Metabolic profiling reveals coordinated switches in primary carbohydrate metabolism in grape berry (Vitis vinifera L.), a non-climacteric fleshy fruit

Changes in carbohydrate metabolism during grape berry development play a central role in shaping the final composition of the fruit. The present work aimed to identify metabolic switches during grape development and to provide insights into the timing of developmental regulation of carbohydrate metabolism. Metabolites from central carbon metabolism were measured using high-pressure anion-exchange chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry and enzymatic assays during the development of grape berries from either field-grown vines or fruiting cuttings grown in the greenhouse. Principal component analysis readily discriminated the various stages of berry development, with similar trajectories for field-grown and greenhouse samples. This showed that each stage of fruit development had a characteristic metabolic profile and provided compelling evidence that the fruit-bearing cuttings are a useful model system to investigate regulation of central carbon metabolism in grape berry. The metabolites measured showed tight coordination within their respective pathways, clustering into sugars and sugar-phosphate metabolism, glycolysis, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. In addition, there was a pronounced shift in metabolism around veraison, characterized by rapidly increasing sugar levels and decreasing organic acids. In contrast, glycolytic intermediates and sugar phosphates declined before veraison but remained fairly stable post-veraison. In summary, these detailed and comprehensive metabolite analyses revealed the timing of important switches in primary carbohydrate metabolism, which could be related to transcriptional and developmental changes within the berry to achieve an integrated understanding of grape berry development. The results are discussed in a meta-analysis comparing metabolic changes in climacteric versus non-climacteric fleshy fruits

Use of bacterial ureolysis for improved gelation of silica sol in rock grouting

Low pH silica-based grouts suitable for penetrating fine aperture fractures are increasingly being developed for use in engineering applications. Silica sol has an initial low viscosity and mixing with an accelerator destabilises the suspension producing a gel. The influence of sodium, calcium and ammonium chloride accelerators on gel time, rate of gelation and shear strength of the resulting gel were investigated in this study. For the first time the potential use of bacterial ureolysis as an accelerator for the destabilisation of silica sol was also explored. This study demonstrates that bacterial ureolysis can be used to control the gelation of silica sol. The rate of ureolysis increases with increasing bacterial density, resulting in faster gel times and higher rates of gelation. In addition, for grouts with similar gel times, using bacterial ureolysis to induce destabilisation results in a higher rate of gelation, a higher final shear strength and a more uniform gel than direct addition of the corresponding chemical accelerator. These results suggest that bacterial ureolysis could potentially be used in rock grouting to achieve long gel times and hence greater penetration, while also maintaining sufficiently rapid gelation to minimise issues related to fingering and erosion of the fresh grout

Trust and privacy in distributed work groups

Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Social Computing, Behavioral Modeling and PredictionTrust plays an important role in both group cooperation and economic exchange. As new technologies emerge for communication and exchange, established mechanisms of trust are disrupted or distorted, which can lead to the breakdown of cooperation or to increasing fraud in exchange. This paper examines whether and how personal privacy information about members of distributed work groups influences individuals' cooperation and privacy behavior in the group. Specifically, we examine whether people use others' privacy settings as signals of trustworthiness that affect group cooperation. In addition, we examine how individual privacy preferences relate to trustworthy behavior. Understanding how people interact with others in online settings, in particular when they have limited information, has important implications for geographically distributed groups enabled through new information technologies. In addition, understanding how people might use information gleaned from technology usage, such as personal privacy settings, particularly in the absence of other information, has implications for understanding many potential situations that arise in pervasively networked environments.Preprin

IgM paraprotein-associated peripheral neuropathy: small CD20-positive B-cell clones may predict a monoclonal gammopathy of neurological significance and rituximab responsiveness

IgM paraprotein‐associated peripheral neuropathy (PN) in patients without overt evidence of lymphoma is a recognised clinical entity of unknown aetiology. Interrogating the bone marrow B‐cell or plasma cell clones underlying paraproteinemic neuropathies may improve our understanding of both pathogenesis and treatment options. This retrospective observational analysis of IgM paraprotein‐associated PN identified five patients with small pathological MYD88 L265P and CD20‐positive B‐cell clones in their bone marrow using multi‐parametric flow cytometry, who have shown durable neurological response to rituximab. We posit that multi‐parametric flow cytometry may be instrumental in identifying the cellular source of the paraprotein in IgM paraprotein‐associated PN, and thus directing appropriate immunomodulatory therapy. Further understanding of these small pathological B‐cell clones may also provide additional insight into mechanisms of monoclonal gammopathy of clinical significance overall

Understanding the social and community support experiences of sexual and gender minority individuals in 12-Step programs

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services on 25 Jan 2023, available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10538720.2023.2172759.Sexual and gender minority individuals (e.g., gay, bisexual, non-binary, transgender; SGMI) are 2-6 times as likely as cisgender heterosexual individuals to experience alcohol or other substance use disorders. SGMI participate in 12-Step groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), at high rates. Though social support is an established mechanism through which 12-Step programs support reductions in substance use, little is known about SGMI’s experiences of the social support in 12-Step programs. This qualitative study aims to understand the experiences of social and community support among SGMI involved in 12-Step programs. This study employed thematic analysis to interpret open-ended responses from 302 SGMI who had participated in 12-Step programs. Data was from The PRIDE Study, a large, national, online. longitudinal, cohort study of SGMI. Two themes emerged about how SGMI experienced social and community support in 12-Step programs: beneficial connections and harmful environments. Beneficial connections included a sense of community, shared experiences, and skills provision. Harmful environments included marginalization, oppression, violence, and bullying. This study highlights the variability of experiences of SGMI participating in 12-Step programs. These findings suggest that many SGMI may benefit from 12-Step programs but may need support in coping with potential harms that can emerge through participation

Screening gender minority people for harmful alcohol use

This study identifies how to screen for harmful alcohol use among gender minority (e.g., transgender and gender-expansive) people using brief screening methods and identifies which screening methods perform best among gender-expansive, transfeminine, and transmasculine subgroups, as screening recommendations are not currently available. Using 2018 Annual Questionnaire data from The PRIDE Study, area under the curve (AUC) values were compared to identify which screening methods (“4 or more” or “5 or more” drinks on one occasion in the past year, or one or more items from the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT]) best predicted (i) harmful alcohol use and (ii) one or more past year alcohol dependence symptoms or consequences. Among 1892 participants, “5 or more” drinks on one occasion (AUC ranges: 0.82-0.86) performed better than “4 or more” drinks (AUC ranges: 0.78-0.81) in predicting harmful drinking. The screening methods “4 or more” drinks, “5 or more” drinks, and the consumption items of the AUDIT (AUDIT-C) using a cutoff score of 3 all maximized sensitivity and specificity to predict alcohol dependence symptoms or consequences in gender minority people overall (AUC: 0.77-0.78). Screening for “5 or more” drinks on one occasion within the past year performed as well as or better than other screening methods to detect both harmful drinking and alcohol dependence-related symptoms or consequences. This single-item screening method can identify if more extensive alcohol use assessment is warranted with gender minority people

Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Among Sexual and Gender Minority People by Disability Status: Findings From The PRIDE Study, 2019–2020

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people have increased anxiety and depressive disorders due, in part, to minority stress compared with cisgender and heterosexual people. Disability is associated with poorer mental health outcomes. With limited existing mental health data from SGM people with disabilities, we compared anxiety and depression symptoms between SGM people with and without disabilities. Participants from The PRIDE (Population Research in Identity and Disparities for Equality) Study were classified into four disability categories based on self-reported disability from 2019 to 2020. Participants completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaire (anxiety) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9; depression). Means were calculated for GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores by disability type. Logistic regression models examined the associations between scores ≥10 (accepted cutoffs for clinical symptoms) and disability type. For GAD-7, SGM people across all disability types (physical, mental, intellectual, and other) had reported significantly higher scores compared with those without disabilities. SGM people with any disability had increased odds of having GAD-7 scores that were ≥10 compared with those without disabilities. Similar to anxiety scores, SGM people with any disability reported significantly higher PHQ-9 mean scores compared with those without disabilities. Additionally, SGM people with any disability had higher odds of having PHQ-9 scores that were ≥10. Both anxiety and depression scores were significantly higher among SGM people with disabilities, signaling higher levels of anxiety and depression for this specific minority population. Further examinations should explore upstream factors affecting anxiety and depression in the SGM disability community

Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) Migration from Maternal Dens in Western Hudson Bay

Migration is a common life history strategy among Arctic vertebrates, yet some of its aspects remain poorly described for some species. In February-March, post-parturient polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in western Hudson Bay, Canada, migrate from maternity den sites on land to the sea ice with three- to four-month-old cubs. We investigated this migration using data from 10 adult females fitted with satellite-linked global positioning system collars tracked in 2011 – 16. Directed movement towards the coast began on average on 1 March (range: 31 January to 23 March) and took a mean of 7.8 days to reach the coast. Bears traveled 18 to 100 km from their dens to the coast (mean = 63 km) at a mean rate of 6.7 km/d. Movements were highly directed, with an approximate northeast orientation, but did not follow the shortest path to the coast. Observed migration patterns were broadly similar to those previously documented, although mean departure date from dens was about four days earlier and mean movement rate was only 40% of that from the late 1990s. Given the sensitivity of polar bears to climate change, the phenology of denning may be a meaningful parameter for long-term monitoring.Parmi les vertébrés de l’Arctique, la migration constitue une stratégie de cycle biologique courante et pourtant, pour certaines espèces, certains des aspects de la migration sont toujours mal décrits. En février et en mars, les ours polaires (Ursus maritimus) de post-parturition de l’ouest de la baie d’Hudson, au Canada, migrent depuis leurs aires terrestres de mise bas vers la glace de mer avec leurs oursons de trois à quatre mois. Nous avons étudié cette migration en nous servant des données relatives à dix femelles adultes dotées de colliers satellitaires avec système de localisation GPS, données recueillies de 2011 à 2016. En moyenne, les déplacements dirigés vers la côte commençaient le 1er mars (étendue : du 31 janvier au23 mars) et pour se rendre jusqu’à la côte, il fallait en moyenne 7,8 jours. De leur aire de mise bas jusqu’à la côte, les ours parcouraient de 18 à 100 km (moyenne = 63 km) au taux moyen de 6,7 km/j. Les déplacements étaient fortement dirigés, avec une orientation approximative du nord-est, sans toutefois emprunter le chemin le plus court menant à la côte. Les modèles de migration observés ressemblaient beaucoup aux modèles déjà documentés, quoique la date de départ moyenne des aires de mise bas s’établissait à environ quatre jours plus tôt et que le taux de déplacement moyen ne correspondait qu’à 40 % du taux de la fin des années 1990. Compte tenu de la sensibilité des ours polaires au changement climatique, la phénologie de l’aire de mise bas pourrait constituer un paramètre significatif pour la surveillance à long terme