cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Marxism and the problem of creating an environmentally sustainable civilization in China
Creators: name: Gare, Arran
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: This paper is the transcript of an invited talk given to the Center for China Studies in Beijing in July 2007, modified in light of the subsequent discussion and subsequent reflections on this discussion. The context is important. President Hu Jintao is concerned to overcome the destabilizing inequities, corruption and environmental degradation generated by China's explosive economic growth. To achieve this, action has been taken to spread the benefits of economic growth throughout China, especially to the rural population, to implement the rule of law, and to create more democracy within the framework of a one-party state. This change in direction has been defended as putting into practice all aspects of Deng Xiaoping's program of creating a socialist democracy, begun when he engineered the opening up of China to the global market, but suspended in 1989.1 At the same time, the public sphere has been opened up to new ideas. I was invited to talk on either the problem of creating an ecologically sustainable civilization as such, or to offer a Marxist approach to this problem. I chose the latter...[Preface]
Endasys annulatus
Creators: name: Riedel
name: Pénigot
name: Schwarz
name: Diller
name: Johansson
name: Japoshvili, G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Endasys
Endasys annulatus

description: Endasys annulatus (HABERMEHL, 1912), det. Schwarz
M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Trap 7: 2♀♀ 5-20.v.
D i s t r i b u t i o n: Western Palaearctic, new record for Georgia and the Caucasus region.
description: Published as part of Riedel, Pénigot, Schwarz, Diller, Johansson & Japoshvili, G., 2023, Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of the Kintrishi National Park, Sakartvelo (Georgia), with descriptions of six new species, pp. 61-153 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 55 (1) on page 121, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10788481
Influence of social network structure on entrepreneurship participation-a study of 20 national cultures
Creators: name: Klyver, Kim
name: Hindle, Kevin
name: Meyer, Denny
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: By investigating differences in social networks among entrepreneurs in 20 cultures, this paper contributes to the debate on whether there is universality in the process of entrepreneurial networking. Representative samples of entrepreneurs were identified in the same manner in 20 countries from 2000 to 2004 (N = 304,560). The sampling methodologies and the questions asked were similar across all countries. Logistic regression was used to test for significant regional interaction effects involving personally knowing an entrepreneur. Results are contrary to the existence of any mono-dimensional form of networking practice but do strongly support the existence of both variform universality (culture moderates the importance of networking) and functional universality (cultural similarities in networking practice exist).
Endasys brevis
Creators: name: Riedel
name: Pénigot
name: Schwarz
name: Diller
name: Johansson
name: Japoshvili, G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Endasys
Endasys brevis

description: Endasys brevis (GRAVENHORST, 1829)
M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Trap4:1♁1-15.vi.
D i s t r i b u t i o n: Transpalaearctic, known from Georgia (RIEDEL et al. 2018).
description: Published as part of Riedel, Pénigot, Schwarz, Diller, Johansson & Japoshvili, G., 2023, Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of the Kintrishi National Park, Sakartvelo (Georgia), with descriptions of six new species, pp. 61-153 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 55 (1) on page 121, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10788481
Farlowella schreitmuelleri Arnold 1936
Creators: name: Marajó, Leandro
name: Viana, Patrik F.
name: Ferreira, Milena
name: Rapp Py-Daniel, Lúcia H.
name: Feldberg, Eliana
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Actinopterygii
Siluriformes
Loricariidae
Farlowella
Farlowella schreitmuelleri

description: Farlowella schreitmuelleri Arnold, 1936. Farlowella schreitmuelleri also had a diploid chromosome number 58 and karyotype composed of 10m + 30m +14st+4a, and FN = 112 (Fig. 1d). A secondary constriction was observed in the distal region of the long arms of the acrocentric pair No. 28, together with size heteromorphism, corresponding to the Ag-NOR (Fig. 1f), the ribosomal 18S DNA (Fig. 2e), and positive C-banding sites. The genome of this species possessed a much larger quantity of heterochromatin compared to Farlowella cf. amazonum, located in the centromeric region of all chromosomes, where some bands were more conspicuous than others. Interstitial bands also occurred in the long arms of pairs Nos. 7, 9, 14, 22, and 23. Pairs Nos.8, 24, 25, and 28 also had conspicuous bands in the terminal region of the long arms (Fig. 1e). Multiple 5S rDNA sites were observed, in sm pair No. 16 (in only one of the homologs) and st pair No. 26. Both these sites were positive for C-banding (Fig. 2f). Hybridiza- tion with telomeric probes revealed terminal signals in all chromosomes and Interstitial Telomeric Sequences (ITSs) in pairs Nos. 7, 14, 25, and 28, all of which corresponded with heterochromatin blocks. In pair No. 28, the ITS was observed in only one of the homologs (Fig. 2b).
description: Published as part of Marajó, Leandro, Viana, Patrik F., Ferreira, Milena, Rapp Py-Daniel, Lúcia H. & Feldberg, Eliana, 2018, Cytogenetics of two Farlowella species (Loricariidae: Loricariinae): implications on the taxonomic status of the species, pp. 1-8 in Neotropical Ichthyology 16 (4) on pages 2-3, DOI: 10.1590/1982-0224-20180029, http://zenodo.org/record/3710253
Endasys senilis
Creators: name: Riedel
name: Pénigot
name: Schwarz
name: Diller
name: Johansson
name: Japoshvili, G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Endasys
Endasys senilis

description: Endasys senilis (GMELIN, 1790)
M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Trap4:1♁20.v.-1.vi.
D i s t r i b u t i o n: Western Palaearctic, known from Georgia (RIEDEL et al. 2018).
description: Published as part of Riedel, Pénigot, Schwarz, Diller, Johansson & Japoshvili, G., 2023, Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of the Kintrishi National Park, Sakartvelo (Georgia), with descriptions of six new species, pp. 61-153 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 55 (1) on page 122, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10788481
Bariatric surgery: trends in utilization, complications, conversions and revisions
Creators: name: Farrell, Timothy M.
name: Agala, Chris B.
name: Hsu, Justin L.
name: Hodges, Maggie M.
name: Ismail, Sherin
Publisher: name: Springer Nature
Year: 2024

description: Background Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) increased in popularity after 2010 but recent data suggest it has concerning rates of gastroesophageal reflux and need for conversions. This study aims to evaluate recent trends in the utilization of bariatric procedures, associated complications, and conversions using an administrative claims database in the United States. Methods We included adults who had bariatric procedures from 2000 to 2020 with continuous enrollment for at least 6 months in the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database. Index bariatric procedures and subsequent revisions or conversions were identified using CPT codes. Baseline comorbidities and postoperative complications were identified with ICD-9-CM and ICD-10 codes. Cumulative incidences of complications were estimated at 30-days, 6-months, and 1-year and compared with stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighted Kaplan–Meier analysis. Results We identified 349,411 bariatric procedures and 5521 conversions or revisions. The sampled SG volume appeared to begin declining in 2018 while Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) remained steady. Compared to RYGB, SG was associated with lower 1-year incidence [aHR, (95% CIs)] for 30-days readmission [0.65, (0.64–0.68)], dehydration [0.75, (0.73–0.78)], nausea or vomiting [0.70, (0.69–0.72)], dysphagia [0.55, (0.53–0.57)], and gastrointestinal hemorrhage [0.43, (0.40–0.46)]. Compared to RYGB, SG was associated with higher 1-year incidence [aHR, (95% CIs)] of esophagogastroduodenoscopy [1.13, (1.11–1.15)], heartburn [1.38, (1.28–1.49)], gastritis [4.28, (4.14–4.44)], portal vein thrombosis [3.93, (2.82–5.48)], and hernias of all types [1.36, (1.34–1.39)]. There were more conversions from SG to RYGB than re-sleeving procedures. SG had a significantly lower 1-year incidence of other non-revisional surgical interventions when compared to RYGB. Conclusions The overall volume of bariatric procedures within the claims database appeared to be declining over the last 10 years. The decreasing proportion of SG and the increasing proportion of RYGB suggest the specific complications of SG may be driving this trend. Clearly, RYGB should remain an important tool in the bariatric surgeon’s armamentarium.
Order parameters of crystals in LAMMPS
Creators: name: Wicaksono, Aulia Tegar
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Condensed Matter Physics
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: To identify atoms in a bicrystal cell based on the grain to which they belong, LAMMPS is equipped with a feature called order parameters, i.e. the fix orient/fcc command. The command has been adapted for b.c.c crystals in author's doctoral thesis. This document aims to describe the order parameter calculation in detail, including its implementation in LAMMPS for b.c.c and f.c.c crystals
Immune Responses to an Oral Cholera Vaccine in Internally Displaced Persons in South Sudan
Creators: name: Legros, D
name: Martin, S
name: Sack, D.A
name: Lessler, J
name: Iyer, A.S
name: Rumunu, J
name: Bouhenia, M
name: Luquero, F.J
name: Azman, A.S
name: Abubakar, A
name: Gruninger, R.J
name: Lino, R.L
name: Ryan, E.T
name: Leung, D.T
name: Pita, J
name: Deng, L.L
name: Wamala, J.F
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2016

description: Despite recent large-scale cholera outbreaks, little is known about the immunogenicity of oral cholera vaccines (OCV) in African populations, particularly among those at highest cholera risk. During a 2015 preemptive OCV campaign among internally displaced persons in South Sudan, a year after a large cholera outbreak, we enrolled 37 young children (1-5 years old), 67 older children (6-17 years old) and 101 adults (≥18 years old), who received two doses of OCV (Shanchol) spaced approximately 3 weeks apart. Cholera-specific antibody responses were determined at days 0, 21 and 35 post-immunization. High baseline vibriocidal titers (>80) were observed in 21% of the participants, suggesting recent cholera exposure or vaccination. Among those with titers ≤80, 90% young children, 73% older children and 72% adults seroconverted (≥4 fold titer rise) after the 1st OCV dose; with no additional seroconversion after the 2nd dose. Post-vaccination immunological endpoints did not differ across age groups. Our results indicate Shanchol was immunogenic in this vulnerable population and that a single dose alone may be sufficient to achieve similar short-term immunological responses to the currently licensed two-dose regimen. While we found no evidence of differential response by age, further immunologic and epidemiologic studies are needed.
The role of DGAT1 and DGAT2 in regulating tumor cell growth and their potential clinical implications
Creators: name: Han, Chao
name: Shen, Xiaochang
name: Deng, Boer
name: Kong, Weimin
name: Zhou, Chunxiao
name: Zhao, Ziyi
name: Bae-Jump, Victoria
name: Chen, Shuning
Publisher: name: Springer Nature
Year: 2024

description: Lipid metabolism is widely reprogrammed in tumor cells. Lipid droplet is a common organelle existing in most mammal cells, and its complex and dynamic functions in maintaining redox and metabolic balance, regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress, modulating chemoresistance, and providing essential biomolecules and ATP have been well established in tumor cells. The balance between lipid droplet formation and catabolism is critical to maintaining energy metabolism in tumor cells, while the process of energy metabolism affects various functions essential for tumor growth. The imbalance of synthesis and catabolism of fatty acids in tumor cells leads to the alteration of lipid droplet content in tumor cells. Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 and diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2, the enzymes that catalyze the final step of triglyceride synthesis, participate in the formation of lipid droplets in tumor cells and in the regulation of cell proliferation, migration and invasion, chemoresistance, and prognosis in tumor. Several diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 and diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 inhibitors have been developed over the past decade and have shown anti-tumor effects in preclinical tumor models and improvement of metabolism in clinical trials. In this review, we highlight key features of fatty acid metabolism and different paradigms of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 and diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 activities on cell proliferation, migration, chemoresistance, and prognosis in tumor, with the hope that these scientific findings will have potential clinical implications.
Introduction to Methodology Framework towards Water Quality Assessment. Case Study: A Review of Malacca River
Creators: name: Hua, Ang Kean
name: Faradiella Mohd Kusin
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2015
Subjects: Environmental Science

description: Water is a basic resources required by organisms for survival. Various activities have caused water quality to remain contaminated. These problems are present in the Malacca River, Malacca state. This research study has been carried out based on methodology framework review towards water quality assessment in Malacca River. Methodology can be divided into three processes, namely the planning process, applying process, and analyzing process. The planning process includes the design to collect and gather, analyze, and present the data in result form, for example qualitative or quantitative analysis, and primary data or secondary data. Applying process refers to the methods used to collect and gather data for analysis; for example, primary data will require researcher to collect raw samples data from the site, and secondary data will require researcher to collect data from government departments and institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and so on. Lastly, the analyzing process refers to the raw data undergoing analysis to provide result and information; for example, primary raw data and secondary raw data will need to be analyzed in a laboratory, in-situ analysis, GIS analysis, remote sensing analysis, other system analysis, and so on, depending on the objective of research study. If there were no mistakes or errors before, during and after collecting data, the results and information generated can determine the achievement of objectives or hypotheses of a research study.
Assessing the global threat from Zika virus
Creators: name: Cummings, D.A.T
name: Chaisson, L.H
name: Ott, C.T
name: Kucirka, L.M
name: Carcelen, A.C
name: Lessler, J
name: Sheffield, J.S
name: Bi, Q
name: Rodriguez-Barraquer, I
name: Salje, H
name: Metcalf, C.J.E
name: Ferguson, N.M
name: Grantz, K
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2016

description: First discovered in 1947, Zika virus (ZIKV) infection remained a little-known tropical disease until 2015, when its apparent association with a considerable increase in the incidence of microcephaly in Brazil raised alarms worldwide. There is limited information on the key factors that determine the extent of the global threat from ZIKV infection and resulting complications. Here, we review what is known about the epidemiology, natural history, and public health effects of ZIKV infection, the empirical basis for this knowledge, and the critical knowledge gaps that need to be filled.
Measuring spatial dependence for infectious disease epidemiology
Creators: name: Cummings, D.A.T
name: Salje, H
name: Grabowski, M.K
name: Lessler, J
Publisher: name: Public Library of Science
Year: 2016

description: Global spatial clustering is the tendency of points, here cases of infectious disease, to occur closer together than expected by chance. The extent of global clustering can provide a window into the spatial scale of disease transmission, thereby providing insights into the mechanism of spread, and informing optimal surveillance and control. Here the authors present an interpretable measure of spatial clustering, τ, which can be understood as a measure of relative risk. When biological or temporal information can be used to identify sets of potentially linked and likely unlinked cases, this measure can be estimated without knowledge of the underlying population distribution. The greater our ability to distinguish closely related (i.e., separated by few generations of transmission) from more distantly related cases, the more closely τ will track the true scale of transmission. The authors illustrate this approach using examples from the analyses of HIV, dengue and measles, and provide an R package implementing the methods described. The statistic presented, and measures of global clustering in general, can be powerful tools for analysis of spatially resolved data on infectious diseases.
Endasys striatus
Creators: name: Riedel
name: Pénigot
name: Schwarz
name: Diller
name: Johansson
name: Japoshvili, G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Endasys
Endasys striatus

description: Endasys striatus (KISS, 1924)
M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Trap 2: 2♀♀ 2♁♁ 5-20.v.; trap 4: 1♁ 1-15.vi.; trap 15: 1♁ 30.vi.- 14.vii., 1♁ 14-28.vii., 1♁ 20.viii.-22.ix.
D i s t r i b u t i o n: Western Palaearctic, new record for Georgia and the Caucasus region.
description: Published as part of Riedel, Pénigot, Schwarz, Diller, Johansson & Japoshvili, G., 2023, Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of the Kintrishi National Park, Sakartvelo (Georgia), with descriptions of six new species, pp. 61-153 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 55 (1) on page 122, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10788481
User acceptance of second life: An extended tam including hedonic consumption behaviours
Creators: name: Saeed, Nauman
name: Yang, Yun
name: Sukunesan, Suku
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Second Life is a 3-D multi-user virtual environment which has gained wide spread popularity amongst academic community in the recent years. However, due to its infancy very little is known about the factors driving users' intention to use Second Life especially in the educational context. This paper presents findings from an ongoing study about the impacts of using multi-user virtual environments in higher education. In information systems research, several models and frameworks have attempted to predict the acceptance of new technology. However some recent studies suggest that the traditional technology acceptance approaches may not work well with today's entertainment-oriented technologies such as multi-user virtual environments. They also recommend exploring those facets of human behaviour that are likely to capture the hedonic consumption of such technologies. In this paper, we propose an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) including hedonic consumption behaviours in order to explain the usage and acceptance of Second Life in the educational context. The proposed model is empirically evaluated using survey data collected from 122 users about their perceptions of Second Life. Findings suggest that hedonic consumption behaviours are strong predictors of Second Life usage as compared to traditional motivational constructs of usefulness and ease-of-use.
Challenges in Real-Time Prediction of Infectious Disease: A Case Study of Dengue in Thailand
Creators: name: Lauer, S.A
name: Iamsirithaworn, S
name: Lessler, J
name: Cummings, D.A.T
name: Suthachana, S
name: Hinjoy, S
name: Salje, H
name: Suangtho, P
name: Clapham, H.E
name: Reich, N.G
name: Sakrejda, K
Publisher: name: Public Library of Science
Year: 2016

description: Epidemics of communicable diseases place a huge burden on public health infrastructures across the world. Producing accurate and actionable forecasts of infectious disease incidence at short and long time scales will improve public health response to outbreaks. However, scientists and public health officials face many obstacles in trying to create such real-time forecasts of infectious disease incidence. Dengue is a mosquito-borne virus that annually infects over 400 million people worldwide. We developed a real-time forecasting model for dengue hemorrhagic fever in the 77 provinces of Thailand. We created a practical computational infrastructure that generated multi-step predictions of dengue incidence in Thai provinces every two weeks throughout 2014. These predictions show mixed performance across provinces, out-performing seasonal baseline models in over half of provinces at a 1.5 month horizon. Additionally, to assess the degree to which delays in case reporting make long-range prediction a challenging task, we compared the performance of our real-time predictions with predictions made with fully reported data. This paper provides valuable lessons for the implementation of real-time predictions in the context of public health decision making.
title: Using OMIC approaches to understand the genetic mechanisms controlling virulence in Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense isolates
Creators: name: Forrester, SJ
Publisher: name: University of Liverpool Repository
Year: 2016

description: Due to the resurgence of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), the world health organization (WHO) and various non-governmental organisations NGO’s have implemented strategies that have led to a significant drop in disease incidence, with only ~3,500 new HAT cases recorded in 2014. However the causative agent, T. brucei is still responsible for a heavy socio-economic burden, with T. brucei infections in cattle representing an estimated billion dollar loss annually. Of the two human infective T. brucei subspecies, T.b. rhodesiense is responsible for less than 3% of all HAT cases and is primarily considered a zoonosis. It causes acute disease comparative to the T.b. gambiense subspecies and two strains of differing phenotypes have been used to establish experimental infections, which reproduce the clinical manifestation observed in natural infections. This project utilized technological advances in order to understand the genetic mechanisms driving the phenotypic differences observed through the use of genomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. Firstly this work discusses the feasibility of sequencing directly from field samples by using Whatman FTA™ card and sequence capture in combination, and benchmarking the data against available whole genome sequence data. The resulting data showed both successful enrichment and lack of allelic drop out effect. This methodology was subsequently applied to multiple other strains and used to look at deleterious variants potentially giving rise to these phenotypic differences. Gross differences in the abundance of bloodstream forms in these strains were also observed, which indicated the phenotype of these strains may result from the regulation of differentiation. Transcriptomic and metabolomic data was also used to identify differential regulation driving these differences in virulence, and showed that only a small subset of genes were differentially regulated. Amongst these several candidate genes, which had previously been associated with drug resistance, were identified. Genomic and transcriptomic data also indicated that iron regulation is one of the key mechanisms driving this phenotypic change, with a high density of deleterious SNPs located in iron transport, and the greater than 10 fold increase in the expression of the transferrin receptor found in the transcriptomic data. However further analysis ideally on a larger set of strains, or SNPs derived from the entire genome rather than a subset, would be necessary to ascertain whether this is true.
Incorporating blogs, social bookmarks, and podcasts into unit teaching
Creators: name: Saeed, Nauman
name: Yang, Yun
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: The use of emerging e-learning technologies to build lifelong learning solutions is on the rise in academic settings. However there is a need to further explore these technologies in educational contexts and find novel ways of combining them in unit design. This paper presents our experience of incorporating a combination of blogs, social bookmarks, and podcasts in teaching a Web programming unit. An iterative action research methodology has been adopted to carry out the study. The study outcomes are encouraging in terms of usage and acceptance of incorporated technologies. They fulfil the basic objectives of the study and highlight the key areas of improvement for follow up studies.
title: Isoform-specific Ras expression and signalling.
Creators: name: Newlaczyl, AU
Publisher: name: University of Liverpool Repository
Year: 2016

description: Ras proteins are GTPases that are molecular central hubs for propagation of intracellular signals that are involved in diverse processes, including cell differentiation and proliferation. The four main Ras isoforms, HRas, NRas and the two KRas splice variants, KRasA and KRasB, are highly homologous and conserved proto-oncogenes that constitute a paradigm of cellular transformation. While all RAS genes are commonly mutated in human cancers, different isoforms couple to distinct tumours and the mutations in KRAS constitute the majority (~86%) of all RAS mutations. Intriguingly, KRasB is the only Ras isoform essential for normal embryonic growth in the mouse. Such discrepancy of Ras isoform contribution to different cancers and the uniquely essential role of KRasB in normal development may stem from the distinct spatiotemporal expression of Ras isoforms and their differential coupling to downstream effectors. However, to date there has been no comprehensive quantitative comparison of Ras isoform expression across various tissues throughout development. Moreover, there are no studies that compared Ras isoform-specific signalling in an endogenous context. Therefore, this thesis aims to provide the first complete map of Ras isoform expression during development and the first comparison of endogenous Ras isoformspecific signalling. In the first part of this work, quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to measure Ras isoform transcript levels in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and in a panel of embryonic, postnatal and adult mouse tissues. KRasB was found to be the most highly expressed isoform, whereas KRasA was shown to be the most dynamically regulated. Transcript copy number does not necessarily correlate with protein copy number; therefore, protein standard absolute quantitation mass spectrometry was used to accurately measure tissue Ras protein levels. In contrast to the qRT-PCR data where KRasB was 5-10-fold higher expressed than any of the other isoforms, protein abundance levels were found to be similar for the Ras isoforms. The mechanistic basis for this and the implications for models of isoform-specific Ras association with specific cancers are discussed. In the second part of this thesis, isogenic SW48 human colorectal cancer cell lines identical except for the presence of an activating G12V mutation in each of the three RAS gene loci were utilised to study endogenous Ras signalling. The results revealed isoform-specific coupling to canonical Ras effector pathways for example, HRas was the most potent activator of downstream MAPK and PI3K pathways. These data represent the basis for planned network biology studies to model Ras isoform-specific signalling. Together, this study provides the first most complete approaches for studying baseline Ras isoform expression and signalling in an endogenous context. The results guide our understanding of Ras isoform-specific network biology, coupling to distinct human cancers and involvement in normal development.
Comprehensive Perinatal Substance Use Disorder Intervention—A Window of Opportunity to Prevent Child Maltreatment Equitably
Creators: name: Jäderholm, Christina M.
name: Williams, Teshanee
Publisher: name: American Medical Association (AMA)
Year: 2024

description: The evidence and recommendations from the United States Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF)
are timely and valuable as primary care continues to grapple with interventions aimed at preventing
child maltreatment and its negative health consequences. In their review of evidence, the USPSTF
found insufficient evidence to recommend specific screening or intervention services in primary care
settings. Therefore, they recommend generating evidence for interventions outside of clinic settings
to prevent child maltreatment in future efforts.
Ethelurgus sodalis
Creators: name: Riedel
name: Pénigot
name: Schwarz
name: Diller
name: Johansson
name: Japoshvili, G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Ichneumonidae
Ethelurgus
Ethelurgus sodalis

description: Ethelurgus sodalis (TASCHENBERG, 1865), det. Schwarz
M a t e r i a l e x a m i n e d: Trap 4: 1♀ 13-27.vii.
D i s t r i b u t i o n: Transpalaearctic, new record for Georgia and the Caucasus region.
description: Published as part of Riedel, Pénigot, Schwarz, Diller, Johansson & Japoshvili, G., 2023, Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of the Kintrishi National Park, Sakartvelo (Georgia), with descriptions of six new species, pp. 61-153 in Linzer biologische Beiträge 55 (1) on page 122, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10788481
Micro-scale Spatial Clustering of Cholera Risk Factors in Urban Bangladesh
Creators: name: Azman, A.S
name: Satter, S.M
name: Bi, Q
name: Riaj, A.A
name: Lessler, J
name: Khan, A.I
name: Gurley, E.S
name: Ahmed, D
Publisher: name: Public Library of Science
Year: 2016

description: Close interpersonal contact likely drives spatial clustering of cases of cholera and diarrhea, but spatial clustering of risk factors may also drive this pattern. Few studies have focused specifically on how exposures for disease cluster at small spatial scales. Improving our understanding of the micro-scale clustering of risk factors for cholera may help to target interventions and power studies with cluster designs. We selected sets of spatially matched households (matched-sets) near cholera case households between April and October 2013 in a cholera endemic urban neighborhood of Tongi Township in Bangladesh. We collected data on exposures to suspected cholera risk factors at the household and individual level. We used intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) to characterize clustering of exposures within matched-sets and households, and assessed if clustering depended on the geographical extent of the matched-sets. Clustering over larger spatial scales was explored by assessing the relationship between matched-sets. We also explored whether different exposures tended to appear together in individuals, households, and matched-sets. Household level exposures, including: drinking municipal supplied water (ICC = 0.97, 95%CI = 0.96, 0.98), type of latrine (ICC = 0.88, 95%CI = 0.71, 1.00), and intermittent access to drinking water (ICC = 0.96, 95%CI = 0.87, 1.00) exhibited strong clustering within matched-sets. As the geographic extent of matched-sets increased, the concordance of exposures within matched-sets decreased. Concordance between matched-sets of exposures related to water supply was elevated at distances of up to approximately 400 meters. Household level hygiene practices were correlated with infrastructure shown to increase cholera risk. Co-occurrence of different individual level exposures appeared to mostly reflect the differing domestic roles of study participants. Strong spatial clustering of exposures at a small spatial scale in a cholera endemic population suggests a possible role for highly targeted interventions. Studies with cluster designs in areas with strong spatial clustering of exposures should increase sample size to account for the correlation of these exposures.
Exploring the policy implications of household wealth differentials and under-five child deaths in Ghana
Creators: name: Osei, Christian Kwaku
name: Nketiah-Amponsah, Edward
Publisher: name: Springer Nature
Year: 2024

description: Background Ghana was one of the few countries commended to have halved extreme poverty after the MDG era yet the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) was dire. Ghana’s U5MR is still above the national and global SDG target. As a result, the government has over the years implemented other complementary social and policy interventions to improve the socioeconomic status of households to ensure better child health outcomes. Yet key gaps exist and threaten child health outcome sustainability, and child health-related SDG targets. In this regard, we hypothesize that household wealth should therefore not influence under-five child deaths significantly. Methods The paper first reports the under-five mortality trend over the past 30 years in Ghana. It uniquely analyses the levels and trends in wealth as measured by the Gross National Income per capita at purchasing power parity (ln GNI/p, ppp) as a proxy of the mean Comparative Wealth Index (CWI) against under-five child deaths in Ghana. Using data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey and employing the logistic regression estimation technique, the paper further estimates the effect of household wealth and other key covariates on under-five child deaths. Implemented government poverty-alleviating policies and intervention programs to reduce childhood mortality in Ghana were reviewed to identify risk gaps to child deaths. Results The 30 year trend analysis from 1990 to 2020 shows that the under-five mortality rate in Ghana is still high, falling short of the rate of decline that is expected toward achieving the 2030 SDG target for U5MR of 25 deaths per 1000 live births. Our empirical estimations show that household wealth still has a negative and significant relationship with under-five child deaths despite the government’s existing poverty-alleviating and pro-poor health policies. In addition, the results show that regional differences, maternal age, the number of children alive, and attendance to postnatal healthcare services are crucial for child survival. Conclusion The results imply that the government should consolidate universal programmes with intensified targeted interventions toward improving household wealth, especially in the Northern Savannah regions. A new and dynamic child health policy is imminent to reflect strategies towards achieving the SDG target on U5MR. Additionally, intensive education on active maternal participation in postnatal care should be given critical consideration to improve child survival.
Efficient Nonparametric Estimation of Stochastic Policy Effects with Clustered Interference
Creators: name: Lee, Chanhwa
name: Zeng, Donglin
name: Hudgens, Michael G.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024

description: Interference occurs when a unit’s treatment (or exposure) affects another unit’s outcome. In some settings, units may be grouped into clusters such that it is reasonable to assume that interference, if present, only occurs between individuals in the same cluster, that is, there is clustered interference. Various causal estimands have been proposed to quantify treatment effects under clustered interference from observational data, but these estimands either entail treatment policies lacking real-world relevance or are based on parametric propensity score models. Here, we propose new causal estimands based on modification of the propensity score distribution which may be more relevant in many contexts and are not based on parametric models. Nonparametric sample splitting estimators of the new estimands are constructed, which allow for flexible data-adaptive estimation of nuisance functions and are consistent, asymptotically normal, and efficient, converging at the usual parametric rate. Simulations show the finite sample performance of the proposed estimators. The proposed methods are applied to evaluate the effect of water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities on diarrhea among children in Senegal. Supplementary materials for this article are available online, including a standardized description of the materials available for reproducing the work.
title: Investigating the Molecular Mechanism of Crosstalk Between NF-κB and Nrf2 Signalling Pathways
Creators: name: Wardyn, JD
Publisher: name: University of Liverpool Repository
Year: 2016

description: Investigating the Molecular Mechanisms of Crosstalk Between NF-κB and Nrf2 Signalling Pathways In order to maintain tissue homeostasis, cells must respond swiftly to inflammatory and oxidative challenges, ensuring appropriate processes are sequentially activated and repressed when stress conditions are normalised. Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) and Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB) are the key regulators of cellular antioxidant and inflammatory responses respectively. Imbalance between these processes is a contributing factor in many human diseases, including neurodegeneration, autoimmune disorders and cancers. Pharmacological and genetic studies suggest that there is functional crosstalk between these two pathways, however mechanistic details of conditional dominance between them remain unclear. To address this, we have generated multiple, low expression, fluorescent molecular tools that allow monitoring of the distribution and activity of Nrf2 and NF-κB proteins in primary living neurons and astrocytes. This allowed us to characterise the cell-specific antioxidant and inflammatory signalling, as well as to understand the patterns in basal activity. We also investigated patterns of crosstalk in a cancer-related context utilising a previously generated SK-N-AS neuroblastoma cell line, engineered to stably express Nrf2-Venus, from a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC). This model cell-line was first extensively characterised in order to define conditional Nrf2 responses to antioxidant compounds in real-time. We then proceeded to investigate the effect of acute inflammation on the cellular antioxidant activity, in order to define the extent and nature of functional crosstalk between NF-κB and Nrf2. Data from these studies provide definitive proof of a self limiting reciprocal mechanism of interplay in neuroblastoma cells, in which NF-κB-mediated inflammatory signalling promotes an increase in Nrf2 transcription which then in turn supresses further NF-κB signalling. In addition, results from single cell imaging and population level studies show that Nrf2 responses are fine tuned, by either Keap1-mediated mechanism of repression. To define the intricate mechanisms of basal Nrf2 activity, we utilised a photoswitchable fluorescent protein fusion, which provided the first direct measurements of Nrf2 nuclear import and export dynamics in live-cells. Finally, we used the sophisticated live cell imaging approaches to define the mechanism of action of the Nrf2 inhibiting drug brusatol. Significantly, these results contradict published data and reveal a more general explanation for the potential therapeutic utility of brusatol.
An instructional design model for screencasting: Engaging students in self-regulated learning
Creators: name: Loch, Birgit
name: McLoughlin, Catherine
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Students entering first year university mathematics courses in Australia often show gaps in their mathematical understanding and may not have the cognitive and metacognitive skills to cope with abstract thinking. Screencasts produced as learning support for these students have definite benefits as learners have flexibility in accessing the resources at their convenience, and they can watch step by step model explanations of concepts and operations. Nevertheless, the instructional format of most mathematical screencasts focuses on expert performance of, and commentary on a particular skill, and often neglects to consider the active engagement and participation of the learner. This article provides an overview of instructional design approaches to screencasts, and of self-regulated learning models. It then introduces a preliminary instructional design model building on self-regulated learning theory for the creation of screencasts, in order to foster and enhance students’ cognitive and metacognitive skills in understanding complex mathematical concepts.
Impact on Epidemic Measles of Vaccination Campaigns Triggered by Disease Outbreaks or Serosurveys: A Modeling Study
Creators: name: Cutts, F.T
name: Grenfell, B.T
name: Lessler, J
name: Metcalf, C.J.E
Publisher: name: Public Library of Science
Year: 2016

description: Background: Routine vaccination supplemented by planned campaigns occurring at 2–5 y intervals is the core of current measles control and elimination efforts. Yet, large, unexpected outbreaks still occur, even when control measures appear effective. Supplementing these activities with mass vaccination campaigns triggered when low levels of measles immunity are observed in a sample of the population (i.e., serosurveys) or incident measles cases occur may provide a way to limit the size of outbreaks. Methods and Findings: Measles incidence was simulated using stochastic age-structured epidemic models in settings conducive to high or low measles incidence, roughly reflecting demographic contexts and measles vaccination coverage of four heterogeneous countries: Nepal, Niger, Yemen, and Zambia. Uncertainty in underlying vaccination rates was modeled. Scenarios with case- or serosurvey-triggered campaigns reaching 20% of the susceptible population were compared to scenarios without triggered campaigns. The best performing of the tested case-triggered campaigns prevent an average of 28,613 (95% CI 25,722–31,505) cases over 15 y in our highest incidence setting and 599 (95% CI 464–735) cases in the lowest incidence setting. Serosurvey-triggered campaigns can prevent 89,173 (95% CI, 86,768–91,577) and 744 (612–876) cases, respectively, but are triggered yearly in high-incidence settings. Triggered campaigns reduce the highest cumulative incidence seen in simulations by up to 80%. While the scenarios considered in this strategic modeling exercise are reflective of real populations, the exact quantitative interpretation of the results is limited by the simplifications in country structure, vaccination policy, and surveillance system performance. Careful investigation into the cost-effectiveness in different contexts would be essential before moving forward with implementation. Conclusions: Serologically triggered campaigns could help prevent severe epidemics in the face of epidemiological and vaccination uncertainty. Hence, small-scale serology may serve as the basis for effective adaptive public health strategies, although, in high-incidence settings, case-triggered approaches are likely more efficient.
Temporal stability of fecal metabolomic profiles in irritable bowel syndrome
Creators: name: Öhman, Lena
name: Simrén, Magnus
name: Törnblom, Hans
name: Magnusson, Maria K.
name: Iribarren, Cristina
name: Sapnara, Maria
name: Savolainen, Otto
Publisher: name: Wiley
Year: 2024

description: BACKGROUND: The potential of the fecal metabolome to serve as a biomarker for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) depends on its stability over time. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the temporal dynamics of the fecal metabolome, and the potential relationship with stool consistency, in patients with IBS and healthy subjects.
METHODS: Fecal samples were collected in two cohorts comprising patients with IBS and healthy subjects. For Cohort A, fecal samples collected during 5 consecutive days were analyzed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). For Cohort B, liquid chromatography-MS (LC-MS) was used to analyze fecal samples collected at week 0 (healthy and IBS) and at week 4 (patients only). Stool consistency was determined by the Bristol Stool Form scale.
KEY RESULTS: Fecal samples were collected from Cohort A (seven healthy subjects and eight IBS patients), and Cohort B (seven healthy subjects and 11 IBS patients). The fecal metabolome of IBS patients was stable short-term (Cohort A, 5 days and within the same day) and long-term (Cohort B, 4 weeks). A similar trend was observed over 5 days in the healthy subjects of Cohort A. The metabolome dissimilarity was larger between than within participants over time in both healthy subjects and IBS patients. Further analyses showed that patients had greater range of stool forms (types) than healthy subjects, with no apparent influence on metabolomic dynamics.
CONCLUSION & INFERENCES: The fecal metabolome is stable over time within IBS patients as well as healthy subjects. This supports the concept of a stable fecal metabolome in IBS despite fluctuations in stool consistency, and the use of single timepoint sampling to further explore how the fecal metabolome is related to IBS pathogenesis.
A comparison of hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization assays for characterizing immunity to seasonal influenza A
Creators: name: Kwok, K.O
name: Riley, S
name: Jiang, C.Q
name: Wang, S
name: Truelove, S
name: Lessler, J
name: Cummings, D.A.T
name: Read, J.M
name: Zhu, H
name: Guan, Y
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2016

description: Background: Serum antibody to influenza can be used to identify past exposure and measure current immune status. The two most common methods for measuring this are the hemagglutination inhibition assay (HI) and the viral neutralization assay (NT), which have not been systematically compared for a large number of influenza viruses. Methods: A total of 151 study participants from near Guangzhou, China, were enrolled in 2009 and provided serum. HI and NT assays were performed for 12 historic and recently circulating strains of seasonal influenza A. We compared titers using Spearman correlation and fit models to predict NT using HI results. Results: We observed high positive mean correlation between HI and NT assays (Spearman's rank correlation, ρ=.86) across all strains. Correlation was highest within subtypes and within close proximity in time. Overall, an HI=20 corresponded to NT=10, and HI=40 corresponded to NT=20. Linear regression of log(NT) on log(HI) was statistically significant, with age modifying this relationship. Strain-specific area under a curve (AUC) indicated good accuracy (>80%) for predicting NT with HI. Conclusions: While we found high overall correspondence of titers between NT and HI assays for seasonal influenza A, no exact equivalence between assays could be determined. This was further complicated by correspondence between titers changing with age. These findings support generalized comparison of results between assays and give further support for use of the hemagglutination inhibition assay over the more resource intensive viral neutralization assay for seasonal influenza A, although attention should be given to the effect of age on these assays.