Doing Un/Troubled Subject Positions as a Transgender Woman with Autism: The Case of Vera

This paper aims to capture in/exclusion processes in one transgender person’s life, a person who is also diagnosed with autism. We do this through Staunæs’ (2005) concept of troubling subjectivities, which helps us to explore how one specific person, Vera, ‘does’ or negotiates her identities as a neurodiverse transgender woman. We pay particular attention to how the two categories of transgender and autism intersect and which in/exclusion processes they set in motion. In this way, we unfold how identifying as transgender and having been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder shape Vera’s life. Specifically, we aim to unveil how these two social categories shape her degree of agency in her private social relations and in institutional settings of both education and healthcare. This is important to explore for two reasons: a) the intersections of multiple social categories change the conditions under which someone is allowed to do their particular personhood in different social settings, and b) research shows that a significant number of transgender people also inhabit the clinical category of autism. We show, that while Vera is able to perform identities related to the categories of transgender and autism in personally empowering ways, she is at the same time obstructed by what we refer to as identity overwork. That is, others’ positioning of Vera as ‘troubled’, repeatedly requires her response, on multiple social levels and in various contexts.This paper aims to capture in/exclusion processes in the life of a transgender person who is also diagnosed with autism. We use Staunæs’ (2005) concept of troubling subjectivities to explore how Vera negotiates her identities as a neurodiverse transgender woman. We pay particular attention to how the categories of transgender and autism intersect and which in/exclusion processes they set in motion. We unfold how identifying as transgender and being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder shape Vera’s life. Specifi cally, we aim to unveil how these social categories shape her degree of agency in her private social relations and in institutional settings of education and healthcare. This is important because: a) research shows that a signifi cant number of transgender people also inhabit the clinical category of autism; and b) the intersections of multiple social categories change the conditions under which someone is allowed to do their particular personhood in different social settings. We show that while Vera is able to perform identities related to the categories of transgender and autism in personally empowering ways, she is also obstructed by identity overwork. That is, others’ positioning of Vera as troubled repeatedly requires her response on multiple social levels and in various contexts

Gas Flow Shaping via Novel Modular Nozzle System (MoNoS) Augments kINPen-Mediated Toxicity and Immunogenicity in Tumor Organoids

Medical gas plasma is an experimental technology for anticancer therapy. Here, partial gas ionization yielded reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, placing the technique at the heart of applied redox biomedicine. Especially with the gas plasma jet kINPen, anti-tumor efficacy was demonstrated. This study aimed to examine the potential of using passive flow shaping to enhance the medical benefits of atmospheric plasma jets (APPJ). We used an in-house developed, proprietary Modular Nozzle System (MoNoS; patent-pending) to modify the flow properties of a kINPen. MoNoS increased the nominal plasma jet-derived reactive species deposition area and stabilized the air-plasma ratio within the active plasma zone while shielding it from external flow disturbances or gas impurities. At modest flow rates, dynamic pressure reduction (DPR) adapters did not augment reactive species deposition in liquids or tumor cell killing. However, MoNoS operated at kINPen standard argon fluxes significantly improved cancer organoid growth reduction and increased tumor immunogenicity, as seen by elevated calreticulin and heat-shock protein expression, along with a significantly spurred cytokine secretion profile. Moreover, the safe application of MoNoS gas plasma jet adapters was confirmed by their similar-to-superior safety profiles assessed in the hen’s egg chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM) coagulation and scar formation irritation assay

The phosphoproteome of choroid plexus epithelial cells following infection with Neisseria meningitidis

The Gram-negative bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, which causes meningitis in humans, has been demonstrated to manipulate or alter host signalling pathways during infection of the central nervous system (CNS). However, these complex signalling networks are not completely understood. We investigate the phosphoproteome of an in vitro model of the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB) based on human epithelial choroid plexus (CP) papilloma (HIBCPP) cells during infection with the N. meningitidis serogroup B strain MC58 in presence and absence of the bacterial capsule. Interestingly, our data demonstrates a stronger impact on the phosphoproteome of the cells by the capsule-deficient mutant of MC58. Using enrichment analyses, potential pathways, molecular processes, biological processes, cellular components and kinases were determined to be regulated as a consequence of N. meningitidis infection of the BCSFB. Our data highlight a variety of protein regulations that are altered during infection of CP epithelial cells with N. meningitidis, with the regulation of several pathways and molecular events only being detected after infection with the capsule-deficient mutant. Mass spectrometry proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD038560

Target setting for nitrogen use efficiency in Scotland

The Scottish Government's Climate Change Plan Update (CCPu) sets out an ambition for the agriculture sector to reduce emissions by 31% from 2019 levels by 2032, and a commitment to “work with the agriculture and science sectors regarding the feasibility and development of a SMART target for reducing Scotland’s emissions from nitrogen (N) fertiliser.” The agricultural sector is dependent on N inputs, both organic and inorganic. The inefficient use of these inputs creates N wastage, impacting air and water quality and the climate. This report explores the potential for setting a NUE target for agriculture in Scotland. It examines N flows found in Scottish agriculture as shown in the Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet (SNBS), providing a clear analysis of the opportunities and barriers

A transcriptional reference map of defence hormone responses in potato

Phytohormones are involved in diverse aspects of plant life including the regulation of plant growth, development and reproduction, as well as governing biotic and abiotic stress responses. We have generated a comprehensive transcriptional reference map of the early potato responses to exogenous application of the defence hormones abscisic acid, brassinolides (applied as epibrassinolide), ethylene (applied as the ethylene precursor aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid), salicylic acid and jasmonic acid (applied as methyl jasmonate). Of the 39000 predicted genes on the microarray, a total of 2677 and 2473 genes were significantly differentially expressed at 1 h and 6 h after hormone treatment, respectively. Specific marker genes newly identified for the early hormone responses in potato include: a homeodomain 20 transcription factor (DMG400000248) for abscisic acid; a SAUR gene (DMG400016561) induced in epibrassinolide treated plants; an osmotin gene (DMG400003057) specifically enhanced by aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid; a gene weakly similar to AtWRKY40 (DMG402007388) that was induced by salicylic acid; and a jasmonate ZIM-domain protein 1 (DMG400002930) which was specifically activated by methyl jasmonate. An online database has been set up to query the expression patterns of potato genes represented on the microarray that can also incorporate future microarray or RNAseq-based expression studies.</p

Sensitivity and specificity of antibodies against HPV16 E6 and other early proteins for the detection of HPV16-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

To determine the sensitivity and specificity of HPV16 serology as diagnostic marker for HPV16-driven oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), 214 HNSCC patients from Germany and Italy with fresh-frozen tumor tissues and sera collected before treatment were included in this study. Hundred and twenty cancer cases were from the oropharynx and 94 were from head and neck cancer regions outside the oropharynx (45 oral cavity, 12 hypopharynx and 35 larynx). Serum antibodies to early (E1, E2, E6 and E7) and late (L1) HPV16 proteins were analyzed by multiplex serology and were compared to tumor HPV RNA status as the gold standard. A tumor was defined as HPV-driven in the presence of HPV16 DNA and HPV16 transformation-specific RNA transcript patterns (E6*I, E1∧E4 and E1C). Of 120 OPSCC, 66 (55%) were HPV16-driven. HPV16 E6 seropositivity was the best predictor of HPV16-driven OPSCC (diagnostic accuracy 97% [95%CI 92–99%], Cohen's kappa 0.93 [95%CI 0.8–1.0]). Of the 66 HPV-driven OPSCC, 63 were HPV16 E6 seropositive, compared to only one (1.8%) among the 54 non-HPV-driven OPSCC, resulting in a sensitivity of 96% (95%CI 88–98) and a specificity of 98% (95%CI 90–100). Of 94 HNSCC outside the oropharynx, six (6%) were HPV16-driven. In these patients, HPV16 E6 seropositivity had lower sensitivity (50%, 95%CI 19–81), but was highly specific (100%, 95%CI 96–100). In conclusion, HPV16 E6 seropositivity appears to be a highly reliable diagnostic marker for HPV16-driven OPSCC with very high sensitivity and specificity, but might be less sensitive for HPV16-driven HNSCC outside the oropharynx

Breeding for reduced methane emissions in livestock

This project examined the potential reductions in livestock methane emissions through breeding, and the policy levers that could motivate these changes. We explored the technologies that detect and measure methane, manage data and are used in the breeding process and examined their potential availability in Scotland in 2030 and 2045. We also identified the relevant policy levers and behaviour changes and considered what Government, the post-farm market, pre-farm gate actors and farmers can do differently to encourage methane reductions through breeding

Patterns of antibody responses to nonviral cancer antigens in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients differ by human papillomavirus status

There have been hints that nonviral cancer antigens are differentially expressed in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Antibody responses (AR) to cancer antigens may be used to indirectly determine cancer antigen expression in the tumor using a noninvasive and tissue-saving liquid biopsy. Here, we set out to characterize AR to a panel of nonviral cancer antigens in HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC patients. A fluorescent microbead multiplex serology to 29 cancer antigens (16 cancer-testis antigens, 5 cancer-retina antigens and 8 oncogenes) and 29 HPV-antigens was performed in 382 HNSCC patients from five independent cohorts (153 HPV-positive and 209 HPV-negative). AR to any of the cancer antigens were found in 272/382 patients (72%). The ten most frequent AR were CT47, cTAGE5a, c-myc, LAGE-1, MAGE-A1, -A3, -A4, NY-ESO-1, SpanX-a1 and p53. AR to MAGE-A3, MAGE-A9 and p53 were found at significantly different prevalences by HPV status. An analysis of AR mean fluorescent intensity values uncovered remarkably different AR clusters by HPV status. To identify optimal antigen selections covering a maximum of patients with ≤10 AR, multiobjective optimization revealed distinct antigen selections by HPV status. We identified that AR to nonviral antigens differ by HPV status indicating differential antigen expression. Multiplex serology may be used to characterize antigen expression using serum or plasma as a tissue-sparing liquid biopsy. Cancer antigen panels should address the distinct antigen repertoire of HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC