bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence of Cardiometabolic Diseases in People With and Without Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the United Kingdom: A Population-Based Matched Cohort Study
Authors: Gooden Tiffany E , Gardner Mike , Wang Jingya , Jolly Kate , Lane Deirdre A , Benjamin Laura A , Mwandumba Henry C , Kandoole Vanessa , Lwanga Isaac B , Taylor Stephen , Manaseki-Holland Semira , Lip Gregory Y H , Nirantharakumar Krishnarajah , Thomas G Neil
Published: August 2021

Background

Evidence on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk factors in people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) is limited. We aimed to identify the risk of composite CVD, individual CVD events, and common risk factors.

Methods

This was a nationwide, population-based, cohort study comparing adult (≥18 years old) PWH with people without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) matched on age, sex, ethnicity, and location. The primary outcome was composite CVD comprising stroke, myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure. The secondary outcomes were individual CVD events, hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and all-cause mortality. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to examine the risk of each outcome.

Results

We identified 9233 PWH and matched them with 35 721 HIV-negative individuals. An increased risk was found for composite CVD (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28–1.77), stroke (aHR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.08–1.86), ischemic heart disease (aHR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.24–1.94), hypertension (aHR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.23–1.53), type 2 diabetes (aHR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.09–1.50), CKD (aHR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.98–2.94), and all-cause mortality (aHR, 2.84; 95% CI, 2.48–3.25).

Conclusions

PWH have a heightened risk for CVD and common CVD risk factors, reinforcing the importance for regular screening for such conditions.
Tracing the Adoption and Effects of Open Science in Communication Research*
Authors: Markowitz David M , Song Hyunjin , Taylor Samuel Hardman
Published: August 2021

A significant paradigm shift is underway in communication research as open science practices (e.g., preregistration, open materials) are becoming more prevalent. The current work identified how much the field has embraced such practices and evaluated their impact on authors (e.g., citation rates). We collected 10,517 papers across 26 journals from 2010 to 2020, observing that 5.1% of papers used or mentioned open science practices. Communication research has seen the rate of nonsignificant p-values (p > .055) increasing with the adoption of open science over time, but p-values just below p < .05 have not reduced with open science adoption. Open science adoption was unrelated to citation rate at the article level; however, it was inversely related to the journals’ h-index. Our results suggest communication organizations and scholars have important work ahead to make open science more mainstream. We close with suggestions to increase open science adoption for the field at large.
Giving patients a voice in Health Technology Assessment decision-making in Greece: a patient advocacy group consensus analysis
Authors: Athanasakis Kostas , Naoum Vasiliki , Karampli Eleftheria , Naoum Panagiota , Pavi Elpida , Kyriopoulos John
Published: August 2021

Objective

This analysis aimed to assess patient advocacy groups’ (PAGs) perspectives on patients’ and PAGs’ potential role in Health Technology Assessment (HTA) decision-making in Greece.

Methods

In total, 22 representatives of PAGs participated in a consensus panel meeting. Participants’ views were elicited via a consensus panel meeting, through a televoting procedure, based on a structured questionnaire with close-ended questions. Voting was anonymous, to avoid the influence of the dominant personality. After voting, the results were presented to the participants and televoting was repeated to achieve consensus.

Key findings

The majority of participants (94.8%) believe that valid information on the developments regarding HTA in Greece is not conveyed to them by the official national regulatory sources. Key sources of valid information on developments regarding HTA were: conferences (95.2%), international PAGs (85.7%) and HTA experts/scientists (76.2%). About 76.2% of participants evaluated PAGs’ competence to participate in policy-making concerning HTA scheme formation as moderate or higher. Regarding patients’ effective participation in HTA decision-making, greater importance (points 4 and 5 on a 5-point scale) was given to their education on treatment effects in terms of quality of life (100.0%), basic principles of health economics and pharmaceutical policy (95.5%) and ethical aspects of HTA (95.0%). About 55.0% strongly agree that patients should formally express their opinion on HTA issues, while 72.7% believe that patients’ opinions on HTA issues should be expressed through participation in the process and right to vote.

Conclusions

The participation of patients in HTA decision-making is an issue not only of justice but also of essence. For a productive participation, PAGs training is essential.
Spinal hematoma after total knee arthroplasty: a case report
Authors: Cortina G , Collarile M , Condello V , Orlandi R , Russo A , Madonna V , Pieracci N
Published: August 2021

Spinal anesthesia is a common procedure performed in orthopedic surgery, and it is regarded as secure and safe. Although puncture-related complication of spinal anesthesia has a very low incidence, it would lead to dramatic neurological damage (tetra- or paraplegia). Early diagnosis and surgical decompression are mandatory to promote a better outcome. We present a case of acute spinal hematoma from T11 to L3, triggered by laborious anesthesia puncture after total knee arthroplasty. A prompt surgical decompression within few hours after diagnosis allowed rapid functional recovery and avoided permanent paraplegia.
After Eighty Years of Slumber: The Rediscovery of Erich Neumann’s Jewish Corpus
Authors: Kruger Reuven
Published: August 2021

While Erich Neumann’s contributions to depth psychology and his celebrated Eranos lectures are well known, his Jewish writings from the 1930s have been hidden from public view for eighty years until their recent publication. This paper introduces three works that have sparked a renaissance of interest in Neumann as a Jewish thinker. These include a monograph, Jacob and Esau: On the Collective Symbolism of the Brother Motif (2015), a two-volume opus, The Roots of Jewish Consciousness (2019), and the correspondence between Neumann and Jung, Analytical Psychology in Exile (2105). Neumann asserts that Hasidism was a forerunner to modern depth psychology and claims that both disciplines affirm the primacy of the individual and the integration of masculine and feminine modes of being in a fully-realized, individuated personality.
On the relation between active-region lifetimes and the autocorrelation function of light curves
Authors: Santos A R G , Mathur S , García R A , Cunha M S , Avelino P P
Published: August 2021

Rotational modulation of stellar light curves due to dark spots encloses information on spot properties and, thus, on magnetic activity. In particular, the decay of the autocorrelation function (ACF) of light curves is presumed to be linked to spot/active-region lifetimes, given that some coherence of the signal is expected throughout their lifetime. In the literature, an exponential decay has been adopted to describe the ACF. Here, we investigate the relation between the ACF and the active-region lifetimes. For this purpose, we produce artificial light curves of rotating spotted stars with different observation, stellar, and spot properties. We find that a linear decay and respective time-scale better represent the ACF than the exponential decay. We therefore adopt a linear decay. The spot/active-region time-scale inferred from the ACF is strongly restricted by the observation length of the light curves. For 1-yr light curves our results are consistent with no correlation between the inferred and the input time-scales. The ACF decay is also significantly affected by differential rotation and spot evolution: strong differential rotation and fast spot evolution contribute to a more severe underestimation of the active-region lifetimes. Nevertheless, in both circumstances the observed time-scale is still correlated with the input lifetimes. Therefore, our analysis suggests that the ACF decay can be used to obtain a lower limit of the active-region lifetimes for relatively long-term observations. However, strategies to avoid or flag targets with fast active-region evolution or displaying stable beating patterns associated with differential rotation should be employed.
Evidence for a high-energy tail in the gamma-ray spectra of globular clusters
Authors: Song Deheng , Macias Oscar , Horiuchi Shunsaku , Crocker Roland M , Nataf David M
Published: August 2021

Millisecond pulsars are very likely the main source of gamma-ray emission from globular clusters. However, the relative contributions of two separate emission processes – curvature radiation from millisecond pulsar magnetospheres versus inverse Compton emission from relativistic pairs launched into the globular cluster environment by millisecond pulsars – have long been unclear. To address this, we search for evidence of inverse Compton emission in 8-yr Fermi–LAT data from the directions of 157 Milky Way globular clusters. We find a mildly statistically significant (3.8σ) correlation between the measured globular cluster gamma-ray luminosities and their photon field energy densities. However, this may also be explained by a hidden correlation between the photon field densities and the stellar encounter rates of globular clusters. Analysed in toto, we demonstrate that the gamma-ray emission of globular clusters can be resolved spectrally into two components: (i) an exponentially cut-off power law and (ii) a pure power law. The latter component – which we uncover at a significance of 8.2σ – has a power index of 2.79 ± 0.25. It is most naturally interpreted as inverse Compton emission by cosmic-ray electrons and positrons injected by millisecond pulsars. We find the luminosity of this power-law component is comparable to, or slightly smaller than, the luminosity of the curved component, suggesting the fraction of millisecond pulsar spin-down luminosity into relativistic leptons is similar to the fraction of the spin-down luminosity into prompt magnetospheric radiation.
Lagothrix flavicauda(Primates: Atelidae)
Authors: Serrano-Villavicencio José E , Shanee Sam , Pacheco Víctor
Published: August 2021

Lagothrix flavicauda (Humboldt, 1812), commonly known as the yellow-tailed woolly monkey, is one of the largest New World primates. Its diet is based on fruits and leaves, and occasionally flowers, buds, epiphyte roots, invertebrates, and some vertebrates. It is endemic to the cloud forests of northern Peru, in Amazonas, San Martín, Huánuco, Junín, La Libertad, and Loreto departments at elevations from 1,000 to 2,800 m. It lives in groups of up to 30 individuals. Lagothrix flavicauda is listed as “Critically Endangered” (CR) by both the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and under Peruvian legislation, and on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Brain Structural Changes in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Patients: From the Perspectives of Structural Connectivity and Structural Covariance Network
Authors: Li Yu-Lin , Wu Jia-Jia , Ma Jie , Li Si-Si , Xue Xin , Wei Dong , Shan Chun-Lei , Zheng Mou-Xiong , Hua Xu-Yun , Xu Jian-Guang
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common peripheral entrapment neuropathy. However, CTS-related changes of brain structural covariance and structural covariance networks (SCNs) patterns have not been clearly studied.

OBJECTIVE

To explore CTS-related brain changes from perspectives of structural connectivity and SCNs.

METHODS

Brain structural magnetic resonance images were acquired from 27 CTS patients and 19 healthy controls (HCs). Structural covariance and SCNs were constructed based on gray matter volume. The global network properties including clustering coefficient (Cp), characteristic path length (Lp), small-worldness index, global efficiency (Eglob), and local efficiency (Eloc) and regional network properties including degree, betweenness centrality (BC), and Eloc of a given node were calculated with graph theoretical analysis.

RESULTS

Compared with HCs, the strength of structural connectivity between the dorsal anterior insula and medial prefrontal thalamus decreased (P < .001) in CTS patients. There was no intergroup difference of area under the curve for Cp, Lp¸ Eglob, and Eloc (all P > .05). The real-world SCN of CTS patients showed a small-world topology ranging from 2% to 32%. CTS patients showed lower nodal degrees of the dorsal anterior insula and medial prefrontal thalamus, and higher Eloc of a given node and BC in the lateral occipital cortex (P < .001) and the dorsolateral middle temporal gyrus (P < .001) than HCs, respectively.

CONCLUSION

CTS had a profound impact on brain structures from perspectives of structural connectivity and SCNs.
Multimodal therapy of cavernous sinus meningioma: Impact of surgery and 68Ga-DOTATATE PET-guided radiation therapy on tumor control and functional outcome
Authors: Hadi Indrawati , Biczok Annamaria , Terpolilli Nicole , Thorsteinsdottir Jun , Forbrig Robert , Albert Nathalie L , Yanchovski Petar , Zollner Barbara , Bodensohn Raphael , Corradini Stefanie , Bartenstein Peter , Belka Claus , Tonn Jörg-Christian , Schichor Christian , Niyazi Maximilian
Published: August 2021

Background

Functional preservation in patients with WHO grade I meningioma involving the cavernous sinus (CSM) is crucial for long-term tumor control. Concise data on the functional outcome of an interdisciplinary, multimodal treatment are scarce. We analyzed functional outcome and tumor control in CSM patients following maximal safe resection (MSR), fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT), or combination of them, retrospectively.

Methods

Patients with WHO grade I CSM treated between 2003 and 2017 were included. Prior to FSRT, a 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT was performed for radiation planning. Progression-free survival (PFS) was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test was performed to test differences between groups. Visual function was analyzed at baseline and follow-up.

Results

Eighty-five patients were included. MSR alone was performed in 48 patients (group A), MSR followed by FSRT in 25 patients (group B), and FSRT alone in 12 patients (group C). Intracranial tumor volumes were higher in A and B compared to C (median 9.2/10.8/4.3 ccm for A/B/C, P = .023). Median follow-up was 47/46/45 months and PFS at 5 years 55.7%, 100%, and 100% in A/B/C, respectively (P < .001). Optic nerve compression was more common in A (91.7%) and B (84.0%) than C (16.7%), P < .001. Post-therapeutic new onset or deterioration of double vision was observed in 29% (A), 17% (B), and 0% (C).

Conclusion

Personalized treatment strategies for CSM are essential to control space-occupying or functionally compromising lesions. The additional potential side effect of radiotherapy seems to be justified under the aspect of longer tumor control with low functional risk. Without space-occupying effect of CSM, FSRT alone is reasonably possible.
The design and evolution of fluorescent protein-based sensors for monoatomic ions in biology
Authors: Baek Kiheon , Ji Ke , Peng Weicheng , Liyanaarachchi Sureshee M , Dodani Sheel C
Published: August 2021

Living cells rely on a finely tuned symphony of inorganic ion gradients composed of both cations and anions. This delicate balance is maintained by biological receptors all acting in concert to selectively recognize and position ions for homeostasis. These dynamic processes can be intercepted and visualized with optical microscopy at the organismal, tissue, cellular and subcellular levels using fluorescent protein-based biosensors. Since the first report of such tool for calcium (Ca2+) in 1997, outstanding biological questions and innovations in protein engineering along with associated fields have driven the development of new biosensors for Ca2+ and beyond. In this Review, we summarize a workflow that can be used to generate fluorescent protein-based biosensors to study monoatomic ions in biology. To showcase the scope of this approach, we highlight recent advances reported for Ca2+ biosensors and in detail discuss representative case studies of biosensors reported in the last four years for potassium (K+), magnesium (Mg2+), copper (Cu2+/+), lanthanide (Ln3+) and chloride (Cl−) ions.
We Don’t Know Our Own Strength: A Survey of Strength Training Attitudes, Behaviors, and Knowledge in Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Students
Authors: Handlery Reed , Shover Emma , Chhoun Thavi , Durant Lauren , Handlery Kaci , Harrington Shana E , Stock Matt S , Fritz Stacy L
Published: August 2021

Objective

Strength training is frequently utilized by physical therapists; however, there has been discussion about whether physical therapists utilize strength training adequately. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the strength training attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge of physical therapists and physical therapy students and to determine how participant characteristics influenced knowledge scores.

Methods

An anonymous survey was created in 3 rounds. For round 1, researchers used textbooks to create items assessing demographics, attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge regarding strength training. Rounds 2 and 3 consisted of feedback from 7 content experts until 80% consensus was reached; items were added, removed, or edited based on feedback. The final survey was distributed through social media, list servs, and email targeting physical therapists and students based in the United States. Response frequencies for all items were reported. Overall knowledge scores were calculated by summing correct responses for each item, with a maximum score of 13; scores <70% were considered low. Binomial logistic regression determined which characteristics (demographics, attitudes, or behaviors) influenced whether participants adequately utilized strength training principles (scored ≥70% on knowledge items).

Results

There were 777 physical therapist and 648 student participants. Nearly 90% of therapists and students reported frequently prescribing strength training. Over 48% of therapists felt their professional education did not prepare them to apply strength training (compared with 24% of students), and 68% believed that strength training is inadequately applied in physical therapy (compared with 40% of students). Sixty-two percent of therapists and 55% of students scored ≥70% for knowledge items. Additional strength training education and regular participation in strength training increased the odds of scoring ≥70% on knowledge items.

Conclusion

Physical therapists and physical therapy students frequently prescribe strength training despite similarly low knowledge scores. To increase knowledge, greater emphasis on strength training in professional education, continuing education, participation in strength training, or all 3 is warranted.

Impact

Strength training is an important intervention used in physical therapy and must be used appropriately to improve the health of patients. According to these findings, strength training education may not currently be optimal, as demonstrated by low knowledge scores by both therapists and students. Further work is needed to determine how knowledge of strength training relates to patient outcomes and also how best to implement strength training in physical therapy education and practice.
Hypersingular Integral Equation Formulation of the Problem of Water Wave Scattering by A Circular Arc Shaped Impermeable Barrier Submerged in Water of Finite Depth
Authors: Mondal Dibakar , Samanta Anushree , Banerjea Sudeshna
Published: August 2021

In this article, we study the problem of scattering of water waves by a thin impermeable circular arc shaped barrier submerged in ocean of finite depth under the assumption of linearised theory of water waves. The problem is formulated in terms of a hypersingular integral equation of an unknown function representing the difference of potential function across the curved barrier. The hypersingular integral equation is then solved by using two numerical methods. The first method is BEM where the domain and range of integral equation are discretised into small line segments and the unknown function satisfying the integral equation is assumed to be constant in each small subinterval. This reduces the integral equations to a system of algebraic equations which is then solved to obtain the unknown function in each sub-interval. The second method is collocation method where the unknown function is expanded in terms of Chebyshev polynomials of second kind. Choosing the collocation points suitably, the integral equation is reduced to a system of algebraic equations which is then solved to obtain the unknown function satisfying the hypersingular integral equation. The physical quantities of interest viz, the reflection coefficient, transmission coefficients, which are expressed in terms of the solution of the hypersingular integral equation, are computed by both the methods. The comparison of the reflection coefficient by the two methods shows reasonably good agreement. The reflection coefficient is depicted graphically against the wave number. The graphical results show that the size, position of the barrier and the depth of the water region has some effect on the reflected and transmitted wave.
The past futures of techno-scientific promises
Authors: Joly Pierre-Benoit , Le Renard Claire
Published: August 2021

Previous studies have shown that techno-scientific promises play key roles in the process of emergence of new technologies. The role of promises in the emergence of old technologies when they were young has, however, been overlooked. The main objective of this paper is to fill this gap. We draw on the concept of ‘regime of historicity’, defined as an organizational structure given societies impose on the experience of time and articulate the present, the past, and the future. Using four case studies, we argue that the way techno-scientific promises align with regimes of historicity is crucial. This paper shows that promising in the presentist regime using the modernist frame of innovation (creative destruction) raises many problems Instead, the building of horizons of hope may rest on promises based on processes of collective experimentation.
Providing behavioral workforce development technical assistance during COVID-19: adjustments and needs
Authors:   Cross-Technology Transfer Center (TTC) Workgroup on Virtual Learning, Becker Sara , Kisicki Abby , Chaple Michael , Freese Thomas E , Gotham Heather , Greller Rachelle , Hagle Holly , Henry Maxine , Krom Laurie , Martin Rosemarie , Powell Kristen , Roget Nancy , Velez-Echevarria Isa I , Yáñez Ruth , Molfenter Todd
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 social distancing policies have triggered a historic shift in the delivery of behavioral health prevention and treatment services. Among the first responders to this monumental workforce development challenge were the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-funded Technology Transfer Centers (TTCs), which are charged with building the behavioral health workforce’s capacity to provide evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery services. TTCs documented unprecedented attendance at their events in the early months of the pandemic. This study applied content analysis to identify the most common COVID-related technical assistance (TA) topics and examine attendance by topic from March to July 2020. Across 393 events, TA topics explicitly related to COVID-19 encompassed eight emergent themes: (a) delivering services via telehealth, (b) providing support and services to behavioral health consumers, (c) promoting workforce self-care, (d) understanding new laws/policies, (e) delivering evidence-based practices, (f) advancing racial equity, (g) offering networking spaces, and (h) altering organizational management and communication infrastructure. The most heavily attended events focused on the TA themes “Advancing Racial Equity” (average = 352) and “Telehealth Service Delivery” (average = 271). There was a documented shift from more intensive TA to briefer, more targeted TA provision. The TTCs rapidly virtualized training and TA offerings to address workforce needs and serve as a model for providing remote workforce development support during the COVID-19 pandemic and future national crises.
Tapping into the physiological responses to mistletoe infection during heat and drought stress
Authors: Griebel Anne , Peters Jennifer M R , Metzen Daniel , Maier Chelsea , Barton Craig V M , Speckman Heather N , Boer Matthias M , Nolan Rachael H , Choat Brendan , Pendall Elise
Published: August 2021

Mistletoes are important co-contributors to tree mortality globally, particularly during droughts. In Australia, mistletoe distributions are expanding in temperate woodlands, while their hosts have experienced unprecedented heat and drought stress in recent years. We investigated whether the excessive water use of mistletoes increased the probability of xylem emboli in a mature woodland during the recent record drought that was compounded by multiple heatwaves. We continuously recorded transpiration ($T_{SLA}$) of infected and uninfected branches from two eucalypt species over two summers, monitored stem and leaf water potentials ($\Psi $) and used hydraulic vulnerability curves to estimate percent loss in conductivity (PLC) for each species. Variations in weather (vapor pressure deficit, photosynthetically active radiation, soil water content), host species and % mistletoe foliage explained 78% of hourly $T_{SLA}$. While mistletoe acted as an uncontrollable sink for water in the host even during typical summer days, daily $T_{SLA}$ increased up to 4-fold in infected branches on hot days, highlighting the previously overlooked importance of temperature stress in amplifying water loss in mistletoes. The increased water use of mistletoes resulted in significantly decreased host $\Psi _{\rm{leaf}}$ and $\Psi _{\rm{trunk}}$. It further translated to an estimated increase of up to 11% PLC for infected hosts, confirming greater hydraulic dysfunction of infected trees that place them at higher risk of hydraulic failure. However, uninfected branches of Eucalyptus fibrosa F.Muell. had much tighter controls on water loss than uninfected branches of Eucalyptus moluccana Roxb., which shifted the risk of hydraulic failure towards an increased risk of carbon starvation for E. fibrosa. The contrasting mechanistic responses to heat and drought stress between both co-occurring species demonstrates the complexity of host–parasite interactions and highlights the challenge in predicting species-specific responses to biotic agents in a warmer and drier climate.
Computational Structural Genomics Unravels Common Folds and Novel Families in the Secretome of Fungal PhytopathogenMagnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Seong Kyungyong , Krasileva Ksenia V.
Published: August 2021

Structural biology has the potential to illuminate the evolution of pathogen effectors and their commonalities that cannot be readily detected at the primary sequence level. Recent breakthroughs in protein structure modeling have demonstrated the feasibility to predict the protein folds without depending on homologous templates. These advances enabled a genome-wide computational structural biology approach to help understand proteins based on their predicted folds. In this study, we employed structure prediction methods on the secretome of the destructive fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. Out of 1,854 secreted proteins, we predicted the folds of 1,295 proteins (70%). We showed that template-free modeling by TrRosetta captured 514 folds missed by homology modeling, including many known effectors and virulence factors, and that TrRosetta generally produced higher quality models for secreted proteins. Along with sensitive homology search, we employed structure-based clustering, defining not only homologous groups with divergent members but also sequence-unrelated structurally analogous groups. We demonstrate that this approach can reveal new putative members of structurally similar MAX effectors and novel analogous effector families present in M. oryzae and possibly in other phytopathogens. We also investigated the evolution of expanded putative ADP-ribose transferases with predicted structures. We suggest that the loss of catalytic activities of the enzymes might have led them to new evolutionary trajectories to be specialized as protein binders. Collectively, we propose that computational structural genomics approaches can be an integral part of studying effector biology and provide valuable resources that were inaccessible before the advent of machine learning-based structure prediction.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Identification of Four Populations of Meloidogyne incognita in Georgia, United States, Capable of Parasitizing Tomato-Bearing Mi-1.2 Gene
Authors: Hajihassani Abolfazl , Marquez Josiah , Woldemeskel Moges , Hamidi Negin
Published: August 2021

Meloidogyne incognita, the southern root-knot nematode (RKN), is the most predominant plant-parasitic nematode species of tomato and causes significant yield loss. The Mi-1.2 gene confers resistance in tomatoes to M. incognita; however, virulent RKN populations capable of parasitizing resistant tomato cultivars have been reported from different regions in the world. Four naturally occurring virulent populations of M. incognita were found in vegetable fields from four counties in Georgia with no history of tomato cultivation of the Mi gene. Two consecutive greenhouse trials showed that all four virulent RKN populations reproduced on tomato cultivars, including Amelia, Skyway, and Myrtle, with the Mi-1 gene, while an avirulent population of M. incognita race 3 was unable to overcome host resistance. Virulent RKN populations varied in reproduction among resistant cultivars, with Ma6 population having the greatest reproduction potential. No difference in penetration potential of the virulent (Ma6) and avirulent populations was found on susceptible and resistant tomato cultivars. However, virulent Ma6 population females were successful at egg-laying, whereas avirulent female development was arrested in the resistant cultivars. The virulent Ma6 population also induced feeding sites in the roots of resistant cultivars, whereas the avirulent population did not. To our knowledge, this is the first report of resistance-breaking populations of M. incognita in Georgia and the second state in the United States after California.
Risk Factors and Characteristics of Intraoperative Seizures During Awake Craniotomy: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 562 Consecutive Patients With a Space-occupying Brain Lesion
Authors: Paquin-Lanthier Gabriel , Subramaniam Sudhakar , Leong Kok Weng , Daniels Abigail , Singh Kawalpreet , Takami Hirokazu , Chowdhury Tumul , Bernstein Mark , Venkatraghavan Lashmi
Published: August 2021

Introduction:

Intraoperative seizures (IOSs) during awake craniotomy (AC) are associated with significant morbidity. The reported incidence of IOS is between 3% and 30%. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for IOS during AC for elective resection or biopsy of a space-occupying brain lesion.

Methods:

In this retrospective study, we reviewed the records of all awake craniotomies performed by a single neurosurgeon at a single university hospital between July 2006 and December 2018. IOS was defined as a clinically apparent seizure that occurred in the operating room and was documented in the medical records. Explanatory variables were chosen based on previously published literature on risk factors for IOS.

Results:

Five hundred and sixty-two patients had a total of 607 AC procedures during the study period; 581 cases with complete anesthesia records were included in analysis. Twenty-nine (5.0%) IOS events were reported during 29 (5%) awake craniotomies. Most seizures (27/29; 93%) were focal in nature and did not limit planned intraoperative stimulation mapping. Variables associated with IOS at a univariate P-value <0.1 (frontal location of tumor, preoperative radiotherapy, preoperative use of antiepileptic drugs, intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine, and intraoperative stimulation mapping) were included in a multivariable logistic regression. Frontal location of tumor (adjusted odds ratio: 5.68, 95% confidence interval: 2.11-15.30) and intraoperative dexmedetomidine use (adjusted odds ratio: 2.724, 95% confidence interval: 1.24-6.00) were independently associated with IOS in the multivariable analysis.

Conclusions:

This study identified a low incidence (5%) of IOS during AC. The association between dexmedetomidine and IOS should be further studied in randomized trials as this is a modifiable risk factor.
Long-term Minimum 15-Year Follow-up After Lateral Discoid Meniscus Rim Preservation Surgery in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Lins Laura A.B. , Feroe Aliya G. , Yang Brian , Williams Kathryn A. , Kocher Sophia D. , Sankarankutty Saritha , Micheli Lyle J. , Kocher Mininder S.
Published: August 2021

Background:

Discoid meniscus is a congenital variant typically affecting the lateral meniscus of the knee. Historically, surgical intervention when symptomatic consisted of total meniscectomy; however, after degenerative changes were observed, current treatments now focus on rim preservation with arthroscopic saucerization and meniscal repair for instability, when indicated. The purpose of our study was to examine long-term patient-reported outcomes of lateral discoid meniscus (LDM) treated with meniscal-preserving techniques.

Methods:

Ninety-eight patients treated arthroscopically for LDM at a single institution at a minimum of 15 years ago were retrospectively identified and contacted by mailers and telephone to participate. Subjective functional outcomes and patient satisfaction data were collected using a questionnaire that included the validated International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Evaluation Form, Lysholm Score, Marx Activity Rating Scale, Tegner Activity Score, and Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index Osteoarthritis Index. Patient and surgical characteristics and patient-reported outcomes were summarized by mean and SD, median and interquartile range (interquartile range), or frequency and percent, as appropriate.

Results:

Of the 46 patients contacted (response rate of 46/98 eligible), 25 (54%) completed the questionnaires. The mean (±SD) age at initial surgery was 10.8 (±3.4) and 30.3 (±3.7) years at final follow-up. The mean (±SD) follow-up time from initial surgery was 19.5 (±2.8) years (range, 16 to 27). Patient-reported outcomes included: International Knee Documentation Committee 77.4±17.2, Lysholm 78.6±21, Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index 7.6±11.3, Tegner Activity 7 (of 10), and Marx Activity Rating Scale 8 (of 10). Eleven (44%) cases underwent subsequent LDM-related surgery on the ipsilateral knee(s). There were no cases of total knee replacement.

Conclusions:

Overall, patient-reported outcomes were favorable at a minimum of 15-year follow-up after rim-preserving saucerization of LDM. While two thirds of patients were satisfied with their surgical outcomes, nearly half of patients underwent revision saucerization with or without meniscal repair. Subsequent long-term follow-up studies with objective outcome measures are important to further elucidate the natural history of LDM and understand how rim-preserving procedures may prevent the development of degenerative processes.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV—case series, prognostic study.
The Donut Island Flap: Avoiding Stoma Relocation in Patients With Intractable Chronic Ileostomy Leakage
Authors: Iesalnieks Igors , Dornseifer Ulf
Published: August 2021

INTRODUCTION:

Severe skin scarring after multiple abdominal surgeries may lead to serious difficulties in stoma care, especially in patients with IBD. We demonstrate the technique of Donut Island Flap that we used in a female patient with colonic Crohn’s disease that presented with intractable chronic ileostomy leakage. A relocation of the ileostomy was not possible because an alternative stoma site was not available anymore.

TECHNIQUE:

The scarred peristomal skin was radially excised up to a diameter of 10 cm. A pedicled anterolateral thigh perforator island flap was elevated from the right leg and was passed behind the rectus femoris muscle and through the inguinal tunnel into the defect. The ileostomy was passed through a small opening in the middle of the flap. The donor site at the thigh was closed primarily.

RESULTS:

No postoperative complications occurred. Three months after surgery, the ostomy care is providing no difficulties for the patient.

CONCLUSION:

The Donut Island Flap is a reliable and relatively simple technique to provide an adequate surrounding for ileostomy whose care is seriously impeded by severe skin scarring.
A Case of Scapular Hidradenoma Treated as a Keloid
Authors: Takada Asuka , Tosa Mamiko , Ansai Shin-ichi , Ishiguro Akira , Ogawa Rei
Published: August 2021

Hidradenomas are relatively rare benign tumors in the dermis that differentiate into eccrine or apocrine sweat glands. They often present as round or oval nodules and vary in color. Generally, they occur in the head and neck region. Keloid scars are often red, elevated lesions that are caused by chronic inflammation in the reticular dermis. These scars demonstrate a preference for high skin-tension sites, including the scapular region. Herein, we describe a case of a dark red hidradenoma on the scapular region with a high incidence of acne surrounding the lesion area that was initially diagnosed as an acne-initiated keloid. However, local steroid injection did not cure the lesion. After excision, histopathology revealed typical findings for hidradenoma, namely mucinous, polygonal, and clear cell composition. In some cases, as presented it may be challenging for clinicians to differentiate between hidradenoma and keloid due to the similar clinical features. Thus, hidradenoma should be taken in consideration as a differential diagnosis when encountering steroid-refractory keloid-like lesions. Moreover, early biopsy or surgical resection should be considered.
Routine Elastin Staining in Surgically Resected Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Sari Aysegul , Cyr David P. , Brar Amanpreet , Messenger David E. , Driman David K. , Shivji Sameer , Assarzadegan Naziheh , Juda Ari , Swallow Carol J. , Kennedy Erin D. , Brar Mantaj S. , Conner James , Kirsch Richard
Published: August 2021

Venous invasion (VI) is a powerful yet underreported prognostic factor in colorectal cancer (CRC). Its detection can be improved with an elastin stain. We evaluated the impact of routine elastin staining on VI detection in resected CRC and its relationship with oncologic outcomes. Pathology reports from the year before (n=145) and the year following (n=128) the implementation of routine elastin staining at our institution were reviewed for established prognostic factors, including VI. A second review, using elastin stains, documented the presence/absence, location, number, and size of VI foci. The relationship between VI and oncologic outcomes was evaluated for original and review assessments. VI detection rates increased from 21% to 45% following implementation of routine elastin staining (odds ratio [OR]=3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8-5.3; P<0.0001). The second review revealed a lower VI miss rate postimplementation than preimplementation (22% vs. 48%, respectively; P=0.007); this difference was even greater for extramural VI–positive cases (9% vs. 38%, respectively; P=0.0003). Missed VI cases postimplementation had fewer VI foci per missed case (P=0.02) and a trend towards less extramural VI than those missed preimplementation. VI assessed with an elastin stain was significantly associated with recurrence-free survival (P=0.003), and cancer-specific survival (P=0.01) in contrast to VI assessed on hematoxylin and eosin alone (P=0.053 and 0.1, respectively). The association between VI and hematogenous metastasis was far stronger for elastin-detected VI (OR=11.5; 95% CI: 3.4-37.1; P<0.0001) than for hematoxylin and eosin–detected VI (OR=3.7; 95% CI: 1.4-9.9; P=0.01). Routine elastin staining enhances VI detection and its ability to stratify risk in CRC and should be considered for evaluation of CRC resection specimens.
Neurocognitive course at 2-year follow-up in a Swiss cohort of people with well-treated HIV
Authors: Damas José , Ledergerber Bruno , Nadin Isaure , Tarr Philip E. , Stoeckle Marcel , Kunze Ursi , Hauser Christoph , Gutbrod Klemens , Calmy Alexandra , Assal Frédéric , Schmid Patrick , Hundsberger Thomas , Di Benedetto Caroline , Rossi Stefania , Hasse Barbara , Schlosser Ladina , Du Pasquier Renaud , Darling Katharine E.A. , Cavassini Matthias
Published: August 2021

Objective:

The aim of this study was to examine neurocognitive course over time among people with well treated HIV.

Design:

The Neurocognitive Assessment in the Metabolic and Aging Cohort (NAMACO) study is an ongoing, prospective, longitudinal, multicenter and multilingual study within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS). Participants undergo neuropsychological assessment at baseline and two-yearly follow-up.

Setting:

Seven SHCS centres.

Participants:

Patients aged at least 45 years enrolled in the SHCS with fluency in the local language (French, German or Italian) and agreeing to participate in the NAMACO study: 981 participants at baseline, 720 at 2-year follow-up of whom 644 had complete data sets.

Intervention:

Standardized neuropsychological assessment at baseline and 2-year follow-up.

Main outcome measure:

Neurocognitive performance using Frascati criteria and mean z-scores.

Results:

Four participants (of 644, 0.6%) had plasma HIV-1 RNA more than 50 copies/ml; median CD4+ cell count was 660 cells/μl. According to Frascati criteria, 204 participants (31.7%) had neurocognitive impairment (NCI) at baseline. NCI severity in these participants changed little over 2 years and comprehensive models based on Frascati criteria were not feasible. Examining mean z-scores, however, we observed neurocognitive stability or improvement over two years in five of seven neurocognitive domains assessed. Age at least 65 years (P = 0.02) and cognitive complaints (P = 0.004) were associated with neurocognitive decline, while black race (P = 0.01) and dolutegravir treatment (P = 0.002) were associated with improvement.

Conclusion:

Frascati criteria were less sensitive in measuring NCI change and therefore unsuitable for following neurocognitive course in our cohort of people with well treated HIV. Examining neurocognitive course by mean z-score change, we observed stability or improvement.
Proactive COVID-19 testing in a partially vaccinated population
Authors: McGee Ryan S. , Homburger Julian R. , Williams Hannah E. , Bergstrom Carl T. , Zhou Alicia Y.
Published: August 2021

During the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, many workplaces and universities implemented institution-wide proactive testing programs of all individuals, ir-respective of symptoms. These measures have proven effective in mitigating outbreaks. As a greater fraction of the population becomes vaccinated, we need to understand what continued benefit, if any, proactive testing can contribute. Here, we address this problem with two distinct modeling approaches: a simple analytical model and a more simulation using the SEIRS+ platform. Both models indicate that proactive testing remains useful until a threshold level of vaccination is reached. This threshold depends on the transmissibility of the virus and the scope of other control measures in place. If a community is able to reach the threshold level of vaccination, testing can cease. Otherwise, continued testing will be an important component of disease control. Because it is usually difficult or impossible to precisely estimate key parameters such as the basic reproduction number for a specific workplace or other setting, our results are more useful for understanding general trends than for making precise quantitative predictions.
Body schema plasticity is altered in Developmental Coordination Disorder
Authors: Martel Marie , Boulenger Véronique , Koun Eric , Finos Livio , Farnè Alessandro , Roy Alice Catherine
Published: August 2021

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a pathological condition characterized by impaired motor skills. Current theories advance that a deficit of the internal models is mainly responsible for DCD children’s altered behavior. Yet, accurate movement execution requires not only correct movement planning, but also integration of sensory feedback into body representation for action (Body Schema) to update the state of the body. Here we advance and test the hypothesis that the plasticity of this body representation is altered in DCD. To probe Body Schema (BS) plasticity, we submitted a well-established tool-use paradigm to seventeen DCD children, required to reach for an object with their hand before and after tool use, and compared their movement kinematics to that of a control group of Typically Developing (TD) peers. We also asked both groups to provide explicit estimates of their arm length to probe plasticity of their Body Image (BI). Results revealed that DCD children explicitly judged their arm shorter after tool use, showing changes in their BI comparable to their TD peers. Unlike them, though, DCD did not update their implicit BS estimate: kinematics showed that tool use affected their peak amplitudes, but not their latencies. Remarkably, the kinematics of tool use showed that the motor control of the tool was comparable between groups, both improving with practice, confirming that motor learning abilities are preserved in DCD. This study thus brings evidence in favor of an alternative theoretical account of the DCD etiology. Our findings point to a deficit in the plasticity of the body representation used to plan and execute movements. Though not mutually exclusive, this widens the theoretical perspective under which DCD should be considered: DCD may not be limited to a problem affecting the internal models and their motor functions, but may concern the state of the effector they have to use.