bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Emotions
Authors: Bleiker Roland , Campbell David , Hutchison Emma
Published: March 2021

The issue of asylum seekers and refugees is one of the most contested political issues in Australia. This chapter examines ensuing debates, focusing closely on how refugees and asylum seekers are perceived and responded to in relation to the spatial and emotional dynamics that prevail in Australian society and politics. Specifically, the chapter examines how the issue of asylum is intimately connected to and influenced by highly emotional images circulating in the national media. To do this, the authors first discuss the history of refugees at Australia’s borders. In doing so, the authors underline the key role that political and media representations play in shaping refugee debates and policy. The chapter then undertakes an empirical investigation of two crucial recent periods when refugee debates proliferated in both the media and in politics: August to December 2001 and October 2009 to September 2011. By conducting a content analysis of front-page coverage in The Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald, the authors focus on the particular visual framing that has been used to depict asylum seekers and its emotional and political consequences, highlighting how recurring frames have been used to dehumanize and further displace asylum seekers and refugees in the Australian context. The authors then argue that these visual media depictions associate refugees not with humanitarian challenges and responsibilities, but instead with threats to sovereignty and security.
Kanzi or Can’t He?
Authors: Lyn Heidi
Published: March 2021

Nonhuman animals have been successful in using a number of language abilities through a series of studies initiating from the late 1960s. However, these studies and the researchers faced intense criticism, which resulted in a vicious backlash that almost destroyed the field. In this chapter, the author will review the most frequent criticisms, any data-driven responses, and discuss the validity of each criticism. Ultimately, the findings show that nonhumans can acquire symbols through mechanisms more complex than simple association, that those symbols are referential in nature, they can use those symbols in appropriate contexts, and that their symbolic use is not explained by imitation. Some species have also been shown to use and/or comprehend rule-based ordering systems, but these stop short of true syntactical competence. Given the continuities revealed by these studies, any complete hypothesis regarding the evolution of language must incorporate these findings.
The Narrative Origins of Language
Authors: Ferretti Francesco
Published: March 2021

Central to this chapter is the idea that the investigation of the origin of language is strictly tied to the analysis of the traits that distinguish human communication from that of animals. A cognitive approach to the study of the origin of language is employed. The proposal is that the analysis of the traits that distinguish human communication from that of animals must be guided by an investigation of the processing devices that allowed our ancestral relatives to manage the transition from animal communication to language. The argument put forward is that the distinguishing feature of language is how it supports the ability to tell stories; and that the cognitive devices responsible for the transition from animal communication to language (space and time navigational systems, plus mindreading) are the same cognitive devices dedicated to discursive level processing in human communication. Given that the issue of the origins of language is closely related to the analysis of the differences between the way in which humans and non-human animals communicate, the first issue to be addressed regards the question of what is specific about language as a system of communication.
The Case for Peele’s Authorship of Titus Andronicus 4.1: Cross-Examining Attribution Methods in a Disputed Scene
Authors: Hulse Mark C
Published: March 2021

William Weber (2014) argues that Shakespeare authored Titus Andronicus 4.1 as evidenced by verbal collocation data and auxiliary investigations into the vocabulary, rhetoric, and classical content of the scene. Anna Pruitt (2017) corroborates this view using n-gram testing, and critical opinion has shifted against the older orthodoxy assigning the scene to George Peele. Yet despite efforts to select a limited set of Shakespearean works for their experiments, the datasets compiled by Weber and Pruitt from the LION database are invalidated by the imbalanced canon sizes of the two authorship candidates. This oversight compromises their quantitative arguments, as does their neglecting The Troublesome Reign of King John. This article demonstrates that when equitable canons are implemented 4.1’s vocabulary is strongly indicative of Peele’s hand, in clear opposition to the current consensus view. Additionally, the scene contains classical allusiveness that is distinct from that of Shakespeare with regard to sources, effect, and scope, further reinforcing the case for Peele’s authorship. The article then revisits the un-Shakespearean metrical properties of 4.1 and testimonial evidence in support of an earlier Titus play, arguing that Peele’s ownership of the scene can greatly inform our model of Shakespeare’s timeline and alleged innovations in the revenge tragedy genre during his earliest career phase. Recent critiques of automated searching in attribution studies show why integrated methods that unite quantitative and qualitative techniques remain indispensable, and the 2014 and 2017 studies’ erroneous conclusions provide a cautionary tale for future research in the field.
Reliability, validity and responsiveness of physical activity monitors in patients with inflammatory myopathy
Authors: Rockette-Wagner Bonny , Saygin Didem , Moghadam-Kia Siamak , Oddis Chester , Landon-Cardinal Océane  , Allenbach Yves , Dzanko Sedin , Koontz Diane , Neiman Nicole , Aggarwal Rohit
Published: March 2021

Objective

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) cause proximal muscle weakness, which affects the ability to carry out the activities of daily living. Wearable physical activity monitors (PAMs) objectively assess continuous activity and potentially have clinical usefulness in the assessment of IIMs. We examined the psychometric characteristics for PAM outcomes in IIMs.

Methods

Adult IIM patients were prospectively evaluated (at baseline, 3 months and 6 months) in an observational study. A waist-worn PAM (ActiGraph GT3X-BT) assessed average step counts/minute, peak 1-minute cadence, and vector magnitude/minute. Validated myositis core set measures (CSMs) including manual muscle testing (MMT), physician global disease activity (MD global), patient global disease activity (Pt global), extramuscular disease activity (Ex-muscular global), HAQ-DI (HAQ disability index), muscle enzymes, and patient-reported physical function were evaluated. Test–retest reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness were determined for PAM measures and CSMs, using Pearson correlations and other appropriate analyses.

Results

A total of 50 adult IIM patients enrolled [mean (s.d.) age, 53.6 (14.6); 60% female, 94% Caucasian]. PAM measures showed strong test–retest reliability, moderate-to-strong correlations at baseline with MD global (r = −0.37 to −0.48), Pt global (r=−0.43 to −0.61), HAQ-DI (r = −0.47 to −0.59) and MMT (r = 0.37–0.52), and strong discriminant validity for categorical MMT and HAQ-DI. Longitudinal associations with MD global (r=−0.38 to −0.44), MMT (r = 0.50–0.57), HAQ-DI (r = −0.45 to −0.55) and functional tests (r = 0.30–0.65) were moderate to strong. PAM measures were responsive to MMT improvement ≥10% and moderate-to-major improvement on ACR/EULAR myositis response criteria. Peak 1-minute cadence had the largest effect size and standardized response means.

Conclusion

PAM measures showed promising construct validity, reliability, and longitudinal responsiveness; especially peak 1-minute cadence. PAMs are able to provide valid outcome measures for future use in IIM clinical trials.
Genetics-Based Approach to Identify Novel Genes Regulated by the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Mouse Liver
Authors: Jurgelewicz Amanda , Dornbos Peter , Warren Melanie , Nault Rance , Arkatkar Anooj , Lin Hui , Threadgill David W , Zacharewski Tim , LaPres John J
Published: March 2021

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor in the Per-Arnt-Sim superfamily of environmental sensors that is linked to several metabolic diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Much remains unknown regarding the impact of genetic variation in AHR-driven disease, as past studies have focused on a small number of inbred strains. Recently, the presence of a wide range of interindividual variability amongst humans was reported in response to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the prototypical ligand of the AHR. In this study, a panel of 14 diverse mouse strains was exposed to TCDD for 10 days to characterize the AHR-mediated response across genetic backgrounds. Responses to TCDD are heavily dependent on genetic background. Although mice carry 1 of 4 Ahr alleles known to impact the affinity to AHR-ligands, we observed significant intra-allelic variability suggesting the presence of novel genetic modifiers of AHR signaling. A regression-based approach was used to scan for genes regulated by the AHR and/or associated with TCDD-induced phenotypes. The approach identified 7 genes, 2 of which are novel, that are likely regulated by the AHR based on association with hepatic TCDD burden (p ≤ .05). Finally, we identified 1 gene, Dio1, which was associated with change in percent body fat across the diverse set of strains (p ≤ .05). Overall, the results in this study exemplify the power of genetics-based approaches in identifying novel genes that are putatively regulated by the AHR.
Methylation of ERβ 5′‐untranslated region attenuates its inhibitory effect on ERα gene transcription and promotes the initiation and progression of papillary thyroid cancer
Authors: Xu Lin‐Wan , Gou Xi , Yang Jun‐Yan , Jiang Rong , Jiang Xue , Chen George G. , Liu Zhi‐Min
Published: March 2021

Normal thyroid tissue displays a prevalent expression of ERβ than ERα, which drastically turns upside down in the initiation and progression of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The underlying molecular mechanism of this phenomenon remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that ERα and ERβ were coexpressed in human thyroid tissues and cells. ERα mRNA (A‐1) and ERβ mRNA (0N‐1), transcribed from Promoter A of ERα gene and Promoter 0N of ERβ gene, respectively, were the major mRNA isoforms which mainly contributed to total ERα mRNA and total ERβ mRNA in human thyroid‐derived cell lines and tissues. The expression levels of ERα mRNA (A‐1) and total ERα mRNA were gradually increased, and those of ERβ mRNA (0N‐1) and total ERβ mRNA were decreased by degree in the initiation and progression of PTC. No aberrant DNA methylation of ERα 5′‐untranslated region was involved in its up‐regulation; however, aberrant DNA methylation in Promoter 0N and Exon 0N of ERβ gene was found to be involved in its down‐regulation in the initiation and progression of PTC. ERβ can repress ERα gene transcription via recruitment of NCoR and displacement of RNA polymerase II at the Sp1 site in ERα Promoter A‐specific region in thyroid‐derived cells. It is suggested that DNA methylation of CpG islands in Promoter 0N and Exon 0N of ERβ gene leads to a decreased ERβ gene expression, which attenuates its inhibitory effect on ERα gene transcription and results in an increased ERα gene expression, cell proliferation, initiation, and progression of PTC.
Efficient G protein coupling is not required for agonist‐mediated internalization and membrane reorganization of the adenosine A3 receptor
Authors: Stoddart Leigh A. , Kilpatrick Laura E. , Corriden Ross , Kellam Barrie , Briddon Stephen J. , Hill Stephen J.
Published: March 2021

Organization of G protein‐coupled receptors at the plasma membrane has been the focus of much recent attention. Advanced microscopy techniques have shown that these receptors can be localized to discrete microdomains and reorganization upon ligand activation is crucial in orchestrating their signaling. Here, we have compared the membrane organization and downstream signaling of a mutant (R108A, R3.50A) of the adenosine A3 receptor (A3AR) to that of the wild‐type receptor. Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) studies with a fluorescent agonist (ABEA‐X‐BY630) demonstrated that both wild‐type and mutant receptors bind agonist with high affinity but in subsequent downstream signaling assays the R108A mutation abolished agonist‐mediated inhibition of cAMP production and ERK phosphorylation. In further FCS studies, both A3AR and A3AR R108A underwent similar agonist‐induced increases in receptor density and molecular brightness which were accompanied by a decrease in membrane diffusion after agonist treatment. Using bimolecular fluorescence complementation, experiments showed that the R108A mutant retained the ability to recruit β‐arrestin and these receptor/arrestin complexes displayed similar membrane diffusion and organization to that observed with wild‐type receptors. These data demonstrate that effective G protein signaling is not a prerequisite for agonist‐stimulated β‐arrestin recruitment and membrane reorganization of the A3AR.
Resident immune cells of the avascular lens: Mediators of the injury and fibrotic response of the lens
Authors: Menko A. Sue , DeDreu JodiRae , Logan Caitlin M. , Paulson Heather , Levin Alex V. , Walker Janice L.
Published: March 2021

Tissues typically harbor subpopulations of resident immune cells that function as rapid responders to injury and whose activation leads to induction of an adaptive immune response, playing important roles in repair and protection. Since the lens is an avascular tissue, it was presumed that it was absent of resident immune cells. Our studies now show that resident immune cells are a shared feature of the human, mouse, and chicken lens epithelium. These resident immune cells function as immediate responders to injury and rapidly populate the wound edge following mock cataract surgery to function as leader cells. Many of these resident immune cells also express MHCII providing them with antigen presenting ability to engage an adaptive immune response. We provide evidence that during development immune cells migrate on the ciliary zonules and localize among the equatorial epithelial cells of the lens adjacent to where the ciliary zonules associate with the lens capsule. These findings suggest that the vasculature‐rich ciliary body is a source of lens resident immune cells. We identified a major role for these cells as rapid responders to wounding, quickly populating each wound were they can function as leaders of lens tissue repair. Our findings also show that lens resident immune cells are progenitors of myofibroblasts, which characteristically appear in response to lens cataract surgery injury, and therefore, are likely agents of lens pathologies to impair vision like fibrosis.
RNF8‐ubiquitinated KMT5A is required for RNF168‐induced H2A ubiquitination in response to DNA damage
Authors: Lu Xiaopeng , Xu Min , Zhu Qian , Zhang Jun , Liu Ge , Bao Yantao , Gu Luo , Tian Yuan , Wen He , Zhu Wei‐Guo
Published: March 2021

Histone modifications play critical roles in DNA damage repair to safeguard genome integrity. However, how different histone modifiers coordinate to build appropriate chromatin context for DNA damage repair is largely unknown. Here, we report a novel interplay between the histone methyltransferase KMT5A and two E3 ligases RNF8 and RNF168 in establishing the histone modification status for DNA damage repair. KMT5A is a newly identified substrate of RNF8 in vitro and in vivo. In response to DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs), RNF8 promotes KMT5A recruitment onto damaged chromatin in a ubiquitination‐dependent manner. RNF8‐induced KMT5A ubiquitination increases the binding capacity of KMT5A to RNF168. Interestingly, KMT5A not only drives a local increase in H4K20 monomethylation at DSBs, but also promotes RNF168’s activity in catalyzing H2A ubiquitination. We proved that the interaction between the H2A acidic patch and KMT5A R188/R189 residues is critical for KMT5A‐mediated regulation of H2A ubiquitination. Taken together, our results highlight a new role for KMT5A in linking H4K20 methylation and H2A ubiquitination and provide insight into the histone modification network during DNA damage repair.
Melatonin prevents diabetes‐associated cognitive dysfunction from microglia‐mediated neuroinflammation by activating autophagy via TLR4/Akt/mTOR pathway
Authors: Cui Yixin , Yang Mengmeng , Wang Yilin , Ren Jianmin , Lin Peng , Cui Chen , Song Jia , He Qin , Hu Huiqing , Wang Kexin , Sun Yu
Published: March 2021

Cognitive dysfunction often occurs in diabetes mellitus patients. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of melatonin (MLT) in improving diabetes‐associated cognitive decline and the underlying mechanism involved. Type 2 diabetic mice and palmitic acid (PA)‐stimulated BV‐2 cells were treated by MLT, and the potential mechanisms among MLT, cognition, and autophagy were explored. The results showed that type 2 diabetic mice showed obvious learning and memory impairments in the Morris water maze test compared with normal controls, which could be ameliorated by MLT treatment. Meanwhile, MLT administration significantly improved neuroinflammation and regulated microglial apoptosis. Furthermore, autophagy inhibitor 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA) increased the microglial inflammation and apoptosis, indicating that the treatment effect of MLT was mediated by autophagy. Lastly, MLT treatment significantly decreased the levels of toll‐like receptors 4 (TLR4), phosphorylated‐protein kinase B (Akt), and phosphorylated‐mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), indicating that blocking TLR4/Akt/mTOR pathway might be an underlying basis for the anti‐inflammatory and anti‐apoptosis effects of MLT. Collectively, our study suggested that MLT could improve learning and memory in type 2 diabetic mice by activating autophagy via the TLR4/Akt/mTOR pathway, thereby inhibiting neuroinflammation and microglial apoptosis.
Fish NF‐κB couples TCR and IL‐17 signals to regulate ancestral T‐cell immune response against bacterial infection
Authors: Wei Xiumei , Li Cheng , Zhang Yu , Li Kang , Li Jiaqi , Ai Kete , Li Kunming , Zhang Jiansong , Yang Jialong
Published: March 2021

As fish constitute the first evolutionary group with primordial T cells, they are of importance for understanding the origin and evolution of adaptive immunity. Yet, the knowledge about how ancestral T cells function remains limited. Therefore, the teleost model Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was used in this study to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of T‐cell immunity in fish. We identified an evolutionarily conserved canonical NF‐κB signaling pathway in Nile tilapia, which participates in primary adaptive immune response during Streptococcus agalactiae infection. Blockade of NF‐κB activity severely impairs T‐cell activation and expansion, rendering the animals more vulnerable to pathogen attack. Meanwhile, NF‐κB signaling is indispensable for fish T cells to produce IL‐17A during the antibacterial immune response. Moreover, IL‐17A binds its receptor IL‐17RA, initiates the ACT1–TRAF6–TAK1 axis, and triggers NF‐κB‐dependent T‐cell activation, thus forming a positive feedback loop of T‐cell immunity in Nile tilapia. Furthermore, IL‐17A seems to promote innate immunity by regulating pro‐inflammatory cytokines via TRAF6–NF–κB axis, indicating the presence of an NF‐κB‐dependent IL‐17A signaling pathway for coordinating adaptive and innate immunity in fish. Our results suggest that fish NF‐κB couples TCR and IL‐17 signals to modulate ancestral T‐cell immunity against bacterial infection, and the regulation of T‐cell immunity by NF‐κB and IL‐17 is a strategy that existed prior to the divergence of the tetrapod lineage from teleost fish. This study, therefore, provides a new perspective on the evolution of adaptive immunity.
Refracture Rate of Both Bone Forearm Fractures: A Retrospective Comparison of Casting Alone Versus Casting and Extended Functional Bracing
Authors: Soumekh Lisa , Sylvanus Tonye , Karlen Aaron , Wahl Caitlin , Huser Aaron J. , Truong Walter H.
Published: March 2021

Background:

One of the most common pediatric fractures is a midshaft both bone forearm fracture. The preferred nonoperative treatment is cast immobilization for 6 to 8 weeks; however, 4% to 8% refracture within 6 months. There are no comparative studies evaluating the efficacy of bracing after cast immobilization. We hypothesized that children treated with prolonged functional bracing would have a lower rate of refracture than casting alone or short-term bracing.

Methods:

This is a retrospective review of children younger than 15 years of age treated nonoperatively following radius and ulnar shaft fractures treated at 3 tertiary pediatric hospitals. We excluded distal radius/ulna fractures, isolated fractures of the radius/ulna, and fractures near the elbow. Logistic regression analysis on casting plus functional bracing was run to determine if age, translation, or the number of days in brace were associated with refracture. The incidence of refracture was compared between groups.

Results:

A total of 1549 patients were screened and 426 were included in the study [111 casting only (CO), 259 casting plus functional brace <8 wk (CFB <8 wk), 56 casting plus functional brace ≥8 wk (CFB ≥8 wk)]. In comparing the groups, CO was the youngest (4.4 y vs. 6.3 and 8.4 y). The initial translation and angulation of the radius and ulna were significantly greater in the CFB ≥8 weeks group. Regression analyses shows no association between refracture and initial fracture characteristics including age, translation, or the number of days in brace. The CO group had 3 refractures (2.7%), the CFB <8 weeks group had 13 (5%) and the CFB ≥8 weeks group had 1 (1.8%); demonstrating no statistical significance.

Conclusion:

Extended fracture bracing, following a period of cast immobilization, did not lead to a statistically significant difference in refracture rate. Contrary to previous cases series, the benefit of bracing seems nominal. Larger, prospective studies are needed to better understand targets for treatment.

Level of Evidence:

This is the first level III retrospective comparison study of its kind.
2021 European Society of Hypertension practice guidelines for office and out-of-office blood pressure measurement
Authors: Stergiou George S. , Palatini Paolo , Parati Gianfranco , O’Brien Eoin , Januszewicz Andrzej , Lurbe Empar , Persu Alexandre , Mancia Giuseppe , Kreutz Reinhold ,   on behalf of the European Society of Hypertension Council and the European Society of Hypertension Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability
Published: March 2021

Collaborators:

Lucas Aparicio (Argentina), Kei Asayama (Japan), Roland Asmar (France), Grzegorz Bilo (Italy), Jean-Marc Boivin (France), Alejandro de la Sierra (Spain), Eamon Dolan (Ireland), Jan Filipovsky (Czech Republic), Geoffrey Head (Australia), Yutaka Imai (Japan), Kazuomi Kario (Japan), Anastasios Kollias (Greece), Efstathios Manios (Greece), Klaus Matthias (Germany), Richard McManus (UK), Anastasia Mihailidou (Australia), Paul Muntner (USA), Martin Myers (Canada), Teemu Niiranen (Finland), Angeliki Ntineri (Greece), Takayoshi Ohkubo (Japan), Aleksander Prejbisz (Poland), Athanase Protogerou (Greece), Menno Pruijm (Switzerland), Aletta Schutte (Australia), Daichi Shimbo (USA), Joseph Schwartz (USA), James Sharman (Australia), Andrew Shennan (UK), Jan Staessen (Belgium), Markus van der Giet (Germany), Liffert Vogt (The Netherlands), Jiguang Wang (China), Paul Whelton (USA), William White (USA).
Chronologic Analysis of Tear Dynamics on Blinking Using Quantitative Manometry in Healthy Humans
Authors: Sato Yohei , Mimura Masashi , Fujita Yasushi , Oku Hidehiro , Ikeda Tsunehiko
Published: March 2021

Purpose:

To analyze the tear dynamics during blinking by measuring the inner pressure of the upper lacrimal drainage system.

Methods:

This observational study involved 11 healthy bi- or tricenarian volunteers. Direct manometry was performed using a fiber optic pressure sensor inserted into the conjunctival sac, upper/lower canaliculus (5 mm from punctum), and inferior lacrimal sac (15 mm from punctum) during both involuntary and intentional tight blinking. Pressure was measured 200 times/second during 3 separate blinks and then chronologically analyzed.

Results:

In all subjects of all locations during both types of blinking, the inner pressures during the stationary eyelid closing/opening were positive/approximately zero, while a positive/negative pressure spike was observed during the eyelid closing/opening movement. The averages of the maximum pressure in the spike during the intentional tight blinking (tPmax: mm Hg) in the conjunctival sac, upper/lower canaliculus, and lacrimal sac were 8.00, 12.39/12.93, and 10.59, respectively, while for the minimum (tPmin: mm Hg), the pressures were −3.18, −3.91/−3.43, and −3.31, respectively. The tPmax and tPmin in the lacrimal duct were positively correlated with that of the conjunctival sac, which suggested synchronism of the drainage system. However, the tPmax in the canaliculus was significantly higher than that of the conjunctival sac, which suggested that tears do not flow from the conjunctival sac into the lacrimal duct during eyelid closure.

Conclusions:

The upper lacrimal drainage system functions as one united lumen in the lacrimal pump. The positive /negative pressure spike is essential for the lacrimal pump to efficiently eject/aspirate the tear from the lacrimal/conjunctival sac.
The association between cardiac risk factors and the probability of acute myocardial infarction in the emergency department: analysis from a multicentre prospective observational study in the high sensitivity troponin era
Authors: Bali Trishan , Boda Shivani , Reynard Charles , Body Richard
Published: March 2021

Background and objective

Hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking and family history are established risk factors for coronary artery disease. This study sought to determine the diagnostic value these factors have in patients presenting to an emergency department (ED) with suspected acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Design, settings and analysis

This secondary analysis of a prospective diagnostic test accuracy study took place across 14 hospitals in England. A total of 1273 patients, presenting with suspected cardiac chest pain, were included for analysis - 179 (14.1%) had an adjudicated diagnosis of AMI.

Outcome measure and analysis

AMI diagnosis was adjudicated with serial troponin testing conducted on arrival and 3–12 hours later. The presence of any risk factors was documented at the time of initial presentation.

Results

The post-test probability of AMI in the absence of risk factors (9.7%) shifts to only 23.5% when 4–5 factors are present. Associations of risk factors with AMI diagnosis were found as follows; hypertension [odds ratio (OR) 1.47, confidence interval (CI) 1.07–2.02], hyperlipidaemia (OR 1.57, CI 1.14–2.16), diabetes mellitus (OR 1.51, CI 1.04–2.20), smoking (OR 1.51, CI 1.05–2.17) and family history (OR 0.98, CI 0.71–1.37). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.58.

Conclusion

Traditional cardiac risk factors have limited association with AMI in the ED, but an increasing risk factor burden is associated with increasing prevalence of AMI. These findings suggest that future work to refine existing decision aids used in this patient group may be of value.
Ultra Diced Cartilage Graft in Rhinoplasty: A Fine Tool
Authors: Taş Süleyman
Published: March 2021

Background:

Free diced cartilage smaller than 0.2 mm in diameter to smoothen the nasal dorsum is a well-known procedure. However, creating smaller diced cartilage takes a really long time. In contrast, the free diced cartilage technique has some visibility problems, especially in thin-skin patients, although a fine job is done to chop the cartilage. The author aimed to present the “ultra diced cartilage graft” and the way to achieve it, to eliminate the problems of diced cartilage during rhinoplasty, and compare it with free diced cartilage grafting technique.

Methods:

Between April of 2015 and December of 2018, the ultra diced cartilage graft technique in 104 patients and the free diced cartilage graft technique in 113 patients were used to smoothen the dorsum or augment the radix/dorsum. Operation records, rhinoplasty outcome evaluation questionnaire, palpation test, and evaluation of the immediate postoperative photographs on the table with postoperative 1-year postoperative photographs by two independent blinded plastic surgeons were analyzed.

Results:

Ultra diced cartilage seemed superior to free diced cartilage grafting with regard to graft visibility and resorption.

Conclusions:

Ultra diced cartilage graft is an effective and easily reproducible technique in rhinoplasty. There is no extra cost, and it is the easiest and fastest way to have this perfectly pliable cartilage have no dead space. The ultra diced cartilage grafting technique should be known by all plastic surgeons to achieve fineness in rhinoplasty.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Syndemics and preexposure prophylaxis are independently associated with rectal immune dysregulation in sexual minority men
Authors: Tapia Gregory R. , Glynn Tiffany R. , Miller Charlene , Manuzak Jennifer A. , Broedlow Courtney A. , Mcgaugh Angela , Cherenack Emily M. , Bauermeister José A. , Grov Christian , Dilworth Samantha E. , Parisi Robert , Martinez Darling , Klatt Nichole R. , Carrico Adam W.
Published: March 2021

Objective:

Syndemic conditions have been linked to engagement in receptive condomless anal sex (CAS) and HIV seroconversion. However, little is known about the biological pathways whereby syndemics could amplify vulnerability to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Design:

HIV-negative sexual minority men (i.e. gay, bisexual and other MSM) were recruited from four STI clinics in South Florida for a cross-sectional study.

Methods:

Participants completed assessments for four syndemic conditions: depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, hazardous alcohol use and any stimulant use (i.e. any self-reported use or reactive urine toxicology results). Cytokine and chemokine levels were measured using LEGENDplex from the rectal swabs of 92 participants reporting receptive CAS and no antibiotic use in the past three months.

Results:

After controlling for age, race/ethnicity, preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use and number of receptive CAS partners, a greater number of syndemic conditions was associated with higher levels of rectal cytokines/chemokines relevant to immune activation, inflammation and the expansion and maintenance of T-helper 17 target cells, including rectal interferon-gamma (β = 0.22; P = 0.047), CXCL-8 (β = 0.24; P = 0.025) and interleukin-23 (β = 0.22; P = 0.049). Elevations in rectal cytokine or chemokine levels were most pronounced among participants experiencing two or more syndemic conditions compared with those experiencing no syndemic conditions. PrEP use was independently associated with elevations in multiple rectal cytokines/chemokines.

Conclusion:

Syndemic conditions could increase biological vulnerability to HIV and other STIs in sexual minority men by potentiating rectal immune dysregulation.
Distraction Osteogenesis in Craniofacial Surgery: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Konofaos Petros , Wallace Robert D.
Published: March 2021

Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is considered one of the treatments of choice for the surgical correction of malformations of the craniofacial skeleton. This is due to its ability to generate bone at the distraction site along with the accompanying soft tissue changes, the possibility to combine DO with traditional orthognathic procedures and the successful reported long-term outcomes following its application to various craniofacial deformities. The aim of this review is to present an overview of the literature on the evolution of DO applications in craniofacial surgery through the last 35 years.
A Review on Variability in Treatment Protocols With Posterior Cranial Vault Distraction
Authors: Sanati-Mehrizy Paymon , Graziano Francis , Sayegh Farah , Taub Dylan M. , Morgenstern Peter , Ghatan Saadi , Taub Peter J.
Published: March 2021

Background:

Prior studies have confirmed the ability of posterior cranial vault distraction osteogenesis (PVDO) to expand the intracranial volume in patients with craniosynostosis. To date, there is scant literature on the optimal distraction protocol for PVDO. The authors sought to review the literature and define a common protocol for posterior cranial vault distraction.

Methods:

The authors performed a systematic review for published PVDO protocols. The data collected from these studies included age at the time of PVDO, number of distraction devices placed, time for latency, rate and rhythm of distraction, distraction length, time for consolidation, and surgical outcomes.

Results:

A total of 286 patients were identified within 24 studies from 2011 to 2019. The mean age of patients identified was 25.34 months. After application of distractors, latency period ranged between 1 and 7 days, with most patients undergoing 5 to 7 days of latency. Once distraction was begun, the majority of patients (77.4%) underwent 1 mm of distraction daily. Total lengths of distraction ranged between 13 and 35 mm, with the largest cohort of patients undergoing 26 to 30 mm of total distraction. A total of 60 complications were reported for a total of 212 patients, yielding an overall complication rate of 28.3%.

Conclusions:

Although there is variability in reported PVDO protocols, the majority are similar to distraction osteogenesis protocols described for long bone sites. Increased patient age correlates with selection of a greater latency period and total distraction length, while frequency of complications is also increased.
Vaccinations in multiple sclerosis patients receiving disease-modifying drugs
Authors: Otero-Romero Susana , Ascherio Alberto , Lebrun-Frénay Christine
Published: March 2021

Purpose of review

This review focuses on new evidence supporting the global immunization strategy for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients receiving disease-modifying drugs (DMDs), including the recently available vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Recent findings

New data strengthen the evidence against a causal link between MS and vaccination. Recent consensus statements agree on the need to start vaccination early. Timings for vaccine administration should be adjusted to ensure safety and optimize vaccine responses, given the potential interference of DMDs. Patients treated with Ocrelizumab (and potentially other B-cell depleting therapies) are at risk of diminished immunogenicity to vaccines. This has relevant implications for the upcoming vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

An early assessment and immunization of MS patients allows optimizing vaccine responses and avoiding potential interference with treatment plans. Vaccinations are safe and effective but some specific considerations should be followed when vaccinating before, during, and after receiving immunotherapy. A time-window for vaccination taking into account the kinetics of B cell repopulation could potentially improve vaccine responses. Further understanding of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine response dynamics in MS patients under specific therapies will be key for defining the best vaccination strategy.
The itinerary of Alfred Russel Wallace's Amazonian journey (1848–1852): A source for researchers and readers
Authors: Limeira-DaSilva Victor Rafael
Published: March 2021

This research report offers the most complete itinerary of Alfred Russel Wallace's scientific explorations of the Brazilian Amazon between 1848 and 1852. As a source for historians of science and natural scientists, it may become a reference to track the zoological and botanical species collected alongside the described landscapes and people in Wallace's complex road map of explorations. Evidencing many relations and interests intertwined with the construction of Wallace's itinerary, this report makes room for the elaboration of a more accurate picture of his expedition. Tracking the development of Wallace's insights along his journey, this itinerary also allows us to ascertain which species, regions, and phenomena fostered the conceptual roots of his later theory of evolution by natural selection.
A novel contactless technique to measure water waves using a single photon avalanche diode detector array
Authors: Zhang R. , Draycott S. , Gyongy I. , Ingram D. M. , Underwood I.
Published: March 2021

Commonly deployed measurement systems for water waves are intrusive and measure a limited number of parameters. This results in difficulties in inferring detailed sea state information while additionally subjecting the system to environmental loading. Optical techniques offer a non-intrusive alternative, yet documented systems suffer a range of problems related to usability and performance. Here, we present experimental data obtained from a 256 × 256 Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) detector array used to measure water waves in a laboratory facility. 12 regular wave conditions are used to assess performance. Picosecond resolution time-of-flight measurements are obtained, without the use of dye, over an area of the water surface and processed to provide surface elevation data. The SPAD detector array is installed 0.487 m above the water surface and synchronized with a pulsed laser source with a wavelength of 532 nm and mean power <1 mW. Through analysis of the experimental results, and with the aid of an optical model, we demonstrate good performance up to a limiting steepness value,
ka
, of 0.11. Through this preliminary proof-of-concept study, we highlight the capability for SPAD-based systems to measure water waves within a given field-of-view simultaneously, while raising potential solutions for improving performance.
Shock wave propagation through air: a reactive molecular dynamics study
Authors: Pal S. , Mitra N.
Published: March 2021

Shock compression of air is observed in numerous situations ranging from explosions to hypersonic vehicle entry into atmosphere. In an effort to develop continuum-based equation of state for air subjected to shock compression, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of the shock compression process with regards to formation of new chemical species in air at the molecular level. With this in perspective, three different models of air (consisting a mixture of O
2
, N
2
and CO
2
gas, with or without H
2
O based on presence of humidity) are subjected to shock compression ranging from 0.5 km s
−1
to 5.0 km s
−1
particle velocities. Thermodynamic quantities are evaluated to plot Rankine Hugoniot planes for the three different air models: dry air at mean sea level (MSL), humid air at MSL and dry air at high altitude level of 36 000 ft above MSL. It is observed that high shock velocities eventually results in dissociation of gaseous molecules and formation of new gaseous species which has been quantified in the manuscript.
Indentation and bifurcation of inflated membranes
Authors: Liu Tianshu , Chiaramonte Maurizio , Amini Amirhossein , Menguc Yigit , Homsy G. M.
Published: March 2021

We study pneumatically inflated membranes indented by rigid indenters of different sizes and shapes. When the volume of the inflated membrane is beyond a critical value, a symmetric deformation mode becomes unstable and the system follows a path of asymmetric deformation. This bifurcation is analysed analytically for a two-dimensional membrane with either a line or plane indenter for which the stable deformation path is determined by computing the total system potential energy of different configurations. An axisymmetric membrane with indenters of different shapes and sizes is further investigated numerically. In this case, a cylindrical indenter can always trigger bifurcation while a small spherical indenter tends to be encapsulated rather than induce an asymmetric deformation mode. This result suggests that the observed bifurcation behaviour can be actively tuned and even triggered selectively by tuning indenter shape and size. We also demonstrate the effects of friction and biased bifurcation analytically through the example of a two-dimensional membrane with a line indenter.
Human biases limit cumulative innovation
Authors: Thompson Bill , Griffiths Thomas L.
Published: March 2021

Is technological advancement constrained by biases in human cognition? People in all societies build on discoveries inherited from previous generations, leading to cumulative innovation. However, biases in human learning and memory may influence the process of knowledge transmission, potentially limiting this process. Here, we show that cumulative innovation in a continuous optimization problem is systematically constrained by human biases. In a large (
n
= 1250) behavioural study using a transmission chain design, participants searched for virtual technologies in one of four environments after inheriting a solution from previous generations. Participants converged on worse solutions in environments misaligned with their biases. These results substantiate a mathematical model of cumulative innovation in Bayesian agents, highlighting formal relationships between cultural evolution and distributed stochastic optimization. Our findings provide experimental evidence that human biases can limit the advancement of knowledge in a controlled laboratory setting, reinforcing concerns about bias in creative, scientific and educational contexts.
Priority effects alter interaction outcomes in a legume–rhizobium mutualism
Authors: Boyle Julia A. , Simonsen Anna K. , Frederickson Megan E. , Stinchcombe John R.
Published: March 2021

Priority effects occur when the order of species arrival affects the final community structure. Mutualists often interact with multiple partners in different orders, but if or how priority effects alter interaction outcomes is an open question. In the field, we paired the legume
Medicago lupulina
with two nodulating strains of
Ensifer
bacteria that vary in nitrogen-fixing ability. We inoculated plants with strains in different orders and measured interaction outcomes. The first strain to arrive primarily determined plant performance and final relative abundances of rhizobia on roots. Plants that received effective microbes first and ineffective microbes second grew larger than plants inoculated with the same microbes in the opposite order. Our results show that mutualism outcomes can be influenced not just by partner identity, but by the interaction order. Furthermore, hosts receiving high-quality mutualists early can better tolerate low-quality symbionts later, indicating that priority effects may help explain the persistence of ineffective symbionts.
The genetic architecture of sexual dimorphism in the mossCeratodon purpureus
Authors: Kollar Leslie M. , Kiel Scott , James Ashley J. , Carnley Cody T. , Scola Danielle N. , Clark Taylor N. , Khanal Tikahari , Rosenstiel Todd N. , Gall Elliott T. , Grieshop Karl , McDaniel Stuart F.
Published: March 2021

A central problem in evolutionary biology is to identify the forces that maintain genetic variation for fitness in natural populations. Sexual antagonism, in which selection favours different variants in males and females, can slow the transit of a polymorphism through a population or can actively maintain fitness variation. The amount of sexually antagonistic variation to be expected depends in part on the genetic architecture of sexual dimorphism, about which we know relatively little. Here, we used a multivariate quantitative genetic approach to examine the genetic architecture of sexual dimorphism in a scent-based fertilization syndrome of the mossCeratodon purpureus.We found sexual dimorphism in numerous traits, consistent with a history of sexually antagonistic selection. The cross-sex genetic correlations (rmf) were generally heterogeneous with many values indistinguishable from zero, which typically suggests that genetic constraints do not limit the response to sexually antagonistic selection. However, we detected no differentiation between the female- and male-specific trait (co)variance matrices (GfandGm, respectively), meaning the evolution of sexual dimorphism may be constrained. The cross-sex cross-trait covariance matrixBcontained both symmetric and asymmetric elements, indicating that the response to sexually antagonistic or sexually concordant selection, and the constraint to sexual dimorphism, are highly dependent on the traits experiencing selection. The patterns of genetic variances and covariances among these fitness components is consistent with partly sex-specific genetic architectures having evolved in order to partially resolve multivariate genetic constraints (i.e. sexual conflict), enabling the sexes to evolve towards their sex-specific multivariate trait optima.
Adaptation and competition in deteriorating environments
Authors: Limberger Romana , Fussmann Gregor F.
Published: March 2021

Evolution might rescue populations from extinction in changing environments. Using experimental evolution with microalgae, we investigated if competition influences adaptation to an abiotic stressor, and vice versa, if adaptation to abiotic change influences competition. In a first set of experiments, we propagated monocultures of five species with and without increasing salt stress for approximately 180 generations. When assayed in monoculture, two of the five species showed signatures of adaptation, that is, lines with a history of salt stress had higher population growth rates at high salt than lines without prior exposure to salt. When assayed in mixtures of species, however, only one of these two species had increased population size at high salt, indicating that competition can alter how adaptation to abiotic change influences population dynamics. In a second experiment, we cultivated two species in monocultures and in pairs, with and without increasing salt. While we found no effect of competition on adaptation to salt, our experiment revealed that evolutionary responses to salt can influence competition. Specifically, one of the two species had reduced competitive ability in the no-salt environment after long-term exposure to salt stress. Collectively, our results highlight the complex interplay of adaptation to abiotic change and competitive interactions.