bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ALPACA: A fast and accurate computer vision approach for automated landmarking of three‐dimensional biological structures
Authors: Porto Arthur , Rolfe Sara , Maga A. Murat
Published: July 2021

Landmark‐based geometric morphometrics has emerged as an essential discipline for the quantitative analysis of size and shape in ecology and evolution. With the ever‐increasing density of digitized landmarks, the possible development of a fully automated method of landmark placement has attracted considerable attention. Despite the recent progress in image registration techniques, which could provide a pathway to automation, three‐dimensional (3D) morphometric data are still mainly gathered by trained experts. For the most part, the large infrastructure requirements necessary to perform image‐based registration, together with its system specificity and its overall speed, have prevented its wide dissemination.

Here, we propose and implement a general and lightweight point cloud‐based approach to automatically collect high‐dimensional landmark data in 3D surfaces (Automated Landmarking through Point cloud Alignment and Correspondence Analysis). Our framework possesses several advantages compared with image‐based approaches. First, it presents comparable landmarking accuracy, despite relying on a single, random reference specimen and much sparser sampling of the structure's surface. Second, it can be efficiently run on consumer‐grade personal computers. Finally, it is general and can be applied at the intraspecific level to any biological structure of interest, regardless of whether anatomical atlases are available.

Our validation procedures indicate that the method can recover intraspecific patterns of morphological variation that are largely comparable to those obtained by manual digitization, indicating that the use of an automated landmarking approach should not result in different conclusions regarding the nature of multivariate patterns of morphological variation.

The proposed point cloud‐based approach has the potential to increase the scale and reproducibility of morphometrics research. To allow ALPACA to be used out‐of‐the‐box by users with no prior programming experience, we implemented it as a SlicerMorph module. SlicerMorph is an extension that enables geometric morphometrics data collection and 3D specimen analysis within the open‐source 3D Slicer biomedical visualization ecosystem. We expect that convenient access to this platform will make ALPACA broadly applicable within ecology and evolution.
Decreased antiviral immune response within the central nervous system of aged mice is associated with increased lethality of West Nile virus encephalitis
Authors: Funk Kristen E. , Arutyunov Artem D. , Desai Pritesh , White James P. , Soung Allison L. , Rosen Sarah F. , Diamond Michael S. , Klein Robyn S.
Published: July 2021

West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging pathogen that causes disease syndromes ranging from a mild flu‐like illness to encephalitis. While the incidence of WNV infection is fairly uniform across age groups, the risk of lethal encephalitis increases with advanced age. Prior studies have demonstrated age‐related, functional immune deficits that limit systemic antiviral immunity and increase mortality; however, the effect of age on antiviral immune responses specifically within the central nervous system (CNS) is unknown. Here, we show that aged mice exhibit increased peripheral organ and CNS tissue viral burden, the latter of which is associated with alterations in activation of both myeloid and lymphoid cells compared with similarly infected younger animals. Aged mice exhibit lower MHCII expression by microglia, and higher levels of PD1 and lower levels of IFNγ expression by WNV‐specific CD8+ T cells in the CNS and CD8+CD45+ cells. These data indicate that the aged CNS exhibits limited local reactivation of T cells during viral encephalitis, which may lead to reduced virologic control at this site.
Care transitions and social needs: A Geriatric Emergency care Applied Research (GEAR) Network scoping review and consensus statement
Authors: Gettel Cameron J. , Voils Corrine I. , Bristol Alycia A. , Richardson Lynne D. , Hogan Teresita M. , Brody Abraham A. , Gladney Micaela N. , Suyama Joe , Ragsdale Luna C. , Binkley Christine L. , Morano Carmen L. , Seidenfeld Justine , Hammouda Nada , Ko Kelly J. , Hwang Ula , Hastings Susan N.
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Individual‐level social needs have been shown to substantially impact emergency department (ED) care transitions of older adults. The Geriatric Emergency care Applied Research (GEAR) Network aimed to identify care transition interventions, particularly addressing social needs, and prioritize future research questions.

Methods

GEAR engaged 49 interdisciplinary stakeholders, derived clinical questions, and conducted searches of electronic databases to identify ED discharge care transition interventions in older adult populations. Informed by the Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE) framework, data extraction and synthesis of included studies included the degree that intervention components addressed social needs and their association with patient outcomes. GEAR convened a consensus conference to identify topics of highest priority for future care transitions research.

Results

Our search identified 248 unique articles addressing care transition interventions in older adult populations. Of these, 17 individual care transition intervention studies were included in the current literature synthesis. Overall, common care transition interventions included coordination efforts, comprehensive geriatric assessments, discharge planning, and telephone or in‐person follow‐up. Fourteen of the 17 care transition intervention studies in older adults specifically addressed at least one social need within the PRAPARE framework, most commonly related to access to food, medicine, or health care. No care transition intervention addressing social needs in older adult populations consistently reduced subsequent health care utilization or other patient‐centered outcomes. GEAR stakeholders identified that determining optimal outcome measures for ED–home transition interventions was the highest priority area for future care transitions research.

Conclusions

ED care transition intervention studies in older adults frequently address at least one social need component and exhibit variation in the degree of success on a wide array of health care utilization outcomes.
Exploring the effect of glaucomatous visual field defects of current drivers on a neuropsychological test battery
Authors: Tigchelaar Iris , de Waard Dick , Jansonius Nomdo M. , Leinonen Markku T.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

This study explores the effect of glaucomatous visual field defects on several neuropsychological tests that are often used in research and in clinical settings.

Methods

Nineteen glaucoma patients and nineteen healthy participants, which are current drivers and older than 65 years old were included. All participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), the Snellgrove Maze Task (SMT) and the Digit Span Test (DST). All participants were also tested on contrast sensitivity and near and far visual acuity. For the glaucoma patients, visual field tests were downloaded from hospital servers.

Results

On the MoCA test, glaucoma patients scored lower than the healthy group, but not significantly. On the MoCA‐Blind, the difference was statistically significant. Glaucoma patients also had lower percentile scores on the TMT, with a significant difference in the TMT‐A, but this difference largely disappeared in the calculated TMT B‐A index, which isolates the cognitive component. The BVRT and SMT showed no significant differences between both groups. In the only non‐visual test, the DST, glaucoma patients outperformed the healthy group. Glaucoma severity did not influence results, except for the BVRT on which the moderate/severe group has better scores.

Conclusion

Using visual items might lead to conclusions about cognition when it should be one about vision. Therefore, careful selection of tests is needed when examining cognition in glaucoma patients.
Uncovering the vertebrate scavenger guild composition and functioning in the Cerrado biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Naves‐Alegre Lara , Morales‐Reyes Zebensui , Sánchez‐Zapata José Antonio , Durá‐Alemañ Carlos Javier , Gonçalves Lima Leilda , Machado Lima Lourival , Sebastián‐González Esther
Published: July 2021

Scavenging is widespread among vertebrates, being very important for maintaining certain ecosystem functions. Despite this, the scavenger communities remain poorly known in some biomes, especially in the Neotropics. Our main objective was to describe for the first time the scavenger community and identify the factors affecting scavenging efficiency in the Brazilian Cerrado. We analyzed the effects of vegetation cover, time of carcass placement and carcass weight, on scavenger species richness, individual abundances, carcass detection and consumption times, and carcass consumption rate. We monitored 11 large and 45 small carcasses using automatic cameras. We documented a total of 19 vertebrate scavenging species, four species of vultures and 15 facultative scavengers. We found that carcass size was the most important factor affecting the scavenger assemblage and consumption patterns. Large carcasses were dominated by vultures, whereas small carcasses were consumed mainly by facultative scavengers. We also found differences between large and small carcasses in all carcass consumption variables except for detection time. However, we did not find an effect of vegetation cover or time of carcass placement on scavenging patterns. The negligible role of mammals and non‐raptor birds in large carcasses is also noteworthy, probably due to the consumption and foraging efficiency of the vultures, and the more frugivorous habits of the mesocarnivores. Our results show a highly diverse and efficient scavenging vertebrate community in the Brazilian Cerrado, and the need to preserve them in the face of the significant habitat transformations suffered by this biodiversity hotspot.

Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.
Glycoprotein non–metastatic melanoma protein B functions with growth factor signaling to induce tumorigenesis through its serine phosphorylation
Authors: Wang Chen , Okita Yukari , Zheng Ling , Shinkai Yasuhiro , Manevich Lev , Chin Jas M. , Kimura Tomokazu , Suzuki Hiroyuki , Kumagai Yoshito , Kato Mitsuyasu
Published: July 2021

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. Glycoprotein non–metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB), a type I transmembrane protein that is highly expressed in many cancers, including breast cancer, has been shown to be a prognostic factor. We previously reported that GPNMB overexpression confers tumorigenic potential, as evidenced by invasive tumor growth in vivo, sphere formation, and cellular migration and invasion to non–tumorigenic mammary epithelial cells. In this study, we focused on the serine (S) residue in the intracellular domain of GPNMB (S530 in human isoform b and S546 in mouse), which is predicted to be a phosphorylation site. To investigate the roles of this serine residue, we made an antibody specific for S530‐phosphorylated human GPNMB and a point mutant in which S530 is replaced by an alanine (A) residue, GPNMB(SA). Established GPNMB(SA) overexpressing cells showed a significant reduction in sphere formation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo as a result of decreased stemness‐related gene expression compared to that in GPNMB(WT)‐expressing cells. In addition, GPNMB(SA) impaired GPNMB‐mediated cellular migration. Furthermore, we found that tyrosine kinase receptor signaling triggered by epidermal growth factor or fibroblast growth factor 2 induces the serine phosphorylation of GPNMB through activation of downstream oncoproteins RAS and RAF.
Current progress and future perspectives of research on intravascular large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Shimada Kazuyuki , Kiyoi Hitoshi
Published: July 2021

Intravascular large B‐cell lymphoma is a rare disease of the large B cells characterized by selective growth in the lumina of small vessels in systemic organs. Since first reported in 1959, the difficulty of obtaining sufficient tumor cells from biopsy specimens has hampered the elucidation of its underlying biology. Recent progress using xenograft models and plasma cell‐free DNA has uncovered genetic features that are similar to those of activated B‐cell type diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma, including MYD88 and CD79B mutations and frequent alterations in immune check point‐related genes such as PD‐L1 and PD‐L2. Given the improvement in clinical outcomes and a higher risk of secondary central nervous system (CNS) involvement in the rituximab era, a phase 2 trial of R‐CHOP combined with high‐dose methotrexate and intrathecal chemotherapy as a CNS‐oriented therapy has been conducted. This trial, the PRIMEUR‐IVL study, has displayed good progression‐free survival and a low cumulative incidence of secondary CNS involvement. Long‐term follow‐up within this trial is still ongoing. Further understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease and improvements in clinical outcomes are still needed.
Clonal hematopoiesis and associated diseases: A review of recent findings
Authors: Asada Shuhei , Kitamura Toshio
Published: July 2021

Recent genome‐wide studies have revealed that aging or chronic inflammation can cause clonal expansion of cells in normal tissues. Clonal hematopoiesis has been the most intensively studied form of clonal expansion in the last decade. Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is an age‐related phenomenon observed in elderly individuals with no history of hematological malignancy. The most frequently mutated genes in CHIP are DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1, which are associated with initiation of leukemia. Importantly, CHIP has been the focus of a number of studies because it is an independent risk factor for myeloid malignancy, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all‐cause mortality. Animal models recapitulating human CHIP revealed that CHIP‐associated mutations alter the number and function of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and promote leukemic transformation. Moreover, chronic inflammation caused by infection or aging confers a fitness advantage to the CHIP‐associated mutant HSPCs. Myeloid cells, such as macrophages with a CHIP‐associated mutation, accelerate chronic inflammation and are associated with increased levels of inflammatory cytokines. This positive feedback loop between CHIP and chronic inflammation promotes development of atherosclerosis and chronic heart failure and thereby increases the risk for CVD. Notably, HSPCs with a CHIP‐associated mutation may alter not only innate but also acquired immune cells. This suggests that CHIP is involved in the development of solid cancers or immune disorders, such as aplastic anemia. In this review, we provide an overview of recent findings on CHIP. We also discuss potential interventions for treating CHIP and preventing myeloid transformation and CVD progression.
Effect of prone position ventilation on right heart function in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Lu Huaihai , Zhang Pei , Liu Xuefang , Jin Liwei , Zhu He
Published: July 2021

Background

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe respiratory disease with a high mortality rate. It is characterized by acute onset of pulmonary edema, hypoxemia, and the need of mechanical ventilation. As the primary treatment, ventilation has been considered effective in treating patients with ARDS. Recently, numerous studies have shown that prone position ventilation demonstrates more efficacy compared with traditional supine position. However, the potential impact of the non‐physiological prone position on patients remains unclear. Current study aims to evaluate the effect of prone position ventilation on right heart function in ARDS patients.

Methods

Following Berlin Diagnostic Criteria, 80 eligible patients were recruited and randomly assigned into prone position ventilation group and supine position ventilation group. Different ventilation methods were implemented in these two groups.

Results

Both positions showed the beneficial effects, as evidenced by decreased PV score and APACHE II score, enhanced blood gas index and right heart function parameters, and the prognosis analysis. However, compared with those receiving SPV treatment, the patients demonstrated greater benefits from PPV treatment, with significant differences in PV score (p < 0.01) and APACHE II score (p < 0.001), blood gas index such as PAPm (p < 0.05), and right heart function indicators (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Prone position mechanical ventilation is more beneficial than supine position ventilation in improving the blood gas status of patients with moderate to severe ARDS, and it is more helpful to reduce the load on the right heart and promote the recovery of patients.
Time course effect of corticospinal excitability for motor imagery
Authors: Takenaka Yuma , Suzuki Tomotaka , Sugawara Kenichi
Published: July 2021

This study examined the effect of temporal changes in corticospinal excitability in motor imagery (MI) and the effect of real‐time guides for MI on excitability changes. The MI task involved wrist flexion and motor evoked potentials using transcranial magnetic stimulation were recorded and examined from the flexor carpi radialis. Ballistic (momentary MI) and tonic (continuous MI) conditions were used, and the duration of each MI was different. In Experiment 1, each MI task was performed using an acoustic trigger. In Experiment 2, a real‐time guide was presented on a computer screen, which provided a visual indication of the onset and duration of the MI task through via moving dots on the screen. The results indicate that the corticospinal excitability changed differently, depending on the duration of MI. Additionally, with real‐time guides, the change in corticospinal excitability became clearer. Thus, corticospinal excitability changes due to the temporal specificities of MI, as well as with actual motor output. Moreover, if MI is actively performed without a guide, it is likely to show an unintended change in corticospinal excitability. It is suggested that when MI is performed with visual guide, the excitatory changes of the corticospinal tract might be different from the actual motor output. Therefore, when using MI for mental practices, it is possible to improve the effect of a guide for MI, such as a visual indicator for motor output. Additionally, when examining neural activities in MI, it may be necessary to consider the characteristics of motion performed by MI.
Change agents or defending the status quo? How senior leaders frame workplace gender equality
Authors: Cortis Natasha , Foley Meraiah , Williamson Sue
Published: July 2021

Senior leaders are usually understood to be ideally positioned to drive the organizational changes needed to promote workplace gender equality. Yet seniority also influences leaders' values and attitudes, and how they interpret evidence of inequalities, determine organizational priorities, and design and implement remedies. This article examines leaders' perceptions of workplace gender equality using system justification theory to explain survey data from Australia's public sector (n = 2292). Multivariate analysis indicates that male and female leaders more positively rate the gender equality climate in their agencies, compared with lower‐level staff, and that male leaders show most propensity to defend the status quo. Findings call into question the effectiveness of change strategies that rely on leadership and buy‐in of those whose privilege is embedded in existing arrangements, and problematize dominant organizational approaches casting senior leaders as effective change agents for gender equality. The article helps to explain gendered power dynamics, which produce and sustain organizational inequalities and make workplace equality so hard to achieve, and points to ways to strengthen practical approaches to promote equality in organizations.
Grain sorghum hybrids under drought stress and full‐irrigation conditions in the Brazilian Semiarid
Authors: Menezes Cicero Beserra de , Silva Karla Jorge da , Teodoro Larissa Pereira Ribeiro , Santos Crislene Vieira dos , Julio Bruno Henrique Mingote , Portugal Arley Figueiredo , Batista Paulo Sérgio Cardoso , Carvalho Abner José , Teodoro Paulo Eduardo
Published: July 2021

In Brazil, grain sorghum has been mainly grown in Cerrado biome during the off‐season, as a succession crop, after the soybean harvest. At this period, rainfall is erratic and insufficient, causing drought stress in pre‐ or post‐flowering of grain sorghum crops. In this scenario, the identification of both drought‐tolerant and irrigation responsive hybrids has been one of the main targets of sorghum breeding programmes. The hypothesis of this research was that grain sorghum genotypes respond differently to different moments of water deficit. This study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance of sorghum hybrids under full irrigation and drought stress at pre‐ and post‐flowering, in order to identify hybrids tolerant to drought stress and responsive to the water supply. Field trials were carried out in Nova Porteirinha during the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 crop seasons. Twelve grain sorghum single‐hybrids were evaluated for days to flowering and grain yield in three water availability conditions: drought stress at pre‐flowering, drought stress at post‐flowering and full‐irrigation (control). Tolerant hybrids were identified under both pre‐ and post‐flowering drought stress, as well as hybrids responsive to irrigation. The hybrids 1G282 and 116,748 stood out in the 2017/18 season for high yield and earliness under both drought‐stress conditions, while the hybrid 1G282, AG1090, AS4625 and DKB590 stood out for the 2018/19 season in both stress condition. The hybrid A9904 and 1G282 stood out for its responsiveness to water supply, being recommended to high‐tech farming systems that employ irrigation or for in‐season cultivation.
Appropriate definition of diabetes using an administrative database: A cross‐sectional cohort validation study
Authors: Nishioka Yuichi , Takeshita Saki , Kubo Shinichiro , Myojin Tomoya , Noda Tatsuya , Okada Sadanori , Ishii Hitoshi , Imamura Tomoaki , Takahashi Yutaka
Published: July 2021

Aims/Introduction

The purpose of the present study was to quantify errors in the diagnosis of diabetes for use in the national database, using a sufficient population size.

Materials and methods

A claims database constructed by the JMDC (Tokyo, Japan), using standardized disease classifications and anonymous record linkage, was used in this validation study. We included patients with health insurance claims data from April 2005 to March 2019 in the JMDC claims database. We excluded patients without a record of specific health checkups in Japan. Sample size calculation was based on a 5% prevalence of diabetes and 0.4% absolute accuracy (i.e., 1,250,000 individuals), to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value.

Results

In total, 2,999,152 patients were included in this study, of which 165,515 were classified as having diabetes based on specific health checkups (validation cohort prevalence of 5.5%). The newly devised algorithm had three elements – the diagnosis‐related codes for diabetes without suspected flag, the medication codes for diabetes and then these two codes on the same record – and yielded a sensitivity of 74.6%, positive predictive value of 88.4% and Kappa Index of 0.80 (the highest values).

Conclusions

In future claims database studies, our validated algorithms will be useful as diagnostic criteria for diabetes.
Healthcare stakeholders' perspective on barriers to integrated care in Switzerland: Results from the open‐ended question of a nationwide survey
Authors: Rawlinson Cloé , Lesage Saphir , Gilles Ingrid , Peytremann‐Bridevaux Isabelle
Published: July 2021

Objective

We aimed to identify the main barriers to integrated care (IC) as reported by healthcare stakeholders from various linguistic regions and health system specificities, according to their reality of practice.

Methods

Information was gathered through an open‐ended question from a national survey conducted in Switzerland in 2019. Responses were analysed qualitatively with the IRaMuTeQ software.

Results

Answers from 410 respondents were obtained. Respondents reported barriers at two levels: the system and professional level. Threat to financial benefits, concerns for patient data sharing and tensions between quality of care and benefits for patients versus costs were mentioned at the professional level, in their activity and in patient care. At the system level, limitations at the political level due to federalism and the lack of support and training for professionals were important barriers, in addition to the lack of recognition and compensation for professionals and the fragmented functioning of the health care system.

Conclusion

Our study underlines the importance of implementing innovative funding strategies and reimbursement schemes, as well as political willingness to move towards IC. The alignment between federal policies and cantonal specificities also appears as necessary to achieve involvement of professionals, promote integration of services and coordination of professionals for continuous and efficient care.
Artificial intelligence and polyp detection in colonoscopy: Use of a single neural network to achieve rapid polyp localization for clinical use
Authors: Li James Weiquan , Chia Tiongsun , Fock Kwong Ming , Chong Kenny De Wei , Wong Yu Jun , Ang Tiing Leong
Published: July 2021

Background and Aim

Artificial intelligence has been extensively studied to assist clinicians in polyp detection, but such systems usually require expansive processing power, making them prohibitively expensive and hindering wide adaption. The current study used a fast object detection algorithm, known as the YOLOv3 algorithm, to achieve real‐time polyp detection on a laptop. In addition, we evaluated and classified the causes of false detections to further improve accuracy.

Methods

The YOLOv3 algorithm was trained and validated with 6038 and 2571 polyp images, respectively. Videos from live colonoscopies in a tertiary center and those obtained from public databases were used for the training and validation sets. The algorithm was tested on 10 unseen videos from the CVC‐Video ClinicDB dataset. Only bounding boxes with an intersection over union area of > 0.3 were considered positive predictions.

Results

Polyp detection rate in our study was 100%, with the algorithm able to detect every polyp in each video. Sensitivity, specificity, and F1 score were 74.1%, 85.1%, and 83.3, respectively. The algorithm achieved a speed of 61.2 frames per second (fps) on a desktop RTX2070 GPU and 27.2 fps on a laptop GTX2060 GPU. Nearly a quarter of false negatives happened when the polyps were at the corner of an image. Image blurriness accounted for approximately 3% and 9% of false positive and false negative detections, respectively.

Conclusion

The YOLOv3 algorithm can achieve real‐time poly detection with high accuracy and speed on a desktop GPU, making it low cost and accessible to most endoscopy centers worldwide.
Reciprocal regulation of spontaneous synaptic vesicle fusion by Fragile X mental retardation protein and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors
Authors: Subrahmanyam Rohini , Dwivedi Deepanjali , Rashid Zubin , Bonnycastle Katherine , Cousin Michael A. , Chattarji Sumantra
Published: July 2021

Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is a neuronal protein mediating multiple functions, with its absence resulting in one of the most common monogenic causes of autism, Fragile X syndrome (FXS). Analyses of FXS pathophysiology have identified a range of aberrations in synaptic signaling pathways and plasticity associated with group I metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors. These studies, however, have mostly focused on the post‐synaptic functions of FMRP and mGlu receptor activation, and relatively little is known about their presynaptic effects. Neurotransmitter release is mediated via multiple forms of synaptic vesicle (SV) fusion, each of which contributes to specific neuronal functions. The impacts of mGlu receptor activation and loss of FMRP on these SV fusion events remain unexplored. Here we combined electrophysiological and fluorescence imaging analyses on primary hippocampal cultures prepared from an Fmr1 knockout (KO) rat model. Compared to wild‐type (WT) hippocampal neurons, KO neurons displayed an increase in the frequency of spontaneous excitatory post‐synaptic currents (sEPSCs), as well as spontaneous SV fusion events. Pharmacological activation of mGlu receptors in WT neurons caused a similar increase in spontaneous SV fusion and sEPSC frequency. Notably, this increase in SV fusion was not observed when spontaneous activity was blocked using the sodium channel antagonist tetrodotoxin. Importantly, the effect of mGlu receptor activation on spontaneous SV fusion was occluded in Fmr1 KO neurons. Together, our results reveal that FMRP represses spontaneous presynaptic SV fusion, whereas mGlu receptor activation increases this event. This reciprocal control appears to be mediated via their regulation of intrinsic neuronal excitability.

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Deprivation and intra‐family conflict: Children as agents in the Family Stress Model
Authors: Chzhen Yekaterina , Howarth Chester , Main Gill
Published: July 2021

Objective

The study applies an adapted Family Stress Model (FSM) to analyze the relationship between child material deprivation and intra‐family conflict about money using a nationally representative survey of children in England in 2018.

Background

The standard FSM holds that poverty is experienced by parents who, in turn, impact children. Drawing on new social studies of childhood, the authors posit that the model does not recognize children as social actors—with direct experiences of poverty—nor as social agents who co‐construct parent–child relationships in a context of poverty.

Method

The authors use secondary survey data from Fair Shares and Families, which investigated children's and parents' experiences of, and involvement in, the sharing of family resources. The authors estimate linear structural equation models to test an adapted FSM, which includes separate pathways (for parents and children) from economic hardship to intra‐family conflict.

Results

Both parent‐ and child‐reported economic pressure and psychological distress have significant direct and indirect associations with intra‐family conflict. The adapted model works the same way in lower and higher income households, as well as in lone parent and couple‐headed families.

Conclusion

Children's experiences as social actors and influence as social agents are important in shaping parent–child relationships. This suggests that the standard FSM is limited in its insights about how economic hardship affects children and families and its policy applications for interventions to mitigate the impacts of child poverty. Research applying the FSM should seek to conceptualize children as active “child‐beings,” rather than as passive “adult‐becomings.”
Income and poverty status among women experiencing intimate partner violence: A positive social return on investment from civil legal aid services
Authors: Teufel James , Renner Lynette M. , Gallo Michael , Hartley Carolyn Copps
Published: July 2021

We examined the economic status of women who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and sought civil legal aid services over 1 year. Women's average overall income increased, after accounting for both private income increases and public income decreases, by approximately $5500, and the odds of being in poverty 1 year after civil legal services decreased. The social return on investment estimate for total income impact relative to legal aid costs was 141%, meaning that women's overall income increased $2.41 for every $1 expended on legal aid services. Legal aid services can improve income and reduce poverty among women experiencing IPV.
A paramedian approach for dorsal root ganglion stimulation placement developed to limit lead migration and fracture
Authors: Chapman Kenneth B. , Spiegel Matthew A. , Dickerson David M. , Billet Bart , Patel Kiran V. , Hunter Corey , Antony Ajay , van Helmond Noud , Deer Timothy , Kallewaard Jan Willem , Hagedorn Jonathan M. , Yang Ajax
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRG‐S), has demonstrated superiority in the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome and causalgia. Lead migration and fracture impact DRG‐S therapeutic stability. Lead anchoring reduces DRG‐S lead migration without increasing lead fracture. Lead fracture may be related to lead entrapment in the superficial fascial plane. A novel medialized approach for lead placement and anchoring is presented to address these issues.

Methods

We suggest an alternative technique for implanting percutaneous DRG‐S leads at the T10‐L5 levels.

Results

A novel medialized ipsilateral technique for lead placement and anchoring for single, bilateral, and adjacent segment placement is presented. The Tuohy needle puncture site is medial to the pedicle and adjacent to the spinous process, two vertebral levels caudad to the target foramen. Trajectory is maintained in the sagittal plane, to access the caudad interlaminar space near the midline. This technique allows for ipsilateral or contralateral lead placement. After epidural access, the introducer sheath is rotated toward the targeted foramen and advanced. The guidewire followed by the lead is passed, and once lead position is confirmed, tension “S” loops are created, followed by anchoring to the deep fascia.

Conclusion

We describe a new paramedian technique for DRG‐S lead placement. We propose it will decrease DRG‐S complication rates through anchoring to reduce migration and by avoiding the fascial planes thought to be responsible for fracture. Long‐term outcomes applying our proposed techniques are required for determining the true impact, however, early anecdotal results suggest that these new techniques are favorable.
Engineering chloroplast development in rice through cell‐specific control of endogenous genetic circuits
Authors: Lee Dong‐Yeon , Hua Lei , Khoshravesh Roxana , Giuliani Rita , Kumar Indrajit , Cousins Asaph , Sage Tammy L. , Hibberd Julian M. , Brutnell Thomas P.
Published: July 2021

The engineering of C4 photosynthetic activity into the C3 plant rice has the potential to nearly double rice yields. To engineer a two‐cell photosynthetic system in rice, the rice bundle sheath (BS) must be rewired to enhance photosynthetic capacity. Here, we show that BS chloroplast biogenesis is enhanced when the transcriptional activator, Oryza sativa Cytokinin GATA transcription factor 1 (OsCGA1), is driven by a vascular specific promoter. Ectopic expression of OsCGA1 resulted in increased BS chloroplast planar area and increased expression of photosynthesis‐associated nuclear genes (PhANG), required for the biogenesis of photosynthetically active chloroplasts in BS cells of rice. A further refinement using a DNAse dead Cas9 (dCas9) activation module driven by the same cell‐type specific promoter, directed enhanced chloroplast development of the BS cells when gRNA sequences were delivered by the dCas9 module to the promoter of the endogenous OsCGA1 gene. Single gRNA expression was sufficient to mediate the transactivation of both the endogenous gene and a transgenic GUS reporter fused with OsCGA1 promoter. Our results illustrate the potential for tissue‐specific dCas9‐activation and the co‐regulation of genes needed for multistep engineering of C4 rice.
A clear trade‐off between leaf hydraulic efficiency and safety in an aridland shrub during regrowth
Authors: Yao Guang‐Qian , Nie Zheng‐Fei , Zeng Yuan‐Yuan , Waseem Muhammad , Hasan Md. Mahadi , Tian Xue‐Qian , Liao Zhong‐Qiang , Siddique Kadambot H. M. , Fang Xiang‐Wen
Published: July 2021

It has been suggested that a trade‐off between hydraulic efficiency and safety is related to drought adaptation across species. However, whether leaf hydraulic efficiency is sacrificed for safety during woody resprout regrowth after crown removal is not well understood. We measured leaf water potential (ψleaf) at predawn (ψpd) and midday (ψmid), leaf maximum hydraulic conductance (Kleaf‐max), ψleaf at induction 50% loss of Kleaf‐max (Kleaf P50), leaf area‐specific whole‐plant hydraulic conductance (LSC), leaf vein structure and turgor loss point (πtlp) in 1‐ to 13‐year‐old resprouts of the aridland shrub (Caragana korshinskii). ψpd was similar, ψmid and Kleaf P50 became more negative, and Kleaf–max decreased in resprouts with the increasing age; thus, leaf hydraulic efficiency clearly traded off against safety. The difference between ψmid and Kleaf P50, leaf hydraulic safety margin, increased gradually with increasing resprout age. More negative ψmid and Kleaf P50 were closely related to decreasing LSC and more negative πtlp, respectively, and the decreasing Kleaf‐max arose from the lower minor vein density and the narrower midrib xylem vessels. Our results showed that a clear trade‐off between leaf hydraulic efficiency and safety helps C. korshinskii resprouts adapt to increasing water stress as they approach final size.
Long‐term outcome of early steroid withdrawal in pediatric renal transplantation
Authors: Gajardo Macarena , Delucchi Angela , Pérez Diego , Cancino José M. , Gálvez Carla , Ledezma Ximena , Ceballos María L. , Lillo Ana M. , Cano Francisco , Guerrero José L. , Rojo Angélica , Azócar Marta , González Gloria , Pinilla Cesar , Correa Ramón , Toro Luis
Published: July 2021

Background

Steroid use in renal transplant is related to multiple adverse effects. Long‐term effects of early withdrawal steroids in pediatric renal transplant were assessed.

Methods

Renal transplant children with low immunological risk treated on basiliximab, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate with steroid withdrawal or steroid control were evaluated between 2003 and 2019. Clinical variables, treatment adherence, acute rejection, graft loss, and death were analyzed through hazard ratios, and Kaplan‐Meier and multivariate analyses.

Results

The study included 152 patients, 71.1% steroid withdrawal, mean follow‐up 8.5 years, 64.5% structural abnormalities, and 81.6% deceased donor. At 12 years of transplant, event‐free survival analysis for graft loss or death showed no significant difference between steroid withdrawal and control steroid treatment (85.9% vs. 80.4%, p = .36) nor in acute rejection at 10 years (18.5% vs. 20.5%, p = .78) or in donor‐specific antibody appearance (19.6% vs. 21.4%, p = .98). Delta height Z‐score was increased in the steroid withdrawal group (p < .01). The main predictor of graft loss or death was non‐adherence to treatment (p = .001; OR: 17.5 [3.3–90.9]).

Conclusions

Steroid withdrawal therapy was effective and safe for low‐risk pediatric renal transplant in long‐term evaluation. Non‐adherence was the main predictor of graft loss or death.
Restoration of a boreal peatland impacted by an in‐situ oil sands well‐pad 2: Greenhouse gas exchange dynamics
Authors: Engering Alexandra , Davidson Scott J. , Xu Bin , Bird Melanie , Rochefort Line , Strack Maria
Published: July 2021

Across Canada's boreal forest, disturbances from in situ oil sands mining, including well‐pads, significantly impact vast areas of the landscape. The creation of well‐pads requires removal of vegetation and placement of mineral fill, which essentially stops any carbon (C) sequestration on the once peatland ecosystem. It is important that, once no longer in use, these well‐pads are restored as long‐term C (peat) accumulation is what defines peatland ecosystem. However, little is known about the recovery of greenhouse gas exchange post‐restoration of these features. We studied a decommissioned well‐pad located in a treed poor fen that was restored using three soil adjustment treatments (SATs): (1) complete mineral fill removal (Peat‐Dec); (2) partial pad removal and burial under peat layer (BUPL); and (3) mixing mineral and peat by inversion (Mixed‐P‐M). The recreated peat surface was revegetated with donor peatland species using the moss layer transfer technique (MLTT). The objectives of this paper were to (1) quantify plot‐scale seasonal carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) exchange of the SATs, 2–4 years post‐restoration compared to reference sites and (2) determine the influence of several environmental variables on CO2 and CH4 exchange. All SATs proved effective in recreating a soil surface needed to support peatland vegetation as shown by similar rates of net ecosystem exchange (NEE). Equally, both types of vegetation reintroduced led this site on a trajectory toward functioning as a net C sink.
Identifying priorities for post‐fire restoration in California chaparral shrublands
Authors: Underwood Emma C. , Hollander Allan D. , Molinari Nicole A. , Larios Loralee , Safford Hugh D.
Published: July 2021

When wildfires occur at sufficiently low frequencies, chaparral shrubland regenerates without the need for active restoration. However, shrubland with high fire frequency, particularly in conjunction with other stressors, can require active restoration. Here we present a Post‐fire Restoration Prioritization (PReP) tool for chaparral shrublands which identifies priorities for post‐fire restoration based on the regeneration potential of shrubs and accounts for fire history, drought tolerance, and competition from annual grasses. We demonstrate the tool on the Copper (2002) and Powerhouse (2013) fires on the Angeles National Forest and determine that 9% (665 ha) and 14% (1,532 ha) of the fire areas, respectively, have low regeneration capacity, and therefore represent priority areas for restoration. For more recent fires (≤2 years ago), an additional component of the tool integrates erosion risk data to identify locations where active restoration may enhance hillside stabilization. To ground‐truth tool outputs for the Powerhouse Fire, we sampled 57 plots to assess if recovery was indeed impeded in low versus high regeneration capacity classes. Low regeneration plots exhibited significantly higher grass and herbaceous cover, with high abundance of non‐native species. Furthermore, resprouting shrub species contributed proportionally more cover than obligate seeders in low regeneration plots, with fewer individuals regenerating from seed compared to resprouting. These findings underscore the potential of the PReP tool to provide credible spatial guidance for shrubland management, both in California and potentially in other Mediterranean‐type climate regions, as to where active restoration is most likely to ensure long‐term sustainability of chaparral and associated ecosystem services.
On the existence, uniqueness, and stability of periodic waves for the fractional Benjamin–Bona–Mahony equation
Authors: Amaral Sabrina , Borluk Handan , Muslu Gulcin M. , Natali Fábio , Oruc Goksu
Published: July 2021

The existence, uniqueness, and stability of periodic traveling waves for the fractional Benjamin–Bona–Mahony equation is considered. In our approach, we give sufficient conditions to prove a uniqueness result for the single‐lobe solution obtained by a constrained minimization problem. The spectral stability is then shown by determining that the associated linearized operator around the wave restricted to the orthogonal of the tangent space related to the momentum and mass at the periodic wave has no negative eigenvalues. We propose the Petviashvili's method to investigate the spectral stability of the periodic waves for the fractional Benjamin–Bona–Mahony equation, numerically. Some remarks concerning the orbital stability of periodic traveling waves are also presented.
Volunteers do the fun stuff ‒ Experiences from volunteer‒professional caregiver cooperation in nursing homes
Authors: Stølen Karen Marie Sangild
Published: July 2021

Background

The number of volunteers in Danish nursing homes is increasing. Volunteers cooperate with professional caregivers to improve the residents’ well‐being and quality of life as part of their palliative care. The Danish government encourages this volunteer involvement, which is partly intended to alleviate the resource constraints in municipal healthcare. Although volunteer roles are defined as complementary to the professional caregiver role, volunteer‒professional caregiver cooperation can be challenging.

Aim

This article explores the challenges experienced in volunteer‒professional caregiver cooperation in the general palliative care provided in nursing homes.

Method

A qualitative design and a sociological phenomenological approach were adopted to answer the research question: What is experienced as challenging in the cooperation between volunteer and professional caregivers in the provision of care for elderly residents in everyday life in a nursing home? And what meanings and understandings are associated with these experiences? Data were collected by combining participant observations and interviews, and thematic analysis structured the analytical process.

Findings

The analysis of 115 hours of participant observations in two Danish nursing homes with 50‒60 volunteers involved and 16 interviews (eight with volunteers, eight with professional caregivers) identified two overall themes: ‘Symbolic indications of them and us’ (two sub‐themes) and ‘Meaning and action regarding the residents best interest’ (three sub‐themes).

Conclusions

An institutional distinction between volunteer versus professional caregiver domains contributed to a sense of ‘them and us’, which hindered common experiences and raised challenges concerning the mutual understanding of actions. The professional caregivers felt that they lacked the time to engage in social care activities with residents, for which volunteers otherwise had time. The coordinator role was a crucial link in coordinating the daily care activities for residents but marked by a sense of ambivalence among the professional caregivers.
Regulation of thymic T regulatory cell differentiation by TECs in health and disease
Authors: Tao Zehua , Jiang Yalan , Xia Sheng
Published: July 2021

The thymus produces self‐limiting and self‐tolerant T cells through the interaction between thymocytes and thymus epithelial cells (TECs), thereby generating central immune tolerance. The TECs are composed of cortical and medullary thymic epithelial cells, which regulate the positive and negative selection of T cells, respectively. During the process of negative selection, thymocytes with self‐reactive ability are deleted or differentiated into regulatory T cells (Tregs). Tregs are a subset of suppressor T cells that are important for maintaining immune homeostasis. The differentiation and development of Tregs depend on the development of TECs and other underlying molecular mechanisms. Tregs regulated by thymic epithelial cells are closely related to human health and are significant in autoimmune diseases, thymoma and pregnancy. In this review, we summarize the current molecular and transcriptional regulatory mechanisms by which TECs affect the development and function of thymic Tregs. We also review the pathophysiological models of thymic epithelial cells regulating thymic Tregs in human diseases and specific physiological conditions.