bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kinomorphs: Shape-shifting tissues for developmental engineering
Authors: Viola John M. , Porter Catherine M. , Gupta Ananya , Alibekova Mariia , Prahl Louis S. , Hughes Alex J.
Published: September 2019

Current methods for building tissues usually start with a non-biological blueprint, or rely on self-organization, which does not extend to organ-scales. This has limited the construction of large tissues that simultaneously encode fine-scale cell organization. Here we bridge scales by mimicking developmental dynamics using “kinomorphs”, tissue scaffolds that undergo globally programmed shape and density changes to trigger local self-organization of cells in many locations at once. In this first report, we focus on mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) compaction and division into leaflets that occurs in kidney collecting duct development. We start by creating single-cell resolution cell patterns in ECM-mimetic hydrogels that are >10x larger than previously described, by leveraging photo-lithographic technology. These patterns are designed to mimic the branch geometry of the embryonic kidney collecting duct tree. We then predict the shape dynamics of kinomorphs driven by cell contractility-based compaction of the ECM using kinematic origami simulations. We show that these dynamics spur centimeter-scale assembly of structurally mature ~50 μm-diameter epithelial tubules that are locally self-organized, but globally programmed. Our approach prescribes tubule network geometry at ~5x smaller length-scales than currently possible using 3D printing, and at local cell densities comparable to in vivo tissues. Kinomorphs could be used to scaffold and “plumb” arrays of organoids in the future, by guiding the morphogenesis of epithelial networks. Such hybrid globally programmed/locally self-organized tissues address a major gap in our ability to recapitulate organ-scale tissue structure.

Significance Statement

Engineers are attempting to build tissues that mimic human diseases outside of the body. Although stem cells can be coaxed to form small organoids with a diversity of cell types, they do not properly organize over large distances by themselves. We report a strategy to mimic developmental processes using dynamic materials that attempt to guide a cellular “blueprint” towards a more complex tissue endpoint. We call these materials kinomorphs, combining the Greek kinó (propel, drive) and morfí (form, shape), since they seek to shepherd both the shape and developmental trajectory of cell collectives within them. Kinomorphs could pave the way towards organ-scale synthetic tissues built through a hybrid of engineering and self-organization strategies.
Cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes associated with student engagement in a novel brain chemoarchitecture mapping course-based undergraduate research experience
Authors: D’Arcy Christina E. , Martinez Anais , Khan Arshad M. , Olimpo Jeffrey T.
Published: September 2019

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) engage emerging scholars in the authentic process of scientific discovery, and foster their development of content knowledge, motivation, and persistence in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Importantly, authentic research courses simultaneously offer investigators unique access to an extended population of students who receive education and mentoring in conducting scientifically relevant investigations and who are thus able to contribute effort toward big-data projects. While this paradigm benefits fields in neuroscience, such as atlas-based brain mapping of nerve cells at the tissue level, there are few documented cases of such laboratory courses offered in the domain.

Here, we describe a curriculum designed to address this deficit, evaluate the scientific merit of novel student-produced brainatlasmapsofimmunohistochemically-identifiednervecellpopulations for the rat brain, and assess shifts in science identity, attitudes, and science communication skills of students engaged in the introductory-level Brain Mapping and Connectomics (BM&C) CURE. BM&C students reported gains in research and science process skills following participation in the course. Furthermore, BM&C students experienced a greater sense of science identity, including a greater likelihood to discuss course activities with non-class members compared to their non-CURE counterparts. Importantly, evaluation of student-generated brain atlas maps indicated that the course enabled students to produce scientifically valid products and make new discoveries to advance the field of neuroanatomy. Together, these findings support the efficacy of the BM&C course in addressing the relatively esoteric demands of chemoarchitectural brain mapping.
Ectopic methylation of a single persistently-unmethylated CpG in the promoter of the vitellogenin gene abolishes its inducibility by estrogen through attenuation of USF binding
Authors: Kallenberger Lia , Erb Rachel , Kralickova Lucie , Patrignani Andrea , Stöckli Esther , Jiricny Josef
Published: September 2019

The enhancer/promoter of the vitellogenin II (VTG) gene has been extensively studied as a model system of vertebrate transcriptional control. While deletion mutagenesis andin vivofootprinting identified the transcription factor (TF) binding sites governing its tissue specificity, DNase hypersensitivity- and DNA methylation studies revealed the epigenetic changes accompanying its hormone-dependent activation. Moreover, upon induction with estrogen (E2), the region flanking the estrogen-responsive element (ERE) was reported to undergo active DNA demethylation. We now show that although theVTGERE is methylated in embryonic chicken liver and in LMH/2A hepatocytes, its induction by E2was not accompanied by extensive demethylation. In contrast, E2failed to activate aVTGenhancer/promoter-controlled luciferase reporter gene methylated bySssI. Surprisingly, this inducibility difference could be traced not to the ERE, but rather to a single CpG in an E-box (CACGTG) sequence upstream of theVTGTATA box, which is unmethylatedin vivo, but methylated bySssI. We demonstrate that this E-box binds the upstream stimulating factor USF1/2. Selective methylation of the CpG within this binding site with an E-box-specific DNA methyltranferaseEco72IM was sufficient to attenuate USF1/2 bindingin vitroand abolish the hormone-induced transcription of theVTGgene in the reporter system.
Discontinuous transcription of ribosomal DNA in human cells
Authors: Smirnov Evgeny , Trošan Peter , de Sousa Cabral João Victor , Studený Pavel , Kereïche Sami , Jirsová Kateřina , Cmarko Dušan
Published: September 2019

Numerous studies show that various genes in all kinds of organisms are transcribed discontinuously, i.e. in short bursts or pulses with periods of inactivity between them. But it remains unclear whether ribosomal DNA (rDNA), represented by multiple copies in every cell, is also expressed in such manner. In this work, we synchronized the pol I activity in the populations of tumour derived as well as normal human cells by cold block and release. Then using special software for analysis of the microscopic images, we measured the intensity of transcription signal revealed by incorporated 5-fluorouridine (FU) in the nucleoli at different time points after the release. We found that the ribosomal genes in the human cells are transcribed discontinuously with periods ranging from 45 min to 75 min. Our data indicate that the dynamics of rDNA transcription follows the undulating pattern, in which the bursts are alternated by periods of rare transcription events.
A Bayesian approach to accurate and robust signature detection on LINCS L1000 data
Authors: Qiu Yue , Lu Tianhuan , Lim Hansaim , Xie Lei
Published: September 2019

LINCS L1000 dataset produced by L1000 assay contains numerous cellular expression data induced by large sets of perturbagens. Although it provides invaluable resources for drug discovery as well as understanding of disease mechanisms, severe noise in the dataset makes the detection of reliable gene expression signals difficult. Existing methods for the peak deconvolution, eitherk-means based or Gaussian mixture model, cannot reliably recover the accurate expression level of genes in many cases, thereby limiting their robust applications in biomedical studies. Here, we have developed a novel Bayes’ theory based deconvolution algorithm that gives unbiased likelihood estimations for peak positions and characterizes the peak with a probability basedz-scores. Based on above algorithm, a pipeline is built to process raw data from L1000 assay into signatures that represent the features of perturbagen. The performance of the proposed new pipeline is rigorously evaluated using the similarity between bio-replicates and between drugs with shared targets. The results show that the new signature derived from the proposed algorithm gives a substantially more reliable and informative representation for perturbagens than existing methods. Thus, our new Bayesian-based peak deconvolution andz-score calculation method may significantly boost the performance of invaluable L1000 data in the down-stream applications such as drug repurposing, disease modeling, and gene function prediction.
Mechanotransduction of strain regulates an invasive phenotype in newly transformed epithelial cells
Authors: Chagnon-Lessard Sophie , Jean-Ruel Hubert , Godin Michel , Pelling Andrew E.
Published: September 2019

Our organs and tissues are in constant motion, exposing epithelial cells to mechanical stretch. However, how these external forces impact cellular morphology, organization and dynamics in healthy and diseased tissues is still being elucidated. In several studies, we and others have shown how mechanical stresses and strains in the epithelium can modulate the dynamics and invasiveness of transformed cells. Carcinoma, the most common type of cancer, develops in the sheets of cells forming the epithelium and lining our organs and cavities. It usually begins with the transformation of a single cell via the activation of oncogenes such as Ras. Here, we show in a model system how mechanical stretch in epithelial sheets results in a more invasive phenotype in transformed cells.

Cyclic strain prevents the formation of strong circumferential belts of actin in RasV12 cells and greatly promoting the formation of RasV12 protrusions, typical of a more invasive phenotype. We also show that RasV12 and wild type MDCK cells possess distinct sensitivity to strain. External forces remodel their actin cytoskeletons and adhesion complexes differently, resulting in a more invasive system dynamic. Our work demonstrates that the Rho-ROCK mechanotransduction pathway is involved in regulating a mechanically-induced switch to a more invasive phenotype. In a mechanically dynamic microenvironment, transformed cells exhibit drastically different cellular dynamics and movements when compared to static conditions. They grow larger invasive protrusions, potentially making them harder to be eliminated from healthy tissues. The insights gained in this study reveal the complex dynamics at play in healthy and transformed epithelial cells which are found in a mechanically active microenvironment.
Large-scale differential gene expression analysis identifies genes associated with Bipolar Disorder in post-mortem brain
Authors: Omar Mohamed N. , Youssef Mohamed , Abdellatif Mohamed
Published: September 2019

Background and purpose

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a common psychiatric disorder with high morbidity and mortality. Several polymorphisms have been found to be implicated in the pathogenesis of BD, however, these loci have small effect sizes that fail to explain the high heritability of the disease. Here, we provide more insights into the genetic basis of BD by identifying the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their associated pathways and biological processes in post-mortem brain tissues of patients with BD.

Methods

Eight datasets were eligible for the differential expression analysis. We used six datasets for the discovery of the gene signature and used the other two for independent validation. We performed the multi-cohort analysis by a random-effect model using R and MetaIntegrator package.

Results

The initial analysis resulted in the identification of 126 DEGs (30 up-regulated and 94 down-regulated). We refined this initial signature by a forward search process and resulted in the identification of 22 DEGs (6 up-regulated and 16 down-regulated). We validated the final gene signature in the independent datasets and resulted in an Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 0.756 and 0.76, respectively. We performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) which identified several biological processes and pathways related to BD including Ca transport, inflammation and DNA damage response.

Conclusion

Our findings support the previous findings that link BD pathogenesis to abnormalities in glial inflammation and calcium transport and also identify several other biological processes not previously reported to be associated with the development of the disease. Such findings will improve our understanding of the genetic basis underlying BD and may have future clinical implications.
GEO2RNAseq: An easy-to-use R pipeline for complete pre-processing of RNA-seq data
Authors: Seelbinder Bastian , Wolf Thomas , Priebe Steffen , McNamara Sylvie , Gerber Silvia , Guthke Reinhard , Linde Jörg
Published: September 2019

In transcriptomics, the study of the total set of RNAs transcribed by the cell, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has become the standard tool for analysing gene expression. The primary goal is the detection of genes whose expression changes significantly between two or more conditions, either for a single species or for two or more interacting species at the same time (dual RNA-seq, triple RNA-seq and so forth). The analysis of RNA-seq can be simplified as many steps of the data pre-processing can be standardised in a pipeline.

In this publication we present the “GEO2RNAseq” pipeline for complete, quick and concurrent pre-processing of single, dual, and triple RNA-seq data. It covers all pre-processing steps starting from raw sequencing data to the analysis of differentially expressed genes, including various tables and figures to report intermediate and final results. Raw data may be provided in FASTQ format or can be downloaded automatically from the Gene Expression Omnibus repository. GEO2RNAseq strongly incorporates experimental as well as computational metadata. GEO2RNAseq is implemented in R, lightweight, easy to install via Conda and easy to use, but still very flexible through using modular programming and offering many extensions and alternative workflows.

GEO2RNAseq is publicly available at https://anaconda.org/xentrics/r-geo2rnaseq and https://bitbucket.org/thomas_wolf/geo2rnaseq/overview, including source code, installation instruction, and comprehensive package documentation.
The Study on Computer Vision-Assisted Cell Bank Construction and Screening & Classification
Authors: Yanmin Feng , Hanlong Chen , Xue Bai , Yuanyuan Chen , Yuguo Dai , Lin Feng
Published: September 2019

Computer vision technology plays an important role in screening and culturing cells. This paper proposes a method to construct a helper cell library based on cell image segmentation and screening. Firstly, cell culture and image acquisition were carried out. The main content is to use laboratory conditions to carry out different cell types. Through careful observation of the whole process of cell proliferation and passage, the representative pictures of different stages were taken. Analysis and summary of the relevant morphology, texture, color characteristics. Secondly, computer vision technology is used to segment cells and extract the main features such as cell perimeter and area. Explore the automatic information extraction method of cell bank, and complete the image segmentation of individual cell image from the whole picture. Finally, the cells were screened and identified. Investigate different pattern recognition methods and neural network structures, and prepare pictures of various cell pictures. The corresponding neural network and prediction program are constructed. This paper proposes an automatic image processing method for each image category in cell culture cycle, which improves the automation of production process. At the same time, compared with the design of a single algorithm for a certain type of cell, different algorithm design ideas are proposed for three types of pictures with different characteristics, which is closer to the dynamic change of cell morphology in the process of cell culture. This research has important application prospects in promoting cell factory research, cell bank construction and automatic screening.
Cell Population Effects in a Mouse Tauopathy Model Identified by Single Cell Sequencing
Authors: Lisi Véronique , Luna Gabriel , Apostolaki Angeliki , Giroux Michel , Kosik Kenneth S
Published: September 2019

Neurodegenerative disorders are complex multifactorial diseases that have poorly understood selective vulnerabilities among discrete cell populations. We performed single cell RNA sequencing of whole hippocampi from the rTg4510 mouse tauopathy model, which expresses a P301L MAPT mutation at two time points—before and after the onset of pathology. One population of neurons showed a robust size reduction in both the young and the old transgenic animals. Differential expression of genes expressed in this group of neurons suggested an enrichment in granule cell neurons. We identified genes that characterize this population of neurons using Pareto optimization of the specificity and precision of gene pairs for the population of interest. The resulting optimal marker genes were overwhelmingly associated with neuronal projections and their expression was enriched in the dentate gyrus suggesting that the rTg4510 mouse is a good model for Pick’s disease. This observation suggested that the tau mutation affects the population of neurons associated with neuronal projections even before overt tau inclusions can be observed. Out of the optimal pairs of genes identified as markers of the population of neurons of interest, we selected Purkinje cell protein 4 (Pcp4+) and Syntaxin binding protein 6 (Stxbp6+) for experimental validation. Single-molecule RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed preferential expression of these markers and localized them to the dentate gyrus.
A de novo chromosome-level genome assembly of Coregonus sp. “Balchen”: one representative of the Swiss Alpine whitefish radiation
Authors: De-Kayne Rishi , Zoller Stefan , Feulner Philine G. D.
Published: September 2019

Background

Salmonids are of particular interest to evolutionary biologists due to their incredible diversity of life-history strategies and the speed at which many salmonid species have diversified. In Switzerland alone, over 30 species of Alpine whitefish from the subfamily Coregoninae have evolved since the last glacial maximum, with species exhibiting a diverse range of morphological and behavioural phenotypes. This, combined with the whole genome duplication which occurred in the ancestor of all salmonids, makes the Alpine whitefish radiation a particularly interesting system in which to study the genetic basis of adaptation and speciation and the impacts of ploidy changes and subsequent rediploidization on genome evolution. Although well curated genome assemblies exist for many species within the Salmonidae family, genomic resources for the subfamily Coregoninae are lacking.

Findings

PacBio sequencing from one wild caught Coregonus sp. “Balchen” from Lake Thun was carried out to ∼90x coverage. PacBio reads were assembled independently using three different assemblers, Falcon, Canu and wtdbg2 and subsequently scaffolded with additional Hi-C data. All three assemblies are of high quality based on standard metrics, and when comparing the assemblies to a previously published linkage map and when mapping additional short-read data (∼30x Illumina data) to it.

Conclusions

Here, we present the first de novo genome assembly for the Salmonid subfamily Coregoninae. Our final wtdbg2 reference sequence was assembled into 40 chromosome-scale scaffolds with a total length of 2.2Gb, an N50 of 51.9Mb and was 93.3% complete for BUSCOs. It comprised of ∼52% TEs and contained 46,397 genes.
Socioeconomic inequality in catastrophic healthcare expenditures in Western Iran
Authors: Rezaei Satar , Hajizadeh Mohammad , Ahmadi Sina , Sedghi Sadaf , Piroozi Bakhtiar , Mohamadi-Bolbanabad Amjad , Homaie Rad Enayatollah
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Financial protection of households against catastrophic healthcare expenditure (CHE) is defined as one of the main goals in health systems. The purpose of this paper is to measure and decompose socioeconomic inequality in CHE among households in Kermanshah province, Western of Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study was carried out among 1,188 households in 2017. Data were extracted from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey which is conducted by the Statistical Center of Iran. The CHE is defined as household healthcare expenditure greater than or equal to the 40 percent of household’s “capacity to pay.” The concentration curve and the Wagstaff (W) and Erreygers (E) indexes were used to illustrate and measure the extent of socioeconomic inequality in CHE. In addition, the authors decomposed the W and E indexes to identify the main determinants of socioeconomic inequality in CHE.

Findings

The results indicated that the prevalence of CHE among households was 4.12 percent (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.13 to 5.42 percent). The estimated value of the W and E indexes were −0.2849 (95% CI: −0.4493 to −0.1205) and −0.0451 (95% CI: −0.0712 to −0.0190), respectively; suggesting the concentration of CHE prevalence among the poor households. Decomposition analyses indicated socioeconomic status as the most important factor contributing to the concentration of CHE among the poor. In contrast, health insurance coverage was found to increase the concentration of CHE among the rich in Iran.

Originality/value

The current study demonstrated a higher concentration of CHE among the poor households in Kermanshah province. These results call for the government’s efforts to reduce healthcare expenditure among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Further studies are required to understand the mechanisms through which health insurance coverage increased the probability of CHE among rich in Kermanshah province.
Managing the modernization of regional markets of educational services in the conditions of formation of Industry 4.0
Authors: Bogoviz Aleksei V. , Lobova Svetlana V. , Alekseev Alexander N. , Prokofiev Vadim N. , Gimelshtein Irina V.
Published: September 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to substantiate the perspectives and to develop recommendations for managing digital modernization of regional markets of educational services in the conditions of formation of Industry 4.0 by the example of modern Russia.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodological basis of the research consists of the hypothetical and deductive method. The offered hypothesis of the necessity for decentralization of managing digital modernization of regional markets of educational services in the conditions of formation of Industry 4.0 is verified with the help of a complex of methods of economic statistics (econometrics), namely, the method of regression analysis and analysis of variation. The research objects are regions of modern Russia that are peculiar for the highest level of scientific and technological development (top 15 of 83 regions at the beginning of 2019), which shows their largest progress in formation of Industry 4.0. The information and empirical basis of the research consists of the materials of the report on human development in the Russian Federation “Human and Innovations”, prepared by the Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation (values of the education index are taken from it), and analytical materials of the rating “Level of Development of Science and Technologies in Regions of Russia” as a result of 2018, prepared by Ria rating (values of the index of scientific and technological development are taken from it).

Findings

It is determined that regional specifics are not sufficiently considered during management of modernization of regional markets of educational services in the conditions of formation of Industry 4.0 in modern Russia. This reduces efficiency of managing digital modernization of regional markets of educational services and leads to the fact that these markets do not perform their function of infrastructural provision of Industry 4.0, slowing down the process of its formation.

Originality/value

The necessity for managing modernization of the markets of educational services in the conditions of formation of Industry 4.0 at the regional level, in view of specifics of the regional economy, is substantiated. For this, a conceptual model and recommendations for its practical application in modern Russia are offered.
Coal top detection by conductively guided borehole radar wave imaging for open cut blast‐hole drilling
Authors: Zhou Binzhong , van de Werken Matthew , Huo Jianjian
Published: September 2019

Damage to the top of coal seams, caused by incorrect blast stand‐off distances, results in coal losses of up to 10–15% to the Australian open cut coal mining operations. This is a serious issue to be addressed. Here we propose to use a new forward‐looking imaging technique based on the borehole radar technology to predict the coal seam top in real time while drilling blast holes. This is achieved by coupling the conventional borehole radar waves on to a steel drill rod to induce a guided wave along the axial drill rod. The drill rod ahead of the borehole radar behaves as a forward‐looking antenna for the guided waves. Both numerical modelling and field trials simulating a drill rod as an antenna are used to investigate the feasibility of the proposed technique for prediction of the coal top under typical open cut environments. Numerical modelling demonstrated that conductivity of the overburden is the most important factor affecting our ability to see coal seams ahead of the drill bit, the guided borehole radar waves could be used for top coal prediction and a theoretical prediction error less than 10 cm and a forward‐looking capability of 4–6 m can be achieved. Field trials at Australian open cut coal mines also demonstrated that guided borehole radar waves can be observed and used for prediction of coal top ahead of drill bit during blast‐hole drilling in resistive, open cut environments (the average resistivity should be higher than 75 Ωm).
A Meta‐analysis of the Willingness to Pay for Cultural Services from Grasslands in Europe
Authors: Huber Robert , Finger Robert
Published: September 2019

We investigate the willingness to pay (WTP) for cultural ecosystem services from grasslands using a meta‐analysis based on 32 eligible research papers that provide in total 79 estimates. The average WTP (corrected for purchasing power) across these studies is 38 Euros per person per year. Yet, our analysis reveals that the transfer of these results needs careful evaluation. More specifically, it is essential to frame the monetary valuation exercise in relation to the direction of grassland change. A switch from cropland to grassland reduces WTP by 90 Euros while an increase in less‐intensive land‐use in mountain regions raises WTP by 53 Euros. We conclude that for an adequate consideration of grasslands in holistic ecosystem services assessments, the direction of grassland change is important.
Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Midinfrared Spectroscopy Combined with Multivariate Analysis, a Novel Approach to Monitor Maillard Reaction
Authors: Mellado‐Carretero Jorge , Kaade Wael , Ferrando Montserrat , Güell Carme , de Lamo‐Castellví Sílvia
Published: September 2019

The aim of this work was to study the potential of using infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics to monitor Maillard reaction. Sodium caseinate (NaCAS) and gum Arabic (GA) or sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) powders were mixed at 1:1, spray‐dried, and incubated at 60 °C and 76% of relative humidity from 0 to 72 hr. Sample infrared spectra were collected, and browning degree, conjugation efficiency, and stabilization properties of the conjugates were analyzed by spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, turbidity, and zeta potential measurements. Pairwise soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) models showed significant chemical differences among NaCAS–GA mixtures incubated for 0 (Control) and 16 hr, attributed to functional groups linked to different Maillard reaction products such as Schiff's base and pyridine compounds. Infrared spectroscopy combined with SIMCA is a powerful tool to monitor the formation of protein–polysaccharide conjugates by Maillard reaction.

Practical Application

Protein–polysaccharide conjugates obtained by Maillard reaction are currently used as novel food emulsifiers. However, conventional methods to study this chemical reaction are time consuming or involve the use of toxic and harmful reactants. Infrared spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis is evaluated to be used as a rapid tool to monitor Maillard reaction.
Alcohol's Dysregulation of Maternal–Fetal IL‐6 and p‐STAT3 Is a Function of Maternal Iron Status
Authors: Saini Nipun , Helfrich Kaylee K. , Kwan Sze Ting Cecilia , Huebner Shane M. , Abazi Juna , Flentke George R. , Blohowiak Sharon E. , Kling Pamela J. , Smith Susan M.
Published: September 2019

Background

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) causes long‐term growth and neurodevelopmental deficits that are worsened by maternal iron deficiency (ID). In our preclinical rat model, PAE causes fetal anemia, brain ID, and elevated hepatic iron via increased maternal and fetal hepcidin synthesis. These changes are normalized by a prenatal iron‐fortified (IF) diet. Here, we hypothesize that iron status and PAE dysregulate the major upstream pathways that govern hepcidin production—EPO/BMP6/SMAD and IL‐6/JAK2/STAT3.

Methods

Pregnant, Long Evans rat dams consumed ID (2 to 6 ppm iron), iron‐sufficient (IS, 100 ppm iron), or IF (500 ppm iron) diets and received alcohol (5 g/kg) or isocaloric maltodextrin daily from gestational days (GD) 13.5 to 19.5. Protein and gene expression were quantified in the 6 experimental groups at GD 20.5.

Results

PAE did not affect Epo or Bmp6 expression, but reduced p‐SMAD1/5/8/SMAD1/5/8 protein ratios in both IS and ID maternal and fetal liver (all p's < 0.01). In contrast, PAE stimulated maternal hepatic expression of Il‐6 (p = 0.03) and elevated p‐STAT3/STAT3 protein ratios in both IS and ID maternal and fetal liver (all p's < 0.02). PAE modestly elevated maternal Il‐1β, Tnf‐α, and Ifn‐γ. Fetal cytokine responses to PAE were muted compared with dams, and PAE did not affect hepatic Il‐6 (p = 0.78) in IS and ID fetuses. Dietary iron fortification sharply attenuated Il‐6 expression in response to PAE, with IF driving a 150‐fold decrease (p < 0.001) in maternal liver and a 10‐fold decrease (p < 0.01) in fetal liver. The IF diet also normalized p‐STAT3/STAT3 ratios in both maternal and fetal liver.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that alcohol‐driven stimulation of the IL‐6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway mediates the elevated hepcidin observed in the PAE dam and fetus. Normalization of these signals by IF suggests that dysregulated hepcidin is driven by alcohol's disruption of the IL‐6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Prenatal dietary IF represents a potential therapeutic approach for PAE that warrants further investigation.
International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants: A Behind the Scenes Look at the eCode
Authors: Pieters Misha
Published: September 2019

Technology is changing the way professional accountants work and how information is accessed. The eCode was launched in June 2019 to promote adoption, implementation and enforcement of the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards). Digital features demonstrate the architecture of the Code and leverage technology to make access widely available to all and as user friendly as possible. This paper provides insight into why and how the International Ethics Standards Board of Accountants has dedicated significant resources to develop an eCode and highlights some of its key features to explore how technology is being used to improve access to and use of professional standards.
Students’ perceptions of the value of electronic feedback—Does disciplinary background really matter?
Authors: ElShaer Amr , Casanova Diogo , Freestone Nicholas S. , Calabrese Gianpiero
Published: September 2019

Feedback on student work is a key mechanism for improving learning in higher education (HE) and can be provided in a variety of forms. Recently, many institutions have moved to the provision of electronic feedback, although evidence for the effectiveness of this is mixed. While many studies evaluating the students’ perception of feedback are now available, there is little evidence of contrasting perceptions of its value according to different disciplines. This work aims to evaluate the relationship between students’ expectations and perception of feedback, especially electronic, and the disciplinary area of study in HE. Students (n = 1017) across different courses from a post‐1992 university in the UK were surveyed and categorised into five disciplinary clusters: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; Business and Accounting; Art and Design; Media and Languages; and Psychology and Social Care. Perceived relevance as well as the most pertinent features and expectations of the quality of electronic feedback for students varies according to disciplinary cluster and thus closely aligns with a specific cluster’s learning and teaching practices. The findings of this study may help institutions to reflect on the role of electronic feedback as part of their ongoing assessment practice and how teaching in the different disciplines may result in different understandings of the value of electronic feedback.
Spanish version of the Parenting Sense of Competence scale: Evidence of reliability and validity
Authors: Oltra‐Benavent Paloma , Cano‐Climent Antoni , Oliver‐Roig Antonio , Cabrero‐García Julio , Richart‐Martínez Miguel
Published: September 2019

Perceived parenting competence influences parenting practices and is a decisive factor in child development and health. There is a lack of valid and reliable tools in Spain to measure perceived parenting competence. The objective was to adapt the Parenting Sense of Competence scale (PSOC) and analyse its psychometric properties in a sample of 600 mothers of children aged between 6 and 12 months old from Spain. The PSOC was translated into Spanish (PSOC‐E) using a standard forward‐ and back‐translation process. Internal consistency, factor structure, and comparisons between known groups and correlations with other variables were assessed. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the original two‐factor structure: satisfaction and efficacy. The PSOC‐E showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .85). Perceived parenting competence was negatively associated (P < .01) with parental depression, fatigue, and parental stress and positively associated (P < .01) with dyadic adjustment. An equivalent Spanish version of the PSOC was obtained with good evidence of reliability and validity.
The Embodied God: Core Intuitions About Person Physicality Coexist and Interfere With Acquired Christian Beliefs About God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus
Authors: Barlev Michael , Mermelstein Spencer , Cohen Adam S. , German Tamsin C.
Published: September 2019

Why are disembodied extraordinary beings like gods and spirits prevalent in past and present theologies? Under the intuitive Cartesian dualism hypothesis, this is because it is natural to conceptualize of minds as separate from bodies; under the counterintuitiveness hypothesis, this is because beliefs in minds without bodies are unnatural—such beliefs violate core knowledge intuitions about person physicality and consequently have a social transmission advantage. We report on a critical test of these contrasting hypotheses. Prior research found that among adult Christian religious adherents, intuitions about person psychology coexist and interfere with theological conceptualizations of God (e.g., infallibility). Here, we use a sentence verification paradigm where participants are asked to evaluate as true or false statements on which core knowledge intuitions about person physicality and psychology and Christian theology about God are inconsistent (true on one and false on the other) versus consistent (both true or both false). We find, as predicted by the counterintuitiveness hypothesis but not the Cartesian dualism hypothesis, that Christian religious adherents show worse performance (lower accuracy and slower response time) on statements where Christian theological doctrines about God's physicality (e.g., incorporeality, omnipresence) conflict with intuitions about person physicality. We find these effects for other extraordinary beings in Christianity—the Holy Spirit and Jesus—but not for an ordinary being (priest). We conclude that it is unintuitive to conceptualize extraordinary beings as disembodied, and that this, rather than inherent Cartesian dualism, may explain the prevalence of beliefs in such beings.
Consistency of self‐reported drug use among electronic dance music party attendees
Authors: Palamar Joseph J. , Le Austin , Acosta Patricia , Cleland Charles M.
Published: September 2019

Introduction and Aims

Longitudinal studies have found that recanting of drug use is common. We investigate the extent to which individuals in a high‐risk population—electronic dance music (EDM) party attendees—provide inconsistent reports of drug use.

Design and Methods

Nine hundred and thirty‐three EDM party attendees were intercept‐surveyed before entering randomly selected parties in 2017. A quarter (n = 236) completed the optional follow‐up survey (63.1% of those providing an email address to be contacted for follow up). We compared self‐reported past‐year drug use on baseline and follow‐up surveys (mean = 3.6 days post‐baseline) among those who completed both. Predictors for providing discordant responses were also examined.

Results

About 42.4% provided a discordant response between surveys, but discord regarding reported use of individual drugs (measured in changes in absolute percentage) ranged from 0.0% to 5.1%. At follow up, prevalence of reported use of LSD decreased (by 3.8%, P = 0.013) and prevalence of reported use of shrooms also decreased (by 5.1%, P = 0.005); however, test–retest reliability was strong or almost perfect for all 17 drugs (κ range: 0.88–1.00). Those reporting the use of a higher number of drugs at baseline were at increased risk of providing discordant responses. Those surveyed outside of festivals were less likely to provide more discordant responses than those surveyed outside of nightclubs.

Discussion and Conclusions

Although reporting of drug use was very reliable in this high‐risk population, inconsistent self‐reported use of some drugs was still common. Research is needed to determine how to acquire more accurate responses in this population at the point of recruitment without relying on follow‐up surveys.
The supposed shame of aging female bodies and the saving grace of transience
Authors: Lelwica Michelle Mary
Published: September 2019

Where does the supposed shame of older women's bodies come from? In this essay, I suggest that such shame is not a natural response to aging; rather, it is a culturally conditioned reaction to the patriarchal fantasy of female physical perfection. While certain norms and narratives within Christianity tacitly encourage women to pursue this fantasy, there are also resources within this tradition that can help us challenge the stigma assigned to older female flesh and affirm the goodness of bodies that have lived a long time. Simultaneously, aging itself can provide a lens for fruitfully rethinking some central Christian ideas.
War on heaven and earth: Misotheistic themes in popular culture
Authors: Vainio Olli‐Pekka
Published: September 2019

In this article, I evaluate particular critical narratives of religion in pop culture. I note briefly some early cases where criticism is primarily directed at religious abuses. Next, I make some observations about the misotheistic tradition in which the relationship between religious reality and human life is more complicated. Finally, I make some remarks on the use of religious and quasireligious elements in pop culture and what kind of effects these might have on our social imagination.
Mapping the public first‐aid training landscape: a scoping review
Authors: Heard Claire Louise , Pearce Julia M. , Rogers M. Brooke
Published: September 2019

While the public can play a vital role in saving lives during emergencies, intervention is only effective if people have the skills, confidence, and willingness to help. This review employs a five‐stage framework to systematically analyse first aid and emergency helping literature from 22 countries (predominately in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States). The review covers 54 articles that investigate public first‐aid knowledge and uptake of first‐aid training (40); public confidence in first‐aid skills and willingness to help during an emergency (21); and barriers to or enablers of learning first aid and delivering first aid in an emergency (25). The findings identify high levels of perceived knowledge, confidence, and willingness to help, supporting the contention that the public can play a vital role during an emergency. However, the findings also point to low uptake levels, low tested skill‐specific knowledge, and barriers to learning first aid and helping, indicating that the first‐aid training landscape is in need of improvement.
Interannual decrease in condition factor of the western sand lance Ammodytes japonicus in Japan in the last decade: Evidence for food‐limited decline of the catch
Authors: Nishikawa Tetsuya , Nakamura Yukinobu , Okamoto Shigeyoshi , Ueda Hiroshi
Published: September 2019

Annual catch of the western sand lance Ammodytes japonicus in the eastern Seto Inland Sea, Japan, has shown a decreasing trend since the 1990s. To examine whether food shortage was the main cause for the catch decrease, we investigated the condition factor of the age‐0 fish at the beginning of the estivation period (late July) in Harima‐Nada, eastern Seto Inland Sea, for 10 years from 2008 to 2017. The mean abundance of copepods as food for the age‐0 fish during the fish growth period (from February to June) around the estivation area was also determined. The condition factor showed a significant decrease, and values for 2011 and later years were mostly lower than the known minimum threshold (4.2) for maturation. In the recent 4 years from 2013 to 2016, the mean copepod abundance was much lower than values for the other years. The condition factor showed a significant positive correlation with the copepod abundance. These results indicate that decline of western sand lance catch after 1990 was caused mainly by food shortage.
OnabotulinumtoxinA Wear‐off Phenomenon in the Treatment of Chronic Migraine
Authors: Masters‐Israilov Alina , Robbins Matthew S.
Published: September 2019

Objective

To evaluate the frequency and features of onabotulinumtoxinA (onabotA) wear‐off in chronic migraine (CM).

Background

Clinical experience suggests that patients with CM frequently perceive onabotA treatment duration <12 weeks, but this phenomenon has not been well explored.

Methods

This study was a retrospective chart review of patients (n = 143) with CM initiated on onabotA over a 2‐year period. Wear‐off was considered present with the phrase documented, a quantitative headache day increase, or increased use of abortive medications, bridging therapies or emergency department visits in the 6 weeks preceding the subsequent administration.

Results

Wear‐off was present in 90/143 patients (62.9%). Age, sex, medication overuse, psychiatric comorbidity, injector training level, and mean days between injections did not differ between the wear‐off and no wear‐off groups. Mean units injected per session in the wear‐off group until first documented wear‐off were significantly less vs no wear‐off group (166.0 ± 13.1 vs 173.4 ± 10.3, P = .0005). Wear‐off most commonly occurred 2‐4 weeks before the next injection (43.3%) and after the very first injection (40.0%). Intramuscular ketorolac injections (33.3%) and peripheral nerve blocks (25.6%) were the most common bridge therapies used in the wear‐off period.

Conclusions

Most patients with CM receiving onabotA experience wear‐off. Clinicians may consider increasing the units used from the treatment onset to reduce the frequent need for bridging therapies.
Systematic review and meta‐analysis: Effect ofHelicobacter pylorieradication on chronic spontaneous urticaria
Authors: Kim Hyun Jung , Kim Yeon-Ji , Lee Ho Jung , Hong Jeong Yeon , Park A Young , Chung Euy Hyun , Lee Sung Yul , Lee Jong Suk , Park Young Lip , Lee Sang Hoon , Kim Jung Eun
Published: September 2019

Background

Helicobacter pylori(HP) infection is considered to play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). However, the efficacy of HP eradication therapy on CSU symptom improvement has not been well established. This meta‐analysis was conducted to estimate the association between HP infection and CSU and to evaluate whether HP eradication therapy benefits patients with CSU.

Material and Methods

In October 2018, we searched databases for studies investigating the efficacy of HP eradication therapy for patients with CSU. Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random effects models.

Results

The meta‐analysis included 22 studies with a total of 1385 patients with CSU. When comparing the spontaneous remission of urticarial symptom in patients with HP‐positive to HP‐negative patients, HP‐negative patients showed significantly higher spontaneous remission of urticarial symptoms. (risk ratio 0.39; 95% confidence interval: 0.19‐0.81). Among HP‐positive CSU patients, remission of CSU was more likely shown in HP eradication therapy group compared to untreated group, aside from achieving HP elimination (risk ratio 2.10; 95% confidence interval: 1.20‐3.68). However, there was no significant difference in the remission of CSU whether antibiotic therapy was successful in eradication of HP or not (risk ratio 1.00; 95% confidence interval: 0.65‐1.54).

Conclusions

The results of this meta‐analysis show that HP might be associated with the occurrence and persistence of CSU. The effectiveness of HP eradication therapy in suppressing CSU symptoms was significant. Interestingly, we found that resolution of CSU was not associated with successful eradication of HP infection. CSU Patients who were undergone antibiotic therapy for HP eradication showed significant higher CSU remission with or without HP eradication. Further studies are recommended to evaluate the mechanisms associated with relation of HP with CSU.