bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SecSel, a new software tool for conservation prioritization that is applicable to ordinal-scale data for multiple biodiversity features
Authors: Akio Takenaka , Hiroyuki Oguma , Yukihiro Amagai , Fumiko Ishihama
Published: February 2021

SecSel, a protected-area prioritization tool, has been developed to help design areas that efficiently protect multiple features, including conservation of biodiversity and use of ecosystem services. The prioritization by SecSel is based on evaluation of the local units of each feature. The evaluation metrics should be quantitative but need not be ratio scale. The minimum requirement of the input data is that they are ordinal. The conservation target is the number of local units with high values of each feature to be protected in the area. SecSel can handle conflicts among features, including conflicts between conservation and utilization of land or specific ecosystem functions. Before the selection procedure, one of a conflicting pair of features in a site is discarded. That decision is based on the dispensability of the local unit to fulfilling the conservation target of each feature. SecSel also considers the cost of including each site in the protected area and the compactness of the area in terms of total boundary length or the distance to the nearest site. To demonstrate the functionality of Secsel, we used it to design land use in an alpine region of northern Japan where conservation of alpine vegetation and its recreational use are important considerations.
A conserved role of the duplicatedMasculinizergene in sex determination of the Mediterranean flour moth,Ephestia kuehniella
Authors: Visser Sander , Voleníková Anna , Nguyen Petr , Verhulst Eveline C. , Marec František
Published: February 2021

Sex determination in the silkworm,Bombyx mori, is based onFeminizer(Fem), a W-linkedFempiRNA that triggers female development in WZ individuals, and the Z-linkedMasculinizer(Masc), which initiates male development and dosage compensation in ZZ individuals. WhileFempiRNA is missing in a close relative ofB. mori,Mascdetermines sex in several representatives of distant lepidopteran lineages. We studied the molecular mechanisms of sex determination in the Mediterranean flour moth,Ephestia kuehniella(Pyralidae). We identified anE. kuehniella Mascortholog,EkMasc, and its paralog resulting from a recent duplication,EkMascB. Both genes are located on the Z chromosome and encode a similar Masc protein that contains two conserved domains but has lost the conserved double zinc finger domain. We developed PCR-based genetic sexing and demonstrated a peak in the expression ofEkMascandEkMascBgenes only in early male embryos. Simultaneous knock-down experiments of bothEkMascandEkMascBusing RNAi during early embryogenesis led to a shift from male- to female-specific splicing of theE. kuehniella doublesex gene (Ekdsx), their downstream effector, in ZZ embryos and resulted in a strong female-biased sex-ratio. Our results thus confirmed the conserved role of bothEkMascandEkMascBgenes in masculinization. We suggest that the C-terminal proline-rich domain, we have identified in all functionally confirmed Masc proteins, in conjunction with the masculinizing domain, is important for transcriptional regulation of sex determination in Lepidoptera. The function of the Masc double zinc finger domain is still unknown, but appears to have been lost inE. kuehniella.

Author summary

The sex-determining cascade in the silkworm,Bombyx mori, differs greatly from those of other insects. InB. mori, female development is initiated byFempiRNA expressed from the W chromosome during early embryogenesis.FempiRNA silencesMasculinizer(Masc) thereby blocking the male pathway resulting in female development. It is currently unknown whether this cascade is conserved across Lepidoptera. In the Mediterranean flour moth,Ephestia kuehniella, we identified an ortholog ofMascand discovered its functional duplication on the Z chromosome, which has not yet been found in any other lepidopteran species. We provide two lines of evidence that both theEkMascandEkMascBgenes play an essential role in masculinization: (i) they show a peak of expression during early embryogenesis in ZZ but not in WZ embryos and (ii) their silencing by RNAi results in female-specific splicing of theE. kuehniella doublesexgene (Ekdsx) in ZZ embryos and in a female-biased sex ratio. Our results suggest a conserved role of the duplicatedMascgene in sex determination ofE. kuehniella.
Exploring MEG brain fingerprints: evaluation, pitfalls, and interpretations
Authors: Sareen Ekansh , Zahar Sélima , Van De Ville Dimitri , Gupta Anubha , Griffa Alessandra , Amico Enrico
Published: February 2021

Individual characterization of subjects based on their functional connectome (FC), termed “FC fingerprinting”, has become a highly sought-after goal in contemporary neuroscience research. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have demonstrated unique characterization and accurate identification of individuals as an accomplished task. However, FC fingerprinting in magnetoencephalography (MEG) data is still widely unexplored. Here, we study resting-state MEG data from the Human Connectome Project to assess the MEG FC fingerprinting and its relationship with several factors including amplitude- and phase-coupling functional connectivity measures, spatial leakage correction, frequency bands, and behavioral significance. To this end, we first employ two identification scoring methods, differential identifiability and success rate, to provide quantitative fingerprint scores for each FC measurement. Secondly, we explore the edgewise and nodal MEG fingerprinting patterns across the different frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma). Finally, we investigate the cross-modality fingerprinting patterns obtained from MEG and fMRI recordings from the same subjects. We assess the behavioral significance of FC across connectivity measures and imaging modalities using partial least square correlation analyses. Our results suggest that fingerprinting performance is heavily dependent on the functional connectivity measure, frequency band, identification scoring method, and spatial leakage correction. We report higher MEG fingerprints in phase-coupling methods, central frequency bands (alpha and beta), and in the visual, frontoparietal, dorsal-attention, and default-mode networks. Furthermore, cross-modality comparisons reveal a certain degree of spatial concordance in fingerprinting patterns between the MEG and fMRI data, especially in the visual system. Finally, the multivariate correlation analyses show that MEG connectomes have strong behavioral significance, which however depends on the considered connectivity measure and temporal scale. This comprehensive, albeit preliminary investigation of MEG connectome test-retest identification offers a first characterization of MEG fingerprinting in relation to different methodological and electrophysiological factors and contributes to the understanding of fingerprinting cross-modal relationships. We hope that this first investigation will contribute to setting the grounds for MEG connectome identification.
Variability in scRNA-Seq analysis is mitigated by regularized or supervised approaches
Authors: Durmaz Arda , Scott Jacob G.
Published: February 2021

Transcriptional dynamics of evolutionary processes through time are highly complex and require single-cell resolution datasets. This is especially important in cancer during the evolution of resistance, where stochasticity can lead to selection for divergent transcriptional mechanisms. Statistical methods developed to address various questions in single-cell datasets are prone to variability and require careful adjustments of multiple parameter space. To assess the impact of this variation, we utilized commonly used single-cell RNA-Seq analysis tools in a combinatorial fashion to evaluate how repeatable the results are when different methods are combined. In the context of clustering and trajectory estimation, we benchmark the combinatorial space and highlight ares and methods that are sensitive to parameter changes. We have observed that utilizing temporal information in a supervised framework or regularization in latent modeling reduces variability leading to improved overlap when different parameters/methods are used. We hope that future studies can benefit from the results presented here as use of scRNA-Seq analysis tools as out of the box is becoming a standard approach in cancer research.
Enzyme engineering andin vivotesting of a formate-reduction pathway
Authors: Wang Jue , Anderson Karl , Yang Ellen , He Lian , Lidstrom Mary E.
Published: February 2021

Formate is an attractive feedstock for sustainable microbial production of fuels and chemicals, but its potential is limited by the lack of efficient assimilation pathways. The reduction of formate to formaldehyde would allow efficient downstream assimilation, but no efficient enzymes are known for this transformation. To develop a 2-step formate-reduction pathway, we screened natural variants of acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) and acylating aldehyde dehydrogenase (ACDH) for activity on one-carbon substrates and identified active and highly expressed homologs of both enzymes. We then performed directed evolution, increasing ACDH specific activity by 2.5-fold and ACS lysate activity by 5-fold. To test forin vivoactivity of our pathway, we expressed it in a methylotroph which can natively assimilate formaldehyde. Although the enzymes were active in cell extracts, we could not detect formate assimilation into biomass, indicating that further improvement will be required for formatotrophy. Our work provides a foundation for further development of a versatile pathway for formate assimilation.
Accuracy of the pneumatic method for estimating xylem vulnerability to embolism in temperate diffuse-porous tree species
Authors: Paligi Sharath S. , Link Roman M. , Isasa Emilie , Bittencourt Paulo , Cabral Juliano Sarmento , Jansen Steven , Oliveira Rafael S. , Pereira Luciano , Schuldt Bernhard
Published: February 2021

The increasing frequency of global change-type droughts has created a need for fast, accurate and widely applicable techniques for estimating xylem embolism resistance to improve forecasts of future forest changes.

We used data from 12 diffuse-porous temperate tree species covering a wide range of xylem safety to compare the pneumatic and flow-centrifuge method for constructing xylem vulnerability curves. We evaluated the agreement between parameters estimated with both methods and the sensitivity of pneumatic measurements to the measurement duration.

The agreement between xylem water potentials at 50% air discharged (PAD) estimated with the Pneumatron and 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC) estimated with the flow-centrifuge method was high (mean signed deviation: 0.12 MPa, Pearson correlation: 0.96 after 15 sec of gas extraction). However, the relation between the estimated slopes was more variable, resulting in lower agreement in xylem water potential at 12% and 88% PAD/PLC. All parameters were sensitive to the duration of the pneumatic measurement, with highest overall agreement between methods after 16 sec.

We conclude that, if applied correctly, the pneumatic method enables fast and inexpensive estimations of embolism resistance for a wide range of temperate, diffuse-porous species, which makes it attractive for predicting plant performance under climate change.
Microstructural determinants of lens stiffness in rat versus guinea pig lenses
Authors: Parreno Justin , Abera Kalekidan , Aryal Sandeep , Forbes Karen E. , Fowler Velia M.
Published: February 2021

Proper ocular lens function requires lens biomechanical flexibility which is lost in presbyopia during aging. As increasing lens size has been shown previously to correlate with lens biomechanical stiffness in aging, we tested the hypothesis that whole lens size determines gross biomechanical stiffness. We used an allometric approach to evaluate this hypothesis by comparing lenses from three rodent species (mouse, rats and guinea pigs) of varying size. While rat lenses are larger and stiffer than mouse lenses, guinea pig lenses are even larger than rat lenses but are softer than the rat lens. This indicates that lens size is not a sole determinant of lens stiffness and disproves our hypothesis. Therefore, we investigated the scaling of lens microstructural features that could potentially explain the differences in biomechanical stiffness between rat and guinea pig lenses, including lens capsule thickness, epithelial cell area, fiber cell widths, suture organization, and nuclear size. Capsule thickness, epithelial cell area, and fiber cell widths scaled with lens size (i.e., greater in guinea pig lenses than rats), indicating that sizes of these features do not correlate with the stiffness of rat lenses, while suture organization was similar between rats and guinea pigs. However, we found that the hard rat lens nucleus occupies a greater fraction of the lens than the guinea pig lens nucleus, suggesting a role for nuclear size in determining whole lens stiffness. Therefore, while many features contribute to lens biomechanical properties, the size of the lens nucleus with respect to the size of the lens could be a major determinant of lens stiffness in rats versus guinea pigs.
Early assessment of epidemiological trends associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in Germany
Authors: Mitze Timo , Rode Johannes
Published: February 2021

Growing evidence on higher transmissibility of novel variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is raising alarm in many countries. We provide near-time estimates of the statistical association between reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) and epidemiological indicators at the local area level in Germany. Our findings indicate that the 7-day incidence rates in regions with confirmed VOC cases increased by up to 35%, on average, after VOC reporting compared to regions without confirmed cases by February 4. The hospitalization rate for COVID-19 patients in intensive care increased by up to 40%, but only for regions with most reported VOC cases. Both indicators further show a clear upward trend in regions with reported VOC cases vis-à-vis those without cases.
Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of (RS)-3-hydroxy-2-{[(3aRS,6RS,7aRS)-2-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)-2,3,3a,6,7,7a-hexahydro-3a,6-epoxy-1H-isoindol-6-yl]methyl}isoindolin-1-one
Authors: Mertsalov Dmitriy F. , Nadirova Maryana A. , Sorokina Elena A. , Vinokurova Marina A. , Çelikesir Sevim Türktekin , Akkurt Mehmet , Kolesnik Irina A. , Bhattarai Ajaya
Published: February 2021

The title compound, C24H24N2O5S, crystallizes with two independent molecules (A and B) in the asymmetric unit. In the central ring systems of both molecules, the tetrahydrofuran rings adopt envelope conformations, the pyrrolidine rings adopt a twisted-envelope conformation and the six-membered ring is in a boat conformation. In molecules A and B, the nine-membered groups attached to the central ring system are essentially planar (r.m.s. deviations of 0.002 and 0.003 Å, respectively). They form dihedral angles of 64.97 (9) and 56.06 (10)°, respectively, with the phenyl rings. In the crystal, strong intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds and weak intermolecular C—H...O contacts link the molecules, forming a three-dimensional network. In addition weak π–π stacking interactions [centroid-to centroid distance = 3.7124 (13) Å] between the pyrrolidine rings of the nine-membered groups of A molecules are observed. Hirshfeld surface analysis and two-dimensional fingerprint plots were used to quantify the intermolecular interactions present in the crystal, indicating that the environments of the two molecules are very similar. The most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H...H (55.8% for molecule A and 53.5% for molecule B), O...H/H...O (24.5% for molecule A and 26.3% for molecule B) and C...H/H...C (12.6% for molecule A and 15.7% for molecule B) interactions.
A novel design of optimal intelligent fuzzy TID controller employing GA for nonlinear level control problem subject to actuator and system component fault
Authors: Patel Himanshukumar R. , Raval Sejal K. , Shah Vipul A.
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this article is about the design of controllers for conical two-tank noninteracting level (CTTNL) system in simulation. Local linearization around the equilibrium point has been done for the nonlinear CTTNL system to obtain a linearized model transfer function.

Design/methodology/approach

This article deals with the design of novel optimal fractional-order tilt-integral-derivative (TID) controller using type-1 fuzzy set for the CTTNL prototype system. In this study, type-1 fuzzy TID controller parameters have been optimized through genetic algorithm (GA) and those set of values have been employed for the design of proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.

Findings

A performance comparison between FTID and PID controller is then investigated. The analysis shows the superiority of FTID controller over PID controller in terms of integral absolute error (IAE), integral square error (ISE), integral of time multiplied absolute error (ITAE) and integral of time multiplied squared error (ITSE) integral errors. The transient and steady state performance of the FTID controller are superior as compared to conventional PID controller. In future, the FTID controller fault-tolerance capability tested on CTTNL system subject to actuator and system component (leak) faults. The detailed study of robustness in presence of model uncertainties will be incorporated as a scope of further research.

Originality/value

A performance comparison between FTID and PID controller is then investigated. The analysis shows the superiority of FTID controller over PID controller in terms of IAE, ISE, ITAE and ITSE integral errors. Additionally, fault-tolerant performance of the proposed controller evaluated with fault-recovery time (Frt) parameter. The transient and steady state performance of the FTID controller are superior as compared to conventional PID controller.
A critical comparison analysis between human and machine-generated tags for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection
Authors: Villaespesa Elena , Crider Seth
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Based on the highlights of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, the purpose of this paper is to examine the similarities and differences between the subject keywords tags assigned by the museum and those produced by three computer vision systems.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses computer vision tools to generate the data and the Getty Research Institute's Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) to compare the subject keyword tags.

Findings

This paper finds that there are clear opportunities to use computer vision technologies to automatically generate tags that expand the terms used by the museum. This brings a new perspective to the collection that is different from the traditional art historical one. However, the study also surfaces challenges about the accuracy and lack of context within the computer vision results.

Practical implications

This finding has important implications on how these machine-generated tags complement the current taxonomies and vocabularies inputted in the collection database. In consequence, the museum needs to consider the selection process for choosing which computer vision system to apply to their collection. Furthermore, they also need to think critically about the kind of tags they wish to use, such as colors, materials or objects.

Originality/value

The study results add to the rapidly evolving field of computer vision within the art information context and provide recommendations of aspects to consider before selecting and implementing these technologies.
Predicting total sales volume interval of an experiential product with short life cycle before production: similarity comparison in attribute relationship patterns
Authors: Tang Zhongjun , Wang Tingting , Cui Junfu , Han Zhongya , He Bo
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Because of short life cycle and fluctuating greatly in total sales volumes (TSV), it is difficult to accumulate enough sales data and mine an attribute set reflecting the common needs of all consumers for a kind of experiential product with short life cycle (EPSLC). Methods for predicting TSV of long-life-cycle products may not be suitable for EPSLC. Furthermore, point prediction cannot obtain satisfactory prediction results because information available before production is inadequate. Thus, this paper aims at proposing and verifying a novel interval prediction method (IPM).

Design/methodology/approach

Because interval prediction may satisfy requirements of preproduction investment decision-making, interval prediction was adopted, and then the prediction difficult was converted into a classification problem. The classification was designed by comparing similarities in attribute relationship patterns between a new EPSLC and existing product groups. The product introduction may be written or obtained before production and thus was designed as primary source information. IPM was verified by using data of crime movies released in China from 2013 to 2017.

Findings

The IPM is valid, which uses product introduction as input, classifies existing products into three groups with different TSV intervals, mines attribute relationship patterns using content and association analyses and compares similarities in attribute relationship patterns – to predict TSV interval of a new EPSLC before production.

Originality/value

Different from other studies, the IPM uses product introduction to mine attribute relationship patterns and compares similarities in attribute relationship patterns to predict the interval values. It has a strong applicability in data content and structure and may realize rolling prediction.
Automobile industry managers' views on their roles in environmental sustainability: a qualitative study
Authors: Sathasivam Kavitha , Che Hashim Rosmawani , Abu Bakar Raida
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This paper focusses on the roles and experiences of the human resource managers and safety, health and environment managers in promoting environmental sustainability in automobile industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The exploration uses the data generated from ten in-depth interviews with human resource managers as well as safety, health and environment (SHE) managers from three automobile companies.

Findings

Three main themes were derived from the inductive analysis in support of environmental sustainability. They comprised environment-oriented perspectives, green human resource management (HRM) practices and supportive mechanisms. These findings served as insights for the HR managers who played a supportive role in environment sustainability. This study also found that Green HRM practices within the automobile industry were confined to green training and development, green rewards, green employee involvement and green orientation.

Research limitations/implications

The outcome of this study carries implications for managers and businesses in designing a more sophisticated framework for Green HRM practices for their companies so as to achieve a more progressive sustainable goal. For instance, HR managers who are environment-oriented can play a more active role in environmental sustainability. They can participate directly in developing policies by co-partnering with their SHE colleagues. They can encourage and motivate their employees to apply green practices both at work and in their homes. This integration would eventually create a cascading effect that could reduce the industry's negative impact on environment, thereby developing a more environmentally-friendly society.

Practical implications

This study provided practical implications for both the HR and SHE managers in taking up responsibilities in environmental sustainability. This study also indicated the practical implications for the top management in the automobile industry, especially in the designing of the environmental sustainability framework.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the Green HRM area by understanding and comparing the roles of the HR managers and their counterpart, the SHE managers, in support of environmental sustainability. The comparison would provide a clearer picture on how the implementation of Green HRM can be implemented within the automobile industry.
Capitals and decisions about sustainability in a Brazilian ecocide organization: a narrative analysis based on Bourdieusian sociology
Authors: Lima Zanoni Beatriz , Borim-de-Souza Rafael , Ford Travis Eric , Jan-Chiba Jacques Haruo Fukushigue
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study is to analyze the capitals moved in decisions about sustainability in narratives from and referring to Samarco Minerações, S.A. under a perspective guided by Bourdieusian sociology.

Design/methodology/approach

Oriented by historicist ontology and historical epistemology, this research is classified as qualitative, descriptive and documentary, with narrative analysis and case study. The selected organization-case was Samarco Minerações, S.A. The documentary sources considered were sustainability reports, social networks channels and news published in Brazilian newspapers of high circulation. The collected information was submitted to the narrative analysis method.

Findings

Samarco Minerações, S.A. maintained the sustainability posture before and after the ore tailings dam rupture. The decision models adopted (decentralized) and the moved capitals (economic and technological) after the ecocide revealed a change in the organizational practices in front of a new instability scenario, and the organization’s attempt to reach acknowledgment, legitimacy and power.

Social implications

The organization was selected because of its involvement in an ecocide. The crime generated economic (suspension of tax collection caused by the organizational inactivity), social (unemployment and deaths) and environmental (iron ore tailings contaminated the region’s ecosystem) impacts.

Originality/value

The greatest value and contribution this paper offers is an alternative intermediary methodological approach using Bourdieusian micro-sociology to analyze narratives based on capitals dynamics and doxa. This theoretical and methodological approach can prove fruitful for further research in sustainability studies on other topics, and even in other fields.
Novel genotyping approaches to easily detect genomic admixture between the major Afrotropical malaria vector species, Anopheles coluzzii and An. gambiae
Authors: Caputo Beniamino , Pichler Verena , Bottà Giordano , De Marco Carlo , Hubbart Christina , Perugini Eleonora , Pinto Joao , Rockett Kirk A. , Miles Alistair , della Torre Alessandra
Published: February 2021

The two most efficient and most recently radiated Afrotropical vectors of human malaria – Anopheles coluzzii and An. gambiae – are identified by single‐locus diagnostic PCR assays based on species‐specific markers in a 4 Mb region on chromosome‐X centromere. Inherently, these diagnostic assays cannot detect interspecific autosomal admixture shown to be extensive at the westernmost and easternmost extremes of the species range. The main aim of this study was to develop novel, easy‐to‐implement tools for genotyping An. coluzzii and An. gambiae‐specific ancestral informative markers (AIMs) identified from the Anopheles gambiae 1000 genomes (Ag1000G) project. First, we took advantage of this large set of data in order to develop a multilocus approach to genotype 26 AIMs on all chromosome arms valid across the species range. Second, we tested the multilocus assay on samples from Guinea Bissau, The Gambia and Senegal, three countries spanning the westernmost hybridization zone, where conventional species diagnostic is problematic due to the putative presence of a novel “hybrid form”. The multilocus assay was able to capture patterns of admixture reflecting those revealed by the whole set of AIMs and provided new original data on interspecific admixture in the region. Third, we developed an easy‐to‐use, cost‐effective PCR approach for genotyping two AIMs on chromosome‐3 among those included in the multilocus approach, opening the possibility for advanced identification of species and of admixed specimens during routine large scale entomological surveys, particularly, but not exclusively, at the extremes of the range, where WGS data highlighted unexpected autosomal admixture.
Seniors’ Long‐Term Care in Canada: A Continuum of Soft to Brutal Privatisation
Authors: Molinari Nicole , Pratt Geraldine
Published: February 2021

We situate the contemporary crisis of COVID‐19 deaths in seniors’ care facilities within the restructuring and privatisation of this sector. Through an ethnographic comparison in a for‐profit and nonprofit facility, we explore what we identify as brutal and soft modes of privatisation within publicly subsidised long‐term seniors’ care in Vancouver, British Columbia, and their influence on the material and relational conditions of work and care. Workers in both places are explicit that they deliver only bare‐bones care to seniors with increasingly complex care needs, and we document the distinct forms and extent to which these precarious workers give gifts of their time, labour and other resources to compensate for the gaps in care that result from state withdrawal and the extraction of profits within the sector. We nonetheless locate more humane and hopeful processes in the nonprofit facility, where a history of cooperative relations between workers, management and families suggest the possibility of re‐valuing the essential work of care.
Regenerative treatments for kidney diseases: The closest and fastest strategies to solving related medical and economic problems
Authors: Osafune Kenji
Published: February 2021

Recent advances in developmental biology and stem cell biology have led to the increased availability of extrarenal stem cells, including mesenchymal/stromal stem cells (MSCs), renal stem or progenitor cells isolated from embryonic and adult kidneys, and kidney lineage cells or tissues generated from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), such as human embryonic stem cells and human‐induced pluripotent stem cells. Regenerative medicine strategies for kidney diseases are largely categorized into the transplantation of reconstructed kidney organs and cell therapies. Reconstruction is being attempted by hPSC‐derived kidney lineage cells with various strategies, such as self‐organization, interspecies blastocyst complementation, utilization of a xenogeneic organ niche, decellularization and repopulation, and 3D bioprinting. However, cell therapies using extrarenal stem cells, such as MSCs, and renal stem or progenitor cells derived from embryonic and adult kidneys or differentiated from hPSCs have been investigated in animal models of both acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. Indeed, multiple clinical trials using MSCs, bone marrow stem cells, and kidney‐derived cells have already been carried out. This review summarizes the current status and future perspective of kidney regenerative medicine strategies and discusses the closest and fastest strategies to solving the medical and economic problems associated with kidney diseases.
Identifying Cohorts Using Isotope Mass Spectrometry: The Potential of Temporal Resolution and Dietary Profiles
Authors: Beaumont Julia , Bekvalac Jelena , Harris Samuel , Batt Catherine M.
Published: February 2021

Archaeological skeletal material from most sites represents a cross‐sectional, opportunistic sample of the burials. These are influenced by the proportion and area of the site that is excavated, the taphonomic conditions, and survival of tissues. This may not be representative of the population, and in an attritional cemetery may represent a long period of use, during which humans will have differing life courses. Here we describe a commingled skeletal assemblage, the only human remains recovered from the historically significant medieval site of St Stephen's Chapel, Palace of Westminster, London. Using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope ratios of bulk bone collagen and incremental dentine to investigate dietary life histories from five individuals, we combine the evidence with radiocarbon dating to assign them to two different temporal cohorts.
Nitrous oxide‐induced neurotoxicity: A case report and literature review
Authors: Thayabaran Darmiga , Burrage Daniel
Published: February 2021

Nitrous oxide is an increasingly popular recreational drug. However, recurrent or prolonged use can be associated with nitrous oxide toxicity, with numerous reports of harm documented in the literature. Nitrous oxide irreversibly binds and inactivates vitamin B12, which is an important co‐factor in metabolic pathways involved in DNA and myelin synthesis. Toxicity is therefore associated with vitamin B12 deficiency‐related syndromes, primarily involving haematological and neurological systems. As a “legal high”, nitrous oxide use has attracted repeated health warnings from experts. An awareness and understanding of the pathophysiology and management of nitrous oxide toxicity is therefore important for clinicians. We discuss the case of a 29‐year‐old man presenting with nitrous oxide‐induced sensorimotor neuropathy and review the existing literature surrounding toxicity.
Inactivation of SERCA2 Cys674 accelerates aortic aneurysms by suppressing PPARγ
Authors: Que Yumei , Shu Xi , Wang Langtao , Wang Sai , Li Siqi , Hu Pingping , Tong Xiaoyong
Published: February 2021

Background and Purpose

Inactivation of Cys674 (C674) in the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase 2 (SERCA2) causes intracellular Ca2+ accumulation, which activates calcineurin‐mediated nuclear factor of activated T‐lymphocytes (NFAT)/NF‐κB pathways, and results in the phenotypic modulation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to accelerate angiotensin II‐induced aortic aneurysms. Our goal was to investigate the mechanism involved.

Experimental Approach

We used heterozygous SERCA2 C674S knock‐in (SKI) mice, where half of C674 was substituted by serine, to mimic partial irreversible oxidation of C674. The aortas of SKI mice and their littermate wild‐type mice were collected for RNA sequencing, cell culture, protein expression, luciferase activity and aortic aneurysm analysis.

Key Results

Inactivation of C674 inhibited the promoter activity and protein expression of PPARγ, which could be reversed by inhibitors of calcineurin or NF‐κB. In SKI SMCs, inhibition of NF‐κB by pyrrolidinedithiocarbamic acid (PDTC) or overexpression of PPARγ2 reversed the protein expression of SMC phenotypic modulation markers and inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and macrophage adhesion to SMCs. Pioglitazone, a PPARγ agonist, blocked the activation of NFAT/NF‐κB, reversed the protein expression of SMC phenotypic modulation markers, and inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and macrophage adhesion to SMCs in SKI SMCs. Furthermore, pioglitazone also ameliorated angiotensin II‐induced aortic aneurysms in SKI mice.

Conclusions and Implications

The inactivation of SERCA2 C674 promotes the development of aortic aneurysms by disrupting the balance between PPARγ and NFAT/NF‐κB. Our study highlights the importance of C674 redox status in regulating PPARγ to maintain aortic homeostasis.
Horizontal spread of pericolic lymph node metastasis as a prognostic factor for recurrence in Stage III colorectal cancer
Authors: Sasaki Taketo , Shigeta Kohei , Okabayashi Koji , Tsuruta Masashi , Seishima Ryo , Matsui Shimpei , Kitagawa Yuko
Published: February 2021

Aim

Main lymph node (LN) metastasis dissected with a high vascular tie at the root of the feeding artery is a poor prognostic factor in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the effects of horizontal spread on recurrence after curative resection remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the horizontal spread of LN metastasis and recurrence in CRC.

Method

In this retrospective study, 189 CRC patients (98 men, 91 women) who underwent curative resection at our hospital from 2003 to 2018 and had only pericolic LN metastasis were divided into two groups: patients with LN metastasis beside the tumour only (T group, n = 121) and those with LN metastasis with horizontal spread (S group, n = 68) (mean follow‐up period 50.9 ± 34.1 months). The primary outcome was recurrence‐free survival (RFS). We investigated the correlation between clinicopathological background factors and recurrence using Cox regression analysis.

Results

Fewer than three LN metastases (N1) were found in 157 patients (107 T group, 50 S group), and four or more metastases (N2a) were found in 32 patients (14 T group, 18 S group). Univariate analyses revealed significantly shorter RFS in the S group [hazard ratio (HR) 1.95, 95% CI 1.07–3.55; p = 0.03). Multivariate analyses revealed that horizontal spread is an independent risk factor for recurrence (HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.05–3.68; p = 0.03).

Conclusion

Although further investigation is needed, horizontal spread of LN metastasis is a prognostic factor for recurrence in Stage III CRC.
CD8+ T‐cell predominance in autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy
Authors: Yuan Zhongmin , Li Huilu , Huang Lu , Fu Congcong , Chen Yaotang , Zhi Cheng , Qiu Wei , Long Youming
Published: February 2021

Background and objective

We aimed to report the pathological features of T lymphocytes in autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytopathy (GFAP‐A).

Methods

A retrospective pathological analysis of patients with GFAP‐A was performed.

Results

Eight patients with GFAP‐immunoglobulin G (IgG) and pathological data were included. Their biopsy findings were similar, and all showed marked lymphocytic infiltration in the white matter, with perivascular predominance. The lymphocytic infiltration was predominantly composed of CD8+ T lymphocytes rather than CD4+ T lymphocytes, except in one patient who had overlapping positive myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein‐IgG. Unlike CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells were frequently observed adjacent to dystrophic neurons and astrocytes. There was also diffuse infiltration by CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages. CD8+ astrocytes were identified in two samples, but no CD4+ astrocytes were observed.

Conclusions

A predominance of CD8+ T cells may be an important pathological and diagnostic feature in GFAP‐A.
Nursing interventions for pressure injury prevention among critically ill patients: A systematic review
Authors: Alshahrani Bassam , Sim Jenny , Middleton Rebekkah
Published: February 2021

Aim

To systemically synthesise the evidence on the most effective nursing interventions to prevent pressure injuries among critical care patients.

Background

Although pressure injury (PI) prevention is a focus of nursing care in critical care units, hospital‐acquired pressure injuries continue to occur in these settings.

Design

A systematic review of literature guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses (PRISMA) and Synthesis without meta‐analysis (SWiM) guidelines.

Methods

Four electronic databases were searched for relevant studies. Included studies were screened and then critically appraised using the appropriate Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tool. Data were analysed and reported using a narrative synthesis.

Results

The review included 14 studies. Randomised controlled trials, quasi‐experimental, case series and cross‐sectional studies were included. The review identified four broad categories of interventions that are the most effective for preventing pressure injuries: (a) PI prevention bundles, (b) repositioning and the use of surface support, (c) prevention of medical device‐related pressure injuries and (d) access to expertise. All the included studies reported a reduction in pressure injuries following the interventions; however, the strength of the evidence was rated from moderate to very low.

Conclusions

Nurses are well qualified to lead in the prevention of pressure injuries in critical care units. Every critically ill patient requires interventions to prevent pressure injuries, and the prevention of PIs should be considered a complex intervention. Nurses must plan and implement evidence‐based care to prevent all types of pressure injuries, including medical device‐related pressure injuries. Education and training programmes for nurses on PI prevention are important for prevention of pressure injuries.

Relevance to clinical practice

Nursing interventions should consist of evidence‐based ‘bundles’ and be adapted to patients’ needs. To prevent pressure injuries among critically ill patients, nurses must be competent and highly educated and ensure fundamental strategies are routinely implemented to improve mobility and offload pressure.
The value of information and support; Experiences among patients with prostate cancer
Authors: Aunan Siv Tove , Wallgren Gry Ciekals , Hansen Britt Sætre
Published: February 2021

Aims and objectives

To explore and analyse prostate cancer survivors` experiences and critical reflections of information received during their cancer trajectory.

Background

Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in men worldwide. Treatment causes side effects such as urinary incontinence, bowel changes and erection problems influencing sex life and manhood. Cancer pathways are designed to give patients and their relatives a predictable and as stress‐free as possible treatment trajectory and minimise waiting time.

Design

Qualitative, explorative research design.

Methods

Focus groups with 16 prostate cancer survivors after having participated in an educational programme. The COREQ checklist was followed to ensure rigour in the study.

Results

The main theme, ‘Help me stay in control’, and three subthemes, ‘To be met with interest and support, enough knowledge to understand what is happening and a plan to build the new life on’, emerged from qualitative analysis and highlighted the participants’ need for information and support, specially scheduled at critical times in the treatment trajectory: the diagnostic phase, the treatment phase and the life after treatment. They also highlighted the need for empathy and interest from healthcare professionals and highlighted the need for arenas to discuss vulnerable topics. Contact with peers was perceived as supportive and encouraging.

Conclusion

Healthcare professionals must support prostate cancer survivors with empathy, interest and information tailored to their needs in three different phases. Continuity in information flow may increase trust and satisfaction among the prostate cancer survivors.

Relevance to clinical practice

PCa patients’ need for information varied at critical times in their treatment trajectory. HCP should meet them with empathy and interest to be able to tailor their need for information and support.
Prevalence of NAFLD, MAFLD and associated advanced fibrosis in the contemporary United States population
Authors: Ciardullo Stefano , Perseghin Gianluca
Published: February 2021

Data are limited on the epidemiological implications of the recent change in terminology from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to metabolic dysfunction‐associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). We therefore performed a cross‐sectional study of adults recruited in the 2017‐2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a representative sample of the general US population. The prevalence of NAFLD and MAFLD based on controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) obtained through vibration‐controlled transient elastography (VCTE) were 37.1% (95% CI 34.0‐40.4) and 39.1% (95% CI 36.3‐42.1), respectively, with higher rates among Hispanic individuals. Agreement between the two definitions was high (Cohen's κ 0.92). Patients with NAFLD and MAFLD also showed similar risk of advanced liver fibrosis (7.5% and 7.4% respectively). Our results suggest that the recent change in diagnostic criteria did not affect the prevalence of the condition in the general United States population.
With a frown or a smile: How leader affective states spark the leader‐follower reciprocal exchange process
Authors: Bartels Amy L. , Nahrgang Jennifer D. , Sessions Hudson , Wilson Kelly Schwind , Wu Lusi , Law‐Penrose Jared
Published: February 2021

Despite evidence that affect shapes perceptions of workplace relationships, the role of affect in the reciprocal exchange process of leader–member exchange (LMX) theory is often overlooked. We argue that this is likely due to a continued focus on global assessments of LMX quality, rather than examination of the reciprocal, interlocked actions and reactions that take place daily between members of the dyad. A leader's affective state may indeed spark this reciprocal exchange process on a daily level and ultimately shape the state of the leader–follower relationship. In this study, we integrate LMX theory and emotions‐as‐social‐information (EASI) theory to examine how the leader's negative and positive affective states uniquely contribute to the reciprocal exchange process. In doing so, we advance understanding of the distinction of state LMX as well as the unique process for leader's negative affective state within the reciprocal exchange process. Using a 15‐day experience sampling methodology study of 76 leader–follower dyads, we find that a leader's positive and negative affective states transmit effects along the affective and inferential paths posited in EASI theory to influence follower performance on a daily basis. Interestingly, a leader's positive affective state is stronger along the affective path and a leader's negative affective state is stronger along the inferential path. We also find that leaders reciprocate the daily shift in follower performance with OCBI directed toward the follower. Finally, as expected, the reciprocal exchange process alters state LMX (leader rated).
A Need to Revise Human Exposure Limits for Ultraviolet UV‐C Radiation†
Authors: Sliney David H. , Stuck Bruce E.
Published: February 2021

The COVID‐19 pandemic has greatly heightened interest in ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) as an important intervention strategy to disinfect air in medical treatment facilities and public indoor spaces. However, a major drawback of UVGI is the challenge posed by assuring safe installation of potentially hazardous short‐wavelength (UV‐C) ultraviolet lamps. Questions have arisen regarding what appear to be unusually conservative exposure limit values in the UV‐C spectral band between 180 and 280 nm. We review the bases for the current limits and proposes some adjustments that would provide separate limits for the eye and the skin at wavelengths less than 300 nm and to increase both skin and eye limits in the UV‐C below 250 nm.