bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Cytokine Secretion from In Vitro Mouse Slow and Fast Limb Muscle
Authors: Mattingly Alex J. , Laitano Orlando , Garcia Christian K. , Robinson Gerard P. , Clanton Thomas L.
Published: November 2021

Skeletal muscles play important roles in innate immunity. However, in vitro, their sensitivity to LPS is low. In other tissues, LPS sensing is facilitated by the presence of plasma, LPS binding protein (LBP), or soluble CD14 (sCD14). This study addressed whether these are critical for LPS sensitivity in skeletal muscle and whether LPS responsiveness is different between slow versus fast muscle. Soleus (SOL) or extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles from adult male C57bl/6 mice were mounted in 1 mL oxygenated baths containing: buffer only; buffer+1% mouse plasma; buffer+1 μg/mL LBP; or buffer+1% plasma from sCD14-/- mice. In each condition, muscles were exposed to LPS from 0 μg/mL to 1.0 μg/mL. Bath samples were collected at 0, 1, and 2 h, and analyzed using cytokine multiplex arrays. In both SOL and EDL the predominant responding cytokines/chemokines were KC(CXCL1), IL-6, and MCP-1(CCL2) and their average responses were amplified by ∼10-fold in the presence of 1% plasma. Overall, SOL and EDL exhibited similar secretory responses in the presence of 1% plasma, with a lower limit of sensitivity to LPS of 0.01 μg/mL. LBP supplementation did not augment secretion; however, 1% plasma from CD14-/- mice suppressed cytokine/chemokine secretion from EDL muscle. In conclusion, intact slow and fast mouse muscles have similar cytokine/chemokine responses to LPS but depend on the presence of low levels of plasma constituents. Though sCD14 plays some role in EDL muscle, neither sCD14 nor LBP can fully account for the strong effects of plasma on LPS sensitivity.
Prehospital predictors for return of spontaneous circulation in traumatic cardiac arrest
Authors: Benhamed Axel , Canon Valentine , Mercier Eric , Heidet Matthieu , Gossiome Amaury , Savary Dominique , El Khoury Carlos , Gueugniaud Pierre-Yves , Hubert Hervé , Tazarourte Karim
Published: November 2021

BACKGROUND

Traumatic cardiac arrests (TCAs) are associated with high mortality and the majority of deaths occur at the prehospital scene. The aim of the present study was to assess, in a prehospital physician-led emergency medical system, the factors associated with sustained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in TCA, including advanced life procedures. The secondary objectives were to assess factors associated with 30-day survival in TCA, evaluate neurological recovery in survivors, and describe the frequency of organ donation among patients experiencing a TCA.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study of all TCA patients included in the French nationwide cardiac arrest registry from July 2011 to November 2020. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors independently associated with ROSC.

RESULTS

A total of 120,045 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests were included in the registry, among which 4,922 TCA were eligible for analysis. Return of spontaneous circulation was sustained on-scene in 21.1% (n = 1,037) patients. Factors significantly associated with sustained ROSC were not-asystolic initial rhythms (pulseless electric activity (odds ratio [OR], 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40–2.35; p < 0.001), shockable rhythm (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.12–2.98; p = 0.016), spontaneous activity (OR, 3.66; 95% CI, 2.70–4.96; p < 0.001), and gasping at the mobile medical team (MMT) arrival (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.02–1.94; p = 0.042). The MMT interventions significantly associated with ROSC were as follows: intravenous fluid resuscitation (OR, 3.19; 95% CI, 2.69–3.78; p < 0.001), packed red cells transfusion (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.84–3.51; p < 0.001), and external hemorrhage control (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.31–2.30; p < 0.001). Among patients who survived (n = 67), neurological outcome at Day 30 was favorable (cerebral performance categories 1–2) in 72.2% cases (n = 39/54) and 1.4% (n = 67/4,855) of deceased patients donated one or more organ.

CONCLUSION

Sustained ROSC was frequently achieved in patients not in asystole at MMT arrival, and higher ROSC rates were achieved in patients benefiting from specific advanced life support interventions. Organ donation was somewhat possible in TCA patients undergoing on-scene resuscitation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic and epidemiologic, Level III.
American Association for the Surgery of Trauma/American College of Surgeons-Committee on Trauma Clinical Protocol for inpatient venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after trauma
Authors: Yorkgitis Brian K. , Berndtson Allison E. , Cross Alisa , Kennedy Ryan , Kochuba Matthew P. , Tignanelli Christopher , Tominaga Gail T. , Jacobs David G. , Marx William H. , Ashley Dennis W. , Ley Eric J. , Napolitano Lena , Costantini Todd W.
Published: November 2021

Trauma patients are at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis is a critical component of optimal trauma care that significantly decreases VTE risk. Optimal VTE prophylaxis protocols must manage the risk of VTE with the competing risk of hemorrhage in patients following significant trauma. Currently, there is variability in VTE prophylaxis protocols across trauma centers. In an attempt to optimize VTE prophylaxis for the injured patient, stakeholders from the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the American College of Surgeons-Committee on Trauma collaborated to develop a group of consensus recommendations as a resource for trauma centers. The primary goal of these recommendations is to help standardize VTE prophylaxis strategies for adult trauma patients (age ≥15 years) across all trauma centers. This clinical protocol has been developed to (1) provide standardized medication dosing for VTE prophylaxis in the injured patient; and (2) promote evidence-based, prompt VTE prophylaxis in common, high-risk traumatic injuries.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic/Care Management; Level V.
sc2MeNetDrug: A computational tool to uncover inter-cell signaling targets and identify relevant drugs based on single cell RNA-seq data
Authors: Feng Jiarui , Goedegebuure S. Peter , Zeng Amanda , Bi Ye , Wang Ting , Payne Philip , Ding Li , DeNardo David , Hawkins William , Fields Ryan C. , Li Fuhai
Published: November 2021

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a powerful technology to investigate the transcriptional programs in stromal, immune, and disease cells, like tumor cells or neurons within the Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) brain or tumor microenvironment (ME) or niche. Cell-cell communications within ME play important roles in disease progression and immunotherapy response and are novel and critical therapeutic targets. Though many tools of scRNA-seq analysis have been developed to investigate the heterogeneity and sub-populations of cells, few were designed for uncovering cell-cell communications of ME and predicting the potentially effective drugs to inhibit the communications. Moreover, the data analysis processes of discovering signaling communication networks and effective drugs using scRNA-seq data are complex and involve a set of critical analysis processes and external supportive data resources, which are difficult for researchers who have no strong computational background and training in scRNA-seq data analysis. To address these challenges, in this study, we developed a novel open-source computational tool, sc2MeNetDrug (https://fuhaililab.github.io/sc2MeNetDrug/). It was specifically designed using scRNA-seq data to identify cell types within disease MEs, uncover the dysfunctional signaling pathways within individual cell types and interactions among different cell types, and predict effective drugs that can potentially disrupt cell-cell signaling communications. sc2MeNetDrug provided a user-friendly graphical user interface to encapsulate the data analysis modules, which can facilitate the scRNA-seq data-based discovery of novel inter-cell signaling communications and novel therapeutic regimens.
Tunable Transcription Factor Library for Robust Quantification of Gene Expression Dynamics in E. coli
Authors: Parisutham Vinuselvi , Chhabra Shivani , Ali Md Zulfikar , Brewster Robert C.
Published: November 2021

Predicting the quantitative regulatory function of a TF based on factors such as binding sequence, binding location and promoter type is not possible. The interconnected nature of gene networks and the difficulty in tuning individual TF concentrations makes the isolated study of TF function challenging. Here we present a library of E. coli strains designed to allow for precise control of the concentration of individual TFs enabling the study of the role of TF concentration on physiology and regulation. We demonstrate the usefulness of this resource by measuring the regulatory function of the zinc responsive TF, ZntR and the paralogous TF pair, GalR/GalS. For ZntR, we find that zinc alters ZntR regulatory function in a way that enables activation of the regulated gene to be robust with respect to ZntR concentration. For GalR and GalS, we are able to demonstrate that these parlogous TFs have fundamentally distinct regulatory roles beyond differences in binding affinity.
Dual roles of mTORC1-dependent activation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in muscle proteostasis
Authors: Kaiser Marco S. , Milan Giulia , Lin Shuo , Oliveri Filippo , Chojnowska Kathrin , Tintignac Lionel A. , Mittal Nitish , Zimmerli Christian E. , Glass David J. , Zavolan Mihaela , Ham Daniel J. , Rüegg Markus A.
Published: November 2021

Muscle size is controlled by the PI3K-PKB/Akt-mTORC1-FoxO pathway, which integrates signals from growth factors, energy and amino acids to activate protein synthesis and inhibit protein breakdown. While mTORC1 activity is necessary for PKB/Akt-induced muscle hypertrophy, its constant activation alone induces muscle atrophy. Here we show that this paradox is based on mTORC1 activity promoting protein breakdown through the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) by simultaneously inducing ubiquitin E3 ligase expression via feedback inhibition of PKB/Akt and proteasome biogenesis via Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Like 1 (Nrf1). Muscle growth was restored by reactivation of PKB/Akt, but not by Nrf1 knockdown, implicating ubiquitination as the limiting step. However, both PKB/Akt activation and proteasome depletion by Nrf1 knockdown led to an immediate disruption of proteome integrity with rapid accumulation of damaged material. These data highlight the physiological importance of mTORC1-mediated PKB/Akt inhibition and point to juxtaposed roles of the UPS in atrophy and proteome integrity.
Repeated translocation of a supergene underlying rapid sex chromosome turnover inTakifugufish
Authors: Kabir Ahammad , Ieda Risa , Hosoya Sho , Fujikawa Daigaku , Atsumi Kazufumi , Tajima Shota , Nozawa Aoi , Hirase Shotaro , Koyama Takashi , Nakamura Osamu , Kadota Mitsutaka , Nishimura Osamu , Kuraku Shigehiro , Nakamura Yasukazu , Kobayashi Hisato , Toyota Atsushi , Tasumi Satoshi , Kikuchi Kiyoshi
Published: November 2021

Recent studies have revealed a surprising diversity of sex chromosomes in vertebrates. However, the detailed mechanism of their turnover is still elusive. To understand this process, it is necessary to compare closely related species in terms of sex-determining genes and the chromosomes harboring them. Here, we explored the genusTakifugu, in which one strong candidate sex-determining gene,Amhr2, has been identified. To trace the processes involved in transitions in the sex determination system in this genus, we studied 12 species and found that while theAmhr2locus likely determines sex in the majority ofTakifuguspecies, three species have acquired sex-determining loci at different chromosomal locations. Nevertheless, the generation of genome assemblies for the three species revealed that they share a portion of the male-specific supergene that contains a candidate sex-determining gene,GsdfY, along with genes that potentially play a role in male fitness. The shared supergene span approximately 100 kb and are flanked by two duplicated regions characterized by CACTA transposable elements. These results suggest that the shared supergene has taken over the role of sex-determining locus fromAmhr2in lineages leading to the three species, and repeated translocations of the supergene underlie the turnover of sex chromosomes in these lineages. These findings highlight the underestimated role of a mobile supergene in the turnover of sex chromosomes in vertebrates.

Significance

Although turnover of sex chromosomes is very common in many vertebrate lineages, the transition process is still elusive. We studied the sex-determining region (SDR) of 12 congeneric fish species. We found that while nine species retained their ancestral SDR, three species had acquired derived SDRs. Although the derived SDRs resided in three different chromosomes, they harbored a shared supergene flanked by two putative transposable elements. The results highlight the underestimated role of a mobile supergene in turnover of sex chromosomes in vertebrates.
A3D Database: Structure-based Protein Aggregation Predictions for the Human Proteome
Authors: Badaczewska-Dawid Aleksandra E. , Garcia-Pardo Javier , Kuriata Aleksander , Pujols Jordi , Ventura Salvador , Kmiecik Sebastian
Published: November 2021

Motivation

Protein aggregation is associated with highly debilitating human disorders and constitutes a major bottleneck for producing therapeutic proteins. Our knowledge of the human protein structures repertoire has dramatically increased with the recent development of the AlphaFold (AF) deep-learning method. This structural information can be used to understand better protein aggregation properties and the rational design of protein solubility. This article uses the Aggrescan3D (A3D) tool to compute the structure-based aggregation predictions for the human proteome and make the predictions available in a database form.

Results

Here, we present the A3D Database, in which we analyze the AF-predicted human protein structures (for over 17 thousand non-membrane proteins) in terms of their aggregation properties using the A3D tool. Each entry of the A3D Database provides a detailed analysis of the structure-based aggregation propensity computed with A3D. The A3D Database implements simple but useful graphical tools for visualizing and interpreting protein structure datasets. We discuss case studies illustrating how the database could be used to analyze physiologically relevant proteins. Furthermore, the database enables testing the influence of user-selected mutations on protein solubility and stability, all integrated into a user-friendly interface.

Availability and implementation

A3D Database is freely available at: http://biocomp.chem.uw.edu.pl/A3D2/hproteome
Revisiting the effect of pharmaceuticals on transmission stage formation in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Thommen Basil T. , Passecker Armin , Buser Tamara , Hitz Eva , Voss Till S. , Brancucci Nicolas M. B.
Published: November 2021

Malaria parasites rely on specialized stages, called gametocytes, to ensure human-to-human transmission. The formation of these sexual precursor cells is initiated by commitment of blood stage parasites to the sexual differentiation pathway. Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent of six parasite species infecting humans, employs nutrient sensing to control the rate at which sexual commitment is initiated, and the presence of stress-inducing factors, including antimalarial drugs, has been linked to increased gametocyte production in vitro and in vivo. These observations suggest that therapeutic interventions may promote gametocytogenesis and malaria transmission. Here, we engineered a P. falciparum reporter line to quantify sexual commitment rates after exposure to antimalarials and other pharmaceuticals commonly prescribed in malaria-endemic regions. Our data reveal that some of the tested drugs indeed have the capacity to elevate sexual commitment rates in vitro. Importantly, however, these effects are only observed at drug concentrations that inhibit parasite survival and only rarely result in a net increase of gametocyte production. Using a drug-resistant parasite reporter line, we further show that the gametocytogenesis-promoting effect of drugs is linked to general stress responses rather than to compound-specific activities. Altogether, we provide conclusive evidence for the absence of mechanistic links between the regulation of sexual commitment and the activity of commonly used pharmaceuticals in vitro. Our data hence contradict scenarios in which therapeutic interventions would promote the spread of drug-resistant parasites or malaria transmission in general.
A general framework for straightforward model construction of multi-component thermodynamic equilibrium systems
Authors: Geertjens Nick H. J. , de Vink Pim J. , Wezeman Tim , Markvoort Albert J. , Brunsveld Luc
Published: November 2021

Mathematical modelling of molecular systems helps elucidating complex phenomena in (bio)chemistry. However, equilibrium conditions in systems consisting of more than two components can typically not be analytically determined without assumptions and resulting (semi-)numerical models are not trivial to derive by the non-expert. Here we present a framework for equilibrium models that utilizes a general derivation method capable of generating custom models for complex molecular systems, based on the simple, reversible reactions describing these systems. Several molecular systems are revisited via the framework and demonstrate the simplicity, the generality and validity of the approach. The ease of use of the framework and the ability to both analyze systems and gain additional insights in the underlying parameters strongly aids the analysis and understanding of molecular equilibrium systems. This conceptual framework severely reduces the time and expertise requirements which currently impede the broad integration of these highly valuable models into chemical research.
AMPK promotes Arf6 activation in a kinase-independent manner upon energy deprivation
Authors: Chen Kuan-Jung , Hsu Jia-Wei , Lee Fang-Jen S.
Published: November 2021

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a crucial cellular nutrient and energy sensor that maintains energy homeostasis. AMPK also governs cancer cell invasion and migration by regulating gene expression and activating multiple cellular signaling pathways. ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6) can be activated via nucleotide exchange by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs), and its activation also regulates tumor invasion and migration. By studying GEF-mediated Arf6 activation, we elucidated that AMPK functions as a noncanonical GEF for Arf6 in a kinase-independent manner. Moreover, by examining the physiological role of the AMPK-Arf6 axis, we determined that AMPK activates Arf6 upon glucose starvation and 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR) treatment. We further identified the binding motif in the C-terminal regulatory domain of AMPK that is responsible for promoting Arf6 activation and thus inducing cell migration and invasion. These findings reveal a noncanonical role of AMPK in which its C-terminal regulatory domain serves as a GEF for Arf6 during energy deprivation.
Use of commercially available natural language processing software to identify bleeding from the medical record
Authors: Walker Andrew L. , Watson Cheri , Butcher Ryan , Abedin Zameer , Yandell Mark , Shah Rashmee U.
Published: November 2021

Background

Real-world evidence derived from the electronic medical record (EMR) is increasingly prevalent. How best to ascertain cardiovascular outcomes from EMRs is unknown. We sought to validate a commercially available natural language processing (NLP) software to extract bleeding events.

Methods

We included patients with atrial fibrillation and cancer seen at our cancer center from 1/1/2016 to 12/31/2019. A query set based on SNOMED CT expressions was created to represent bleeding from 11 different organ systems. We ran the query against the clinical notes and randomly selected a sample of notes for physician validation. The primary outcome was the positive predictive value (PPV) of the software to identify bleeding events stratified by organ system.

Results

We included 1370 patients with mean age 72 years old (SD 1.5) and 35% female. We processed 66,130 notes; the NLP software identified 6522 notes including 654 unique patients with possible bleeding events. Among 1269 randomly selected notes, the PPV of the software ranged from 0.921 for neurologic bleeds to 0.571 for OB/GYN bleeds. Patterns related to false positive bleeding events identified by the software included historic bleeds, hypothetical bleeds, missed negatives, and word errors.

Conclusions

NLP may provide an alternative for population-level screening for bleeding outcomes in cardiovascular studies. Human validation is still needed, but an NLP-driven screening approach may improve efficiency.
Diagnosing the service quality of perishable-food logistics: temperature-sensitive milk delivery
Authors: Wu Pei-Ju , Lin Liang-Tay , Huang Chi-Chang
Published: November 2021

Purpose

High-quality cold-chain logistics are key to effectively managing the quality of temperature-sensitive foods. Hence, this study investigates the service quality of such logistics, using a real-life case of temperature-sensitive milk delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

This study focuses on developing business analytics for quality control in cold-chain perishable-food logistics, grounded in normal accident theory and stakeholder theory, and tests them using real-world data.

Findings

The empirical business-analytics results indicate that cargo locations, logistics status and delivery times are the essential factors that influence the quality of temperature-sensitive milk.

Research limitations/implications

This study confirms that a combination of normal accident theory and stakeholder theory can be usefully applied to the development of strategies for managing perishable-food logistics. As such, its proposed business analytics provide a fresh foundation for research on logistics quality management.

Practical implications

The balance between efficiency and service quality in a logistics system should be assessed carefully, and logistics companies should collaborate with their stakeholders and can help to mitigate potential cold-chain risks.

Originality/value

This pioneering analytical study explores the essential quality issues that confront cold chains and demonstrates how to extract vital insights from temperature-sensitive food logistics monitoring data. As such, it represents a noteworthy contribution to the field of logistics quality management.
Learning from interorganizational projects
Authors: Iftikhar Rehab , Ahola Tuomas , Butt Aurangzeab
Published: November 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to consolidate the existing research on interorganizational projects and to explore how organizations learn by closely examining multilevel learning, that is, organizational and interorganizational learning.

Design/methodology/approach

This article adopts a single case study approach, examining the Islamabad–Rawalpindi Metro project in Pakistan, with data consisting of interview results and archival data. An inductive approach is used for data analysis.

Findings

An empirically grounded learning model was developed based on an interorganizational project following eight lessons: capacity building, personality traits of leadership, working procedures, impeccable planning and implementation, involvement of stakeholders, design compatibility, investigation of underground services, conditions and maintenance of databases, and conceive rational timelines. These lessons learned were classified into three categories: (1) organizational capacity, (2) organizational embeddedness and (3) collective awareness.

Originality/value

This paper develops a novel learning model that can deepen our understanding of the practices and processes involved in multilevel learning. This study contributes to and extends the literature on organizational and interorganizational learning by studying an interorganizational setting.
Individuals' psychosocial voice barriers in lean problem-solving teams
Authors: Latif Mohammad Abdul , Vang Jan , Sultana Rebeca
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Voice role identification and the psychosocial voice barriers represented by implicit voice theories (IVTs) affect lean team members' prosocial voice behavior and thereby lean team performance. This paper investigates how role definition and IVTs influence individual lean team-members' prosocial voice behavior during lean implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

This research was conducted in four case readymade garment (RMG) factories in Bangladesh following a mixed-method research approach dominated by a qualitative research methodology. Under the mixed-method design, this research followed multiple research strategies, including intervention-based action research and case studies.

Findings

The findings suggest that voice role perception affects the voice behavior of the individual lean team members. The findings also demonstrate that voice role definition significantly influences individually held implicit voice beliefs in lean teams.

Research limitations/implications

This research was conducted in four sewing lines in four RMG factories in Bangladesh. There is a need for a cross-sector and cross-country large-scale study that follows the quantitative research methods in different contexts.

Practical implications

This research contributes to the operations management literature, especially in lean manufacturing, by presenting the difficulties of mobilizing employee voice in lean problem-solving teams. This work provides new knowledge to managers to address challenges and opportunities to ensure decent work and to improve productivity.

Originality/value

This research raises a key issue of employee voice and its influence on lean performance which addresses two critical areas of employee voice behavior in lean teams: team-members' voice role perception and implicit voice beliefs that influence their voice behavior in the workplace, thereby influencing team performance.
Modeling commercial vehicle drivers’ acceptance of advanced driving assistance system (ADAS)
Authors: Xu Yueru , Ye Zhirui , Wang Chao
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) has been applied in commercial vehicles. This paper aims to evaluate the influence factors of commercial vehicle drivers’ acceptance on ADAS and explore the characteristics of each key factors. Two most widely used functions, forward collision warning (FCW) and lane departure warning (LDW), were considered in this paper.

Design/methodology/approach

A random forests algorithm was applied to evaluate the influence factors of commercial drivers’ acceptance. ADAS data of 24 commercial vehicles were recorded from 1 November to 21 December 2018, in Jiangsu province. Respond or not was set as dependent variables, while six influence factors were considered.

Findings

The acceptance rate for FCW and LDW systems was 69.52% and 38.76%, respectively. The accuracy of random forests model for FCW and LDW systems is 0.816 and 0.820, respectively. For FCW system, vehicle speed, duration time and warning hour are three key factors. Drivers prefer to respond in a short duration during daytime and low vehicle speed. While for LDW system, duration time, vehicle speed and driver age are three key factors. Older drivers have higher respond probability under higher vehicle speed, and the respond time is longer than FCW system.

Originality/value

Few research studies have focused on the attitudes of commercial vehicle drivers, though commercial vehicle accidents were proved to be more severe than passenger vehicles. The results of this study can help researchers to better understand the behavior of commercial vehicle drivers and make corresponding recommendations for ADAS of commercial vehicles.
From canopy complementarity to asymmetric competition: The negative relationship between structural diversity and productivity during succession
Authors: Yi Xiaoxia , Wang Ningning , Ren Haibao , Yu Jianping , Hu Tianyu , Su Yanjun , Mi Xiangcheng , Guo Qinghua , Ma Keping
Published: November 2021

Positive relationships between structural diversity and forest productivity have been documented in controlled experiments and early secondary forests, however, negative relationships have also been observed in late successional forests. The mechanisms causing observed relationships between structural diversity and productivity are not well‐established, but complementarity among crowns and asymmetric competition have been suggested.

We used LiDAR and repeated census data to examine the relationship between canopy structural diversity and productivity in nine 1‐ha subtropical forest plots along a disturbance gradient in southeastern China. We quantified the relative importance of community composition, species diversity, canopy structural diversity, leaf area index (LAI) and disturbance regime on productivity using piecewise structural equation modelling. We also tested how vertical leaf area distribution affected productivity.

Contrary to many prior observations, we found a negative relationship between canopy structural diversity and forest productivity. The negative effect may stem from asymmetric competition between overstorey and understorey leaves, leading to a lower leaf area efficiency (i.e. wood production per leaf area). Asymmetric competition was suggested by a negative relationship between understorey leaf area and total productivity. Changes in community composition over the disturbance gradient, but not species diversity, had a significant effect on productivity.

Synthesis. Our study suggests that leaf area and canopy structural diversity have contrasting effects on productivity in this subtropical forest, and this needs to be considered when estimating rates of carbon sequestration in secondary forests. The negative effect of asymmetric competition on productivity is comparable to that of the shift in species composition over succession, highlighting the role of canopy structural diversity in shaping forest productivity.
Cardioprotective effects of amiodarone in a rat model of epilepsy‐induced cardiac dysfunction
Authors: Harb Inas A. , Ashour Hend , Mostafa Abeer , El Hanbuli Hala M. , Nadwa Eman Hassan
Published: November 2021

Cardiac dysfunction is one of the leading causes of death in epilepsy. The anti‐arrhythmic drug, amiodarone, is under investigation for its therapeutic effects in epilepsy. We aimed to evaluate the possible effects of amiodarone on cardiac injury during status epilepticus, as it can cause prolongation of the QT interval. Five rat groups were enrolled in the study; three control groups (1) Control, (2) Control‐lithium and (3) Control‐Amio, treated with 150 mg/kg/intraperitoneal amiodarone, (4) Epilepsy model, induced by sequential lithium/pilocarpine administration, and (5) the epilepsy‐Amio group. The model group expressed a typical clinical picture of epileptiform activity confirmed by the augmented electroencephalogram alpha and beta spikes. The anticonvulsive effect of amiodarone was prominent, it diminished (p < 0.001) the severity of seizures and hence, deaths and reduced serum noradrenaline levels. In the model group, the electrocardiogram findings revealed tachycardia, prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval, depressed ST segments and increased myocardial oxidative stress. The in‐vitro myocardial performance (contraction force and – (df/dt)max) was also reduced. Amiodarone decreased (p < 0.001) the heart rate, improved ST segment depression, and myocardial contractility with no significant change in the duration of the QTc interval. Amiodarone preserved the cardiac histological structure and reduced the myocardial injury markers represented by serum Troponin‐I, oxidative stress and IL‐1. Amiodarone pretreatment prevented the anticipated cardiac injury induced during epilepsy. Amiodarone possessed an anticonvulsive potential, protected the cardiac muscle and preserved its histological architecture. Therefore, amiodarone could be recommended as a protective therapy against cardiac dysfunction during epileptic seizures with favourable effect on seizure activity.
Mental health and subjective well‐being of staff in a secondary school for adolescents with severe and profound multiple learning difficulties
Authors: Black Natalie , Halstead Elizabeth
Published: November 2021

The main purpose of this study was to explore the mental health and subjective well‐being of staff working with adolescents with severe and profound multiple learning difficulties. The participants were 19 teachers and 25 teaching assistants working in an inner London, local authority, specialist day provision. A demographic questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale, the Positive Affect Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were used as data collection tools. The inferential statistical tools used were t‐tests and correlational analyses. The study brought to light a high number of borderline and abnormal anxiety scores among all staff. The study also found a significant difference in the resilience scores of teachers and teaching assistants, with teaching assistants scoring higher on the resilience scale. The results, alongside findings from previous research, call for better mental health support for teachers and staff working in the field of special educational needs and disabilities. The study highlights the emotional toll on educators, and the need for mitigation strategies that promote good mental health outcomes for both teachers and students.
Drops join to make a stream: high‐throughput nanoscale cultivation to grasp the lettuce root microbiome
Authors: Persyn Antoine , Mueller André , Goormachtig Sofie
Published: November 2021

Root endospheres house complex and diverse bacterial communities, of which many strains have not been cultivated yet by means of the currently available isolation techniques. The Prospector® (General Automation Lab Technologies, San Carlos, CA, USA), an automated and high‐throughput bacterial cultivation system, was applied to analyse the root endomicrobiome of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). By using deep sequencing, we compared the results obtained with the Prospector and the traditional solid medium culturing and extinction methods. We found that the species richness did not differ and that the amount of previously uncultured bacteria did not increase, but that the bacterial diversity isolated by the three methods varied. In addition, the tryptic soy broth and King's B media provided a lower, but different, diversity of bacteria than that of Reasoner's 2A (R2A) medium when used within the Prospector system and the number of unique bacterial strains did not weigh up against those isolated with the R2A medium. Thus, to cultivate as broad a variety of bacteria as possible, divergent isolation techniques should be used in parallel. Thanks to its speed and limited manual requirements, the Prospector is a valuable system to enlarge root microbiome culture collections.
Campaign Finance Transparency Affects Legislators’ Election Outcomes and Behavior
Authors: Wood Abby K. , Grose Christian R.
Published: November 2021

Do audits by executive agencies impact the behavior of those audited? Does revealing negative information about legislators affect electoral results and behavior? Institutions that encourage transparency, such as campaign finance disclosure, influence mass and elite behavior. Campaign finance transparency provides information to voters during legislative campaigns about the character of candidates, and this information affects voter and legislator behavior. The US Federal Election Commission conducted random audits of 10% of US House members in the 1970s. This FEC program is the only randomized experiment a US agency has conducted on federal legislators and their electorates. We find that audited legislators were more likely to retire and faced more competitive reelections relative to the control group, an effect that is amplified among incumbents whose audits revealed campaign finance violations. Further, campaign finance scandals are associated with lower incumbent vote shares and approval and more negative advertisements in the 2000s.
Relevance and applicability of ICF Core Sets for adults with cerebral palsy in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Pathak Anupa , Sharma Saurab
Published: November 2021

This commentary is on the original article by Noten et al. on pages 569–577 of this issue.
Gentrification and the Rising Returns to Skill
Authors: Edlund Lena , Machado Cecilia , Sviatschi Maria
Published: November 2021

Suburbanization—thriving suburbs surrounding increasingly impoverished inner cities—dominated the US postwar urban landscape. However, already in the 1980s there were signs of urban rejuvenation, and the decades since have seen gentrification replace urban decay. In this paper, we argue that this trend reversal stems from the rise in hours worked by high‐income households, epitomized by the dual‐earner household replacing the breadwinner–housewife household. Using a Bartik‐style share shifter for skilled labour demand and analysing restricted‐use Census microdata covering the 27 largest US cities for the period 1980–2010, we find support for our hypothesis. ‘Low‐leisure‐high‐skill’ households showed a pronounced proclivity towards central city location and their estimated effect on housing prices can account for the observed emergence of centrality as an increasingly prized amenity.
Convolution network model based leaf disease detection using augmentation techniques
Authors: Nagaraju Mamillapally , Chawla Priyanka , Upadhyay Shuchi , Tiwari Rajeev
Published: November 2021

Agriculture plays a vital role in a country's economy. Thus, better yields of crops are required for growth of agriculture‐based industries. Deep Learning (DL) techniques have led to remarkable achievements in image classification and recognition. However, DL networks rely heavily on large data sets to prevent overfitting. Image augmentation is one of the DL techniques gaining attention in avoiding the risk of overfitting. The most common Image augmentation techniques like rotation, zoom, and shift used in the existing research allow to generate new images from the original set and increases the images quantity but cannot minimize the misclassification error. The present research can provide a better solution to provide sufficient quantity of training images to a convolutional neural network model to handle the overfitting and classification problems. Therefore, two learning algorithms image preprocessing and transformation algorithm (IPTA) and image masking and REC‐based hybrid segmentation algorithm (IMHSA) are proposed to address the problem of limited dataset and convolutional neural network model overfitting during classification. IPTA is an adaptive supervised learning approach to transform the original images into augmented ones and IMHSA is an unsupervised approach for Red, Green, Blue (RGB) image segmentation. Later, the Histogram threshold technique is applied to form all the possible regions used to split the diseased leaf into comparable regions. A novel convolutional neural network model is also proposed to evaluate the performance of the IPTA approach. The model is trained on two independent datasets, one generated before and one generated after IPTA was applied. Plots of precision and loss functions are used to assess the acquired results. The experimental results demonstrated that before using IPTA, the training accuracy was 83%, while the validation accuracy was 65%. After using IPTA, the proposed model attained a training accuracy of 74% and a validation accuracy of 73%, thereby solving the overfitting problem. The experimental results proved that the proposed model outperforms while classifying the RGB images with the support of image augmentation.
Going with the membrane flow: the impact of polarized secretion on bulk plasma membrane flows
Authors: Gerganova Veneta , Martin Sophie G.
Published: November 2021

Even the simplest cells show a remarkable degree of intracellular patterning. Like developing multicellular organisms, single cells break symmetry to establish polarity axes, pattern their cortex and interior, and undergo morphogenesis to acquire sometimes complex shapes. Symmetry‐breaking and molecular patterns can be established through coupling of negative and positive feedback reactions in biochemical reaction‐diffusion systems. Physical forces, perhaps best studied in the contraction of the metazoan acto‐myosin cortex, which induces cortical and cytoplasmic flows, also serve to pattern‐associated components. A less investigated physical perturbation is the in‐plane flow of plasma membrane material caused by membrane trafficking. In this review, we discuss how bulk membrane flows can be generated at sites of active polarized secretion and growth, how they affect the distribution of membrane‐associated proteins, and how they may be harnessed for patterning and directional movement in cells across the tree of life.
Outcomes of non‐myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplant in older patients with acute myeloid leukaemia in first remission
Authors: Nguyen Phillip C. , Manos Kate , Fong Chun Y. , Schwarer Anthony P. , Tiong Ing S. , Wei Andrew H. , Kliman David , Curtis David J.
Published: November 2021

The benefits of non‐myeloablative stem cell transplant in older patients with acute myeloid leukaemia are unclear. We compare the long‐term outcomes of this regimen in those aged 55–65 years in first remission with a chemotherapy only cohort that achieved durable morphologic remission. Five‐year overall survival was similar (32% vs 33%, P = 0.90), as was relapse‐free survival (23% vs 20%, P = 0.37). There was a trend for decreased relapse that was balanced against increased non‐relapse mortality with transplantation.
Post‐acute care for asthma patients presenting to an Australian hospital network
Authors: Huang Joanna Y. , Liu David , Hew Mark , Dabscheck Eli
Published: November 2021

We evaluated post‐acute care in 1273 asthma patients presenting to our hospital network. Patients with respiratory unit admission (n = 413) or consultation from the respiratory service (n = 45) were more likely to have guideline adherent care compared with patients without respiratory input (n = 153). Patients aged greater than 60 years had higher rates of representation within 90 days and lower rates of asthma action plans. Post‐acute care of asthma at our centre falls short of guideline recommendations, and subspecialist involvement should be expanded.
Palliative care for adults with intellectual disability
Authors: Wallace Robyn A.
Published: November 2021

Contemporary disability principles and values suggest that adults with intellectual disability should be able to access and participate in any mainstream service rather than having a separate service for them. In the case of healthcare services, achievement of optimal access to and participation in healthcare by adults with intellectual disability requires the presence of both adequate disability supports for the person and reasonable adjustments to generic health systems to enable a person‐centred approach to care. Development of an interface between people with lived experience of intellectual disability, disability and health sectors help clarify the required nature of disability supports and types of adjustments to mainstream health services. The article describes a case study of an adult with intellectual disability with a serious illness warranting palliative care, and focusses on the reasonable adjustments to mainstream core palliative care principles for adults with intellectual disability.
Prevalence of early childhood caries in three regions of China: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Liao Ying , Zhou Chongchong , Zhang Qian , Wang Xing , Yan Fuhua , Xing Xianghui
Published: November 2021

Background

The burden of early childhood caries (ECC) in different regions of China with different levels of economic development has been of interest to policymakers and public health workers.

Aim

To investigate regional differences in ECC prevalence in China and to identify associated risk factors.

Methods

A total of 11 612 three‐ to five‐year‐old children from three geographic regions of China were included in this cross‐sectional study. The dmft index was assessed for each child. A questionnaire regarding children's dietary habits, oral health behaviors, parents’ socioeconomic status, and attitudes toward oral health was administered. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate associated factors.

Results

Caries prevalence in the Eastern, Central and Northwestern regions of China was 63.4% (95% CI: 61.4%‐64.5%), 59.4% (95% CI: 58.6%‐61.7%), and 59.0% (95% CI: 58.5%‐61.6%), respectively. Children from the Northwestern (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.75‐0.92) and Central (OR = 0.83, CI: 0.75‐0.92) regions of China had a lower risk of experiencing ECC. Dietary habits and parents’ specific oral health knowledge and attitudes were associated with ECC.

Conclusions

Differences in ECC prevalence were found in the three regions of China. Multiple factors were associated with ECC. Overall, the burden of ECC was heavy in the examined regions.
Phospholipase C (AoPLC2) regulates mycelial development, trap morphogenesis, and pathogenicity of the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora
Authors: Xie Meihua , Ma Ni , Bai Na , Zhu Meichen , Zhang Ke-Qin , Yang Jinkui
Published: November 2021

Aims

Phospholipase C (PLC) is a hydrolase involved in signal transduction in eukaryotic cells. This study aimed to understand the function of PLC in the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora.

Methods and Results

Orthologous PLC (AoPLC2) of A. oligospora was functionally analysed using gene disruption and multi-phenotypic analysis. Disrupting Aoplc2 caused a deformation of partial hyphal cells (about 10%) and conidia (about 50%), decreased the number of nuclei in both conidia and hyphal cells, and increased the accumulation of lipid droplets. Meanwhile, the sporulation-related genes fluG and abaA were downregulated in ΔAoplc2 mutants than in the wild-type strain. Moreover, ΔAoplc2 mutants were more sensitive to osmotic stressors. Importantly, the number of traps, electron-dense bodies in traps, and nematicidal activity of ΔAoplc2 mutants were reduced, and the shape of the traps was deformed. In addition, AoPLC2 was involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in A. oligospora.

Conclusions

AoPLC2 plays an important role in the development of hyphae, spores, and cell nuclei, responses to stress, formation of traps, and predation of nematodes in A. oligospora.

Significance and Impact of study

This study reveals the various functions of phospholipase C and elucidates the regulation of trap morphogenesis in nematode-trapping fungi.