bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exposure to nivalenol declines mouse oocyte quality via inducing oxidative stress-related apoptosis and DNA damage
Authors: Wang Yue , Xing Chun-Hua , Zhang Hao-Lin , Pan Zhen-Nan , Sun Shao-Chen 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Mammalian oocyte quality is critical for fertilization and early embryo development. The type B trichothecene nivalenol (NIV) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium oxysporum, and it is commonly found with deoxynivalenol in contaminated food or feed. NIV has been shown to affect the immune system and female reproductive system, cause emesis and growth retardation. Here, we investigated the toxicity of NIV on mouse oocyte quality, as well as the protective effects of melatonin on the NIV-exposed oocytes. We found NIV exposure caused meiotic arrest and further induced the failure of polar body extrusion in mouse oocytes. Transcriptome analysis data showed that NIV exposure altered the expression of multiple pathway-related genes in oocytes, indicating its wide toxicity on oocyte maturation. Based on the RNA-seq data, we showed that NIV exposure induced oxidative stress and caused DNA damage in oocytes. Besides, autophagy, and early apoptosis were also found in NIV-exposed oocytes. Treatment with melatonin significantly ameliorated these defects through its effects on ROS level. Thus, our results demonstrated that exposure to NIV affected oocyte quality and melatonin treatment could reduce the defects caused by NIV in mouse oocytes.
The Perfect Storm? COVID-19 and Substance Use amongst Social Work Students in the USA
Authors: Kim Youn Kyoung , Moon Sung Seek , Yu Mansoo , Um Mee Young , Maleku Arati , Kehinde Omoshola , Pooler David 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, health risk behaviours related to substance use have been recognised as a significant public health concern amongst university students. Understanding the mechanisms of substance use behaviours, including those used to cope with COVID-19-related stressors, is imperative to curate targeted prevention efforts. To that end, we examined substance use prevalence and its associations with socio-demographic characteristics, preventive behaviours, and mental health amongst US social work students. We collected data from 457 students across all degree levels (BSW, MSW and PhD) from July to August 2020 through an online survey, to examine thirty-day patterns of substance use behaviours related to cigarettes, electronic vapour products, alcohol, binge drinking and marijuana. Univariate and bivariate analyses revealed high rates of substance use behaviours, particularly alcohol use (71 per cent), binge drinking (35 per cent) and marijuana use (25 per cent). Findings also revealed significant associations amongst substance use, socio-demographic characteristics, and mental health. Amongst other implications, our study should encourage social work programmes to promote positive coping strategies amongst students and foster substance abuse prevention efforts, both to mitigate health risk behaviours and to enhance student well-being, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Signifying Tomboy and the Thai TV Series Club Friday To Be Continued: She Changed
Authors: Chao Shi-Yan 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
This article examines the representation of same-sex attracted women in contemporary Thai culture by using the television series Club Friday To Be Continued: She Changed (2016) as the prime example. The show’s portrayal of the tomboy protagonist is not uncontroversial, given that her unfolding love for a man betrays the tomboy’s original self-identity as a woman-loving woman. It invokes the heteronormative specter that sees female homoeroticism as temporary or situational while same-sex attracted women will turn “straight” so long as they meet the right men. This article, however, urges us to look beyond the seeming political incorrectness and focus on the changing signification of “tomboy” in the Thai culture. I argue that the series dramatizes the expanded meaning of tomboy: now detached from a firm association with female homoeroticism (tom) to become a form of women’s gendered self-fashioning (tomboyism) that is mediated by trendy intra-Asian cosmopolitanism in contemporary Thai society.
Contribution of Interneuron Subtype-Specific GABAergic Signaling to Emergent Sensory Processing in Mouse Somatosensory Whisker Barrel Cortex
Authors: Baruchin Liad J , Ghezzi Filippo , Kohl Michael M , Butt Simon J B 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Mammalian neocortex is important for conscious processing of sensory information with balanced glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling fundamental to this function. Yet little is known about how this interaction arises despite increasing insight into early GABAergic interneuron (IN) circuits. To study this, we assessed the contribution of specific INs to the development of sensory processing in the mouse whisker barrel cortex, specifically the role of INs in early speed coding and sensory adaptation. In wild-type animals, both speed processing and adaptation were present as early as the layer 4 critical period of plasticity and showed refinement over the period leading to active whisking onset. To test the contribution of IN subtypes, we conditionally silenced action-potential-dependent GABA release in either somatostatin (SST) or vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) INs. These genetic manipulations influenced both spontaneous and sensory-evoked cortical activity in an age- and layer-dependent manner. Silencing SST + INs reduced early spontaneous activity and abolished facilitation in sensory adaptation observed in control pups. In contrast, VIP + IN silencing had an effect towards the onset of active whisking. Silencing either IN subtype had no effect on speed coding. Our results show that these IN subtypes contribute to early sensory processing over the first few postnatal weeks.
The burden of subclinical cardiovascular disease in children and young adults with chronic kidney disease and on dialysis
Authors: Lalayiannis Alexander D , Ferro Charles J , Wheeler David C , Duncan Neill D , Smith Colette , Popoola Joyce , Askiti Varvara , Mitsioni Andromachi , Kaur Amrit , Sinha Manish D , McGuirk Simon P , Mortensen Kristian H , Milford David V , Shroff Rukshana 
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Background
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality even in young people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We examined structural and functional CV changes in patients ˂30 years of age with CKD Stages 4 and 5 and on dialysis.

Methods
A total of 79 children and 21 young adults underwent cardiac computed tomography for coronary artery calcification (CAC), ultrasound for carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and echocardiography. Differences in structural (CAC, cIMT z-score, left ventricular mass index) and functional (carotid distensibility z-score and cfPWV z-score) measures were examined between CKD Stages 4 and 5 and dialysis patients.

Results
Overall, the cIMT z-score was elevated [median 2.17 (interquartile range 1.14–2.86)] and 10 (10%) had CAC. A total of 16/23 (69.5%) patients with CKD Stages 4 and 5 and 68/77 (88.3%) on dialysis had at least one structural or functional CV abnormality. There was no difference in the prevalence of structural abnormalities in CKD or dialysis cohorts, but functional abnormalities were more prevalent in patients on dialysis (P &lt; 0.05). The presence of more than one structural abnormality was associated with a 4.5-fold increased odds of more than one functional abnormality (95% confidence interval 1.3–16.6; P &lt; 0.05). Patients with structural and functional abnormalities [cIMT z-score &gt;2 standard deviation (SD) or distensibility &lt;−2 SD) had less carotid dilatation (lumen:wall cross-sectional area ratio) compared with those with normal cIMT and distensibility.

Conclusions
There is a high burden of subclinical CVD in young CKD patients, with a greater prevalence of functional abnormalities in dialysis compared with CKD patients. Longitudinal studies are required to test these hypothesis-generating data and define the trajectory of CV changes in CKD.
Practical Details for the Detection and Interpretation of Cryoglobulins
Authors: Kolopp-Sarda Marie-Nathalie , Miossec Pierre 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundCryoglobulins are immunoglobulins that precipitate at low temperature. Strict preanalytical and analytical conditions are critical for the detection of cryoglobulins.ContentThis review will focus on practical recommendations for detection and characterization of cryoglobulins and the technical problems that may be encountered. A laboratory report format is proposed for presentation of these results that includes the parameters necessary for an optimal interpretation by clinicians. The first step of detection of cryoglobulins can be performed in any laboratory that has a 37 °C incubator and temperature-controlled centrifuge. The second step is the characterization of cryoglobulins, and this often must be performed in more specialized laboratories. Characterization includes immunoglobulin typing, for the classification of cryoglobulins and potential underlying disease(s); quantification of immunoglobulins and rheumatoid factor in the cryoprecipitate to define the pathogenicity; and quantification of serum complement, which is useful for diagnosis.SummaryThese practical recommendations will be useful for the accurate detection of cryoglobulins, an essential step for the diagnosis of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, a rare but severe clinical manifestation of cryoglobulins.
Prognosis and Prediction of Breast Cancer Using Machine Learning and Ensemble-Based Training Model
Authors: Gupta Niharika , Kaushik Baij Nath 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
There has been an increase in occurrence of human diseases all over the world. Among those, Breast Cancer has increased with an alarming rate in the past decade and this trend of increase would continue to grow. Now, there is a need for efficient text analytics and feature extraction tools to assist classifying, sharing and retrieving the information on human diseases in general and Breast Cancer in particular. In light of above, the present study has been undertaken with the objective to provide a comparative analysis of different classifiers on Breast Cancer dataset, and to propose a new ensemble training method of Machine Learning Classification. Here, machine learning models (such as K-Nearest Neighbour, Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Gradient Boost, Support Vector Machine) and deep learning classifiers (such as Multi-Layer Feed Forward Neural Network, Recurrent Neural Network and Long Short Term Memory) have been applied on Breast Cancer dataset. An Ensemble Learning model for Prediction is proposed to classify the results among different classifiers. Finally, the Voting Ensemble is implemented to find out the optimal classifier for prediction of Breast Cancer. The results have been computed using the evaluation parameters such as Accuracy, Precision, Recall and Specificity. The confusion matrix drawn on the basis of evaluation parameters provides more emphasis on predicted and actual instances. Performance Evaluation for various machine learning models is computed. Results of this investigation concludes that Voting Ensemble outperforms other machine learning models. The prediction using Voting Ensemble resulted in an accuracy rate of 97.9 per cent, precision of 96.77 per cent and recall of 100 per cent.
Targeting the Hippo pathway in heart repair
Authors: Meng Fansen , Xie Bing , Martin James F 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The Hippo pathway is an evolutionarily and functionally conserved signalling pathway that controls organ size by regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Emerging evidence has shown that the Hippo pathway plays critical roles in cardiac development, homeostasis, disease, and regeneration. Targeting the Hippo pathway has tremendous potential as a therapeutic strategy for treating intractable cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure. In this review, we summarize the function of the Hippo pathway in the heart. Particularly, we highlight the post-translational modification of Hippo pathway components, including the core kinases LATS1/2 and their downstream effectors YAP/TAZ, in different contexts, which has provided new insights and avenues in cardiac research.
The Politics of the Moot Court
Authors: Scott David M , Soirila Ukri 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
Scholarship has generally represented moot court competitions in one of two ways: either as a beneficial way for students to develop practical skills prior to the Bar, or as a reproducer of hierarchy and exclusion. This review essay attempts to plot a third way of thinking about moots, one that finds critical potential in the exercise of mooting while remaining attentive to its conservative biases. Building out from a critique of the common law focus of Thomas and Cradduck’s The Art of Mooting, the essay reflects on how critical approaches to international law can be used to teach moot skills more effectively. The essay then turns to the limitations such a critical pedagogy must be aware of within the actual practice of the competition, considering how these limits can be navigated and even flipped into teachable moments for critically inclined students. The essay closes with a call for a more nuanced discussion about the use of experiential learning, of which moots are only one example, for fostering critical engagement with international law.
Evolutionary selection of alleles in the melanophilin gene that impacts on prostate organ function and cancer risk
Authors: Ermini Luca , Francis Jeffrey C , Rosa Gabriel S , Rose Alexandra J , Ning Jian , Greaves Mel , Swain Amanda 
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Background and objectives
Several hundred inherited genetic variants or SNPs that alter the risk of cancer have been identified through genome-wide association studies. In populations of European ancestry, these variants are mostly present at relatively high frequencies. To gain insight into evolutionary origins, we screened a series of genes and SNPs linked to breast or prostate cancer for signatures of historical positive selection.

Methodology
We took advantage of the availability of the 1000 genome data and we performed genomic scans for positive selection in five different Caucasian populations as well as one African reference population. We then used prostate organoid cultures to provide a possible functional explanation for the interplay between the action of evolutionary forces and the disease risk association.

Results
Variants in only one gene showed genomic signatures of positive, evolutionary selection within Caucasian populations melanophilin (MLPH). Functional depletion of MLPH in prostate organoids, by CRISPR/Cas9 mutation, impacted lineage commitment of progenitor cells promoting luminal versus basal cell differentiation and on resistance to androgen deprivation.

Conclusions and implications
The MLPH variants influencing prostate cancer risk may have been historically selected for their adaptive benefit on skin pigmentation but MLPH is highly expressed in the prostate and the derivative, positively selected, alleles decrease the risk of prostate cancer. Our study suggests a potential functional mechanism via which MLPH and its genetic variants could influence risk of prostate cancer, as a serendipitous consequence of prior evolutionary benefits to another tissue.

Lay Summary
We screened a limited series of genomic variants associated with breast and prostate cancer risk for signatures of historical positive selection. Variants within the melanophilin (MLPH) gene fell into this category. Depletion of MLPH in prostate organoid cultures, suggested a potential functional mechanism for impacting on cancer risk, as a serendipitous consequence of prior evolutionary benefits to another tissue.
European Society of Cardiology Quality Indicators for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: developed by the Working Group for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Quality Indicators in collaboration with the European Association for Preventive Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology
Authors: Aktaa Suleman , Gencer Baris , Arbelo Elena , Davos Constantinos H , Désormais Ileana , Hollander Monika , Abreu Ana , Ambrosetti Marco , Bäck Maria , Carballo David , Crawford Carolyn , Deaton Christi , Dendale Paul , Eijsvogels Thijs M H , Galbraith Mary , Piepoli Massimo Francesco , Salzwedel Annett , Smulders Yvo , Wilhelm Matthias , Biondi-Zoccai Giuseppe , Mach François , Visseren Frank L J , Gale Chris P 
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Aims
To develop a set of quality indicators (QIs) for the evaluation of the care and outcomes for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevention.

Methods and results
The Quality Indicator Committee of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) formed the Working Group for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Quality Indicators in collaboration with Task Force members of the 2021 ESC Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice and the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC). We followed the ESC methodology for QI development, which involved (i) the identification of the key domains of care for ASCVD prevention by constructing a conceptual framework of care, (ii) the development of candidate QIs by conducting a systematic review of the literature, (iii) the selection of the final set of QIs using a modified Delphi method, and (iv) the evaluation of the feasibility of the developed QIs. In total, 17 main and 14 secondary QIs were selected across six domains of care for ASCVD prevention: (i) structural framework, (ii) risk assessment, (iii) care for people at risk for ASCVD, (iv) care for patients with established ASCVD, (v) patient education and experience, and (vi) outcomes.

Conclusion
We present the 2021 ESC QIs for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, which have been co-constructed with EAPC using the ESC methodology for QI development. These indicators are supported by evidence from the literature, underpinned by expert consensus and aligned with the 2021 ESC Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice to offer a mechanism for the evaluation of ASCVD prevention care and outcomes.
Association of perceived job security and chronic health conditions with retirement in older UK and US workers
Authors: Mutambudzi Miriam , Flowers Paul , Demou Evangelia 
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Background
The relationship between job insecurity, chronic health conditions (CHCs) and retirement among older workers are likely to differ between countries that have different labor markets and health and social safety nets. To date, there are no epidemiological studies that have prospectively assessed the role of job insecurity in retirement incidence, while accounting for CHC trajectories in two countries with different welfare systems. We investigated the strength of the association between baseline job insecurity and retirement incidence over an 11-year period while accounting for CHC trajectories, among workers 50–55 years of age at baseline in the UK and USA.

Methods
We performed Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, using 2006–2016 data from the Health and Retirement Study (US cohort, n = 570) and English Longitudinal Study on Aging (UK cohort n = 1052).

Results
Job insecurity was associated with retirement after adjusting for CHC trajectories (HR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.50–0.95) in the UK cohort only. CHC trajectories were associated with retirement in both cohorts; however, this association was attenuated in the US cohort, but remained significant for the medium-increasing trajectory in the UK cohort (HR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.01–1.97) after adjustment for all covariates. Full adjustment for relevant covariates attenuated the association between job insecurity and retirement indicating that CHCs, social and health factors are contributing mechanistic factors underpinning retirement incidence.

Conclusions
The observed differences in the two cohorts may be driven by macro-level factors operating latently, which may affect the work environment, health outcomes and retirement decisions uniquely in different settings.
Microbial Phylogenetic Context Using Phylogenetic Outlines
Authors: Bagci Caner , Bryant David , Cetinkaya Banu , Huson Daniel H 
Published: September 2021

AbstractMicrobial studies typically involve the sequencing and assembly of draft genomes for individual microbes or whole microbiomes. Given a draft genome, one first task is to determine its phylogenetic context, that is, to place it relative to the set of related reference genomes. We provide a new interactive graphical tool that addresses this task using Mash sketches to compare against all bacterial and archaeal representative genomes in the Genome Taxonomy Database taxonomy, all within the framework of SplitsTree5. The phylogenetic context of the query sequences is then displayed as a phylogenetic outline, a new type of phylogenetic network that is more general than a phylogenetic tree, but significantly less complex than other types of phylogenetic networks. We propose to use such networks, rather than trees, to represent phylogenetic context, because they can express uncertainty in the placement of taxa, whereas a tree must always commit to a specific branching pattern. We illustrate the new method using a number of draft genomes of different assembly quality.
A DREaMR system to simplify combining mutations with rescue transgenes in Aedes aegypti
Authors: Chen Jieyan , Luo Junjie , Gurav Adishthi S , Chen Zijing , Wang Yijin , Montell Craig 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
In most experimental animals, it is challenging to combine mutations and rescue transgenes and to use bipartite systems to assess gene expression. To circumvent the difficulties in combining multiple genetic elements, we developed the DREaMR (Drug-on, REporter, Mutant, Rescue) system. Using Drosophila white as the initial model, we demonstrated that introduction of a single insertion by CRISPR/Cas9 created a null mutation, a tagged rescue construct, which could be induced with doxycycline, and which allowed assessment of protein expression. To create a DREaMR in an organism in which combining multiple genetic elements is more problematic than in Drosophila, we tested the mosquito, Aedes aegypti—the insect vector for dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and other viral diseases. We generated a DREaMR allele in the kh gene, which permitted us to induce expression of the rescue construct, and detect expression of Kh. Thus, this system avoids the need to perform genetic crosses to introduce an inducible rescue transgene in a mutant background, or to combine driver and reporter lines to examine expression of the targeted protein. We propose that DREaMR provides a system that can be applied to additional mosquito vectors as well as other organisms in which CRISPR/Cas9 is effective.