bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Phoenix pay system and intention to quit the federal public service
Authors: Cooper Christopher A. , Turgeon Luc 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe Phoenix pay system has been mired by an unending string of problems negatively affecting hundreds of thousands of bureaucrats and costing billions of dollars to fix. This article studies whether Phoenix’s negative consequences might also be weakening a core component of good governance: a permanent public service. Using data from the 2017 Public Service Employee Survey, this article finds that the greater the problems an employee has endured from Phoenix, the more likely they are to intend to quit the public service. Signifying a potential loss of future talent for the federal public service, this relationship is particularly pronounced among younger and more educated public servants.
Clonal dynamics of circulating tumor DNA during immune checkpoint blockade therapy for melanoma
Authors: Takai Erina , Omata Wataru , Totoki Yasushi , Nakamura Hiromi , Shiba Satoshi , Takahashi Akira , Namikawa Kenjiro , Mori Taisuke , Yamazaki Naoya , Shibata Tatsuhiro , Yachida Shinichi 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAssessment of treatment efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma patients is difficult as the response to these therapies varies among patients or lesions. The clonal evolution of cancer during immune checkpoint blockade therapy could cause treatment resistance. We investigated the potential of liquid biopsy in monitoring the mutational profiles of metastatic melanoma during immunotherapy. Plasma samples collected from 21 Japanese metastatic melanoma patients before immune checkpoint blockade therapy were subjected to whole‐exome sequencing (WES). Furthermore, 14 Japanese patients with melanoma were enrolled for longitudinal analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). Plasma samples were collected prospectively before and during therapy and sequenced. WES of the pretreatment plasma from Japanese melanoma patients showed detectable ctDNA levels with wide ranges of variant allele frequencies within a sample, suggesting clonal and subclonal mutations in ctDNA. In targeted sequencing using longitudinal samples, ctDNA levels correlated with increased tumor size, while ctDNA content immediately decreased after a surge in a patient exhibiting pseudo‐progression, suggesting the potential of ctDNA analysis in discriminating between pseudo‐ and true progression. Mutant ctDNA levels showed different patterns within the clinical course of specific patients, suggesting that these mutations were derived from different tumor clones with distinct therapeutic responses. During further investigation, WES of plasma samples from 1 patient showed marked differences in the mutational profiles of ctDNA, including expansive tumor evolution during an acute exacerbation. Immunotherapy may induce characteristic clonal evolutions of tumors; longitudinal analysis of ctDNA has the potential of determining these tumor evolution patterns and therapeutic responses.
Mental health and school absenteeism in children with long‐term physical conditions: A secondary analysis of the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Surveys 2004 and 2007
Authors: Finning Katie , Neochoriti Varvarrigou Irida , Ford Tamsin , Panagi Laura , Ukoumunne Obioha C. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundChildren and young people (CYP) with long‐term physical conditions (LTCs) are more likely to have poorer mental health and more school absenteeism compared with CYP with no LTCs. However, there is limited longitudinal research, and the extent to which these difficulties persist in CYP with LTCs is unknown. Furthermore, little is known about the relative impact of different types of LTC on mental health and absenteeism.MethodsWe investigated cross‐sectional and longitudinal associations of different LTCs with mental health and school absenteeism in a large (N = 7977) nationally representative survey of CYP in Great Britain and its 3‐year follow‐up. Psychopathology was assessed using the parent‐reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and diagnosis of any psychiatric disorder using the Development and Wellbeing Assessment (DAWBA). Days absent and persistent absence (missing 10% or more of school days) were reported by parents.ResultsCompared with those with no LTCs, CYP with any LTC had higher SDQ total difficulties scores at baseline (adjusted mean difference 1.4, 1.1–1.6) and follow‐up (1.1, 0.8–1.4) and were more likely to have a psychiatric disorder at baseline (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.59, 1.34–1.89) and follow‐up (1.75, 1.44–2.12). Children with any LTC also missed more days of school at baseline (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.47, 1.31–1.64) and follow‐up (1.17, 1.00–1.36) and were more likely to be persistently absent (aOR baseline 1.78, 1.48–2.14; follow‐up 1.27, 1.00–1.61). Neurodevelopmental disorders, migraines and atopic conditions were particularly strongly associated with both mental health and absenteeism.ConclusionsChildren with LTCs had poorer mental health and more school absence than those with no LTCs. Clinicians should routinely enquire about mental health and school attendance in CYP with LTCs and should collaborate with families and schools to ensure these children are provided with sufficient mental health and educational support.
Novel KMT2B mutation causes cerebellar ataxia: Expanding the clinical phenotype
Authors: Damásio Joana , Santos Mariana , Samões Raquel , Araújo Maria , Macedo Mafalda , Sardoeira Ana , Cavaco Sara , Freitas Joel , Barros José , Oliveira Jorge , Sequeiros Jorge 
Published: September 2021

AbstractHereditary cerebellar ataxias comprise a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders affecting the cerebellum and/or cerebellar pathways. Next‐generation sequencing techniques have contributed substantially to the expansion of ataxia‐causing genes, including genes classically described in alternative phenotypes. Herein, we describe a patient with adult‐onset cerebellar ataxia, minor dystonia, neuropathy, seizure and ophthalmological pathology, who bears a novel variant in KMT2B (NM_014727.2:c.3334 + 1G > A). Bioinformatic analysis suggested this variant completely abolished the splice‐site at exon 8/intron 8, which was confirmed through analysis of mRNA extracted from fibroblasts. Exon 8 skipping would ultimately translate as an in‐frame deletion at the protein level, corresponding to the loss of 91 aminoacids [p.(Gly1020_Asn1111del)]. So far, KMT2B disease causing variants have been described in patients with dystonia or neurodevelopmental delay, with no reports of a cerebellar predominant phenotype. Our findings highlight the possible role of KMT2B as a gene involved in hereditary cerebellar ataxias.
Effects of social networks on interventions to change conservation behavior
Authors: de Lange Emiel , Milner‐Gulland E.J. , Keane Aidan 
Published: September 2021

AbstractSocial networks are critical to the success of behavioral interventions in conservation because network processes such as information flows and social influence can enable behavior change to spread beyond a targeted group. We investigated these mechanisms in the context of a social marketing campaign to promote a wildlife poisoning hotline in Cambodia. With questionnaire surveys we measured a social network and knowledge and constructs from the theory of planned behavior at 3 points over 6 months. The intervention initially targeted ∼11% (of 365) of the village, but after 6 months ∼40% of the population was knowledgeable about the campaign. The likelihood of being knowledgeable nearly doubled with each additional knowledgeable household member. In the short term, there was also a modest, but widespread improvement in proconservation behavioral intentions, but this did not persist after 6 months. Estimates from stochastic actor‐oriented models suggested that the influences of social peers, rather than knowledge, were driving changes in intention and contributed to the failure to change behavioral intention in the long term, despite lasting changes in attitudes and perceived norms. Our results point to the importance of accounting for the interaction between networks and behavior when designing conservation interventions.
Functional characterization of novel rare CYP2A6 variants and potential implications for clinical outcomes
Authors: El‐Boraie Ahmed , Tanner Julie‐Anne , Zhu Andy Z.X. , Claw Katrina G. , Prasad Bhagwat , Schuetz Erin G. , Thummel Kenneth E. , Fukunaga Koya , Mushiroda Taisei , Kubo Michiaki , Benowitz Neal L. , Lerman Caryn , Tyndale Rachel F. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractCYP2A6 activity, phenotyped by the nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR), is a predictor of several smoking behaviors, including cessation and smoking‐related disease risk. The heritability of the NMR is 60–80%, yet weighted genetic risk scores (wGRSs) based on common variants explain only 30–35%. Rare variants (minor allele frequency <1%) are hypothesized to explain some of this missing heritability. We present two targeted sequencing studies where rare protein‐coding variants are functionally characterized in vivo, in silico, and in vitro to examine this hypothesis. In a smoking cessation trial, 1687 individuals were sequenced; characterization measures included the in vivo NMR, in vitro protein expression, and metabolic activity measured from recombinant proteins. In a human liver bank, 312 human liver samples were sequenced; measures included RNA expression, protein expression, and metabolic activity from extracted liver tissue. In total, 38 of 47 rare coding variants identified were novel; characterizations ranged from gain‐of‐function to loss‐of‐function. On a population level, the portion of NMR variation explained by the rare coding variants was small (~1%). However, upon incorporation, the accuracy of the wGRS was improved for individuals with rare protein‐coding variants (i.e., the residuals were reduced), and approximately one‐third of these individuals (12/39) were re‐assigned from normal to slow metabolizer status. Rare coding variants can alter an individual’s CYP2A6 activity; their integration into wGRSs through precise functional characterization is necessary to accurately assess clinical outcomes and achieve precision medicine for all. Investigation into noncoding variants is warranted to further explain the missing heritability in the NMR.
Suicidal ideation, suicide literacy and stigma, disclosure expectations and attitudes toward help‐seeking among university students: The impact of schizotypal personality traits
Authors: Fekih‐Romdhane Feten , Amri Amani , Cheour Majda 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundSimilarly to patients with schizophrenia, non‐clinical individuals with schizotypal traits have been reported to show an increased risk for suicide‐related outcomes. We aimed to assess suicidal ideation, and to determine factors that may have associations with help‐seeking attitudes in high schizotypal individuals as compared to low schizotypal individuals.MethodWe carried out a cross‐sectional survey. The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help scale–short form, the disclosure expectations scale, the scale of suicide ideation, the stigma of suicide scale‐short form, the literacy of suicide scale, and the depression anxiety stress scales were administered to 504 college students. A total of 51 students were classified in the high‐schizotypy group, and 50 were classified in the low‐schizotypy group.ResultsHigh‐schizotypal students experienced significantly more suicidal ideation, had greater literacy of suicide, had more glorification of suicide, had higher anticipated risks of disclosure and more negative help‐seeking attitudes than low‐schizotypal students. After controlling for sociodemographic (age, gender, income and tobacco use) and psychosocial variables (personal psychiatric history, family history of suicide, personal history of suicide attempt[s]), depression and suicide ideation), disclosure expectations had both a significant negative independent effect through anticipated risks, and a positive independent effect through anticipated benefits, on high‐schizotypal students' help‐seeking attitudes.ConclusionThe apprehension and reluctance to seek help found in high‐schizotypal students highlight an urgent need to further understand barriers to help‐seeking among at‐risk adolescents, and what may motivate them to reach out for support when they are more at‐risk for suicide.
Self‐deceptionabout truthfulness
Authors: Sleat Matt 
Published: September 2021

AbstractContemporary political discourse is awash with concerns about truthfulness, understood as the virtue of making sure that our beliefs are true, in political life. The central argument of this paper is that it is not only possible for us to be self‐deceived as to our own truthfulness but that there is good reason to suspect certain aspects of the way we understand and value truthfulness make it something which we may be particularly prone to being self‐deceived about. If that is correct, then not only do we have further reason for thinking that self‐deception in politics may be more common than we might like to think, it also (a) helps us understand why claims about truthfulness seem more likely to perpetuate and intensify conflicts in politics; (b) suggests that the possibility of our being self‐deceived about our truthfulness stands sufficiently independent of our first‐order beliefs, be they true or false, such that it is likely to appear across the various political divides rather than being exclusive to one group; and (c) requires us to reconsider the problem represented by “post‐truth” politics and the responses that might be appropriate to it.
Slower environmental cycles maintain greater life‐history variation within populations
Authors: Park John S. , Wootton J. Timothy 
Published: September 2021

AbstractPopulations in nature are comprised of individual life histories, whose variation underpins ecological and evolutionary processes. Yet the forces of environmental selection that shape intrapopulation life‐history variation are still not well‐understood, and efforts have largely focused on random (stochastic) fluctuations of the environment. However, a ubiquitous mode of environmental fluctuation in nature is cyclical, whose periodicities can change independently of stochasticity. Here, we test theoretically based hypotheses for whether shortened (‘Fast’) or lengthened (‘Slow’) environmental cycles should generate higher intrapopulation variation of life history phenotypes. We show, through a combination of agent‐based modelling and a multi‐generational laboratory selection experiment using the tidepool copepod Tigriopus californicus, that slower environmental cycles maintain higher levels of intrapopulation variation. Surprisingly, the effect of environmental periodicity on variation was much stronger than that of stochasticity. Thus, our results show that periodicity is an important facet of fluctuating environments for life‐history variation.
The position of x‐ray beam‐centring affects radiographic measurements of palmar angle and sole thickness on radiographs of the equine thoracic distal limb
Authors: Staples E. , Porter Erin , Mendoza P. , Trolinger‐Meadows K. , Colee J. , Morton A. 
Published: September 2021

SummaryBackgroundDifferent locations of x‐ray beam centring on the equine distal limb for lateromedial and dorsopalmar radiographs of the equine digit may affect clinically relevant radiographic measurements.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effects of two different locations of x‐ray beam centring on lateromedial and dorsopalmar radiographic measurements of the equine digit and to assess intra‐ and inter‐observer variability of measurements.Study designProspective, observational and method comparison.MethodsComparisons were made of nine measurements on orthogonal radiographs acquired from 24 unshod equine feet at two locations of x‐ray beam centring: coronary band and hoof–ground interface. Radiographic measurements were obtained by three observers of varied equine veterinary experience and made in triplicate by a board‐certified veterinary radiologist.ResultsRadiographs acquired with x‐ray beam centred at the coronary band and hoof–ground interface produced differences in the mean measurements of palmar angle, defined as the angle created by the palmar processes of the distal phalanx relative to the ground surface, on the lateromedial projection (p = 0.002), and medial (p < 0.001) and lateral (p < 0.001) sole thickness on the dorsopalmar projection. There was less variability of palmar angle (p = 0.039) and more superimposition of the palmar processes (p < 0.001) with the x‐ray beam centred at the hoof–ground interface.Main limitationsThe study population was homogeneous and only included horses without outwardly visible abnormalities of the foot. Anatomic measurements were not used for comparison due to the nonterminal nature of the study.ConclusionsCentring the x‐ray beam at the hoof–ground interface produces more repeatable and smaller radiographic measurements of palmar angle and sole thickness when compared to centring the x‐ray beam centred at the coronary band. The distal phalangeal palmar processes are more superimposed with the more distal x‐ray beam centring. The strong inter‐ and intraobserver variability support the use of these nine radiographic measurements by practitioners of all levels of experience.
Death‐feigning behaviours increase survival rate of littoral cladocerans under predation by odonate larvae
Authors: Yamada Sayumi , Urabe Jotaro 
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Because littoral cladocerans are common prey for odonate larvae, they are ideal organisms to examine prey and predator interactions in aquatic habitats. Although death‐feigning behaviour observed in littoral cladocerans is viewed as a trait to reduce predation risk, no study has examined the effectiveness of death‐feigning at reducing mortality. We studied the effectiveness of death‐feigning behaviour by two littoral cladocerans, Chydorus sphaericus and Oxyurella tenuicaudis, against the odonate larvae of Sympetrum frequens.

We first examined how the odonate larvae detected the prey and found that the larvae consumed active cladocerans, even under dark conditions, but they did not consume anaesthetised cladocerans, indicating that the larvae detect the prey using mechanical cues such as vibrational currents created by the prey individuals.

We then observed behavioural events of odonate larvae and prey cladocerans using a video‐recording system to count the number of cladocerans that showed death‐feigning behaviours when odonate larvae attacked and those that were not consumed when they showed death‐feigning behaviours.

We observed a total of 1,099 behavioural events in prey–predator interactions. On average, the odonate larvae pursued 63% of the cladocerans encountered, attacked 89% of the cladocerans pursued, and successfully captured only 29% of the cladocerans with the first attack. Among the cladocerans that were not captured, 38% of the individuals continually swam, but 62% ceased to move and exhibited death‐feigning behaviours. The odonate larvae's capture rate for cladocerans exhibiting the death‐feigning behaviours fell significantly short of that for cladocerans that were continually swimming.

The experiments clearly showed that the littoral cladocerans' death‐feigning behaviour effectively decreased predation rate by odonate larvae. The results suggest that the death feigning serves as an adaptive behaviour to reduce mortality risk in littoral cladocerans under predation by such predators that can detect prey using mechanical cues such as those of vibrational currents.
Agricultural breadbaskets shift poleward given adaptive farmer behavior under climate change
Authors: Franke James A. , Müller Christoph , Minoli Sara , Elliott Joshua , Folberth Christian , Gardner Charles , Hank Tobias , Izaurralde Roberto Cesar , Jägermeyr Jonas , Jones Curtis D. , Liu Wenfeng , Olin Stefan , Pugh Thomas A.M. , Ruane Alex C. , Stephens Haynes , Zabel Florian , Moyer Elisabeth J. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractModern food production is spatially concentrated in global “breadbaskets.” A major unresolved question is whether these peak production regions will shift poleward as the climate warms, allowing some recovery of potential climate‐related losses. While agricultural impacts studies to date have focused on currently cultivated land, the Global Gridded Crop Model Intercomparison Project (GGCMI) Phase 2 experiment allows us to assess changes in both yields and the location of peak productivity regions under warming. We examine crop responses under projected end of century warming using seven process‐based models simulating five major crops (maize, rice, soybeans, and spring and winter wheat) with a variety of adaptation strategies. We find that in no‐adaptation cases, when planting date and cultivar choices are held fixed, regions of peak production remain stationary and yield losses can be severe, since growing seasons contract strongly with warming. When adaptations in management practices are allowed (cultivars that retain growing season length under warming and modified planting dates), peak productivity zones shift poleward and yield losses are largely recovered. While most growing‐zone shifts are ultimately limited by geography, breadbaskets studied here move poleward over 600 km on average by end of the century under RCP 8.5. These results suggest that agricultural impacts assessments can be strongly biased if restricted in spatial area or in the scope of adaptive behavior considered. Accurate evaluation of food security under climate change requires global modeling and careful treatment of adaptation strategies.
Differential effects of altered precipitation regimes on soil carbon cycles in arid versus humid terrestrial ecosystems
Authors: Wang Bin , Chen Yali , Li Yan , Zhang Hui , Yue Kai , Wang Xingchang , Ma Yuandan , Chen Jian , Sun Meng , Chen Zhuo , Wu Qiqian 
Published: September 2021

AbstractChanges in precipitation regimes have significant effects on soil carbon (C) cycles; however, these effects may vary in arid versus humid areas. Additionally, the corresponding details of soil C cycles in response to altered precipitation regimes have not been well documented. Here, a meta‐analysis was performed using 845 pairwise observations (control vs. increased or decreased precipitation) from 214 published articles to quantify the responses of the input process of exogenous C, the contents of various forms of C in soil, and the soil‐atmosphere C fluxes relative to increased or decreased precipitation. The results showed that the effects of altered precipitation regimes did not differ between rainfall and snowfall. Increased precipitation significantly enhanced the soil C inputs, pools and outputs by 18.17%, 18.50%, and 21.04%, respectively, while decreased precipitation led to a significant decline in these soil C parameters by 10.18%, 9.96%, and 17.98%, respectively. The effects of increased precipitation on soil C cycles were more significant in arid areas (where mean annual precipitation, MAP <500 mm), but the effects of decreased precipitation were more significant in humid areas (where MAP ≥500 mm), indicating that the original MAP partially determined the responses of the soil C cycles to altered precipitation regimes. This study implies that for the same of precipitation variation, soil C cycles respond at different magnitudes: not only should the direction (decrease vs. increase) be counted but also the region (arid vs. humid) should be considered. These results deepened our understanding on regional differentiation in soil C cycles under climate change scenarios.