bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non‐biologic systemic treatments for atopic dermatitis: Current state of the art and future directions
Authors: Paolino Alexandra , Alexander Helen , Broderick Conor , Flohr Carsten
Published: March 2023

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin condition with an unpredictable clinical course, associated with a significant impact on quality of life. The pathophysiology of AD involves a complex interplay between impaired skin barrier function, immune dysregulation, genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Advances in understanding of the immunological mechanisms that underpin AD have heralded the recognition of multiple novel therapeutic targets to bolster the systemic treatment armamentarium for patients with severe AD. This review examines current and future directions of non‐biologic systemic treatments for AD, with a focus on their mechanism of action, efficacy and safety, and the key considerations to help inform treatment decisions. We summarize new developments in small molecule systemic therapies which have the potential to further advance our management of AD in this new era of precision medicine.
Accounting for the slowdown in UK innovation and productivity
Authors: Goodridge Peter , Haskel Jonathan
Published: March 2023

This paper conducts a comprehensive sources‐of‐growth analysis for the UK market sector, 2000–19, using the latest ONS data, including new estimates of intangible investment, double deflated value‐added, and updated price indices, all constructed bottom‐up from data for 40 industries. The decomposition incorporates contributions from intangible assets, both capitalized and uncapitalized, in national accounts. Our main findings are that first, slowdowns in labour productivity are largest in more intangible‐, knowledge‐, technology‐ and digital‐intensive industries, using numerous definitions. Second, the labour productivity slowdown can be accounted for largely by a slowdown in ‘innovation’, where innovation is shorthand for contributions of intangible capital deepening and TFP growth. We show that: (a) the level of labour productivity in 2019 was 27 log points (31 percentage points) less than had it continued to grow at its 2000–7 rate; (b) reallocation of labour did not contribute to the slowdown; (c) capitalization of the full range of intangibles accounts for 5% of the slowdown; (d) 35% is accounted for by a slowdown in capital deepening (25% tangible, 10% intangible), and 78% by a slowdown in TFP growth; and (e) less than one‐tenth of the TFP slowdown can be accounted for by exceptionally fast growth pre‐crisis.
Trends and in‐hospital cardiac complications in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant: A National Inpatient Sample analysis (2002–2019)
Authors: Ammad Ud Din Mohammad , Chowdhury Medhat , Shahzad Moazzam , Zahid Salman , Liaqat Hania , Osama Muhammad , Elmariah Hany
Published: March 2023

Background

Cardiovascular comorbidities increase the risk of transplant‐associated complications. However, the impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) as an independent risk factor remains limited.

Methods

The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was queried using the International Classification of Diseases codes to identify patients admitted for allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT). The patients were then subclassified into with and without AF. Subsequently, a multivariate logistic regression model was constructed to account for patient demographics, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics to evaluate the impact of AF on the primary outcome of interest: all‐cause mortality, and secondary outcomes of interest that included common hospitalization complications.

Results

The data for 77 157 cases of ASCT were collected between 2002 and 2019. Among these 5086 (6.6%) cases had concurrent AF. Multivariate logistic regression revealed patients undergoing ASCT with AF had almost a three times higher risk of all‐cause mortality (odds ratio = 2.99 [95% confidence interval: 2.73–3.28]; p < .01). AF patients also had a higher risk for cardiac arrest, cardiogenic shock, acute kidney injury, and need for hemodialysis (all p < .01).

Conclusion

AF causes a higher risk of death and cardiovascular complications among patients undergoing ASCT. This signifies the importance of pretransplant consultation and optimization for cardiovascular comorbidities to improve hospitalization outcomes.
How judges can use their discretion to combat anti‐black racism in the United States family policing system
Authors: Burton Angela Olivia , McMillan Joyce
Published: March 2023

Child protection court judges have broad authority and practically unchecked discretion to shape the everyday experiences and long‐term outcomes for children and families that come before them. For Black families, this broad power to dictate intimate details of family life ‐ including the power to legally terminate a child's parental and familial connections ‐ is exercised within the historical and social context of chattel slavery and anti‐Black racism. Judges wield their power to regulate the everyday lives and intergenerational outcomes of Black families charged with child maltreatment within a legal and practice framework characterized by indeterminacy and subjectivity that implicates the parent–child relationship and the constitutionally recognized rights of family privacy, autonomy, and integrity. Drawing on the authors’ experiences and perspectives as Black women with personal lived expertise and professional practice with the so‐called child protection or child welfare system, and referencing the limited literature that examines parents’ experiences in child protection courts, this Article explores how judges’ exercise of discretion perpetuates anti‐Black racism in the family policing system and suggests ways child protection judges can consciously exercise their discretion to mitigate harm and maximize due process, accountability, and justice for Black children and families. The authors urge child protection judges to heed the expertise and wisdom of Black parents about their family's needs and desires, to hold child protection agencies and workers accountable to their legal obligations and duties, and to tightly constrain their own tendencies to silence, punish, and regulate Black parents.
Toxic temperatures: Bee behaviours exhibit divergent pesticide toxicity relationships with warming
Authors: Kenna Daniel , Graystock Peter , Gill Richard J.
Published: March 2023

Climate change and agricultural intensification are exposing insect pollinators to temperature extremes and increasing pesticide usage. Yet, we lack good quantification of how temperature modulates the sublethal effects of pesticides on behaviours vital for fitness and pollination performance. Consequently, we are uncertain if warming decreases or increases the severity of different pesticide impacts, and whether separate behaviours vary in the direction of response. Quantifying these interactive effects is vital in forecasting pesticide risk across climate regions and informing pesticide application strategies and pollinator conservation. This multi‐stressor study investigated the responses of six functional behaviours of bumblebees when exposed to either a neonicotinoid (imidacloprid) or a sulfoximine (sulfoxaflor) across a standardised low, mid, and high temperature. We found the neonicotinoid had a significant effect on five of the six behaviours, with a greater effect at the lower temperature(s) when measuring responsiveness, the likelihood of movement, walking rate, and food consumption rate. In contrast, the neonicotinoid had a greater impact on flight distance at the higher temperature. Our findings show that different organismal functions can exhibit divergent thermal responses, with some pesticide‐affected behaviours showing greater impact as temperatures dropped, and others as temperatures rose. We must therefore account for environmental context when determining pesticide risk. Moreover, we found evidence of synergistic effects, with just a 3°C increase causing a sudden drop in flight performance, despite seeing no effect of pesticide at the two lower temperatures. Our findings highlight the importance of multi‐stressor studies to quantify threats to insects, which will help to improve dynamic evaluations of population tipping points and spatiotemporal risks to biodiversity across different climate regions.
THE BOY APPEARING (AS) THE SISTER: GENDER AND SILENCE IN GEORG TRAKL*
Authors: Gruner Juliette Christine
Published: March 2023

The present text is concerned with figures of unusual gender in two poetic texts by Georg Trakl, namely ‘Traum und Umnachtung’ and ‘Ruh und Schweigen’, each of which features the same violation of German grammar at a crucial point. The first text starts and ends with a scene of a boy recognising his sister's image in the mirror, which will be read as a specular identification that transgresses the norms of gender assignment. This transgression will be further illuminated by Lee Edelman's No Future, a text that analyses the need of the heterosexual family to reproduce itself unchanged, and Jacques Lacan's concept of the mirror stage which discusses specular identification as a prerequisite for the possibility of speech. In reading ‘Ruh und Schweigen’, the issue of silence, which is both thematised and performed by the poem, will come to the forefront. The bi‐gender figure appearing in the last lines will be understood as being dependent on this silence to appear, contrasting the way the protagonist of ‘Traum und Umnachtung’ is silenced by his family. Both these figures will therefore be read as transgressing against related, though not identical, norms of gender in ways that can only be expressed in a poetical language.
Preventive effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on the coronary heart diseases depending on age and sex with a median follow‐up of 51 months
Authors: Kim Sang Bin , Kim Nayoung , Park Jaehyung , Hwang In‐Chang , Lim Seon Hee , Song Du Hyun , Choi Yonghoon , Yoon Hyuk , Shin Cheol Min , Park Young Soo , Lee Dong Ho , Ahn Soyeon
Published: March 2023

Background

The association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and coronary heart disease (CHD) is controversial. This study aimed to investigate the effect of H. pylori eradication on CHD, especially in terms of age and sex.

Materials and Methods

From May 2003 to March 2022, 4765 subjects with H. pylori infection and without CHD (median follow‐up: 51 months) were prospectively enrolled. The participants were categorized into two groups: H. pylori eradication and H. pylori non‐eradication. After propensity‐score matching (PSM), the effect of H. pylori eradication on CHD was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards.

Results

There were no significant differences in age, sex, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, history of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, and aspirin intake between the eradication and non‐eradication groups (3783 vs. 982) before and after PSM. Multivariate analysis after PSM showed that H. pylori eradication (HR: 0.489, CI: 0.314–0.761, p = .002), age (HR: 1.027, CI: 1.007–1.047, p = .007), hypertension (HR: 2.133, CI: 1.337–3.404, p = 001), dyslipidemia (HR: 1.758, CI: 1.086–2.848, p = .022), and aspirin intake (HR: 2.508, CI: 1.566–4.017, p < .001) were associated with CHD development. H. pylori eradication prevented CHD in males ≤65 years (HR: 0.133, CI: 0.039–0.455, p = .001), but not in those aged >65 years (p = .078) (p for interaction = .022). In contrast, females aged >65 years (HR: 0.260, CI: 0.110–0.615, p = .002) were protected by H. pylori eradication and not those ≤65 years (p = .485) (p for interaction = .003). This preventive effect increased more after PSM, particularly in males ≤65 years and females >65 years.

Conclusions

H. pylori eradication prevented CHD and this effect was different depending on age and sex.
Hepatitis C virus eradication by direct‐acting antivirals causes a simultaneous increase in the prevalence of fatty liver and hyper low‐density lipoprotein cholesterolemia without an increase in body weight
Authors: Tokuchi Yoshimasa , Suda Goki , Kawagishi Naoki , Ohara Masatsugu , Kohya Risako , Sasaki Takashi , Yoda Tomoka , Maehara Osamu , Ohnishi Shunsuke , Kubo Akinori , Yoshida Sonoe , Fu Qingjie , Yang Zijian , Hosoda Shunichi , Kitagataya Takashi , Suzuki Kazuharu , Nakai Masato , Sho Takuya , Natsuizaka Mitsuteru , Ogawa Koji , Sakamoto Naoya
Published: March 2023

Aim

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been reported to cause liver steatosis. Thus, eradicating HCV with direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) is expected to reduce liver steatosis. We aimed to clarify long‐term changes in the prevalence of fatty liver and hyper‐low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterolemia and their associations in patients who achieve successful HCV eradication using DAAs.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients with HCV who achieved sustained virologic response after interferon‐free DAA and analyzed the changes in the prevalence of fatty liver diagnosed with controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), hyper‐LDL cholesterolemia, and their relationships at baseline (n = 100) and 24 weeks (SVR24, n = 100), 96 weeks (SVR96, n = 100), and 144 weeks (SVR144, n = 90) after DAA.

Results

In 100 participants, the prevalence of fatty liver (19% vs. 32%, p = 0.0349) and hyper‐LDL cholesterolemia (6% vs. 15%, p = 0.0379) significantly increased without changes in body weight at SVR96. Median total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), and small‐dense‐LDL (sdLDL) levels and CAP values were significantly greater at SVR24, SVR96, and SVR144 than at baseline. Baseline CAP values and changes in CAP values were significantly negatively correlated at every observation point: r = −0.5305, p < 0.0001 at SVR24; r = −0.3617, p = 0.0005 at SVR96; and r = −0.4735, p < 0.0001 at SVR144. A similar relationship was observed in cholesterol levels. Unlike at baseline, CAP values were significantly positively correlated with LDL‐C and sdLDL‐C levels at all observation points after DAAs.

Conclusions

Direct‐acting antivirals may cause an increased prevalence of fatty liver accompanying hyper‐LDL cholesterolemia without increased body weight. As post‐SVR liver steatosis could cause HCC, careful follow‐up may be required.
AIDS in the era of antiretroviral therapy: Changes in incidence rates and predictors of AIDS among people living with HIV under clinical care in Germany, a cohort study 1999–2018
Authors: Pantke Annemarie , Kollan Christian , Gunsenheimer‐Bartmeyer Barbara , Jensen Björn‐Erik Ole , Stephan Christoph , Degen Olaf , Schürmann Dirk , Kurth Tobias , Bremer Viviane , Koppe Uwe ,   The HIV‐1 Seroconverter Cohort and the ClinSurv HIV Cohort
Published: March 2023

Objectives

This study examined the incidence rates and predictive utility of established prognostic factors for the progression to AIDS among people living with HIV under clinical care.

Methods

We used data from two observational cohorts of people living with HIV in Germany between 1999 and 2018. The outcome measure was the first AIDS‐defining event that occurred during follow‐up. Incidence rates (IRs) per 1000 person‐years (PY) were calculated by years of follow‐up and calendar periods. We used Cox models in our prediction analyses, including CD4 count, viral load, and age at baseline to estimate the predictive performance. Additionally, we included transmission mode to examine its predictive utility.

Results

A total of 23 299 people living with HIV were included in the analyses. Of these, 1832 developed a first AIDS event during follow‐up, constituting an overall rate of 14.6/1000 PY (95% confidence interval [CI] 13.9–15.2). IRs were highest in the first year of follow‐up (45.6/1000 PY, 95% CI 42.6–48.8) and then declined continuously. IRs were highest among people living with HIV who enrolled between 1999 and 2003 (36.1/1000 PY, 95% CI 32.6–40.0). A low CD4 count, high viral load, and older age at baseline increased the likelihood of progressing to AIDS. Adding transmission mode to the models did not improve the predictive performance.

Conclusions

The rates of a first AIDS event among people living with HIV have continuously declined in Germany. Health outcomes depend on a person's CD4 count, viral load, and age but not on transmission mode. To further reduce the number of AIDS cases, the focus should be on groups more likely to present in progressed stages of their HIV infection.
Facing the future of respiratory virus surveillance: “The mosaic surveillance framework”
Authors: Mott Joshua A. , Bergeri Isabel , Lewis Hannah C. , Mounts Anthony W. , Briand Sylvie C.
Published: March 2023

It is impossible to address the many complex needs of respiratory virus surveillance with a single system. Therefore, multiple surveillance systems and complementary studies must fit together as tiles in a “mosaic” to provide a complete picture of the risk, transmission, severity, and impact of respiratory viruses of epidemic and pandemic potential. Below we present a framework (WHO Mosaic Respiratory Surveillance Framework) to assist national authorities to identify priority respiratory virus surveillance objectives and the best approaches to meet them; to develop implementation plans according to national context and resources; and to prioritize and target technical assistance and financial investments to meet most pressing needs.
Mortality patterns among COVID‐19 patients in two Saudi hospitals: Demographics, etiology, and treatment
Authors: AlGhawi Fatimah S. , AlMudarra Sami S. , Assiri Abdullah M.
Published: March 2023

Background

Saudi Arabia (SA) reported its first case of COVID‐19 on 2 March 2020. Mortality varied nationwide; by April 14, 2020, Medina had 16% of SA's total COVID‐19 cases and 40% of all COVID‐19 deaths. A team of epidemiologists investigated to identify factors impacting survival.

Methods

We reviewed medical records from two hospitals: Hospital A in Medina and Hospital B in Dammam. All patients with a registered COVID‐related death between March and May 1, 2020, were included. We collected data on demographics, chronic health conditions, clinical presentation, and treatment. We analyzed data using SPSS.

Results

We identified 76 cases: 38 cases from each hospital. More fatalities were among non‐Saudis at Hospital A (89%) versus Hospital B (82%, p < 0.001). Hypertension prevalence was higher among cases at Hospital B (42%) versus Hospital A (21%) (p < 0.05). We found statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in symptoms at initial presentation among cases at Hospital B versus Hospital A, including body temperature (38°C vs. 37°C), heart rate (104 bpm vs. 89 bpm), and regular breathing rhythms (61% vs. 55%). Fewer cases (50%) at Hospital A received heparin versus Hospital B (97%, p‐value < 0.001).

Conclusion

Patients who died typically presented with more severe illnesses and were more likely to have underlying health conditions. Migrant workers may be at increased risk due to poorer baseline health and reluctance to seek care. This highlights the importance of cross‐cultural outreach to prevent deaths. Health education efforts should be multilingual and accommodate all literacy levels.
An age‐friendly residency: Geriatrician and internist perspectives on geriatric education in an internal medicine residency
Authors: Loewenthal Julia , Beltran Christine P. , Schwartz Andrea Wershof , Ramani Subha
Published: March 2023

Background

General internists and subspecialists need skills to deliver age‐friendly care to older adults, yet a minority of Internal Medicine (IM) residency programs provide robust geriatric‐specific clinical instruction. We sought to explore internist and geriatrician perspectives regarding current strengths and weakness of geriatric education, and perceived supports, barriers, and strategies to enhance geriatric education in an IM residency program.

Methods

Using social learning theory as a conceptual framework, we conducted a needs assessment using focus groups and semi‐structured interviews with IM residency leadership and geriatricians at an academic medical center. Interviews were recorded and transcribed; thematic analysis was performed on deidentified transcripts.

Results

We recruited faculty by e‐mail in 2021; eight geriatricians and seven internists participated (60% female, 13% Hispanic/Latino, and 73% White). Six participated in two virtual focus groups and nine participated in virtual one‐on‐one interviews. All had at least monthly teaching contact with residents and six were associate program directors. We identified five key themes: (1) professional role models, (2) personal attitudes toward aging, (3) the powerful influence of patients, (4) clinical complexity of geriatrics, and (5) branding and prestige of the field. Participants offered multiple suggestions for improvement, especially faculty development for non‐geriatrician faculty.

Conclusions

Geriatric education for IM residents is impacted by multiple factors, but uniformly viewed as important. Moving forward, programs could capitalize on opportunities for closer collaboration between residency leadership, internists, and geriatricians to train the next generation of IM residency graduates to deliver age‐friendly care.
Markups, Tobin's q, and the Increasing Capital Share
Authors: KERSPIEN JACOB A. , MADSEN JAKOB B.
Published: March 2023

Increasing markups have recently gained prominence as a leading explanation for the increasing share of income going to capital since the 1980s. However, the existing analysis has been limited to the United States, covers only short periods, and generally does not control for potentially important confounders. Constructing data for the share of income going to capital and markups based on Tobin's q over the period 1870–2018 for 21 advanced countries, this research examines the ability of markups to explain the movements of income shares and the tendency for factor shares to converge toward constants in the long run. We find strong support for the markup hypothesis.
Improved collection of rooftop micrometeorites through optimized extraction methods: The Budel collection
Authors: Jonker Guido , van Elsas Roel , van der Lubbe Jeroen H. J. L. , van Westrenen Wim
Published: March 2023

The scientific value of micrometeorites collected from deep‐sea sediments or glacial deposits can be limited by poorly constrained accumulation times or severe alteration, coupled with a complex infrastructure of sampling expeditions. Collecting micrometeorites from rooftops has recently become a feasible alternative, but extraction methods have not been optimized or standardized to date. Here, we show that existing methods for the recovery of melted cosmic spherules (CSs) can be strongly improved by using a sequence of mineral separation techniques, including shape separation with an asymmetric vibrator and heavy liquid density separation with overflow centrifuges. We retrieved 1006 micrometeorites from the gutter of a barn in Budel, the Netherlands. Particle diameters are 80–515 μm, with the major mode at 130 μm and a slope exponent of −4.88. Differences in size distributions among various types of CSs indicate a multi‐source influx, with CS textures controlled by their parent body's mineralogy and orbital parameters. Repeated sampling of the rooftop after accumulation times of 959 and 333 days allows for a time‐integrated global mass flux estimate of 472 t year−1. This estimate is notably higher than previous rooftop‐based estimates but is still severely affected by micrometeorite loss from the gutter through drainage. The mass flux peaks at an equivalent particle diameter of ~200 μm. The Budel collection is the first rooftop collection to contain abundant vitreous micrometeorites and include the coarse‐grained S‐type CS class. Unmelted and I‐type micrometeorites remain difficult to extract from rooftop samples. Vitreous micrometeorites display various stages of weathering, showing that severe alteration of glass can progress at a faster rate in populated regions than previously assumed. This study demonstrates that methodological adjustments can drastically increase the scientific potential of rooftop micrometeorite collections.
Thermal stress, hydration, and salivary and respiratory stress markers in curling players performing a match in the cold
Authors: Tanabe Yoko , Suzuki Sakiko , Kojima Jumpei , Matsui Takashi , Watanabe Koichi , Nishiyasu Takeshi , Fujii Naoto
Published: March 2023

Curling is a target‐based team sport played in a cold environment. The type of stress curling players face during a curling match remains to be determined. In the present study, 16 Japanese curling players performed a practice curling match (six ends lasting 90 min), wherein the following variables were documented: core and skin temperatures, heart rate, thermal sensation and comfort, urine‐specific gravity, body fluid loss, salivary cortisol, α‐amylase activity, salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), and fractionated exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO, a respiratory stress marker). Pre‐match resting core temperature was 37.24 ± 0.31°C, which increased up to 37.73 ± 0.41°C during the match (p < 0.001). Facial skin temperatures decreased after the match (all p ≤ 0.015), whereas finger skin temperatures remained unchanged (p ≥ 0.375). Thermal discomfort increased following the match but thermal sensation remained unchanged. Following the match, players lost 0.29 ± 0.15 L body fluid (sweat, respiratory evaporation, and urine), which was nearly compensated by fluid ingestion of 0.22 ± 0.13 L (p = 0.119). Nevertheless, urine‐specific gravity increased from 1.021 ± 0.010 to 1.024 ± 0.008 after the match (p = 0.012), with 31% and 50% players being dehydrated at pre‐ and post‐match, respectively. Salivary cortisol decreased (p < 0.001) after the match without changes in salivary SIgA, α‐amylase activity, and FeNO (all p ≥ 0.113). Therefore, during a curling match, the core temperature and thermal discomfort increase, whereas the face skin temperature decreases. Additionally, players may undergo dehydration before the match, which could be exacerbated after the match.
Hydrogen sulfide alleviates osmotic stress‐induced root growth inhibition by promoting auxin homeostasis
Authors: Xiang Zhi‐Xin , Li Wen , Lu Ying‐Tang , Yuan Ting‐Ting
Published: March 2023

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) promotes plant tolerance against various environmental cues, and d‐cysteine desulfhydrase (DCD) is an enzymatic source of H2S to enhance abiotic stress resistance. However, the role of DCD‐mediated H2S production in root growth under abiotic stress remains to be further elucidated. Here, we report that DCD‐mediated H2S production alleviates osmotic stress‐mediated root growth inhibition by promoting auxin homeostasis. Osmotic stress up‐regulated DCD gene transcript and DCD protein levels and thus H2S production in roots. When subjected to osmotic stress, a dcd mutant showed more severe root growth inhibition, whereas the transgenic lines DCDox overexpressing DCD exhibited less sensitivity to osmotic stress in terms of longer root compared to the wild‐type. Moreover, osmotic stress inhibited root growth through repressing auxin signaling, whereas H2S treatment significantly alleviated osmotic stress‐mediated inhibition of auxin. Under osmotic stress, auxin accumulation was increased in DCDox but decreased in dcd mutant. H2S promoted auxin biosynthesis gene expression and auxin efflux carrier PIN‐FORMED 1 (PIN1) protein level under osmotic stress. Taken together, our results reveal that mannitol‐induced DCD and H2S in roots promote auxin homeostasis, contributing to alleviating the inhibition of root growth under osmotic stress.
Morphological and ultrastructural study of the palpebral conjunctiva of healthy domestic cats
Authors: Ricci Cláudia L. , Araújo Rosélia L. S. , Passareli João V. G. C. , Estanho Giovana J. G. , Alves Débora S. , Nai Gisele A. , Andrade Silvia F. , Corrêa José R. , Galera Paula D.
Published: March 2023

Objective

To describe the morphology of the meibomian glands and goblet cells in the palpebral conjunctiva of healthy cats.

Animals studied

Five healthy domestic cats without ocular changes that had died from causes unrelated to the study were evaluated.

Procedures

Forty samples were collected from upper and lower palpebral conjunctiva and 20 from palpebral fornix region in the nasal corner. The samples were processed for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and histopathology.

Results

In the SEM analysis of the palpebral fornix, numerous points of mucous extrusion between the cell junctions were visualized, along with the presence of microvilli in the apical portions with small secretory vesicles. A homogeneous surface was highlighted, formed by the arrangement of cell contours in the form of hexagons. The grouping of goblet cells and their cytoplasmic vesicles filled with homogeneous content was visualized using TEM. Histopathology showed goblet cells interspersed with stratified epithelium accompanied by well‐vascularized connective tissue. In the samples stained with hematoxylin and eosin, the meibomian glands, formed by acinar cells and with the presence of individual openings of the ducts in the eyelid margin, were easily visualized in the eyelid margins.

Conclusions

This study describes the ultrastructural form of goblet cells and the morphology of the palpebral conjunctiva of healthy cats by the histopathology of the meibomian glands. This description can serve as a parameter of normality and aid in the detection of morphological alterations in these structures, as well as a parameter for comparison with other animal species.
Effects and mitigation of poor water quality on herbicide performance: A review
Authors: Mirzaei Mahnaz , Zand Eskandar , Rastgoo Mehdi , Hasanfard Alireza , Kudsk Per
Published: March 2023

Spray water quality parameters such as hardness, pH, alkalinity, turbidity, and total dissolved solids (TDS) can influence the performance of herbicides. Polyvalent cations found in hard water can reduce the efficacy of post‐emergence herbicides that are weak acids. Various approaches have been proposed to mitigate the negative effects of spray water properties on herbicide performance. Water conditioning adjuvants are designed for overcoming the adverse effects of hard water. One group of adjuvants are nitrogen containing compounds such as ammonium sulfate (AMS). The ability of AMS to overcome hard water antagonism is well‐documented but the positive effect of other ammonium compounds are variable and depend on herbicides and weed species. Other adjuvant groups that can overcome effects of poor spray quality are ethoxylated amine surfactants, organic acids and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Water quality is poor in many parts of the world, and accordingly, the study of water property effects on herbicide performance is needed to optimize use, and prevent overuse, of herbicides.
Tropical F$F$‐polynomials and general presentations
Authors: Fei Jiarui
Published: March 2023

We introduce the tropical ‐polynomial of a quiver representation . We study its interplay with the general presentation for any finite‐dimensional basic algebra. We give an interpretation of evaluating at a weight vector. As a consequence, we give a presentation of the Newton polytope of . We study the dual fan and 1‐skeleton of . We propose an algorithm to determine the generic Newton polytopes, and show that it works for path algebras. As an application, we give a representation‐theoretic interpretation of Fock–Goncharov's duality pairing. We give an explicit construction of dual clusters, which consists of real Schur representations. We specialize the above general results to the cluster‐finite algebras and the preprojective algebras of Dynkin type.
Cowpea Yield Under Water Stress Scenarios
Authors: Ferreira Francisco Edson Paulo , Silva Vicente de Paulo Rodrigues da , Silva Madson Tavares , Dantas Sílvia Maria
Published: March 2023

Cowpea is considered a subsistence crop, so it is generally cultivated by  family farming in the rainy season and, outside this season, with the aid of irrigation. Its yield is reduced if there is water stress due to the lack of rainfall or irrigation water. Objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of water stress in the rainy and dry seasons on grain yield, biomass, harvest index and water use efficiency in the ‘Costela de Vaca’ cowpea variety cultivated in no-tillage system using crop residues present in the experimental area. Experimental design used was randomized blocks, in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme (cropping season x water stress), with four replicates. Treatments consisted of two cropping seasons (rainy and dry) and five forms of water stress (without water stress, water suspension for 5, 10 and 15 days, and rainfed cultivation). Biomass was the only parameter influenced by the cropping season versus water stress interaction. Regardless of the cowpea cropping season, water stress reduced grain yield and biomass. Harvest index showed no sensitivity to water stress and cropping season. Water use efficiency was influenced by the cropping season. Soil cover promoted maintenance of soil moisture during cowpea cultivation in both periods.
La sinodalidad vienen del Espíritu: hacia una vida cristiana fiel al Espíritu
Authors: Martínez Morales, S. J. Víctor Marciano
Published: March 2023

El presente artículo de reflexión pretende dar a conocer como la sinodalidad proviene de la acción del Espíritu Santo en nosotros. La vida cristiana está llamada por el Espíritu a recuperar el sentido del seguimiento de Jesucristo. Dejarnos llevar y transformar por el Espíritu desde su acción fiel y creativa como Iglesia nos lleva a hacer realidad la sinodalidad, constitutivo vital eclesial ya presente en la vivencia de las comunidades primigenias de lo cual las epístolas dan testimonio.Es la acción del Espíritu la que hace posible una iglesia en salida, en actitud profética de ir de dentro hacia fuera, de abajo hacia arriba, capaz de leer los signos de los tiempos. La acción del Espíritu en nosotros nos hace hombres y mujeres de oración, iglesia orante en búsqueda de la voluntad de Dios. Es el Espíritu el que nos hace capaces de escuchar con el corazón, el arte de saber escuchar incluso lo diverso y plural, la voz de la crítica y la oposición. Salir al encuentro, dejarnos encontrar, estar allí para el encuentro, todas ellas dinámicas reales de escucha al otro.Es el Espíritu quien nos concede el don del discernimiento. El Espíritu nos hace capaces de saber leer la realidad descubriendo en ella la acción de Dios. La acción del Espíritu en nosotros nos hace estar en actitud de servicio y entrega. Se trata de salir de nosotros hacia los demás cuánto más a favor de los más vulnerables y desprotegidos. Se trata de liberar haciendo real la solidaridad, la justicia y la paz. Examinar nuestro modo de ser como creyentes, desde la acción del Espíritu, nos hace constatar desde nuestra vocación bautismal las características y dimensiones que nos hacen vivir la sinodalidad.
The telomerase reverse transcriptase elongates reversed replication forks at telomeric repeats
Authors: Huda Armela , Arakawa Hiroshi , Mazzucco Giulia , Galli Martina , Petrocelli Valentina , Casola Stefano , Chen Lu , Doksani Ylli
Published: March 2023

The telomerase reverse transcriptase elongates telomeres to prevent replicative senescence. This process requires exposure of the 3′-end, which is thought to occur when two sister telomeres are generated at replication completion. Using two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis (2D-gels) and electron microscopy, we found that telomeric repeats are hotspots for replication fork reversal. Fork reversal generates 3′ telomeric ends before replication completion. To verify whether these ends are elongated by telomerase, we probed de novo telomeric synthesis in situ and at replication intermediates by reconstituting mutant telomerase that adds a variant telomere sequence. We found variant telomeric repeats overlapping with telomeric reversed forks in 2D-gels, but not with normal forks, nontelomeric reversed forks, or telomeric reversed forks with a C-rich 3′-end. Our results define reversed telomeric forks as a substrate of telomerase during replication.
Biodegradable electrohydraulic actuators for sustainable soft robots
Authors: Rumley Ellen H. , Preninger David , Shagan Shomron Alona , Rothemund Philipp , Hartmann Florian , Baumgartner Melanie , Kellaris Nicholas , Stojanovic Andreas , Yoder Zachary , Karrer Benjamin , Keplinger Christoph , Kaltenbrunner Martin
Published: March 2023

Combating environmental pollution demands a focus on sustainability, in particular from rapidly advancing technologies that are poised to be ubiquitous in modern societies. Among these, soft robotics promises to replace conventional rigid machines for applications requiring adaptability and dexterity. For key components of soft robots, such as soft actuators, it is thus important to explore sustainable options like bioderived and biodegradable materials. We introduce systematically determined compatible materials systems for the creation of fully biodegradable, high-performance electrohydraulic soft actuators, based on various biodegradable polymer films, ester-based liquid dielectric, and NaCl-infused gelatin hydrogel. We demonstrate that these biodegradable actuators reliably operate up to high electric fields of 200 V/μm, show performance comparable to nonbiodegradable counterparts, and survive more than 100,000 actuation cycles. Furthermore, we build a robotic gripper based on biodegradable soft actuators that is readily compatible with commercial robot arms, encouraging wider use of biodegradable materials systems in soft robotics.
Caterpillar-inspired soft crawling robot with distributed programmable thermal actuation
Authors: Wu Shuang , Hong Yaoye , Zhao Yao , Yin Jie , Zhu Yong
Published: March 2023

Many inspirations for soft robotics are from the natural world, such as octopuses, snakes, and caterpillars. Here, we report a caterpillar-inspired, energy-efficient crawling robot with multiple crawling modes, enabled by joule heating of a patterned soft heater consisting of silver nanowire networks in a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE)–based thermal bimorph actuator. With patterned and distributed heaters and programmable heating, different temperature and hence curvature distribution along the body of the robot are achieved, enabling bidirectional locomotion as a result of the friction competition between the front and rear end with the ground. The thermal bimorph behavior is studied to predict and optimize the local curvature of the robot under thermal stimuli. The bidirectional actuation modes with the crawling speeds are investigated. The capability of passing through obstacles with limited spacing are demonstrated. The strategy of distributed and programmable heating and actuation with thermal responsive materials offers unprecedented capabilities for smart and multifunctional soft robots.
College towns as talent hubs
Knowledge Towns
David J. Staley and Dominic D. J. Endicott
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2023. 256 pp.
Authors: Wai Jonathan
Published: March 2023

Communities can leverage institutions of higher education to lure knowledge workers to new regions
The spread of fear in an empathetic fish
Authors: DeAngelis Ross S. , Hofmann Hans A.
Published: March 2023

An evolutionarily ancient signaling pathway mediates emotional contagion
Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Target Attainment Analyses Evaluating Omadacycline Dosing Regimens for the Treatment of Patients with Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia Arising from Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae
Authors: Bhavnani Sujata M. , Hammel Jeffrey P. , Lakota Elizabeth A. , Trang Michael , Bader Justin C. , Bulik Catharine C. , VanScoy Brian D. , Rubino Christopher M. , Huband Michael D. , Friedrich Lawrence , Steenbergen Judith N. , Ambrose Paul G.
Published: March 2023

Omadacycline, a novel aminomethylcycline with
in vitro
activity against Gram-positive and -negative organisms, including
Streptococcus pneumoniae
and
Haemophilus influenzae
, is approved in the United States to treat patients with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP). Using nonclinical pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) targets for efficacy and
in vitro
surveillance data for omadacycline against
S. pneumoniae
and
H. influenzae
, and a population pharmacokinetic model, PK-PD target attainment analyses were undertaken using total-drug epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and free-drug plasma exposures to evaluate omadacycline 100 mg intravenously (i.v.) every 12 h or 200 mg i.v. every 24 h (q24h) on day 1, followed by 100 mg i.v. q24h on day 2 and 300 mg orally q24h on days 3 to 5 for patients with CABP.
A Brief Update on Mycobacterial Taxonomy, 2020 to 2022
Authors: Armstrong Derek T. , Eisemann Emma , Parrish Nicole
Published: March 2023

This brief update provides details regarding two newly described species in the genus
Mycobacterium
that were identified from humans or associated with human disease and have been validly published for the period January 2020 through October 2022.
Geochemical signature of a deeply subducted slab in the source of post-collisional magmatism: A case study from the Western Tianshan NW China
Authors: Li Ning-Bo , Niu He-Cai , Shan Qiang , Yang Wu-Bin
Published: March 2023

The contributions of deeply subducted slabs to post-collisional magmatism are poorly constrained. Here, we present a study of the post-collisional, Early Permian (ca. 279 Ma), Hamisite basalts from the Western Tianshan NW China to trace the geochemical fingerprints of deeply subducted slab. The Hamisite basalts have arc-like trace element patterns but high Nb/Ta ratios (18.4−23.0). They have slightly enriched Sr−Nd isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7048−0.7052; εNd[t] = 2.02−3.85), which indicates that the basalts were derived from an enriched mantle source. Extremely low δ7Li values (−5.76‰ to 0.20‰) imply the involvement of a deeply subducted slab (i.e., eclogites) in the source. Correlations among Nb/Ta and (Dy/Yb)N ratios, and rare earth element contents, indicate that the deeply subducted slab contained residual rutile and garnet but no epidote. Given that melting of eclogites requires an anomalously hot mantle source, we propose that mantle upwelling during post-collisional extension triggered melting of the deeply subducted slab. Our results indicate that melting of a deeply subducted slab can generate a metasomatized mantle source with high Nb/Ta ratios, which could be a hidden, high-Nb/Ta reservoir on Earth. Low δ7Li values and high Nb/Ta ratios could be a fingerprint of recycling of a deeply subducted slab.
A tale of an orbicule in the eastern Gangdese belt of southern Tibet: Petrographic, geochemical, and submagmatic structural perspectives on its formation
Authors: Ma Xuxuan , Xu Zhiqin , Mao Xiaohong , Cawood Tarryn , Yan Haoyu , Gao Jianguo , Si Jialiang , Li Haibing
Published: March 2023

Owing to their intriguing appearance and unusual occurrence, as well as their significance in addressing magmatic processes, orbicules have attracted attention from geologists all over the world. We discovered an orbicule-bearing boulder in the Linzhi region, near the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis, which is the first report of orbicules in the Gangdese magmatic belt, southern Tibet. The orbicules are composed of dioritic shells around monzodioritic cores, in a dioritic matrix. They typically have a single shell, composed of elongate and radially oriented hornblendes, with interstitial plagioclase. Zircon laser ablation−inductively coupled plasma−mass spectrometry U-Pb dating yields an indistinguishable age of ca. 28.8 Ma for both the orbicule core and matrix, indicating approximately coeval crystallization. Zircon Lu-Hf and whole-rock Sr-Nd isotopes reveal that the original magmas of both the orbicule matrix and orbicule core were relatively juvenile (ƐHf(t) = +2.2 to +6.0 for matrix and +1.2 to +3.9 for core; ƐNd(t) = −1.68 to −1.46 for matrix and −3.65 to −2.52 for core), similar to reported Oligocene−Miocene post-collisional adakites in the Gangdese belt. Zircon and hornblende geochemistry reveals that both the orbicule matrix and cores were generated from highly oxidized, high oxygen fugacity magmas. Hornblende composition further indicates that the original magmas of the matrix and the orbicule cores were water-rich, with H2O contents greater than 4 wt%. In combination with the whole-rock geochemistry, these results suggest that the orbicules were formed in a post-collisional setting, from magma generated by partial melting of the juvenile thickened lower crust of the Lhasa terrane triggered by convective removal of the Lhasa lithospheric root. The preferred orientation of euhedral igneous minerals in the matrix and the alignment and compaction of orbicules define a magmatic to submagmatic foliation. This, together with the subsolidus deformation microstructures exhibited by minerals within the orbicules, indicates that some flow or movement of orbicules took place under magmatic to submagmatic conditions, as the subsolidus plastic orbicules were jostled and transported within a hypersolidus liquid magma.
Supplemental Material: Late Cretaceous tectonothermal events of the Gangdese belt, southern Tibet
Authors: Ma Xuxuan , al. et
Published: March 2023

Ar-Ar dating results of mylonite, zircon U-Pb dating results of granites, and detrital zircon U-Pb dating results of Shexing Formation sandstone, as well as magmatic and detrital zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes from many other published papers. Includes additional figures, as well as detailed analytical methods. 
8 Xenon is neuroprotective, improves outcome and promotes beneficial early neuroinflammation in a rat model of severe traumatic brain injury
Authors: Campos-Pires Rita , Onggradito Haldis , Ujvari Eszter , Karimi Shughoofa , Valeo Flavia , Aldhoun Jitka , Edge Christopher J , Franks Nicholas P , Dickinson Robert
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects both young and elderly populations and results in a significant global healthcare burden. TBI patients often suffer from costly long-term neurological and cognitive problems that reduce quality of life and ability to work, including motor deficits, gait abnormalities, memory impairments and anxiety. Current clinical practice for TBI is largely supportive, centred on non-specific endpoints such as management of tissue oxygenation, cerebral perfusion pressure and intracranial pressure. At present there are no clinically validated drug treatments aimed specifically at preventing neuronal loss following TBI. Xenon is a noble gas used medically as a general anaesthetic and in MRI imaging. We previously showed xenon-treatment improves short and long-term outcomes, prevents late-onset cognitive impairments and improves survival after moderate TBI in mice. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of xenon in a second species, rats, and in a severe injury model.

Method

Adult male Sprague Dawley rats (N=22) underwent controlled cortical impact (CCI) brain trauma or sham surgery. Animals were randomised to receive either 50%Xe:25%O2:25%N2 or 75%N2:25%O2. Locomotor function (CatwalkXT) and histological outcomes [lesion volume, neuronal cell count (NeuN), microglia (Iba1) and astrocytes (GFAP)] were assessed by blinded observers.

Results

The xenon-treated group exhibited a reduction in locomotor deficits. Lesion volume was reduced in the xenon-treated group. Xenon-treatment resulted in preservation of neurons in cortical and subcortical regions that was associated with increases in numbers of resting microglia and reactive astrocytes.

Conclusion

We show xenon is neuroprotective after severe TBI in rats. Functional improvement and neuronal preservation was associated with a xenon-induced enhancement of resting microglial cell numbers and astrocyte activation. These findings are consistent with a role for early beneficial neuroinflammation in xenon’s neuroprotective effect. Xenon may be of benefit in the treatment of clinical brain trauma.