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This short piece introduces the special issue 'Partition and the South Asian diaspora: exploring (inherited) memories and creative practices of remembering'. This issue was conceived at the juncture of intersecting commemorations of key historical events – 1947 Partition of British India, 1971 Bangladesh independence and 1972 exodus from Uganda – in South Asia and its diasporas. By bringing together articles focused on practices of commemorating these events, we propose that studying entangled memories of Partition and its associated events in the diaspora provides a distinct perspective, both in terms of creative and cultural practices of remembering and in terms of the construction of diasporic identities and belongings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, the 70th anniversary of the Partition of British India was widely discussed in the UK, not only within academic and cultural circles, but also in popular culture. Five years later, on the 75th anniversary of Partition, the scholarly, cultural and community interest in the events of 1947 intersected with the commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the expulsion of the South Asian population from Uganda, and the 70th anniversary of the Language Movement that led towards Bangladesh independence in 1971 - the 50th anniversary of which was celebrated just the year before. Based on the work of the Migrant Memory and the Postcolonial Imagination research project (Loughborough University) this article will explore the entanglement of the memories of these events within the South Asian diaspora, and how their transmission and communication shape the construction of contemporary diasporic identity and concepts of community, belonging and 'home.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mouse serves as a mammalian model for understanding the nature of variation from new mutations, a question that has both evolutionary and medical significance. Previous studies suggest that the rate of single-nucleotide mutations (SNMs) in mice is ∼50% of that in humans. However, information largely comes from studies involving the C57BL/6 strain, and there is little information from other mouse strains. Here, we study the mutations that accumulated in 59 mouse lines derived from four inbred strains that are commonly used in genetics and clinical research (BALB/cAnNRj, C57BL/6JRj, C3H/HeNRj, and FVB/NRj), maintained for eight to nine generations by brother–sister mating. By analyzing Illumina whole-genome sequencing data, we estimate that the average rate of new SNMs in mice is ∼ μ = 6.7 × 10−9. However, there is substantial variation in the spectrum of SNMs among strains, so the burden from new mutations also varies among strains. For example, the FVB strain has a spectrum that is markedly skewed toward C→A transversions and is likely to experience a higher deleterious load than other strains, due to an increased frequency of nonsense mutations in glutamic acid codons. Finally, we observe substantial variation in the rate of new SNMs among DNA sequence contexts, CpG sites, and their adjacent nucleotides playing an important role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Symptoms and cognition are both utilized as indicators of recovery following pediatric concussion, yet their interrelationship is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate: 1) the association of post-concussion symptom burden and cognitive outcomes (processing speed and executive functioning [EF]) at 4 and 12 weeks after pediatric concussion, and 2) the moderating effect of sex on this association. Methods: This prospective, multicenter cohort study included participants aged 5.00–17.99 years with acute concussion presenting to four Emergency Departments of the Pediatric Emergency Research Canada network. Five processing speed and EF tasks and the Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI; symptom burden, defined as the difference between post-injury and retrospective [pre-injury] scores) were administered at 4 and 12 weeks post-concussion. Generalized least squares models were conducted with task performances as dependent variables and PCSI and PCSI*sex interaction as the main predictors, with important pre-injury demographic and injury characteristics as covariates. Results: 311 children (65.0% males; median age = 11.92 [IQR = 9.14–14.21 years]) were included in the analysis. After adjusting for covariates, higher symptom burden was associated with lower Backward Digit Span (χ2 = 9.85, p =.043) and Verbal Fluency scores (χ2 = 10.48, p =.033) across time points; these associations were not moderated by sex, ps ≥.20. Symptom burden was not associated with performance on the Coding, Continuous Performance Test, and Color-Word Interference scores, ps ≥.17. Conclusions: Higher symptom burden is associated with lower working memory and cognitive flexibility following pediatric concussion, yet these associations were not moderated by sex. Findings may inform concussion management by emphasizing the importance of multifaceted assessments of EF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of fitness effects (DFE) for new mutations is fundamental for many aspects of population and quantitative genetics. In this study, we have inferred the DFE in the single-celled alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by estimating changes in the frequencies of 254 spontaneous mutations under experimental evolution and equating the frequency changes of linked mutations with their selection coefficients. We generated seven populations of recombinant haplotypes by crossing seven independently derived mutation accumulation lines carrying an average of 36 mutations in the haploid state to a mutation-free strain of the same genotype. We then allowed the populations to evolve under natural selection in the laboratory by serial transfer in liquid culture. We observed substantial and repeatable changes in the frequencies of many groups of linked mutations, and, surprisingly, as many mutations were observed to increase as decrease in frequency. Mutation frequencies were highly repeatable among replicates, suggesting that selection was the cause of the observed allele frequency changes. We developed a Bayesian Monte Carlo Markov Chain method to infer the DFE. This computes the likelihood of the observed distribution of changes of frequency, and obtains the posterior distribution of the selective effects of individual mutations, while assuming a two-sided gamma distribution of effects. We infer that the DFE is a highly leptokurtic distribution, and that approximately equal proportions of mutations have positive and negative effects on fitness. This result is consistent with what we have observed in previous work on a different C. reinhardtii strain, and suggests that a high fraction of new spontaneously arisen mutations are advantageous in a simple laboratory environment.

The field of population genomics has grown rapidly in response to the recent advent of affordable, large-scale sequencing technologies. As opposed to the situation during the majority of the 20th century, in which the development of theoretical and statistical population genetic insights outpaced the generation of data to which they could be applied, genomic data are now being produced at a far greater rate than they can be meaningfully analyzed and interpreted. With this wealth of data has come a tendency to focus on fitting specific (and often rather idiosyncratic) models to data, at the expense of a careful exploration of the range of possible underlying evolutionary processes. For example, the approach of directly investigating models of adaptive evolution in each newly sequenced population or species often neglects the fact that a thorough characterization of ubiquitous nonadaptive processes is a prerequisite for accurate inference. We here describe the perils of these tendencies, present our consensus views on current best practices in population genomic data analysis, and highlight areas of statistical inference and theory that are in need of further attention. Thereby, we argue for the importance of defining a biologically relevant baseline model tuned to the details of each new analysis, of skepticism and scrutiny in interpreting model fitting results, and of carefully defining addressable hypotheses and underlying uncertainties. Genomic data are now being produced at a far greater rate than they can be meaningfully analyzed and interpreted, leading to some questionable use of statistical models. In this Consensus View, the authors provide recommendations for current best practices in population genomic data analysis and highlight areas of statistical inference and theory that are in need of further attention.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies worldwide and is the leading cause of anaemia. Iron deficiency is disproportionately represented in the female population, partially due to the significant blood loss experienced during menstruation. Awareness of a female’s increased risk and symptoms associated with iron deficiency may aid early diagnosis, and treatment. Additionally, increases in iron education may serve as a preventative method for reducing iron deficiency incidence in females in the general population. The objective of this study was to investigate the level of dietary iron education currently provided to 11–14-year-old females in intermediate and secondary schools in New Zealand. An anonymous online questionnaire was distributed to nutrition, physical education, and health teachers nationwide to gain their perspective of what iron (dietary and menstruation) education is provided within their schools. A total of 182 teachers were recruited via work email addresses and of these, 50 completed the questionnaire (response rate = 27%). The results reflect a low level of iron education currently being provided, with 52% (26/50) of participants reporting that iron education was not part of their current curricula. The delivery of iron education did appear to be affected by the subject the participant primarily taught (χ2 =12.641, p = 0.002). Health and physical education teachers were 5.07 times more likely to report that they did not teach any iron-specific education compared to nutrition teachers. The primary reasons for not including iron education were a lack of time (36%, 9/26) followed by iron education being too specific (28%, 7/26). Our findings indicate that there is limited iron education provided to 11–14-year-old female students in intermediate and secondary schools in New Zealand. This low amount of iron education appears to be due to a lack of time available for teachers to cover the specific topic in the health and nutrition curricula.

Iron deficiency is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency globally and is a common diagnosis in adolescent females. Causal factors for this population include low dietary iron intake, iron bioavailability, increased iron requirements and excessive iron losses. Iron intakes of adolescent females were last analysed in the 2002 New Zealand Children’s Nutrition Survey, reporting an average intake of 9.9mg/day. Up-to-date information on dietary iron intake and literacy in adolescent females is not available to health professionals. Therefore, this study’s aim was to determine dietary iron literacy and its associations with dietary intakes of iron-rich foods in young adolescent females within New Zealand. Females (n = 286) aged 11–14 years from all-girls schools around New Zealand were recruited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised demographic questions, an adapted iron literacy questionnaire and a validated iron food frequency questionnaire. The results suggest a moderate level of iron literacy in most participants (66.8%, n = 191), with 21.7% (n = 62) demonstrating low dietary iron literacy and 11.5% (n = 33) demonstrating high dietary iron literacy. Vegetarian, pescatarian, and vegan participants had higher iron knowledge scores than those not on a particular diet (p = 0.001). Age had a weak relationship with iron knowledge score category (χ2 = 6.27, p = 0.044). Significant differences were found between ethnic groups and food group consumption frequency. Seafood and legumes, eggs, nuts and seeds were eaten more frequently among Asian participants, while iron-fortified foods were eaten more frequently among Māori participants. Participants from higher decile schools were found to consume red meat (p = 0.009), seafood (p = 0.024) and fruit (p = 0.021) more frequently than those from moderate decile schools. There was no relationship between dietary iron literacy score and intake of iron-rich foods. Our results demonstrate that iron literacy is low to moderate among adolescent females within New Zealand and is not associated with current dietary iron intake behaviours. Future studies may consider educational interventions to change intake behaviours, and objective measures of iron status and food intake via biochemical data and food recalls.

ABSTRACT Streptococcus mutans, a dental pathogen, harbors at least three Clp ATPases (ClpC, ClpE, and ClpX) that form complexes with ClpP protease and participate in regulated proteolysis. Among these, the function of ClpE ATPase is poorly understood. We have utilized an isogenic clpE-deficient strain derived from S. mutans UA159 and evaluated the role of ClpE in cellular physiology. We found that loss of ClpE leads to increased susceptibility against thiol stress but not to oxidative and thermal stress. Furthermore, we found that the mutant displays altered tolerance against some antibiotics and altered biofilm formation. We performed a label-free proteomic analysis by comparing the mutant with the wild-type UA159 strain under nonstressed conditions and found that ClpE modulates a relatively limited proteome in the cell compared to the proteomes modulated by ClpX and ClpP. Nevertheless, we found that ClpE deficiency leads to an overabundance of some cell wall synthesis enzymes, ribosomal proteins, and an unknown protease encoded by SMU.2153. Our proteomic data strongly support some of the stress-related phenotypes that we observed. Our study emphasizes the significance of ClpE in the physiology of S. mutans. IMPORTANCE When bacteria encounter environmental stresses, the expression of various proteins collectively known as heat shock proteins is induced. These heat shock proteins are necessary for cell survival specifically under conditions that induce protein denaturation. A subset of heat shock proteins known as the Clp proteolytic complex is required for the degradation of the misfolded proteins in the cell. The Clp proteolytic complex contains an ATPase and a protease. A specific Clp ATPase, ClpE, is uniquely present in Gram-positive bacteria, including streptococci. Here, we have studied the functional role of the ClpE protein in Streptococcus mutans, a dental pathogen. Our results suggest that ClpE is required for survival under certain antibiotic exposure and stress conditions but not others. Our results demonstrate that loss of ClpE leads to a significantly altered cellular proteome, and the analysis of those changes suggests that ClpE’s functions in S. mutans are different from its functions in other Gram-positive bacteria.

Neutrophils are rapidly recruited to inflammatory sites where their coordinated migration forms clusters, a process termed neutrophil swarming. The factors that modulate early stages of neutrophil swarming are not fully understood, requiring the development of new in vivo models. Using transgenic zebrafish larvae to study endogenous neutrophil migration in a tissue damage model, we demonstrate that neutrophil swarming is a conserved process in zebrafish immunity, sharing essential features with mammalian systems. We show that neutrophil swarms initially develop around an individual pioneer neutrophil. We observed the violent release of extracellular cytoplasmic and nuclear fragments by the pioneer and early swarming neutrophils. By combining in vitro and in vivo approaches to study essential components of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), we provide in-depth characterisation and high-resolution imaging of the composition and morphology of these release events. Using a photoconversion approach to track neutrophils within developing swarms, we identify that the fate of swarm-initiating pioneer neutrophils involves extracellular chromatin release and that the key NET components gasdermin, neutrophil elastase, and myeloperoxidase are required for the swarming process. Together our findings demonstrate that release of cellular components by pioneer neutrophils is an initial step in neutrophil swarming at sites of tissue injury.

We have evaluated the final-year Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine (PAM) summative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) examinations in a four-year graduate medical degree program, for the previous three years as a baseline comparator, and during three years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022). A de-identified analysis of medical student summative OSCE examination performance, and comparative review for the 3 years before, and for each year of the pandemic. Internal reliability in test scores as measured by R-squared remained the same or increased following the start of the pandemic. There was a significant increase in mean test scores after the start of the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic for combined OSCE scores for all final-year disciplines, as well as for the PAM role-play OSCEs, but not for the PAM mental state examination OSCEs. Changing to online OSCEs during the pandemic was related to an increase in scores for some but not all domains of the tests. This is in line with a nascent body of literature on medical teaching and examination following the start of the pandemic. Further research is needed to optimise teaching and examination in a post-pandemic medical school environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article responds to an absence of memory studies research methodologies for exploring embodied memories, including its form and content, the lived practices it involves, and its embeddedness in wider socio-political discourses. While conceptualisations of embodiment are central in the field of memory studies, its methodological consequences remain under-developed. We are proposing dance-based methods as having significant potential to address alternative ways of knowing and relating to the past. Drawing on empirical work on both professional and social dance among British Bangladeshi women in London, conducted as part of the 5-year research project Migrant Memory and the Postcolonial Imagination, we found embodied remembering to be a social form of doing that can serve to create, preserve and negotiate shared pasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing demand for a supply of Sphagnum to re-introduce to degraded peatlands. However, available supplies of Sphagnum of the desired species are often limited. We describe the propagation of Sphagnum from vegetative material in sterile tissue culture and the introduction of juvenile mosses into the field. Sphagnum produced in the laboratory in three different forms (beads, gel and plugs) was introduced to different peatland surfaces on upland degraded blanket bog and lowland cut-over peatland in northern England. On degraded blanket bog, the establishment of mixed-species Sphagnum plugs was typically 99 % while the survival of beads was much lower, ranging from little above zero on bare eroding peat to a maximum of 12 % on stabilised peat surfaces. On lowland cut-over peatland, all trials took place on peat with an expanding cover of Eriophorum angustifolium and tested Sphagnum gel as well as beads and plugs. This work showed that survival and establishment of plugs was high (99 %) and greater than for beads. Sphagnum gel reached a cover of 95 % in two years. The vegetative micropropagation of Sphagnum offers an effective source of Sphagnum for re-introduction to degraded peatlands.