV) in three (0.6%), adenovirus in two (0.4%). While 102/464 (22%) had poultry exposure, none tested positive for influenza A (H5N1) or A (H7N9). None of the 464 clusters led to field deployments for outbreak response.

Conclusions

For 11 years, none of the hundreds of identified clusters led to an emergency response. The value of this event‐based surveillance might be improved by seeking larger clusters, with stronger epidemiologic ties or decedents.
Pension financialization and collective risk sharing in Canada and Finland
Authors: Liukko Jyri , Doyle Aaron , Lehtonen Turo‐Kimmo
Published: September 2023

This article contributes to the debate concerning pension financialization and how countries are adapting their pension systems to respond to demographic ageing. We do so by examining the statutory pension systems of Canada and Finland, which diverge interestingly from current international trends. The Canadian and Finnish public pension schemes reflect two tendencies often associated with pension financialization: an increasing reliance on financial markets and an investment policy with a diversified asset allocation. However, unlike in many other countries, this has not resulted in heightened individual risks in old‐age income security caused by a shift from defined benefit to defined contribution pensions – an otherwise common trend internationally.
Improving the protection of migrant workers with work histories in the European Union and Ibero‐America: Enhancing the coordination of international social security instruments
Authors: Zavando Cerda Daniela , Urquijo Laura Gómez
Published: September 2023

Migration affects almost every nation, emphasizing the need to guarantee social security rights for all migrants and their families. This article focuses on the rights of workers who migrate between the countries of the European Union (EU) and the Ibero‐American community. In the EU, social security systems are increasingly coordinated through Regulation No. 883/2004 and its Implementing Regulation No. 987/2009. In the Ibero‐American community, coordination is sought through the Ibero‐American Social Security Convention. Despite convergence between these two international instruments, coordination is still lacking between them. This article presents a comparative analysis to articulate the necessary mechanisms to guarantee coordination, to respect the social security rights of migrant workers. We focus on the cooperation and coordination between regional as well as national systems, specifically looking at the need for and aims of a rapprochement between these two major international coordination instruments to provide greater EU‐Ibero‐American cooperation. Finally, the importance of promoting greater international cooperation in social security policy and administration is highlighted, to engender the adequate protection of the rights as well as the free movement of migrant workers.
The role of programmed cell death in diabetic foot ulcers
Authors: Li Juncheng , Jiang Chengli , Xia Jian
Published: September 2023

Diabetic foot ulcer, is a chronic complication afflicting individuals with diabetes, continue to increase worldwide, immensely burdening society. Programmed cell death, which includes apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis, has been increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic foot ulcer. This review is based on an exhaustive examination of the literature on ‘programmed cell death’ and ‘diabetic foot ulcers’ via PubMed. The findings revealed that natural bioactive compounds, noncoding RNAs and certain proteins play crucial roles in the healing of diabetic foot ulcers through various forms of programmed cell death, including apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis and pyroptosis.
Ghost introgression in ricefishes of the genus Adrianichthys in an ancient Wallacean lake
Authors: Yamahira Kazunori , Kobayashi Hirozumi , Kakioka Ryo , Montenegro Javier , Masengi Kawilarang W. A. , Okuda Noboru , Nagano Atsushi J. , Tanaka Rieko , Naruse Kiyoshi , Tatsumoto Shoji , Go Yasuhiro , Ansai Satoshi , Kusumi Junko
Published: September 2023

Because speciation might have been promoted by ancient introgression from an extinct lineage, it is important to detect the existence of ‘ghost introgression’ in focal taxa and examine its contribution to their diversification. In this study, we examined possible ghost introgression and its contributions to the diversification of ricefishes of the genus Adrianichthys in Lake Poso, an ancient lake on Sulawesi Island, in which some extinctions are known to have occurred. Population-genomic analysis revealed that two extant Adrianichthys species, A. oophorus and A. poptae are reproductively isolated from each other. Comparisons of demographic models demonstrated that introgression from a ghost population, which diverged from the common ancestor of A. oophorus and A. poptae, is essential for reconstructing the demographic history of Adrianichthys. The best model estimated that the divergence of the ghost population greatly predated the divergence between A. oophorus and A. poptae, and that the ghost population secondarily contacted the two extant species within Lake Poso more recently. Genome scans and simulations detected a greatly divergent locus, which cannot be explained without ghost introgression. This locus was also completely segregated between A. oophorus and A. poptae. These findings suggest that variants that came from a ghost population have contributed to the divergence between A. oophorus and A. poptae, but the large time-lag between their divergence and ghost introgression indicates that the contribution of introgression may be restricted.

Abstract

We examined possible ghost introgression and its contributions to the diversification of ricefishes of the genus Adrianichthys in Lake Poso, an ancient lake on Sulawesi Island, in which some extinctions are known to have occurred. Comparisons of demographic models demonstrated that introgression from a ghost population, which diverged from the common ancestor of A. oophorus and A. poptae, is essential for reconstructing the demographic history of Adrianichthys. Genome scans and simulations detected a greatly divergent and completely segregated locus, which cannot be explained without ghost introgression.
What is missing from the sturgeon jaw: Developmental morphology of the upper jaw in Acipenser
Authors: Tsessarsky Alexey
Published: September 2023

Sturgeons belong to the family Acipenseridae, the most species‐rich extant family of Acipenseriformes, a basal actinopterygian group of key importance in assessing the early radiations of the actinopterygians. At the same time, acipenseriforms display unique specializations in the morphology of the snout and jaws which make them a valuable model for studying evolutionary novelties. However, despite a long history of research, the homologies of the snout and the mandibular arch of acipenseriforms remain uncertain preventing further studies on the evolutionary origin of their unique snout and jaw structure, and in particular, of the upper jaw symphysis, the key apomorphy of the group and the preoral snout. In the present study, a detailed description of the upper jaw morphology and development in sturgeons is provided in order to address its composition in terms of the common actinopterygian archetype. Based on the obtained results, the upper jaw of acipenseriforms is assumed to have lost the autopalatine portion, which most likely is represented by the separate cartilages supporting the tentacles. Also, the conventional interpretation of the sturgeon's maxilla as dermopalatine is rejected on the grounds of this bone structure and development. Paedomorphosis is proposed to be the most likely mechanism explaining the evolutionary origin of the upper jaw symphysis and supposed modifications of the snout in sturgeons.
Serum CA125 level as predictors of the efficacy of olaparib maintenance therapy for platinum‐sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer
Authors: Asano Fumio , Momomura Mai , Morisada Tohru , Tsushima Kana , Haruna Yumi , Shibuya Hiromi , Matsumoto Hironori , Kobayashi Yoichi
Published: September 2023

Aim

Ovarian cancer is a gynecological malignancy with a poor prognosis. For platinum‐sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer, maintenance therapy with poly‐ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors after chemotherapy is considered; however, olaparib treatment does not always lead to sufficient progression‐free survival (PFS). This study aimed to identify factors that predict the efficacy of maintenance therapy using olaparib in platinum‐sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer.

Methods

Twenty‐seven patients with platinum‐sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer, who received initial treatment and showed complete or partial response to prior chemotherapy at our hospital, were included. The primary outcome was the time from the end of previous platinum‐based chemotherapy to disease progression (PFS). The Kaplan–Meier method was used to generate time‐to‐event curves for PFS; multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model.

Results

The median PFS was 12 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.3–15.8). Before olaparib administration, the median PFS was 12 months in the <4.1 neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio group and 4 months in the ≥4.1 group, with PFS being significantly better in the <4.1 group (log‐rank: p = 0.023). When comparing serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125) levels, the median PFS was 13 months in the <18 U/mL group and 6 months in the >18 U/mL group (log‐rank: p = 0.022). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that CA125 was the factor affecting PFS (hazard ratio: 4.85; 95% CI: 1.53–15.38).

Conclusions

Serum CA125 levels at olaparib initiation in patients with platinum‐sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer may predict PFS as an effect of maintenance therapy using olaparib to treat recurrent disease.
Computed tomography perfusion software pipelines to assess parameter maps and ischemic volumes: A comparative study
Authors: Lu Wei , Yao Feirong , Yin Congguo , Wan Shu , Liu Xin , He Chongxin , Leng Xiaochang , Fiehler Jens , Siddiqui Adnan H. , Peng Ya , Xiang Jianping
Published: September 2023

Background and Purpose

This study was dedicated to investigating the agreement of the calculated results of two CT perfusion (CTP) postprocessing software packages, including parameter maps and ischemic volume, focusing on the infarct core volume (ICV) and penumbra volume (PV).

Methods

A retrospective collection of 235 patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent CTP examination were enrolled. All images had been analyzed with two software pipelines, RAPID CTP and AccuCTP, and the comparative analysis was based on ICV and PV results calculated by both software packages. The agreement of parameter maps was evaluated by root mean square error and Bland‐Altman analysis. The ICV and PV agreement was evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland‐Altman analysis. The accuracy of ICV and PV based on multiple thresholds was also analyzed.

Results

The ICV and PV of AccuCTP and RAPID CTP show excellent agreement. The relative differences of the parameter maps were all within 10% and the Bland‐Altman analysis also showed a strong agreement. From ordinary least squares fitting results, both ICV and PV had a remarkably high goodness of fit (ICV, R2= 0.975 [p<.001]; PV, R2= 0.964 [p<.001]). For the ICC analysis, both had high ICC scores (ICV ICC 0.984, 95% CI [confidence interval] 0.973‐0.989; PV ICC 0.955, 95% CI 0.947‐0.964). Furthermore, multi‐threshold analysis on the basis of ICV and PV also achieved reliable analytical accuracy.

Conclusions

The image analysis results of AccuCTP are in excellent agreement with RAPID CTP and can be used as an alternative analysis tool to RAPID CTP software in stroke clinical practice.
Glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome and hemiplegic migraines as a dominant presenting clinical feature
Authors: Mohammad Shekeeb S , Coman David , Calvert Sophie
Published: September 2023

Glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome (OMIM 606777) is a treatable epileptic encephalopathy caused by mutations in the SLC2A1 gene (OMIM 138140) causing impaired glucose transport into the brain. The classical phenotype is associated with seizures, developmental delay, ataxia and spasticity; however, milder phenotypes are emerging. We describe an 8‐year‐old boy with glucose transporter 1 deficiency syndrome whose clinical presentation was dominated by hemiplegic migraines that resolved with institution of a modified Atkins diet.
Oligotrophic waters of the Northwest Atlantic support taxonomically diverse diatom communities that are distinct from coastal waters
Authors: Setta Samantha P. , Lerch Sarah , Jenkins Bethany D. , Dyhrman Sonya T. , Rynearson Tatiana A.
Published: September 2023

Diatoms are important components of the marine food web and one of the most species‐rich groups of phytoplankton. The diversity and composition of diatoms in eutrophic nearshore habitats have been well documented due to the outsized influence of diatoms on coastal ecosystem functioning. In contrast, patterns of both diatom diversity and community composition in offshore oligotrophic regions where diatom biomass is low have been poorly resolved. To compare the diatom diversity and community composition in oligotrophic and eutrophic waters, diatom communities were sampled along a 1,250 km transect from the oligotrophic Sargasso Sea to the coastal waters of the northeast US shelf. Diatom community composition was determined by amplifying and sequencing the 18S rDNA V4 region. Of the 301 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) identified along the transect, the majority (70%) were sampled exclusively from oligotrophic waters of the Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea and included the genera Bacteriastrum, Haslea, Hemiaulus, Pseudo‐nitzschia, and Nitzschia. Diatom ASV richness did not vary along the transect, indicating that the oligotrophic Sargasso Sea and Gulf Stream are occupied by a diverse diatom community. Although ASV richness was similar between oligotrophic and coastal waters, diatom community composition in these regions differed significantly and was correlated with temperature and phosphate, two environmental variables known to influence diatom metabolism and geographic distribution. In sum, oligotrophic waters of the western North Atlantic harbor diverse diatom assemblages that are distinct from coastal regions, and these open ocean diatoms warrant additional study, as they may play critical roles in oligotrophic ecosystems.
CHB patients with rtA181T‐mutated HBV infection are associated with higher risk hepatocellular carcinoma due to increases in mutation rates of tumour suppressor genes
Authors: Ning Qiqi , Yang Tongwang , Guo Xianghua , Huang Yanxiang , Gao Yuxue , Liu Mengcheng , Yang Pengxiang , Guan Yuanyue , Liu Ning , Wang Yang , Chen Dexi
Published: September 2023

The HBV rtA181T mutation is associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study aimed to evaluate the mechanism by which rtA181T mutation increases the risk of HCC. We enrolled 470 CHB patients with rtA181T and rtA181V mutation in this study; 68 (22.15%) of the 307 patients with rtA181T mutation and 22 (13.5%) of the 163 patients with rtA181V mutation developed HCC (p < .05). The median follow‐up periods were 8.148 and 8.055 years (p > .05). Serum HBV DNA and HBsAg levels in rtA181T‐positive patients were similar to that in rtA181V‐positive patients. However, the serum HBeAg levels in the rtA181T‐positive patients were significantly higher than that in rtA181V‐positive patients. In situ hybridization experiments showed that the HBV cccDNA and HBV RNA levels were significantly higher in the liver cancer tissues of patients with the rtA181T mutation compared to that in the tissues of patients with the rtA181V mutation. The percentage of anti‐tumour hot‐gene site mutations was significantly higher in the rtA181T‐positive HCC liver tissue compared to that in the rtA181T‐negative HCC liver tissue (7.65% and 4.3%, p < .05). This is the first study to use a large cohort and a follow‐up of more than 5 years (average 8 years) to confirm that the rtA181T mutation increased the risk of HCC, and that it could be related to the increase in the mutation rate of hotspots of tumour suppressor genes (CTNNB1, TP53, NRAS and PIK3CA).
Relational legal consciousness in the punitive welfare state: How Dutch welfare officials shape clients' perceptions of law
Authors: Hertogh Marc
Published: September 2023

With a growing number of strict obligations and harsh sanctions for welfare recipients, the Netherlands has increasingly become a punitive welfare state. This article looks at what this means for welfare clients and their commonsense understandings of the law. To analyze how welfare officials shape clients' legal consciousness, I draw on an online survey among Dutch welfare clients (N = 1305) and a correlation analysis. The findings show that there is a clear relationship between welfare clients' own legal consciousness and their assessment of welfare officials' beliefs about the law. However, not all elements of their legal consciousness are relationally influenced by the same factors. Also, clients' self-reported compliance behavior is less relationally influenced than other elements of their legal consciousness. This study adds to our understanding of the mechanisms that constitute the production of relational and second-order legal consciousness and it contributes to the development of new research methods to study people's perceptions of law.
A tribute to Lauren Edelman
Authors: McCann Michael
Published: September 2023

We have lost a great one. Laurie Edelman was a gentle, generous, ingenious, and generative giant in socio-legal studies. Her passing is devastating for me, for many others, and generally for our field of intellectual inquiry.

I was not a close personal friend with Laurie in the way that many were, especially those who worked and lived in close geographic proximity to her. But I interacted and collaborated often with Laurie for most of the last 30 years, especially since she took a faculty position at Berkeley in 1996. We were roughly the same age and our treks through academic life were parallel in many ways. From our earliest encounters, she was for me a constant source of inspiration, a role model, a catalyst, a teacher, and more. These engagements were more than enough for me to witness her ironic sense of humor, her gracious support of others, her love of intellectual exchange, and her profound commitments as a scholar, teacher, public intellectual, and professional colleague. I will not try here to summarize her many, many activities and accomplishments, although I urge people to spend some time reading her lengthy CV, various profiles, and testaments from others to appreciate all that she did and how she mattered. Instead, I will focus my reflections on the various points of direct interaction with Laurie that mattered most to me and qualify me for commentary.
Creative confluence: Lauren Edelman's collaborations
Authors: Best Rachel Kahn , Fang Yan , Fisk Catherine , Krieger Linda Hamilton , Neece Todd , Reddy Diana
Published: September 2023

How do six collaborators—a medical sociologist, two law professors, and three graduate students at different stages of their PhD programs—meld their disparate perspectives into one coherent essay memorializing Lauren Edelman, who brought them together for a multi-year study of judicial reasoning in federal disability discrimination cases and then left them, so suddenly and so young, to carry on without her?
A terpene synthase supergene locus determines chemotype in Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree)
Authors: Voelker Julia , Mauleon Ramil , Shepherd Mervyn
Published: September 2023

Leaf oil terpenes vary categorically in many plant populations, leading to discrete phenotypes of adaptive and economic significance, but for most species, a genetic explanation for the concerted fluctuation in terpene chemistry remains unresolved.

To uncover the genetic architecture underlying multi‐component terpene chemotypes in Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree), a genome‐wide association study was undertaken for 148 individuals representing all six recognised chemotypes.

A number of single nucleotide polymorphisms in a genomic region of c. 400 kb explained large proportions of the variation in key monoterpenes of tea tree oil. The region contained a cluster of 10 monoterpene synthase genes, including four genes predicted to encode synthases for 1,8‐cineole, terpinolene, and the terpinen‐4‐ol precursor, sabinene hydrate. Chemotype‐dependent null alleles at some sites suggested structural variants within this gene cluster, providing a possible basis for linkage disequilibrium in this region. Genotyping in a separate domesticated population revealed that all alleles surrounding this gene cluster were fixed after artificial selection for a single chemotype.

These observations indicate that a supergene accounts for chemotypes in M. alternifolia. A genetic model with three haplotypes, encompassing the four characterised monoterpene synthase genes, explained the six terpene chemotypes, and was consistent with available biparental cross‐segregation data.
Parallel tuning of semi‐dwarfism via differential splicing of Brachytic1 in commercial maize and smallholder sorghum
Authors: Jiao Shuping , Mamidi Sujan , Chamberlin Mark A. , Beatty Mary , Thatcher Shawn , Simcox Kevin D. , Maina Fanna , Wang‐Nan Hu , Johal Gurmukh S. , Heetland Lynn , Marla Sandeep R. , Meeley Robert B. , Schmutz Jeremy , Morris Geoffrey P. , Multani Dilbag S.
Published: September 2023

In the current genomic era, the search and deployment of new semi‐dwarf alleles have continued to develop better plant types in all cereals. We characterized an agronomically optimal semi‐dwarf mutation in Zea mays L. and a parallel polymorphism in Sorghum bicolor L.

We cloned the maize brachytic1 (br1‐Mu) allele by a modified PCR‐based Sequence Amplified Insertion Flanking Fragment (SAIFF) approach. Histology and RNA‐Seq elucidated the mechanism of semi‐dwarfism. GWAS linked a sorghum plant height QTL with the Br1 homolog by resequencing a West African sorghum landraces panel.

The semi‐dwarf br1‐Mu allele encodes an MYB transcription factor78 that positively regulates stalk cell elongation by interacting with the polar auxin pathway. Semi‐dwarfism is due to differential splicing and low functional Br1 wild‐type transcript expression. The sorghum ortholog, SbBr1, co‐segregates with the major plant height QTL qHT7.1 and is alternatively spliced. The high frequency of the Sbbr1 allele in African landraces suggests that African smallholder farmers used the semi‐dwarf allele to improve plant height in sorghum long before efforts to introduce Green Revolution‐style varieties in the 1960s.

Surprisingly, variants for differential splicing of Brachytic1 were found in both commercial maize and smallholder sorghum, suggesting parallel tuning of plant architecture across these systems.
Population resistance and recovery after an extreme heat event are explained by thermal effects on life‐history traits
Authors: Martínez‐De León Gerard , Marty Arianne , Holmstrup Martin , Thakur Madhav P.
Published: September 2023

Extreme heat events lower the fitness of organisms by inducing physiological stress and increasing metabolic costs. Yet, little is known about the role of life‐history traits in elucidating population responses to extreme heat events. Here, we used a trait‐based approach to understand population resistance and recovery using four closely related species of soil‐dwelling Collembola. We measured thermal reaction norms of life‐history traits (survival and reproductive traits) and used this information to identify ecological mechanisms linked to population responses after an extreme heat event (i.e. one week at 26–30°C, representing + 10°C above ambient conditions). Furthermore, we investigated potential shifts in the body size distribution of recovering populations to better understand if extreme heat events can restructure body size spectra within populations. While resistance remained unaltered across species in our study, the recovery response of the most heat‐sensitive species (Protaphorura pseudovanderdrifti, predominantly a boreal species) was strongly affected by the extreme heat event (−54% population change compared to ambient conditions). Given that the fecundity (linked to recovery) of P. pseudovanderdrifti was more sensitive to heat than their survival (linked to resistance), we detected a decoupling between population resistance and recovery to an extreme heat event in this species. In addition, the detrimental effects of heat on fecundity were largely responsible for a drop in the proportion of small‐sized (juvenile) individuals in the recovering populations of P. pseudovanderdrifti. Thermally insensitive resistance and recovery in the other three species (P. armata, P. fimata, P. tricampata; predominantly temperate species) can be explained by their high survival and fecundity at warmer temperatures. We highlight that life‐history trait responses to warming can help explain population resistance and recovery after extreme heat events.