Klebsiella variicola dataset

This dataset of Klebsiella variicola contains 715 genome files categorised as human, animal, plant or environmental-associated strains. This dataset was used to study the population structure, evolutionary dynamics, resistance and virulence profiles of Klebsiella variicola

Limited sex differences in spatial language in parent-child dyads

Background: There is a complex pattern of sex differences in spatial abilities, yet there is limited knowledge of sex differences in children's exposure to, and children's use of, spatial language. The aim of this study was to directly compare mother-child and father-child interactions to investigate differences by child and parent sex in spatial language. Methods: The first 3-min of mother-child and father-child DUPLO® play sessions were coded for spatial language when the child was 24 months (N = 187 families; 105:82 boys:girls) and two years later at 48 months (N = 115 families; 66:49 boys:girls). Results: There were no sex differences in children's or parents' spatial language use at 24 months or 48 months. Regardless of socioeconomic status or parent talkativeness, parents showed more variety of spatial language (quality) with their daughters than their sons, but a similar quantity of spatial language with their daughters and sons. Associational analyses revealed a concurrent association between parent and child spatial language use at 48 months, but parent spatial language at 24 months did not predict child spatial language 2 years later. No direct sex effects were observed for cross-sectional or longitudinal associational analyses. Conclusions: Higher spatial language quality with daughters could reflect a higher (perceived) need to provide conceptual support to daughters than sons. Beyond this, we found limited evidence of sex effects. Our findings represent an important contribution, demonstrating comparable levels of exposure to spatial language to sons and daughters, and comparable elicitation of spatial language from young boys and girls.</p

A newly developed 20K SNP array reveals QTLs for disease resistance to Cryptocaryon irritans in tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes)

This study describes the development and application of a 20 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array in fugu (Takifugu rubripes). The main goal of this newly developed SNP array is to enhance selective breeding practice via the incorporation of genomic information. Fugu is one of the economic aquaculture species and mainly threatened by parasite disease. The performance of the array was evaluated in a farmed pufferfish population challenged with Cryptocaryon irritans and benchmarked against whole-genome sequencing of a subset of the animals. The array showed very high call rates, consistency between technical replicates, and concordance with genome-resequencing data. Heritability estimates using pedigree and SNP datasets demonstrated a significant genetic component of resistance to C. irritans, with heritability estimates ranging from 0.53 to 0.67, and prediction accuracies were significantly improved with the use of genomic data. Genome-wide association study identified two putative quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on chromosomes 3 and 17. Our findings suggest resistance to C. irritans can be rapidly increased in fugu populations by selective breeding, further expedited via the application of genetic markers. Therefore, they represent a valuable resource for selective breeding programmes aimed at enhancing disease resistance in fugu aquacultur

Teaching that Matters for Migrant Students (TEAMS): Understanding Levers of Integration in Scotland, Finland and Sweden

TEAMS is an international project conducted by teams of researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh, Jyväskylä, Stockholm, and Turku, led by Dr. Nataša Pantić at the University of Edinburgh and supported by the NordForsk British-Nordic research programme. This three-year project has addressed the need to understand the challenges and opportunities for schools as they respond to the increasing number of migrants in classrooms. The project used mixed methods, including social network analysis and qualitative fieldwork. The project collected new data on teachers’ beliefs, practices and social networks, and the integration experiences of migrant students, including: · Quantitative survey data of teachers’ social networks (n =359 (wave 1) – 416 (w2) – 341 (w3)) · Quantitative survey data on student engagement in schools (n=394 (w1) – 973 (w3)) · Online log data on teacher interaction for migrant student support (n=126(w1) – 78 (w2) – 81 (w3)) · Qualitative interview data on school staff/students’ beliefs (n=44/8(w1)–33/20(w2)–17/19(w3)) · Qualitative observations data on school staff practices and interactions (~120 h of fieldwork notes in total) · Policy review data (~80 documents

CaFeFeNbO6 – an iron-based double double perovskite

Ordering of cations is important for controlling properties of ABO3 perovskites, and CaFeFeNbO6 is the first example of an Fe-based AA’BB’O6 double double perovskite, with Ca2+/Fe2+ ordered on A-site columns, and Fe3+/Nb5+ at the octahedral B-sites. Substantial (37%) antisite disorder of the latter cations leads to spin glassy magnetism below a freezing transition at 12 K. The CaMnFeNbO6 analogue also shows substantial cation disorder and spin glassy behaviour. Comparison of synthesis pressures for ordered materials based on different A-site transition metals, suggests that pressures of at least 14-18 GPa will be required to discover the expected plethora of double double perovskites based on A’ cations smaller than Mn2+Files are magnetic and powder neutron diffraction data for the two samples shown in the publication Ji, K., Bedward, J.R., Li, Q., Manuel, P., Ritterc, C. and Attfield, J.P. (2023), "CaFeFeNbO6 – an iron-based double double perovskite", Chemical Communications 59, 6371 - 6374 ( https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CC01115A )

TigerBase:A DNA registration system to enhance enforcement and compliance testing of captive tiger facilities

The illegal trade in tigers (Panthera tigris) and their derivatives, such as bones, teeth and pelts, is a major threat to the species' long-term persistence. As wild tiger populations have dwindled, a large proportion of trafficked tiger products now derive from captive breeding facilities found throughout Asia. Moreover, wild tigers have been poached and laundered into captive facilities, then falsely designated as captive-bred. The establishment of a DNA registration system is recognized as a key tool to monitor compliance of captive facilities, support tiger trade investigations and improve prosecution outcomes. Here, we present a standardised wildlife forensic DNA profiling system for captive tigers called TigerBase. TigerBase has been developed in four South-East Asia countries with captive tiger facilities: Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Lao PDR. TigerBase DNA profile data is based on 60 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, genotyped using two different TaqMan®-based approaches: OpenArray® chip (capable of genotyping 60 SNPs for 48 samples in a single chip), and singleplex TaqMan® assays (capable of genotyping one SNP for one sample per reaction). Of the 60 SNPs, 53 are autosomal nuclear markers, suitable for individualisation and parentage applications, two are sex-linked markers, suitable for sexing, and five are mtDNA markers, suitable for maternal subspecies identification. We conducted a series of validation experiments to investigate the reliability and limitations of these SNP genotyping platforms. We found that the OpenArray® chip platform is more appropriate for generating reference data given its greater throughput, while the singleplex TaqMan® assays are more appropriate for genotyping lower quality casework samples, given their higher sensitivity and throughput flexibility. Only 19 autosomal nuclear markers were validated as singleplex TaqMan® assays, which generally provides ample power for individualisation analysis (probability of identity among siblings was &lt;6.9 ×10-4), but may lack power for specific parentage questions, such as determining parentage of an offspring when one of the parent's genotypes is missing. Further, we have developed pipelines to support standardised SNP calling and decrease the chance of genotyping errors through the use of analytical workflows and synthetic positive controls. We expect the implementation of TigerBase will enhance enforcement of tiger trafficking cases and encourage compliance among captive tiger facilities, together contributing to combatting the illegal tiger trade.</p

“Who listens to the listener, who cares for the carer?”:A cross-sectional study of social connectedness and sleep experiences of young siblings of neurodivergent people

BackgroundA growing body of research postlockdown has established that loneliness and sleep problems are prominent in the life of all people and in particular in neurodivergent people and their parents/carers. The present study explores the experience of loneliness and sleep in siblings of neurodivergent young people.MethodsThirty-eight (n = 38) young siblings (Mage = 16.41, 68.4% female) completed an online survey on sleep, loneliness and daytime functioning, answering a set of qualitative questions.ResultsThematic analysis revealed that their sleep was affected by personal anxieties and neurodivergent siblings' parasomnias. Definition of loneliness included perceived lack of understanding and empathy in wider society, assuming a lonesome responsibility, growing up faster than peers and an emptiness within and without. Siblings provided brief contributions on how schools and the wider society can help them. Limitations include small sample size and an uneven representation of gender and disability groups in the sample. Recommendations for school and societal support are also discussed.ConclusionThis preliminary exploration helped define their caring responsibilities, social connectedness and sleep needs. Our findings call for a holistic and personalised approach to healthcare, including social and psychological support, for the whole family including neurodivergent and neurotypical siblings

A roundtable discussion on the politics of EURO 2024:A collective commentary

Every European Football Championship raises a host of important political questions. Euro 2024 in Germany was no exception in this regard, as this commentary demonstrates. This roundtable discussion – in form of mini essays – reconsiders this politicized event. Indeed, this collectively written commentary involves short, but sharp insights from five scholars aiming to provide a responsive account of politically significant moments or trends at before, during and in the immediate aftermath of Euro 2024. By exploring important questions relating to, inter alia, nationalism, security and safety, sustainability, and children’s rights – in Euro 2024’s context – it is hoped that this commentary paper will offer something to future discussions concerning Euro 2024, European football and sport mega-events more widely, and, finally, socio-political processes in contemporary Europe

Incidence, severity, risk factors and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections during the Omicron period: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Our previous systematic review estimated the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections as 1.16% (1.01%-1.33%) during the pre-Omicron period. The Omicron variant that emerged in November 2021 was significantly genetically distinct from the previous SARS-CoV-2 variants and thus, more transmissible and posed an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections in the population. We, therefore, conducted a fresh systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the SARS-CoV-2 reinfection burden during the Omicron period. We searched CINAHL, Medline, Global Health, Embase, and WHO COVID-19 in October 2023 for studies reporting the SARS-CoV-2 reinfection incidence during the Omicron period. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. Random effects meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the incidence, and requirement of hospitalisation of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections. Symptomatic severity of reinfections and case fatality rates were analysed narratively. Thirty-six studies were included. We estimated the reinfection cumulative incidence during the Omicron period based on data from 28 studies. We also presented the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections by age-groups, vaccination status, and in healthcare workers. Data were limited on disease severity and long-term outcomes. The dataset contains information on the study characteristics of included studies, and overall incidence data, incidence data stratified by different variables (mainly age, sex, vaccination status, comorbidity status, and occupation) and severity and outcomes data reported in included studies