bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COVID‐19‐related neuropathology and microglial activation in elderly with and without dementia
Authors: Poloni Tino Emanuele , Medici Valentina , Moretti Matteo , Visonà Silvia Damiana , Cirrincione Alice , Carlos Arenn Faye , Davin Annalisa , Gagliardi Stella , Pansarasa Orietta , Cereda Cristina , Tronconi Livio , Guaita Antonio , Ceroni Mauro
Published: June 2021

The actual role of SARS‐CoV‐2 in brain damage remains controversial due to lack of matched controls. We aim to highlight to what extent is neuropathology determined by SARS‐CoV‐2 or by pre‐existing conditions. Findings of 9 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) cases and 6 matched non‐COVID controls (mean age 79 y/o) were compared. Brains were analyzed through immunohistochemistry to detect SARS‐CoV‐2, lymphocytes, astrocytes, endothelium, and microglia. A semi‐quantitative scoring was applied to grade microglial activation. Thal‐Braak stages and the presence of small vessel disease were determined in all cases. COVID‐19 cases had a relatively short clinical course (0–32 days; mean: 10 days), and did not undergo mechanical ventilation. Five patients with neurocognitive disorder had delirium. All COVID‐19 cases showed non‐SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific changes including hypoxic‐agonal alterations, and a variable degree of neurodegeneration and/or pre‐existent SVD. The neuroinflammatory picture was dominated by ameboid CD68 positive microglia, while only scant lymphocytic presence and very few traces of SARS‐CoV‐2 were detected. Microglial activation in the brainstem was significantly greater in COVID‐19 cases (p = 0.046). Instead, microglial hyperactivation in the frontal cortex and hippocampus was clearly associated to AD pathology (p = 0.001), regardless of the SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. In COVID‐19 cases complicated by delirium (all with neurocognitive disorders), there was a significant enhancement of microglia in the hippocampus (p = 0.048). Although higher in cases with both Alzheimer's pathology and COVID‐19, cortical neuroinflammation is not related to COVID‐19 per se but mostly to pre‐existing neurodegeneration. COVID‐19 brains seem to manifest a boosting of innate immunity with microglial reinforcement, and adaptive immunity suppression with low number of brain lymphocytes probably related to systemic lymphopenia. Thus, no neuropathological evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific encephalitis is detectable. The microglial hyperactivation in the brainstem, and in the hippocampus of COVID‐19 patients with delirium, appears as a specific topographical phenomenon, and probably represents the neuropathological basis of the “COVID‐19 encephalopathic syndrome” in the elderly.
The global regulatory logic of organ regeneration: circuitry lessons from skin and its appendages
Authors: Yue ZhiCao , Lei Mingxing , Paus Ralf , Chuong Cheng‐Ming
Published: June 2021

In organ regeneration, the regulatory logic at a systems level remains largely unclear. For example, what defines the quantitative threshold to initiate regeneration, and when does the regeneration process come to an end? What leads to the qualitatively different responses of regeneration, which restore the original structure, or to repair which only heals a wound? Here we discuss three examples in skin regeneration: epidermal recovery after radiation damage, hair follicle fate choice after chemotherapy damage, and wound‐induced feather regeneration. We propose that the molecular regulatory circuitry is of paramount significance in organ regeneration. It is conceivable that defects in these controlling pathways may lead to failed regeneration and/or organ renewal, and understanding the underlying logic could help to identify novel therapeutic strategies.
Social competition as a driver of phenotype–environment correlations: implications for ecology and evolution
Authors: Fokkema Rienk W. , Korsten Peter , Schmoll Tim , Wilson Alastair J.
Published: June 2021

While it is universally recognised that environmental factors can cause phenotypic trait variationviaphenotypic plasticity, the extent to which causal processes operate in the reverse direction has received less consideration. In fact individuals are often active agents in determining the environments, and hence the selective regimes, they experience. There are several important mechanisms by which this can occur, including habitat selection and niche construction, that are expected to result in phenotype–environment correlations (i.e. non‐random assortment of phenotypes across heterogeneous environments). Here we highlight an additional mechanism – intraspecific competition for preferred environments – that may be widespread, and has implications for phenotypic evolution that are currently underappreciated. Under this mechanism, variation among individuals in traits determining their competitive ability leads to phenotype–environment correlation; more competitive phenotypes are able to acquire better patches. Based on a concise review of the empirical evidence we argue that competition‐induced phenotype–environment correlations are likely to be common in natural populations before highlighting the major implications of this for studies of natural selection and microevolution. We focus particularly on two central issues. First, competition‐induced phenotype–environment correlation leads to the expectation that positive feedback loops will amplify phenotypic and fitness variation among competing individuals. As a result of being able to acquire a better environment, winners gain more resources and even better phenotypes – at the expense of losers. The distinction between individual quality and environmental quality that is commonly made by researchers in evolutionary ecology thus becomes untenable. Second, if differences among individuals in competitive ability are underpinned by heritable traits, competition results in both genotype–environment correlations and an expectation of indirect genetic effects (IGEs) on resource‐dependent life‐history traits. Theory tells us that these IGEs will act as (partial) constraints, reducing the amount of genetic variance available to facilitate evolutionary adaptation. Failure to recognise this will lead to systematic overestimation of the adaptive potential of populations. To understand the importance of these issues for ecological and evolutionary processes in natural populations we therefore need to identify and quantify competition‐induced phenotype–environment correlations in our study systems. We conclude that both fundamental and applied research will benefit from an improved understanding of when and how social competition causes non‐random distribution of phenotypes, and genotypes, across heterogeneous environments.
Improved household living standards can restore dry tropical forests
Authors: DeFries Ruth , Agarwala Meghna , Baquie Sandra , Choksi Pooja , Khanwilkar Sarika , Mondal Pinki , Nagendra Harini , Uperlainen Johannes
Published: June 2021

Despite multiple approaches over the last several decades to harmonize conservation and development goals in the tropics, forest‐dependent households remain the poorest in the world. Durable housing and alternatives to fuelwood for cooking are critical needs to reduce multi‐dimensional poverty. These improvements also potentially reduce pressure on forests and alleviate forest degradation. We test this possibility in dry tropical forests of the Central Indian Highlands where tribal and other marginalized populations rely on forests for energy, construction materials, and other livelihood needs. Based on a remotely sensed measure of forest degradation and a 5000 household survey of forest use, we use machine learning (causal forests) and other statistical methods to quantify treatment effects of two improved living standards—alternatives to fuelwood for cooking and non‐forest‐based housing material—on forest degradation in 1, 2, and 5 km buffers around 500 villages. Both improved living standards had significant treatment effects (−0.030 ± 0.078, −0.030 ± 0.023, 95% CI), respectively, with negative values indicating less forest degradation, within 1 km buffers around villages. Treatment effects were lower with increasing distance from villages. Results suggest that improved living standards can both reduce forest degradation and alleviate poverty. Forest restoration efforts can target improved living standards for local communities without conflicts over land tenure or taking land out of production to plant trees.
Adaptation and validation of the Chinese version of Dyspnoea‐12 scale in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Choi Tiffany Ching Man , Chan Lloyd Long Yu , Tsang Hin Cheung , Vong Yee Ping , Cheng Yui Kwan , To Yuk Ling , Choo Kah Lin , Yorke Janelle
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Dyspnoea‐12 scale is a validated assessment tool, capturing the perception of dyspnoea and its physical and affective effects in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A validated version for the Chinese‐speaking population has been unavailable.

Objective

To develop a Chinese version of D‐12 (D‐12‐C) scale and evaluate its validity and reliability.

Methods

D‐12 was translated from English to traditional Chinese in collaboration with a physician and a linguist. Back translation was adopted to ensure accuracy of the translation. A total of 155 COPD patients were recruited to test the reliability and validity of the D‐12‐C scale. Internal reliability and test‐retest reliability were measured with Cronbach's alpha coefficient and intra‐class correlation coefficient, respectively. Construct validity was assessed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Concurrent validity was assessed by the correlation of D‐12‐C total score and sub‐scores and the Chinese version of Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36), COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) total score and sub‐scores.

Results

The two‐factor structure of D‐12‐C was confirmed by EFA. D‐12‐C and its sub‐scores demonstrated high level of internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.88) and moderate level of test‐retest reliability. D‐12‐C total score, physical and affective sub‐scores were significantly correlated to SGRQ total score (rs = 0.59, p < 0.001) and activity sub‐score (rs = 0.38, p = 0.006), SF‐36 mental health sub‐score (rs = −0.36, p < 0.001), CAT (rs = 0.56, p < 0.001), HADS anxiety (rs = 0.51, p < 0.001) and depression sub‐scores (rs = 0.44, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

D‐12‐C scale was developed, which demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity in measuring dyspnoea among COPD patients.
Respiratory cytology in malignant lung disease – The thoracic oncologist’s perspective
Authors: Veale Niki , Succony Laura , Rassl Doris M. , Rintoul Robert C.
Published: June 2021

Respiratory cytology continues to play a central role in the diagnosis and staging of thoracic malignancy, although over time indications have changed. Historically, sputum cytology and endobronchial brushings and washings figured prominently, but with the advent of endobronchial and endoscopic ultrasound much greater emphasis is placed on fine needle aspirates from lymph nodes. The advent of targeted sequencing panels for genomic profiling to identify driver mutations and PD‐L1 directed immunotherapy means that there is a need to extract increasing amounts of diagnostic and predictive information from ever smaller amounts of diagnostic material. Recent work has demonstrated that cytology samples are well suited to delivering the information required, but in order to understand the limitations of clinical and laboratory techniques, a close working relationship between pathologist and thoracic oncologist is needed to optimise sample procurement and utilisation.
Historical decrease in agricultural landscape diversity is associated with shifts in bumble bee species occurrence
Authors: Hemberger Jeremy , Crossley Michael S. , Gratton Claudio
Published: June 2021

Agricultural intensification is a key suspect among putative drivers of recent insect declines, but an explicit link between historical change in agricultural land cover and insect occurrence is lacking. Determining whether agriculture impacts beneficial insects (e.g. pollinators), is crucial to enhancing agricultural sustainability. Here, we combine large spatiotemporal sets of historical bumble bee and agricultural records to show that increasing cropland extent and decreasing crop richness were associated with declines in over 50% of bumble bee species in the agriculturally intensive Midwest, USA. Critically, we found that high crop diversity was associated with a higher occurrence of many species pre‐1950 even in agriculturally dominated areas, but that current agricultural landscapes are devoid of high crop diversity. Our findings suggest that insect conservation and agricultural production may be compatible, with increasing on‐farm and landscape‐level crop diversity predicted to have positive effects on bumble bees.
Seasonal spatial dynamics of butterfly migration
Authors: Chowdhury Shawan , Zalucki Myron P. , Amano Tatsuya , Woodworth Bradley K. , Venegas‐Li Ruben , Fuller Richard A.
Published: June 2021

Understanding the seasonal movements of migratory species underpins ecological studies. Several hundred butterfly species show migratory behaviour, yet the spatial pattern of these migrations is poorly understood. We developed climatic niche models for 405 migratory butterfly species globally to estimate patterns of seasonal movement and the distribution of seasonal habitat suitability. We found strong seasonal variation in habitat suitability for most migratory butterflies with >75% of pixels within their distributions showing seasonal switching in predicted occupancy for 85% of species. The greatest rate of seasonal switching occurred in the tropics. Several species showed extreme range fluctuations between seasons, exceeding 10‐fold for 53 species (13%) and more than 100‐fold for nine species (2%), suggesting that such species may be at elevated extinction risk. Our results can be used to search for the ecological processes that underpin migration in insects, as well as to design conservation interventions for declining migratory insects.
Sparring dynamics and individual laterality in male South African giraffes
Authors: Granweiler Jessica , Thorley Jack , Rotics Shay
Published: June 2021

Sparring by male giraffes has been commonly reported since its first description in 1958 and is believed to play a role in establishing male dominance hierarchies. However, despite being often documented, quantitative investigations of sparring behaviour are currently lacking. Here, we investigate the factors affecting the frequency, duration and intensity of sparring bouts in a population of giraffes Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa living on a private fenced reserve in Limpopo, South Africa. We show that sparring bouts were most frequently observed in young adults, and between males that were more evenly matched in size. Sparring bouts between males of similar body size were also characterised by being of high intensity and of short duration. Taken together, these results support the suggestion that sparring functions principally to provide maturing males a means of testing their competitive ability without escalating to full‐scale fights. Additionally, mature bulls intervened on young adults possibly to disable any winner effect achieved by the latter, with the most dominant bull being responsible for the majority of interventions. For the first time, we also show that individuals displayed strong laterality when engaged in sparring: individuals consistently preferred delivering blows from either their left or right side, and these preferences dictated the orientation of sparring bouts (whether head‐to‐head or head‐to‐tail). Lastly, we show that sparring displayed a seasonal peak which coincided with the onset of the wet season and possibly reflected the increased aggregation of males at this time. A more nuanced understanding of how social and environmental factors shape interactions among individuals, such as sparring, will improve our understanding and management of this charismatic animal.
Cell cycle regulation by complex nanomachines
Authors: Koliopoulos Marios G. , Alfieri Claudio
Published: June 2021

The cell cycle is the essential biological process where one cell replicates its genome and segregates the resulting two copies into the daughter cells during mitosis. Several aspects of this process have fascinated humans since the nineteenth century. Today, the cell cycle is exhaustively investigated because of its profound connections with human diseases and cancer. At the heart of the molecular network controlling the cell cycle, we find the cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) acting as an oscillator to impose an orderly and highly regulated progression through the different cell cycle phases. This oscillator integrates both internal and external signals via a multitude of signalling pathways involving posttranslational modifications including phosphorylation, protein ubiquitination and mechanisms of transcriptional regulation. These tasks are specifically performed by multi‐subunit complexes, which are intensively studied both biochemically and structurally with the aim to unveil mechanistic insights into their molecular function. The scope of this review is to summarise the structural biology of the cell cycle machinery, with specific focus on the core cell cycle machinery involving the CDK‐cyclin oscillator. We highlight the contribution of cryo‐electron microscopy, which has started to revolutionise our understanding of the molecular function and dynamics of the key players of the cell cycle.
Investor awareness or information asymmetry? Wikipedia and IPO underpricing
Authors: Boulton Thomas , Francis Bill B. , Shohfi Thomas , Xin Daqi
Published: June 2021

We use the presence of a Wikipedia article for initial public offering (IPO) firms to test theories of information asymmetry and investor awareness. Although we find limited support for the former, our results provide strong support for theories of investor awareness. Specifically, IPO firms with a Wikipedia article exhibit significantly higher underpricing and offer price revisions than do IPO firms without a Wikipedia article. Investor awareness has positive long‐term effects, including greater analyst following and institutional ownership for up to 3 years after the offering. The effect is robust to firm‐specific Google search volume, news coverage, retail trading intensity, social media activity, propensity score matching, and an instrumental variable approach.
Effective leadership practices in language immersion programs
Authors: Baldwin Leslie
Published: June 2021

This article presents findings of a larger research project regarding effective leadership practices in language immersion programs. The purpose of this study was to discover actions, knowledge, and skills that immersion leaders of successful programs exhibit. Using a basic qualitative model, immersion leaders, teachers, and parents at three schools were interviewed. The findings indicate that the immersion leader must establish a positive culture through building trust, building community with parents and teachers, and showing commitment to the program. In addition, the leader must provide program and teacher support in a variety of ways, including the provision of professional development, differentiated professional development for international teachers, resources, and leadership opportunities. Finally, effective immersion leaders must possess specific knowledge and skills to lead a successful immersion program, including program knowledge, advocacy skills, and the ability to apply a shared leadership model. Immersion leaders can learn from the applications for practice in their respective settings.
A process tracing study of the dynamic patterns of boredom in an online L3 course of German during COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Yazdanmehr Elham , Elahi Shirvan Majid , Saghafi Khatereh
Published: June 2021

Motivated by the present dominance of online education worldwide during the COVID‐19 pandemic, the present study employed a process‐tracing approach to explore the causal mechanisms of boredom in an online L3 learning. The present case study was done on an adult learner of German and analyzed her accounts of experiencing boredom throughout a whole semester, 13 sessions in length. The trajectory of boredom throughout the course showed that the beginning of the course was the most boring though the learner continued to experience boredom until the end of the semester. Among the theoretical explanations of boredom, under‐stimulation, low perceived control over tasks and attention deficit were found to be the most dominant until the end of the course. Among the nontheoretical explanations of boredom, user‐unfriendly requirements of online learning prevailed mostly in the beginning of the course until the middle but they were found to be less influential in the end of the course. The process tracing approach showed to be effective in unpacking the black box of the causal mechanisms involved in the boredom experienced in the online L3 learning. Suggestions were made on how to make an online language course less boring and more communicative, which seems essential today due to the unrivaled use of online education during the pandemic.
An Automated System for MeasuringIn SituK–Ar Ages
Authors: Solé Jesús
Published: June 2021

A completely automated system for measuringin situK–Ar ages using laser ablation for argon extraction and potassium measurement, and mass spectrometry for argon determination is described. The system consists of a laser system, an optical spectrometer, a vacuum line, a noble gas mass spectrometer and control software. The automated prototype was designed with ease of use in mind, specifically planned for dating many samples at low cost and reasonable precision. This instrumentation can perform one hundred K–Ar analyses every 24 h with the current setup, including blanks, reference materials and unknowns. Measurement results for the reference materials HDB‐1 biotite, GL‐O glauconite, LP‐6 biotite, Mica‐Mg phlogopite, Alder Creek sanidine and two tektites (moldavite and indochinite) are presented. It is shown that very different sample matrices require specific calibrations. Uncomplicated sample preparation, fast analytical times and uncertainties typically below 5% (1 standard deviation), depending on the age and potassium content, are the hallmarks of the system, which is suitable for many exploratory geology applications (e.g. geological mapping, mineral provenance and dating of drill cores).
Nectar provision attracts hummingbirds and connects interaction networks across habitats
Authors: Ramírez‐Burbano Mónica B. , Amorim Felipe W. , Torres‐González Alba Marina , Sonne Jesper , Maruyama Pietro Kiyoshi
Published: June 2021

Many ecosystems have been modified by humans, creating novel habitats that include human‐provided resources. Gardens adjacent to native habitats may affect plant–pollinator interactions by altering the determinants of interactions and species specialization. Here, we characterized a network comprising plants and hummingbirds interacting in a birdwatching garden with human‐provided resources (nectar feeders and exotic plants) and adjacent Andean cloud forest in Colombia. Specifically, we investigated the proportion of hummingbirds visiting feeders and native/exotic plants to evaluate the connection between the habitats and the ecological determinants of the interaction network. Hummingbirds relied heavily on artificial nectar feeders in the garden, leaving the natural cloud forest for resources. Morphological matching was the single most important predictor of the observed pairwise interactions, for both hummingbirds and plants. At the species level, longer flowering phenology and a higher amount of sugar in nectar led to a higher degree for plants (i.e. the number of visiting hummingbird species). In contrast, a longer floral corolla was associated with lower specialization. Abundance was the best predictor of the number of partners for hummingbirds. The garden created for birdwatching attracted most, but not all, hummingbird species beyond their natural cloud forest habitat. Interestingly, the most frequently visited plants in the garden were native, especially the endemic and endangered tree Zygia lehmannii (Fabaceae). Our results show that some ecological mechanisms determining interactions in natural communities still hold in intensively modified habitats. Furthermore, a compromise between conservation and hummingbirds’ attraction to birding lodges/gardens is possible, for instance by favouring native and endemic plant species that are highly attractive for pollinators.
THE ROLE OF GENDER IN EMPLOYMENT POLARIZATION
Authors: Cerina Fabio , Moro Alessio , Rendall Michelle
Published: June 2021

We document that U.S. employment polarization in the 1980–2017 period is largely generated by women. In addition, we provide evidence that the increase of employment shares at the bottom of the skill distribution is generated in market sectors producing services representing home production substitutes. We use a calibrated macroeconomic model to show that a rising skill premium induces high‐skilled women to participate more in the labor market, reduce home working hours, and demand more home substitutes in the market, thus fostering a rise in employment shares at the bottom of the skill distribution. Counterfactual experiments suggest that without the large increase in the skill premium of high‐skilled women, employment polarization would have been substantially reduced, and changes of employment shares at the bottom of the distribution would have been negative.
Preparation of microwave‐processed oil‐free potato snacks with assorted natural flavours: Application of advanced chemometrics
Authors: Sridhar Kandi , Dikkala Praveen Kumar , Yadla Aruna Kumari , Shaik Rizwana , Jeepalem Yaswanth , Dhoolipalla Venkata Bhanu Prakash , Sodadasi Vinay
Published: June 2021

Generally, potato chips are produced by deep‐fat frying with 35%–40% oil in the final product, which is considered unhealthy. Therefore, we attempted to prepare microwave‐processed oil‐free potato snacks, fat‐free alternative for potato chips, assorted with natural flavours (tomato, mint and pepper) and evaluated their proximate composition, microbiological analysis and sensory evaluation coupled with advanced chemometrics. The proximate analysis revealed the presence of carbohydrates (53–58 g/100 g), energy (190–214 kcal/100 g) and negligible fat (≤0.15%) with a microbial load of 2.50–9 CFU/100 g. Samples assorted with mint and tomato flavours received higher sensory scores (7.65–8.80) for all sensory attributes compared with control (6.61–7.55). From the chemometric analysis, the high similarities in samples assorted with mint and tomato flavours confirmed by principal component analysis loadings of 0.69 and 0.71, respectively, and hierarchical clustering (cluster 1 with 2 sub‐clusters). Therefore, the microwave processing can be a suitable technique to produce oil‐free potato snacks with natural flavourings while preserving their quality attributes.
Technological properties and selected safety aspects of different cuts of organic and conventional pork
Authors: Latoch Agnieszka , Wójciak Karolina M. , Popek Stanisław , Rohn Sascha , Halagarda Michał
Published: June 2021

The present study aimed at evaluating and comparing technological quality and selected safety aspects of commercial organic and conventional pork cuts. The technological value was determined on the basis of pH value, centrifugation loss, cooking loss, drip loss, colour parameters (as measured with L*a*b* system), total heme pigments and total heme iron. The meat safety was verified based on the content of nitrate, nitrite, cadmium, lead, total microbial count, number of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella. The results indicated that organic meat had higher content of heme pigments and heme iron than conventional meat. The rearing system had no effect on the lightness. The organic loins and shoulders were redder and yellower than conventional ones. Neither organic nor conventional meat cuts were contaminated by pathogenic bacteria and nitrite/nitrate residues. Legal requirements concerning cadmium content were met for all the tested samples, whereas concerning lead only for organic loins.
Systematic review of medical education on spirituality
Authors: Wenham John , Best Megan , Kissane David W.
Published: June 2021

Background

Spirituality is a fundamental dimension of our human nature that impacts on medical care and yet is relatively neglected by medical education courses in Australia.

Aim

This systematic review was conducted to assess the curriculum content currently used to develop medical student understanding of, and engagement with, spirituality in the context of patient care.

Methods

Studies published in English from 2010 to the review date were included in order to focus on the most recent curricula. Studies included medical students in undergraduate or postgraduate programmes, doctors in resident training programmes and registrars. Interventions considered for inclusion were curriculum modules on communication skills in spirituality, spiritual needs assessments and holistic care planning. Six databases, including PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Embase, Medline and CINAHL, were searched electronically using the following keywords and MeSH search terms: ‘medical students’, ‘doctor‘, ‘physician’, ‘spirituality’, ‘spiritual care’, ‘religion’, ‘education’, ‘history taking’ and ‘communication skills training’ from 2010 to 2020.

Results

For 342 articles, three researchers screened the titles and abstracts; disagreements were resolved by discussion. Full‐text articles were assessed for eligibility based on study and report characteristics; 17 papers were included in the analysis. Curriculum content of each study was reviewed. The following key features were employed frequently: chaplain shadowing, communications skills training, self‐reflection, examining evidence and relationship building.

Conclusion

This review has determined the core content, aims and objectives to guide construction of spirituality curricula in Australian medical education.
Glycaemic outcomes in Australasian children and adults with type 1 diabetes: failure to meet targets across the age spectrum
Authors: Holmes‐Walker D. Jane , Abraham Mary B. , Chee Melissa , Jones Timothy W. ,   Australasian Diabetes Data Network (ADDN) Study Group
Published: June 2021

Background

The goal of therapy in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is to achieve optimal glycaemic targets and reduce complications. Robust data representing glycaemic outcomes across the lifespan are lacking in Australasia.

Aims

To examine contemporary glycaemic outcomes and rate of use of diabetes technologies in Australasian people with T1D.

Methods

Cross‐sectional analysis of de‐identified data from 18 diabetes centres maintained in the Australasian Diabetes Data Network registry during 2019. Glycaemia was measured using glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). The proportion of people with T1D achieving the international HbA1c target of <53 mmol/mol (7%) was calculated. Rates of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) use were determined.

Results

A total of 7988 individuals with T1D with 30 575 visits were recorded in the registry. The median (interquartile range) age was 15.3 (10.0) years and diabetes duration was 5.7 (9.4) years with 49% on multiple daily injections (MDI) and 36% on CSII. The mean HbA1c for the whole cohort was 66 mmol/mol (8.2%). HbA1c increased with age, from 60 mmol/mol (7.6%) in children <10 years, increasing during adolescence and peaking at 73 mmol/mol (8.8%) in the 20–25 years age group. The HbA1c target of <53 mmol/mol (7%) was met in 18% of children and 13% of adults. HbA1c was lower on CSII as compared with those on MDI (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Only a minority of children and adults achieve the recommended glycaemic goals despite access to specialist care in major diabetes centres. There is a need to identify factors that improve glycaemic outcomes.
The effect of mandala colouring on anxiety in hospitalized COVID‐19 patients: A randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Khademi Fatemeh , Rassouli Maryam , Rafiei Fatemeh , Moayedi Siamak , Torres Mercedes , Marzban Negin , Haji Ensieh , Golitaleb Mohamad
Published: June 2021

COVID‐19 significantly affects patients' mental health, triggering a wide range of psychological disorders, including anxiety. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mandala colouring on the anxiety of hospitalized COVID‐19 patients. In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 70 hospitalized patients with COVID‐19 were randomly divided between the intervention and control groups. Standard care was provided for both groups. The intervention group spent 30 min/day for six consecutive days performing mandala colouring. Patient anxiety was measured prior and subsequent to the intervention in both groups using the Spielberger State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory. Data were analysed using SPSS software version 25. The mean anxiety score was not significantly different between the two groups before the intervention (P = 0.08). Subsequent to the intervention, the mean anxiety score in the intervention and control groups was 44.05 ± 4.67 and 67.85 ± 6.25, respectively, indicating a statistically significant (P = 0.0001) decrease in the anxiety measured among the intervention group as compared with that of the control group. The results of this study show that 30 min of mandala colouring daily is an effective strategy for reducing anxiety in hospitalized COVID‐19 patients. Mandala colouring can complement routine treatment and provides a non‐pharmaceutical option for decreasing patient anxiety.
Commentary: The construct validity of ‘camouflaging’ in autism: psychometric considerations and recommendations for future research ‐ reflection on Lai et al. (2020)
Authors: Williams Zachary J.
Published: June 2021

Research on the construct of ‘camouflaging’ in autism and its sociodemographic/clinical correlates has far outpaced the work being done to establish the construct validity of camouflaging and its distinction from other similar constructs. The imprecision with which camouflaging is defined and measured has serious implications for future research on this topic, and unless additional effort is made to produce reliable and valid measurements of this construct, researchers will not be able to meaningfully assess important questions such as whether the effort of camouflaging one's behavior contributes to increased mental health difficulties. By reviewing the psychometric strengths and weaknesses of various operationalizations of camouflaging, this commentary highlights a pressing need for further measure validation in this area. Specific methodological guidance is provided for researchers interested in rigorously testing the validity of putative camouflaging measures.
Mistranslation can promote the exploration of alternative evolutionary trajectories in enzyme evolution
Authors: Zheng Jia , Bratulic Sinisa , Lischer Heidi E. L. , Wagner Andreas
Published: June 2021

Darwinian evolution preferentially follows mutational pathways whose individual steps increase fitness. Alternative pathways with mutational steps that do not increase fitness are less accessible. Here, we show that mistranslation, the erroneous incorporation of amino acids into nascent proteins, can increase the accessibility of such alternative pathways and, ultimately, of high fitness genotypes. We subject populations of the beta‐lactamase TEM‐1 to directed evolution in Escherichia coli under both low‐ and high‐mistranslation rates, selecting for high activity on the antibiotic cefotaxime. Under low mistranslation rates, different evolving TEM‐1 populations ascend the same high cefotaxime‐resistance peak, which requires three canonical DNA mutations. In contrast, under high mistranslation rates they ascend three different high cefotaxime‐resistance genotypes, which leads to higher genotypic diversity among populations. We experimentally reconstruct the adaptive DNA mutations and the potential evolutionary paths to these high cefotaxime‐resistance genotypes. This reconstruction shows that some of the DNA mutations do not change fitness under low mistranslation, but cause a significant increase in fitness under high‐mistranslation, which helps increase the accessibility of different high cefotaxime‐resistance genotypes. In addition, these mutations form a network of pairwise epistatic interactions that leads to mutually exclusive evolutionary trajectories towards different high cefotaxime‐resistance genotypes. Our observations demonstrate that protein mistranslation and the phenotypic mutations it causes can alter the evolutionary exploration of fitness landscapes and reduce the predictability of evolution.
Phenolics and carotenoids recovery from agroindustrial mango waste using microwave‐assisted extraction: Extraction and modeling
Authors: Vélez‐Erazo Eliana Marcela , Pasquel‐Reátegui José Luis , Dorronsoro‐Guerrero Oscar Humberto , Martínez‐Correa Hugo Alexander
Published: June 2021

The main objective of this work was to extract antioxidant compounds from by‐products from the mango processing industry by means of microwave‐assisted extraction (MAE). For this, two steps were proposed, first, a kinetics modeling, and then a Box–Behnken design to study the effect of the variables time, power and ethanol concentration on the responses: total extraction yield (TEY), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), and total carotenoids content (TCC). In the kinetics study, all models described a high correlation with the experimental data from bioactive compounds extraction from mango peel. Among these, the two‐site mathematical model better described the experimental data (R2 > 95%). Optimization results using response surface methodology have shown great adjustments to the quadratic models for TPC, TFC, and TCC; showing that the Box–Behnken design for this subject of research can be of great use when it does not comply with the technical conditions to realize a central design.

Practical Applications

The present study focused on the mathematical modeling of microwave‐assisted extraction of bio‐compounds from industrial mango peel by‐products. Modeling tools such as kinetics studies or response surface methodologies allow the optimization of extraction and process cost reduction. Extracts were obtained at high yield regarding phenolics, flavonoids, and carotenoids content, with high antioxidant activity. These results show that extracts with high antioxidant properties may be applicable in a wide range of foods.
Multiaddressivity and Collective Addressivity in Vlog‐based Interactions between Diasporic and Nonmigrant Portuguese
Authors: Koven Michele , Marques Isabelle Simões
Published: June 2021

We use the notion of addressivity to analyze interactions between diasporic Portuguese in France and nonmigrant Portuguese in Portugal, in a vlog by Jonathan Da Silva. Through sets of interlocutor‐oriented strategies, participants address one another not only as specific individuals but also as collective social types, as if addressing all diasporic and nonmigrant Portuguese. We thus consider how participants use collective addressivity to hail one another as essentialized tokens of social types in a fantasy of telecommunication (Nozawa 2016). These materials reveal not only the construction of ethnonationally Portuguese identified “we’s,” but also of the collectivized “you’s” such “we’s” address, in a genre of online interaction.
Anterior communicating artery aneurysms: Nonmodifiable morphological parameters associated with rupture risk
Authors: İdil Soylu Ayşegül , Uzunkaya Fatih , Akan Hüseyin
Published: June 2021

Background and Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between arterial morphological parameters and the rupture risk of anterior communicating artery (AComA) aneurysms.

Methods

A hospital database was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients with AComA aneurysms. Morphologic parameters were evaluated on the 3‐dimensional computed tomography angiograms. The patients were divided into two groups as ruptured and unruptured. Patient age, sex, morphological parameters such as aneurysm height and weight, neck diameter, aspect ratio (AR), size ratio (SR), bifurcation angle, aneurysm shape, and diameters of the artery were statistically compared between two groups.

Results

Ninety‐five AComA aneurysms were analyzed in this study (60 ruptured and 35 unruptured). The aneurysm neck size (p = .005) and the diameter of the A1 segment of the ipsilateral anterior cerebral artery (i‐A1) were smaller in the ruptured group than in the unruptured group (p = .001), but AR (p = .001) was higher. The number of patients with irregular shape aneurysm were higher in the ruptured group (p = .006). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, sex, aneurysm height and weight, bifurcation angle, and SR. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that i‐A1 segment diameter (odds ratio [OR]: –2.070, confidence interval [CI]: 0.030‐0.531, p = .005), aneurysm neck diameter (OR: –0.409, CI: 0.491‐0.899, p = .008), irregular shape (OR: 1.197, CI: 1.382‐7.929, p = .007), and AR (OR: 0.880, CI: 1.315‐4.417, p = .004) were significantly correlated with ruptured status. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that aneurysm neck diameter (OR: –0.457, CI: 0.410‐0.977, p = .039) was the only independent variable for rupture.

Conclusion

AComA aneurysm rupture is more likely to occur in aneurysms with smaller i‐A1 segment diameter, smaller aneurysm neck diameter, irregular aneurysm shape, and higher AR. Aneurysm neck diameter may be a more important determinant for rupture prediction.
Autoimmune disease and oral squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review
Authors: Pillai Anjali , Adilbay Dauren , Matsoukas Konstantina , Ganly Ian , Patel Snehal G.
Published: June 2021

Background

Oral cancer is typically related to environmental carcinogen exposure including tobacco and alcohol. Other less investigated risk factors may be related to a suppressed or dysregulated immune state, and in oral cancer, various levels of immune dysregulation have been found to affect survival and recurrence rates. The rationale for this systematic review was to investigate the possible role that a growing chronic host condition like an autoimmune disease may play in this disease.

Methods

A systematic search of the literature was carried out using four electronic databases in order to identify original research of any analytic study design type that investigated the relationship between autoimmune disease and oral cancer. Out of 1,947 identified records, 24 observational studies were included for qualitative synthesis.

Results

The studies varied in end points ranging from overall survival (OS), standardized incidence ratio (SIR), and hazard ratio (HR). Due to the heterogenous sampling of studies even within the same study design group, a meta‐analysis was not employed. The current state of the literature is varied and heterogenous in both study design and endpoints.

Conclusion

Major limitations existed introducing significant bias especially in determining cancer risk such as lack of information surrounding known etiologic risk factors such as alcohol and tobacco consumption. Despite these limitations, a signal was seen between autoimmune disease and oral cancer outcomes and risk. Future studies investigating the relationship between autoimmune disease and oral cancer in a more focused and quantitative manner are therefore needed.
Training dental hygienists to place interim therapeutic restorations in a school‐based teledentistry program: Oregon's virtual dental home
Authors: Kohli Richie , Clemens Jennifer , Mann Linda , Newton Meagan , Glassman Paul , Schwarz Eli
Published: June 2021

Objectives

The objectives of this study on Oregon's virtual dental home were to: 1) demonstrate the feasibility of pilot project training of existing Expanded Practice Dental Hygienists (EPDHs) to perform interim therapeutic restorations (ITRs) in the community settings after diagnosis by the supervising dentist via teledentistry and 2) evaluate satisfaction of parents/guardians of children participating in a pilot program that provides school‐based/on‐site preventive dental care services utilizing expanded scope EPDHs to conduct dental screenings and place ITRs.

Methods

This demonstration project was a 4‐years longitudinal cohort study (2016‐2019) in the school/community‐based settings focusing on children in kindergarten to 3rd grade. EPDHs and dentists from a Dental Care Organization were trained to utilize teledentistry and EPDHs were trained to place ITRs, the latter provided onsite dental care. Data was collected regarding child's demographics and oral health status; and parents reported level of satisfaction from services received by their children. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis to assess the relative importance of demographic and clinical factors on caries status.

Results

Onsite dental care was provided to 759 children. Of repeat patients (n = 377), 201 (53.3%) children had untreated decay at their first visit. Of these, 13% saw improvements in oral health status at their most recent visit (MRV). There were 162 ITRs planned out of which 50 patients received 99 ITRs. No adverse events were experienced. Of the repeat children receiving ITRs (n = 43), 28% saw improvement in their caries status at their MRV. Parents reported very high levels of satisfaction with the dental care program.

Conclusion

Oregon's virtual dental home project was successful in training EPDHs to perform ITRs safely in school settings after caries diagnosis by the supervising dentist via teledentistry and in integrating this component into a regular school‐based preventive dental program.