bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural statistics of head roll: implications for Bayesian inference in spatial orientation
Authors: Willemsen Sophie C.M.J. , Wijdenes Leonie Oostwoud , van Beers Robert J. , Koppen Mathieu , Medendorp W. Pieter
Published: September 2022

We previously proposed a Bayesian model of multisensory integration in spatial orientation (1). Using a Gaussian prior, centered on an upright head orientation, this model could explain various perceptual observations in roll-tilted participants, such as the subjective visual vertical, the subjective body tilt (1), the rod-and-frame effect (2), as well as their clinical (3) and age-related deficits (4). Because it is generally assumed that the prior reflects an accumulated history of previous head orientations, and recent work on natural head motion suggests non-Gaussian statistics, we examined how the model would perform with a non-Gaussian prior. In the present study, we first experimentally generalized the previous observations in showing that also the natural statistics of head orientation are characterized by long tails, best quantified as a t-location-scale distribution. Next, we compared the performance of the Bayesian model and various model variants using such a t-distributed prior to the original model with the Gaussian prior on their accounts of previously published data of the subjective visual vertical and subjective body tilt tasks. All of these variants performed substantially worse than the original model, suggesting a special value of the Gaussian prior. We provide computational and neurophysiological reasons for the implementation of such a prior, in terms of its associated precision–accuracy trade-off in vertical perception across the tilt range.

New & Noteworthy

It has been argued that the brain uses Bayesian computations to process multiple sensory cues in vertical perception, including a prior centered on upright head orientation which is usually taken to be Gaussian. Here, we show that non-Gaussian prior distributions, although more akin to the statistics of head orientation during natural activities, provide a much worse explanation of such perceptual observations than a Gaussian prior.
Molecular determinants of dynamic protein-protein interactions in the functional cycle of the membrane protein DsbD
Authors: Stelzl Lukas S. , Kritsiligkou Paraskevi , Mehdipour Ahmad Reza , Baldwin Andrew J. , Ferguson Stuart J. , Mavridou Despoina A. I. , Sansom Mark S. P. , Redfield Christina
Published: September 2022

Molecular recognition is of central importance in biology. The molecular determinants shaping recognition of one protein domain by another are incompletely understood, especially in the context of the complex function of molecular machines. Here, we combine NMR experiments and molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the determinants of recognition of the C-terminal (cDsbD) domain of the transmembrane reductant conductor DsbD by its cognate partner, the N-terminal domain of the protein (nDsbD). As part of the natural cycle of this oxidoreductase, which effectively transfers electrons from the cytoplasm to the periplasm of Gram-negative bacteria, cDsbD and nDsbD toggle between oxidised and reduced states, something that modulates the affinity of the domains for each other and prevents otherwise unproductive reactions. We find that the redox state of cDsbD determines the dissociation rate of cDsbD-nDsbD complexes. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate how the redox-state of the active site determines the stability of inter-domain hydrogen bonds and thus the dissociation rate. AlphaFold modelling and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of full-length DsbD in a realistic bacterial membrane again highlights the close proximity of the periplasmic domains and the importance of tuning the strength of the interactions of the periplasmic domains to enable electron transfer to cognate periplasmic partners such as CcmG. Our AlphaFold models are consistent with in vivo functional assays of DsbD mutants, which together help to reveal for the first-time a putative binding site for thioredoxin on the cytoplasmic side of DsbD.
Successfully treating biofilms of extensively drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from hospital patients with N-Acetyl Cysteine
Authors: Bhowmik Ankurita , Chakraborty Sambuddha , Rohit Anusha , Chauhan Ashwini
Published: September 2022

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the leading causes of community and nosocomial infections. Reduced treatment options against extensively drug resistant (XDR) - K. pneumoniae, is a serious concern in hospital settings, and hence, WHO has categorized it as a “critical priority pathogen”. Biofilm forming ability is a common virulence mechanism amongst K. pneumoniae that is associated with antibiotic tolerance up to 1000X MIC and hence, are difficult to treat. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is an FDA approved mucolytic drug used to treat acetaminophen-associated toxicity and obstructive pulmonary diseases. In this study, we assessed NAC’s antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against clinical isolates of XDR K. pneumoniae, obtained from Madras Medical Mission Hospital, India. To assess the biofilm eradication ability of NAC, we grew biofilms in 96 well plates and treated the mature biofilms with different concentrations of NAC. We observed that the biofilms of only 3 isolates of XDR K. pneumoniae could be eradicated at a concentration as low as 20mg/ml. Although increasing the concentration of NAC to 80mg/mL could significantly reduce the biofilms of all the isolates up to 4-5 Log, NAC at a concentration of 100 mg/mL successfully eradicated the mature biofilms of all the isolates of XDR K. pneumoniae. This in vitro study demonstrates the potential of NAC as an efficient agent against the biofilms of clinical isolates of XDR-K. pneumoniae and thus, provides a promising alternative to antibiotics.
A CDKN2C retroduplication in Bowhead whales is associated with the evolution of extremely long lifespans and alerted cell cycle dynamics
Authors: Vazquez Juan M. , Kraft Morgan , Lynch Vincent J.
Published: September 2022

Among the constraints on the evolution of remarkably long lifespans is an increased risk of developing cancer because organisms with long lifespans have more time to accumulate cancer-causing mutations than organisms with shorter lifespans. Indeed, while there is a strong correlation between lifespan and cancer risk within species, there is no correlation between maximum lifespan and cancer risk across species (‘Peto’s Paradox’). Here we use evolutionary genomics and comparative experimental biology to explore the mechanisms by which Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus), which can live at least 211 years, evolved their extremely long lifespans. We found that the Bowhead whale genome encodes a species-specific retroduplicated CDKN2C (p18INK4C) gene (CDKN2CRTG). The CDKN2CRTG gene is embedded within a Cetacean-specific LINE L1 element, and is highly expressed in Bowhead whale tissues likely because it coopted an L1 promoter to drive constitutive expression. Furthermore we use a series of gain of function experiments to show how the duplicate CDKN2CRTG gene may influence cellular phenotypes such as cell cycle progression and DNA damage repair in ways that are beneficial for aging and cancer resistance. Remarkably, Bowhead and Right whales only diverged ~4-5 million years ago, suggesting the long lifespan of Bowheads may have evolved relatively recently and coincident with the origin of CDKN2CRTG.

Abstract Figure
Cell overgrowth during G1 arrest triggers an osmotic stress response and chronic p38 activation to promote cell cycle exit
Authors: Crozier Lisa , Foy Reece , Adib Rozita , Badonyi Mihaly , Kar Ananya , Holt Jordan A. , Wilson Rona , Regnault Clement , Whitfield Phil , Marsh Joseph A. , Saurin Adrian , Barr Alexis R. , Ly Tony
Published: September 2022

Cell size and the cell cycle are intrinsically coupled and abnormal increases in cell size are associated with senescence. The mechanism by which overgrowth primes cells to exit the cell cycle remains unclear. We investigate this using CDK4/6 inhibitors that arrest cell cycle progression in G0/G1 and are used to treat ER+/HER2-metastatic breast cancer. We demonstrate that long-term CDK4/6 inhibition promotes cellular overgrowth during the G0/G1 arrest, causing widespread proteome remodeling and p38-p53-p21-dependent cell cycle exit. Cell cycle exit is triggered by two waves of p21 induction. First, overgrowth during a G0/G1 arrest induces an osmotic stress response, producing the first wave of p21 induction. Second, when CDK4/6 inhibitors are removed, a fraction of cells escape G0/G1 arrest and enter S-phase where overgrowth-driven replication stress results in a second wave of p21 induction that causes cell cycle withdrawal from G2, or the subsequent G1. This could explain why cellular hypertrophy is associated with senescence and why CDK4/6 inhibitors have long-lasting anti-proliferative effects in patients.
Syntheses and crystal structures of the ethanol, acetonitrile and diethyl ether Werner clathrates bis(isothiocyanato-κN)tetrakis(3-methylpyridine-κN)nickel(II)
Authors: Krebs Christoph , Jess Inke , Näther Christian
Published: September 2022

The reaction of nickel(II)thiocyanate with 3-methylpyridine (3-picoline; C6H7N) in different solvents leads to the formation of crystals of bis(isothiocyanato-κN)tetrakis(3-methylpyridine-κN)nickel(II) as the ethanol disolvate, [Ni(NCS)2(C6H7N)4]·2C2H5OH (1), the acetonitrile disolvate, [Ni(NCS)2(C6H7N)4]·2CH3CN (2), and the diethyl ether monosolvate, [Ni(NCS)2(C6H7N)4]·C4H10O (3). The crystal structures of these compounds consist of NiII cations coordinated by two N-bonded thiocyanate anions and four 3-methylpyridine ligands to generate NiN6 octahedra with the thiocyanate groups in a trans orientation. In compounds 1 and 2 these complexes are located on centers of inversion, whereas in compound 3, they occupy general positions. In the crystal structures, the complexes are packed in such a way that cavities are formed in which the solvent molecules are located. Compounds 1 and 2 are isotypic, which is not the case for compound 3. In compounds 1 and 2 the solvate molecules are disordered, whereas they are fully ordered in compound 3. Disorder is also observed for one of the 3-methylpyridine ligands in compound 2. Powder X-ray diffraction and IR measurements show that at room temperature all compounds decompose almost immediately into the same phase, as a result of the loss of the solvent molecules.
Decisive factors for decision-making to achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects
Authors: Osuizugbo Innocent Chigozie , Adenuga Olumide Afolarin
Published: September 2022

Purpose

This study aimed at determining the decisive factors for achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire survey of principal stakeholders involved in construction project delivery within client, consulting and contracting organisations in Nigeria were conducted to assess stakeholders' perspectives on the decisive factors for achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects using importance weights. A total of 243 questionnaires were distributed and a response rate of 51% (123 questionnaires were adequately filled and returned) was achieved. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilised in analysing elicited data.

Findings

The results from data analysis showed that “satisfaction – including workforce satisfaction and user satisfaction”, “value for money” and “creating a healthy, nontoxic environment – including high indoor air quality” were the top most three decisive factors for achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects in Nigeria.

Originality/value

An understanding of these decisive factors can help principal stakeholders in the construction industry of developing countries to facilitate the development of methods required in supporting the adoption of sustainable procurement practice.
Impact of spirituality on the conspicuous consumption of fashion consumers of generation Z: moderating role of dispositional positive emotions
Authors: Varma Indrila Goswami , Chanana Bhawana , Lavuri Rambabu , Kaur Jaspreet
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The unprecedented pandemic of COVID-19 is not a typical crisis. This crisis has irrevocably altered human behavior, most notably consumption behavior. The uncertainty caused due to economic insecurity and fears of death have resulted in a paradigm shift away from consumer materialism and toward consumer spiritualism. The present study examines the effect of various dimensions of “spirituality” on consumers’ conspicuous consumption of fashion. The study employs a descriptive empirical research design to determine the impact of multiple dimensions of spirituality on the conspicuous consumption of Generation Z in India. These dimensions include General spirituality belief, Global personal spirituality and reincarnation spirituality. Additionally, the moderating effect of dispositional positive emotion on the relationships mentioned above has been investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were accumulated through purposive sampling from 517 Generation Z consumers and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Reincarnation, general personal and global personal spirituality had a direct positive impact on conspicuous consumption of fashion. Dispositional positive emotion had a positive moderation effect between the reincarnation, general personal and global personal spirituality and conspicuous consumption.

Originality/value

The study will assist fashion brands and retailers in better understanding consumer behavior and associated opportunities and threats post COVID-19. For merchants and business owners in emerging countries, this study will help them to apply new techniques for keeping customers. It is useful to evaluate a shopper’s views towards spirituality, disposition and conspicuous consumption.
What are the factors that influence the adaptive market? An empirical study with wheelchair users in Hong Kong
Authors: Feng Qilong , Hui Patrick Chi-leung
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the determinant factors of the adaptive clothing market for disabled customers and to identify the influential elements in the fashion industry, with the aim of establishing the influential factors that drive the adaptive apparel business in the local market. The study developed a path model of relationships incorporating the disabled consumer background, consumer purchase intention and demand and elements of the fashion industry. This model can be used as a reference for fashion practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach was adopted for this empirical study. A survey was designed to investigate the connections between the consumer-related and industry-related variables. A set of measurements was developed and validated for the survey. The data were collected from a sample of 175 local wheelchair users, with a response rate of approximately 6.6 per cent. The data were analysed using SmartPLS, and structural equation model analysis was applied to identify the relationships between the variables.

Findings

The results of this study demonstrated that consumer purchase intention for adaptive apparel was affected closely by environmental factors, and consumer demand was significantly related to industry aspects including the product complexity and the business operations along with all elements of the industrial practice. The findings also revealed that the disability level was related to the users' purchase intentions, but the financial capability of the disabled consumers did not affect the intention to purchase adaptive clothes products. These results could suggest that economic issues are not the consumer's prior concern when purchasing apparel, but rather the disability condition. Those who demand adaptive apparel require advanced performance levels of product design, technology application and service.

Originality/value

The study originated from the situation that the Hong Kong fashion market lacks an adaptive market specifically for the minority group of disabled consumers. Why such a niche market has not been developed is unclear to the practitioners. It is necessary to investigate from both consumer-related and industry-related factors. Specifically, the research explored the consumer background and industry elements to identify the factors that influence disabled consumers to purchase apparel, in order to inform fashion practitioners who are interested in the niche market of disabled consumers in Hong Kong. It is anticipated that the determinants of adaptive market development can be extended to wider areas of the Chinese or other Asian markets.
Corporate governance and investment decisions of retail investors in equity: do group affiliation and firm age matter?
Authors: Chakraborty Dipanwita , Gupta Neeraj , Mahakud Jitendra , Tiwari Manoj Kumar
Published: September 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of corporate governance (CG) on the shareholding level of retail investors in Indian listed firms.

Design/methodology/approach

Primarily, a broad CG-index was constructed based on the Indian Companies Act, 2013; Clause 49 listing agreement; and Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956. Thereafter, a panel data approach has been used to examine the association between CG attributes and retail shareholdings (RSs) during 2014–2015 and 2018–2019.

Findings

Authors find that the firm-level CG quality positively affects retail investors’ shareholding level. The results explain that among various attributes of CG, retail investors pay more attention to firms’ audit and board information while making investment decisions. The results also reveal that the influence of CG attributes on RSs is lesser for group-affiliated, mature and large-sized firms than for stand-alone, young and small-sized firms.

Practical implications

First, the study provides new insight to the firms for increasing retail-shareholding levels and complying with India’s ongoing minimum public shareholding norms by improving CG practices concerning specific CG mechanisms. Second, it illuminates the regulators and policymakers to monitor and strengthen firms’ governance quality in light of ongoing regulatory reforms.

Originality/value

This study is a new investigation that explores the impact of CG on investment decisions of retail investors from the perspective of an emerging economy.
Complex plant quality—microbiota–population interactions modulate the response of a specialist herbivore to the defence of its host plant
Authors: Minard Guillaume , Kahilainen Aapo , Biere Arjen , Pakkanen Hannu , Mappes Johanna , Saastamoinen Marjo
Published: September 2022

Many specialist herbivores have evolved strategies to cope with plant defences, with gut microbiota potentially participating to such adaptations.

In this study, we assessed whether the history of plant use (population origin) and microbiota may interact with plant defence adaptation.

We tested whether microbiota enhance the performance of Melitaea cinxia larvae on their host plant, Plantago lanceolata and increase their ability to cope the defensive compounds, iridoid glycosides (IGs).

The gut microbiota were significantly affected by both larval population origin and host plant IG level. Contrary to our prediction, impoverishing the microbiota with antibiotic treatment did not reduce larval performance.

As expected for this specialized insect herbivore, sequestration of one of IGs was higher in larvae fed with plants producing higher concentration of IGs. These larvae also showed metabolic signature of intoxication (i.e. decrease in Lysine levels). However, intoxication on highly defended plants was only observed when larvae with a history of poorly defended plants were simultaneously treated with antibiotics.

Our results suggest that both adaptation and microbiota contribute to the metabolic response of herbivores to plant defence though complex interactions.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Coloniality on a Virtual Plate: Contemporary Mexican Foodways as (Counter)Visuality
Authors: Wolff Lesley A.
Published: September 2022

This article seeks to reframe the stakes of current discourses at the intersection of Mexican cooking and modernist gastronomy. Through a decolonial approach to gender and visuality, (counter)visuality, this article demonstrates how and to what extent ‘modern’ and ‘traditional’ Mexican cookery co‐constitute and valorise one another, and how gendered expressions of culinary stewardship have become underscored by the persistent imaginary of the ‘cocinera tradicional’ [traditional female cook]. The article centres on the mutual dependency of two case studies: renowned Mexican chef Enrique Olvera and the popular YouTube channel host of ‘De mi rancho a tu cocina’, Doña Ángela.
Comparative analysis of genomic inbreeding parameters and runs of homozygosity islands in several fancy and meat rabbit breeds
Authors: Ballan Mohamad , Schiavo Giuseppina , Bovo Samuele , Schiavitto Michele , Negrini Riccardo , Frabetti Andrea , Fornasini Daniela , Fontanesi Luca
Published: September 2022

Runs of homozygosity (ROH) are defined as long stretches of DNA homozygous at each polymorphic position. The proportion of genome covered by ROH and their length are indicators of the level and origin of inbreeding. In this study, we analysed SNP chip datasets (obtained using the Axiom OrcunSNP Array) of a total of 702 rabbits from 12 fancy breeds and four meat breeds to identify ROH with different approaches and calculate several genomic inbreeding parameters. The highest average number of ROH per animal was detected in Belgian Hare (~150) and the lowest in Italian Silver (~106). The average length of ROH ranged from 4.001 ± 0.556 Mb in Italian White to 6.268 ± 1.355 Mb in Ermine. The same two breeds had the lowest (427.9 ± 86.4 Mb, Italian White) and the highest (921.3 ± 179.8 Mb, Ermine) average values of the sum of all ROH segments. More fancy breeds had a higher level of genomic inbreeding (as defined by ROH) than meat breeds. Several ROH islands contain genes involved in body size, body length, pigmentation processes, carcass traits, growth, and reproduction traits (e.g.: AOX1, GPX5, IFRD1, ITGB8, NELL1, NR3C1, OCA2, TRIB1, TRIB2). Genomic inbreeding parameters can be useful to overcome the lack of information in the management of rabbit genetic resources. ROH provided information to understand, to some extent, the genetic history of rabbit breeds and to identify signatures of selection in the rabbit genome.
Combination treatment of bilateral periocular sebaceous carcinomas with microsatellite instability with neoadjuvant pembrolizumab and Mohs surgery
Authors: Woods Alexander D. , Grushchak Solomiya , Williams Kenya M. , Tan Alan , Krunic Aleksandar L.
Published: September 2022

This case highlights the successful use of pembrolizumab for neoadjuvant treatment of MMR‐deficient sebaceous carcinoma of bilateral eyelids to reduce tumour burden allowing smaller defect post‐Mohs surgery and better reconstructive outcome. Microsatellite stability, tumour mutational burden and PD‐L1 expression are important prognostic factors to be considered for the use of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab. Further studies are needed to determine if neoadjuvant pembrolizumab consistently improves surgical and cosmetic outcomes and reduces local recurrence and metastasis.
Political Phantasies: Aristotle on Imagination and Collective Action
Authors: Schwartz Avshalom M.
Published: September 2022

This article provides a new account of the role of phantasia, imagination, in Aristotle's political thought. Phantasia plays a key role in Aristotle's psychology and is crucial for explaining any kind of movement and action. I argue that this insight holds for collective actions as well. By offering a reconsideration of the famous “Wisdom of the Multitude” passage, this article shows that the capacity of a multitude to act together is tied to its ability to share a collective phantasma: a mental representation of the practical end or goal of their collective effort as good and thus worthy of pursuit. However, I argue that given the subjective nature of phantasia, acting together can be hard. I conclude that since one's phantasia is shaped by one's moral character, a community can achieve a shared phantasma—and thus secure collective action—by means of persuasion, habituation, and education.
Managerial firms’ profitability, unions, and environmental taxes
Authors: Buccella Domenico , Fanti Luciano , Gori Luca
Published: September 2022

This article examines how determining an optimal environmental tax in a Cournot duopoly with unionized labour markets and managerial firms departing from the strict profit‐maximization. It is shown that firm‐specific monopoly unions that set wages (1) reduce both the environmental tax and environmental damage and (2) counterintuitively, increase firms’ profitability when the abatement technology is not too “efficient”, and the public evaluation of environmental quality is sufficiently high. Within this framework, the work also develops the endogenous game played by firms that must choose between sales delegation (SD) and profit‐maximization. Results show that the SD contract always emerges as the unique, deadlock sub‐game perfect Nash equilibrium, thereby solving the (prisoner's) dilemma emerging in the related existing literature assuming a competitive labour market.
Suspected chlamydial foetal loss highlights the need for standardised on‐farm protocols
Authors: Anstey SI , Jenkins C , Jelocnik M
Published: September 2022

Chlamydia psittaci is a recognised cause of late‐term equine foetal loss and poses a zoonotic risk in Australia. However, a management strategy is lacking to protect at‐risk humans handling infected aborted material and pregnant mares. This study proposes a protocol for approaching C. psittaci foetal loss after investigating four foetal losses that occurred on a horse stud in the Hunter Valley, Australia in 2021. Swabs from the foetal loss cases (n = 4), close contact mares (n = 59), and foals of the close contact mares (n = 33) were collected and tested for C. psittaci using both isothermal points of care and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) laboratory‐based testing. Genotyping was performed utilising C. psittaci multilocus sequence typing and ompA sequencing from C. psittaci positive pooled foetal and placental (n = 3) DNA. Foetal and placental samples from the four foetal loss cases were all positive for C. psittaci with 100% agreement between the isothermal swab testing on the farm and qPCR DNA testing at an external laboratory. Genotyping revealed the clonal and identical sequence type 24 (ST24) C. psittaci strains in all samples. C. psittaci was not detected in close contact with mares or their foals. There was no statistically significant difference in foal survival between the close contact mare groups that did and did not receive antimicrobial intervention (P > 0.05). The proposed protocol is intended to raise awareness and begin a discussion for guidelines around handling of chlamydial foetal loss cases in late pregnant mares which pose a zoonotic threat to farm workers and veterinarians.
Creativity: A Conscious Imaginative Approach
Authors: Beazley Anoushka
Published: September 2022

This paper explores psychoanalytic definitions of creativity and presents a creatively relational approach working with clients presenting with cultural issues and illustrates this with a clinical example. The author explores her personal and historical contribution to the countertransferential elements of this article using the autobiographical and ethnographical to examine the emergence of and dependence on creativity. Linking the arts and psychoanalysis, she elucidates the relationship between what is personal and what is political and asks the audience as they read to keep considering what might be personal for them. She reviews concepts of Winnicott and Klein's creative in psychological terms; that of an active demonstration of the ego being different from the creative as the production of an object, the commonality being the creation of a new stimulus. She considers a case example from a socio‐genetic perspective to demonstrate the creative as a response to trauma. Holding the view that an urgent need and therapeutic responsibility exists for new creative measures she concludes that it is in the articulation of the therapist's unconscious psychic reality where the potential lies to actively acknowledge and avoid the deepening of existing societal fissures.
Prevalence and risk factors of epiretinal membrane: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII (2017–2018)
Authors: Kim Jun Sik , Kim Min , Kim Sun Woong
Published: September 2022

Background

To determine the prevalence and risk factors of epiretinal membrane (ERM) utilising spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT).

Methods

We investigated data from the 2017 to 2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Individuals aged ≥40 years with readable fundus photographs and SD‐OCT results were included. ERM was diagnosed by fundus photography and OCT. The following data was collected: demographics, health interview, health examination, and nutritional survey results. The prevalence of ERM was estimated and risk factors for ERM were analysed.

Results

A total of 6807 participants were finally included. Adjusted prevalence of ERM was 7.0% (95% confidence interval, 6.3%–7.8%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age ≥ 50 years (p < 0.001 for all age groups), history of cataract surgery (p < 0.001), well‐controlled hypertension (p = 0.006), and diabetic retinopathy (p = 0.041) were risk factors for ERM.

Conclusions

The estimated prevalence of ERM was 7.0%, which was higher than that of previous reports using fundus photography only in an East Asian population. Possible risk factors for ERM were older age, history of cataract surgery, hypertension, and diabetic retinopathy.
Understanding the drivers of expert opinion when classifying species as extinct
Authors: Roberts David L. , Hinsley Amy , Fiennes Sicily , Veríssimo Diogo
Published: September 2022

The criteria as laid out by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List are the gold standard by which the extinction risk of a species is assessed and where appropriate biological extinctions are declared. However, unlike all other categories, the category of extinct lacks a quantitative framework for assigning this category. Given its subjective nature, we surveyed expert assessors working on a diversity of taxa to explore the attributes they used to declare a species extinct. Using a choice experiment approach, we surveyed 674 experts from the IUCN Species Survival Commission specialist groups and taskforces. Data availability, time from the last sighting, detectability, habitat availability, and population decline were all important attributes favored by assessors when inferring extinction. Respondents with red‐listing experience assigned more importance to the attributes data availability, time from the last sighting, and detectability when considering a species extinction, whereas those respondents working with well‐known taxa gave more importance to the time from the last sighting. Respondents with no red‐listing experience and those working with more well‐known taxa (i.e., mammals and birds) were overall less likely to consider species extinct. Our findings on the importance assessors place on attributes used to declare a species extinct provide a basis for informing the development of specific criteria for more accurately assessing species extinctions.
Learning to generalize seizure forecasts
Authors: Leguia Marc G. , Rao Vikram R. , Tcheng Thomas K. , Duun‐Henriksen Jonas , Kjær Troels W. , Proix Timothée , Baud Maxime O.
Published: September 2022

Objective

Epilepsy is characterized by spontaneous seizures that recur at unexpected times. Nonetheless, using years‐long electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, we previously found that patient‐reported seizures consistently occur when interictal epileptiform activity (IEA) cyclically builds up over days. This multidien (multiday) interictal–ictal relationship, which is shared across patients, may bear phasic information for forecasting seizures, even if individual patterns of seizure timing are unknown. To test this rigorously in a large retrospective dataset, we pretrained algorithms on data recorded from a group of patients, and forecasted seizures in other, previously unseen patients.

Methods

We used retrospective long‐term data from participants (N = 159) in the RNS System clinical trials, including intracranial EEG recordings (icEEG), and from two participants in the UNEEG Medical clinical trial of a subscalp EEG system (sqEEG). Based on IEA detections, we extracted instantaneous multidien phases and trained generalized linear models (GLMs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to forecast the probability of seizure occurrence at a 24‐h horizon.

Results

With GLMs and RNNs, seizures could be forecasted above chance in 79% and 81% of previously unseen subjects with a median discrimination of area under the curve (AUC) = .70 and .69 and median Brier skill score (BSS) = .07 and .08. In direct comparison, individualized models had similar median performance (AUC = .67, BSS = .08), but for fewer subjects (60%). Moreover, calibration of pretrained models could be maintained to accommodate different seizure rates across subjects.

Significance

Our findings suggest that seizure forecasting based on multidien cycles of IEA can generalize across patients, and may drastically reduce the amount of data needed to issue forecasts for individuals who recently started collecting chronic EEG data. In addition, we show that this generalization is independent of the method used to record seizures (patient‐reported vs. electrographic) or IEA (icEEG vs. sqEEG).
The longitudinal effect of oxcarbazepine on thyroid function in children and adolescents with epilepsy
Authors: Park Hyunju , Heo Jung , Kim Min‐Ji , Lee Jee‐Hun , Kim Min‐Sun , Jin Dong‐Kyu , Kim Tae Hyuk , Chung Jae Hoon , Cho Sung Yoon , Kim Sun Wook
Published: September 2022

Objective

Thyroid hormone abnormalities have been linked to antiseizure medications (ASMs). Oxcarbazepine is considered safer than carbamazepine because it induces the hepatic cytochrome P450 metabolic enzymes less than the carbamazepine does. However, limited data exist for the influence of oxcarbazepine on thyroid function in children and adolescents. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of oxcarbazepine on thyroid function in these patients.

Methods

A total of 162 pediatric patients with epilepsy who started oxcarbazepine for the first time between April 2003 and May 2020 were enrolled. The longitudinal effects of oxcarbazepine for thyroid functions were confirmed using general estimating equations.

Results

Serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and free thyroxine (fT4) levels decreased significantly during 5 years of follow‐up (all p’s < .001). In particular, T3 and fT4 levels were reduced steeply in the first 2 years of oxcarbazepine treatment. There was no significant change in thyroid‐stimulating hormone during oxcarbazepine treatment.

Significance

Serum T3, T4, and fT4 levels decreased significantly during oxcarbazepine use, and this change was maintained during the treatment period. In patients receiving oxcarbazepine, it is recommended that periodic thyroid function testing should be performed, especially within the first 2 years after starting this ASM. Our results indicate that oxcarbazepine‐induced hypothyroidism does not appear to be accompanied by a significant increase in TSH, and consequently might be missed if TSH alone is monitored as a measure of thyroid dysfunction.
The universal imprint of oxygen isotopes can track the origins of seafood
Authors: Martino Jasmin C. , Trueman Clive N. , Mazumder Debashish , Crawford Jagoda , Doubleday Zoë A.
Published: September 2022

Identifying the source of seafood is critical for combatting seafood fraud, but current tools are predominantly developed and applied on a species‐specific basis. This study investigates how multiple marine taxa could be geolocated at global scales by exploiting stable oxygen isotope compositions in carbonate biominerals (δ18Obiomin), where we expect to see universally expressed and predictable spatial variation in δ18Obiomin values across taxa. We constructed global ocean isoscapes of predicted δ18Obiomin values specific to fish (otoliths), cephalopod (statoliths) and shellfish (shells), and a fourth combined “universal” isoscape, and evaluated their capacity to derive δ18Obiomin values among known‐origin samples. High correspondence between isoscape‐predicted δ18Obiomin values and a compiled database of measured, georeferenced values (3954 datapoints encompassing 68 species) indicated that this δ18Obiomin approach works effectively, particularly in regions with highly resolved projections of seawater δ18O composition. When compared to taxon‐specific isoscapes, the universal isoscape demonstrated similar accuracy, indicating exciting potential for universal provenance applications. We tested the universal framework via a case study, using machine‐learning models to identify sample origins amongst regions of divergent (Tropical Asia vs Temperate Australasia) and similar (Temperate Asia vs Temperate Australasia) climates and latitudes. Classification accuracy averaged 75.3% between divergent regions, and 66% between similar regions. When endothermic tuna species were excluded from the analysis, the accuracy between divergent regions increased up to 90% between divergent regions. This study presents the first empirical step towards developing universal chemical markers, which have the potential to support a more inclusive and global approach of validating provenance of seafood.
In situ Raman spectroscopy analysis of local structure in dry gel for zeolite beta synthesis
Authors: Honda Sawao , Matsuda Yuma , Nakashima Kento , Daiko Yusuke , Hashimoto Shinobu , Iwamoto Yuji
Published: September 2022

To investigate faster crystallization of zeolite beta by the dry‐gel conversion method, the local structure of the dry gel before synthesis was quantitatively evaluated using in situ Raman spectroscopy during the drying process. The dry gel prepared from Si and Al sources, and tetraethylammonium hydroxide solution was crystallized after several hours by the dry‐gel conversion method. The conformational change of TEA+ cations was observed during the drying process by the deconvolution of the spectrum, and the conformational change was larger than that during the synthesis process. The rate of conformational change was increased with the drying temperature, and the apparent activation energy was estimated to be 68.2 kJ/mol. The generation and transformation of double three‐membered silicate rings (D3Rs) and 4‐2 type secondary building units (SBUs), which are essential for the crystallization of zeolite beta, were observed during the drying process. The transformation from D3R to 4‐2 SBU in the dry gel during drying process could be confirmed quantitatively by the difference of the time variation for the amounts of these silicate building units estimated by in situ observation.
Cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma following dupilumab use: a systematic review
Authors: Park Ariel , Wong Lulu , Lang Annalise , Kraus Christina , Anderson Nancy , Elsensohn Ashley
Published: September 2022

In recent years, studies have associated dupilumab with unmasking or progression of cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL). The objective of this study was to synthesize reported cases of CTCL in the setting of dupilumab use. Two independent reviewers conducted a systematic review using PubMed and Embase databases. Twelve studies, of 27 total patients, were included. Dupilumab‐associated CTCL was diagnosed on average 7.8 months following dupilumab initiation. Of reports that included body surface area (BSA), 100% had a BSA >50% prior to diagnosis, and the majority of patients were diagnosed at later stages of disease: stage III (4/18) or IV (6/18). Post‐dupilumab biopsies revealed a greater density of cells and a predominant lichenoid pattern, compared to various histologic patterns and less cell density in pre‐dupilumab biopsies. The majority of TCR gene rearrangement studies were equivocal (20%) or negative (60%), posing a potential diagnostic pitfall. Limitations included lack of standardized data collection and reporting and a small number of studies. We suggest that earlier biopsies, three to four months after initiation of dupilumab, may be helpful for earlier recognition of CTCL in patients who are not improving, progressing, or have morphologic changes on dupilumab.
Influenza surveillance systems using traditional and alternative sources of data: A scoping review
Authors: Hammond Aspen , Kim John J. , Sadler Holly , Vandemaele Katelijn
Published: September 2022

Objective

While the World Health Organization's recommendation of syndromic sentinel surveillance for influenza is an efficient method to collect high‐quality data, limitations exist. Aligned with the Research Recommendation 1.1.2 of the WHO Public Health Research Agenda for Influenza—to identify reliable complementary influenza surveillance systems which provide real‐time estimates of influenza activity—we performed a scoping review to map the extent and nature of published literature on the use of non‐traditional sources of syndromic surveillance data for influenza.

Methods

We searched three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) for articles in English, French, and Spanish, published between January 1 2007 and January 28 2022. Studies were included if they directly compared at least one non‐traditional with a traditional influenza surveillance system in terms of correlation in activity or timeliness.

Findings

We retrieved 823 articles of which 57 were included for analysis. Fifteen articles considered electronic health records (EHR), 11 participatory surveillance, 10 online searches and webpage traffic, seven Twitter, five absenteeism, four telephone health lines, three medication sales, two media reporting, and five looked at other miscellaneous sources of data. Several articles considered more than one non‐traditional surveillance method.

Conclusion

We identified eight categories and a miscellaneous group of non‐traditional influenza surveillance systems with varying levels of evidence on timeliness and correlation to traditional surveillance systems. Analyses of EHR and participatory surveillance systems appeared to have the most agreement on timeliness and correlation to traditional systems. Studies suggested non‐traditional surveillance systems as complements rather than replacements to traditional systems.
Phylogeographical breaks and limited connectivity among multiple refugia in a pan‐Antarctic moss species
Authors: Saługa Marta , Ochyra Ryszard , Ronikier Michał
Published: September 2022

Aim

The historical biogeography of the Antarctic terrestrial flora remains poorly studied and understood. Long‐term in situ persistence of mosses was demonstrated but region‐wide phylogeographical patterns and processes which shaped extant ranges remain largely unknown. Based on a circum‐Antarctic phylogeography, we aim to explore the location of glacial refugia, especially the possibility of their existence in the continent, patterns of possible connections between extant discrete populations, local colonisation routes and barriers to gene flow, hence relative importance of connectivity and isolation.

Location

Antarctica, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

Taxon

Syntrichia sarconeurum Ochyra & R.H.Zander (Pottiaceae).

Methods

We used a range‐wide, taxonomically informed sampling and multilocus sequencing of nuclear and chloroplast DNA regions. The temporal evolutionary framework, spatial genetic structure and regional diversification were assessed using phylogenetic reconstruction (maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference), molecular dating, phylogeographical analyses and reconstruction of ancestral areas.

Results

We found a striking genetic structure of the Antarctic Syntrichia sarconeurum populations that deviates from previous reports on mosses. The presence of two allopatric cpDNA haplotypes indicated a long‐term isolation of the continental populations. Nuclear ITS revealed three major lineages with a main genetic break largely consistent with plastid data. Significant phylogeographical structure was further supported by NST/FST comparison, raggedness index and mismatch analyses. Diversification of the Antarctic lineages occurred within the Pleistocene, since about 1.36 Ma.

Main Conclusions

The genetic break genetic break revealed in the phylogeographical structure coincides with the Gressit line, a biogeographical separation area between the biota of the Antarctic Peninsula and the main continental Antarctica. It indicates limited connectivity of populations and suggests that S. sarconeurum has survived in multiple refugia both in the peripheral areas of the Antarctic and within the continent over several glacial periods. Differences in genetic diversity observed between these areas may hypothetically reflect asymmetric changes in reproductive mode in the past.
Population dynamics of Amazonian floodplain forest species support spatial variation on genetic diversity but not range expansions through time
Authors: Thom Gregory , Ribas Camila C. , Schultz Eduardo , Aleixo Alexandre , Miyaki Cristina Y.
Published: September 2022

Aim

The distribution and connectivity of floodplain environments along major Amazonian rivers changed considerably over time following physiographic and climatic events. However, how historical alteration in floodplain habitats affected endemic species' demography and diversification is not fully understood. We tested if historical demographic changes of populations occurring on the floodplains of a major Amazon Basin tributary could be associated with range expansions from upper and middle sections of the river, following the establishment of widespread river‐created environments during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene.

Location

Solimões River, Western Amazon, South America.

Taxon

Myrmoborus lugubris, Thamnophilus cryptoleucus and Myrmotherula assimilis.

Methods

We explored spatial patterns of genetic diversity and connectivity among 13 sampled localities using thousands of UltraConserved Elements. We used a total of 73 individuals of three species with populations restricted to the Solimões River. Range expansions were tested with spatial explicit methods designed to capture variations in allele frequency over space. To test whether the occupation of dynamic habitats could predict spatial patterns of genetic diversity, we quantified habitat preference for the three analysed species by creating a metric of habitat dynamicity over time.

Results

We found considerable variation in the spatial distribution of the genetic diversity between studied taxa rejecting shared population range expansions related to historical regionalized changes in habitat availability. Species with higher levels of specialization to dynamic environments have a more heterogeneous distribution of genetic diversity and reduced levels of gene flow across space.

Main conclusions

The demographic expansions along the Solimões River might be linked to spatially homogeneous oscillation in the distribution of floodplain environments, promoting effective population size changes but not range expansion. Habitat specificity might be a good predictor of population connectivity along the Amazonian floodplains.