bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A - 12 Pre-existing Anxiety and Vestibular Symptoms: The Relationship to Balance and Reaction Time in College Athletes
Authors: S Hurt , F Webbe , A LoGalbo
Published: May 2021

Objective

Pre-existing physical and mental health conditions can contribute to deficits in reaction time and balance among athletes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether athletes who endorsed symptoms of anxiety and/or vestibular dysfunction would have slower reaction time and worse balance than athletes who did not.

Methods

College athletes (n = 361) at the Florida Institute of Technology who completed a pre-participation baseline evaluation including the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT-5) Baseline version, Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), General Anxiety Disorder Seven Item Scale (GAD-7), and Sway Balance App.

Results

T-tests indicated athletes who endorsed no anxiety were shown to have better balance on Sway than athletes who endorsed at least one symptom of anxiety, (t(237) = 2.73, p = 0.007, d = 0.31. Athletes who endorsed no vestibular symptoms were also shown to have better balance on Sway than those who endorsed at least one vestibular symptom, t(359) = 2.14, p = 0.03, d = 0.27. Correlational results demonstrated as symptoms of anxiety (r = −0.21, n = 361, p < 0.001) or vestibular dysfunction (r = −0.15, n = 361, p = 0.006) increase, balance performance on Sway decreases. Post-hoc Tukey indicated athletes who endorsed either anxiety or vestibular symptoms had lower scores and thus worse balance on Sway than athletes who endorsed no symptoms (p = 0.009).

Conclusions

Findings suggest that pre-existing anxiety and vestibular symptoms have a negative impact on balance, supporting need for their inclusion in athletic concussion testing protocols.
A - 21 Mental Health Outcomes of Elite Athletes Following Sport-Related Concussion: A Prospective Study
Authors: M Mrazik
Published: May 2021

Objective

The purpose of this research was to elucidate the short and long-term mental health outcomes following sport-related concussion (SRC) in a population of elite athletes.

Methods

Specifically, symptoms consistent with anxiety, depression, and psychological distress were investigated in a population of 196 male professional and collegiate football players ages 18 to 34 years old. All athletes completed self-report measures (PHQ-9, GAD-7, and BSI-18) at baseline. Athletes who sustained a SRC (n = 16) in season as well as musculoskeletal (MSK) (n = 13) and healthy control (n = 21) athletes completed the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 at three time points.

Results

Results from the study indicated that athletes with a history of one or more SRCs reported greater symptoms of depression (F(2, 193) = 10.88, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.10), anxiety (F(2, 193) = 13.67, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.12), and psychological distress (F(2, 193) = 18.01, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.16) at baseline in comparison to athletes with no history of SRC. Additionally, athletes who sustained a SRC reported greater levels of depression and anxiety at 24–48 hours post injury in comparison to the MSK and healthy control groups. No differences between groups were detected at later time points suggesting that this increase in depression and anxiety symptoms was short term. Finally, analysis at the individual level showed that 50% of SRC athletes demonstrated a reliable change from baseline to 24–48 hours post injury on the depression and/or anxiety self-report in comparison to 33% of MSK injured athletes and 17% of healthy controls. In addition, 58% of athletes who sustained a SRC reported a reliable decrease in depression and/or anxiety symptoms at one month return to play, suggesting that they were experiencing fewer anxiety and depression symptoms in comparison to baseline.

Conclusions

Taken together, this research suggests that a history of SRC impacts baseline self-report of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. Furthermore, athletes who sustain a SRC experience subtle increases in depression and anxiety symptoms in the short term that appear to be unique to concussion. However, the athletes’ self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms did not reach clinical levels and were short lived.
Jutils: a visualization toolkit for differential alternative splicing events
Authors: Yang Guangyu , Cope Leslie , He Zitong , Florea Liliana
Published: May 2021

Motivation

Gene alternative splicing plays an important role in development, tissue specialization and disease and differences in splicing patterns can reveal important factors for phenotypic differentiation. While multiple computational methods exist to determine splicing differences, there is a need for user-friendly visualizations that present an intuitive view of the data and work across methods.

Results

We developed a toolkit, Jutils, for visualizing differential splicing events at the intron (splice junction) level. Jutils is method-agnostic, converting individual tools’ output into a unified representation and using it to create visualizations. Jutils creates three types of visualizations, namely heatmaps of absolute and Z-score normalized splice ratios, sashimi plots and Venn diagrams of results from multiple comparisons. Jutils is lightweight, relying solely on the unified data file for visualizations.

Availability and implementation

Jutils is implemented in Python and is available from https://github.com/Splicebox/Jutils.
Cortical Responses to Vagus Nerve Stimulation Are Modulated by Brain State in Nonhuman Primates
Authors: Rembado Irene , Song Weiguo , Su David K , Levari Ariel , Shupe Larry E , Perlmutter Steve , Fetz Eberhard , Zanos Stavros
Published: May 2021

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been tested as therapy for several brain disorders and as a means to modulate cortical excitability and brain plasticity. Cortical effects of VNS, manifesting as vagal-evoked potentials (VEPs), are thought to arise from activation of ascending cholinergic and noradrenergic systems. However, it is unknown whether those effects are modulated by brain state at the time of stimulation. In 2 freely behaving macaque monkeys, we delivered short trains of 5 pulses to the left cervical vagus nerve at different frequencies (5-300 Hz) while recording local field potentials (LFPs) from sites in contralateral prefrontal, sensorimotor and parietal cortical areas. Brain states were inferred from spectral components of LFPs and the presence of overt movement: active awake, resting awake, REM sleep and NREM sleep. VNS elicited VEPs in all sampled cortical areas. VEPs comprised early (<70 ms), intermediate (70-250 ms) and late (>250 ms) components. The magnitude of the intermediate and late components was largest during NREM sleep and smallest during wakefulness, whereas that of the early component was not modulated by brain state. VEPs during NREM were larger for stimuli delivered at the depolarized phase of ongoing delta oscillations. Higher pulsing frequencies generated larger VEPs. These short VNS trains did not affect brain state transitions during wakefulness or sleep. Our findings suggest that ongoing brain state modulates the evoked effects of VNS on cortical activity. This has implications for the role of ongoing cortical activity and brain state in shaping cortical responses to peripheral stimuli, for the modulation of vagal interoceptive signaling by cortical activity, and for the dose calibration of VNS therapies.
Cumulative Incidence of Infective Endocarditis in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease: A Nationwide, Case-Control Study Over Nine Decades
Authors: Snygg-Martin Ulrika , Giang Kok Wai , Dellborg Mikael , Robertson Josefina , Mandalenakis Zacharias
Published: May 2021

Background

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a lifelong predisposing condition for infective endocarditis (IE). As a consequence of advances in pediatric care, the number of adults with CHD is now exceeding the number of children. The goal of the present study was to determine the cumulative incidence of IE in patients with CHD and detect temporal changes compared with controls.

Methods

Nationwide registry-based case-control study of patients with CHD born 1930–2017 matched with 10 random controls. Infective endocarditis episodes were linked using the Swedish 10-digit personal identification number.

Results

In total, 89 541 patients with CHD and 890 470 matched controls were included. In patients with CHD, 1477 IE episodes were registered and 447 episodes in controls. Patients with CHD had 8.5% cumulative incidence of IE at age 87 years, compared with 0.7% in matched controls. Incidence rate of IE per 100 000 person-years was 65.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 62.2–68.9) and 1.8 (95% CI: 1.7–2.0) in CHD patients and controls, respectively. By age 18 years, patients with CHD had an IE incidence similar to that of 81-year-old controls. Incidence of IE differed by age but not by birth year. Bacterial etiology was registered from 1997 in half of the IE episodes; among CHD IE cases, 43.3% were caused by streptococci and 29.8% by Staphylococcus aureus.

Conclusions

Infective endocarditis remains an important complication in patients with CHD. Incidence correlate with age and the number of IE episodes are expected to increase as the CHD population grow older.
Regulation and distinct physiological roles of manganese in bacteria
Authors: Bosma Elleke F , Rau Martin H , van Gijtenbeek Lieke A , Siedler Solvej
Published: May 2021

Manganese (Mn2+) is an essential trace element within organisms spanning the entire tree of life. In this review, we provide an overview of Mn2+ transport and the regulation of its homeostasis in bacteria, with a focus on its functions beyond being a cofactor for enzymes. Crucial differences in Mn2+ homeostasis exist between bacterial species that can be characterized to have an iron- or manganese-centric metabolism. Highly iron-centric species require minimal Mn2+ and mostly use it as a mechanism to cope with oxidative stress. As a consequence, tight regulation of Mn2+ uptake is required, while organisms that use both Fe2+ and Mn2+ need other layers of regulation for maintaining homeostasis. We will focus in detail on manganese-centric bacterial species, in particular lactobacilli, that require little to no Fe2+ and use Mn2+ for a wider variety of functions. These organisms can accumulate extraordinarily high amounts of Mn2+ intracellularly, enabling the nonenzymatic use of Mn2+ for decomposition of reactive oxygen species while simultaneously functioning as a mechanism of competitive exclusion. We further discuss how Mn2+ accumulation can provide both beneficial and pathogenic bacteria with advantages in thriving in their niches.
Seedling Emergence of the Tree Legume Clathrotropis brunnea Amshoff, Endemic from a Colombian Tropical Rainforest
Authors: Prato Andrés I , Daibes L Felipe , Pabón Miguel A , Castaño Alvaro A , Santos-Heredia Carolina , Fior Claudimar S
Published: May 2021

Seedling emergence is the main propagation method of forest species. Thus, we aimed to evaluate emergence aspects of the tree legume Clathrotropis brunnea Amshoff (sapán or blackheart sapán), a Fabaceae of high economic value endemic to the Colombian rainforest. We characterized the biometry of legumes and seeds and assessed seedling emergence in three experiments: (1) effect of fruit color and substrate, (2) seed conservation in storage, and (3) presoaking and seed position. Our results showed that seeds of green-yellow fruits have greater length and weight and a water content of up to 53%. Seedling emergence did not differ between green-yellow and dark-brown fruits but did differ with substrate type; nearly 80% of seedlings emerged in the sand substrate (S1), but only 62% emerged in the mixed substrate (S3). Fresh sapán seeds are nondormant, showing a recalcitrant behavior in which seedling emergence decreased after storage in all tested conditions. Both seed-sowing positions allowed an emergence of >80% with a small benefit of the hilum downward, regardless of presoaking treatments. However, these differences did not affect seedling height or biomass after emergence. Our results provide basic knowledge on production of tropical seedlings, seeking species conservation, and use in restoration projects.
Decomposition of elastic potential energy and a rational metric for aftershock generation
Authors: Matsu'ura Mitsuhiro , Terakawa Toshiko
Published: May 2021

The occurrence of earthquakes can be regarded as shear fracture releasing the elastic potential energy stored in the Earth. The potential energy density of linear elastic forces is generally represented in the quadratic form of strain tensor components with the fourth-order coefficient tensor of elastic stiffness. When the material is isotropic, since the stiffness tensor is expressible as a linear combination of two independent symmetric tensors, we can decompose the elastic potential energy density into two independent parts, namely the volumetric part and the shearing part. By definition, the partial derivatives of the elastic potential energy density with respect to volumetric and shearing deformations give the corresponding generalized forces in the sense of Lagrangian mechanics: specifically, one-third of the first invariant of stress tensor (equivalent to the mean stress) to volumetric deformation and the square root of the second invariant of deviatoric stress tensor (equivalent to $\sqrt {3/2} $ times the octahedral shear stress). With these generalized forces instead of the normal and tangential stresses on a specific fault plane, we correctly represented the original concept of Coulomb's failure criterion (shear failure occurs when shearing stress is equal to shearing strength) and defined energetics-based failure stress (EFS). The change in EFS associated with the occurrence of a main fracture (ΔEFS) gives a rational metric for aftershock generation, which can be reduced to previously proposed various metrics in special cases. For example, when the level of background deviatoric stress is much higher than the magnitude of coseismic stress changes, the expression of ΔEFS is reduced to a similar form to the well-known Coulomb failure stress change (ΔCFS). Even in the energetics-based metric, the effects of pore-fluid pressure changes are essential. We theoretically examined the mechanical effects of induced and enforced pore-fluid pressure changes and elucidated that the difference between them is reflected in the focal mechanisms of aftershocks.
Unique Regulation of Coupled NaCl Absorption by Inducible Nitric Oxide in a Spontaneous SAMP1/YitFc Mouse Model of Chronic Intestinal Inflammation
Authors: Arthur Subha , Palaniappan Balasubramanian , Afroz Sheuli , Sundaram Uma
Published: May 2021

In the small intestine, Na:H (NHE3) and Cl:HCO3 (DRA or PAT1) exchangers present in the brush border membrane (BBM) of absorptive villus cells are primarily responsible for the coupled absorption of NaCl, the malabsorption of which causes diarrhea, a common symptom of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Inducible nitric oxide (iNO), a known mediator of inflammation, is increased in the mucosa of the chronically inflamed IBD intestine. An SAMP1/YitFc (SAMP1) mouse, a spontaneous model of chronic ileitis very similar to human IBD, was used to study alterations in NaCl absorption. The SAMP1 and control AKR mice were treated with I-N(6)-(1-Iminoethyl)-lysine (L-NIL) to inhibit iNO production, and DRA/PAT1 and NHE3 activities and protein expression were studied. Though Na:H exchange activity was unaffected, Cl:HCO3 activity was significantly decreased in SAMP1 mice due to a reduction in its affinity for Cl, which was reversed by L-NIL treatment. Though DRA and PAT1 expressions were unchanged in all experimental conditions, phosphorylation studies indicated that DRA, not PAT1, is affected in SAMP1. Moreover, the altered phosphorylation levels of DRA was restored by L-NIL treatment. Inducible NO mediates the inhibition of coupled NaCl absorption by decreasing Cl:HCO3 but not Na:H exchange. Specifically, Cl:HCO3 exchanger DRA but not PAT1 is regulated at the level of its phosphorylation by iNO in the chronically inflamed intestine.
Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Avian Provisioning, Corticosterone, and Reproductive Success
Authors: Injaian Allison S , Uehling Jennifer J , Taff Conor C , Vitousek Maren N
Published: May 2021

Synopsis

Artificial light at night (hereafter “ALAN”) affects 88% of the land area in Europe and almost half of the land area in the USA, with even rural areas exposed to lights from agricultural and industrial buildings. To date, there have been few studies that assess the impacts of ALAN on both wildlife behavior and physiology. However, ALAN may alter energy expenditure and/or stress physiology during the breeding period, potentially reducing reproductive success and resulting in conservation implications. Here, we experimentally exposed adult female and nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to ALAN. We then measured the effects of ALAN compared with control conditions on parental behavior (provisioning rate), nestling physiology (corticosterone levels), and reproductive success (likelihood of all eggs hatching and all nestlings fledging per nest). Our results showed that ALAN-exposed females provisioned their nestlings at lower rates than control females. Although relatively weak, our results also suggested that ALAN-exposed nestlings had reduced baseline and increased stress-induced corticosterone compared with control nestlings. ALAN-exposed nestlings also showed greater negative feedback of circulating corticosterone. We found no support for our prediction that ALAN would reduce nestling body condition. Finally, we found some support for a negative effect of ALAN on the likelihood that all eggs hatched in a given nest, but not the likelihood that all nestlings fledged. Therefore, while it is possible that the behavioral and physiological changes found here result in long-term consequences, our results also suggest that direct ALAN exposure alone may not have substantially large or negative effects on tree swallows. Exposure regimes for free-living birds, such as exposure to a combination of anthropogenic disturbances (i.e., ALAN and noise pollution) or direct and indirect effects of ALAN (i.e., effects on physiology due to direct light exposure and alterations in food availability), may produce different results than those found here.
Biological Networks across Scales—The Theoretical and Empirical Foundations for Time-Varying Complex Networks that Connect Structure and Function across Levels of Biological Organization
Authors: Bogdan Paul , Caetano-Anollés Gustavo , Jolles Anna , Kim Hyunju , Morris James , Murphy Cheryl A , Royer Catherine , Snell Edward H , Steinbrenner Adam , Strausfeld Nicholas
Published: May 2021

Many biological systems across scales of size and complexity exhibit a time-varying complex network structure that emerges and self-organizes as a result of interactions with the environment. Network interactions optimize some intrinsic cost functions that are unknown and involve for example energy efficiency, robustness, resilience, and frailty. A wide range of networks exist in biology, from gene regulatory networks important for organismal development, protein interaction networks that govern physiology and metabolism, and neural networks that store and convey information to networks of microbes that form microbiomes within hosts, animal contact networks that underlie social systems, and networks of populations on the landscape connected by migration. Increasing availability of extensive (big) data is amplifying our ability to quantify biological networks. Similarly, theoretical methods that describe network structure and dynamics are being developed. Beyond static networks representing snapshots of biological systems, collections of longitudinal data series can help either at defining and characterizing network dynamics over time or analyzing the dynamics constrained to networked architectures. Moreover, due to interactions with the environment and other biological systems, a biological network may not be fully observable. Also, subnetworks may emerge and disappear as a result of the need for the biological system to cope with for example invaders or new information flows. The confluence of these developments renders tractable the question of how the structure of biological networks predicts and controls network dynamics. In particular, there may be structural features that result in homeostatic networks with specific higher-order statistics (e.g., multifractal spectrum), which maintain stability over time through robustness and/or resilience to perturbation. Alternative, plastic networks may respond to perturbation by (adaptive to catastrophic) shifts in structure. Here, we explore the opportunity for discovering universal laws connecting the structure of biological networks with their function, positioning them on the spectrum of time-evolving network structure, that is, dynamics of networks, from highly stable to exquisitely sensitive to perturbation. If such general laws exist, they could transform our ability to predict the response of biological systems to perturbations—an increasingly urgent priority in the face of anthropogenic changes to the environment that affect life across the gamut of organizational scales.
Melanosome Biogenesis in the Pigmentation of Mammalian Skin
Authors: Le Linh , Sirés-Campos Julia , Raposo Graça , Delevoye Cédric , Marks Michael S
Published: May 2021

Synopsis

Melanins, the main pigments of the skin and hair in mammals, are synthesized within membrane-bound organelles of melanocytes called melanosomes. Melanosome structure and function are determined by a cohort of resident transmembrane proteins, many of which are expressed only in pigment cells and localize specifically to melanosomes. Defects in the genes that encode melanosome-specific proteins or components of the machinery required for their transport in and out of melanosomes underlie various forms of ocular or oculocutaneous albinism, characterized by hypopigmentation of the hair, skin, and eyes and by visual impairment. We review major components of melanosomes, including the enzymes that catalyze steps in melanin synthesis from tyrosine precursors, solute transporters that allow these enzymes to function, and structural proteins that underlie melanosome shape and melanin deposition. We then review the molecular mechanisms by which these components are biosynthetically delivered to newly forming melanosomes—many of which are shared by other cell types that generate cell type-specific lysosome-related organelles. We also highlight unanswered questions that need to be addressed by future investigation.
Mid-term outcomes of rapid deployment aortic prostheses in patients with small aortic annulus
Authors: Arribas-Leal José M , Rivera-Caravaca José Miguel , Aranda-Domene Ramón , Moreno-Moreno José A , Espinosa-Garcia Dolores , Jimenez-Aceituna Antonio , Perez-Andreu Joaquín , Taboada-Martin Rubén , Saura-Espin Daniel R , Canovas-Lopez Sergio J
Published: May 2021

OBJECTIVES

The Edwards Intuity valve is a rapid deployment aortic prosthesis that favours less invasive approaches. However, evidence about the clinical behaviour of their smaller sizes is scarce. Herein, we studied haemodynamic behaviours and clinical outcomes of small Intuity prostheses (19–21 mm) in comparison to larger Intuity prostheses (>21 mm).

METHODS

This is an observational study including patients implanted with an Edwards Intuity rapid deployment aortic prosthesis. Patients with prosthesis sizes 19–21 and >21 mm were included. Baseline and perioperative variables, as well as adverse events during the follow-up were recorded and compared between groups.

RESULTS

A total of 122 patients (37% female, mean age 75 ± 4.5 years) were included, of whom 54 (45%) were implanted with a small prosthesis and 68 (55%) with a prosthesis >21 mm. There were no significant differences between patients with small Intuity prostheses and patients with larger prostheses regarding in-hospital mortality (2% vs 4%, P = 0.43) or mortality during the follow-up (3.41 vs 2.45 per 100 patients-years; P = 0.58). Survival in the small Intuity valve group was 95% at 1 year and 83% at 6 years, whereas in the larger Intuity valve group was 96% at 1 year and 78% at 6 years. The presence of a small prosthesis did not influence mid-term survival (log-rank P-value = 0.62).

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed good clinical performance of Intuity aortic prostheses with appropriate mid-term survival in patients with the small aortic annulus. Thus, the Edwards Intuity rapid deployment aortic prosthesis may be considered as a potential option in patients with the small aortic annulus.
Effects of prenatal and postnatal maternal multiple micronutrient supplementation on child growth and morbidity in Tanzania: a double-blind, randomized–controlled trial
Authors: Wang Dongqing , Natchu Uma Chandra Mouli , Darling Anne Marie , Noor Ramadhani A , Hertzmark Ellen , Urassa Willy , Fawzi Wafaie W
Published: May 2021

Background

Maternal micronutrient status is critical for child growth and nutrition. It is unclear whether maternal multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) during pregnancy and lactation improves child growth and prevents child morbidity.

Methods

This study aimed to determine the effects of prenatal and postnatal maternal MMS on child growth and morbidity. In this double-blind, randomized–controlled trial, 8428 HIV-negative pregnant women were enrolled from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between 2001 and 2004. From pregnancy (12–27 weeks of gestation) through to 6 weeks postpartum, participants were randomized to receive daily oral MMS or placebo. All women received daily iron and folic acid during pregnancy. From 6 weeks postpartum through to 18 months postpartum, 3100 women were re-randomized to MMS or placebo. Child-growth measures, haemoglobin concentrations and infectious morbidities were assessed longitudinally from birth to ≤18 months.

Results

Prenatal MMS led to modest increases in weight-for-age z-scores (mean difference: 0.050; 95% confidence interval: 0.002, 0.099; p = 0.04) and length-for-age z-score (mean difference: 0.062; 95% confidence interval: 0.013, 0.111; p = 0.01) during the first 6 months of life but not thereafter. Prenatal or postnatal MMS did not have benefits for other child outcomes.

Conclusions

Whereas maternal MMS is a proven strategy to prevent adverse birth outcomes, other approaches may also need to be considered to curb the high burdens of child morbidity and growth faltering.
Negative Prognostic Effect of Baseline Antipsychotic Exposure in Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P): Is Pre-Test Risk Enrichment the Hidden Culprit?
Authors: Raballo Andrea , Poletti Michele , Preti Antonio
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Sample enrichment is a key factor in contemporary early-detection strategies aimed at the identification of help-seekers at increased risk of imminent transition to psychosis. We undertook a meta-analytic investigation to ascertain the role of sample enrichment in the recently highlighted negative prognostic effect of baseline antipsychotic (AP) exposure in clinical high-risk (CHR-P) of psychosis individuals.

Methods

Systematic review and meta-analysis of all published studies on CHR-P were identified according to a validated diagnostic procedure. The outcome was the proportion of transition to psychosis, which was calculated according to the Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation.

Results

Thirty-three eligible studies were identified, including 16 samples with details on AP exposure at baseline and 17 samples with baseline AP exposure as exclusion criterion for enrollment. Those with baseline exposure to AP (n = 395) had higher transition rates (29.9%; 95% CI: 25.1%–34.8%) than those without baseline exposure to AP in the same study (n = 1289; 17.2%; 15.1%–19.4%) and those coming from samples that did not include people who were exposed to AP at baseline (n = 2073; 16.2%; 14.6%–17.8%; P < .05 in both the fixed-effects and the random-effects models). Heterogeneity within studies was substantial, with values above 75% in all comparisons.

Conclusions

Sample enrichment is not a plausible explanation for the higher risk of transition to psychosis of CHR-P individuals who were already exposed to AP at the enrollment in specialized early-detection programs. Baseline exposure to AP at CHR-P assessment is a major index of enhanced, imminent risk of psychosis.
Virological Characterization of Critically Ill Patients With COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: Interactions of Viral Load, Antibody Status, and B.1.1.7 Infection
Authors: Ratcliff Jeremy , Nguyen Dung , Fish Matthew , Rynne Jennifer , Jennings Aislinn , Williams Sarah , Al-Beidh Farah , Bonsall David , Evans Amy , Golubchik Tanya , Gordon Anthony C , Lamikanra Abigail , Tsang Pat , Ciccone Nick A , Leuscher Ullrich , Slack Wendy , Laing Emma , Mouncey Paul R , Ziyenge Sheba , Oliveira Marta , Ploeg Rutger , Rowan Kathryn M , Shankar-Hari Manu , Roberts David J , Menon David K , Estcourt Lise , Simmonds Peter , Harvala Heli ,   REMAP-CAP Immunoglobulin Domain UK Investigators
Published: May 2021

Background

Convalescent plasma containing neutralizing antibody to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is under investigation for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment. We report diverse virological characteristics of UK intensive care patients enrolled in the Immunoglobulin Domain of the REMAP-CAP randomized controlled trial that potentially influence treatment outcomes.

Methods

SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal swabs collected pretreatment was quantified by PCR. Antibody status was determined by spike-protein ELISA. B.1.1.7 was differentiated from other SARS-CoV-2 strains using allele-specific probes or restriction site polymorphism (SfcI) targeting D1118H.

Results

Of 1274 subjects, 90% were PCR positive with viral loads 118–1.7 × 1011IU/mL. Median viral loads were 40-fold higher in those IgG seronegative (n = 354; 28%) compared to seropositives (n = 939; 72%). Frequencies of B.1.1.7 increased from <1% in November 2020 to 82% of subjects in January 2021. Seronegative individuals with wild-type SARS-CoV-2 had significantly higher viral loads than seropositives (medians 5.8 × 106 and 2.0 × 105 IU/mL, respectively; P = 2 × 10−15).

Conclusions

High viral loads in seropositive B.1.1.7-infected subjects and resistance to seroconversion indicate less effective clearance by innate and adaptive immune responses. SARS-CoV-2 strain, viral loads, and antibody status define subgroups for analysis of treatment efficacy.
Relationship between diarrhoea risk and the combinations of drinking water sources in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Authors: Kobayashi Yuka , Ito Yuri , Shrestha Sadhana , Yokomichi Hiroshi , Nishida Kei
Published: May 2021

In Nepal, the number of diarrhoea hospitalizations in all ages is seriously high. According to the World Health Organization, diarrheal diseases can be substantially prevented through safe drinking water sources. In the Kathmandu Valley, because of the shortage of piped water, local residents use alternative water sources, such as groundwater, jars and tanker water. However, these alternative water sources can be contaminated. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between diarrhoea risk and the combinations of drinking water sources. A survey using multiple questionnaires on diarrhoea occurrence, water sources and water treatment was conducted three time between 2015 and 2016. The odds ratios (ORs) of developing diarrhoea were significantly high for drinking jar (OR 6.1) and tanker water (OR 8.4) compared with not drinking. The combined drinking of jar and tanker water obtained the 1 log higher OR compared with drinking only piped water. Conversely, drinking groundwater had a low OR, implying that the residents refrained from drinking polluted groundwater. In conclusion, diarrhoea occurrence was related not only to the level of water contamination, but also to a behavioural factor, i.e. people's careful management of the choice of multiple water sources.
Correlates of blood pressure and blood glucose screenings in Cameroon: insights from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Duodu Precious Adade , Agbadi Pascal , Duah Henry Ofori , Darkwah Ernest , Nutor Jerry John
Published: May 2021

Background

Hypertension and diabetes, two major risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases, are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Early detection through screening can initiate early treatment to reduce adverse outcomes. The current study sought to investigate the correlates of blood pressure and blood glucose screenings in Cameroon.

Methods

We used secondary data from the 2018 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey. Adjusting for a complex sample design, we performed multivariate prevalence ratio estimates of the blood pressure and blood glucose screenings.

Results

Approximately 60% and 30% of Cameroonians had undergone blood pressure and blood glucose screenings, respectively. More females (68%) had undergone blood pressure screenings compared with their male counterparts (44.1%). In the multivariate model, gender, age, education, marital status, household wealth index and region of residence were significantly associated with both blood pressure and blood glucose screenings in the full sample. Previous blood pressure screening was associated with an increased likelihood of blood glucose screening and vice versa. A modification effect of gender was observed in the association between the correlates and both outcomes.

Conclusion

Our findings uncovered individuals with a decreased likelihood for blood pressure and blood glucose screenings and this can inform policy decisions to ensure targeted screening aimed at early detection and management.
Sjögren’s syndrome-associated SNPs increase GTF2I expression in salivary gland cells to enhance inflammation development
Authors: Shimoyama Shuhei , Nakagawa Ikuma , Jiang Jing-Jing , Matsumoto Isao , Chiorini John A , Hasegawa Yoshinori , Ohara Osamu , Hasebe Rie , Ota Mitsutoshi , Uchida Mona , Kamimura Daisuke , Hojyo Shintaro , Tanaka Yuki , Atsumi Tatsuya , Murakami Masaaki
Published: May 2021

Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation with lymphoid infiltration and destruction of the salivary glands. Although many genome-wide association studies have revealed disease-associated risk alleles, the functions of the majority of these alleles are unclear. Here, we show previously unrecognized roles of GTF2I molecules by using two SS-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs73366469 and rs117026326 (GTF2I SNPs). We found that the risk alleles of GTF2I SNPs increased GTF2I expression and enhanced nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation in human salivary gland cells via the NF-κB p65 subunit. Indeed, the knockdown of GTF2I suppressed inflammatory responses in mouse endothelial cells and in vivo. Conversely, the over-expression of GTF2I enhanced NF-κB reporter activity depending on its p65-binding N-terminal leucine zipper domain. GTF2I is highly expressed in the human salivary gland cells of SS patients expressing the risk alleles. Consistently, the risk alleles of GTF2I SNPs were strongly associated with activation of the IL-6 amplifier, which is hyperactivation machinery of the NF-κB pathway, and lymphoid infiltration in the salivary glands of SS patients. These results demonstrated that GTF2I expression in salivary glands is increased in the presence of the risk alleles of GTF2I SNPs, resulting in activation of the NF-κB pathway in salivary gland cells. They also suggest that GTF2I could be a new therapeutic target for SS.
Benefits, challenges, and contributors to success for national eHealth systems implementation: a scoping review
Authors: Scheibner James , Sleigh Joanna , Ienca Marcello , Vayena Effy
Published: May 2021

Objective

Our scoping review aims to assess what legal, ethical, and socio-technical factors contribute to or inhibit the success of national eHealth system implementations. In addition, our review seeks to describe the characteristics and benefits of eHealth systems.

Materials and Methods

We conducted a scoping review of literature published in English between January 2000 and 2020 using a keyword search on 5 databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEEXplore, and ProQuest. After removal of duplicates, abstract screening, and full-text filtering, 86 articles were included from 8276 search results.

Results

We identified 17 stakeholder groups, 6 eHealth Systems areas, and 15 types of legal regimes and standards. In-depth textual analysis revealed challenges mainly in implementation, followed by ethico-legal and data-related aspects. Key factors influencing success include promoting trust of the system, ensuring wider acceptance among users, reconciling the system with legal requirements, and ensuring an adaptable technical platform.

Discussion

Results revealed support for decentralized implementations because they carry less implementation and engagement challenges than centralized ones. Simultaneously, due to decentralized systems’ interoperability issues, federated implementations (with a set of national standards) might be preferable.

Conclusion

This study identifies the primary socio-technical, legal, and ethical factors that challenge and contribute to the success of eHealth system implementations. This study also describes the complexities and characteristics of existing eHealth implementation programs, and suggests guidance for resolving the identified challenges.
Effect of dietary crude protein level on growth performance, blood characteristics, and indicators of intestinal health in weanling pigs
Authors: Limbach Joseph R , Espinosa Charmaine D , Perez-Calvo Estefania , Stein Hans H
Published: May 2021

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that reducing crude protein (CP) in starter diets for pigs reduces post-weaning diarrhea and improves intestinal health. In total, 180 weanling pigs were allotted to 3 diets containing 22, 19, or 16% CP. Fecal scores were visually assessed every other day. Blood samples were collected from 1 pig per pen on days 1, 6, 13, 20, and 27, and 1 pig per pen was euthanized on day 12. Results indicated that reducing dietary CP reduced (P < 0.01) overall average daily gain, gain to feed ratio, final body weight, and fecal scores of pigs. Pigs fed the 16% CP diet had reduced (P < 0.01) serum albumin compared with pigs fed other diets. Blood urea nitrogen, haptoglobin, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 concentrations in serum were greatest (P < 0.01) on day 13, whereas tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-10 concentrations were greatest (P < 0.01) on day 6. Villus height in the jejunum increased (P < 0.05) and crypt depth in the ileum was reduced (P < 0.01) if the 19% CP diet was fed to pigs compared with the 22% CP diet. A reduction (P < 0.05) in mRNA abundance of interferon-γ, chemokine ligand 10, occludin, trefoil factor-2, trefoil factor-3, and mucin 2 was observed when pigs were fed diets with 16% CP. In conclusion, reducing CP in diets for weanling pigs reduces fecal score and expression of genes associated with inflammation.
Undecidability of the Logic of Partial Quasiary Predicates
Authors: Rybakov Mikhail , Shkatov Dmitry
Published: May 2021

We obtain an effective embedding of the classical predicate logic into the logic of partial quasiary predicates. The embedding has the property that an image of a non-theorem of the classical logic is refutable in a model of the logic of partial quasiary predicates that has the same cardinality as the classical countermodel of the non-theorem. Therefore, we also obtain an embedding of the classical predicate logic of finite models into the logic of partial quasiary predicates over finite structures. As a consequence, we prove that the logic of partial quasiary predicates is undecidable—more precisely, $\varSigma ^0_1$-complete—over arbitrary structures and not recursively enumerable—more precisely, $\varPi ^0_1$-complete—over finite structures.
Malaria-Resistant Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae); The Principle is Proven, But Will the Effectors Be Effective?
Authors: Adelman Zach N , Kojin Bianca B
Published: May 2021

Over the last few decades, a substantial number of anti-malarial effector genes have been evaluated for their ability to block parasite infection in the mosquito vector. While many of these approaches have yielded significant effects on either parasite intensity or prevalence of infection, just a few have been able to completely block transmission. Additionally, many approaches, while effective against the parasite, also disrupt or alter important aspects of mosquito physiology, leading to corresponding changes in lifespan, reproduction, and immunity. As the most promising approaches move towards field-based evaluation, questions of effector gene robustness and durability move to the forefront. In this forum piece, we critically evaluate past effector gene approaches with an eye towards developing a deeper pipeline to augment the current best candidates.
Intravascular leiomyomatosis with intracardiac extension: a toraco-abdominal approach
Authors: Miro Antonio , Coppola Bottazzi Enrico , Vanella Serafino , Palma Tommaso , Noviello Adele , Apicella Ivano , Lombardi Giulio , Fiorani Brenno , Crafa Francesco
Published: May 2021

Intravenous leiomyomatosis is a rare nonmalignant tumor, which originates from the uterine smooth muscle cells and is usually confined to the pelvic venous system. Sometimes it can extend from the pelvis through the veins into the right side of the heart; this condition is named intracardiac leiomyomatosis (ICLM). To date few cases of these conditions have been described, the treatment is surgical, often challenging and usually multidisciplinary. In this paper are described the clinical presentation, the full radiologic study and surgical treatment of a case of ICLM that authors treated at their institution with thoraco-abdominal approach.

Surgical removal of the ICLM is strongly recommended, because no recurrence has been reported, in our case at 7 years we did not observe recurrence of the disease.
Reproductive resilience but not root architecture underpins yield improvement under drought in maize
Authors: Messina Carlos , McDonald Dan , Poffenbarger Hanna , Clark Randy , Salinas Andrea , Fang Yinan , Gho Carla , Tang Tom , Graham Geoff , Hammer Graeme L , Cooper Mark
Published: May 2021

Because plants capture water and nutrients through roots, it was proposed that changes in root systems architecture (RSA) might underpin the 3-fold increase in maize (Zea mays L.) grain yield over the last century. Here we show that both RSA and yield have changed with decades of maize breeding, but not the crop water uptake. Results from X-ray phenotyping in controlled environments showed that single cross (SX) hybrids have smaller root systems than double cross (DX) hybrids for root diameters between 2465 µm and 181µm (P<0.05). Soil water extraction measured under field conditions ranged between 2.6 mm d–1 and 2.9 mm d–1 but were not significantly different between SX and DX hybrids. Yield and yield components were higher for SX than DX hybrids across densities and irrigation (P<0.001). Taken together, the results suggest that changes in RSA were not the cause of increased water uptake but an adaptation to high-density stands used in modern agriculture. This adaptation may have contributed to shift in resource allocation to the ear and indirectly improved reproductive resilience. Advances in root physiology and phenotyping can create opportunities to maintain long-term genetic gain in maize, but a shift from ideotype to crop and production system thinking will be required.
French lexis in the Auchinleck Manuscript: A digital-philological approach
Authors: Critten Rory G , Gay-Crosier Cyrille , Picca Davide
Published: May 2021

The Auchinleck Manuscript was produced in the 1330s in London and is best known to scholars of Middle English literature on account of the romances that it transmits. Several of these texts treat the establishment and defense of England and it has been argued that their interest in English history is matched by the language in which almost all of the manuscript’s texts are written: English. This article reconsiders the Englishness of the Auchinleck Manuscript via a quantitative analysis of its lexis. We show that a comparatively large proportion of the Auchinleck lexicon has connections to French and that, of these words with French connections, many do not appear to have been much used in English writing before the 1300s. Our statistics are derived via program scripts that match Auchinleck lexicon items to headword entries in the Middle English Dictionary and collect data pertaining to word etymology and earliest dates of citation from those entries. Where previous studies have emphasized the porous boundaries between English and French in 14th-century English contexts, we posit that some poets might aim to make creative capital out of the deliberate juxtaposition of the languages. The argument is supported by a series of visualizations; interactive versions of these visualizations and the data on which they are based are archived at our project website (https://solliryc.github.io/AuchinleckDataViz/).
Constraining the epoch of reionization with highly dispersed fast radio bursts
Authors: Pagano Michael , Fronenberg Hannah
Published: May 2021

The period in which hydrogen in the intergalactic medium (IGM) is ionized, known as the epoch of reionization (EoR), is still poorly understood. The timing and duration of the EoR is expected to be governed by the underlying astrophysics. Furthermore, most models of reionization predict a correlation between the density and ionization field. Here we consider using the mean dispersion measure (DM) of high redshift fast radio bursts (FRBs) as a probe of the underlying astrophysics and morphology of the EoR. To do this, we forecast observational scenarios by building mock data sets of non-repeating FRBs between redshifts 8 ≤ z ≤ 10. In our forecasts we assume a fiducial inside-out reionization scenario with midpoint of reionziation z = 2.0, and duration (i.e. the duration between mean ionized fraction of 0.25 to 0.75) Δz = 7.8. It is assumed that all FRBs have accompanying spectroscopic redshift measurements. We find that samples of 100 high redshift FRBs, in the above mentioned narrow redshift range, can rule out uncorrelated reionization at 68 per cent credibility, while larger samples, ≥104 FRBs, can rule out uncorrelated reionization at $95{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ credibility. We also find 100 high redshift FRBs can rule out scenarios where the Universe is entirely neutral at z = 10 with $68{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ credibility. Further, with ≥105 FRBs, we can constrain the duration Δz of reionization to $\Delta z = 2.0^{+0.5}_{-0.4}$ and the midpoint of reionization to $z = 7.8^{+0.4}_{-0.2}$ at 95 per cent credibility.