bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genomic and acoustic differences separate Lilian’s Meadowlark (Sturnella magna lilianae) from Eastern (S. magna) and Western (S. neglecta) meadowlarks
Authors: Beam Johanna K , Funk Erik R , Taylor Scott A 
Published: April 2021

AbstractExamining differences among recently diverged populations can provide insight into the traits and evolutionary mechanisms that drive or maintain divergence. The genus Sturnella includes 2 recently diverged species, Sturnella magna (Eastern Meadowlark) and S. neglecta (Western Meadowlark), the former of which has a complex of subspecies distributed across the Americas. Of the S. magna subspecies that occur in the United States, S. m. lilianae is the only one with a disjunct range, occurring in the southwestern United States and central Mexico. It also has markedly different song patterns than all other S. magna subspecies. In order to assess population differentiation, we performed whole-genome sequencing of 35 birds and analyzed song characteristics from 85 birds. Songs from each species and S. m. lilianae were diagnosable using linear discriminant function analysis and support divergence in song between all taxa. Phylogenetic analysis and admixture proportions support 3 distinct clades within North American meadowlarks, and tests of introgression failed to detect a significant signal. Overall, our results indicate that S. m. lilianae exhibits high levels of genetic and vocal differentiation from both S. magna and S. neglecta, with no evidence of introgression between any group, and forms a distinct evolutionary lineage. We thus recommend the elevation of S. m. lilianae to species status.
Phloem unloading via the apoplastic pathway is essential for shoot distribution of root-synthesized cytokinins
Authors: Zhao Jiangzhe , Ding Bingli , Zhu Engao , Deng Xiaojuan , Zhang Mengyuan , Zhang Penghong , Wang Lu , Dai Yangshuo , Xiao Shi , Zhang Cankui , Liu Chang-Jun , Zhang Kewei 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Root-synthesized cytokinins are transported to the shoot and regulate the growth, development, and stress responses of aerial tissues. Previous studies have demonstrated that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter G family member 14 (AtABCG14) participates in xylem loading of root-synthesized cytokinins. However, the mechanism by which these root-derived cytokinins are distributed in the shoot remains unclear. Here, we revealed that AtABCG14-mediated phloem unloading through the apoplastic pathway is required for the appropriate shoot distribution of root-synthesized cytokinins in Arabidopsis. Wild-type rootstocks grafted to atabcg14 scions successfully restored trans-zeatin xylem loading. However, only low levels of root-synthesized cytokinins and induced shoot signaling were rescued. Reciprocal grafting and tissue-specific genetic complementation demonstrated that AtABCG14 disruption in the shoot considerably increased the retention of root-synthesized cytokinins in the phloem and substantially impaired their distribution in the leaf apoplast. The translocation of root-synthesized cytokinins from the xylem to the phloem and the subsequent unloading from the phloem is required for the shoot distribution and long-distance shootward transport of root-synthesized cytokinins. This study revealed a mechanism by which the phloem regulates systemic signaling of xylem-mediated transport of root-synthesized cytokinins from the root to the shoot.
Clinical and biomechanical factors associated with falls and rheumatoid arthritis: baseline cohort with longitudinal nested case–control study
Authors: Smith Toby O , Clarke Celia , Wells Jacob , Dainty Jack R , Watts Laura , Yates Max , Pomeroy Valerie M , Stanmore Emma , O’Neill Terence W , Macgregor Alexander J 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Objective
To identify the clinical and biomechanical characteristics associated with falls in people with RA.

Methods
A total of 436 people ≥60 years of age with RA completed a 1 year prospective survey of falls in the UK. At baseline, questionnaires recorded data including personal and medical history, pain and fatigue scores, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical activity and medication history. The occurrence of falls wasmonitored prospectively over 12 months by monthly self-reporting. A nested sample of 30 fallers (defined as the report of one or more falls in 12 months) and 30 non-fallers was evaluated to assess joint range of motion (ROM), muscle strength and gait parameters. Multivariate regression analyses were undertaken to determine variables associated with falling.

Results
Compared with non-fallers (n = 236), fallers (n = 200) were older (P = 0.05), less likely to be married (P = 0.03), had higher pain scores (P &lt; 0.01), experienced more frequent dizziness (P &lt; 0.01), were frequently taking psychotropic medications (P = 0.02) and reported lower HRQoL (P = 0.02). Among those who underwent gait laboratory assessments, compared with non-fallers, fallers showed a greater anteroposterior (AP; P = 0.03) and medial-lateral (ML) sway range (P = 0.02) and reduced isokinetic peak torque and isometric strength at 60° knee flexion (P = 0.03). Fallers also showed shorter stride length (P = 0.04), shorter double support time (P = 0.04) and reduced percentage time in swing phase (P = 0.02) and in knee range of motion through the gait cycle (P &lt; 0.01).

Conclusion
People with RA have distinct clinical and biomechanical characteristics that place them at increased risk of falling. Assessment for these factors may be important to offer more targeted rehabilitation interventions.
Recovering “Lay Ignorance” in the Stanford Financial Group Ponzi Scheme
Authors: Leslie Camilo Arturo 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe Stanford Financial Group’s 2009 collapse devastated more than 20,000 depositors across the Americas. News stories portrayed the $7.2 billion fraud as an elaborate production of ignorance, and its middle-class marks as silent dupes. Media accounts thus differed little from dominant schools of ignorance scholarship, which have emphasized how powerful organizations use their expertise to foist ignorance on passive publics. However, the notion that laypeople are voiceless in such processes is empirically and theoretically untenable. Drawing on interviews with 103 defrauded Stanford clients in the US and Venezuela, this article shows that laypeople play an active interpretive and storytelling role in producing “lay ignorance” in the course of transacting with institutions, personnel, technologies, or products they lack the means to comprehend. Repurposing the concept of “jurisdiction,” I frame “layperson” as a role marked by its distance from the forms of authority that comprise expertise. As my comparison of US and Venezuelan investors reveals, laypeople nonetheless stitch surrogate forms of normative and epistemic authority from inapposite sources to produce their “lay ignorance.” The resulting accounts, I demonstrate, draw opportunistically from laypeople’s institutional, cultural, and political contexts.
Analysis of the Number of Tests, the Positivity Rate, and Their Dependency
Structure during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Jamshidi Babak , Bekrizadeh Hakim , Zargaran Shahriar Jamshidi , Rezaei Mansour 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Background
Applying recent advances in medical instruments, information technology,
and unprecedented data sharing into COVID-19 research revolutionized medical
sciences, and causes some unprecedented analyses, discussions, and
models.

Methods
Modeling of this dependency is done using four classes of copulas:
Clayton, Frank, Gumbel, and FGM. The estimation of the parameters of the
copulas is obtained using the maximum likelihood method. To evaluate the
goodness of fit of the copulas, we calculate AIC. All computations are
conducted on Matlab R2015b, R 4.0.3, Maple 2018a, and EasyFit 5.6, and the
plots are created on software Matlab R2015b and R 4.0.3.

Results
As time passes, the number of tests increases, and the positivity rate
becomes lower. The epidemic peaks are occasions that violate the stated
general rule –due to the early growth of the number of tests. If we divide
data of each country into peaks and otherwise, about both of them, the
rising number of tests is accompanied by decreasing the positivity
rate.

Conclusion
The positivity rate can be considered a representative of the level of
the spreading. Approaching zero positivity rate is a good criterion to scale
the success of a health care system in fighting against an epidemic. We
expect that if the number of tests is great enough, the positivity rate does
not depend on the number of tests. Accordingly, the number and accuracy of
tests can play a vital role in the quality level of epidemic data.

Key messages

-
In a country, increasing the positivity rate is more
representative than increasing the number of tests to warn about an
epidemic peak.

-
Approaching zero positivity rate is a good criterion to scale
the success of a health care system in fighting against an
epidemic.

-
Except for the first half of the epidemic peaks, in a country,
the higher number of tests is associated with a lower positivity
rate.

-
In countries with high test per million, there is no significant
dependency between the number of tests and positivity rate.
Diagnostic accuracy of a novel SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic test from standardized self-collected anterior nasal swabs
Authors: Osmanodja Bilgin , Budde Klemens , Zickler Daniel , Naik Marcel G. , Hofmann Jörg , Gertler Maximilian , Hülso Claudia , Rössig Heike , Horn Philipp , Seybold Joachim , Lunow Stephanie , Bothmann Melanie , Barrera-Pesek Astrid , Mayrdorfer Manuel 
Published: April 2021

AbstractBackgroundAntigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT) for SARS-CoV-2 offer new opportunities for the quick and laboratory-independent identification of infected individuals for control of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Despite the potential benefits, nasopharyngeal sample collection is frequently perceived as uncomfortable by patients and requires trained healthcare personnel with protective equipment. Therefore, anterior nasal self-sampling is increasingly recognized as a valuable alternative.MethodsWe performed a prospective, single-center, point of care validation of an Ag-RDT using a polypropylene absorbent collector for standardized self-collected anterior nasal swabs. Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) from combined oropharyngeal/nasopharyngeal swabs served as a comparator. Primary endpoint was sensitivity of the standardized Ag-RDT in symptomatic patients with medium or high viral concentration (≥ 1 million RNA copies on RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2).ResultsBetween February 12 and March 22, 2021, 388 participants were enrolled. After exclusion of 9 patients for which no PCR result could be obtained, the novel Ag-RDT was evaluated based on 379 participants, of which 273 were symptomatic and 106 asymptomatic. In 61 samples from symptomatic patients with medium or high viral load (≥ 1 million RNA copies), the sensitivity of the standardized Ag-RDT was 96.7% (59/61; 95%CI: 88.7-99.6%) for the primary endpoint. In total, 62 positive Ag-RDT results were detected out of 70 RT-PCR positive individuals, yielding an overall sensitivity of 88.6% (95%CI: 78.7-94.9%). Specificity was 99.7% (95%CI: 98.2-100%) in 309 RT-PCR negative individuals.ConclusionHere, we present a validation of a novel Ag-RDT with a standardized sampling process for anterior nasal self-collection, which meets WHO criteria of ≥80% sensitivity and ≥97% specificity. Although less sensitive than RT-PCR, this assay could be beneficial due to its rapid results, ease of use, and suitability for standardized self-testing.(Funded by Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Lübeck, Germany; ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT04698993)
Convergent evolution of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutations, L452R, E484Q and P681R, in the second wave of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, India
Authors: Cherian Sarah , Potdar Varsha , Jadhav Santosh , Yadav Pragya , Gupta Nivedita , Das Mousmi , Rakshit Partha , Singh Sujeet , Abraham Priya , Panda Samiran ,   NIC team
Published: April 2021

AbstractAs the global severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic expands, genomic epidemiology and whole genome sequencing are being constantly used to investigate its transmissions and evolution. In the backdrop of the global emergence of “variants of concern” (VOCs) during December 2020 and an upsurge in a state in the western part of India since January 2021, whole genome sequencing and analysis of spike protein mutations using sequence and structural approaches was undertaken to identify possible new variants and gauge the fitness of current circulating strains.Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the predominant clade in circulation was a distinct newly identified lineage B.1.617 possessing common signature mutations D111D, G142D, L452R, E484Q, D614G and P681R, in the spike protein including within the receptor binding domain (RBD). Of these, the mutations at residue positions 452, 484 and 681 have been reported in other globally circulating lineages. The structural analysis of RBD mutations L452R and E484Q along with P681R in the furin cleavage site, revealed that these may possibly result in increased ACE2 binding and rate of S1-S2 cleavage resulting in better transmissibility. The same two RBD mutations indicated decreased binding to select monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and may affect their neutralization potential. Experimental validation against a wider panel of mAbs, sera from vaccinees and those that recovered from natural infection needs to be studied.The emergence of such local variants through the accumulation of convergent mutations during the COVID-19 second wave needs to be further investigated for their public health impact in the rest of the country and its possibility of becoming a VOC.
Alprazolam modulates persistence energy during emotion processing in first-degree relatives of individuals with schizophrenia: a network control study
Authors: Mahadevan Arun S. , Cornblath Eli J. , Lydon-Staley David M. , Zhou Dale , Parkes Linden , Larsen Bart , Adebimpe Azeez , Kahn Ari E. , Gur Ruben C. , Gur Raquel E. , Satterthwaite Theodore D. , Wolf Daniel H. , Bassett Danielle S. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractSchizophrenia is marked by deficits in facial affect processing associated with abnormalities in GABAergic circuitry, deficits also found in first-degree relatives. Facial affect processing involves a distributed network of brain regions including limbic regions like amygdala and visual processing areas like fusiform cortex. Pharmacological modulation of GABAergic circuitry using benzodiazepines like alprazolam can be useful for studying this facial affect processing network and associated GABAergic abnormalities in schizophrenia. Here, we use pharmacological modulation and computational modeling to study the contribution of GABAergic abnormalities toward emotion processing deficits in schizophrenia. Specifically, we apply principles from network control theory to model persistence energy – the control energy required to maintain brain activation states – during emotion identification and recall tasks, with and without administration of alprazolam, in a sample of first-degree relatives and healthy controls. Here, persistence energy quantifies the magnitude of theoretical external inputs during the task. We find that alprazolam increases persistence energy in relatives but not in controls during threatening face processing, suggesting a compensatory mechanism given the relative absence of behavioral abnormalities in this sample of unaffected relatives. Further, we demonstrate that regions in the fusiform and occipital cortices are important for facilitating state transitions during facial affect processing. Finally, we uncover spatial relationships (i) between regional variation in differential control energy (alprazolamversusplacebo) and (ii) both serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitter systems, indicating that alprazolam may exert its effects by altering neuromodulatory systems. Together, these findings reveal differences in emotion-processing circuitry associated with genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia.
SAMBA controls the rate of cell division in maize development through APC/C interaction
Authors: Gong Pan , Bontinck Michiel , Demuynck Kirin , De Block Jolien , Gevaert Kris , Eeckhout Dominique , Persiau Geert , Aesaert Stijn , Coussens Griet , Van Lijsebettens Mieke , Pauwels Laurens , De Jaeger Geert , Inzé Dirk , Nelissen Hilde 
Published: April 2021

AbstractSAMBA has been identified as a plant-specific regulator of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C) which controls unidirectional cell cycle progression in Arabidopsis, but so far its role was not studied in monocots. Here, the association of SAMBA with APC/C was shown to be conserved in maize. TwosambaCRISPR alleles showed growth defects that aggravated with plant age such as dwarfed plants due to shortened upper leaf length, erect leaf architecture, and reduced leaf size due to an altered cell division rate and cell expansion. Despite the fact that in both alleles the frameshift occurred at the same position, the two alleles differed in the severity and developmental onset of the phenotypes, becausesamba-1represented a knock-out allele, while translation re-initiation insamba-3resulted in a truncated protein that was still able to interact with the APC/C and regulate its function, albeit with altered APC/C activity or efficiency. Our data are consistent with a dosage-dependent role forSAMBAto control developmental processes for which a change in growth rate is pivotal.
RAP80 suppresses the vulnerability of R-loops during DNA double-strand break repair
Authors: Yasuhara Takaaki , Kato Reona , Yamauchi Motohiro , Uchihara Yuki , Zou Lee , Miyagawa Kiyoshi , Shibata Atsushi 
Published: April 2021

AbstractR-loops, consisting of ssDNA and DNA-RNA hybrids, are potentially vulnerable unless they are appropriately processed. Recent evidence suggests that R-loops can form in the proximity of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) within transcriptionally active regions. Yet, how the vulnerability of R-loops is overcome during DSB repair remains unclear. Here, we identify RAP80 as a factor suppressing the vulnerability of ssDNA in R-loops and chromosome translocations and deletions during DSB repair. Mechanistically, RAP80 prevents unscheduled nucleolytic processing of ssDNA in R-loops by CtIP. This mechanism promotes efficient DSB repair via transcription-associated end-joining dependent on BRCA1, Polθ, and LIG1/3. Thus, RAP80 suppresses the vulnerability of R-loops during DSB repair, thereby precluding genomic abnormalities in a critical component of the genome caused by deleterious R-loop processing.
Comparative morphology of the dormouse skull
Authors: Hennekam Jesse J. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractDormice exhibit both inter- and intrageneric variation in cranial and mandibular morphology. Using geometric morphometrics, the form of eight out of nine extant dormouse genera was analysed, to provide a better understanding of the overall morphological variation present within Gliridae. Three genera representing the subfamilies, were studied in more detail. Species-, genus- and family-specific morphological trends are linked with certain habitats and feeding strategies. Smaller dormice show adaptations to a more arboreal lifestyle such as a relatively enlarged braincase and an inferiorly reoriented foramen magnum. Larger dormice show cranial modifications, including clear flattening of the skull and a more posteriorly positioned foramen magnum, hinting towards a more rupicolous lifestyle. Furthermore, specimens inhabiting arid areas appear to have more inflated auditory bullae, whereas other variable features, such as the length of the incisive foramen, were not associated with either size changes nor climatic variables. Lastly, more robust and horizontally orientated zygomatic arches as well as increased robusticity of the molar row appear to be linked with herbivory in dormice, whereas thinner arches and small concave molars are seen in more insectivorous species. This study results in a better understanding of ecological drivers underpinning the morphological divergence present within Gliridae.
AfucosylatedPlasmodium falciparum-specific IgG is induced by infection but not by subunit vaccination
Authors: Larsen Mads Delbo , Lopez-Perez Mary , Dickson Emmanuel Kakra , Ampomah Paulina , Ndam Nicaise Tuikue , Nouta Jan , Koeleman Carolien A M , Ederveen Agnes L Hipgrave , Mordmüller Benjamin , Salanti Ali , Nielsen Morten Agertoug , Massougbodji Achille , van der Schoot C. Ellen , Ofori Michael F. , Wuhrer Manfred , Hviid Lars , Vidarsson Gestur 
Published: April 2021

AbstractIgG specific for members of thePlasmodium falciparumerythrocyte membrane protein 1(PfEMP1) family, which mediates receptor- and tissue-specific sequestration of infected erythrocytes (IEs), is a central component of naturally acquired malaria immunity. PfEMP1-specific IgG is thought to protect via inhibition of IE sequestration, and through IgG-Fc Receptor (FcγR) mediated phagocytosis and killing of antibody-opsonized IEs. The affinity of afucosylated IgG to FcγRIIIa is elevated up to 40-fold compared to fucosylated IgG, resulting in enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Most IgG in plasma is fully fucosylated, but afucosylated IgG is elicited in response to enveloped viruses and to paternal alloantigens during pregnancy. Here we show that naturally acquired PfEMP1-specific IgG is likewise markedly afucosylated in a stable and exposure-dependent manner, and efficiently induces FcγRIIIa-dependent natural killer (NK) cell degranulation. In contrast, immunization with a soluble subunit vaccine based on VAR2CSA-type PfEMP1 resulted in fully fucosylated specific IgG. These results have implications for understanding natural and vaccine-induced antibody-mediated protective immunity to malaria.SummaryAfucosylated IgG has enhanced Fc-receptor affinity and functionality, and is formed specifically against membrane proteins of enveloped viruses. We show that this also applies toPlasmodium falciparumerythrocyte membrane-specific IgG induced by natural infection, but not by soluble PfEMP1 vaccination.