bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determining the Method of Sales Forecasting of Cheese Products at PT XYZ
Authors: Sugiarto  , Darmawan M A , Romli M , Safitri R
Published: June 2024

Sales forecasting must be done to meet consumer demand for cheese products. PT XYZ is one of the companies that distributes cheese products and makes forecasts by averaging three months of sales. The average value of the resulting deviations is close to the forecast limit, which is said to be quite good, around 31% -39%. In this project sales forecasting of three cheese products was carried out using the Exponential Smoothing method: Pegel Classification and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA). Both methods are used to compare the value of accuracy between the two methods with the company. One of the two methods with the highest accuracy value will be recommended for forecasting sales to companies. The results of the project show that the two methods on average have a better accuracy value than companies where forecasting using the ARIMA method has a better accuracy value than the Pegel Classification so the ARIMA method is recommended in sales forecasting. The accuracy value of the three products using the ARIMA method is about 6-10% higher than the Pegel Classification.
Effect of Differences Breeds on Performance and Nutrient Digestibility in Etawa Cross Breed and Sapera Goat
Authors: Suci Purwati Catur , Hanim Chusnul , Mira Yusiati Lies , Prasetyo Widyobroto Budi , Muhlisin  , Yuni Suranindyah Yustina
Published: June 2024

This research aims to determine the effect of differences between Etawa Cross Breed and Sapera goat breeds on digestibility and performance. The material used was 30 male goats consisting of 15 Etawa Cross Breed goats and 15 Sapera goats aged 8-12 months with an initial weight of 18.1± 2.75 kg. The feed is 60% forage (pakcong grass) and 40% pollard bran. This study used an independent student t-test research design to compare the parameters of the two breeds of Etawa crossbreed and Sapera goats; treatment consisted of P1 = Etawa crossbreed goats and P2 = Sapera goats. Feed adaptation is carried out for 14 days and collection for seven days. Feed samples, food waste, and feces were taken during the collection period. Based on the research results, the differences between the Etawa Cross Breed and Sapera goat breeds did not have a significant effect on the digestibility of EE, CF, DBWG and feed conversion. Meanwhile, DM, OM, CP, and TDN had a significant effect on digestibility
Microalgae Application in Ruminants Feeds on The Production and Quality of Meat and Milk: A Review
Authors: Amir Azhar , Panjaitan Tanda S.S. , Adinata Yudi , Krishna Noor H. , Zubir  , Tambunan Reny D. , Al Zahra Windi , Prabowo Sigid
Published: June 2024

Research focusing on microalgal as an alternative source of protein and fat in ruminant feed shows a growing trend. Microalgae are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and carotene. Ruminants can digest the cell walls of microalgae, positively affecting their health, growth, metabolism, reproduction, production, and product quality. This paper introduces the latest review of microalgae on ruminant feed and its effect on performance, production, and quality of meat and milk. The results showed that using microalgae does not increase milk production in dairy cows but substitutes protein from corn and soybean meal. Microalgae improves the quality of meat and milk through the changes in fatty acid profiles associated with omega 3, especially DHA and PUFA, which benefit human health. However, some microalgae species reduce palatability, feed consumption, and weight gain. Feeding microalgae to livestock as a supplement or substitute protein for soybean meal protein or other ingredients requires considering the limiting factors of lipid concentration and the economic value of microalgae species.
The effect of concentration and storage time of faloak (Sterculia quadrifida R. Br) bark extract on the ability to inhibit Escherichia coli that cause mastitis
Authors: Purwantiningsih T I , Widyobroto B P , Suranindyah Y Y , Artama W T
Published: June 2024

Mastitis is inflammation that affects the udder of dairy cattle. This inflammation is caused by bacterial infection. One of the bacteria that causes mastitis is Escherichia coli. The use of natural ingredients that are safe and can be used for a long time is highly recommended. Faloak (Sterculia quadrifida R. BR) is a native tree from East Nusa Tenggara which has the potential as a natural antibacterial. The purpose of this research is to determine the concentration and shelf life on the ability to inhibit Escherichia coli. Maceration is the extraction method used in this study, and the solvent used is 96% ethanol. The resulting thick extract was stored in the refrigerator at 5°C. Antibacterial testing with the Kirby Bauer method. The resulting data were analysed with Analysis of Variance Factorial 6x2. There were 12 combinations and 4 replications so that there were 48 experimental units. The results showed that the concentration and shelf life influenced the diameter of the inhibition of Escherichia coli bacteria. Fresh faloak bark extract was better than faloak bark extract was stored for six months. Faloak bark extract concentrations of 30%, 40% and 50% showed were not significantly different. There is no interaction between concentration and shelf life. The extract was stored for 6 months still showed the ability to inhibit Escherichia coli, but its effectiveness decreased by 8.65%.
The Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Helminth Parasites from Beef Cattle on Sumedang Regency, Indonesia
Authors: Ninditya V I , Haryadi F R , Ekawasti F , Prastowo J , Widiyono I , Nurcahyo R W
Published: June 2024

Gastrointestinal parasites are common parasitic agents of cattle across the world, causing both clinical and subclinical parasitism that causes massive financial losses. The aim of this research was to assess the prevalence and risk factors for Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) parasites in cattle in Sumedang Regency, West Java, Indonesia. Between October and November 2022, 105 cattle had been chosen at random. The sex, breed, age, frequent deworming, cleaning frequency, and management system of each beef cattle were recorded. Fecal samples were obtained through rectum from the selected animals and submitted to flotation and sedimentation procedures. Overall, the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminth parasites was 47.62% (95% CI = 0.3791−0.5733). Strongyle-type eggs (STE), Strongyloides spp., Trichuris sp., Moniezia spp., Fasciola sp., and Paramphistomum sp. ova were found. 38.09% of the total samples were positive for Strongyle eggs infection and commonly seen in single infections, followed by Eimeria spp. infection. Mixed infections were found in 25 cattle, with double to multiple parasite infections. As a result, it was determined that beef cattle in Sumedang Regency in Indonesia were infected with a variety of gastrointestinal helminth parasites. Thus, frequent anthelmintic treatment, excellent management techniques, and public education about helminth parasites are critical.
Perceptions of The Local Community on Impacts of Proboscis Monkey Conservation-Based Ecotourism Development at Curiak Island Area
Authors: Hafizh Zuhdi Muhammad , Satya Mastuti Widi Tri , Rezeki Amalia , Romadhoni Surya Putra Ahmad
Published: June 2024

This study was conducted to identify local community perceptions on impacts of proboscis monkey conservation-based ecotourism development in the Curiak Island Area. There were 20 respondents participated in the study. Data were collected through interview to gather information about respondents’ profile and local community perception on socio-cultural and economic impacts of proboscis monkey conservation-based ecotourism development. Data were analysed by using descriptive statistics analysis. The results showed that local community perception on socio-cultural impacts and economic impacts are 4.88 and 4.90 respectively in which are very high category. Therefore, those can be interpreted that the local community perceptions are positive towards the proboscis monkey conservation-based ecotourism development.
Body Weight Performance of Starter Phase in F2 Indonesian Chicken Cross
Authors: Prissia A H , Saraswati Y V , Guntoro B , Erwanto Y , Sasongko H , Wibowo M H , Maharani D
Published: June 2024

The aim of this study is to analyse the body weight performance of F2 crossbred Indonesian chicken. A total of 133 F2 chickens cross resulted from crossing activity of Indonesian local chickens (Kampung Unggul Balitbangtan, Murung Panggang, Merawang) were used in this study. Six crossbred groups used in the study consisted of BS-1 (n = 24), BS-2 (n = 43), BS-3 (n = 21), BS-4 (n = 14), BS-5 (n = 34), and BS-6 (n = 33). The body weight measurement of starter phase for the chickens were conducted on 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks using digital scale. Data in this study were analysed using ANOVA and continued to Duncan’s multiple range test. The results showed that the body weights of all BS chicken groups were significantly different for all weeks observed (P<0,05). BS-3 group had the highest performance in the body weight analyses. The body weight in BS-3 week 0 had the lowest weight of 36.92 g, while at week 6 the body weight reached 583.19 g. Compared to BS-4 which has the lowest weight of 34.80 g, and the highest weight of 455.42 g. In conclusion, BS-3 had the best performance among the groups.
Study of Alkaline Protease in Dehairing Process and Chestnut as Vegetable Tanning Agent
Authors: Asfarina Parameswari Arnieda , Pertiwiningrum Ambar , Erwanto Yuny
Published: June 2024

Leather industry is one of essential industry in Indonesia, However, the production of leather products produce load of pollutions. This study aims to analyze and focuses on the addition of alkaline protease in the dehairing process and chestnut as a vegetable tanning agent in goat skin in an attempt to minimize the usage of chemicals that were detrimental to the environment despite generating good leather quality. In this study, 10 pieces of raw goat skin were used and processed from soaking to basic dyeing process. The analysis of data used One-Way ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) to discover the differences between treatments. Treatments were divided into 4 categories that were : P0: a control treatment (0% alkaline protease+ 3% H2S and 6% limes + 25% mimosa), P1: 1% alkaline protease with 2% H2S and 5% limes + 25% chestnut, P2: 1% alkaline protease with 1% H2S and 4% limes + 30% chestnut, P3: 2% alkaline protease with 1% H2S and 4% limes + 25% chestnut and P4: 2% alkaline protease with 1% H2S and 4% limes + 30% chestnut. The examination tested was the morphological observation by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), tensile strength, elongation, tear strength, and shrinkage temperature. The SEM study indicates the addition of alkaline protease softens the goat skin, nevertheless, there is a non-significant difference between treatments (P>0.05) on tensile strength and elongation strength, however, there is a significant difference (P<0.05) on tear strength and shrinkage temperature. The conclusion is treatment P4 (2% alkaline protease with 1% H2S and 4% limes + 30% chestnut) generates the best result.
The importance of print orientation in numerical modelling of 3D printed structures under impact loading
Authors: Fisher Tom , Kazancı Zafer , Almeida Jr José Humberto S
Published: June 2024

Anisotropy is commonly observed in 3D-printed polymer and composite parts, particularly when manufactured by fused filament fabrication (FFF). This anisotropy can lead to difficulty obtaining accurate material properties during mechanical characterisation. This study establishes a connection between the print parameters used in specimen characterisation and their influence on the accuracy of numerical models for 3D-printed cellular structures under impact. Material properties from only one of the characterisation variants studied, with a parallel infill, accurately represented the force response and physical damage of the experimental samples. In contrast, the default characterisation specimen with a ±45° infill underpredicted the peak force and overpredicted the impact duration, potentially leading to underestimating impact severity. This discrepancy could result in greater damage to a person or structure being protected. It is recommended that the parallel infill pattern be used when characterising materials for use in FFF cellular structures under impact loading to ensure more reliable simulations and improved design of impact-resistant structures.
Statistical-based spatial analysis on urban water management under changing environments: a case study of Hawassa, Ethiopia
Authors: Kassay Abreham Birhane , Tuhar Abraham Woldemichael , Ulsido Mihret Dananto , Godebo Markos Mathewos
Published: June 2024

Hawassa characterizes a typical developing city in Ethiopia, owning to rapid urban growth and demographic trends. The combined effect of climate change and urban expansion is increasing the challenge to the environment and the services it provides. Relating changing environments with urban water management (UWM) is required to build resilience in the urban environment. This research analyzed local climate change and urban growth and linked it to UWM. The historical period 1990–2021 of daily rainfall, temperature variables, four satellite imageries, and DEM were analyzed. Changes in rainfall (annual and daily maximum) and temperature (maximum and minimum) trends are detected and projected to 2051 using a statistical-based model. With geospatial techniques sub-watersheds are delineated, and the urban cover change is quantified. The trend detection result implies an upward trend of annual and daily maximum rainfalls however a significance is insufficient (p > 0.05) to associate it with climate change during the study period. Maximum and minimum temperatures change indicate a positive and significant trend. The forecasting result suggests an increment of both temperatures (0.5 °C–1.5 °C) to the projected period compared to historical scenario. The land cover analysis results show the built-up area changed from 11.6 km2 (7.2%) to 42.5 km2 (26.5%) during the historical period, where the rate varies spatially. The surface runoff increased by 30.7% in the urban watersheds. With a growth rate of 8.9% built-up, the urban area will cover 73.6 km2 (45.9%) for the predicted period. The research finding justifies the potential to reorganize the relationship between the spatial effect of climate change and urban growth on UWM. Considering distinct characteristics of urban watershed, exposure to flooding risk, access to water demand and resilient to climate change have spatial variation. Thus, a local-specific planning approach will support effective UWM and climate adaptation for sustainable city development.
Researchers must address regulatory regimes to scale up adoption of urine diversion systems in the U.S.
Authors: Merck Ashton , Grieger Khara , Crane Lucas , Boyer Treavor
Published: June 2024

Urine diversion (UD) is a system-of-systems that involves source separation of waste to maximize recovery of valuable nutrients, including phosphorus. Recent research shows how UD systems offer valuable ecological benefits and can aid in water conservation efforts, and public perception studies suggest that UD systems are generally viewed positively by end-users and the general public. Nevertheless, adoption and implementation of this promising sustainability solution remains limited in many countries, including the United States (U.S.). In this perspective, we argue that in order to scale up adoption in the U.S., UD researchers and innovators must do more to address regulatory barriers. We draw on insights from political science research on ‘regulatory regimes’ to introduce the array of regulations that apply to UD systems, with a focus on commercial and institutional buildings. We examine regulatory regimes all along the UD system-of-systems, beginning at the point of collection and ending at the point of beneficial reuse. We then propose next steps to address current regulatory challenges that impact adoption, with an emphasis on the importance of stakeholder coordination. Throughout, we argue that law and regulation plays a critical role in shaping adoption of UD technologies because: (1) different regulatory regimes will be important at different points in the system-of-systems, (2) there may be multiple regulatory regimes that apply to a single subsystem, and (3) it is important to consider that legal and regulatory definitions of a technology may not match scientific understanding.
Computational discovery of co-expressed antigens as dual targeting candidates for cancer therapy through bulk, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomics
Authors: Chekalin Evgenii , Paithankar Shreya , Shankar Rama , Xing Jing , Xu Wenfeng , Chen Bin
Published: June 2024

Motivation

Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) that bind to two distinct surface antigens on cancer cells are emerging as an appealing therapeutic strategy in cancer immunotherapy. However, considering the vast number of surface proteins, experimental identification of potential antigen pairs that are selectively expressed in cancer cells and not in normal cells is both costly and time-consuming. Recent studies have utilized large bulk RNA-seq databases to propose bispecific targets for various cancers. However, co-expressed pairs derived from bulk RNA-seq do not necessarily indicate true co-expression of both markers in malignant cells. Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) can circumvent this issue but the issues in low coverage of transcripts impede the large-scale characterization of co-expressed pairs.

Results

We present a computational pipeline for bsAbs target identification which combines the advantages of bulk and scRNA-seq while minimizing the issues associated with using these approaches separately. We select hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a case study to demonstrate the utility of the approach. First, using the bulk RNA-seq samples in the OCTAD database, we identified target pairs that most distinctly differentiate tumor cases from healthy controls. Next, we confirmed our findings on the scRNA-seq database comprising 39 361 healthy cells from vital organs and 18 000 cells from HCC tumors. The top pair was GPC3–MUC13, where both genes are co-expressed on the surface of over 30% of malignant hepatocytes and have very low expression in other cells. Finally, we leveraged the emerging spatial transcriptomic to validate the co-expressed pair in situ.

Availability and implementation

A standalone R package (https://github.com/Bin-Chen-Lab/bsAbsFinder).
Successful Preoperative Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt for Portal Decompression in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Cirrhosis Requiring Surgical Intervention
Authors: Karime Christian , Vattikonda Asrita , Hashash Jana G , Rosser Barry G , Merchea Amit , Stocchi Luca , Farraye Francis A
Published: June 2024

Background

Colorectal surgery in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and cirrhosis has increased morbidity, which may preclude surgery. Preoperative transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is postulated to reduce surgical risk. In this retrospective single-center study, we characterized perioperative outcomes in patients with IBD and cirrhosis who underwent preoperative TIPS.

Methods

We identified patients with IBD and cirrhosis who had undergone preoperative TIPS for portal decompression between 2010 and 2023. All other indications for TIPS led to patient exclusion. Demographic and medical data were collected, including portal pressure measurements. Primary outcome of interest was perioperative outcomes.

Results

Ten patients met the inclusion criteria. The most common surgical indications were dysplasia (50%) and refractory IBD (50%). TIPS was performed at a median of 47 days (IQR 34–80) before surgery, with reduction in portal pressures (22.5 vs. 18.5 mmHg, P < .01) and portosystemic gradient (12.5 vs. 5.5 mmHg, P < .01). Perioperative complications occurred in 80% of patients, including surgical site bleeding (30%), wound dehiscence (10%), systemic infection (30%), liver function elevation (50%), and coagulopathy (50%). No patients required re-operation, with median length of stay being 7 days (IQR 5.5–9.3). The 30-day readmission rate was 40%, most commonly for infection (75%), with 2 patients having intra-abdominal abscesses and 1 patient with concern for bowel ischemia. Ninety-day and one-year survival was 100% and 90%, respectively. Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)-cirrhosis were noted to have higher perioperative morbidity and a 30-day readmission rate.

Conclusions

In patients with IBD and cirrhosis, preoperative TIPS facilitated successful surgical intervention despite heightened risk. Nevertheless, significant complications were noted, in particular for patients with PSC-cirrhosis.
Multiple stressors lead to complex responses in reproductive behaviors in an African cichlid
Authors: Williams Bethany , Pintor Lauren , Gray Suzanne
Published: June 2024

Exposure to multiple environmental stressors is a common occurrence that can affect organisms in predictable or unpredictable ways. Hypoxia and turbidity in aquatic environments are 2 stressors that can affect reproductive behaviors by altering energy availability and the visual environment, respectively. Here we examine the relative effects of population and the rearing environment (oxygen concentration and turbidity) on reproductive behaviors. We reared cichlid fish (the Egyptian mouthbrooder, Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor) from 2 populations (a swamp and river) until sexual maturity, in a full factorial design (hypoxic/normoxic × clear/turbid) and then quantified male competitive and courtship behaviors and female preference under their respective rearing conditions. Overall, we found that the rearing environment was more important than population for determining behavior, indicating there were few heritable differences in reproductive behavior between the 2 populations. Unexpectedly, males in the hypoxic rearing treatment performed more competitive and courtship behaviors. Under turbid conditions, males performed fewer competitive and courtship behaviors. We predicted that females would prefer males from their own population. However, under the hypoxic and turbid combination females from both populations preferred males from the other population. Our results suggest that reproductive behaviors are affected by interactions among male traits, female preferences, and environmental conditions.
Chronic kidney disease and transvenous cardiac implantable electronic device infection—is there an impact on healthcare utilization, costs, disease progression, and mortality?
Authors: Wright David J , Trucco María Emilce , Zhou Jiani , Wolff Claudia , Holbrook Reece , Margetta Jamie , El-Chami Mikhael F
Published: June 2024

Aims

Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) infections are a burden to hospitals and costly for healthcare systems. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases the risk of CIED infections, but its differential impact on healthcare utilization, costs, and outcomes is not known.

Methods and results

This retrospective analysis used de-identified Medicare Fee-for-Service claims to identify patients implanted with a CIED from July 2016 to December 2020. Outcomes were defined as hospital days and costs within 12 months post-implant, post-infection CKD progression, and mortality. Generalized linear models were used to calculate results by CKD and infection status while controlling for other comorbidities, with differences between cohorts representing the incremental effect associated with CKD. A total of 584 543 patients had a CIED implant, of which 26% had CKD and 1.4% had a device infection. The average total days in hospital for infected patients was 23.5 days with CKD vs. 14.5 days (P < 0.001) without. The average cost of infection was $121 756 with CKD vs. $55 366 without (P < 0.001), leading to an incremental cost associated with CKD of $66 390. Infected patients with CKD were more likely to have septicaemia or severe sepsis than those without CKD (11.0 vs. 4.6%, P < 0.001). After infection, CKD patients were more likely to experience CKD progression (hazard ratio 1.26, P < 0.001) and mortality (hazard ratio 1.89, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Cardiac implantable electronic device infection in patients with CKD was associated with more healthcare utilization, higher cost, greater disease progression, and greater mortality compared to patients without CKD.
Does social need fulfillment moderate the association between socioeconomic status and health risk behaviours during pregnancy?
Authors: Weiland Stella , Jansen Danielle E M C , Groen Henk , de Jong Dorien R , Erwich Jan Jaap H M , Berger Marjolein Y , Hoek Annemieke , Peters Lilian L
Published: June 2024

Socioeconomic differences in health risk behaviours during pregnancy may be influenced by social relations. In this study, we aimed to investigate if social need fulfillment moderates the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and health risk behaviours (smoking and/or alcohol consumption) during pregnancy. We used baseline data from the Lifelines Cohort Study merged with data from the Lifelines Reproductive Origin of Adult Health and Disease (ROAHD) cohort. Education level was used to determine SES, categorized into low, middle, and high, with middle SES as the reference category. Social need fulfillment was taken as indicator for social relations and was measured with the validated Social Production Function Instrument for the Level of Well-being scale. The dependent variable was smoking and/or alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association of SES and social need fulfillment with health risk behaviours and to test for effect modification. We included 1107 pregnant women. The results showed that women with a high SES had statistically significantly lower odds of health risk behaviours during pregnancy. The interaction effect between SES and social need fulfillment on health risk behaviours was not statistically significant, indicating that no moderation effect is present. The results indicate that social need fulfillment does not modify the effect of SES on health risk behaviours during pregnancy. However, in literature, social relations are identified as an important influence on health risk behaviours. More research is needed to identify which measure of social relations is the most relevant regarding the association with health risk behaviours.
Medical occupational check-ups during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European Union
Authors: Fošum Matyáš , Štěpánek Ladislav , Ivanová Kateřina , Nakládalová Marie
Published: June 2024

Given the enormous scale of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the healthcare sector, limited human resource capacity, and efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, occupational health protection could not escape changes. The aim was to identify and compare the regulations regarding the provision of medical occupational check-ups (MOCs) during the pandemic in all European Union member states (EU MS). The study employed the Delphi method, involving experts from EU MS to assess MOC regulations between January 2020 and May 2021. Experts were queried regarding the existence and specifics of MOC regulations, particularly for entrance and periodic MOCs at hazardous and non-hazardous workplaces. Out of the 27 EU MS surveyed, 13 EU MS did not regulate MOCs, while 14 EU MS (51.6%) regulated the provision of MOCs. The regulations were changes in the way MOCs were provided, modifications (postponement in time, alternative provision, e.g. using telemedicine or online connection, or replacing the medical certificate of fitness to work based on the MOC with a declaration by the worker), or interruption without compensation, even for hazardous works. The regulations were in effect for different lengths of time and varied in some countries during the study period. The cumulative duration of MOC interruptions in all EU MS during the study period was 137 months (7.5% of the cumulative study period of 1836 months). Given the different approaches to the provision of MOCs in EU MS, it has proved appropriate to develop an optimal unified framework plan for future similar situations.
Testing the radiation cascade in postglacial radiations of whitefish and their parasites: founder events and host ecology drive parasite evolution
Authors: Brabec Jan , Gauthier Jérémy , Selz Oliver M , Knudsen Rune , Bilat Julia , Alvarez Nadir , Seehausen Ole , Feulner Philine G D , Præbel Kim , Blasco-Costa Isabel
Published: June 2024

Reciprocal effects of adaptive radiations on the evolution of interspecific interactions, like parasitism, remain barely explored. We test whether the recent radiations of European whitefish (Coregonus spp.) across and within perialpine and subarctic lakes promote its parasite Proteocephalus fallax (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda) to undergo host repertoire expansion via opportunity and ecological fitting, or adaptive radiation by specialization. Using de novo genomic data, we examined P. fallax differentiation across lakes, within lakes across sympatric host species, and the contributions of host genetics versus host habitat use and trophic preferences. Whitefish intralake radiations prompted parasite host repertoire expansion in all lakes, whereas P. fallax differentiation remains incipient among sympatric fish hosts. Whitefish genetic differentiation per se did not explain the genetic differentiation among its parasite populations, ruling out codivergence with the host. Instead, incipient parasite differentiation was driven by whitefish phenotypic radiation in trophic preferences and habitat use in an arena of parasite opportunity and ecological fitting to utilize resources from emerging hosts. Whilst the whitefish radiation provides a substrate for the parasite to differentiate along the same water-depth ecological axis as Coregonus spp., the role of the intermediate hosts in parasite speciation may be overlooked. Parasite multiple-level ecological fitting to both fish and crustacean intermediate hosts resources may be responsible for parasite population substructure in Coregonus spp. We propose parasites’ delayed arrival was key to the initial burst of postglacial intralake whitefish diversification, followed by opportunistic tapeworm host repertoire expansion and a delayed nonadaptive radiation cascade of incipient tapeworm differentiation. At the geographical scale, dispersal, founder events, and genetic drift following colonization of spatially heterogeneous landscapes drove strong parasite differentiation. We argue that these microevolutionary processes result in the mirroring of host–parasite phylogenies through phylogenetic tracking at macroevolutionary and geographical scales.
Linking the 1940 U.S. Census to the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project: Novel Opportunity to Understand the Effects of Early-Life Residential Environment on Cognitive Aging
Authors: Lee Haena , Warren John Robert , Iveniuk James , Riley Alicia , Hawkley Louise , Hanis-Martin Jen , Choi Kyung Won
Published: June 2024

Objectives

The 1940 Census is a valuable resource for understanding various aspects of historical populations in the United States. Recently, the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project integrated 1940 Census data into its extensive data set, providing researchers with an opportunity to explore new avenues of life course investigation. We leverage the newly introduced measures of childhood residential environment and evaluate their potential predictive utility in older adult cognitive functioning net of childhood and adulthood characteristics known to be key risk factors for poor cognition.

Methods

We analyzed 777 respondents who were children in 1940 (age <17) that have been linked to the 1940 U.S. Census. We used childhood geographic location, homeownership status, household composition, and parental nativity as predictors. Cognitive function was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

Results

Regression analysis showed that growing up in an urban area was associated with better cognitive function, while being born in the South was linked to poorer cognitive function, even after controlling for childhood health, parental education, educational attainment, stroke, and smoking status. Additionally, childhood multigenerational household was associated with better cognitive function, and childhood family size was associated with poorer cognitive function. However, these associations became statistically insignificant with the inclusion of educational attainment. We did not find homeownership and parental nativity to be associated with cognitive function.

Discussion

The findings may shed light on the potential long-term effects of childhood circumstances on cognitive aging processes. Implications for current literature and directions for future research are discussed.
Chemical induction of DNA demethylation by 5-Azacytidine enhances tomato fruit defense against gray mold through dicer-like protein DCL2c
Authors: Chang Xiaorong , Liu Liyao , Liu Ziwei , Qiao Liping , Shi Ruixi , Lu Laifeng
Published: June 2024

Postharvest decay, primarily caused by pathogenic fungi in ripening fruits and fresh vegetables, poses a challenge to agricultural sustainability and results in significant economic losses. The regulation of the fruit ripening by DNA methylation has been well demonstrated, while defense response of fruit underlying epigenetic regulation against postharvest decay remains uncertain. In the present study, treatment of tomato fruits with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Azacytidine (5-Aza) notably decreased their susceptibility to gray mold. Following 5-Aza treatment, we observed a substantial increase in activities of chitinase (CHI) and glucanase (GLU) in tomato fruits, as well as an increase in the expression of the dicer-like SlDCL2 gene family. Suppression of SlDCL2c through double-stranded RNA-induced RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in a decrease in the expression of chitinases CHI3, CHI9, Class V chitinase, and endochitinase 4 by 71%, 29%, 55%, 64%, as well as glucanases Cel1, Cel2, and GluB by 19%, 93%, and 87%, respectively. This was accompanied by decreased activities of resistance-related enzymes, including CHI and GLU. The expression levels of genes phenylalanine ammonia-lyase PAL2, peroxidase POD 12, POD P7, CCR1, CYP84A2, and COMT in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway also decreased by 33%, 53%, 18%, 50%, 30%, and 24% in SlDCL2c-RNAi fruit, resulting in decreased activities of PAL and POD. Consequently, the lesion diameter of gray mold in SlDCL2c-RNAi fruit increased by 55% compared to the control group. Overall, the present study indicated that DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza reduces susceptibility of tomato fruit to gray mold through regulation of DCL2c-mediated inducible defense response.
Regulation of temporal cytokine production by co-stimulation receptors in TCR-T cells is lost in CAR-T cells
Authors: Patel Ashna , Kutuzov Mikhail A , Dustin Michael L , van der Merwe P Anton , Dushek Omer
Published: June 2024

CD8+ T cells contribute to immune responses by producing cytokines when their T-cell receptors (TCRs) recognise peptide antigens on major-histocompability-complex class I. However, excessive cytokine production can be harmful. For example, cytokine release syndrome is a common toxicity observed in treatments that activate T cells, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy. While the engagement of costimulatory receptors is well known to enhance cytokine production, we have limited knowledge of their ability to regulate the kinetics of cytokine production by CAR-T cells. Here we compare early (0–12 h) and late (12–20 h) production of IFN-gg, IL-2, and TNF-a production by T cells stimulated via TCR or CARs in the presence or absence ligands for CD2, LFA-1, CD28, CD27, and 4-1BB. For T cells expressing TCRs and 1st-generation CARs, activation by antigen alone was sufficient to stimulate early cytokine production, while co-stimulation by CD2 and 4-1BB was required to maintain late cytokine production. In contrast, T cells expressing 2nd-generation CARs, which have intrinsic costimulatory signalling motifs, produce high levels of cytokines in both early and late periods in the absence of costimulatory receptor ligands. Losing the requirement for costimulation for sustained cytokine production may contribute to the effectiveness and/or toxicity of 2nd-generation CAR-T-cell therapy.
Coloniality, Race, and Europeanness: Britain’s Borders after Brexit
Authors: Lewicki Aleksandra
Published: June 2024

The scholarship on the politics of immigration often frames governments’ responses to far-right mobilization as a return to border closures and a rowing back on neoliberalism. In this article, I draw on and expand the scholarship on coloniality to address the limitations of this diagnosis. Specifically, I explore the role of political mobilization in the making of the post-Brexit border regime. My research draws on the analysis of legal and policy initiatives between 2020 and 2023 and twenty-three research interviews with individuals who express their opposition to immigration via engagement in think tanks, grassroots organizations and vigilante groups. The interview data indicates multiple connections between these milieus and shows that each engages in action repertoires beyond the nation-state. And while this prompts border closures, the post-Brexit border regime also encodes openings and loopholes for the circulation of financial elites and precariously employed workers. Thus, I argue that state and non-state actors co-produce a neoliberal border regime of stratified rights, partial inclusions, and gradual exclusions. These variegated entitlements draw on and reinvigorate the racial order of coloniality. The post-Brexit immigration regime enables the free mobility of those racialized as “West European,” facilitates disposable labor mobility of those racialized as “Eastern European,” and restricts the movement of those racialized as “non-European.” This racial imaginary does not only operate via binary distinctions of (non)-Britishness but puts people in complex hierarchical relations to “Europeanness.”
Spiritual Fitness and Moral Responsibility in the Contemporary United States Military
Authors: Kellison Rosemary
Published: June 2024

In an effort to increase resilience and decrease moral injury among servicemembers and veterans, the US military has in recent years invested in the promotion of “spiritual fitness” among its members. The military’s definition of spiritual fitness relies heavily on a popular contemporary American conceptualization of spirituality as essentially individual. Military materials strongly imply that spiritually fit servicemembers adopt military values as their own and consequently act in ways that serve the military’s interests. By tying morality so closely to the individual “spirit,” the concept of spiritual fitness serves to locate moral responsibility for harmful acts performed during war within the individual servicemember, obscuring the role that military leadership and the military as an institution play in shaping and constraining servicemembers’ values and actions. This case shows that an ethics-focused approach adds a crucial dimension to religion scholars’ critical analysis of how categories like spirituality are deployed by powerful institutions.
Downregulation of TGF-β1 in fibro-adipogenic progenitors initiates muscle ectopic mineralization
Authors: Li La , Li Dai , Zhu Jingxian , Wang Yiqun , Zhao Feng , Cheng Jin , Tuan Rocky S , Hu Xiaoqing , Ao Yingfang
Published: June 2024

In previous studies, we have demonstrated that stress response-induced high glucocorticoid levels could be the underlying cause of traumatic heterotopic ossification (HO), and we have developed a glucocorticoid-induced ectopic mineralization (EM) mouse model by systemic administration of a high dose of dexamethasone (DEX) to animals with muscle injury induced by cardiotoxin injection. In this model, dystrophic calcification (DC) developed into HO in a cell autonomous manner. However, it is not clear how DC is formed after DEX treatment. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to explore how glucocorticoids initiate muscle EM at a cellular and molecular level. We showed that DEX treatment inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration into injured muscle but inflammatory cytokine production in the muscle was significantly increased, suggesting that other non-inflammatory muscle cell types may regulate the inflammatory response and the muscle repair process. Accompanying this phenotype, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) expression in fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) was greatly downregulated. Since TGF-β1 is a strong immune suppressor and FAP’s regulatory role has a large impact on muscle repair, we hypothesized that downregulation of TGF-β1 in FAPs after DEX treatment resulted in this hyperinflammatory state and subsequent failed muscle repair and EM formation. To test our hypothesis, we utilized a transgenic mouse model to specifically knockout Tgfb1 gene in PDGFRα-positive FAPs to investigate if the transgenic mice could recapitulate the phenotype that was induced by DEX treatment. Our results showed that the transgenic mice completely phenocopied this hyperinflammatory state and spontaneously developed EM following muscle injury. On the contrary, therapeutics that enhanced TGF-β1 signaling in FAPs inhibited the inflammatory response and attenuated muscle EM. In summary, these results indicate that FAPs-derived TGF-β1 is a key molecule in regulating muscle inflammatory response and subsequent EM, and that glucocorticoids exert their effect via downregulating TGF-β1 in FAPs.
Digitally mediated (dis)empowerment paradox in women-led group-buying during the Shanghai COVID lockdown
Authors: Cao Hao , Zhong Yujie
Published: June 2024

Extant scholarship increasingly attends to the mixed—and paradoxical—incorporation of information and communication technologies in social lives. Building on existing research, this study further explicates how digitally mediated (dis)empowerment paradoxes stem from the interactions among unevenly transformed structural affordances and constraints in the political, market, socio-cultural, and technological realms under digitalized contexts. Drawing on ethnographic data on women-led digital group-buying during the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown in Shanghai, China, this study illustrates that the pandemic-inaugurated digitalization paradoxically transformed existing technological constraints into digital resources and techno-skills for women to lead digital group-buying and empower them socio-technologically. Yet these empowerments paradoxically turned into new gender inequalities, as entrenched state and market inequalities compelled female organizers to meet added or dueling burdens. This study, therefore, contributes to understanding the re/configuration and varied interaction patterns of different facets of structural affordances and constraints that condition digitally mediated (dis)empowerment paradoxes under digitalized contexts.
Area-Level Model-Based Small Area Estimation of Divergence Indexes in the Spanish Labour Force Survey
Authors: Cabello Esteban , Morales Domingo , Pérez Agustín
Published: June 2024

This article develops model-based predictors for area-level proportions of employed men and women by occupation sectors and for entropies and divergence indexes (DIs) within and between sex groups. Since the direct estimators of the proportions add up to one in the occupational sections, they are compositions that can be imprecise if the sample sizes are small. We fit a multivariate Fay–Herriot model to logratio transformations of the direct estimators of the proportions. Small area estimators of the proportions, entropies, and DIs are derived from the fitted model and the corresponding mean squared errors are estimated by parametric bootstrap. Several simulation experiments designed to analyze the behavior of the introduced model-based predictors are carried out. We give an application to Spanish Labour Force Survey data from 2022. The target is to investigate the state of sex occupational entropies and divergences in Spanish provinces.
Circulating Libraries and Private Networks: Locating Sources for Mary Hays’s Female Biography, 1795–1803
Authors: Whelan Timothy
Published: June 2024

Some of the 100 sources that Mary Hays used to compile the six volumes of her Female Biography (1803) may have been borrowed from friends and family members or purchased from local bookshops; but to accomplish her mission, Hays needed access to circulating and subscription libraries, as well as a few public libraries, as proliferated in London in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. An examination of the locations, holdings, and subscription lists of a select group of these libraries provides compelling evidence both to the availability of the sources Hays needed for Female Biography and their accessibility to Hays as a single woman. The results of this study reveal the strategic importance of her move to central London and the social, religious, and literary connections she developed as an independent professional writer between 1795 and 1803.
Decisionalizing the problem of reliance on expert and machine evidence
Authors: Biedermann Alex , Lau Timothy
Published: June 2024

This article analyzes and discusses the problem of reliance on expert and machine evidence, including Artificial Intelligence output, from a decision-analytic point of view. Machine evidence is broadly understood here as the result of computational approaches, with or without a human-in-the-loop, applied to the analysis and the assessment of the probative value of forensic traces such as fingermarks. We treat reliance as a personal decision for the factfinder; specifically, we define it as a function of the congruence between expert output in a given case and ground truth, combined with the decision-maker’s preferences among accurate and inaccurate decision outcomes. The originality of this analysis lies in its divergence from mainstream approaches that rely on standard, aggregate performance metrics for expert and AI systems, such as aggregate accuracy rates, as the defining criteria for reliance. Using fingermark analysis as an example, we show that our decision-theoretic criterion for the reliance on expert and machine output has a dual advantage. On the one hand, it focuses on what is really at stake in reliance on such output and, on the other hand, it has the ability to assist the decision-maker with the fundamentally personal problem of deciding to rely. In essence, our account represents a model- and coherence-based analysis of the practical questions and justificatory burden encountered by anyone required to deal with computational output in forensic science contexts. Our account provides a normative decision structure that is a reference point against which intuitive viewpoints regarding reliance can be compared, which complements standard and essentially data-centered assessment criteria. We argue that these considerations, although primarily a theoretical contribution, are fundamental to the discourses on how to use algorithmic output in areas such as fingerprint analysis.