bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Instruments for assessing the spiritual needs of cancer patients: A systematic review of psychometric properties
Authors: Wang Wei , Yang Jing , Bai Dingxi , He Jiali , Cai Mingjin , Gong Xiaoyan , Lu Xianying , Hou Chaoming , Gao Jing
Published: October 2023

Aims and Objectives

To identify available instruments for assessing cancer patients' spiritual needs and to examine their psychometric properties using the Consensus‐based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) methodology.

Background

Cancer patients frequently have significant spiritual needs. The nurse plays an integral role in assessing the patient's spiritual needs as part of providing holistic care. It is crucial to assess these needs using appropriate and reliable instruments.

Design

A systematic review based on COSMIN methodology.

Methods

Seven electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, ProQuest, CNKI and WANFANG) were systematically searched from inception until 14 February 2023. Two authors independently screened eligible literature, extracted data and evaluated methodological and psychometric quality. This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA checklist.

Results

Sixteen studies have reported 16 different versions of the instruments. None of the instruments were properly assessed for all psychometric properties, nor were measurement error, responsiveness and cross‐cultural validity/measurement invariance reported. All of the instruments failed to meet the COSMIN quality criteria for content validity. The quality of evidence for structural validity and/or internal consistency in five instruments did not meet the COSMIN criteria. Eventually, five instruments were not recommended, and 11 were only weakly recommended.

Conclusion

Instruments to assess spiritual needs exhibited limited reliability and validity. The Spiritual Care Needs Scale is provisionally recommended for research and clinical settings, but its limitations regarding content validity and cross‐cultural application must be considered in practice. Future research should further revise the content of available instruments and comprehensively and correctly test their psychometric properties.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

The review findings will provide evidence for healthcare professionals to select instruments for recognising spiritual needs in cancer patients.

No Patient or Public Contribution

This study is a systematic review with no patient or public participation.
The authentic self in work and family roles and well‐being: A test of self‐determination theory
Authors: White Marla L. , Wayne Julie Holliday , Casper Wendy J. , Matthews Russell A. , Odle‐Dusseau Heather , Jean Esther L.
Published: October 2023

The current study aims to advance the theoretical understanding of work and family authenticity, or the extent to which one's time, energy, and attention in work and family roles are consistent with life values, by examining the antecedents and processes by which they occur within a self‐determination theory framework. By testing the tenets of self‐determination theory, we examine a conceptual model in which we posit that work and family need satisfaction relates positively to life satisfaction through domain‐specific autonomous motivation, work and family authenticity, and domain satisfaction. We test our conceptual model with data collected at two time points from 220 working adults. Our results largely support our hypotheses in the work domain but, interestingly, not in the family domain, suggesting that human motivation processes differ by domain. We conclude by discussing implications and offering suggestions for future research.
Individualized chemotherapy drug dose escalation in dogs with multicentric lymphoma
Authors: Siewert Jacob M. , Gustafson Daniel L. , Weishaar Kristen M. , Galloway Annie M. , Thamm Douglas H.
Published: October 2023

Background

This study was performed to determine the ability to escalate drug doses in a 15‐week CHOP protocol in dogs with multicentric lymphoma.

Hypothesis

We hypothesized that at least 50% of dogs could successfully be escalated in at least 1 drug. Secondary aims were to establish objective response rate (ORR), progression‐free interval (PFI), and overall survival time (OST).

Animals

Thirty dogs with newly diagnosed multicentric lymphoma were prospectively treated with a 15‐week CHOP protocol.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study. Drug doses that did not cause dose‐limiting adverse effects (AEs) were increased using a standardized escalation protocol. AEs and response were assessed using VCOG criteria. Serial blood samples were collected after the first dose of each drug for pharmacokinetic analysis.

Results

Of the 23 dogs with the opportunity to dose escalate, at least 1 drug was successfully escalated in 18 (78%). Vincristine was successfully escalated to 0.8 mg/m2 or higher in 11 dogs, cyclophosphamide to 300 mg/m2 or higher in 16 dogs, and doxorubicin to 35 mg/m2 or 1.4 mg/kg or higher in 9 dogs. Three of the 23 dogs (13%) were hospitalized at least once because of drug‐induced AEs. Neutropenia was the most common dose‐limiting toxicosis for all drugs. Peak doxorubicin concentrations were significantly lower in dogs where doxorubicin was successfully escalated. The objective response rate was 100%. The median progression free interval was 171 days. The median overall survival time was 254 days.

Conclusions

Drugs in the CHOP protocol can often be escalated safely with manageable AEs.
Investigating the effect of bacterial coinfections on juvenile and adult green‐lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus)
Authors: Azizan Awanis , Carter Jack , Venter Leonie , Young Tim , Sharma Shaneel S. , Chen Tony , Alfaro Andrea C.
Published: October 2023

The New Zealand's Greenshell™ mussel (Perna canaliculus) aquaculture industry is being affected by summer mortality events associated with increasing seawater temperatures and pathogens. In this study, challenge experiments were conducted to investigate, for the first time, the effects of pathogen coinfection on the survivability and haemolymph immune responses of juvenile and adult mussels. Animals were injected with marine broth (control), Vibrio mediterranei, Photobacterium swingsii, or a mixture of V. mediterranei and P. swingsii. Then, mussel survival was monitored for 72 h, and haemolymph was sampled for bacterial quantification and metabolomics analyses at 24‐ and 48‐h post challenge. Coinfected adults and juveniles showed 100% mortality. Bacterial colony counts in haemolymph decreased as infection time continued, especially in juveniles. The haemolymph metabolome of mussels exposed to single bacterial species and coinfection showed response changes largely within energy metabolism. Mussels infected with V. mediterranei exhibited increased metabolites linked to the glutathione pathway, branched‐chain amino acids, and others over time, supporting structural functions. Conversely, mussels infected with P. swingsii showed no metabolic differences over time. The coinfection group exhibited large decreases in important metabolites, such as fatty acids as an alternative energy source and amino acids to support immune functions and protein synthesis.
Engaged Hawks and Quiet Doves: Introducing the National Defense Engagement Index
Authors: Matchett Leah
Published: October 2023

Members of Congress reveal their preferences on an issue, not only in how they vote, but also how they spend their time. I introduce and validate a new measure of Congressional engagement in national defense, based on the amount of time and legislative energy a member spends on defense issues. I demonstrate the utility of this index through the reexamination of two key puzzles in the literature on Congressional defense preferences: how veterans and members with military interests vote relative to their peers. Using the National Defense Engagement Index (NDEI) I find that both veterans and members who have military industry in their districts are much more likely to be engaged with defense than other members of Congress. These results help to resolve discrepancies in previous literature and suggest the benefit of investigating member engagement as a key part of research on Congressional behavior.
Sperm production is negatively associated with muscle and sperm telomere length in a species subjected to strong sperm competition
Authors: Morbiato Elisa , Cattelan Silvia , Pilastro Andrea , Grapputo Alessandro
Published: October 2023

Life‐history theory suggests that ageing is one of the costs of reproduction. Accordingly, a higher reproductive allocation is expected to increase the deterioration of both the somatic and the germinal lines through enhanced telomere attrition. In most species, males' reproductive allocation mainly regards traits that increase mating and fertilization success, that is sexually selected traits. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that a higher investment in sexually selected traits is associated with a reduced relative telomere length (RTL) in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), an ectotherm species characterized by strong pre‐ and postcopulatory sexual selection. We first measured telomere length in both the soma and the sperm over guppies' lifespan to see whether there was any variation in telomere length associated with age. Second, we investigated whether a greater investment in pre‐ and postcopulatory sexually selected traits is linked to shorter telomere length in both the somatic and the sperm germinal lines, and in young and old males. We found that telomeres lengthened with age in the somatic tissue, but there was no age‐dependent variation in telomere length in the sperm cells. Telomere length in guppies was significantly and negatively correlated with sperm production in both tissues and life stages considered in this study. Our findings indicate that telomere length in male guppies is strongly associated with their reproductive investment (sperm production), suggesting that a trade‐off between reproduction and maintenance is occurring at each stage of males' life in this species.
A lightweight encoder–decoder network for automatic pavement crack detection
Authors: Zhu Guijie , Liu Jiacheng , Fan Zhun , Yuan Duan , Ma Peili , Wang Meihua , Sheng Weihua , Wang Kelvin C. P.
Published: October 2023

Cracks are the most common damage type on the pavement surface. Usually, pavement cracks, especially small cracks, are difficult to be accurately identified due to background interference. Accurate and fast automatic road crack detection play a vital role in assessing pavement conditions. Thus, this paper proposes an efficient lightweight encoder–decoder network for automatically detecting pavement cracks at the pixel level. Taking advantage of a novel encoder–decoder architecture integrating a new type of hybrid attention blocks and residual blocks (RBs), the proposed network can achieve an extremely lightweight model with more accurate detection of pavement crack pixels. An image dataset consisting of 789 images of pavement cracks acquired by a self‐designed mobile robot is built and utilized to train and evaluate the proposed network. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed network performs better than the state‐of‐the‐art methods on the self‐built dataset as well as three other public datasets (CamCrack789, Crack500, CFD, and DeepCrack237), achieving F1 scores of 94.94%, 82.95%, 95.74%, and 92.51%, respectively. Additionally, ablation studies validate the effectiveness of integrating the RBs and the proposed hybrid attention mechanisms. By introducing depth‐wise separable convolutions, an even more lightweight version of the proposed network is created, which has a comparable performance and achieves the fastest inference speed with a model parameter size of only 0.57 M. The developed mobile robot system can effectively detect pavement cracks in real scenarios at a speed of 25 frames per second.
Successful left ventricular lead placement by way of an azygos vein for a patient performing cardiac resynchronization therapy implantation with an occluded left subclavian vein: A case report
Authors: Asai Masanari , Kiyokuni Masayoshi , Hiroki Uemura , Ishii Kazuho , Tokoro Takumi , Ishikawa Hiroyuki , Kagimoto Minako , Kataoka Shunsuke , Kuji Syotaro , Nakachi Tatsuya , Endo Tsutomu , Hibi Kiyoshi
Published: October 2023

Central venous obstruction following pacemaker implantation is not uncommon and can prove challenging in the case of a system upgrade to a cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker (CRT‐P). We describe the case of a patient who underwent a successful upgrading procedure of a pacemaker to a CRT‐P in the presence of an occluded left subclavian vein and superior vena cava, using collateral veins that drained into right atrium.
It's time to stop using nitrous oxide for pediatric mask induction
Authors: Gordon Diane W. , Chatterjee Debnath , McGain Forbes
Published: October 2023

Background

Mask induction of anesthesia for pediatric patients has included the use of nitrous oxide since the inception of pediatric anesthesia. However, the use of nitrous oxide precludes adequate preoxygenation. Additionally, pediatric physiology (less Functional Residual Capacity, higher oxygen consumption), increased risk of laryngospasm and lack of intravenous access increase the risk of a severe airway complication in the event of airway occlusion. Nitrous oxide does not facilitate tranquil mask placement on an unwilling child and does not meaningfully speed mask induction. Exposure to nitrous oxide has potential occupational health concerns and nitrous oxide has significant environmental detriment.

Conclusion

Utilizing other, evidence‐based, techniques to facilitate tranquil mask placement will assure that patients have a pleasant induction experience and avoiding nitrous oxide will reduce the environmental impact, as well as improve the safety of, pediatric mask induction.
Association of psychological distress and DNA methylation: A 5‐year longitudinal population‐based twin study
Authors: Hong Xuanming , Miao Ke , Cao Weihua , Lv Jun , Yu Canqing , Huang Tao , Sun Dianjianyi , Liao Chunxiao , Pang Yuanjie , Hu Runhua , Pang Zengchang , Yu Min , Wang Hua , Wu Xianping , Liu Yu , Gao Wenjing , Li Liming
Published: October 2023

Aim

To identify the psychological distress (PD)–associated 5′‐cytosine‐phosphate‐guanine‐3′ sites (CpGs), and investigate the temporal relationship between dynamic changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) and PD.

Methods

This study included 1084 twins from the Chinese National Twin Register (CNTR). The CNTR conducted epidemiological investigations and blood withdrawal twice in 2013 and 2018. These included twins were used to perform epigenome‐wide association studies (EWASs) and to validate the previously reported PD‐associated CpGs selected from previous EWASs in PubMed, Embase, and the EWAS catalog. Next, a cross‐lagged study was performed to examine the temporality between changes in DNAm and PD in 308 twins who completed both 2013 and 2018 surveys.

Results

The EWAS analysis of our study identified 25 CpGs. In the validation analysis, 741 CpGs from 29 previous EWASs on PD were selected for validation, and 101 CpGs were validated to be significant at a false discovery rate <0.05. The cross‐lagged analysis found a unidirectional path from PD to DNAm at 14 CpGs, while no sites showed significance from DNAm to PD.

Conclusions

This study identified and validated PD‐related CpGs in a Chinese twin population, and suggested that PD may be the cause of changes in DNAm over time. The findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying PD pathophysiology.
Protein dose requirements to maximize skeletal muscle protein synthesis after repeated bouts of resistance exercise in young trained women
Authors: Mallinson J. E. , Wardle S. L. , O'Leary T. J. , Greeves J. P. , Cegielski J. , Bass J. , Brook M. S. , Wilkinson D. J. , Smith K. , Atherton P. J. , Greenhaff P. L.
Published: October 2023

Studies examining the effect of protein (PRO) feeding on post resistance exercise (RE) muscle protein synthesis (MPS) have primarily been performed in men, and little evidence is available regarding the quantity of PRO required to maximally stimulate MPS in trained women following repeated bouts of RE. We therefore quantified acute (4 h and 8 h) and extended (24 h) effects of two bouts of resistance exercise, alongside protein‐feeding, in women, and the PRO requirement to maximize MPS. Twenty‐four RE trained women (26.6 ± 0.7 years, mean ± SEM) performed two bouts of whole‐body RE (3 × 8 repetitions/maneuver at 75% 1‐repetition maximum) 4 h apart, with post‐exercise ingestion of 15 g, 30 g, or 60 g whey PRO (n = 8/group). Saliva, venous blood, and a vastus lateralis muscle biopsy were taken at 0 h, 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h post‐exercise. Plasma leucine and branched chain amino acids were quantified using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) after ingestion of D2O. Fifteen grams PRO did not alter plasma leucine concentration or myofibrillar synthetic rate (MyoFSR). Thirty and sixty grams PRO increased plasma leucine concentration above baseline (105.5 ± 5.3 μM; 120.2 ± 7.4 μM, respectively) at 4 h (151.5 ± 8.2 μM, p < 0.01; 224.8 ± 16.0 μM, p < 0.001, respectively) and 8 h (176.0 ± 7.3 μM, p < 0.001; 281.7 ± 21.6 μM, p < 0.001, respectively). Ingestion of 30 g PRO increased MyoFSR above baseline (0.068 ± 0.005%/h) from 0 to 4 h (0.140 ± 0.021%/h, p < 0.05), 0 to 8 h (0.121 ± 0.012%/h, p < 0.001), and 0 to 24 h (0.099 ± 0.011%/h, p < 0.01). Ingestion of 60 g PRO increased MyoFSR above baseline (0.063 ± 0.003%/h) from 0 to 4 h (0.109 ± 0.011%/h, p < 0.01), 0 to 8 h (0.093 ± 0.008%/h, p < 0.01), and 0 to 24 h (0.086 ± 0.006%/h, p < 0.01). Post‐exercise ingestion of 30 g or 60 g PRO, but not 15 g, acutely increased MyoFSR following two consecutive bouts of RE and extended the anabolic window over 24 h. There was no difference between the 30 g and 60 g responses.
Deliver Us from Error: The Perils of Algorithmic Salvation in Medicine
Authors: Szymczak Julia E.
Published: October 2023

This essay responds to and reflects on the arguments made by Charles Bosk in the introduction to The Price of Perfection: The Cost of Error, written from the perspective of a former sociology doctoral student of his who now works in academic medicine. The author highlights two innovative and persuasive threads running through Bosk's work critiquing the patient safety social movement: (1) the consequence of the social constructedness of medical error and safety solutions, and (2) the importance of the personal, relational, and social dimensions of occupational rituals in clinical practice. The legacy of Bosk's work and impact beyond sociology is considered. The author demonstrates the enduring value of his insights and the impact they can have on current debates about how to transform clinical practice to reduce patient harm.
Interspecies co‐expression analysis of lateral root development using inducible systems in rice, Medicago, and Arabidopsis
Authors: Motte Hans , Parizot Boris , Xuan Wei , Chen Qian , Maere Steven , Bensmihen Sandra , Beeckman Tom
Published: October 2023

Lateral roots are crucial for plant growth and development, making them an important target for research aiming to improve crop yields and food security. However, their endogenous ontogeny and, as it were, stochastic appearance challenge their study. Lateral Root Inducible Systems (LRIS) can be used to overcome these challenges by inducing lateral roots massively and synchronously. The combination of LRISs with transcriptomic approaches significantly advanced our insights in the molecular control of lateral root formation, in particular for Arabidopsis. Despite this success, LRISs have been underutilized for other plant species or for lateral root developmental stages later than the initiation. In this study, we developed and/or adapted LRISs in rice, Medicago, and Arabidopsis to perform RNA‐sequencing during time courses that cover different developmental stages of lateral root formation and primordium development. As such, our study provides three extensive datasets of gene expression profiles during lateral root development in three different plant species. The three LRISs are highly effective but timing and spatial distribution of lateral root induction vary among the species. Detailed characterization of the stages in time and space in the respective species enabled an interspecies co‐expression analysis to identify conserved players involved in lateral root development, as illustrated for the AUX/IAA and LBD gene families. Overall, our results provide a valuable resource to identify potentially conserved regulatory mechanisms in lateral root development, and as such will contribute to a better understanding of the complex regulatory network underlying lateral root development.
Rh flow cytometry: An updated methodology for D antigen density applied to weak D types 164 and 165
Authors: Hutchison Chloe Jayne , Srivastava Kshitij , Polin Helene , Bueno Marina Ursula , Flegel Willy Albert
Published: October 2023

Background

An original methodology for determining the D antigen density on red cells was published in 2000 and has been applied in many publications since. This flow cytometry‐based assay remained largely unrevised utilizing monoclonal anti‐Ds that are not readily available anymore. We updated the methodology to quantify erythrocyte D antigen sites using microspheres and monoclonal anti‐Ds that are commercially available today.

Methods

The absolute D antigen density of a frozen standard CcDEe cell, drawn in 2003, a fresh blood donation from the same individual, drawn in 2022, and an internal control CcDEe cell, was quantified by flow cytometry using fluorescence‐labeled microspheres. The internal control CcDEe cell was used in conjunction with 9 commercial anti‐Ds to determine D antigen densities of 7 normal D, 4 partial D, and 11 weak D type samples, including 2 novel alleles.

Results

The reproducibility of the updated assay was evaluated with red cells of published D antigen densities. The current results matched the known ones closely. The new weak D types 164 and 165 carried 4500 and 1505 D antigens/red cell, respectively. The absolute D antigen density decreased from 27,231 to 26,037 in an individual over 19 years.

Discussion

The updated assay gave highly reproducible results for the D antigen densities of Rh phenotypes. Readily available anti‐Ds allowed for the determination of the D antigen densities of 7 weak D types. The assay is suitable to evaluate the effects of distinct amino acid substitutions on the RhD phenotype.
Clinical use of uncovered balloon‐expandable metallic biliary stents for treatment of extrahepatic biliary tract obstructions in cats and dogs: 11 cases (2012–2022)
Authors: Bergen Julia L. , Travis Blake M. , Pike Fred S.
Published: October 2023

Objective

To describe the application of uncovered balloon‐expandable metallic biliary stents for treatment of extrahepatic biliary obstructions (EHBOs) and the outcomes for dogs and cats treated for EHBO with this technique.

Study design

Retrospective single institutional study.

Animals

Eight dogs and three cats treated at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego for EHBO between January 2012 and February 2022.

Methods

Data collected from the medical records included signalment, presenting complaint, laboratory and imaging findings, surgical findings, hospitalization time, complications, and follow‐up information.

Results

Median duration of short‐term follow up was 16 days (6–45 days). Improved biochemical abnormalities and resolution of clinical signs were recorded in 10/11 cases. Two dogs died within 2 weeks of surgery. One dog developed systemic inflammatory response syndrome 5 days postoperatively and was euthanized; the cause of death in the second case was unknown. Long‐term follow up was available in seven cases, with a median duration of 307.5 days (62–2268 days). Bile‐duct patency was maintained for at least 356–622 days (median: 446 days) in three cats and 62–2268 days (median: 650.5 days) in four dogs with long‐term follow up available. One cat had recurrent obstruction with choledocholiths 446 days postoperatively. One stent was removed 614 days postoperatively due to recurrent cholangiohepatitis.

Conclusion

Uncovered balloon‐expandable metallic biliary stents were placed successfully and relieved EHBO in all cases that survived to discharge.

Clinical significance

Use of uncovered balloon‐expandable metallic biliary stents should be considered as an alternative to temporary choledochal luminal stenting or cholecystoenterostomy to manage EHBO.
Performing arts of embodied refusal amid anthropogenic climate change: the Salim Ali Biodiversity Park and Bird Sanctuary, Pune, India
Authors: Lobo Michele , Bhagwat Abha , Patil Dharmaraj
Published: October 2023

Birds twitter, flap their wings or wade in the gurgling water of the Mula-Mutha river in a special place, named after Salim Ali, the world famous, award-winning ornithologist and ‘Birdman of India’ (1896–1987). Yet, bird habitat, migratory routes, species diversity and songs are affected by the slow violence of global warming and environmental pollution. Urban citizens or Punekars including artists, women, children and ornithologists refuse the brutality of this slow violence by enacting forms of activism that centre birdlife and affirm thriving more-than-human worlds. This co-authored piece focuses on the embodied performances of refusal at the Salim Ali Biodiversity Park and Bird Sanctuary, Pune, a rapidly growing city in the western state of Maharashtra, India. Activism takes the form of poetry, city walks, participatory mural art and other forms of resistance by the Save Salim Ali Sanctuary Action Group (SSASAG). Our co-authorship collective consists of an activist/ornithologist of the SSASAG, an internationally acclaimed mural artist, and an Australian geographer of Indian heritage who went on daily ‘nature walks’ while visiting family in Pune. We craft this piece as a continuation of our activist refusals of anthropogenic climate change and toxic environmental pollution, and to illuminate solidarity with the brilliance of human and more-than-human worlds in and beyond Pune.
Marker Set Configuration and Rigid Body Attitude Determination
Authors: Challis John H.
Published: October 2023

Image-based motion-analysis systems typically place markers on the bodies of interest. The error in determining segment attitude from these markers is a function the marker position errors, the number of markers, and the spatial distribution of the markers. The spatial distribution includes two factors: the mean square distance of these markers to their geometric center, and the degree of anisotropy in the marker distribution. The purposes of this study were to: (1) present a metric which quantifies the marker spatial distribution (anisotropic to isotropic) and (2) examine the influence of marker distribution on the accuracy of rigid body attitude determination. To test the influence of the marker distribution on body attitude determination 1000 criterion attitudes were determined. These attitudes then had to be estimated for two marker sets for which the marker distribution metric, noise levels, and root-mean-square distance of the markers were systematically varied. Anisotropic marker distributions were shown to negatively affect the accuracy of attitude determination. The influence of anisotropic marker distributions on attitude accuracy could be blunted by increasing the number of markers, increasing the root-mean-square distance of markers from their geometric center, and reducing noise levels. These results have implications for the measurement of the attitudes of body segments. For example, the ability to have a large spatial distribution of markers and a large number of markers to maximize the measurement accuracy of segment attitude is different for a small segment such as the fifth metacarpal compared with the thigh.
A Rational-Emotive-Behavior Therapy Mindfulness Approach to Working Within the Elite Player Performance Plan
Authors: Armstrong Dawn-Marie , Turner Martin J.
Published: October 2023

Consultancy with children is rarely reported in the sport psychology literature. In light of this, the current case study sought to outline an age-appropriate approach to support provision for a 10-year-old soccer athlete at an elite soccer academy. The trainee sport and exercise psychologist utilized a combined rational-emotive-behavior-therapy and mindfulness-based approach to practice to understanding the athlete’s challenges and implemented psychological skills training. Effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated through a modified family systems approach, and player feedback was elicited using an adapted consultant effectiveness form. Reflection on the intervention details how open-mindedness to service delivery can facilitate the understanding of psychological skills training in the early years of sport performance and could pave the way for future reception and application at later levels.
Developing a Community Sport Organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy
Authors: Piché Megan C. , Lachance Erik L. , Kerwin Shannon
Published: October 2023

This teaching case study tasks students with creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion policy. The teaching case study’s context is a fictional community sport organization (CSO; i.e., Niagara Falls Thundering River Volleyball Club) located in the Niagara Region in Ontario, Canada. To develop such a policy, students learn about the emerging pressures and market conditions surrounding the fictional CSO. Students are also made aware of key policy principles as well as management by values to consider ethical standards within diversity, equity, and inclusion. Finally, students are introduced to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies within the Canadian sport system to inform their policy development process for the purposes of this teaching case study.
The Vehicle Seating Intervention Trial: Cross-Over Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Impact of 2 Car Seat Configurations on Spinal Posture
Authors: De Carvalho Diana , Randhawa Kristi , Verville Leslie , Hogg-Johnson Sheilah , Howarth Samuel J. , Liang Carmen , Mior Silvano , Côté Pierre
Published: October 2023

Driving posture can lead to musculoskeletal pain. Most work focuses on the lower back; therefore, we know little about automobile seat design and neck posture. This study evaluated an automobile driver seat that individualized upper back support to improve head and neck posture. Specifically, we examined the system’s impact on anterior head translation with secondary outcomes of spine posture and perceptions of comfort/well-being compared with a control. Forty participants were block randomized to experience either the activated or deactivated version of the same seating system first. Participants completed two 30-minute simulated driving trials, separated by washout, with continuous measures of anterior head translation, spine posture, and pelvis orientation. Perceptions of comfort/well-being were assessed by survey and open-ended questions immediately following each condition. Small, but statistically significant decreases in anterior head translation and posterior pelvic tilt occurred with the activated seat system. Participants reported lower satisfaction with the activated seat system. Order of the 2 seat conditions affected differences in pelvis orientation and participant perceptions of comfort/well-being. An anthropometric-based seat system targeting upper back support can significantly affect head and pelvic posture but not satisfaction during simulated driving. Future work should examine long-term impacts of these posture changes on health outcomes.
Human dispersals out of Africa via the Levant
Authors: Abbas Mahmoud , Lai Zhongping , Jansen John D. , Tu Hua , Alqudah Mohammad , Xu Xiaolin , Al-Saqarat Bety S. , Al Hseinat Mu’ayyad , Ou Xianjiao , Petraglia Michael D. , Carling Paul A.
Published: October 2023

Homo sapiens
dispersed from Africa into Eurasia multiple times in the Middle and Late Pleistocene. The route, across northeastern Africa into the Levant, is a viable terrestrial corridor, as the present harsh southern Levant would probably have been savannahs and grasslands during the last interglaciation. Here, we document wetland sediments with luminescence ages falling in the last interglaciation in the southern Levant, showing protracted phases of moisture availability. Wetland sediments in Wadi Gharandal containing Levallois artifacts yielded an age of 84 ka. Our findings support the growing consensus for a well-watered Jordan Rift Valley that funneled migrants into western Asia and northern Arabia.
A hierarchical spatial assembly approach of silica-polymer composites leads to versatile silica/carbon nanoparticles
Authors: Cheng Dan , Zhang Jun , Fu Jianye , Song Hao , Yu Chengzhong
Published: October 2023

Assembly of silica and polymer in the absence of surfactant templates is an emerging strategy to construct intricate nanostructures, whereas the underlying mechanism and structural versatility remain largely unexplored. We report a hierarchical spatial assembly strategy of silica-polymer composites to produce silica and carbon nanoparticles with unprecedented structures. The assembly hierarchy involves a higher length scale asymmetric A-B-A core-shell–type spatial assembly in a composite sphere, and a nanoscale assembly in the middle layer B in which the silica/polymer ratio governs the assembled structures of silica nanodomains. Through an in-depth understanding of the hierarchical spatial assembly mechanism, a series of silica and carbon nanoparticles with intriguing and controllable architectures are obtained that cannot be easily achieved via conventional surfactant-templating approaches. This work opens an avenue toward the designed synthesis of nanoparticles with precisely regulated structures.
A shallow scattering layer structures the energy seascape of an open ocean predator
Authors: Arostegui Martin C. , Muhling Barbara , Culhane Emmett , Dewar Heidi , Koch Stephanie S. , Braun Camrin D.
Published: October 2023

Large predators frequent the open ocean where subsurface light drives visually based trophic interactions. However, we lack knowledge on how predators achieve energy balance in the unproductive open ocean where prey biomass is minimal in well-lit surface waters but high in dim midwaters in the form of scattering layers. We use an interdisciplinary approach to assess how the bioenergetics of scattering layer forays by a model predator vary across biomes. We show that the mean metabolic cost rate of daytime deep foraging dives to scattering layers decreases as much as 26% from coastal to pelagic biomes. The more favorable energetics offshore are enabled by the addition of a shallow scattering layer that, if not present, would otherwise necessitate costlier dives to deeper layers. The unprecedented importance of this shallow scattering layer challenges assumptions that the globally ubiquitous primary deep scattering layer constitutes the only mesopelagic resource regularly targeted by apex predators.
Identifying predictors of glioma evolution from longitudinal sequencing
Authors: Mu Quanhua , Chai Ruichao , Pang Bo , Yang Yingxi , Liu Hanjie , Zhao Zheng , Bao Zhaoshi , Song Dong , Zhu Zhihan , Yan Mengli , Jiang Biaobin , Mo Zongchao , Tang Jihong , Sa Jason K. , Cho Hee Jin , Chang Yuzhou , Chan Kaitlin Hao Yi , Loi Danson Shek Chun , Tam Sindy Sing Ting , Chan Aden Ka Yin , Wu Angela Ruohao , Liu Zhaoqi , Poon Wai Sang , Ng Ho Keung , Chan Danny Tat Ming , Iavarone Antonio , Nam Do-Hyun , Jiang Tao , Wang Jiguang
Published: October 2023

Clonal evolution drives cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. Recent studies have revealed divergent longitudinal trajectories in gliomas, but early molecular features steering posttreatment cancer evolution remain unclear. Here, we collected sequencing and clinical data of initial-recurrent tumor pairs from 544 adult diffuse gliomas and performed multivariate analysis to identify early molecular predictors of tumor evolution in three diffuse glioma subtypes. We found that
CDKN2A
deletion at initial diagnosis preceded tumor necrosis and microvascular proliferation that occur at later stages of IDH-mutant glioma. Ki67 expression at diagnosis was positively correlated with acquiring hypermutation at recurrence in the IDH–wild-type glioma. In all glioma subtypes,
MYC
gain or
MYC-
target activation at diagnosis was associated with treatment-induced hypermutation at recurrence. To predict glioma evolution, we constructed CELLO2 (Cancer EvoLution for LOngitudinal data version 2), a machine learning model integrating features at diagnosis to forecast hypermutation and progression after treatment. CELLO2 successfully stratified patients into subgroups with distinct prognoses and identified a high-risk patient group featured by
MYC
gain with worse post-progression survival, from the low-grade IDH-mutant-noncodel subtype. We then performed chronic temozolomide-induction experiments in glioma cell lines and isogenic patient-derived gliomaspheres and demonstrated that MYC drives temozolomide resistance by promoting hypermutation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that, by binding to open chromatin and transcriptionally active genomic regions, c-MYC increases the vulnerability of key mismatch repair genes to treatment-induced mutagenesis, thus triggering hypermutation. This study reveals early predictors of cancer evolution under therapy and provides a resource for precision oncology targeting cancer dynamics in diffuse gliomas.
Updating breakpoints in the United States: a summary from the ASM Clinical Microbiology Open 2022
Authors: Patel Jean B. , Alby Kevin , Humphries Romney , Weinstein Melvin , Lutgring Joseph D. , Naccache Samia N. , Simner Patricia J.
Published: October 2023

Accurate antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and reporting are essential for guiding appropriate therapy for patients and direction for public health prevention and control actions. A critical feature of AST reporting is the interpretation of AST results using clinical breakpoints for reporting as susceptible, susceptible-dose dependent, intermediate, or resistant. Breakpoints are subject to continuous adjustment and updating to best reflect current clinical data. These breakpoint changes can benefit patients and public health only if adopted in a timely manner. A recent survey identified that up to 70% of College of American Pathologists (CAP)-accredited U.S. laboratories and 45% of CAP-accredited laboratories outside the U.S. use various obsolete clinical breakpoints to interpret AST results to guide patient care. The reason for the ongoing use of obsolete breakpoints is multifactorial, including barriers encountered by laboratories, commercial AST device manufacturers, standards development organizations, and regulatory bodies alike. To begin to address this important patient safety issue, CAP implemented checklist requirements for CAP-accredited laboratories to ensure up-to-date clinical breakpoint use. Furthermore, the topic was discussed at the June 2022 American Society for Microbiology Clinical Microbiology Open (CMO) with various stakeholders to identify potential solutions. This minireview summarizes the breakpoint setting process in the U.S. and highlights solutions to close the gap between breakpoint revisions and implementation in clinical and public health laboratories. Solutions discussed include clarification of data requirements and minimum inhibitory concentration only reporting for regulatory clearance of AST devices, clinical data generation to close breakpoints gaps, advocacy, education, and greater dialogue between stakeholders.
Increasing student interest with the Bacterial Unknown Identification Project: using mixed cultures to create real-world applications
Authors: Perri Kayla , Abdelhaseib Maha , Fricker Ashwana D.
Published: October 2023

Many introductory-level classes teach fundamental concepts, as they are prerequisites for upper-division courses. Therefore, the student body in these classes has diverse interests. To address this breadth of career trajectory, introductory-level laboratory courses often include experiments that demonstrate a wide range of microbiological techniques and processes. One of the experiments that is a standard component of many microbiology classes, the Bacterial Unknown Identification Project (BUIP), is often limited to isolated organisms or a specific environment. Here, we describe an updated method for the BUIP that incorporates the projected student career diversity through the implementation of multiple mixed cultures of microorganisms associated with different environments. This update can be utilized in any microbiology laboratory classroom. We maintained the learning objectives, including applying appropriate microbiological methods to analyze and interpret results, and effectively communicate scientific findings, while modifying the sample composition. Assessment of the modification demonstrated that upon completion of the BUIP, students felt that the project applied to their career and it did not take too much of their free time to complete.
The Adr1 transcription factor directs regulation of the ergosterol pathway and azole resistance in
Candida albicans
Authors: Shrivastava Manjari , Kouyoumdjian Gaëlle S. , Kirbizakis Eftyhios , Ruiz Daniel , Henry Manon , Vincent Antony T. , Sellam Adnane , Whiteway Malcolm
Published: October 2023

Transcription factors (TFs) play key roles in cellular regulation and are critical in the control of drug resistance in the fungal pathogen
Candida albicans
. We found that activation of the transcription factor C4_02500C_A (Adr1) conferred significant resistance against fluconazole. In
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
, Adr1 is a carbon-source-responsive zinc-finger transcription factor required for transcription of the glucose-repressed gene
ADH1
and of genes required for ethanol, glycerol, and fatty acid utilization. Motif scanning of promoter elements suggests that Adr1 may be rewired in fungi and govern the ergosterol synthesis pathway in
C. albicans
. Because previous studies have identified the zinc-cluster transcription factor Upc2 as a regulator of the ergosterol pathway in both fungi, we examined the relationship between Adr1 and Upc2 in sterol biosynthesis in
C. albicans
. Phenotypic profiles of either
ADR1
or
UPC2
modulation in
C. albicans
showed differential growth in the presence of fluconazole; either
adr1
or
upc2
homozygous deletion results in sensitivity to the drug, while their activation generates a fluconazole-resistant strain. The rewiring from ergosterol synthesis to fatty acid metabolism involved all members of the Adr1 regulon except the alcohol dehydrogenase Adh1, which remains under Adr1 control in both circuits and may have been driven by the lifestyle of
S
.
cerevisiae
, which requires the ability to both tolerate and process high concentrations of ethanol.

Importance

Research often relies on well-studied orthologs within related species, with researchers using a well-studied gene or protein to allow prediction of the function of the ortholog. In the opportunistic pathogen
Candida albicans
, orthologs are usually compared with
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
, and this approach has been very fruitful. Many transcription factors (TFs) do similar jobs in the two species, but many do not, and typically changes in function are driven not by modifications in the structures of the TFs themselves but in the connections between the transcription factors and their regulated genes. This strategy of changing TF function has been termed transcription factor rewiring. In this study, we specifically looked for rewired transcription factors, or
Candida
-specific TFs, that might play a role in drug resistance. We investigated 30 transcription factors that were potentially rewired or were specific to the
Candida
clade. We found that the Adr1 transcription factor conferred resistance to drugs like fluconazole, amphotericin B, and terbinafine when activated. Adr1 is known for fatty acid and glycerol utilization in
Saccharomyces
, but our study reveals that it has been rewired and is connected to ergosterol biosynthesis in
Candida albicans
.
Supplemental Material: The formation of lithium-rich pegmatites through multi-stage melting
Authors: Koopmans Lot , al. et
Published: October 2023

 Description of model setup and geochemical database used. 
PD-1 blockade in combination with dasatinib potentiates induction of anti-acute lymphocytic leukemia immunity
Authors: Koller Paul , Baran Natalia , Harutyunyan Karine , Cavazos Antonio , Mallampati Saradhi , Chin Renee L , Jiang Zhou , Sun Xian , Lee Heng-Huan , Hsu Jennifer L , Williams Patrick , Huang Xuelin , Curran Michael A , Hung Mien-Chie , Konopleva Marina
Published: October 2023

Immunotherapy, in the form of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), has been part of the standard of care in the treatment of acute leukemia for over 40 years. Trials evaluating novel immunotherapeutic approaches, such as targeting the programmed death-1 (PD-1) pathway, have unfortunately not yielded comparable results to those seen in solid tumors. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins are cell surface proteins essential for the adaptive immune system to recognize self versus non-self. MHC typing is used to determine donor compatibility when evaluating patients for HSCT. Recently, loss of MHC class II (MHC II) was shown to be a mechanism of immune escape in patients with acute myeloid leukemia after HSCT. Here we report that treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, dasatinib, and an anti-PD-1 antibody in preclinical models of Philadelphia chromosome positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is highly active. The dasatinib and anti-PD-1 combination reduces tumor burden, is efficacious, and extends survival. Mechanistically, we found that treatment with dasatinib significantly increased MHC II expression on the surface of antigen-presenting cells (APC) in a tumor microenvironment-independent fashion and caused influx of APC cells into the leukemic bone marrow. Finally, the induction of MHC II may potentiate immune memory by impairing leukemic engraftment in mice previously cured with dasatinib, after re-inoculation of leukemia cells. In summary, our data suggests that anti-PD-1 therapy may enhance the killing ability of dasatinib via dasatinib driven APC growth and expansion and upregulation of MHC II expression, leading to antileukemic immune rewiring.