bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
H2 generated by fermentation in the human gut microbiome influences metabolism and competitive fitness of gut butyrate producers
Authors: Campbell Austin , Gdanetz Kristi , Schmidt Alexander W. , Schmidt Thomas M.
Published: June 2023

Background

Hydrogen gas (H2) is a common product of carbohydrate fermentation in the human gut microbiome and its accumulation can modulate fermentation. Concentrations of colonic H2 vary between individuals, raising the possibility that H2 concentration may be an important factor differentiating individual microbiomes and their metabolites. Butyrate-producing bacteria (butyrogens) in the human gut usually produce some combination of butyrate, lactate, formate, acetate, and H2 in branched fermentation pathways to manage reducing power generated during the oxidation of glucose to acetate and carbon dioxide. We predicted that a high concentration of intestinal H2 would favor the production of butyrate, lactate, and formate by the butyrogens at the expense of acetate, H2, and CO2. Regulation of butyrate production in the human gut is of particular interest due to its role as a mediator of colonic health through anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties.

Results

For butyrogens that contained a hydrogenase, growth under a high H2 atmosphere or in the presence of the hydrogenase inhibitor CO stimulated production of organic fermentation products that accommodate reducing power generated during glycolysis, specifically butyrate, lactate, and formate. Also as expected, production of fermentation products in cultures of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii strain A2-165, which does not contain a hydrogenase, was unaffected by H2 or CO. In a synthetic gut microbial community, addition of the H2-consuming human gut methanogen Methanobrevibacter smithii decreased butyrate production alongside H2 concentration. Consistent with this observation, M. smithii metabolic activity in a large human cohort was associated with decreased fecal butyrate, but only during consumption of a resistant starch dietary supplement, suggesting the effect may be most prominent when H2 production in the gut is especially high. Addition of M. smithii to the synthetic communities also facilitated the growth of E. rectale, resulting in decreased relative competitive fitness of F. prausnitzii.

Conclusions

H2 is a regulator of fermentation in the human gut microbiome. In particular, high H2 concentration stimulates production of the anti-inflammatory metabolite butyrate. By consuming H2, gut methanogenesis can decrease butyrate production. These shifts in butyrate production may also impact the competitive fitness of butyrate producers in the gut microbiome.
Development of a dual energy CT based model to assess response to treatment in patients with high grade serous ovarian cancer: a pilot cohort study
Authors: Alizzi Zena , Gogbashian Andrew , Karteris Emmanouil , Hall Marcia
Published: June 2023

Background

In patients with cancer, the current gold standard for assessing response to treatment involves measuring cancer lesions on computed tomography (CT) imaging. The percentage change in size of specific lesions determines whether patients have had a complete/partial response or progressive disease, according to RECIST criteria. Dual Energy CT (DECT) permits additional measurements of iodine concentration, a surrogate marker of vascularity. Here we explore the role of changes in iodine concentration within cancer tissue on CT scans to assess its suitability for determining treatment response in patients with high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC).

Methods

Suitable RECIST measurable lesions were identified from the CT images of HGSOC patients, taken at 2 different time points (pre and post treatment). Changes in size and iodine concentration were measured for each lesion. PR/SD were classified as responders, PD was classified as non-responder. Radiological responses were correlated with clinical and CA125 outcomes.

Results

62 patients had appropriate imaging for assessment. 22 were excluded as they only had one DECT scan. 32/40 patients assessed (113 lesions) had received treatment for relapsed HGSOC. RECIST and GCIG (Gynaecologic Cancer Inter Group) CA125 criteria / clinical assessment of response for patients was correlated with changes in iodine concentration, before and after treatment. The prediction of median progression free survival was significantly better associated with changes in iodine concentration (p = 0.0001) and GCIG Ca125 / clinical assessment (p = 0.0028) in comparison to RECIST criteria (p = 0.43).

Conclusion

Changes in iodine concentration from dual energy CT imaging may be more suitable than RECIST in assessing response to treatment in patients with HGSOC.

Trial Registration

CICATRIx IRAS number 198179, 14 Dec 2015, https://www.myresearchproject.org.uk/.
Differences in Korean learners’ acquisition of causative expressions: focus on learners’ proficiency level
Authors: Jeong Hyeyun , Kim Hojung
Published: June 2023

This study examines the learning patterns of intermediate and advanced Korean learners in the acquisition of causative expressions according to their proficiency and the causative sentence type. We measured their grammatical knowledge using three types of grammaticality judgment tasks (GJTs) and self-paced reading tasks (SPRTs) differing in time limit and modality. We included the GJT A' score and reading time (RT) for SPRTs’ target and spillover regions. The results showed that intermediate learners’ accuracy for morphological and lexical causatives was lower than that for syntactic causatives, while advanced learners’ accuracy for lexical causatives was lower than that for syntactic and morphological causatives. Learners showed a lower accuracy for timed written and aural GJTs than untimed GJT. In SPRT, learners took twice as long to process the target regions as native speakers and even longer to process spillover regions. Advanced learners had a longer RT. Learners had a low correct rate for causative suffix substitution and adjectival root questions, substitution questions on causative markers, and substitution questions on causee case postpositions in morphological, syntactic, and lexical causatives. Learners showed confusion with active sentences in lexical causatives. This study has implications for understanding causative expression acquisition for learners’ proficiency levels.
Dietary patterns and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in an elderly Iranian population: a case–control study
Authors: Hashemi Rezvan , Vahabi Zahra , Rasekhi Hamid , Shiraseb Farideh , Amini Maryam
Published: June 2023

Background

An increasing number of studies in Western countries have shown that healthy eating patterns have a protective effect against cognitive decline and dementia, however, information about this relationship among non-western populations with different cultural environments is scarce. The present study investigated the association between dietary patterns (DPs) and cognitive function in the Iranian elderly.

Methods

In this case–control study, the data of 290 elderly people in two groups of case and control (Mean age in case: 74.2 ± 8.6, in control: 67.3 ± 7.3 year) were analyzed. Two DPs of healthy and unhealthy were extracted from a 142-item dish-based food frequency questionnaire, and patterns driven by principal components analysis (PCA) of 25 food groups. Multivariate binary logistic regression calculated the odds ratio (OR) of cognitive impairment with adjustment for potential confounding factors.

Results

A healthy DP, characterized by high consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes, and nuts, was related to a decrease in the odds of Alzheimer’s disease in Iranian elderly people. Also, moderate adherence to an unhealthy food pattern was associated with an increase in the probability of the disease; however, the association was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

In this elderly population, a healthy eating pattern was associated with reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Further prospective studies are recommended.
Novel lipidomes profile and clinical phenotype identified in pneumoconiosis patients
Authors: Shi Liyong , Dai Xiaofang , Yan Furong , Lin Yujun , Lin Lianshun , Zhang Yongquan , Zeng Yiming , Chen Xiaoyang
Published: June 2023

Background

Pneumoconiosis is a group of occupational lung diseases caused by the inhalation of mineral dust in the lungs, leading to lung dysfunction. Patients with pneumoconiosis are usually accompanied by weight loss, which suggests a lipid metabolism disorder. Recent progress in lipidomics uncovered detailed lipid profiles that play important roles in respiratory diseases, such as asthma, lung cancer and lung injury. The purpose of this study was to shed light on the different expression of lipidome between pneumoconiosis and healthy, hoping to bring new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of pneumoconiosis.

Methodology

This non-matching case–control study was performed among 96 subjects (48 outpatients with male pneumoconiosis and 48 healthy volunteers), data of clinical phenotypes were recorded, and plasma biochemistry (lipidomic profiles) was tested for both pneumoconiosis patients and healthy controls. A total of 426 species in 11 lipid classes were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QqQ-MS) for the cases and controls. We also analyzed the correlation of lipid profiles with clinical phenomes from pneumoconiosis patients by expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) model to evaluate trans-nodules between lipidomic profiles and clinical phenomes. All visually re-checked data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools (t-test or one-way ANOVA test) on SPSS.

Results

Compared with healthy people, 26 significantly increased (> 1.5-fold) and 30 decreased lipid elements (< 2/threefold) in patients with pneumoconiosis were identified (P values all < 0.05). The majority of those elevated lipid elements were phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), and the minority were free fatty acids (FFAs), while phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and lysophosphatidylcholines (lysoPCs) declined in pneumoconiosis. Clinical trans-omics analyses demonstrated that phenomes in pneumoconiosis connections with multiple lipids, which showed that pH, lung function, mediastinal lymph node calcification, and complication were highly correlated with lipid elements. Furthermore, up-regulated PE was corresponded to pH, smoking history and mediastinal lymph node calcification. PC was corresponded to dust exposure history, BMI and mediastinal lymph node calcification.

Conclusion

We found altered lipid panels between male pneumoconiosis patients and healthy people by qualitatively and quantitatively measured plasma lipidomic profiles. The trans-omic analysis between clinical phenomes and lipidomes might have the potential to uncover the heterogeneity of lipid metabolism of pneumoconiosis patients and to screen out clinically significant phenome-based lipid panels.
A white-box model for real-time simulation of acid–base balance in blood plasma
Authors: Antonius Timothy A. J. , van Meurs Willem W. L. , Westerhof Berend E. , de Boode Willem P.
Published: June 2023

Maintaining an optimal acid base is important for the patient. The theory underlying acid–base balance can be challenging for clinicians and educators. These considerations justify creating simulations that include realistic changes to the partial pressure of carbon dioxide, pH, and bicarbonate ion concentration in a range of conditions. Our explanatory simulation application requires a model that derives these variables from total carbon dioxide content and runs in real time. The presented model is derived from the Stewart model, which is based on physical and chemical principles, and takes into account the effects of weak acids and strong ions on the acid–base balance. An inventive code procedure allows for efficient computation. The simulation results match target data for a broad range of clinically and educationally relevant disturbances of the acid–base balance. The model code meets the real-time goals of the application and can be applied in other educational simulations. Python model source code is made available.
The Cuban melting pot in the late colonial period
Authors: Livi-Bacci Massimo
Published: June 2023

Between 1774, the date of the first official enumeration, and the end of the following century, the population of Cuba grew ninefold to 1.6 million, mostly because of the slave trade, and immigration from Spain. While census data offer a relatively dependable mass of data, although spare in details, vital statistics are rare and of very poor quality. The paper attempts an analysis of the factors of growth of the three major “racial” groups—the White, the Mulatto, and the Black—and of their mixing. It confirmed the commonly accepted notion of the higher mortality, and lower fertility, of the Black population (mainly slaves): its losses due to the negative natural balance were more than offset in the first phase by the inflow of slaves. But the Black population declined in the second part of the nineteenth century with the demise of the trade. The theory of the fastest growth of the Mulatto group because of the frequent intrusion of the White males in the Black reproductive pool, could not be clearly verified, although it is fully supported by the developments of the following century.
Impact of access to improved water and sanitation on diarrhea reduction among rural under-five children in low and middle-income countries: a propensity score matched analysis
Authors: Merid Mehari Woldemariam , Alem Adugnaw Zeleke , Chilot Dagmawi , Belay Daniel Gashaneh , Kibret Anteneh Ayelign , Asratie Melaku Hunie , Shibabaw Yadelew Yimer , Aragaw Fantu Mamo
Published: June 2023

Background

Diarrhea, the second leading cause of child morbidity and mortality worldwide, is responsible for more than 90% of deaths in children under 5 years of age in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The high burden of diarrhea is mainly attributable to the limited access to improved water and sanitation. However, the impacts of improved sanitation and drinking water in preventing diarrheal diseases are not well understood. Therefore, this study estimated both the independent and joint effects of improved sanitation and water on diarrhea occurrence among rural under-five children in LMICs.

Methods

The current study utilized secondary data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) datasets conducted between 2016 and 2021 in 27 LMICs. A total weighted sample of 330,866 under-five children was included in the study. We employed propensity score matching analysis (PSMA) to examine the effects of accessing improved water and sanitation on childhood diarrheal disease reduction.

Results

The prevalence of diarrhea among children under 5 years of age in rural LMICs was 11.02% (95% CI; 10.91%, 11.31%). The probability of developing diarrhea among under-five children from households with improved sanitation and water was 16.6% (Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT) = − 0.166) and 7.4% (ATT = − 0.074) times less likely among those from households with unimproved sanitation and water, respectively. Access to improved water and sanitation is significantly associated with a 24.5% (ATT = − 0.245) reduction of diarrheal disease among under-five children.

Conclusions

Improved sanitation and drinking water source reduced the risk of diarrhea among under-five children in LMIC. The effects of both interventions (improved water and sanitation) had a larger impact on the reduction of diarrheal disease than the improvements to water or sanitation alone. Therefore, achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) is key to reducing diarrhea among rural under-five children.
Knowledge of genetics of hearing and genetic counseling among practicing audiologists
Authors: Madhu Harini , Harinath Sathya , Parvathi Venkatachalam Deepa
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Hearing loss occurs during various periods of life. Around half of the world's hearing loss is considered to be inherited or genetic. Audiologists play a key role in educating the patient/family about the origin of hearing loss and counseling on genetic aspects of hearing. Genetics has been part of the curriculum in India for the specialised master’s degree in audiology since 2009. There is a need to investigate the impact of this course on the field of knowledge and practice of hearing genetics among audiologists. In this study, we examined the knowledge and practice of genetics of hearing among audiologists practicing in India. In addition, we compared graduates who learnt genetics in their curriculum with graduates who did not.

Method

A thirty-six-point questionnaire was developed based on clinical and research studies conducted hitherto and inputs from practicing geneticists. The survey consists of five domains. 133 audiologists participated in the study.

Results

Based on percentage analysis, overall knowledge and practice of the genetics of hearing among the audiologists were not adequate in certain aspects of the genetics of hearing (inheritance pattern and genetic counseling). There were no significant differences in knowledge and practice between audiologists based on educational qualifications and work experience.

Conclusion

This novel study compared knowledge of audiologists and practice based on their work experience and educational qualifications. The present study reported that the majority of audiologists were interested in updating their knowledge about the genetics of hearing.
Hypofractionation Adoption in Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy: Results of an International Survey
Authors: Sabbagh Ali , Weiss Jessica , Tawk Bouchra , Mohammed Mohammed A. , Abdulbaki Hasan , Moraes Fabio Y. , Grover Surbhi , Yap Mei Ling , Zubizarreta Eduardo , Lievens Yolande , Rodin Danielle , Mohamad Osama
Published: June 2023

PURPOSE

Hypofractionation is noninferior to conventional fractionation in the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Using results from the European Society of Radiation Oncology's (ESTRO) Global Impact of Radiotherapy in Oncology (GIRO) initiative survey on hypofractionation, this study identifies rates of adoption, facilitating factors, and barriers to adoption of hypofractionation in prostate cancer across World Bank income groups.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The ESTRO-GIRO initiative administered an international, anonymous, electronic survey to radiation oncologists from 2018 to 2019. Physician demographics, clinical practice characteristics, and hypofractionation regimen use (if any) for several prostate cancer scenarios were collected. Responders were asked about specific justifications and barriers to adopting hypofractionation, and responses were stratified by World Bank income group. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze variables associated with hypofractionation preference.

RESULTS

A total of 1,157 physician responses were included. Most respondents (60%) were from high-income countries (HICs). In the curative setting, hypofractionation was most often preferred in low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancers, with 52% and 47% of respondents reporting hypofractionation use in ≥50% of patients, respectively. These rates drop to 35% and 20% in high-risk prostate cancer and where pelvic irradiation is indicated. Most respondents (89%) preferred hypofractionation in the palliative setting. Overall, respondents from upper-middle-income countries and lower-middle- and low-income countries were significantly less likely to prefer hypofractionation than those from HICs ( P < .001). The most frequently cited justification and barrier were availability of published evidence and fear of worse late toxicity, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Hypofractionation preference varies by indication and World Bank income group, with greater acceptance among providers in HICs for all indications. These results provide a basis for targeted interventions to increase provider acceptance of this treatment modality.
Relapse Timing Is Associated With Distinct Evolutionary Dynamics in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Hilton Laura K. , Ngu Henry S. , Collinge Brett , Dreval Kostiantyn , Ben-Neriah Susana , Rushton Christopher K. , Wong Jasper C.H. , Cruz Manuela , Roth Andrew , Boyle Merrill , Meissner Barbara , Slack Graham W. , Farinha Pedro , Craig Jeffrey W. , Gerrie Alina S. , Freeman Ciara L. , Villa Diego , Rodrigo Judith A. , Song Kevin , Crump Michael , Shepherd Lois , Hay Annette E. , Kuruvilla John , Savage Kerry J. , Kridel Robert , Karsan Aly , Marra Marco A. , Sehn Laurie H. , Steidl Christian , Morin Ryan D. , Scott David W.
Published: June 2023

PURPOSE

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is cured in more than 60% of patients, but outcomes remain poor for patients experiencing disease progression or relapse (refractory or relapsed DLBCL [rrDLBCL]), particularly if these events occur early. Although previous studies examining cohorts of rrDLBCL have identified features that are enriched at relapse, few have directly compared serial biopsies to uncover biological and evolutionary dynamics driving rrDLBCL. Here, we sought to confirm the relationship between relapse timing and outcomes after second-line (immuno)chemotherapy and determine the evolutionary dynamics that underpin that relationship.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Outcomes were examined in a population-based cohort of 221 patients with DLBCL who experienced progression/relapse after frontline treatment and were treated with second-line (immuno)chemotherapy with an intention-to-treat with autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). Serial DLBCL biopsies from a partially overlapping cohort of 129 patients underwent molecular characterization, including whole-genome or whole-exome sequencing in 73 patients.

RESULTS

Outcomes to second-line therapy and ASCT are superior for late relapse (>2 years postdiagnosis) versus primary refractory (<9 months) or early relapse (9-24 months). Diagnostic and relapse biopsies were mostly concordant for cell-of-origin classification and genetics-based subgroup. Despite this concordance, the number of mutations exclusive to each biopsy increased with time since diagnosis, and late relapses shared few mutations with their diagnostic counterpart, demonstrating a branching evolution pattern. In patients with highly divergent tumors, many of the same genes acquired new mutations independently in each tumor, suggesting that the earliest mutations in a shared precursor cell constrain tumor evolution toward the same genetics-based subgroups at both diagnosis and relapse.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that late relapses commonly represent genetically distinct and chemotherapy-naïve disease and have implications for optimal patient management.
Impact of Simultaneous Circulating Tumor DNA and Tissue Genotyping in the Workup of Stage IV Lung Adenocarcinoma on Quality of Care in an Academic Community Medical Center
Authors: Maity Alisha P. , Gangireddy Mounika , Degen Kathleen C. , Al-Saleem Fetweh H. , Bramson Joshua , Ciocca Vincenzo , Dessain Scott K. , Evans Tracey L.
Published: June 2023

PURPOSE

In patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma, evidence-based first-line treatment decisions require analysis of tumors for genomic alterations (GAs). Optimizing the genotyping paradigm may improve the delivery of precision oncology care. Actionable GAs can be identified by analyzing tumor tissue or circulating tumor DNA using liquid biopsy. Consensus guidelines for when to use liquid biopsy have not been established. We evaluated the routine use of liquid biopsy performed simultaneously with tissue testing in patients with newly diagnosed, stage IV lung adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study comparing patients who underwent tissue genotyping alone (standard biopsy group) with patients who had simultaneous liquid and tissue genotyping (combined biopsy group). We examined the time to reach a final diagnosis, the need for repeat biopsies, and diagnostic accuracy.

RESULTS

Forty two patients in the combined biopsy group and 78 in the standard biopsy group met the inclusion criteria. The standard group had a mean time to diagnosis of 33.5 days, compared with 20.6 days in the combined group ( P < .001 by two-tailed t-test). In the combined group, 14 patients did not have sufficient tissue for molecular analysis (30%); however, in 11 (79%) of these patients, liquid biopsy identified a GA that eliminated the need for a second tissue biopsy. In patients who completed both tests, each test found actionable GAs missed by the other.

CONCLUSION

Performing liquid biopsy simultaneously with tissue genotyping is feasible in an academic community medical center. Potential advantages of simultaneous liquid and tissue biopsies include shorter time to obtain a definitive molecular diagnosis, reduced need for a repeat biopsy, and improved detection of actionable mutations, although a sequential strategy that saves costs by beginning with a liquid biopsy may be ideal.
Associations of Diabetic Retinopathy Severity With High Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Suppressed Serum Renin Levels
Authors: Sada Kentaro , Yoshida Yuichi , Shibuta Kanako , Kimoto Kenichi , Miyamoto Shotaro , Ozeki Yoshinori , Okamoto Mitsuhiro , Gotoh Koro , Masaki Takayuki , Yokoyama Katsuhiko , Kubota Toshiaki , Shibata Hirotaka
Published: June 2023

Context

The relationships between serum renin levels, severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR), and 24-hour blood pressure (BP) have not been previously reported.

Objective

To explore causes for DR and the relationships of 24-hour ambulatory BP, and hormone levels with the severity of DR.

Methods

The diabetic patients were classified as having no DR, simple DR, or severe DR (preproliferative DR plus proliferative DR) based on funduscopic examination, and we measured 24-hour BP, serum active renin (ARC), aldosterone (SAC), adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol levels in each group.

Results

Compared to those with no DR or simple DR, patients with severe DR showed significantly higher 24-hour BPs, including daytime and nighttime systolic and diastolic BP levels, independent of diabetic duration and HbA1c levels. The variability of nighttime systolic BP was greater in patients with severe DR than in those with nonsevere DR, although nocturnal BP reduction was similar between the groups. The ambulatory BPs were significantly inversely associated with ARC. The ARC was significantly lower in severe DR patients than in those with no DR or simple DR (3.2 [1.5-13.6] vs 9.8 [4.6-18.0] pg/mL, P < .05), but there were no differences in SAC in patients taking calcium channel blockers and/or α-blockers. No associations were found between DR severity and other hormone levels.

Conclusion

Severe DR was associated with higher 24-hour BPs and suppressed ARC. These findings suggest that mineralocorticoid receptor overactivation may play a role in higher BP levels and severe DR in diabetic patients.
The Glucose Challenge Test in Pregnancy Identifies Future Risk of Diabetes
Authors: Retnakaran Ravi , Shah Baiju R
Published: June 2023

Context

Women with gestational diabetes (GDM) have an increased future risk of type 2 diabetes but, in practice, their recommended postpartum glucose tolerance testing is often missed or substituted with measurement of A1c instead.

Objective

We hypothesized that the antenatal screening glucose challenge test (GCT) should predict future diabetes risk and, if so, would have thresholds that identify the same degree of risk as the diagnosis of prediabetes on postpartum measurement of A1c.

Methods

With population-based administrative databases, we identified all women in Ontario, Canada, who had a GCT in pregnancy with delivery between January 2007 and December 2017, followed by measurement of A1c and fasting glucose within 2 years postpartum (n = 141 858, including 19 034 with GDM). Women were followed over a median of 3.5 years for the development of diabetes.

Results

Under the assumption of a linear exposure effect, the 1-hour post-challenge glucose concentration on the GCT was associated with an increased likelihood of developing diabetes (hazard ratio 1.39; 95% CI, 1.38-1.40). A GCT threshold of 8.0 mmol/L predicted the same 5-year risk of diabetes (6.0%; 95% CI, 5.8-6.2) as postpartum A1c 5.7% (identifying prediabetes). Moreover, in women with GDM, a GCT threshold of 9.8 mmol/L equaled prediabetes on postpartum A1c in predicting a 5-year risk of diabetes of 16.5% (14.8-18.2).

Conclusion

The GCT offers predictive capacity for future diabetes in pregnant women. In women with GDM, this insight could identify those at highest risk of diabetes, toward whom postpartum screening efforts should be most strongly directed.
Simplified Easy-Accessible Smartphone-Based Photogrammetry for 3-Dimensional Anatomy Presentation Exemplified With a Photorealistic Cadaver-Based Model of the Intracranial and Extracranial Course of the Facial Nerve
Authors: Krogager Markus E. , Fugleholm Kåre , Mathiesen Tiit I. , Spiriev Toma
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Smartphone-based photogrammetry (SMPhP) was recently presented as a practical and simple algorithm to create photorealistic 3-dimensional (3D) models that benefit from volumetric presentation of real anatomic dissections. Subsequently, there is a need to adapt the techniques for realistic depiction of layered anatomic structures, such as the course of cranial nerves and deep intracranial structures; the feasibility must be tested empirically. This study sought to adapt and test the technique for visualization of the combined intracranial and extracranial course of the facial nerve's complex anatomy and analyze feasibility and limitations.

METHODS:

We dissected 1 latex-injected cadaver head to depict the facial nerve from the meatal to the extracranial portion. A smartphone camera alone was used to photograph the specimen, and dynamic lighting was applied to improve presentation of deep anatomic structures. Three-dimensional models were created with a cloud-based photogrammetry application.

RESULTS:

Four 3D models were generated. Two models showed the extracranial portions of the facial nerve before and after removal of the parotid gland; 1 model showed the facial nerve in the fallopian canal after mastoidectomy, and 1 model showed the intratemporal segments. Relevant anatomic structures were annotated through a web-viewer platform. The photographic quality of the 3D models provided sufficient resolution for imaging of the extracranial and mastoid portions of the facial nerve, whereas imaging of the meatal segment only lacked sufficient precision and resolution.

CONCLUSION:

A simple and accessible SMPhP algorithm allows 3D visualization of complex intracranial and extracranial neuroanatomy with sufficient detail to realistically depict superficial and deeper anatomic structures.
The insulator BEAF32 controls the spatial-temporal expression profile of the telomeric retrotransposon TART in the Drosophila germline
Authors: Sokolova Olesya , Morgunova Valeriya , Sizova Tatyana V. , Komarov Pavel A. , Olenkina Oxana M. , Babaev Dmitry S. , Mikhaleva Elena A. , Kwon Dmitry A. , Erokhin Maksim , Kalmykova Alla
Published: June 2023

Insulators are architectural elements implicated in the organization of higher-order chromatin structures and transcriptional regulation. However, it is still unknown how insulators contribute to Drosophila telomere maintenance. Although the Drosophila telomeric retrotransposons HeT-A and TART occupy a common genomic niche, they are regulated independently. TART elements are believed to provide reverse transcriptase activity, whereas HeT-A transcripts serve as a template for telomere elongation. Here, we report that insulator complexes associate with TART and contribute to its transcriptional regulation in the Drosophila germline. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that the insulator complex containing BEAF32, Chriz, and DREF proteins occupy the TART promoter. BEAF32 depletion causes derepression and chromatin changes at TART in ovaries. Moreover, an expansion of TART copy number was observed in the genome of the BEAF32 mutant strain. BEAF32 localizes between the TART enhancer and promoter, suggesting that it blocks enhancer–promoter interactions. Our study found that TART repression is released in the germ cysts as a result of the normal reduction of BEAF32 expression at this developmental stage. We suggest that coordinated expression of telomeric repeats during development underlies telomere elongation control.
Georges Mounin, pionnier de la traductologie française
Authors: Balliu Christian
Published: June 2023

GEORGES MOUNIN, PIONEER OF FRENCH TRANSLATION STUDIES Georges Mounin developed his reflections on translation in a series of texts published from 1953 and can thus be regarded as one of the founders of translation studies in France and in the French language. His early research dates back to the same time as Fedorov’s, who represents what might be called the Russian school of translation. This paper seeks to analyse Georges Mounin’s work, which spans 40 years, until his death in 1993. His legacy is not just bibliographical, it is also that of a teacher with remarkable communication skills who trained disciples, and that of a talent scout who discovered the young Ladmiral and Meschonnic in the 1970s. Most importantly however, Georges Mounin has the immense merit of having introduced translation studies into French universities and within the field of linguistics, an achievement which later enabled him to take the sociolinguistic turn, notably with the issue of worldview and language universals. This paper is also largely about the man, seen through his teaching career, his political commitment, his links with other authors, not to forget his work as a translator. Georges Mounin was indeed first of all a field man, who translated Dante, Petrarch, Machiavelli or Pasternak.
Tailor-to-Target: Configuring Collaborative Shareholder Engagements on Climate Change
Authors: Slager Rieneke , Chuah Kevin , Gond Jean-Pascal , Furnari Santi , Homanen Mikael
Published: June 2023

We study collaborative shareholder engagements on climate change issues. These engagements involve coalitions of investors pursuing behind-the-scenes dialogue to encourage target firms to adopt environmental sustainability practices. Drawing on a unique data set of 553 engagements coordinated by the United Nations–supported Principles for Responsible Investment—and an innovative mixed-methods approach integrating fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis with regression analysis and qualitative interviews—we investigate how four coalition composition levers (coalition size, shareholding stake, experience, local access) combine to enable or hinder engagement success. We find that successful coalitions use four configurations of coalition composition levers that are tailored to target firms’ financial capacity and environmental predispositions, that is, target firms’ receptivity. Unsuccessful configurations instead emphasize single levers at the expense of others. Drawing on qualitative interviews, we identify three mechanisms (synchronizing, contextualizing, overfocusing) that plausibly underly the identified configurations and provide investor coalitions with knowledge about target firms and their local contexts, thus enhancing communication and understanding between investor coalitions and target firms. Our study contributes an emerging “tailor-to-target” theory of collaborative shareholder engagement that extends the literature by showing the importance of designing investor coalitions for effective climate-related engagement and the value of conceiving coalitions as different configurations of the same levers that can fit a target firm’s receptivity. From a practical perspective, our study prompts investors to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches to instead tailor their engagement strategies to target firms’ receptivity.

This paper was accepted by Glen Dowell, Special Section of Management Science on Business and Climate Change.

Funding: This work was supported by Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI Research Grant).

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4806 .
challenging adult-centrism: speaking speech and the possibility of intergenerational dialogue
Authors: Petropoulos Georgios
Published: June 2023

This paper reflects on the role of philosophy in the school environment, paying special attention to the promise of intergenerational dialogue carried forward by philosophy programmes associated with Lipman’s Philosophy for Children (P4C) curriculum and its current transformation into Philosophy with Children (PwC). There are two basic ideas that constitute the guiding thread of my reflections. Firstly, that philosophical interventions of that kind challenge adult-centric views of education and philosophy. Secondly, that such initiatives carry with them the promise of acknowledging children as equal participants in the process of philosophical questioning and meaning creation. In the first part of the paper, I argue for the importance of understanding the act of philosophizing with children as a disruption of adult-centrism.First, I reflect on a narrow future-directedness that seems to characterize the temporality of school. I suggest that Philosophy for/with Children (P4wC) interventions interrupt such a future-directedness inviting the students to immerse themselves into a dilated ‘now’ of multiple possibilities. Then, I reflect on the ways in which P4wC interventions challenge the assumption that philosophy is an adult preoccupation. Special attention is paid to the work of scholars who challenge our restrictive assumptions about what qualifies as philosophical thinking.In the second part of my paper, I turn to the work of Merleau-Ponty with the aim of sketching out some requirements for the possibility of a dialogue between childhood and adulthood. I suggest that Merleau-Ponty’s reflections on childhood and expressive speech are invaluable in the context of P4wC because they invite us 1) to appreciate the alterity of children without reducing them to inferior ‘others’ and 2) to remain alert to the expressivity of children’s speech.
Dando voz aos homens: repercussões do viver com incontinência urinária e a prática sexual
Authors: Almeida Julia Sousa Martins de , Martins Elizabeth Rose Costa , Spindola Thelma , Pessanha Fernanda Soares , Alves Raphaela Nunes , Barros Elisa Da Conceição Silva
Published: June 2023

Objetivo: compreender as repercussões da incontinência urinária na prática sexual de homens. Método: estudo descritivo, qualitativo, apoiado na teoria de Dorothea Orem, realizado em uma clínica de atenção especializada à população com incontinência urinária do Rio de Janeiro, em 2020, com 20 homens maiores de 18 anos, com esse diagnóstico, após aprovação pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa. Para coleta dos dados, aplicou-se a entrevista semiestruturada, transcrita e submetida à análise de conteúdo. Resultados: a incontinência urinária acarreta, aos indivíduos, medo da rejeição e sentimentos de baixa autoeficácia, pois acreditam que não satisfazem seus parceiros sexuais, o que compromete os relacionamentos afetivo-sexuais. Bem como, interfere no desenvolvimento das atividades cotidianas ocasionando o afastamento das redes de apoio, além do sentimento de frustração e impotência, que comprometem a qualidade de vida dos homens. Conclusão: a incontinência urinária acarreta isolamento social, constrangimento, vergonha, baixa autoestima e insatisfação sexual dos homens acometidos.
Cuidado de crianças e adolescentes em tratamento oncológico na pandemia da COVID-19: experiência de familiares
Authors: Silva Lara Adrianne Garcia Paiano da , Orth Bárbara Izabella , Mercês Nen Nalú Alves das , Kalinke Luciana Puchaslki
Published: June 2023

Objetivo: descrever as experiências vivenciadas por familiares de crianças e adolescentes com câncer, em tratamento oncológico, durante a pandemia da COVID-19. Métodos: estudo qualitativo, exploratório e descritivo, com 20 familiares de crianças e adolescentes em tratamento oncológico em um ambulatório de oncopediatria. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas em setembro e outubro de 2020 e posterior análise de conteúdo. Resultados: as experiências vivenciadas pelos familiares no cuidado à criança e ao adolescente durante a pandemia revelam repercussões e formas de enfrentamento advindas das preocupações e inseguranças relacionadas à COVID-19, das mudanças na rotina e da reorganização das programações terapêuticas para a continuidade do tratamento oncológico. Conclusão: tanto as crianças e os adolescentes quanto seus familiares redobraram as precauções que estavam habituados antes da pandemia. Observou-se a necessidade de reorganização e reagendamentos de consultas, procedimentos e internações, mas sem prejuízos para a terapêutica programada. A insegurança e a ansiedade foram os sentimentos mais presentes, relacionados à evolução da COVID-19.
Characteristics of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction patients at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital
Authors: Widia Fina , Indraswari Madhyra Tri , Rahardjo Harrina Erlianti
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND Neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) is an abnormal function of the bladder, urethra (and/or prostate in males) in patients with a clinically confirmed relevant neurologic disorder. Hence, accurate diagnosis and management of NLUTD is crucial. This study aimed to recognize the characteristics of NLUTD to identify, manage, and prevent the associated complications.

METHODS This retrospective study was conducted at the Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Urology, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia, from January 2011 to December 2021. The study analyzed data collected from voiding dysfunction patients with upper motor neurological disorders who underwent urodynamic studies during the study period. Incomplete data in the medical records were excluded.

RESULTS Mean age of the participants was 50.7 (18–95) years old. The most common cause of NLUTD was stroke (26.6%), followed by unspecified groups and spinal cord injury. Patients under 20 years old were affected by trauma and congenital defects. Of the patients, 34.0% had urinary retention, and 18.1% had incontinence. Small bladder capacity occurred in patients with stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and spinal/cerebral tumors, leading to decreased bladder compliance.

CONCLUSIONS NLUTD was associated with aging, with upper motor neurological lesions such as trauma, stroke, and spinal/cerebral injury being the most common etiologies. Most patients with NLUTD had small bladder capacity and decreased compliance based on urodynamic result.
Explaining disparities in cognitive functioning: a test of competing hypotheses
Authors: Liew Hui-Peng
Published: June 2023

This study seeks to examine how the trajectories of total cognition scores exhibited by two birth cohorts vary by race/ethnicity, gender and the level of education. The empirical work of this study is be based on the 1998–2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the HRS Cross-Wave Tracker file. The analysis is limited to individuals with available information on cognitive functioning, sex, race/ethnicity, wave, highest level of education, and the physical comorbidities associated with cognitive functioning (20,985 from the Traditionalist cohort and 11,077 from the Baby Boomer cohort). Growth curve modelling is used to assess the aims of this study.

Findings reveal that the cumulative advantage (disadvantage), persistent inequality and age-as-leveller hypotheses explain heterogeneity in total cognition scores for different race/ethnicity–sex groups, race/ethnicity–education and education–sex groups. These findings suggest that the development of an integrated treatment and screening mechanisms for physical comorbidities and cognitive functioning, and for the design of preventive strategies with the purpose of slowing or avoiding cognitive decline and maintaining healthy cognitive function should have a particular focus on females, racial ethnic minorities and those with low education.
Género, biomedicina y el virus del papiloma humano en México. Algunas complejidades sociotécnicas en la política pública de vacunación
Authors: Torres-Cruz César
Published: June 2023

Introducción. La vacuna preventiva al Virus del Papiloma Humano (VPH) emergió en la primera década de los 2000 como una estrategia biomédica para frenar los casos de cáncer cervicouterino (CaCu), que representan una de las primeras causas de mortalidad entre mujeres jóvenes de países con desigualdades económicas, como los de América Latina. Objetivo. Analizar algunas implicaciones de la configuración de la política pública de vacunación en México desde una «biomedicalización estratificada» del riesgo sexual. Material y métodos. Se realizó un acercamiento cualitativo, con enfoque interpretativo sociológico, que incluyó entrevistas con personajes clave en la configuración de la política pública de vacunación mexicana. Resultados. Se destaca cómo la industria farmacéutica, el conocimiento científico, algunas decisiones gubernamentales, así como nociones sobre el género y la sexualidad se fundieron para crear una política pública de vacunación enfocada solamente en niñas de 11 años. Conclusiones. Sobresale la necesidad de repensar el papel de la perspectiva de género para destacar los retos que implicaría generar una política pública de inoculación más inclusiva.
Diálogos sanadores en la subalternidad: El vínculo canino-humano y sus consecuencias psicoemocionales en situaciones de violencia machista
Authors: Sancho Ezquerra Jose Carlos
Published: June 2023

Objetivo. Esta investigación busca delimitar las capacidades psicoemocionales del vínculo canino-humano en situaciones de violencia machista, estableciendo una base relacional sobre la que puedan trabajar futuras investigaciones. Material Y Método. Para alcanzar los objetivos se utiliza parte de una investigación etnográfica más amplia que recoge testimonios generales sobre la vinculación entre ambas especies, utilizando en este caso fragmentos de las entrevistas en profundidad realizadas, que ocupan un lugar central tanto en esta investigación como en el proyecto general del que surgen. Resultados. A lo largo de este trabajo se recogen los testimonios acerca del universo emocional compartido con el perro, destacando los situados en un contexto de violencia de género, para así analizar estos relatos con respecto a los imaginarios culturales en los que se desarrollan las relaciones de poder desigual basadas en la diferencia sexual. Conclusiones. Este análisis permitirá ver cómo la subalternidad de ambas partes confluye y dialoga, generando espacios de intimidad y confianza altamente valorados por ambas especies, en concreto por la mujer, que adquiere el apoyo emocional de otro ser vivo, permitiéndole establecer lazos afectivos genuinos y reconfortantes. La importancia de este vínculo determinará cómo se viven situaciones de agresión machista en las que tanto el perro como la mujer son maltratados, así como la toma de decisiones en las oportunidades de alejamiento, condicionadas por el universo emocional compartido con el perro.