bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Global change affects differently at local scales animal populations: why Starlings still expands to the south while other temperate species go to the north?
Authors: Rodriguez Alexandra , La Gioia Giuseppe , Le Quilliec Patricia , Fourcy Damien , Clergeau Philippe 
Published: August 2021

AbstractGlobal change, which regroups global warming, landscape transformations and other anthropic modifications of ecosystems, has effects on populations and communities and produces modifications in the expansion area of species. While some species disappear, other ones are beneficiated by the new conditions and some of them evolve in new adapted forms or leave their ancient distribution area.As climate change tends to increase the temperature in several regions of the world, some species have been seen to leave areas in equatorial regions in order to join colder areas either towards the north of the northern hemisphere or towards the south of the southern one.Many birds as have moved geographically in direction to the poles and in many cases they have anticipated their laying dates. Actually, two tit species that use to lay their eggs in a period that their fledging dates synchronize with the emerging dates of caterpillars are now evolving to reproductive in periods earlier than before the climate change. Several species are reacting like that and other ones are moving to the north in Europe for example. Nevertheless, and very curiously, European starling, Sturnus vulgaris, populations are behaving on the contrary: their laying dates are moving towards later spring and their distribution area is moving towards the south. In this study we explore and discuss about different factors that may explain this difference from other birds.
Age and smoking predict antibody titres at 3 months after the second dose of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine
Authors: Nomura Yushi , Sawahata Michiru , Nakamura Yosikazu , Kurihara Momoko , Koike Ryousuke , Katsube Otohiro , Hagiwara Koichi , Niho Seiji , Masuda Norihiro , Tanaka Takaaki , Sugiyama Kumiya 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTObjectiveWe aimed to determine antibody (Ab) titres 3 months after the second dose of the BNT162b2 coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccine and to explore clinical variables predicting these titres in Japan.MethodsWe enrolled 378 healthcare workers (255 women, 123 men) whose blood samples were collected 91±15 days after the second of two inoculations of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech) given 3 weeks apart. Medical histories and demographic characteristics were recorded using a structured self-reported questionnaire. The relationships between Ab titres and these factors were analysed.ResultsMedian age (interquartile range [IQR]) of the participants was 44 (32-54) years. Median Ab titre (IQR) against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike antigen was 764 (423-1140) U/mL. Older participants had significantly lower Ab titres; median (IQR) Ab titres were 942 (675-1390) and 1095 (741-1613) U/mL in men and women in their 20s, respectively, but 490 (297-571) and 519 (285-761) U/mL in men and women in their 60s-70s, respectively. In the age-adjusted analysis, the only risk factors for lower Ab titres were male sex and smoking. However, the sex difference may have arisen from the sex difference in smoking rate. Moreover, Ab titres were significantly lower in current smokers than in ex-smokers.ConclusionThe most important factors associated with low Ab titres were age and smoking habit. In particular, current smoking status caused lower Ab titres, and smoking cessation before vaccination may improve the individual efficacy of the BNT162b2 vaccine.
Early megakaryocyte lineage-committed progenitors in adult mouse bone marrow
Authors: Liu Zixian , Wang Jinhong , Xie Miner , Wu Peng , Ma Yao , Zhang Sen , Wang Xiaofang , Dong Fang , Cheng Hui , Zhu Ping , Han Mingzhe , Ema Hideo 
Published: August 2021

AbstractHematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been considered to progressively lose their self-renewal and differentiation potentials prior to the commitment to each blood lineage. However, recent studies have suggested that megakaryocyte progenitors are generated at the level of HSCs. In this study, we newly identified early megakaryocyte lineage-committed progenitors (MgPs) in CD201-CD48- cells and CD48+ cells separated from the CD150+CD34-Kit+Sca-1+Lin- HSC population of the bone marrow in C57BL/6 mice. Single-cell transplantation and single-cell colony assay showed that MgPs, unlike platelet-biased HSCs, had little repopulating potential in vivo, but formed larger megakaryocyte colonies in vitro (on average eight megakaryocytes per colony) than did previously reported megakaryocyte progenitors (MkPs). Single-cell RNA-sequencing supported that these MgPs lie between HSCs and MkPs along the megakaryocyte differentiation pathway. Single-cell colony assay and single-cell RT-PCR analysis suggested the coexpression of CD41 and Pf4 is associated with megakaryocyte colony-forming activity. Single-cell colony assay of a small number of cells generated from single HSCs in culture suggested that MgPs are not direct progeny of HSCs. In this study, we propose a differentiation model in which HSCs give rise to MkPs through MgPs.
Assessment of native cadmium-resistant bacteria in cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) - cultivated soils
Authors: Cordoba-Novoa Henry A. , Cáceres-Zambrano Jeimmy , Torres-Rojas Esperanza 
Published: August 2021

AbstractTraces of cadmium (Cd) have been reported in some chocolate products due to soils with Cd and the high ability of cacao plants to extract, transport, and accumulate it in their tissues. An agronomic strategy to minimize the uptake of Cd by plants is the use of cadmium-resistant bacteria (Cd-RB). However, knowledge about Cd-RB associated with cacao soils is scarce. This study was aimed to isolate and characterize Cd-RB associated with cacao-cultivated soils in Colombia that may be used in the bioremediation of Cd-polluted soils. Diversity of culturable Cd-RB, qualitative functional analysis related to nitrogen, phosphorous, carbon, and Cd were performed. Thirty different Cd-RB morphotypes were isolated from soils with medium (NC, Y1, Y2) and high (Y3) Cd concentrations using culture media with 6 mg Kg-1 Cd. Cd-RB were identified based on morphological and molecular analyses. The most abundant morphotypes (90%) were gram-negative belong to Phylum Proteobacteria and almost half of them showed the capacity to fix nitrogen, solubilize phosphates and degrade cellulose. Unique morphotypes were isolated from Y3 soils where Burkholderia and Pseudomonas were the dominant genera indicating their capacity to resist high Cd concentrations. P. putida GB78, P. aeruginosa NB2, and Burkholderia sp. NB10 were the only morphotypes that grew on 18 up to 90 (GB78) and 140 mg Kg-1 Cd (NB2-NB10); however, GB78 showed the highest Cd bioaccumulation (5.92 mg g-1). This study provides novel information about culturable Cd-RB soil diversity with the potential to develop biotechnology-based strategies.
Rotavirus pre-symptomatically downregulates ileum-innervating sympathetic nerves concomitant with increased intestinal transit and altered brain activity
Authors: Hellysaz Arash , Svensson Lennart , Hagbom Marie 
Published: August 2021

AbstractWhile diarrhea, the hallmark symptom of rotavirus infection, has been considered to occur only due to intrinsic intestinal effects, we show evidence for central control underlying the symptomology. With large-scale 3D volumetric tissue imaging a mouse model, we show that rotavirus infection disrupts the autonomic balance by downregulating the noradrenergic sympathetic nervous system in ileum, concomitant with increased intestinal transit. A most interesting observation was that nervous response from CNS occurs pre-symptomatically, an observation that bring new understanding to how virus give raise to clinical symptoms. In the CNS of infected animals, we found increased pS6 immunoreactivity in the area postrema and decreased phosphorylated STAT5-immunoreactive neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, which are associated with autonomic control including stress response. Our observations bring new and important knowledge of how rotavirus virus infection induce gut-nerve-brain crosstalk giving raise to sickness symptoms.
RIG-I-induced innate antiviral immunity protects mice from lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Marx Samira , Kümmerer Beate M. , Grützner Christian , Kato Hiroki , Schlee Martin , Bartok Eva , Renn Marcel , Hartmann Gunther 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has underscored the need for rapidly employable prophylactic and antiviral treatments against emerging viruses. Nucleic acid agonists of the innate immune system can be administered to activate an effective antiviral program for prophylaxis in exposed populations, a measure of particular relevance for SARS-CoV-2 infection due to its efficient evasion of the host antiviral response. In this study, we utilized the K18-hACE2 mouse model of COVID-19 to examine whether prophylactic activation of the antiviral receptor RIG-I protects mice from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Systemic treatment of mice with a specific RIG-I ligand one to seven days prior to infection with a lethal dose of SARS-CoV-2 improved their survival of by up to 50 %. Improved survival was associated with lower viral load in oropharyngeal swabs and in the lungs and brain of RIG-I-treated mice. Moreover, despite antiviral protection, the surviving mice that were treated with RIG-I ligand developed adaptive SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity. These results reveal that prophylactic RIG-I activation by synthetic RNA oligonucleotides is a promising strategy to convey short-term, unspecific antiviral protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and may be a suitable broad-spectrum approach to constraining the spread of newly emerging viruses until virus-specific therapies and vaccines become available.
Diversity of Antibiotic Resistance genes and Transfer Elements-Quantitative Monitoring (DARTE-QM): a method for detection of antimicrobial resistance in environmental samples
Authors: Smith Schuyler D. , Choi Jinlyung , Ricker Nicole , Yang Fan , Hinsa-Leasure Shannon , Soupir Michelle , Allen Heather , Howe Adina 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTEffective monitoring of antibiotic resistance genes and their dissemination in environmental ecosystems has been hindered by the cost and efficiency of methods available for the task. We developed a method entitled the Diversity of Antibiotic Resistance genes and Transfer Elements-Quantitative Monitoring (DARTE-QM), a system implementing high-throughput sequencing to simultaneously sequence thousands of antibiotic resistant genes representing a full-spectrum of antibiotic resistance classes commonly seen in environmental systems. In this study, we demonstrated DARTE-QM by screening 662 antibiotic resistance genes within environmental samples originated from manure, soil, and animal feces, in addition to a mock-community used as a control to test performance. DARTE-QM offers a new approach to studying antibiotic resistance in environmental microbiomes, showing advantages in efficiency and the ability to scale for many samples. This method provides a means of data acquisition that will alleviate the obstacles that many researchers in this area currently face.
Association of the malate dehydrogenase-citrate synthase metabolon is modulated by intermediates of the Krebs tricarboxylic acid cycle
Authors: Omini Joy , Wojciechowska Izabela , Skirycz Aleksandra , Moriyama Hideaki , Obata Toshihiro 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTMitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (MDH)-citrate synthase (CS) multi-enzyme complex is a part of the Krebs tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle ‘metabolon’ which is enzyme machinery catalyzing sequential reactions without diffusion of reaction intermediates into a bulk matrix. This complex is assumed to be a dynamic structure involved in the regulation of the cycle by enhancing metabolic flux. Microscale Thermophoresis analysis of the porcine heart MDH-CS complex revealed that substrates of the MDH and CS reactions, NAD+ and acetyl-CoA, enhance complex association while products of the reactions, NADH and citrate, weaken the affinity of the complex. Oxaloacetate enhanced the interaction only when it was presented together with acetyl-CoA. Structural modeling using published CS structures suggested that the binding of these substrates can stabilize the closed format of CS which favors the MDH-CS association. Two other TCA cycle intermediates, ATP, and low pH also enhanced the association of the complex. These results suggest that dynamic formation of the MDH-CS multi-enzyme complex is modulated by metabolic factors responding to respiratory metabolism, and it may function in the feedback regulation of the cycle and adjacent metabolic pathways.
Environmental DNA from a small sample of reservoir water can tell volumes about its biodiversity
Authors: Torres André lq , Do Amaral Danielle Las , Guimaraes Murilo , Pinheiro Henrique B , Pereira Camila M , De Castro Giovanni M , Guerreiro Luana Ta , Americo Juliana A , Rebelo Mauro F 
Published: August 2021

AbstractWe evaluated the potential of metabarcoding in assessing the environmental DNA (eDNA) biodiversity profile in the water column of an hydroelectric power plant reservoir in southeast Brazil. Samples were obtained in three technical replicates at 1 km from the dam at 1, 13 and 25 m depths. For each minibarcodes -- COI, 12S and 16S -- 1.5 million paired-reads (150 base pairs) were sequenced. A total of 44 unique taxa were found. COI identified most of the taxa (34 taxa; 77.2 %) followed by 16S (14; 31.8 %) and 12S (10; 22.7 %). All minibarcodes identified fishes (13 taxa), however, COI detected other aquatic macro-invertebrates (18), algae (3) and amoebas (2). Richness was the same across the three depths (35 taxa), although, beta diversity suggested slightly divergent profiles. In just one location we identified 15 taxa never reported previously, 50% of the fish species identified in the last year of fishery monitoring and 13% of the species in biodiversity surveys performed from 2012 to 2021. Clustering into Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASV) showed that 12S and 16S are able to detect predominant haplotypes of fishes, suggesting they are suitable to study population genetics of this group. In this study we reviewed the species occurring within the Três Irmãos reservoir according to previous conventional surveys and demonstrated that eDNA metabarcoding can be applied to monitor its biodiversity.
Accelerated Partner Therapy contact tracing intervention for people with chlamydia: the LUSTRUM process evaluation using programme theory
Authors: Flowers Paul , Mapp Fiona , McQueen Jean , Nandwani Rak ,   The LUSTRUM programme, Estcourt Claudia 
Published: August 2021

ABSTRACTBackgroundUsing programme theory we report a process evaluation of Accelerated Partner Therapy (APT) - a novel contact tracing (partner notification) intervention for people with chlamydia as part of the LUSTRUM trial.MethodsFollowing the specification and visualisation of initial programme theory, questions of context dependency, fidelity, and functioning of putative intervention mechanisms were addressed using deductive thematic analysis of qualitative data collected through focus groups and individual interviews with purposively sampled health care professionals (n=34 from ten sites), index patients (n=15), and sex partners who received APT (n=17). Analyses were independent of trial results.ResultsAPT was anticipated to change key interactions and sexual health service organisation to accommodate safe and optimal remote care. APT training and resources transformed key interactions as anticipated. Overall intervention fidelity was good and APT was well-liked by those who delivered and received it. Putative intervention mechanisms worked mostly as expected although those concerned with local implementation sometimes worked counter to expectations. APT and its trial struggled to be implemented at scale across all sites. Considerable pressures drove services to constantly adapt to achieve efficiencies. APT was perceived as time consuming without visible impact on perceived patient numbers in clinic curtailing positive feedback loops driving normalisation.DiscussionUsing programme theory we show an evidence-based, theoretically informed, overview of how APT worked dynamically within the context of the trial and within UK sexual health services. We find a mixed picture of a well-liked, intuitive, coherent intervention struggling to gain purchase within an already pressured service.Trial registrationISRCTN15996256Study protocoldoi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034806Ethical approvalThis study received ethical approval from London—Chelsea Research Ethics Committee (18/LO/0773). Findings will be published with open access licences.FundingThis work presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research Programme (reference number RP-PG-0614-20009).
Spatiotemporal dynamics of human microglia are linked with brain developmental processes across the lifespan
Authors: Menassa D.A. , Muntslag T.A.O. , Martin-Estebané M. , Barry-Carroll L. , Chapman M.A. , Adorjan I. , Tyler T. , Turnbull B. , Rose-Zerilli M.J.J. , Nicoll J.A.R. , Krsnik Z. , Kostovic I. , Gomez-Nicola D. 
Published: August 2021

SUMMARYMicroglia, the brain’s resident macrophages, shape neural development and wiring, and are key neuroimmune hubs in the pathological signature of neurodevelopmental disorders. In the human brain, microglial development has not been carefully examined yet, and most of our knowledge derives from rodents. We established an unprecedented collection of 97 postmortem tissues enabling quantitative, sex-matched, detailed analysis of microglial across the human lifespan. We identify the dynamics of these cells in the human telencephalon, describing novel waves in microglial density across gestation and infancy, controlled by a balance of proliferation and apoptosis, which track key neurodevelopmental milestones. These profound changes in microglia are also observed in bulk RNAseq and single-cell RNAseq datasets. This study provides unparalleled insight and detail into the spatiotemporal dynamics of microglia across the human lifespan. Our findings serve as a solid foundation for elucidating how microglia contribute to shaping neurodevelopment in humans.
A blended learning strategy: reimagining the post-Covid-19 architectural education
Authors: Megahed Naglaa , Hassan Asmaa 
Published: August 2021

PurposeThe present work reviews the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on architecture education (AE), with the aim of discussing the interaction and integration of technology-based models.Design/methodology/approachDifferent research methods were used to achieve the research purposes including an online survey, semistructured interviews, observations and reviewing recent literature. The study proposes a theoretical framework to investigate blended learning (BL) approaches in AE, based on the blended teaching–learning continuum, the growth of online delivery mode and technology integration and the gradual responsibility adopted for the current Covid-19 pandemic.FindingsThe study proposes a vision to reimagine post-Covid-19 education and the required BL strategy to provide a theoretical framework that integrates the instructional models required to be investigated by instructors.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings are based on a theoretical approach not tested practically. A further detailed investigation is required. Thus, the road to reimagining the post-Covid-19 AE is still evolving.Social implicationsAs faculty members, one should take steps toward preparing BL strategies. These strategies present other alternatives to continue teaching and learning while keeping safe in any other emergency in education. In this work, an overview of BL approaches, continuum and related technological and instructional models has been shaped to propose a new vision to post-Covid-19 AE.Originality/valueThis paper responds directly to the initiated call on the pandemic's effect on traditional education by taking a pedagogical perspective. The study presents a holistic BL strategy and proposes a new theoretical and instructional model to design a suitable and balanced BL environment in AE.
The promise of a four-day week? A critical appraisal of a management-led initiative
Authors: Delaney Helen , Casey Catherine 
Published: August 2021

PurposeThis article critically investigates a management-led experiment to institute a four-day work week with stated intentions of improving productivity and worker wellbeing. The article analyses the framing and implementation of the reduced work hours (RWH) trial, the responses of employees and the outcomes and implications of the trial. It raises concerns regarding the managerial appropriation of employee aspirations for more autonomy over time and improved work life.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted a qualitative case study of a medium-sized company operating in the financial services sector in New Zealand. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 employees.FindingsOur study finds that the promise of a four-day week attracted employee favour and individualised benefits. However, entrenched managerialist practices of performance measurement, monitoring and productivity pressures were intensified. Pro-social and collective interests evident in labour-led campaigns were absent. We urge greater critical scrutiny into seemingly advantageous “business case” initiatives for reduced work hours.Originality/valueLittle is known about what happens to concern for social and employee interests entailed in reduced working hours initiatives when a management-led initiative is implemented. Indeed, the majority of research focuses on the macro-level rather than interrogating the “black box” of firms. Our inquiry contributes to these debates by asking, how does a management-led RWH initiative affect employees?