bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Perceived stress and social support in a large population of people with multiple sclerosis recruited online through the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Bonavita Simona , Sparaco Maddalena , Russo Antonio , Borriello Giovanna , Lavorgna Luigi 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackground and purposeThe COVID‐19 emergency may cause post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and with regard to people with MS (pwMS) chronic exposure to a wide range of challenging life events has been shown to be correlated with worsening of neurological symptoms, increased lesion burden on brain magnetic resonance imaging and relapses. The aim was to investigate perceived stress, depression, perceived social support, habits and behaviour changes in pwMS through COVID‐19 in comparison to a control group.MethodsA web‐based survey was posted on SMsocialnetwork.com to investigate perceived stress (using the Perceived Stress Scale), depression (with Patient Health Questionnaire 2) and perceived social support (using Social Provision Scale 10 item) in pwMS and a control group through the COVID‐19 pandemic. A secondary group of people with migraine was investigated.ResultsIn all, 1286 answers from 612 pwMS and 674 control people were included in the final analysis. The answers from 318 people with migraine were included for a secondary analysis. A higher proportion of pwMS were depressed (43.1% vs. 23.1%; p < 0.001), had a high level of perceived stress (58% vs. 39.8%; p < 0.001) and felt significantly less social support (median 33 vs. 35; Q1–Q3 28–36 vs. 32–37; p < 0.001) compared to the control group. A higher percentage of people with migraine were depressed (50% vs. 43%, p = 0.04) compared to pwMS.ConclusionsConsidering the negative impact that prolonged stress may have on clinical and radiological disease activity of pwMS, and bearing in mind that a beneficial effect has been demonstrated and achieved with stress management, it is suggested to promote stress control in these patients during the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Temporal instability of lake charr phenotypes: Synchronicity of growth rates and morphology linked to environmental variables?
Authors: Chavarie Louise , Voelker Steve , Hansen Michael J. , Bronte Charles R. , Muir Andrew M. , Zimmerman Mara S. , Krueger Charles C. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPathways through which phenotypic variation among individuals arise can be complex. One assumption often made in relation to intraspecific diversity is that the stability or predictability of the environment will interact with expression of the underlying phenotypic variation. To address biological complexity below the species level, we investigated variability across years in morphology and annual growth increments between and within two sympatric lake charr Salvelinus namaycush ecotypes in Rush Lake, USA. A rapid phenotypic shift in body and head shape was found within a decade. The magnitude and direction of the observed phenotypic change were consistent in both ecotypes, which suggests similar pathways caused the variation over time. Over the same time period, annual growth increments declined for both lake charr ecotypes and corresponded with a consistent phenotypic shift of each ecotype. Despite ecotype‐specific annual growth changes in response to winter conditions, the observed annual growth shift for both ecotypes was linked, to some degree, with variation in the environment. Particularly, a declining trend in regional cloud cover was associated with an increase of early‐stage (ages 1–3) annual growth for lake charr of Rush Lake. Underlying mechanisms causing changes in growth rates and constrained morphological modulation are not fully understood. An improved knowledge of the biology hidden within the expression of phenotypic variation promises to clarify our understanding of temporal morphological diversity and instability.
Declining reproductive success in the Gulf of St. Lawrence’s humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) reflects ecosystem shifts on their feeding grounds
Authors: Kershaw Joanna L. , Ramp Christian A. , Sears Richard , Plourde Stéphane , Brosset Pablo , Miller Patrick J. O. , Hall Ailsa J. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractClimate change has resulted in physical and biological changes in the world's oceans. How the effects of these changes are buffered by top predator populations, and therefore how much plasticity lies at the highest trophic levels, are largely unknown. Here endocrine profiling, longitudinal observations of known individuals over 15 years between 2004 and 2018, and environmental data are combined to examine how the reproductive success of a top marine predator is being affected by ecosystem change. The Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, is a major summer feeding ground for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the North Atlantic. Blubber biopsy samples (n = 185) of female humpback whales were used to investigate variation in pregnancy rates through the quantification of progesterone. Annual pregnancy rates showed considerable variability, with no overall change detected over the study. However, a total of 457 photo‐identified adult female sightings records with/without calves were collated, and showed that annual calving rates declined significantly. The probability of observing cow–calf pairs was related to favourable environmental conditions in the previous year; measured by herring spawning stock biomass, Calanus spp. abundance, overall copepod abundance and phytoplankton bloom magnitude. Approximately 39% of identified pregnancies were unsuccessful over the 15 years, and the average annual pregnancy rate was higher than the average annual calving rate at ~37% and ~23% respectively. Together, these data suggest that the declines in reproductive success could be, at least in part, the result of females being unable to accumulate the energy reserves necessary to maintain pregnancy and/or meet the energetic demands of lactation in years of poorer prey availability rather than solely an inability to become pregnant. The decline in calving rates over a period of major environmental variability may suggest that this population has limited resilience to such ecosystem change.
A retrospective cohort study of early mortality among patients with HIV/TB co‐infection in Shanghai municipality
Authors: Qi TK , Chen J , Zhang RF , Liu L , Shen YZ , Wang ZY , Sun JJ , Song W , Tang Y , Wang JR , Ling YX , Xu SB , Yang JY , Lu HZ 
Published: December 2020

ObjectivesTuberculosis (TB) is the most common and fatal opportunistic co‐infection among HIV‐infected individuals. While TB‐associated mortality predominantly occurs in the first 90 days after admission, such a correlation remains unclear in HIV/TB co‐infected patients. Thus, we aimed to investigate the 90‐day mortality and associated risk factors among HIV/TB co‐infected patients in China.MethodsAdult patients with HIV and a newly confirmed TB diagnosis admitted to the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center between September 2009 and August 2017 were enrolled. Clinical and laboratory characteristics, key treatments and outcomes were collected retrospectively. The associations between different factors and early mortality were analysed.ResultsOf the 485 laboratory‐confirmed HIV/TB patients [median (range) age = 39 (19–79) years], 413 (85.15%) were male. Diagnosis was confirmed by culture, pathology and acid‐fast bacilli smear alone in 362 (74.6%), 6 (1.2%) and 117 (24.1%) patients, respectively. Multiple drug‐/rifampin‐resistant TB was detected in 21 (5.8%) of the 367 patients with a positive culture. Rifampin or rifabutin was administered to 402 (82.9%) patients. Additionally, 66 (13.6%) and 86 (17.7%) died within 90 days and 1 year of admission, respectively. Of the 64 TB‐related deaths, 59 (92.2%) occurred within 90 days of admission. In Cox regression, central nervous system (CNS) TB [odds ratio (OR) = 2.49, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.46–4.23, P < 0.001], no antiretroviral therapy (ART) within 3 months after admission (OR = 11, 95% CI: 6.4–18.9, P < 0.001), and plasma albumin level < 25 g/L (OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.07–3.40, P = 0.021) were associated with early death.ConclusionsTuberculosis co‐infection was prevalent and fatal in HIV‐infected patients, with most deaths occurring within 90 days of admission. Early mortality was associated with CNS‐TB, no ART, and serum albumin level < 25 g/L.
CaMKIIγ regulates the viability and self‐renewal of acute myeloid leukaemia stem‐like cells by the Alox5/NF‐κB pathway
Authors: Cheng Jiang‐Hua , Zhang Wen‐Jing , Zhu Jun‐Feng , Cui Di , Song Kai‐Di , Qiang Ping , Mei Chuan‐Zhong , Nie Zheng‐Chao , Ding Bang‐Sheng , Han Zhong , Ding Zhi‐En , Zheng Wei‐Wei 
Published: December 2020

AbstractAcute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a frequently fatal malignant disease of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. The molecular and phenotypic characteristics of AML are highly heterogeneous. Our previous study concluded that CaMKIIγ was the trigger of chronic myeloid leukaemia progression from the chronic phase to blast crisis, but how CaMKIIγ influences AML stem‐like cells remains elusive. In this study, we found that CaMKIIγ was overexpressed in AML patients and AML cell lines, as measured by qRT‐PCR and Western blot assays. Moreover, CaMKIIγ decreased when the disease was in remission. Using an shRNA lentivirus expression system, we established CaMKIIγ stable‐knockdown AML cell lines and found that knockdown of CaMKIIγ inhibited the viability and self‐renewal of AML stem‐like cell lines. Additionally, the ratio of CD34+ AML cell lines decreased, and CaMKIIγ knockdown induced the downregulation of Alox5 levels. We further detected downstream molecules of the Alox5/NF‐κB pathway and found that c‐myc and p‐IκBα decreased while total IκBα remained normal. In conclusion, our study describes a new role for CaMKIIγ as a stem‐like cell marker that is highly regulated by the Alox5/NF‐κB pathway in AML stem‐like cells. CaMKIIγ can participate in the viability and self‐renewal of AML stem‐like cells by regulating the Alox5/NF‐κB pathway.
Evidence for an increase in the intensity of inter‐seasonal influenza, Queensland, Australia, 2009‐2019
Authors: Kerr Elenor J. , Malo Jonathan , Vette Kaitlyn , Nimmo Graeme R. , Lambert Stephen B. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackgroundInter‐seasonal influenza cases have been increasing in Australia. Studies of influenza seasonality typically focus on seasonal transmission in temperate regions, leaving our understanding of inter‐seasonal epidemiology limited. We aimed to improve understanding of influenza epidemiology during inter‐seasonal periods across climate zones, and explored influenza intensity and strain dominance patterns over time.MethodsQueensland state‐wide laboratory‐confirmed influenza notifications and public laboratory influenza test data from 2009‐2019 were described by demographics, time period, region and strain type. We compared influenza intensity over time using the WHO Average Curve method to provide thresholds for seasonal and inter‐seasonal periods.ResultsAmong the 243 830 influenza notifications and 490 772 laboratory tests reported in Queensland between 2009 and 2019, 15% of notifications and 40% of tests occurred during inter‐seasonal periods, with 6.3% of inter‐seasonal tests positive. Inter‐seasonal notifications and tests substantially increased over time and increases in weekly proportions positive and intensity classifications suggested gradual increases in virus activity. Tropical inter‐seasonal activity was higher with periods of marked increase. Influenza A was dominant, although influenza B represented up to 72% and 42% of notifications during some seasonal and inter‐seasonal periods, respectively.ConclusionsUsing notification and testing data, we have demonstrated a gradual increase in inter‐seasonal influenza over time. Our findings suggest this increase results from an interplay between testing, activity and intensity, and strain circulation. Seasonal intensity and strain circulation appeared to modify subsequent period intensity. Routine year‐round surveillance data would provide a better understanding of influenza epidemiology during this infrequently studied inter‐seasonal time period.
The role of androgen and its related signals in PCOS
Authors: Ye Wenting , Xie Tingting , Song Yali , Zhou Lili 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women at reproductive age. However, the underlying pathogenic mechanisms have not been completely understood. Hyperandrogenism is an important clinic feature in patients with PCOS, suggesting its pathologic role in the development and progression of PCOS. However, the actual role of androgen and the related signals in PCOS and PCOS‐related complications have not yet been clarified. In this review, we surveyed the origin and effects of androgen on PCOS and the related complications, highlighted the cellular signals affecting androgen synthesis and summarized the pathological processes caused by hyperandrogenism. Our review well reveals the important mechanisms referring the pathogenesis of PCOS and provides important clues to the clinic strategies in patients with PCOS.
Factoring distribution and prevalence of Fall armyworm in southwest China
Authors: Fan Jingyu , Haseeb Muhammad , Ren Qilin , Tian Tianqi , Zhang Runzhi , Wu Pengxiang 
Published: December 2020

AbstractHost plant growth changing with environmental conditions can impact the distribution of herbivores. The generalist herbivore fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is an invasive pest rapidly spreading across the world and has recently invaded southern China. We studied effects of environmental factors on the distribution of the fall armyworm and its host (maize) plant growth in the tropical mountainous area of Huize County, province of Yunnan, southwest China. Moreover, the relationships among the FAW distribution, environmental factors (altitude, temperature and humidity) and plant growth (mean kernel weight, kernel number per ear and ear weight) were analysed. The results showed that FAW predominated at altitude 1,243.3 m, temperature 21.4°C and humidity 82.1%. The host plant grew best at 1,200–1,312 m, 21.0–21.7°C and 81.2%–82.0%. Environmental factors indirectly influenced the distribution of FAW via the host plant growth. Compared with environmental factors, the host plant growth had a simplistic positive linear relationship with the density of FAW. FAW is less impacted by abiotic factors rather it determined by host plant prevalence, and thus the locations where maize plants grow best are preferred by FAW and should be the focus of insecticide applications. Understanding the distribution of FAW under various environmental conditions provides a valuable reference for Chinese maize production and food security.
Effect of angiotensin receptor blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme 2 on plasma equilibrium angiotensin peptide concentrations in dogs with heart disease
Authors: Larouche‐Lebel Éva , Loughran Kerry A. , Huh Terry , Oyama Mark A. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe pathophysiology of heart failure involves maladaptive angiotensin peptides (APs) and enzymes, including angiotensin 2 (AT2) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), as well as recently described alternative components, such as angiotensin 1‐7 (Ang1‐7) and angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The relative effects of different neurohormonal‐targeting drugs on balance of APs in dogs with heart disease are unknown.Hypothesis/ObjectivesPlasma AP concentrations differ in dogs receiving angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) vs angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and recombinant human ACE2 (rhACE2) will further increase these differences.AnimalsEight dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD).MethodsProspective open‐label trial. Equilibrium concentrations of APs from plasma during PO ACEI treatment and then after 14 days of PO ARB treatment using telmisartan were measured using liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectroscopy before and after in vitro incubation with rhACE2.ResultsConcentration of Ang1‐7 was increased during ARB treatment (Ang1‐7: 443 pg/mL; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 247‐794 pg/mL) vs ACEI (Ang1‐7: 182 pg/mL; 95% CI = 66.2‐503 pg/mL;P= .01). Incubation with rhACE2 decreased traditional APs while increasing beneficial alternative APs, and Ang1‐7 was significantly higher in the ARB + rhACE2 (880 pg/mL; 95% CI = 560‐1383 pg/mL) vs ACEI + rhACE2 (455 pg/mL; 95% CI = 188‐1104 pg/mL;P= .03) group. The most favorable theoretical AP profile was achieved in the ARB + rhACE2 group.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceThe AP profile during telmisartan treatment is associated with higher plasma Ang1‐7 as compared with during ACEI. This favorable shift is potentiated in vitro by combination of ARB + rhACE2. These data support potential AP‐targeting strategies and drugs in dogs with DMVD.
Chloroplast immunity illuminated
Authors: Littlejohn George R. , Breen Susan , Smirnoff Nicholas , Grant Murray 
Published: December 2020

SummaryThe chloroplast has recently emerged as pivotal to co‐ordinating plant defence responses and as a target of plant pathogens. Beyond its central position in oxygenic photosynthesis and primary metabolism – key targets in the complex virulence strategies of diverse pathogens – the chloroplast integrates, decodes and responds to environmental signals. The capacity of chloroplasts to synthesize phytohormones and a diverse range of secondary metabolites, combined with retrograde and reactive oxygen signalling, provides exquisite flexibility to both perceive and respond to biotic stresses. These processes also represent a plethora of opportunities for pathogens to evolve strategies to directly or indirectly target ‘chloroplast immunity’. This review covers the contribution of the chloroplast to pathogen associated molecular pattern and effector triggered immunity as well as systemic acquired immunity. We address phytohormone modulation of immunity and surmise how chloroplast‐derived reactive oxygen species underpin chloroplast immunity through indirect evidence inferred from genetic modification of core chloroplast components and direct pathogen targeting of the chloroplast. We assess the impact of transcriptional reprogramming of nuclear‐encoded chloroplast genes during disease and defence and look at future research challenges.
Handling Uncertainty in Models of Seismic and Postseismic Hazards: Toward Robust Methods and Resilient Societies
Authors: MacGillivray Brian H. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractEarthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides take a devastating toll on human lives, critical infrastructure, and ecosystems. Harnessing the predictive capacities of hazard models is key to transitioning from reactive approaches to disaster management toward building resilient societies, yet the knowledge that these models produce involves multiple uncertainties. The failure to properly account for these uncertainties has at times had important implications, from the flawed safety measures at the Fukushima power plant, to the reliance on short‐term earthquake prediction models (reportedly at the expense of mitigation efforts) in modern China. This article provides an overview of methods for handling uncertainty in probabilistic seismic hazard assessment, tsunami hazard analysis, and debris flow modeling, considering best practices and areas for improvement. It covers sensitivity analysis, structured approaches to expert elicitation, methods for characterizing structural uncertainty (e.g., ensembles and logic trees), and the value of formal decision‐analytic frameworks even in situations of deep uncertainty.
Credible Empowerment and Deliberative Participation: A Comparative Study of Two Nuclear Energy Policy Deliberation Cases in Korea
Authors: Shin Sangbum , Lee Taedong 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWhat factors make deliberative participation of public policy effective? Why, in some cases, are participants in deliberation more motivated than others, and reach their final judgment in a timely manner, based on systematic processes of opinion gathering and consensus building? By comparing and investigating two recent cases of public participation in energy policy deliberation in Korea, we argue that deliberative participation is more effective when the prospect that the outcome of their activities might be accepted by decision makers is high. The two cases, the public deliberation committee (PDC) on the nuclear waste issue which operated from 2013 to 2015, and the PDC on the nuclear power plant construction issue which operated in 2017, show that they went through similar courses of action, and used similar methods for deliberation. However, while the 2017 PDC has produced clear‐cut policy recommendations, and the government have accepted these, the 2013 PDC failed to reach conclusions on the given critical issues. We argue that the difference in the results is caused by credible empowerment along with two other factors––the sensitivity of issues and the learning effect. Participants of deliberation tend to judge the possibility of the government’s acceptance of their opinions based on either the government’s direct announcement or its inclusiveness in the past policy history. If governments are willing to consult the public to increase legitimacy and transparency, they should send explicit signals to the public on its inclusiveness in the short term, and also should increase credibility in the long term.
Acclimation in plants – the Green Hub consortium
Authors: Kleine Tatjana , Nägele Thomas , Neuhaus H. Ekkehard , Schmitz‐Linneweber Christian , Fernie Alisdair R. , Geigenberger Peter , Grimm Bernhard , Kaufmann Kerstin , Klipp Edda , Meurer Jörg , Möhlmann Torsten , Mühlhaus Timo , Naranjo Belen , Nickelsen Jörg , Richter Andreas , Ruwe Hannes , Schroda Michael , Schwenkert Serena , Trentmann Oliver , Willmund Felix , Zoschke Reimo , Leister Dario 
Published: December 2020

SummaryAcclimation is the capacity to adapt to environmental changes within the lifetime of an individual. This ability allows plants to cope with the continuous variation in ambient conditions to which they are exposed as sessile organisms. Because environmental changes and extremes are becoming even more pronounced due to the current period of climate change, enhancing the efficacy of plant acclimation is a promising strategy for mitigating the consequences of global warming on crop yields. At the cellular level, the chloroplast plays a central role in many acclimation responses, acting both as a sensor of environmental change and as a target of cellular acclimation responses. In this Perspective article, we outline the activities of the Green Hub consortium funded by the German Science Foundation. The main aim of this research collaboration is to understand and strategically modify the cellular networks that mediate plant acclimation to adverse environments, employing Arabidopsis, tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and Chlamydomonas as model organisms. These efforts will contribute to ‘smart breeding’ methods designed to create crop plants with improved acclimation properties. To this end, the model oilseed crop Camelina sativa is being used to test modulators of acclimation for their potential to enhance crop yield under adverse environmental conditions. Here we highlight the current state of research on the role of gene expression, metabolism and signalling in acclimation, with a focus on chloroplast‐related processes. In addition, further approaches to uncovering acclimation mechanisms derived from systems and computational biology, as well as adaptive laboratory evolution with photosynthetic microbes, are highlighted.