bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Canal Blocking on Hydrological Restoration in Degraded Peat Swamp Forest Post-Forest Fires in Central Kalimantan
Authors: Suwito D , Suratman  , Poedjirahajoe E
Published: April 2022

Tropical peat swamp forest is one of the wetland ecosystems on tropical peatlands with many ecological, economic, and socio-cultural functions. In Indonesia, the peat swamp forest ecosystems have been experiencing deforestation and degradation due to land clearing for plantations and agriculture and forest fires. In Central Kalimantan, especially in the ex-area of the 1 million hectares mega rice project (MRP)n in the 1990s, hydrological restoration is done by blocking the canals. We compared the three methods of canal blocking and the areas without canal blocking and the community’s preference on what form of canal blocking is more beneficial for them. Large canal blocking, medium canal blocking, and small canal blocking had positively affected the groundwater level in the driest month above the fire-prone critical point. In contrast, the locations without blocking exceed the necessary fire-prone water level. Small, large, and medium blocking are equally capable of optimizing the peat soil water table. However, the local communities preferred small blocking over other methods because it was simple, labour-intensive, and improved their livelihood when involved in its construction. The local communities choose the big canal blockings less because they block transportation access in and out of the peat swamp forest.
The Effect of Moisture Content and Time of Heat Moisture Treatment (HMT) on The Properties of Jack Bean (Canavalia Ensiformis) Starch
Authors: Ariyantoro A R , Yulviatun A , Affandi D R , Septiarani A
Published: April 2022

Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) is one of Indonesia’s local legumes containing 61.15% of carbohydrates and 33.32% of protein. Natural starch has been limitedly used in food products due to its weak characteristics, especially the instability against heat and shear treatment. Heat Moisture Treatment (HMT) is a favoured method to improve starch durability during processing since it leaves no chemical residue. The HMT temperature, moisture content, and time applied could vary according to the starch’s original characteristics. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the use of 110°C HMT with three different moisture contents and durations for modifying jack bean starch properties and to obtain the best treatment resulting in the desired starch properties. This study was designed by using Completely Randomized Design (CRD) for two factors, moisture contents (27%, 30%, 33%) and time (10h, 13h, 16h). The results suggested that HMT significantly decreases whiteness, and moisture content. At the same time, it increases water absorption, solubility, and swelling power. The starch’s properties changed significantly following the variation of moisture contents and HMT time. The treatment which resulted in the most thermostable starch obtained in this study was the HMT that applies 33% of moisture content for 10 hours (HMT 33%+10 h).
Brown Plant Hopper and Blast to environmental friendly of rain-fed rice in Yogyakarta
Authors: Yolanda K , Pustika A B , Kobarsih M , Afriani R , Anggara A W , Pramono J
Published: April 2022

There is a challenge to increase the productivity of rain-fed rice in Yogyakarta. However, brown plant hopper and blast disease are the main constraint. Tolerant varieties are suggested due to its environmental friendly to increase rice yield. This research was aimed to determine the population of brown plant hopper and blast disease as the effect of varieties improvement in increasing rain-fed rice productivity. Research was conducted in Nglipar Gunungkidul Yogyakarta, from September 2018 to January 2019. Experimental design was randomized block design with 6 treatments and 4 replications. The treatments were six rain-fed rice varieties (Inpago 8, Inpago 10, Inpago 12, Inpago Unsoed, Rindang 1, and Rindang 2) with two control varieties (Inpari 42 and Ciherang). Results showed that Brown Plant Hopper population and blast disease intensity in Inpago 10, Inpago 12, and Inpago Unsoed were lower than in other varieties. Yield of Inpago 8, Inpago 10, Inpago 12, Inpago Unsoed, Rindang 1, Rindang 2, Inpari 42 and Ciherang were 6.20, 7.37, 7.01, 7.49, 6.20, 6.84, 6.97, and 4.00 ton ha-1, respectively. Varieties improvement resulted higher rice productivity compared to Ciherang as existing variety in farmers practices.
Products of cassava leaves and cutcherry leaves from various compositions of intercropping pattern
Authors: Maryana  , Suwardi  , Widodo R. A. , Priyanto S.
Published: April 2022

The experiment of intercropping cultivation of cassava and cutcherry plants to harvest the leaves that was fertilized organically. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of organic fertilizer on the total leaf yield of each plant, the efficiency of the land area and the efficiency of the time span of its cultivation. The experiment was carried out at the Practical Garden, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Yogyakarta, Wedomartani, Yogyakarta 55584 from September 2020 to January 2021, altitude 110 m above sea level, soil type Regosol. The research method was divided plot design with two treatments and repeated three times. The main plots consisted of organic fertilization with manure at a dose of 30 t/ha (P1), 40 t/ha (P2) and 50 t/ha (P3). The sub-plots were intercropped with a composition of (25% cassava + 100% cutcherry )/S1; (50% cassava + 100% cutcherry)/S2; (75% cassava + 100% cutcherry)/S3; (100% cassava + 0% cutcherry)/S0; and (0% cassava + 100% cutcherry)/K0. Observational data then calculated by analysis of variance.. The results showed that the dose of manure had no significant effect, but the intercropping pattern had a significant effect on leaf production. The highest yield of cassava leaves was in the intercropping pattern S3, although it was not significantly different from the intercropping pattern S2, while the yield of cutcherry leaves was almost the same in all intercropping patterns. The best intercropping pattern is the composition of (75% cassava + 100% cutcherry)/S3.
The Appearance Of Mutations From Three Varieties Of Longan Used Gamma Rays
Authors: Habibullah M , Wahyudiningsih T S , Haryono G , Rahmiyah M , Farid N
Published: April 2022

The need for fruit in Indonesia is increasing every year along with the increase in population. The increasing demand for longan fruit with good quality and small seeds (seedless), it is necessary to plant breeding. Longan plant improvement can be done by various methods, one of which is mutation method with gamma ray radiation. This study aims to determine the diversity of longan plant mutants and changes in the character of longan plants due to mutations of gamma ray radiation. In this study, three varieties were used, namely longan Itoh, Wusan, and Kateki with two doses of gamma irradiation, namely 50 and 60 gray (Gy). There are changes in plants, namely in the morphological character and the rate of photosynthesis. The percentage of vegetative propragation was 1%.
Crop Performance and Farming Analyses of ‘Merah Delima’ Papaya and ‘California’ Papaya on Sub-Optimal Land in Jambi
Authors: Edi S , Purnamayani R
Published: April 2022

Papaya is a tropical fruit that is in great demand by the community at an affordable price and can adapt to various types of soil, including sub-optimal land. Jambi province has a quite large area of sub-optimal land. The aim of the study was to determine the growth, production, and farming analysis of Merah Delima and California Papaya on sub-optimal land. The research was carried out at the Agricultural Technology Park in Suka Maju Village, Geragai District, East Tanjung Jabung Regency, Jambi. Parameters observed included vegetative and generative plant performance and farming analysis. The results showed that Merah Delima Papaya provided advantages in production parameters, namely the number of fruit and fruit weight. California papaya provides a fruit weight per grain. The analysis of profitable papaya farming has a total profit of Rp. 104,736,000,- per hectare for Merah Delima papaya and Rp. 61,728,000,- per hectare for papaya California. The results of the analysis of the BC ratio value of 2.95 for the Merah Delima papaya and the BC ratio of 1.95 for the California papaya, indicated that farming of these two papaya varieties provided benefits and would be feasible to cultivate.
Sustainability Partnership Production of Corn Seed Between Factory and Farmer
Authors: Cahyadi W D , Hamidah S , Widayanto B
Published: April 2022

The partnership relationship will be sustainable if the results of cooperation occur repeatedly and are mutually beneficial. This process continues until it creates a rule or norm of business relations in the pattern of partnership behavior. In this condition, the partnership relationship can be said to have been institutionalized, and will even last forever. The continuity of the partnership relationship can be determined by the values or stable positive behavior patterns of the partners. Therefore, there is a need for a study of (1) the role of each partnering party, namely PT. Agri Makmur Pertiwi, grower and Sidodadi Farmer Group, and (2) sustainability of partnership in hybrid corn seed production. The research uses qualitative methods with the type of case study research. The technique of determining the informants is done purposively. Data collection techniques by observation, interviews, and documentation, while data analysis techniques using source and time triangulation techniques. The results of the study show that (1) The role of the company includes establishing an MoU, providing source seeds, loan for fertilizer capital costs, field supervision, quality control, mentoring, and supplying production inputs. The role of the grower is none other than ensuring the existence of land, distributing seeds, production inputs, borrowing capital costs, and maintaining plants until harvesting. Meanwhile, the role of the Sidodadi Farmer Group is to provide land, collect farmer data, manage seeds, and care for harvesting. (2) The partnership program can continue with several conditions from several parties, namely from the Sidodadi Farmer Group requesting that prices at the farmer level be increased, while from the grower requesting that the supply of pesticides and medicines not be late, while the company requests that corn seeds produced by the provisions of the company.
Effect of Oxathiapiproline-Famoxadone fungicide and Trichoderma sp. on Control of Downy Mildew and the Growth of Maize
Authors: Yelli F , Prasetyo J , Maryono T , Fransiska M
Published: April 2022

Downy mildew caused by Peronosclerospora spp. is a major limiting factor in maize production in Indonesia. Susceptible varieties can have yield losses of around 90 to 100%. The continuous use of metalaxyl has triggered resistance to downy mildew. Therefore, it is necessary to have other fungicides that can replace the use of metalaxyl. In this study, the oxathiapiproline- famoxadone was tested in combination with the fungus Trichoderma sp. as an alternative to metalaxyl. This study used a randomized complete block design. The treatments were arranged in a factorial with 2 factors. The first factor was fungicide (without/F0 and with fungicide/F1). The second factor was Trichoderma sp., i.e. T0 (without Trichoderma sp), T1 (Trichoderma sp. 106 spores/ml), T2 (Trichoderma sp. 107 spores/ ml), and T3 (Trichoderma sp. 108 spores/ml). The results showed that oxathiapiproline-famoxadone was able to suppress downy mildew, while the application of Trichoderma sp. did not affect the control of downy mildew and maize plant growth. Fungicide application and Trichoderma sp. 107 spores/ml suppressed disease severity at 7 days after inoculation with Peronosclerospora sp.
Response Analysis of Tobacco Supply in Indonesia
Authors: Suprihanti Antik
Published: April 2022

Tobacco is one of the important plants in Indonesia. The control of tobacco and fewer incentives on tobacco production caused the growth production of tobacco slowly. It impact to the decrease of farmers’ income. The objects of this research are to analyze factors that influence tobacco supply in terms of planted area and quantity of tobacco production, also to analyze the response of tobacco supply cause the factors influencing. The method of the research used a descriptive method by using time series secondary data for 30 years from 1990 to 2019. Data are taken from some institutions and literature. The analysis method used partial distributed lag Nerlove’s model that is popular in supply response studies which used Ordinary Least Square. Results indicated that tobacco supply response to the wage of labor, planted area, and trend of technology. Tobacco production in Indonesia not only positively influenced to variables of tobacco area, and trend of technology but also response to these variables. Therefore, extensification and intensification are need it to increase tobacco supply.
Numerical simulation of extremely severe corrosion of the STK400 graded steel pipe pile in Southern Vietnam’s brackish environment: effects on macrocell corrosion of seawater flow and tide
Authors: Pham Ngoc-Thanh , Vuong Vinh-Dat , Tran Toan Viet , Le Thang Van , Vu Anh Quang
Published: April 2022

In the recent work, a field test in which an STK400 steel pipe pile was vertically driven into the sea bed was conducted in Southern Vietnam’s brackish environment. After 5 years of exposure, the steel pipe pile was uniformly corroded in the immersion zone but two penetrated holes (formed a 152° central angle) appeared near the low water level. This severe corrosion can not be explained experimentally. Therefore, two numerical models have been individually built to calculate the corrosion distribution on a steel pipe pile surface. The results of these models help to explain this observation. The differential aeration due to the tidal condition and seawater flow is confirmed to be the cause of this field test observation. The first model accounting for the effects of tide shows that a macroscopic corrosion cell (along the pipe length) is formed. The cathodic kinetics are only strongly enhanced near the seawater surface (which changes over time and belongs to the tidal condition) while the rest is controlled by the limited-diffusion phenomenon. Therefore, a cathode is formed underneath the seawater surface and receives a protective current from the deeper steel surface (acts as an anode) where these two holes may appear. The second model considering the effects of seawater flow successfully locates two highly active anodic areas being in agreement with the position of the two penetrated holes observed in the field test.
Derived equivalences and equivariant Jordan decomposition
Authors: Ruhstorfer Lucas
Published: April 2022

The Bonnafé–Rouquier equivalence can be seen as a modular analogue of Lusztig’s Jordan decomposition for groups of Lie type. In this paper, we show that this equivalence can be lifted to include automorphisms of the finite group of Lie type. Moreover, we prove the existence of a local version of this equivalence which satisfies similar properties.
Ramsey theory over partitions III: Strongly Luzin sets and partition relations
Authors: Kojman Menachem , Rinot Assaf , Steprāns Juris
Published: April 2022

The strongest type of coloring of pairs of countable ordinals, gotten by Todorčević from a strongly Luzin set, is shown to be equivalent to the existence of a nonmeager set of reals of size

ℵ
1

\aleph _1

. In the other direction, it is shown that the existence of both a strongly Luzin set and a coherent Souslin tree is compatible with the existence of a countable partition of pairs of countable ordinals such that no coloring is strong over it.

This clarifies the interaction between a gallery of coloring assertions going back to Luzin and Sierpiński a hundred years ago.
Tropicalization of graph profiles
Authors: Blekherman Grigoriy , Raymond Annie , Singh Mohit , Thomas Rekha
Published: April 2022

A graph profile records all possible densities of a fixed finite set of graphs. Profiles can be extremely complicated; for instance the full profile of any triple of connected graphs is not known, and little is known about hypergraph profiles. We introduce the tropicalization of graph and hypergraph profiles. Tropicalization is a well-studied operation in algebraic geometry, which replaces a variety (the set of real or complex solutions to a finite set of algebraic equations) with its “combinatorial shadow”. We prove that the tropicalization of a graph profile is a closed convex cone, which still captures interesting combinatorial information. We explicitly compute these tropicalizations for arbitrary sets of complete and star hypergraphs. We show they are rational polyhedral cones even though the corresponding profiles are not even known to be semialgebraic in some of these cases. We then use tropicalization to prove strong restrictions on the power of the sums of squares method, equivalently Cauchy-Schwarz calculus, to test (which is weaker than certification) the validity of graph density inequalities. In particular, we show that sums of squares cannot test simple binomial graph density inequalities, or even their approximations. Small concrete examples of such inequalities are presented, and include the famous Blakley-Roy inequalities for paths of odd length. As a consequence, these simple inequalities cannot be written as a rational sum of squares of graph densities.
Trisomy 21 increases microtubules and disrupts centriolar satellite localization
Authors: McCurdy Bailey L. , Jewett Cayla E. , Stemm-Wolf Alexander J. , Duc Huy Nguyen , Joshi Molishree , Espinosa Joaquin M. , Prekeris Rytis , Pearson Chad G.
Published: April 2022

This article explores why elevated pericentrin in trisomy 21 negatively impacts primary cilia. It is found that elevated pericentrin produces more pericentrosomal puncta that associate with and increase microtubules. Elevated pericentrin and microtubules mislocalize centriolar satellites in a pericentrosomal crowd.
Mandatory Cooperation
Authors: Ripstein Arthur
Published: April 2022

My aim in this paper is to develop a new model of the obligation to do your part in contributing to the provision of what are frequently described as ‘public goods’. I will situate my account in a broadly Kantian account of the state as a public rightful condition, which enjoys powers that no private person could enjoy, in the service of its distinctively public mandate. The exercise of those powers imposes special duties on the state, which require it to provide distinctively public goods. As an artificial person, the state can only act through natural persons; doing your part enables the state to achieve its distinctively public purposes.
Characterizing and explaining the impact of disease-associated mutations in proteins without known structures or structural homologs
Authors: Sen Neeladri , Anishchenko Ivan , Bordin Nicola , Sillitoe Ian , Velankar Sameer , Baker David , Orengo Christine
Published: April 2022

Mutations in human proteins lead to diseases. The structure of these proteins can help understand the mechanism of such diseases and develop therapeutics against them. With improved deep learning techniques, such as RoseTTAFold and AlphaFold, we can predict the structure of proteins even in the absence of structural homologs. We modeled and extracted the domains from 553 disease-associated human proteins without known protein structures or close homologs in the Protein Databank. We noticed that the model quality was higher and the Root mean square deviation (RMSD) lower between AlphaFold and RoseTTAFold models for domains that could be assigned to CATH families as compared to those which could only be assigned to Pfam families of unknown structure or could not be assigned to either. We predicted ligand-binding sites, protein–protein interfaces and conserved residues in these predicted structures. We then explored whether the disease-associated missense mutations were in the proximity of these predicted functional sites, whether they destabilized the protein structure based on ddG calculations or whether they were predicted to be pathogenic. We could explain 80% of these disease-associated mutations based on proximity to functional sites, structural destabilization or pathogenicity. When compared to polymorphisms, a larger percentage of disease-associated missense mutations were buried, closer to predicted functional sites, predicted as destabilizing and pathogenic. Usage of models from the two state-of-the-art techniques provide better confidence in our predictions, and we explain 93 additional mutations based on RoseTTAFold models which could not be explained based solely on AlphaFold models.
Structural progression of Alzheimer’s disease over decades: the MRI staging scheme
Authors: Planche Vincent , Manjon José V. , Mansencal Boris , Lanuza Enrique , Tourdias Thomas , Catheline Gwenaëlle , Coupé Pierrick
Published: April 2022

The chronological progression of brain atrophy over decades, from pre-symptomatic to dementia stages, has never been formally depicted in Alzheimer’s disease. This is mainly due to the lack of cohorts with long enough MRI follow-ups in cognitively unimpaired young participants at baseline. To describe a spatiotemporal atrophy staging of Alzheimer’s disease at the whole-brain level, we built extrapolated lifetime volumetric models of healthy and Alzheimer’s disease brain structures by combining multiple large-scale databases (n = 3512 quality controlled MRI from 9 cohorts of subjects covering the entire lifespan, including 415 MRI from ADNI1, ADNI2 and AIBL for Alzheimer’s disease patients). Then, we validated dynamic models based on cross-sectional data using external longitudinal data. Finally, we assessed the sequential divergence between normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease volumetric trajectories and described the following staging of brain atrophy progression in Alzheimer’s disease: (i) hippocampus and amygdala; (ii) middle temporal gyrus; (iii) entorhinal cortex, parahippocampal cortex and other temporal areas; (iv) striatum and thalamus and (v) middle frontal, cingular, parietal, insular cortices and pallidum. We concluded that this MRI scheme of atrophy progression in Alzheimer’s disease was close but did not entirely overlap with Braak staging of tauopathy, with a ‘reverse chronology’ between limbic and entorhinal stages. Alzheimer’s disease structural progression may be associated with local tau accumulation but may also be related to axonal degeneration in remote sites and other limbic-predominant associated proteinopathies.
The Impact of Vitamin A Deficiency on Tuberculosis Progression
Authors: Podell Brendan K , Aibana Omowunmi , Huang Chuan-Chin , DiLisio James E , Harris Macallister C , Ackart David F , Armann Kody , Grover Alexander , Severe Patrice , Juste Marc Antoine Jean , Dupnik Kathryn , Basaraba Randall J , Murray Megan B
Published: April 2022

Background

Although previous studies have shown that vitamin A deficiency is associated with incident tuberculosis (TB) disease, the direction of the association has not been established. We investigated the impact of vitamin A deficiency on TB disease progression.

Methods

We conducted a longitudinal cohort study nested within a randomized clinical trial among HIV-infected patients in Haiti. We compared serial vitamin A levels in individuals who developed TB disease to controls matched on age, gender, follow-up time, and time to antiretroviral therapy initiation. We also evaluated histopathology, bacterial load, and immune outcomes in TB infection in a guinea pig model of dietary vitamin A deficiency.

Results

Among 773 participants, 96 developed incident TB during follow-up, 62.5% (60) of whom had stored serum samples obtained 90–365 days before TB diagnosis. In age- and sex- adjusted and multivariate analyses, respectively, incident TB cases were 3.99 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.41 to 6.60) and 3.59 times (95% CI, 2.05 to 6.29) more likely to have been vitamin A deficient than matched controls. Vitamin A–deficient guinea pigs manifested more extensive pulmonary pathology, atypical granuloma morphology, and increased bacterial growth after experimental TB infection. Reintroduction of dietary vitamin A to deficient guinea pigs after established TB disease successfully abrogated severe disease manifestations and altered cellular immune profiles.

Conclusions

Human and animal studies support the role of baseline vitamin A deficiency as a determinant of future TB disease progression.
Estimating the social and spatial impacts of Covid mitigation strategies in United Kingdom regions: synthetic data and dashboards
Authors: Wallace Rosalind , Franklin Rachel , Grant-Muller Susan , Heppenstall Alison , Houlden Victoria
Published: April 2022

This study advances understanding of the broader social and spatial impacts of COVID-19 restrictive measures, particularly how they may have impacted individuals and households and, in turn, the geographic areas in which these individuals and households are concentrated. Data are combined and linked to a novel individual-level synthetic dataset and an interactive dashboard is developed to assist with the identification and understanding of the social and spatial impacts of restrictions. To illustrate the utility of this approach, the analysis focuses on the impact of three restrictions within a defined spatial area: Yorkshire and Humberside (UK). Results highlight the additive nature of restriction impacts and suggest areas that may have the least future resilience as policy priority areas. This approach is transferable to other regions and the use of the dashboard allows rapid consideration and communication of the social and spatial nature of inequalities to researchers, practitioners and the general public.
Federated Learning Communication-Efficiency Framework via Corset Construction
Authors: Li Kaiju , Wang Hao
Published: April 2022

Federated learning (FL) can learn a shared global model across multiple client devices without breaching privacy requirements. But an essential challenge is that devices in FL usually have limited network bandwidth, resulting in inefficient communication as an important bottleneck for FL implementation. Current studies try to overcome this shortcoming by compressing the number of model update bits uploaded by every client. But they did not explore the underlying reason why redundant parameters are generated. In this paper, we propose Corset-Based Federated Learning framework (CBFL) —a novel FL communication framework from the perspective of redundancy data. Instead of training full datasets on a regular network model, CBFL trains a much smaller evolution network model on extracted corset, which intrinsically reduces the overall transmission bits and obtains efficient computation while maintaining a desirable model accuracy. In CBFL, a novel Fedcorset construction algorithm at selected clients and a further distributed model evolution scheme to fit the constructed corset are included. The training model size is dynamically adapted to the corset, either removing a fraction of unimportant or adding important connections at each communication iteration. Experimental results show that CBFL transfers about 13% of communication bits and saves around 56% computing time while having only 2% destination in model accuracy.
An evolutionary explanation for antibiotics’ association with increased colon cancer risk
Authors: Voskarides Konstantinos
Published: April 2022

More than 10 studies have confirmed the association of antibiotic overuse with colorectal cancer. The exact cause is unknown, but most authors hypothesize that disturbance of colon microbiota is the main culprit. In this commentary, an evolutionary explanation is proposed. It is well known that antibiotics can induce antibiotic resistance in bacteria through selection of mutators—DNA mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) strains. Mutators have an increased survival potential due to their high mutagenesis rate. Antibiotics can also cause stress in human cells. Selection of dMMR colon cells may be advantageous under this stress, mimicking selection of bacterial mutators. Concomitantly, mismatch repair deficiency is a common cause of cancer, this may explain the increased cancer risk after multiple cycles of oral antibiotics. This proposed rationale is described in detail, along with supporting evidence from the peer-reviewed literature and suggestions for testing hypothesis validity. Treatment schemes could be re-evaluated, considering toxicity and somatic selection mechanisms.

Lay Summary

The association of antibiotics with colon cancer is well established but of unknown cause. Under an evolutionary framework, antibiotics may select for stress-resistant cancerous cells that lack mechanisms for DNA mismatch repair (MMR). This mimics the selection of antibiotic resistant ‘mutators’—MMR-deficient micro-organisms—highly adaptive due to their increased mutagenesis rate.
Eutrophication in subtropical lakes reinforces the dominance of balanced-variation component in temporal bacterioplankton community heterogeneity by lessening stochastic processes
Authors: Jiao Congcong , Zhao Dayong , Zeng Jin , Wu Qinglong L
Published: April 2022

Unveiling the rules of bacterioplankton community assembly in anthropogenically disturbed lakes is a crucial issue in aquatic ecology. However, it is unclear how the ecological processes underlying the seasonally driven bacterioplankton community structure respond to varying degrees of lake eutrophication. We, therefore, collected water samples from three subtropical freshwater lakes with various trophic states (i.e. oligo-mesotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic states) on a quarterly basis between 2017 and 2018. To innovatively increase our understanding of bacterioplankton community assembly along the trophic state gradient, the total bacterioplankton community dissimilarity was subdivided into balanced variation in abundances and abundance gradients. The results indicated that balanced-variation component rather than abundance-gradient component dominated the total temporal β-diversity of bacterioplankton communities across all trophic categories. Ecological stochasticity contributed more to the overall bacterioplankton community assembly in the oligo-mesotrophic and mesotrophic lakes than in the eutrophic lake. The reduced bacterioplankton network complexity at the eutrophic level was closely associated with the enhancement of environmental filtering, showing that bacterioplankton communities in eutrophic lakes are likely to be less stable and more vulnerable to water quality degradation. Together, this study offers essential clues for biodiversity conservation in subtropical lakes under future intensified eutrophication.
Heterocyte production, gene expression, and phylogeography in Raphidiopsis (=Cylindrospermopsis) raciborskii
Authors: Marques Laísa Corrêa Braga , Lima Joni Esrom , Pimentel Juliana da Silva Martins , Giani Alessandra
Published: April 2022

Raphidiopsis (=Cylindrospermopsis) raciborskii was described as a subtropical-tropical cyanobacterium, later reported expanding into temperate regions. Heterocyte presence used to distinguish Cylindrospermopsis from the very similar Raphidiopsis, but recently the two genera were recognized as one and unified. This study aimed to investigate how heterocyte production is related to nitrogen (N) limitation in heterocytous and non-heterocytous strains of R.raciborskii. High N-concentrations did not inhibit heterocyte development in some strains, while prolonged N-starvation periods never stimulated production in others. RT-qPCR was used to examine the genetic background, through the expression patterns of nifH, ntcA and hetR. While gene expression increased under N-restriction, N-sufficiency did not suppress nifH transcripts as previously observed in other diazotrophyc cyanobacteria, suggesting that heterocyte production in R. raciborskii is not regulated by N-availability. Heterocytous and non-heterocytous strains were genotypically characterized to assess their phylogenetic relationships. In the phylogenetic tree, clusters were intermixed and confirmed Raphidiopsis and Cylindrospermopsis as the same genus. The tree supported previous findings of earlier splitting of American strains, while contesting the African origin hypothesis. The existence of two lines of Chinese strains, with distinct evolutionary patterns, is a significant addition that could lead to new hypotheses of the species biogeography.
The Nab2 RNA-binding protein patterns dendritic and axonal projections through a planar cell polarity-sensitive mechanism
Authors: Corgiat Edwin B , List Sara M , Rounds J Christopher , Yu Dehong , Chen Ping , Corbett Anita H , Moberg Kenneth H
Published: April 2022

RNA-binding proteins support neurodevelopment by modulating numerous steps in post-transcriptional regulation, including splicing, export, translation, and turnover of mRNAs that can traffic into axons and dendrites. One such RNA-binding protein is ZC3H14, which is lost in an inherited intellectual disability. The Drosophila melanogaster ZC3H14 ortholog, Nab2, localizes to neuronal nuclei and cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein granules and is required for olfactory memory and proper axon projection into brain mushroom bodies. Nab2 can act as a translational repressor in conjunction with the Fragile-X mental retardation protein homolog Fmr1 and shares target RNAs with the Fmr1-interacting RNA-binding protein Ataxin-2. However, neuronal signaling pathways regulated by Nab2 and their potential roles outside of mushroom body axons remain undefined. Here, we present an analysis of a brain proteomic dataset that indicates that multiple planar cell polarity proteins are affected by Nab2 loss, and couple this with genetic data that demonstrate that Nab2 has a previously unappreciated role in restricting the growth and branching of dendrites that elaborate from larval body-wall sensory neurons. Further analysis confirms that Nab2 loss sensitizes sensory dendrites to the genetic dose of planar cell polarity components and that Nab2-planar cell polarity genetic interactions are also observed during Nab2-dependent control of axon projection in the central nervous system mushroom bodies. Collectively, these data identify the conserved Nab2 RNA-binding protein as a likely component of post-transcriptional mechanisms that limit dendrite growth and branching in Drosophila sensory neurons and genetically link this role to the planar cell polarity pathway. Given that mammalian ZC3H14 localizes to dendritic spines and controls spine density in hippocampal neurons, these Nab2-planar cell polarity genetic data may highlight a conserved path through which Nab2/ZC3H14 loss affects morphogenesis of both axons and dendrites in diverse species.
Individual-based Modeling of Genome Evolution in Haplodiploid Organisms
Authors: Pracana Rodrigo , Burns Richard , Hammond Robert L. , Haller Benjamin C. , Wurm Yannick
Published: April 2022

Ants, bees, wasps, bark beetles, and other species have haploid males and diploid females. Although such haplodiploid species play key ecological roles and are threatened by environmental changes, no general framework exists for simulating their genetic evolution. Here, we use the SLiM simulation environment to build a novel model for individual-based forward simulation of genetic evolution in haplodiploids. We compare the fates of adaptive and deleterious mutations and find that selection on recessive mutations is more effective in haplodiploids than in diploids. Our open-source model will foster an understanding of the evolution of sociality and how ecologically important haplodiploid species may respond to changing environments.
Excision and reinsertion of Ac macrotransposons in maize
Authors: Wang Dafang , Yu Chuanhe , Zhang Jianbo , Peterson Thomas
Published: April 2022

Eukaryotic Macrotransposons (MTns) can be formed by 2 nearby elements flanking a segment of host DNA. The maize Ac transposon can form Ac::MTns, but little is known about Ac::MTn transposition activities. Here, we studied 3 Ac::MTns at the maize p1 locus, each of which is composed of a segment of maize p1 genomic DNA (up to 15 kb) bounded by a fractured Ac element (fAc, 2039 bp), and a full-length Ac element in direct orientation. The resulting Ac::MTns are of 16, 16.5, and 22 kb total length. From these 3 Ac::MTns, we identified 10 independent cases of macrotransposition, and observed similar features of transposition between Ac::MTn and standard Ac/Ds, including characteristic excision footprints and insertion target site duplications. Nine out of the 10 Ac::MTn reinsertion targets were genetically linked to the donor sites, another similarity with Ac/Ds standard transposition. We also identified a MTn-like structure in the maize B73 reference genome and 5 NAM founder lines. The MTn in diverse lines is flanked by target site duplications, confirming the historic occurrence of MTn transposition during genome evolution. Our results show that Ac::MTns are capable of mobilizing segments of DNA long enough to include a typical full-length plant gene and in theory could erode gene colinearity in syntenic regions during plant genome evolution.
A review and narrative synthesis of community pharmacist-led interventions to tackle medicines for pain that are misused
Authors: Mills Verity G , Meaadi Jawza , Nazar Hamde , Obara Ilona
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To undertake a state-of-the-art review and narrative synthesis of current evidence investigating community pharmacist-led interventions addressing analgesic medication misuse. To achieve the objective, a systematic database search was undertaken during October and November 2020 across Embase, Medline, Web of Science and Scopus. Community pharmacy interventions were mapped to the Behaviour Change Wheel to investigate the pharmacist and patient behaviours addressed by the interventions. Outcomes about process and effects were extracted. A risk of bias assessment was undertaken.

Key findings

Five studies undertaken in the USA and Northern Ireland were included. Brief Motivational Interviewing and Medication Therapy Management and the Opioid and Naloxone Education programme demonstrated positive process outcomes and feasibility in delivery. Intervention functions addressing patient and pharmacist behaviours across the studies included education, training, environmental restructuring and enablement. Restrictions were an additional intervention function targeting patient behaviour incorporated in one study. Pharmacist roles involved the identification of potential misusers/abusers, patient education, long-term management, prevention and referral. Low study numbers, non-experimental designs, high risk of bias, incomplete reporting of interventions and heterogeneous outcome measures limited evidence synthesis.

There is limited evidence of pharmacy interventions and their well-tested impact on pharmacists and patients. There is clinical and methodological heterogeneity across studies. It is pragmatic to suggest that a systems-thinking approach is adopted to investigate the potential role of community pharmacists and engage all stakeholders in the design of a theory-informed intervention. More high-quality studies including larger population sizes undertaken for longer periods of time that are rigorously reported are needed to improve the evidence base.
Modelling articular cartilage: the relative motion of two adjacent poroviscoelastic layers
Authors: Whiteley Jonathan P , Brown Cameron P , Gaffney Eamonn A
Published: April 2022

In skeletal joints two layers of adjacent cartilage are often in relative motion. The individual cartilage layers are often modelled as a poroviscoelastic material. To model the relative motion, noting the separation of scales between the pore level and the macroscale, a homogenization based on multiple scale asymptotic analysis has been used in this study to derive a macroscale model for the relative translation of two poroviscoelastic layers separated by a very thin layer of fluid. In particular the fluid layer thickness is essentially zero at the macroscale so that the two poroviscoelastic layers are effectively in contact and their interaction is captured in the derived model via a set of interfacial conditions, including a generalization of the Beavers–Joseph condition at the interface between a viscous fluid and a porous medium. In the simplifying context of a uniform geometry, constant fixed charge density, a Newtonian interstitial fluid and a viscoelastic scaffold, modelled via finite deformation theory, we present preliminary simulations that may be used to highlight predictions for how oscillatory relative movement of cartilage under load influences the peak force the cartilage experiences and the extent of the associated deformations. In addition to highlighting such cartilage mechanics, the systematic derivation of the macroscale models will enable the study of how nanoscale cartilage physics, such as the swelling pressure induced by fixed charges, manifests in cartilage mechanics at much higher lengthscales.
Nationalism, Populism, and Trade Agreements
Authors: Mansfield Edward D , Pevehouse Jon C W
Published: April 2022

The rise of nationalist and populist movements throughout the world has led to concerns about the future of the liberal international economic order. Central to these worries is the belief that nationalist and populist publics and their leaders will reject open trade, which has been a cornerstone of the global order. Yet despite these fears, very little empirical research has been conducted on the links between either nationalism or populism and trade policy. In this paper, we argue that nationalism and populism are likely to discourage trade liberalization in democratic states, but that these forces will have little influence on trade policy in non-democracies. To test this argument, we focus on state involvement in preferential trade agreements (PTAs). Based on a variety of tests, we find considerable support for our argument. Democracies with nationalist or populist governments are especially reluctant to join PTAs, but neither nationalism nor populism systematically influences whether non-democracies enter PTAs.
Comparison of the global prevalence and trend of human intestinal carriage of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli between healthcare and community settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bezabih Yihienew M. , Bezabih Alemayehu , Dion Michel , Batard Eric , Teka Samson , Obole Abiy , Dessalegn Noah , Enyew Alelegn , Roujeinikova Anna , Alamneh Endalkachew , Mirkazemi Corinne , Peterson Gregory M. , Bezabhe Woldesellassie M.
Published: April 2022

Objectives

The widespread intestinal carriage of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL E. coli) among both patients and healthy individuals is alarming. However, the global prevalence and trend of this MDR bacterium in healthcare settings remains undetermined. To address this knowledge gap, we performed a comparative meta-analysis of the prevalence in community and healthcare settings.

Methods

Our systematic review included 133 articles published between 1 January 2000 and 22 April 2021 and indexed in PubMed, EMBASE or Google Scholar. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to obtain the global pooled prevalence (community and healthcare settings). Subgroup meta-analyses were performed by grouping studies using the WHO regions and 5 year intervals of the study period.

Results

We found that 21.1% (95% CI, 19.1%–23.2%) of inpatients in healthcare settings and 17.6% (95% CI, 15.3%–19.8%) of healthy individuals worldwide carried ESBL E. coli in their intestine. The global carriage rate in healthcare settings increased 3-fold from 7% (95% CI, 3.7%–10.3%) in 2001–05 to 25.7% (95% CI, 19.5%–32.0%) in 2016–20, whereas in community settings it increased 10-fold from 2.6% (95% CI, 1.2%–4.0%) to 26.4% (95% CI, 17.0%–35.9%) over the same period.

Conclusions

The global and regional human intestinal ESBL E. coli carriage is increasing in both community and healthcare settings. Carriage rates were generally higher in healthcare than in community settings. Key relevant health organizations should perform surveillance and implement preventive measures to address the spread of ESBL E. coli in both settings.
Development of Multiplex PCR-based Protocols for Simultaneous Caterpillar Diagnosis of Three Spodoptera and One Mamestra Species (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Park Su Ryeo , Lee Do Eun , Nam Hwa Yeun , Kim Juil , Lee Si Hyeock , Kim Ju Hyeon
Published: April 2022

Since many noctuid moth species are highly destructive crop pests, it is essential to establish proper management strategies, which primarily require accurate and rapid species identification. However, diagnosis of noctuid species in the field, particularly at the larval stage, is very difficult due to their morphological similarity and individual color variation. In particular, caterpillars of Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), Spodoptera litura (Fabricius), Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith), and Mamestra brassicae (L.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) are hard to be identified by morphology and frequently found on the same host crops in the same season, thus requiring a reliable species diagnosis method. To efficiently diagnose these species, we identified species-specific internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) sequences and developed two molecular species diagnosis protocols using ITS1 markers. The first protocol was multiplex conventional PCR in conjunction with subsequent gel electrophoresis for species identification based on amplicon size. The second protocol was based on multiplex real-time PCR using fluorescent dye-labeled primers for single-step diagnosis. Template genomic DNA (gDNA) prepared by the DNA release method was also suitable for both protocols as the template prepared by DNA extraction. The two protocols enabled rapid and robust species diagnosis using a single multiplex PCR step. Depending on laboratory instrumentation, one of the two protocols can be easily adapted for species diagnosis of the four noctuid caterpillars in the field, which is essential for establishing proper management strategies. The multiplex real-time PCR protocol, in particular, will facilitate accurate diagnosis of the four species in a single step regardless of template gDNA quality.
Competition Law Enforcement and Household Inequality in the United Kingdom
Authors: Decker Christopher , Zac Amit , Casti Carola , von Moltke Amédée , Ezrachi Ariel
Published: April 2022

Using a comprehensive database of all the decisions made under European and U.K. competition laws over the 15-year period to 2020, alongside households’ consumption and market data, we estimate the level and distribution of the savings from enforcement across the United Kingdom. We find that competition law enforcement generated greater proportional savings for lower- and average-income households relative to the wealthiest households. Our estimations indicate average savings of 2.5 percent of the annual household budget for the lowest-income households, 2.1 percent for the average household, and 1.8 percent for the highest-income household. While proportionally greater savings for lower- and average-income households from competition law are observed in most years, in some years, higher-income households saved more. Our results bring to light the variables that affect the distribution of savings. Among them are the enforcement tool applied, the sectors in which enforcement action took place, and the enforcement body. We further illustrate how the public enforcement of competition law affects economic disparity and could potentially be used in a more structured, transparent, and systematic way to address societal concerns about increasing inequality.