bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for gallbladder polyps observed through second-look abdominal sonography in patients with fatty liver disease
Authors: Lin Shu-Hsien , Wu Kun-Ta , Chiu Yi-Chun , Wang Chih-Chi , Chiu King-Wah
Published: August 2022

Multiple studies have provided varied results on the relationship between gallbladder polyps (GBPs), fatty liver disease (FLD), and metabolic factors.

The purpose of this study was to determine the possible risk factors related to GBP formation in Taiwanese population through the use of health examinations.

In this retrospective study, 1311 subjects who underwent abdominal sonography for health evaluations from September 2019 to August 2020 were randomly enrolled. Baseline characteristics of the study subjects were recorded. Risk factors related to GBP formation were analyzed. All participants’ series of abdominal sonography examinations in our hospital were also retrospectively reviewed to reveal the presence of GBPs through second-look sonography.

Among 1311 participants, 946 participants (72.2%) had clinically evident FLD, as documented using abdominal sonography; GBPs were found in 233 (24.6%) subjects with FLD. The incidence of FLD was significantly associated with the presence of GBP (P < .001; OR: 4.16, 95% CI: 10.67–35.55). However, the severity of FLD was not found to be associated with GBP (P = .052). In a multi-variate analysis for risk factors for GBP formation, FLD (P < .0001, OR = 4.262, 95% CI: 2.17–8.34), younger group (P = .002; OR: 0.973, CI: 0.95–0.99), and alcohol consumption (P = .009; OR: 3.368, CI: 1.34–8.42) showed statistical significance. Among 1049 subjects in the nonGBP group, 56 (5.34%) persons were found to have had a GBP at least once in the other series of abdominal sonographies (P < .0001).

Conclusion:

FLD, older age group, and alcohol consumption are major risk factors of GBP formation in Taiwanese population. The presence of GBPs might be revealed in second-look examinations of abdominal sonographies.
Treatment of sirolimus in the pathological femoral fracture related to blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome: A case report
Authors: Chang Yu-Jui , Ko Jih-Yang , Sheen Jiunn-Ming , Siu Ka-Kit
Published: August 2022

Rationale:

Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome (BRBNS) is a rare condition with characteristic vascular malformations of the skin, most frequently lesions of the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system, and less often, the musculoskeletal system. We report a 5-year case of BRBNS complicated with pathological femoral fracture that was successfully treated with sirolimus.

Patient concerns:

We report the case of a 1-week-old girl with a diagnosis of BRBNS who had multiple venous malformations over her body. She also presented with right lower-limb swelling and complicated with a pathological femoral fracture.

Diagnoses:

BRBNS with the complication of pathological femoral fracture.

Interventions:

Treatment with low-dose sirolimus as an antiangiogenic agent was administered, combined with hip spica protection.

Outcomes:

The vascular lesion was reduced after about 6 months and the fracture site had healed around 2.5 years after initiation of sirolimus therapy. There were no drug adverse effects at the 5-year follow-up point. The patient showed excellent spirit and no obvious sequelae were found.

Lessons:

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the successful use of sirolimus in a patient with a pathological femoral fracture related to BRBNS complications.
Ethnicity, gender, and migration status: Applying intersectionality methodology to explore barriers to equitable health systems for maternal and newborn health among immigrant populations in Masindi, Uganda
Authors: Mangwi Ayiasi Richard , Ochola Mangwi Alice Jean , Young Ruth , Garimoi Orach Christopher , Morgan Rosemary
Published: August 2022

Globally, 298,000 women die due to pregnancy related causes and half of this occurs in Africa. In Uganda, maternal mortality has marginally reduced from 526 to 336 per 100,000 live births between 2001 and 2016. Health facility delivery is an important factor in improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, the concept of using a skilled birth attendant is not popular in Uganda. An earlier intervention to mobilize communities in the Masindi region for maternal and newborn health services discovered that immigrant populations used maternal health services less compared to the indigenous populations. The aim of this qualitative study was therefore to better understand why immigrant populations were using maternal health services less and what the barriers were in order to suggest interventions that can foster equitable access to maternal health services. Five focus group discussions (FGDs) (three among women; 2 with men), 8 in-depth interviews with women, and 7 key informant interviews with health workers were used to better understand the experiences of immigrants with maternal and newborn services. Interviews and FGDs were conducted from July to September 2016. Data were analyzed using content analysis and intersectionality. Results were based on the following thematic areas: perceived discrimination based on ethnicity as a barrier to access, income, education and gender. Immigrant populations perceived they were discriminated against because they could not communicate in the local dialect, they were poor casual laborers, and/or were not well schooled. Matters of pregnancy and childbearing were considered to be matters for women only, while financial and other decisions at the households are a monopoly of men. The silent endurance of labor pains was considered a heroic action. In contrast, care-seeking early during the onset of labor pains attracted ridicule and was considered frivolous. In this context, perceived discrimination, conflicting gender roles, and societal rewards for silent endurance of labor pains intersect to create a unique state of vulnerability, causing a barrier to access to maternal and newborn care among immigrant women. We recommend platforms to demystify harmful cultural norms and training of health workers on respectful treatment based on the 12 steps to safe and respectful mother baby-family care.
A case report on a child with fracture and dislocation of the upper cervical spine accompanied by spinal cord injury
Authors: Zeng Jiayu , Jiang Hua , Zhuo Yingquan , Xu Yongkang , Deng Zhigang
Published: August 2022

Rationale:

This study describes an 8-year-old boy with a C2 fracture and dislocation with a left C2–C3 articular process interlocking and spinal cord injury who underwent open reduction and internal fixation using the posterior cervical approach and achieved satisfactory results.

Patient concerns:

An 8-year-old boy underwent an emergency transfer from a previous hospital after a car accident.

Diagnoses:

Axial fracture and dislocation with spinal cord injury (American Spinal Injury Association grade C), traumatic shock, brain contusion, intracranial hemorrhage, mandibular fracture, pulmonary contusion and hemorrhage, left vertebral artery stenosis, and multiple fractures throughout the body. Radiological examination revealed a fracture of the lower edge of the C2 vertebral body, fourth-degree anterior spondylolisthesis of the C2 vertebral body, interlocking of the left C2–C3 articular processes, widening of the C2–C3 vertebral space, and occlusion of the V1 and 2 segments of the left vertebral artery.

Interventions:

The boy was immediately intubated and transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit for rescue treatment. However, the reduction was unsuccessful with 2 weeks of cranial traction. Thus, an open reduction was performed under general anesthesia. One month after the surgery, the boy was discharged from the hospital on foot after rehabilitation treatment.

Outcomes:

The boy was discharged from the hospital 1 month after surgery. At the 8-month follow-up, a radiological examination showed that the corrected C2 vertebral body fracture and dislocation were satisfactorily reduced, and the spinal cord was adequately decompressed. The internal fixation position was also good, and the spinal sequence had recovered well. In summary, except for the muscle strength of the right upper limb, which was slightly worse, the other clinical symptoms were significantly improved.

Lessons:

In treating cervical fracture and dislocation with unilateral facet lock, the posterior open reduction of pedicle screw and lateral mass screw internal fixation achieved satisfactory results. Consequently, treating complex cervical spine injuries in children requires an accurate diagnosis and careful treatment strategy.
Smoking cessation rates in elderly and nonelderly smokers after participating in an intensive care smoking cessation camp
Authors: Lee Jae-Kyeong , Kim Yu-Il , Kweon Sun-Seog , Oh In-Jae , Kwon Yong-Soo , Shin Hong-Joon , Choe Yu-Ri , Park Ha-Young , Na Young-Ok , Park Hwa-Kyung
Published: August 2022

Since it is a widely known fact that smoking cessation is beneficial physically and cognitively, efforts should be made to enable smokers to quit smoking through policy. Intensive care smoking cessation camps generally show a high smoking cessation success rate, but research is needed to determine which smokers should be admitted due to costeffectiveness. Although many studies have been conducted to find factors related to smoking cessation success, there is still controversy about the will and success rate of smoking cessation of elderly smokers. We performed this study to determine behavior characteristics and smoking cessation success rates in nonelderly and elderly smokers who participated in an intensive care smoking cessation camp.

Heavy smokers participating in an intensive care smoking cessation camp at Chonnam National University Hospital between the August 2015 and December 2017 were classified into elderly (age ≥65 years old) or nonelderly (age <65 years old) groups after excluding missing data. Smokers were followed up at 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months from the start of abstinence by self-report, measurement of carbon monoxide expiration levels or cotinine testing.

A total of 351 smokers were enrolled in the study. At the 6-month follow-up, 56 of 107 (52.3%) elderly smokers and 109 of 244 (44.7%) nonelderly smokers continued to abstain from smoking. Elderly smokers showed a higher smoking cessation rate than that of nonelderly smokers, but it was not statistically significant (OR = 1.36, 95%CI: 0.862, 2.145). The most common causes of cessation failure in both groups were stress and temptation, followed by withdrawal symptoms.

Smoking cessation rates in the elderly are comparable to that in the nonelderly after an intensive care smoking cessation camp. Intensive care smoking cessation camps can help both elderly and nonelderly smokers who intend to quit smoking by providing motivation, education and medication. Smoking cessation should be strongly recommended regardless of age.
Diagnostic Yield of Cardiac Biomarker Testing in Predicting Cardiac Disease and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children in the Pandemic Era
Authors: Kelly Michael S. , Fernandes Neil D. , Carr Audrey V. , Beaute Jeanette I. , Lahoud-Rahme Manuella , Cummings Brian M. , Chiu Joanne S.
Published: August 2022

Objectives

This study aimed to assess whether elevations in cardiac biomarkers are associated with pediatric cardiac diagnoses in the era of COVID-19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

Study Design

This single-center retrospective study analyzed children with a troponin drawn in the emergency department or inpatient unit between April 21 and December 31, 2020. The primary outcome was the presence of a cardiac diagnosis or MIS-C. Relationships among demographics, complaint, cardiac diagnostics, and cardiac biomarkers were analyzed.

Results

Four hundred eighty-six patients (mean ± SD; age 13.1 ± 7.8 years; 46.7% women) met inclusion criteria, for whom a cardiac diagnosis (excluding MIS-C) was made in 27 (5.6%) patients, with MIS-C diagnosed in 14 (2.9%) patients. The sensitivity and specificity of an elevated initial high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTropT) value (>14 ng/L) in predicting the composite outcome of a cardiac diagnosis or MIS-C were 54% and 89%, respectively. Four percent of patients with negative initial troponin values were found to have a cardiac diagnosis or MIS-C. Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that elevated hsTropT (>14 ng/L; odds ratio [OR] [95% confidence interval]: 4.9 [1.70–14.0]) and elevated N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide values (>500 pg/mL; 6.4 [2.01–20.1]) were associated with increased odds of a cardiac diagnosis or MIS-C.

Conclusions

Children with elevated cardiac biomarkers have increased odds of a cardiac diagnosis or MIS-C and warrant workup regardless of indication for testing. Although a negative hsTropT may reassure providers, further investigation is critical in developing algorithms to reliably exclude cardiac disease.
Rotation Advancement Distraction Osteogenesis Technique is Attributed to Unilateral Lambdoid Synostosis and is Used to Correct Posterior Plagiocephaly
Authors: Kashiyama Kazuya , Yano Hiroki , Imamura Yoshinobu
Published: August 2022

Unilateral lambdoid synostosis is the rarest form of craniosynostosis. Surgical correction is technically challenging from a morphological standpoint and is used to decompress intracranial pressure. Herein, the authors present a “rotational advancement bone flap” technique for the repair of posterior plagiocephaly. A bicoronal skin incision was performed, to expose the occipital region. The rotational advancement bone flap was designed to hinge off the nonsynostotic side, and it was set up to include an occipital protrusion on the normal side. On the premature side, an advancement bone flap was set up to include the flattened and deformed occipital bone. A titanium cranial distractor, which was attached between the bone flap and the anterior bone. An absorbable plate, which would later become a hinge due to the movement of the bone flap, was attached to the area for reinforcement. The authors technique was able to decompress intracranial pressure with satisfactory esthetic outcomes.
Study on Overdenture of Immediate Implant Placement and Function
Authors: Luo Shenglei , Fu Chengyan , Wei Hengli , Zhao Bo
Published: August 2022

Objective:

This study aims to investigate the bone remodelling and resorption in immediate implantation and restoration of clinical implant-supported overdentures.

Materials and Methods:

Six adult domestic dogs were divided into 2 groups: In the experimental group, 6 implants were immediately placed in each mandible, the distal end implants were inclined distal to the long axis of the tooth at an angle of 30 degrees, and restored immediately. As the control group, the animals underwent immediate implant placement with single denture restoration, respectively, nontilting and tilting at 30 degrees in the long axis of the tooth. The osseointegration index (OI) and rate of bone ingrowth fraction were measured, and the peri-implant bone remodelling was observed. The marginal bone loss was measured in the slices of bone-implant and analyzed.

Results:

New bone regenerated and had remodelled in each group. The experimental group had no statistically significant differences, when compared with other groups, except the tilted implant control group, in terms of the OI and bone ingrowth fraction.

Conclusion:

Obvious bone absorption did not statistically significantly occur in implant-supported overdenture of immediate implant placement and function with satisfactory new bone and OI.
Better Operating Room Ventilation as Determined by a Novel Ventilation Index is Associated With Lower Rates of Surgical Site Infections
Authors: Surial Bernard , Atkinson Andrew , Külpmann Rüdiger , Brunner Arnold , Hildebrand Kurt , Sicre Benoît , Troillet Nicolas , Widmer Andreas , Rolli Eveline , Maag Judith , Marschall Jonas
Published: August 2022

Objective:

The aim was to assess the impact of operating room (OR) ventilation quality on surgical site infections (SSIs) using a novel ventilation index.

Background:

Previous studies compared laminar air flow with conventional ventilation, thereby ignoring many parameters that influence air flow properties.

Methods:

In this cohort study, we surveyed hospitals participating in the Swiss SSI surveillance and calculated a ventilation index for their ORs, with higher values reflecting less turbulent air displacement. For procedures captured between January 2017 and December 2019, we studied the association between ventilation index and SSI rates using linear regression (hospital-level analysis) and with the individual SSI risk using generalized linear mixed-effects models (patient-level analysis).

Results:

We included 47 hospitals (182 ORs). Among the 163,740 included procedures, 6791 SSIs were identified. In hospital-level analyses, a 5-unit increase in the ventilation index was associated with lower SSI rates for knee and hip arthroplasty (−0.41 infections per 100 procedures, 95% confidence interval: −0.69 to −0.13), cardiac (−0.89, −1.91 to 0.12), and spine surgeries (−1.15, −2.56 to 0.26). Similarly, patient-level analyses showed a lower SSI risk with each 5-unit increase in ventilation index (adjusted odds ratio 0.71, confidence interval: 0.58–0.87 for knee and hip; 0.72, 0.49–1.06 for spine; 0.82, 0.69–0.98 for cardiac surgery). Higher index values were mainly associated with a lower risk for superficial and deep incisional SSIs.

Conclusions:

Better ventilation properties, assessed with our ventilation index, are associated with lower rates of superficial and deep incisional SSIs in orthopedic and cardiac procedures. OR ventilation quality appeared to be less relevant for other surgery types.
Sir Erik Christopher Zeeman. 4 February 1925—13 February 2016
Authors: Rand David A.
Published: August 2022

Sir Erik Christopher Zeeman, formerly Foundation Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick, Principal of Hertford College, Oxford, and Vice-President of the Royal Society, was for over 40 years a leading figure in British mathematical life. A brilliant mathematician, exceptional lecturer, prodigious polymath and deep-thinking leader and administrator, Christopher Zeeman had a remarkable influence on British mathematics. He made major research contributions to topology, dynamical systems, catastrophe and singularity theory, and applications of mathematics in the physical, biological and social sciences. Particularly notable among his many other achievements were his foundation of the Warwick Mathematics Institute and his contributions to the public understanding of science.
Multivariate analysis of biologging data reveals the environmental determinants of diving behaviour in a marine reptile
Authors: Hounslow Jenna L. , Fossette Sabrina , Byrnes Evan E. , Whiting Scott D. , Lambourne Renae N. , Armstrong Nicola J. , Tucker Anton D. , Richardson Anthony R. , Gleiss Adrian C.
Published: August 2022

Diving behaviour of ‘surfacers' such as sea snakes, cetaceans and turtles is complex and multi-dimensional, thus may be better captured by multi-sensor biologging data. However, analysing these large multi-faceted datasets remains challenging, though a high priority. We used high-resolution multi-sensor biologging data to provide the first detailed description of the environmental influences on flatback turtle (Natator depressus) diving behaviour, during its foraging life-history stage. We developed an analytical method to investigate seasonal, diel and tidal effects on diving behaviour for 24 adult flatback turtles tagged with biologgers. We extracted 16 dive variables associated with three-dimensional and kinematic characteristics for 4128 dives.K-means and hierarchical cluster analyses failed to identify distinct dive types. Instead, principal component analysis objectively condensed the dive variables, removing collinearity and highlighting the main features of diving behaviour. Generalized additive mixed models of the main principal components identified significant seasonal, diel and tidal effects on flatback turtle diving behaviour. Flatback turtles altered their diving behaviour in response to extreme tidal and water temperature ranges, displaying thermoregulation and predator avoidance strategies while likely optimizing foraging in this challenging environment. This study demonstrates an alternative statistical technique for objectively interpreting diving behaviour from multivariate collinear data derived from biologgers.
Closing cones create conical lamellae in secondary osteonal bone
Authors: Doube Michael
Published: August 2022

Lamellae are sheets of mineralized collagen 1–20 µm thick, extending over hundreds of µm in bone tissue, occupying bone's structural hierarchy at a level above collagen fibres and osteocytes, and below osteons and trabeculae. Osteons are tubular arrangements of lamellae surrounding central neurovascular canals. Lamellae in osteons are usually described as concentric cylinders based on their annular appearance in transverse section. In this review, I provide a perspective on current understanding of the relationship between geometry of the bone formation front and the shape of lamellae produced at it, reaching the conclusion that the ‘closing cone’ bone formation front in secondary osteonal remodelling must necessarily result in cone-shaped lamellae in the mature secondary osteon. Secondary osteons replace primary osteons through a tunnelling process of bone turnover, meaning that conical lamellae may become more common in older and damaged bone which is at greatest risk of fracture. Visualization and measurement of three-dimensional lamellar shape over hundreds of microns is needed to provide data for accurate micromechanical simulations. Treating secondary osteonal lamellae as a ‘stack of cones’ rather than ‘nested cylinders’ may have important implications for our appreciation of bone's function as a load-bearing tissue and of its behaviour in fracture.
Stability and post-bifurcation of film-substrate systems
Authors: Akerson Andrew , Elliott Ryan S.
Published: August 2022

Morphological instabilities in soft solids with free surfaces lead to an array of deformation modes including wrinkling, creasing, folding and ridge localization. While homogeneous systems tend to form creases, stiff films over soft substrates usually exhibit surface waves. Here, we look to analytically investigate this transition through the effects of film stiffness and finite thickness on the post-bifurcation stability of these surface waves. By considering both the film and substrate as compressible Neo-Hookean solids, we apply bifurcation theory and Lyaponov–Schmidt–Koiter asymptotics to produce a phase diagram of the surface wave stability over the parameter space. While earlier works have studied the effect of film-to-substrate stiffness ratios for thin films on deep substrates in the incompressible setting, we consider the additional effects of both finite film thickness and Poisson ratio. To investigate the further evolution of these surface waves, we turn to computational methods through finite-element simulations with bifurcation branch-following techniques. We see that as the unstable surface waves evolve, they eventually lead to the beginnings of crease formation. Thus, when the surface waves are unstable, we would expect snap-back or snap-through behaviour leading to creases.
Nuclear-specific gene expression in heterokaryons of the filamentous ascomycete
Neurospora tetrasperma
Authors: Meunier Cécile , Darolti Iulia , Reimegård Johan , Mank Judith E. , Johannesson Hanna
Published: August 2022

Heterokaryosis is a system in which genetically distinct nuclei coexist within the same cytoplasm. While heterokaryosis dominates the life cycle of many fungal species, the transcriptomic changes associated with the transition from homokaryosis to heterokaryosis is not well understood. Here, we analyse gene expression profiles of homokaryons and heterokaryons from three phylogenetically and reproductively isolated lineages of the filamentous ascomycete
Neurospora tetrasperma
. We show that heterokaryons are transcriptionally distinct from homokaryons in the sexual stage of development, but not in the vegetative stage, suggesting that the phenotypic switch to fertility in heterokaryons is associated with major changes in gene expression. Heterokaryon expression is predominantly defined by additive effects of its two nuclear components. Furthermore, allele-specific expression analysis of heterokaryons with varying nuclear ratios show patterns of expression ratios strongly dependent on nuclear ratios in the vegetative stage. By contrast, in the sexual stage, strong deviations of expression ratios indicate a co-regulation of nuclear gene expression in all three lineages. Taken together, our results show two levels of expression control: additive effects suggest a nuclear level of expression, whereas co-regulation of gene expression indicate a heterokaryon level of control.
Seasonal species richness of birds on the world's islands and its geographical correlates
Authors: La Sorte Frank A. , Somveille Marius , Dokter Adriaan M. , Miller Eliot T.
Published: August 2022

The presence of migratory birds on islands results in seasonal variation in species richness. These patterns and their geographical correlates within the context of island biogeography theory have not been examined. We used 21 years of bird observations on 690 islands from eBird to determine how seasonal species richness estimates vary as a function of island area, isolation and latitude. Species richness was highest on islands within the northern mid-latitudes during migration and on islands within tropical latitudes during the non-breeding season. Area defined positive, nonlinear relationships with species richness across seasons, with the steepest slopes occurring with islands greater than 1100 km
2
. Distance to mainland defined negative, nonlinear relationships with species richness across seasons, with the strongest slopes occurring with islands located greater than 150 km from the mainland. Species–area relationships were weakest for the most remote islands and strongest for islands at intermediate distances to the mainland. Intermediate proximity to other islands was a poor predictor of species richness. Our findings emphasize the presence of seasonally dynamic geographical relationships, the enhanced role of evolutionary processes on larger islands, the unique ecology of the world's most remote islands, and the importance of islands as stopover sites and wintering grounds for migratory bird species.
Vexitoxins: conotoxin-like venom peptides from predatory gastropods of the genus
Vexillum
Authors: Kuznetsova Ksenia G. , Zvonareva Sofia S. , Ziganshin Rustam , Mekhova Elena S. , Dgebuadze Polina , Yen Dinh T. H. , Nguyen Thanh H. T. , Moshkovskii Sergei A. , Fedosov Alexander E.
Published: August 2022

Venoms of predatory marine cone snails are intensely studied because of the biomedical applications of the neuropeptides that they contain, termed conotoxins. Meanwhile some gastropod lineages have independently acquired secretory glands strikingly similar to the venom gland of cone snails, suggesting that they possess similar venoms. Here we focus on the most diversified of these clades, the genus
Vexillum
. Based on the analysis of a multi-species proteo-transcriptomic dataset, we show that
Vexillum
species indeed produce complex venoms dominated by highly diversified short cysteine-rich peptides, vexitoxins. Vexitoxins possess the same precursor organization, display overlapping cysteine frameworks and share several common post-translational modifications with conotoxins. Some vexitoxins show sequence similarity to conotoxins and adopt similar domain conformations, including a pharmacologically relevant inhibitory cysteine knot motif. The
Vexillum
envenomation gland (gL) is a notably more recent evolutionary novelty than the conoidean venom gland. Thus, we hypothesize lower divergence between vexitoxin genes, and their ancestral ‘somatic’ counterparts compared to that in conotoxins, and we find support for this hypothesis in the evolution of the vexitoxin cluster V027. We use this example to discuss how future studies on vexitoxins can inform the origin of conotoxins, and how they may help to address outstanding questions in venom evolution.
Spatial selectivity in adaptation to gaze direction
Authors: Palmer Colin J. , Clifford Colin W. G.
Published: August 2022

A person's focus of attention is conveyed by the direction of their eyes and face, providing a simple visual cue fundamental to social interaction. A growing body of research examines the visual mechanisms that encode the direction of another person's gaze as we observe them. Here we investigate the
spatial receptive field properties
of these mechanisms, by testing the spatial selectivity of sensory adaptation to gaze direction. Human observers were adapted to faces with averted gaze presented in one visual hemifield, then tested in their perception of gaze direction for faces presented in the same or opposite hemifield. Adaptation caused strong, repulsive perceptual aftereffects, but only for faces presented in the same hemifield as the adapter. This occurred even though adapting and test stimuli were in the same external location across saccades. Hence, there was clear evidence for
retinotopic
adaptation and a relative lack of either
spatiotopic
or
spatially invariant
adaptation. These results indicate that adaptable representations of gaze direction in the human visual system have retinotopic spatial receptive fields. This strategy of coding others' direction of gaze with positional specificity relative to one's own eye position may facilitate key functions of gaze perception, such as socially cued shifts in visual attention.
Watermelon nutrition profile, antioxidant activity, and
processing
Authors: Nadeem Muhammad , Navida Maham , Ameer Kashif , Siddique Farzana , Iqbal Aqsa , Malik Faiqa , Ranjha Muhamad Modassar Ali Nawaz , Yasmin Zarina , Kanwal Rabia , Javaria Sadaf
Published: August 2022

The first primitive watermelon domestication has been reported more than 5,000
years ago in Northeast Africa. Watermelon is recognized all over the world as a
delicious fruit that quenches the thirst that many people consume in the summer
heat. There are about 1,200 varieties of watermelon. Watermelons are loaded with
plentiful nutrients, such as vitamin C, pantothenic acid, copper, biotin,
vitamin A, and vitamins B6 & B1. Watermelon is
processed to manufacture various value-added foods, such as cookies, cakes,
juice, jam, cadies, and biscuits. In this review, we discuss pre- and
postharvest factors affecting watermelon nutritional concentration and
antioxidant profile. Prominent factors comprise genetic and environmental
constraints, processing and postharvest storage conditions, chemical treatments,
temperature and humidity, packaging, and food processing conditions. This review
summarizes the available literature on watermelon processing into different
valuable products, pre- and postharvest factors affecting nutritional
concentration, and antioxidant activity.
Antibody feedback regulation of memory B cell development in SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination
Authors: Schaefer-Babajew Dennis , Wang Zijun , Muecksch Frauke , Cho Alice , Raspe Raphael , Johnson Brianna , Canis Marie , DaSilva Justin , Ramos Victor , Turroja Martina , Millard Katrina G. , Schmidt Fabian , Dizon Juan , Shimelovich Irina , Yao Kai-Hui , Oliveira Thiago Y. , Gazumyan Anna , Gaebler Christian , Bieniasz Paul D. , Hatziioannou Theodora , Caskey Marina , Nussenzweig Michel C.
Published: August 2022

Feedback inhibition of humoral immunity by antibodies was initially documented in guinea pigs by Theobald Smith in 1909, who showed that passive administration of excess anti-Diphtheria toxin inhibited immune responses1. Subsequent work documented that antibodies can enhance or inhibit immune responses depending on antibody isotype, affinity, the physical nature of the antigen, and engagement of immunoglobulin (Fc) and complement (C’) receptors2, 3. However, little is known about how pre-existing antibodies might influence the subsequent development of memory B cells. Here we examined the memory B cell response in individuals who received two high-affinity IgG1 anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD)-specific monoclonal antibodies, C144-LS and C135-LS, and subsequently two doses of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine. The two antibodies target Class 2 and 3 epitopes that dominate the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and mRNA vaccination4–8. Antibody responses to the vaccine in C144-LS and C135-LS recipients produced plasma antigen binding and neutralizing titers that were fractionally lower but not statistically different to controls. In contrast, memory B cells enumerated by flow cytometry after the second vaccine dose were present in higher numbers than in controls. However, the memory B cells that developed in antibody recipients differed from controls in that they were not enriched in VH3-53, VH1-46 and VH3-66 genes and predominantly expressed low-affinity IgM antibodies that carried small numbers of somatic mutations. These antibodies showed altered RBD target specificity consistent with epitope masking, and only 1 out of 77 anti-RBD memory antibodies tested neutralized the virus. The results indicate that pre-existing high-affinity antibodies bias memory B cell selection and have a profound effect on the development of immunological memory in humans that may in part explain the shifting target profile of memory antibodies elicited by the 3rd mRNA vaccine dose.
Multifactorial Methods Integrating Haplotype and Epistasis Effects for Genomic Estimation and Prediction of Quantitative Traits
Authors: Da Yang , Liang Zuoxiang , Prakapenka Dzianis
Published: August 2022

The rapid growth in genomic selection data provides unprecedented opportunities to discover and utilize complex genetic effects for improving phenotypes but methodology is lacking. Epistasis effects are interaction effects and haplotype effects may contain local high-order epistasis effects. Multifactorial methods with SNP, haplotype and epistasis effects up to the third-order are developed to investigate the contributions of global low-order and local high-order epistasis effects to the phenotypic variance and the accuracy of gnomic prediction of quantitative traits. These methods include genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) with associated reliability for individuals with and without phenotypic observations including a computationally efficient GBLUP method for large validation populations, and genomic restricted maximum estimation (GREML) of the variance and associated heritability using a combination of EM-REML and AI-REML iterative algorithms. These methods were developed for two models, Model-I with 10 effect types, and Model-II with 13 effect types including intra- and inter-chromosome pairwise epistasis effects that replace the pairwise epistasis effects of Model-I. GREML heritability estimate and GBLUP effect estimate for each effect of an effect type are derived except for third-order epistasis effects. The multifactorial models evaluate each effect type based on the phenotypic values adjusted for the remaining effect types and can use more effect types than separate models of SNP, haplotype and epistasis effects; and provide a methodology capability to evaluate the contributions of complex genetic effects to the phenotypic variance and prediction accuracy, and to discover and utilize complex genetic effects for improving the phenotypes of quantitative traits.
High-throughput mass spectrometry maps the sepsis plasma proteome and differences in response
Authors: Mi Yuxin , Burnham Katie L , Charles Philip D , Heilig Raphael , Vendrell Iolanda , Whalley Justin , Torrance Hew D , Antcliffe David B , May Shaun M , Neville Matt J , Berridge Georgina , Hutton Paula , Goh Cyndi , Radhakrishnan Jayachandran , Nesvizhskii Alexey , Yu Fengchao ,   GAinS Investigators, Davenport Emma E , McKechnie Stuart , Davies Roger , O’Callaghan David JP , Patel Parind , Karpe Fredrik , Gordon Anthony C , Ackland Gareth L , Hinds Charles J , Fischer Roman , Knight Julian C
Published: August 2022

Sepsis, the dysregulated host response to infection causing life-threatening organ dysfunction, is an unmet global health challenge. Here we apply high-throughput tandem mass spectrometry to delineate the plasma proteome for sepsis and comparator groups (non-infected critical illness, post-operative inflammation and healthy volunteers) involving 2622 samples and 4553 liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses in a single batch, at 100 samples/day. We show how this scale of data can establish shared and specific proteins, pathways and co-expression modules in sepsis, and be integrated with paired leukocyte transcriptomic data (n=837 samples) using matrix decomposition. We map the landscape of the host response in sepsis including changes over time, and identify features relating to etiology, clinical phenotypes and severity. This work reveals novel subphenotypes informative for sepsis response state, disease processes and outcome, highlights potential biomarkers, pathways and processes for drug targets, and advances a systems-based precision medicine approach to sepsis.
A discrete choice experiment to understand depression intervention treatment preferences of Kenyan pregnant adolescents
Authors: Kumar Manasi , Tele Albert , Kathono Joseph , Nyongesa Vincent , Yator Obadia , Mwaniga Shillah , Huang Keng Yen , McKay Mary , Lai Joanna , Levy Marcy , Cuijpers Pim , Quaife Matthew , Unutzer Jurgen
Published: August 2022

Background

Understanding mental health treatment preferences of adolescents and youth is particularly important for interventions to be acceptable and successful. Person-centered care mandates empowering individuals to take charge of their own health rather than being passive recipients of services.

Methods

We conducted a discrete choice experiment to quantitatively measure adolescent treatment preferences for different care characteristics and explore tradeoffs between these. A total of 153 pregnant adolescents were recruited from two primary healthcare facilities in the informal urban settlement of Nairobi. We selected eight attributes of depression treatment option models drawn from literature review and previous qualitative work. We created a balanced and orthogonal design to identify main term effects. A total of ten choice tasks were solicited per respondent. We evaluated mean preferences using mixed logit models to adjust for within subject correlation and account for unobserved heterogeneity.

Results

Respondents showed a positive preference that caregivers be provided with information sheets, as opposed to co-participation with caregivers. With regards to treatment options, the respondents showed a positive preference for 8 sessions as compared to 4 sessions. With regards to intervention delivery agents, the respondents had a positive preference for facility nurses as compared to community health volunteers. In terms of support, the respondents showed positive preference for parenting skills as compared to peer support. Our respondents expressed negative preferences of ANC service combined with older mothers as compared to adolescent friendly services and of being offered refreshments alone. A positive preference was revealed for combined refreshments and travel allowance over travel allowance or refreshments alone.

Conclusion

This study highlights unique needs of this population. Pregnant adolescents value depression care services offered by nurses Participants shared a preference for longer psychotherapy sessions and their preference was to have adolescent centered maternal mental health and child health services within primary care.
Underlying reasons for post-mortem diagnosed lung cancer cases – A robust retrospective comparative study from Hungary (HULC study)
Authors: Kiss Zoltán , Bogos Krisztina , Tamási Lilla , Ostoros Gyula , Müller Veronika , Bittner Nóra , Sárosi Veronika , Vastag Aladár , Knollmajer Kata , Várnai Máté , Kovács Krisztina , Berta Andrea , Köveskuti István , Karamousouli Eugenia , Rokszin György , Abonyi-Tóth Zsolt , Barcza Zsófia , Kenessey István , Weber András , Nagy Péter , Freyler-Fadgyas Petra , Szócska Miklós , Szegner Péter , Hilbert Lászlóné , Géczy Gabriella Branyiczkiné , Surján György , Moldvay Judit , Vokó Zoltán , Gálffy Gabriella , Polányi Zoltán
Published: August 2022

Objective

The Hungarian Undiagnosed Lung Cancer (HULC) study aimed to explore the potential reasons for missed LC diagnosis by comparing healthcare and socio-economic data among patients with post-mortem diagnosed LC with those who were diagnosed with LC during their lives.

Methods

This nationwide, retrospective study used the databases of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO) and National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to identify patients who died between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019 and were diagnosed with lung cancer post-mortem (population A) or during their lifetime (population B). Patient characteristics, socio-economic factors, and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) data were compared between the diagnosed and undiagnosed patient population.

Results

During the study period, 8,435 patients were identified from the HCSO database with LC as the cause of death, of whom 1,203 (14.24%) had no LC-related ICD code records in the NHIF database during their lives (post-mortem diagnosed LC population). Post-mortem diagnosed LC patients were significantly older than patients diagnosed while still alive (mean age 71.20 vs. 68.69 years, p<0.001), with a more pronounced age difference among female patients (difference: 4.57 years, p<0.001), and had significantly fewer GP and specialist visits, X-ray and CT scans within 7 to 24 months and 6 months before death, although the differences in GP and specialist visits within 7–24 months did not seem clinically relevant. Patients diagnosed with LC while still alive were more likely to be married (47.62% vs. 33.49%), had higher educational attainment, and had more children, than patients diagnosed with LC post-mortem.

Conclusions

Post-mortem diagnosed lung cancer accounts for 14.24% of total lung cancer mortality in Hungary. This study provides valuable insights into patient characteristics, socio-economic factors, and HCRU data potentially associated with a high risk of lung cancer misdiagnosis.
Risk of Cancer After Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Bell Caitlin F. , Lei Xiudong , Baylis Richard , Gao Hua , Luo Lingfeng , Giordano Sharon H. , Wehner Mackenzie R. , Nead Kevin T. , Leeper Nicholas J.
Published: August 2022

Background

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer share several risk factors. While preclinical models show that various types of CVD can accelerate cancer progression, clinical studies have not determined the impact of atherosclerosis on cancer risk.

Objectives

To determine whether CVD, especially atherosclerotic CVD, is independently associated with incident cancer.

Methods

Using IBM MarketScan claims data from over 130 million individuals, we identified 27 million cancer-free subjects with a minimum of 36 months of follow-up data. Individuals were stratified by presence or absence of CVD, with 1:1 propensity matching to control for cardiovascular risk factors, and cumulative risk of cancer was calculated. Additional analyses were performed according to CVD type (atherosclerotic vs non-atherosclerotic) and cancer subtype.

Results

Among 4,487,412 matched individuals, those with CVD had a 1.26-fold higher relative risk of cancer than those without CVD (6.8% vs 5.4% 5-year cumulative incidence). Results were more pronounced for individuals with atherosclerotic CVD (aCVD), who had a 1.43-fold higher relative risk than those without CVD (7.7% 5-year cumulative cancer incidence). Findings persisted after multivariable adjustment for numerous traditional CV risk factors, including the modestly higher risk for cancer amongst individuals with atherosclerotic CVD. Cancer subtype analyses showed specific associations of aCVD with several malignancies, including lung, bladder, liver, brain, and other hematologic cancers.

Conclusions

Individuals with CVD have an increased risk of developing cancer compared to those without CVD. This association may be driven in part by the relationship of atherosclerosis with specific cancer subtypes, which persists after controlling for conventional risk factors.
Identification of Potential Blood-based Biomarkers for Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Kundu Adrija
Published: August 2022

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease affecting millions of people worldwide caused by an abnormal immune response that deteriorates the myelin sheath encapsulating neurons, drastically impairing neural communication. Currently, no tests can guarantee the diagnosis of MS until symptoms become severe. Early-stage diagnosis for MS is beneficial as it allows for an early start to treatment that slows its progression. This project aimed to analyze data from gene expression studies and identify commonly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the blood of MS patients. 183 overexpressed DEGs were identified and a diagram depicting protein interactions was generated with STRINGDB. Cytoscape was used to analyze interactions and recognize Hub genes. Further analysis on PANTHER showed that the biological processes of “tRNA aminoacylation for protein translation” and “mitochondrial translational elongation” were enriched in the upregulated DEGs. Furthermore, processes directly connected to the immune system such as the “Fc receptor signaling pathway” and “antigen processing and presentation of peptide antigen” were overrepresented. The identified Hub genes RPS27A, NSA2, RPS15A, and POLR2C are potential biomarkers for MS and warrant further study. Overall, this study could provide greater insight into the molecular pathways of MS and evidence to support which genes are overexpressed in MS.
Origins of proprioceptor feature selectivity and topographic maps in theDrosophilaleg
Authors: Mamiya Akira , Sustar Anne , Siwanowicz Igor , Qi Yanyan , Lu Tzu-Chiao , Gurung Pralaksha , Chen Chenghao , Phelps Jasper S. , Kuan Aaron T. , Pacureanu Alexandra , Lee Wei-Chung Allen , Li Hongjie , Mhatre Natasha , Tuthill John C.
Published: August 2022

Our ability to sense and move our bodies relies on proprioceptors, sensory neurons that detect mechanical forces within the body. Proprioceptors are diverse: different subtypes detect different features of joint kinematics, such as position, directional movement, and vibration. However, because they are located within complex and dynamic peripheral tissues, the underlying mechanisms of proprioceptor feature selectivity remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate molecular and biomechanical contributions to proprioceptor diversity in theDrosophilaleg. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we found that different proprioceptor subtypes express similar complements of mechanosensory and other ion channels. However, anatomical reconstruction of the proprioceptive organ and connected tendons revealed major biomechanical differences between proprioceptor subtypes. We constructed a computational model of the proprioceptors and tendons, which identified a putative biomechanical mechanism for joint angle selectivity. The model also predicted the existence of a goniotopic map of joint angle among position-tuned proprioceptors, which we confirmed using calcium imaging. Our findings suggest that biomechanical specialization is a key determinant of proprioceptor feature selectivity inDrosophila. More broadly, our discovery of proprioceptive maps in the fly leg reveals common organizational principles between proprioception and other topographically organized sensory systems.