bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid shrub expansion in a subarctic mountain basin revealed by repeat airborne LiDAR
Authors: Leipe Sean C , Carey Sean K
Published: June 2021

As a consequence of increasing temperatures, a rapid increase in shrub vegetation has occurred throughout the circumpolar North and is expected to continue. Rates of shrub expansion are highly variable, both at the regional scale and within local study areas. This study uses repeat airborne LiDAR and field surveys to measure changes in shrub vegetation cover along with landscape-scale variations in a well-studied subarctic headwater catchment in Yukon Territory, Canada. Airborne LiDAR surveys were conducted in August 2007 and 2018, whereas vegetation surveys were conducted in summer 2019. Machine learning classification algorithms were used to predict shrub presence/absence in 2018 based on rasterized LiDAR metrics, with the best-performing model applied to the 2007 LiDAR to create binary shrub cover layers to compare between survey years. Results show a 63.3% total increase in detectable shrub cover >= 0.45 m in height between 2007 and 2018, with an average yearly expansion of 5.8%. These changes were compared across terrain derivatives to quantify the influence of topography on shrub expansion. Terrain comparisons show that shrubs are located in and are preferentially expanding into lower and flatter areas near stream networks, at lower slope positions and with a higher potential for topographic wetness. Overall, the findings from this research reinforce the documented increase in pan-Arctic shrub vegetation in recent years, quantify the variation in shrub expansion over terrain derivatives at the landscape scale, and demonstrate the feasibility of using LiDAR to compare changes in shrub properties over time.
On the Cohen-Macaulay property of the Rees algebra of the module of differentials
Authors: Costantini Alessandra , Dang Tan
Published: June 2021

Let

R
R

be an algebra essentially of finite type over a field

k
k

and let

Ω
k

(
R
)

\Omega _k(R)

be its module of Kähler differentials over

k
k

. If

R
R

is a homogeneous complete intersection and

c
h
a
r

(
k
)
=
0

\mathrm {char}(k)=0

, we prove that

Ω
k

(
R
)

\Omega _k(R)

is of linear type whenever its Rees algebra is Cohen-Macaulay and locally at every non-maximal homogeneous prime

p

\mathfrak {p}

the embedding dimension of

R

p

R_{\mathfrak {p}}

is at most twice its dimension. This improves a previous result of Simis, Ulrich and Vasconcelos for the module of differentials of a ring that is locally a complete intersection, in which case the latter condition is assumed locally at every prime.
Quantitative live-cell PALM reveals nanoscopic Faa4 redistributions and dynamics on lipid droplets during metabolic transitions of yeast
Authors: Adhikari Santosh , Moscatelli Joe , Puchner Elias M.
Published: June 2021

We employ quantitative photo-activated localization microscopy to study the nanoscopic redistribution of the fatty acid-activating enzyme Faa4 on lipid droplets (LDs). Our results show a dramatic increase of Faa4 density on LDs to promote their expansion when cells transition to the stationary growth phase.
Praja1 ubiquitin ligase facilitates degradation of polyglutamine proteins and suppresses polyglutamine-mediated toxicity
Authors: Ghosh Baijayanti , Karmakar Susnata , Prasad Mohit , Mandal Atin K.
Published: June 2021

Accumulation of intracellular toxic misfolded proteins acts as an important pathological hallmark in polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases. In this study, we investigate how Praja1 ubiquitin ligase, which is abundantly expressed in the brain, clears these polyQ proteins and subsequently helps in suppressing the cytotoxicity associated with them.
Two Sources of Miscommunication in Oncology Consultations: An Observational Study Using Conversation Analysis
Authors: Pino Marco , Fatigante Marilena , Alby Francesca , Zucchermaglio Cristina
Published: June 2021

This article investigates miscommunication in sequences of talk where an oncologist asks about patients’ co-morbidities, that is, their other illnesses beyond cancer. Using conversation analysis, we examine ways in which the participants identify and manage two sources of miscommunication: a divergence in the doctor’s and the patient’s understandings about the scope of the question; and a divergence in the doctor’s and the patient’s (and sometimes their companion’s) understandings about the matters that the question targets. Our findings have implications for practice, highlighting ways in which clinicians and patients can manage these sources of miscommunication. These include practices to retrospectively or pre-emptively manage ambiguities and to check the accuracy of patients’ answers. Additionally, our study addresses some theoretical and methodological problems in the study of miscommunication. Our data consist of 25 video-recorded first consultations in an Italian hospital; the participants speak Italian.
Test–Retest Reliability of Remote ImPACT Administration
Authors: Netzel Lauren , Moran Ryan , Hopfe Dustin , Salvatore Anthony P , Brown Warren , Murray Nicholas G
Published: June 2021

Objective

To evaluate the performance and test–retest reliability obtained when administering a computerized baseline neurocognitive exam to NCAA Division I student-athletes in a controlled laboratory setting versus an uncontrolled remote location.

Method

A sample of 129 (female = 100) Division I student-athletes completed Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) pre-season assessments for two distinct and respective sports seasons in a controlled laboratory environment and an uncontrolled remote environment. Depending on the environment, participants were given verbal (controlled) or written (uncontrolled) guidelines for taking the test.

Results

Multivariate repeated-measures ANOVA’s determined that there were no within-subject differences between testing environments on ImPACT composite scores and cognitive efficiency index (CEI). The Chi-square test did not find any significant differences in impulse control or the number of invalid test scores, as determined by ImPACT, between environments. Intraclass correlations found the ImPACT subtest scores to range in test–retest reliability across testing environments, demonstrating moderate (verbal memory composite, r = 0.46; visual memory composite, r = 0.64; reaction time, r = 0.61; impulse control, r = 0.52; and CEI, r = 0.61) and good (visual motor composite, r = 0.77) test–retest reliability.

Conclusions

Results indicate that ImPACT is reliable between controlled and uncontrolled testing environments. This further suggests that ImPACT can be administered in a remote environment, pending specific adherence to testing instructions, or in the event of social distancing or isolation policies.
A systematic view of computational methods for identifying driver genes based on somatic mutation data
Authors: Kan Yingxin , Jiang Limin , Tang Jijun , Guo Yan , Guo Fei
Published: June 2021

Abnormal changes of driver genes are serious for human health and biomedical research. Identifying driver genes, exactly from enormous genes with mutations, promotes accurate diagnosis and treatment of cancer. A lot of works about uncovering driver genes have been developed over the past decades. By analyzing previous works, we find that computational methods are more efficient than traditional biological experiments when distinguishing driver genes from massive data. In this study, we summarize eight common computational algorithms only using somatic mutation data. We first group these methods into three categories according to mutation features they apply. Then, we conclude a general process of nominating candidate cancer driver genes. Finally, we evaluate three representative methods on 10 kinds of cancer derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program and five Chinese projects from the International Cancer Genome Consortium. In addition, we compare results of methods with various parameters. Evaluation is performed from four perspectives, including CGC, OG/TSG, Q-value and QQQuantile–Quantileplot. To sum up, we present algorithms using somatic mutation data in order to offer a systematic view of various mutation features and lay the foundation of methods based on integration of mutation information and other types of data.
Comprehensive analysis of partial methylation domains in colorectal cancer based on single-cell methylation profiles
Authors: Huang Yan , Wang Pingping , Zhou Wenyang , Luo Meng , Xu Zhaochun , Cheng Rui , Xu Chang , Jin Xiyun , Li Yiqun , Jiang Qinghua
Published: June 2021

Epigenetic aberrations have played a significant role in affecting the pathophysiological state of colorectal cancer, and global DNA hypomethylation mainly occurs in partial methylation domains (PMDs). However, the distribution of PMDs in individual cells and the heterogeneity between cells are still unclear. In this study, the DNA methylation profiles of colorectal cancer detected by WGBS and scBS-seq were used to depict PMDs in individual cells for the first time. We found that more than half of the entire genome is covered by PMDs. Three subclasses of PMDS have distinct characteristics, and Gain-PMDs cover a higher proportion of protein coding genes. Gain-PMDs have extensive epigenetic heterogeneity between different cells of the same tumor, and the DNA methylation in cells is affected by the tumor microenvironment. In addition, abnormally elevated promoter methylation in Gain-PMDs may further promote the growth, proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells through silent transcription. The PMDs detected in this study have the potential as epigenetic biomarkers and provide a new insight for colorectal cancer research based on single-cell methylation data.
Purchasing Sex in Sweden—A Risky Business
Authors: Grönvall Ylva
Published: June 2021

This article is based on a study exploring how men who purchase sex in Sweden experience and navigate risk. The focus is on individual assessments of risk in relation to experiences of crime, exploitation and stigma. Based on interviews with 30 Swedish men who purchase sex, an inductive thematic analysis has been applied. The participating men had different strategies to avoid crime and exploitation and they navigated in relation to stigma when purchasing sex. Their risk assessments and conceptualizations of purchasing sex were based on own experiences and on the normative discourse on commercial sex in Sweden. Their fields of action were structured through discipline, governing and responsibilization, and they tried to distance themselves from being defined as ‘sex buyers’ and to purchase sex in ‘good’ ways.
Use of hair products in relation to ovarian cancer risk
Authors: White Alexandra J , Sandler Dale P , Gaston Symielle A , Jackson Chandra L , O’Brien Katie M
Published: June 2021

We evaluated whether hair products, which may contain carcinogens and endocrine disruptors that can be absorbed into the bloodstream, are related to ovarian cancer incidence in a prospective cohort. After excluding women with a history of ovarian cancer or bilateral oophorectomy, 40 559 Sister Study participants ages 35–74 at enrollment (2003–2009) were included. Participants completed questionnaires on hair product use, including hair dyes, straighteners/relaxers and permanents/body waves, in the past 12 months. Cox regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between hair products and incident ovarian cancer. We assessed associations stratified by tumor type (serous, non-serous). Over a mean follow-up of 10 years, 241 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Ever use of any of the examined hair products during the past year was not associated with ovarian cancer risk. However, frequent use (>4 times/year) of straighteners/relaxers or pressing products in the past year was associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer (HR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.12–4.27). Ever use of permanent hair dye was positively associated with non-serous (HR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.12–3.37), but inversely associated with serous (HR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43–0.99) tumors (p-for-heterogeneity = 0.002). Our novel findings suggest that frequent use of hair straighteners/relaxers or pressing products, which are primarily used by African American/Black women, and possibly permanent hair dye, may be associated with the occurrence of ovarian cancers.
Disrupting the Interaction of nNOS with CAPON Prevents the Reinstatement of Morphine Conditioned Place Preference
Authors: Kou Xiaolin , Xian Jiayun , Huang Zhenquan , Tao Yan , Lin Yuhui , Qin Cheng , Wu Haiyin , Chang Lei , Luo Chunxia , Zhu Dongya
Published: June 2021

Drug abuse is a dramatic challenge for the whole society because of high relapse rate. Environmental cues are crucial for the preference memory of drug abuse. Extinction therapy has been developed to inhibit the motivational effect of drug cues to prevent the reinstatement of morphine abuse. However, extinction therapy alone only forms a new kind of unstable inhibitory memory. We found that morphine conditioned place preference (CPP) extinction training increased the association of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) with its carboxy-terminal PDZ ligand (CAPON) in the dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) significantly and blocking the morphine-induced nNOS–CAPON association using Tat-CAPON-12C during and after extinction training reversed morphine-induced hippocampal neuroplasticity defect and prevented the reinstatement and spontaneous recovery of morphine CPP. Moreover, in the hippocampal selective ERK2 knock-out or nNOS knockout mice, the effect of Tat-CAPON-12C on the reinstatement of morphine CPP and hippocampal neuroplasticity disappeared, suggesting ERK2 is necessary for the effects of Tat-CAPON-12C. Together, our findings suggest that nNOS–CAPON interaction in the dHPC may affect the consolidation of morphine CPP extinction and dissociating nNOS–CAPON prevents the reinstatement and spontaneous recovery of morphine CPP, possibly through ERK2-mediated neuroplasticity and extinction memory consolidation, offering a new target to prevent the reinstatement of drug abuse.
Neural Mechanism Underlying the Sleep Deprivation-Induced Abnormal Bistable Perception
Authors: Zhou Liqin , Tang Zhonghua , Zuo Zhentao , Zhou Ke
Published: June 2021

Quality sleep is vital for physical and mental health. No matter whether sleep problems are a consequence of or contributory factor to mental disorders, people with psychosis often suffer from severe sleep disturbances. Previous research has shown that acute sleep deprivation (SD) can cause transient brain dysfunction and lead to various cognitive impairments in healthy individuals. However, the relationship between sleep disturbance and bistable perception remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether the bistable perception could be affected by SD and elucidated the functional brain changes accompanying SD effects on bistable perception using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that the 28-h SD resulted in slower perceptual transitions in healthy individuals. The reduced perceptual transition was accompanied by the decreased activations in rivalry-related frontoparietal areas, including the right superior parietal lobule, right frontal eye field, and right temporoparietal junction. We speculated that SD might disrupt the normal function of these regions crucial for bistable perception, which mediated the slower rivalry-related perceptual transitions in behavior. Our findings revealed the neural changes underlying the abnormal bistable perception following the SD. It also suggested that SD might offer a new window to understand the neural mechanisms underlying the bistable perception.
Human coronary microvascular contractile dysfunction associates with viable synthetic smooth muscle cells
Authors: Dora Kim A , Borysova Lyudmyla , Ye Xi , Powell Chloe , Beleznai Timea Z , Stanley Christopher P , Bruno Vito D , Starborg Tobias , Johnson Errin , Pielach Anna , Taggart Michael , Smart Nicola , Ascione Raimondo
Published: June 2021

Aims

Coronary microvascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) respond to luminal pressure by developing myogenic tone (MT), a process integral to the regulation of microvascular perfusion. The cellular mechanisms underlying poor myogenic reactivity in patients with heart valve disease are unknown and form the focus of this study.

Methods and results

Intramyocardial coronary micro-arteries (IMCAs) isolated from human and pig right atrial (RA) appendage and left ventricular (LV) biopsies were studied using pressure myography combined with confocal microscopy. All RA- and LV-IMCAs from organ donors and pigs developed circa 25% MT. In contrast, 44% of human RA-IMCAs from 88 patients with heart valve disease had poor (<10%) MT yet retained cell viability and an ability to raise cytoplasmic Ca2+ in response to vasoconstrictor agents. Comparing across human heart chambers and species, we found that based on patient medical history and six tests, the strongest predictor of poor MT in IMCAs was increased expression of the synthetic marker caldesmon relative to the contractile marker SM-myosin heavy chain. In addition, high resolution imaging revealed a distinct layer of longitudinally aligned SMCs between ECs and radial SMCs, and we show poor MT was associated with disruptions in these cellular alignments.

Conclusion

These data demonstrate the first use of atrial and ventricular biopsies from patients and pigs to reveal that impaired coronary MT reflects a switch of viable SMCs towards a synthetic phenotype, rather than a loss of SMC viability. These arteries represent a model for further studies of coronary microvascular contractile dysfunction.
The Evolution of the Cytochrome c6 Family of Photosynthetic Electron Transfer Proteins
Authors: Slater Barnaby , Kosmützky Darius , Nisbet R Ellen R , Howe Christopher J
Published: June 2021

During photosynthesis, electrons are transferred between the cytochrome b6f complex and photosystem I. This is carried out by the protein plastocyanin in plant chloroplasts, or by either plastocyanin or cytochrome c6 in many cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algal species. There are three further cytochrome c6 homologs: cytochrome c6A in plants and green algae, and cytochromes c6B and c6C in cyanobacteria. The function of these proteins is unknown. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the evolutionary relationship between the members of the cytochrome c6 family in photosynthetic organisms. Our phylogenetic analyses show that cytochromes c6B and c6C are likely to be orthologs that arose from a duplication of cytochrome c6, but that there is no evidence for separate origins for cytochromes c6B and c6C. We therefore propose renaming cytochrome c6C as cytochrome c6B. We show that cytochrome c6A is likely to have arisen from cytochrome c6B rather than by an independent duplication of cytochrome c6, and present evidence for an independent origin of a protein with some of the features of cytochrome c6A in peridinin dinoflagellates. We conclude with a new comprehensive model of the evolution of the cytochrome c6 family which is an integral part of understanding the function of the enigmatic cytochrome c6 homologs.
The morphology, evolution and seismic visibility of partial melt at the core–mantle boundary: implications for ULVZs
Authors: Dannberg Juliane , Myhill Robert , Gassmöller René , Cottaar Sanne
Published: June 2021

Seismic observations indicate that the lowermost mantle above the core–mantle boundary (CMB) is strongly heterogeneous. Body waves reveal a variety of ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs), which extend not more than 100 km above the CMB and have shear velocity reductions of up to 30 per cent. While the nature and origin of these ULVZs remain uncertain, some have suggested they are evidence of partial melting at the base of mantle plumes. Here we use coupled geodynamic/thermodynamic modelling to explore the hypothesis that present-day deep mantle melting creates ULVZs and introduces compositional heterogeneity in the mantle. Our models explore the generation and migration of melt in a deforming and compacting host rock at the base of a plume in the lowermost mantle. We test whether the balance of gravitational and viscous forces can generate partially molten zones that are consistent with the seismic observations. We find that for a wide range of plausible melt densities, permeabilities and viscosities, lower mantle melt is too dense to be stirred into convective flow and instead sinks down to form a completely molten layer, which is inconsistent with observations of ULVZs. Only if melt is less dense or at most ca. 1 per cent more dense than the solid, or if melt pockets are trapped within the solid, can melt remain suspended in the partial melt zone. In these cases, seismic velocities would be reduced in a cone at the base of the plume. Generally, we find partial melt alone does not explain the observed ULVZ morphologies and solid-state compositional variation is required to explain the anomalies. Our findings provide a framework for testing whether seismically observed ULVZ shapes are consistent with a partial melt origin, which is an important step towards constraining the nature of the heterogeneities in the lowermost mantle and their influence on the thermal, compositional and dynamic evolution of the Earth.
Property Loss and Cultural Heritage Restoration in the Aftermath of Genocide: Understanding Harm and Conceptualising Repair
Authors: Hickey Robin , Killean Rachel
Published: June 2021

This article seeks to contribute a ‘thicker’ understanding of the harm caused by the destruction of cultural heritage and the means through which that harm can be redressed. It analyses attacks on property of local significance to the Cham, an Islamic group subjected to religious persecution and genocide during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. Using Bernadette Atuahene’s property-loss concepts of ‘dignity takings’ and ‘dignity restoration,’ the article links the loss of property associated with the group’s cultural heritage to experiences of dehumanization, infantilization and community destruction. The article explores how responses to the Cham’s loss of cultural heritage have been iterative, at times unintentional and ultimately unsuccessful in redressing the full impacts of the loss. It stresses the importance of moving beyond a focus on specific restitution to develop a spectrum of interventions which reaffirm victims’ humanity, reinforce their agency and allow them to reconnect meaningfully with their heritage.
Optimal designs of clinical studies in the context of their inclusion in systematic reviews
Authors: Brown Erwin M
Published: June 2021

In this article I focus on the designs of clinical studies that have a high likelihood of producing reliable findings and those that do not, but that are still being published in large numbers in scientific journals. The former category includes randomized trials, controlled before-after studies and interrupted time series, while the latter category comprises non-randomized trials, uncontrolled before-after studies, case-control/cohort studies and other observational studies. This distinction is important, particularly when studies of inferior design are used in systematic reviews that inform clinical practice guidelines, thereby potentially exerting adverse effects on clinical practice. I also highlight the implications of failing to enrol adequate numbers of patients in clinical trials.
Automatic gender detection in Twitter profiles for health-related cohort studies
Authors: Yang Yuan-Chi , Al-Garadi Mohammed Ali , Love Jennifer S , Perrone Jeanmarie , Sarker Abeed
Published: June 2021

Objective

Biomedical research involving social media data is gradually moving from population-level to targeted, cohort-level data analysis. Though crucial for biomedical studies, social media user’s demographic information (eg, gender) is often not explicitly known from profiles. Here, we present an automatic gender classification system for social media and we illustrate how gender information can be incorporated into a social media-based health-related study.

Materials and Methods

We used a large Twitter dataset composed of public, gender-labeled users (Dataset-1) for training and evaluating the gender detection pipeline. We experimented with machine learning algorithms including support vector machines (SVMs) and deep-learning models, and public packages including M3. We considered users’ information including profile and tweets for classification. We also developed a meta-classifier ensemble that strategically uses the predicted scores from the classifiers. We then applied the best-performing pipeline to Twitter users who have self-reported nonmedical use of prescription medications (Dataset-2) to assess the system’s utility.

Results and Discussion

We collected 67 181 and 176 683 users for Dataset-1 and Dataset-2, respectively. A meta-classifier involving SVM and M3 performed the best (Dataset-1 accuracy: 94.4% [95% confidence interval: 94.0–94.8%]; Dataset-2: 94.4% [95% confidence interval: 92.0–96.6%]). Including automatically classified information in the analyses of Dataset-2 revealed gender-specific trends—proportions of females closely resemble data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health 2018 (tranquilizers: 0.50 vs 0.50; stimulants: 0.50 vs 0.45), and the overdose Emergency Room Visit due to Opioids by Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (pain relievers: 0.38 vs 0.37).

Conclusion

Our publicly available, automated gender detection pipeline may aid cohort-specific social media data analyses (https://bitbucket.org/sarkerlab/gender-detection-for-public).
One Money, Many Markets
Authors: Corsetti Giancarlo , Duarte Joao B , Mann Samuel
Published: June 2021

We study heterogeneity in the transmission of monetary shocks across euro-area (EA) countries using a dynamic factor model and high-frequency identification. Deploying a novel methodology to asses the degree of heterogeneity, we find it to be low in financial variables and output but significant in consumption, consumer prices, and variables related to local housing and labour markets. We show that a large proportion of the variation in the responses to monetary shocks can be accounted for by differences in some characteristics of these markets across EA member countries: the share of adjustable mortgage contracts, homeownership rates, shares of hand-to-mouth and wealthy hand-to-mouth consumers, as well as wage rigidity.
Logics of Ignorance and Being Wrong
Authors: Gilbert David , Kubyshkina Ekaterina , Petrolo Mattia , Venturi Giorgio
Published: June 2021

This article investigates the connections between the logics of being wrong, introduced in Steinsvold (2011, Notre Dame J. Form. Log., 52, 245–253), and factive ignorance, presented in Kubyshkina and Petrolo (2021, Synthese, 198, 5917–5928). The first part of the paper provides a sound and complete axiomatization of the logic of factive ignorance that corrects errors in Kubyshkina and Petrolo (2021, Synthese, 198, 5917–5928) and resolves questions about the expressivity of the language. In the second half, it is shown that the relationship between the two logics suggests an alternative axiomatization for the logic of factive ignorance, the adequacy of which is easily proved via straightforward translations.
Jejunogastric intussusception: a case report of rare complication of gastrojejunostomy
Authors: Mohammadzadeh Narjes , Ashouri Mohammad , Sahraian Sepehr , Taslimi Reza
Published: June 2021

Jejunogastric intussusception (JGI) is a rare complication of gastrojejunostomy surgery (<0.1% of cases), yet requires an urgent diagnosis. Mortality rate ranging from 10% to 50% based on delay in diagnosis and surgical intervention. Vomiting, abdominal pain and hematemesis are the most common symptoms. We report a 60 years old man admitted to the emergency department, complaining of epigastric pain and recurrent hematemesis for 3 days. Emergent upper GI endoscopy was done, and gastroenterologist reported a protruded edematous jejunal mucosa with bleeding, which formed a mass-like lesion. Abdominopelvic computed tomography scan also showed a target sign in favor of jejunal intussusception. Midline laparotomy and reduction of jejunal loop was performed and the patient was discharged without any further complications. In patients presented with hematemesis and abdominal pain and history of gastrectomy, JGI must considered as a possible cause because early diagnosis and treatment are necessary to prevent further complications.
Internal jugular vein duplication: clinical significance for head and neck cancer ablative and reconstructive surgery
Authors: Hedayat Fatemeh , Lauder Joshua J , Kyzas Panayiotis , Vassiliou Leandros V
Published: June 2021

We present the case of a 75-year-old patient with a T2N0Mo oral cancer, who underwent surgery for cancer ablation and reconstruction. Intraoperatively, a duplicate internal jugular vein (IJV) was identified. Both segments were preserved. The veins of the free radial forearm flap that was used to reconstruct the defect were anastomosed to tributaries of the anterior IJV segment. In this rare anatomical variation, the anterior segment of IJV lies medially/anteriorly to the sternocleidomastoid muscle which poses a risk of inadvertent injury during the early steps of the neck dissection (ND). The posterior segment is at risk of injury during developing levels II–III–IV of ND. It is important to preserve the anterior IJV segment as this receives all tributaries that can be used for end-to-end anastomosis for the free flap. Preoperative contrast computed tomography scan can aid in recognition of IJV duplication and help prepare the surgeon to adjust certain operative steps.
Self-destruction
Authors: d'Aspremont Jean
Published: June 2021

This chapter claims that international legal thought and practice are replete with self-destructive claims about customary international law. It discusses the discursive performance that mirrors a very common feature of modern thinking and commonly nurtured rejuvenation through self-defeat, highlighting international legal thought and practice that contain plenty of manifestations of discursive self destruction. It also mentions the discursive performance found in the discourse on customary international law. The chapter reviews the multiple materializations of the self-destructive moves in the discourse on customary international law. It shows that a discursive performance constitutes a mode of administering the doctrine of customary international law and that the repeated findings of malfunctioning of customary international law carry elaborate and fine representations.
The Residual Receptacle
Authors: d'Aspremont Jean
Published: June 2021

This chapter explores customary international law that is constantly approached as the residual receptacle for international legal obligations that cannot be grounded in treaty law. It highlights the discursive performance that presupposes a sort of fetishization of the treaty as the first go-to source of international law as well as the idea that customary international law is second-best. It also cites the discursive performance that led some observers to claim that customary international law has become the generic category for practically all binding non-treaty standards. The chapter draws on international human rights law and international criminal law and highlights the discursive performance that is witnessed by customary international law. It formulates some observations on the consequences for general principles of law of the common understanding of customary international law as a residual receptacle for non-treaty international legal obligations.
Highly r-process enhanced stars in ultra-faint dwarf galaxies
Authors: Jeon Myoungwon , Besla Gurtina , Bromm Volker
Published: June 2021

Highly r-process enhanced metal-poor stars (MP r-II; $\rm [Eu/Fe]\gt 1$ and $\rm [Fe/H]\lesssim -1.5$) have been observed in ultra-faint dwarf (UFD) galaxy, specifically in Reticulum II (Ret II). The fact that only a few UFDs contain such stars implies that the r-process site may reflect very rare but individually prolific events, such as neutron star mergers (NSMs). Considering the relatively short star formation history of UFDs, it is puzzling how they could experience such a rare phenomenon. In this work, we show the results of cosmological hydrodynamic zoom-in simulations of isolated UFDs ($M_{\rm vir}\approx 10^7\!-\!10^8{\, {\rm M}_\odot }$ and $M_{\ast }\approx 10^3\!-\!10^4{\, {\rm M}_\odot }$ at z = 0) to explain the formation of MP r-II stars in UFDs. We employ a simple toy model for NSM events, adopting parameters consistent with observations, such as the NSM rate (1 per $M_{\ast }\approx 10^5{\, {\rm M}_\odot }$) and europium (Eu) mass ($M_{\rm Eu}\approx 10^{-5}{\, {\rm M}_\odot }$). We identify only one simulated galaxy ($\rm M_{vir}\approx 4.6\times 10^7{\, {\rm M}_\odot }$, $M_{\ast }\approx 3.4\times 10^3{\, {\rm M}_\odot }$ at z = 0) with abundances similar to Ret II in a simulation volume that hosts ∼30 UFD analogues, indicating that such abundances are possible but rare. By exploring a range of key parameters, we demonstrate that the most important factor in determining the formation of MP r-II stars in UFDs is how quickly subsequent stars can be formed out of r-process enriched gas. We find that it takes between 10 and 100 Myr to form the first and second bursts of MP r-II stars. Over this period, Eu-polluted gas maintains the required high abundance ratios of $\rm [Eu/Fe]\gt 1$.
High-energy neutrino production in clusters of galaxies
Authors: Hussain Saqib , Alves Batista Rafael , de Gouveia Dal Pino Elisabete M , Dolag Klaus
Published: June 2021

Clusters of galaxies can potentially produce cosmic rays (CRs) up to very high energies via large-scale shocks and turbulent acceleration. Due to their unique magnetic-field configuration, CRs with energy ≤1017 eV can be trapped within these structures over cosmological time-scales, and generate secondary particles, including neutrinos and gamma rays, through interactions with the background gas and photons. In this work, we compute the contribution from clusters of galaxies to the diffuse neutrino background. We employ 3D cosmological magnetohydrodynamical simulations of structure formation to model the turbulent intergalactic medium. We use the distribution of clusters within this cosmological volume to extract the properties of this population, including mass, magnetic field, temperature, and density. We propagate CRs in this environment using multidimensional Monte Carlo simulations across different redshifts (from z ∼ 5 to z = 0), considering all relevant photohadronic, photonuclear, and hadronuclear interaction processes. We find that, for CRs injected with a spectral index α = 1.5–2.7 and cutoff energy Emax = 1016–5 × 1017 eV, clusters contribute to a sizeable fraction to the diffuse flux observed by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, but most of the contribution comes from clusters with M ≳ 1014 M⊙ and redshift z ≲ 0.3. If we include the cosmological evolution of the CR sources, this flux can be even higher.
Nut consumption, body weight, and adiposity in patients with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Fernández-Rodríguez Rubén , Martínez-Vizcaíno Vicente , Garrido-Miguel Miriam , Martínez-Ortega Isabel A , Álvarez-Bueno Celia , Eumann Mesas Arthur
Published: June 2021

Context

It seems that nut consumption does not lead to weight gain in the general population. However, fewer studies have explored this relationship in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Purpose

To synthesize evidence on the effects of nut (specifically, tree nuts and peanuts) consumption on adiposity-related measures in individuals diagnosed with T2D.

Data Sources and Study Selection

Four databases were searched up to December 31, 2020. Randomized controlled trials that examined the effects of nut consumption vs a control diet on body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and percent body fat were included.

Data Extraction

The pooled effect sizes (p-ESs) and 95%CIs of nut consumption were estimated using random effects models.

Data Synthesis

A total of 15 randomized controlled trials including 899 individuals were included. No significant effects of nut-enriched interventions were found for body weight (p-ES = −0.04; 95%CI: −0.16 to 0.08), body mass index (p-ES = −0.05; 95%CI: −0.17 to 0.08), waist circumference (p-ES = −0.02; 95%CI: −0.20 to 0.15), or percent body fat (p-ES = −0.03; 95%CI: −0.28 to 0.21).

Conclusion

Nut consumption has no effect, positive or negative, on weight or adiposity parameters in people with T2D.
The Relationship Between Neighborhood Deprivation and Perceived Changes for Pain-Related Experiences Among US Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Rassu Fenan S , McFadden Molly , Aaron Rachel V , Wegener Stephen T , Ephraim Patti L , Lane Elizabeth , Brennan Gerard , Minick Kate I , Fritz Julie M , Skolasky Richard L
Published: June 2021

Objective

Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could disproportionately affect the health of vulnerable populations, including patients experiencing persistent health conditions (i.e., chronic pain), along with populations living within deprived, lower socioeconomic areas. The current cross-sectional study characterized relationships between neighborhood deprivation and perceived changes in pain-related experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic (early-September to mid-October 2020) for adult patients (N = 97) with nonspecific chronic low back pain.

Methods

We collected self-report perceived experiences from participants enrolled in an ongoing pragmatic randomized trial across medical centers within the Salt Lake City, Utah and Baltimore, Maryland metropolitans. The Area Deprivation Index (composite of 17 US Census deprivation metrics) reflected neighborhood deprivation based on participants’ zip codes.

Results

Although those living in the neighborhoods with greater deprivation endorsed significantly poorer physical (pain severity, pain interference, physical functioning), mental (depression, anxiety), and social health during the pandemic, there were no significant differences for perceived changes in pain-related experiences (pain severity, pain interference, sleep quality) between levels of neighborhood deprivation since the onset of the pandemic. However, those in neighborhoods with greater deprivation endorsed disproportionately worse perceived changes in pain coping, social support, and mood since the pandemic.

Conclusions

The current findings offer evidence that changes in pain coping during the pandemic may be disproportionately worse for those living in deprived areas. Considering poorer pain coping may contribute to long-term consequences, the current findings suggest the need for further attention and intervention to reduce the negative effect of the pandemic for such vulnerable populations.
COMPARISON OF METAL ARTEFACTS FOR DIFFERENT DUAL ENERGY CT TECHNIQUES
Authors: Pettersson E , Bäck A , Thilander-Klang A
Published: June 2021

This study compares dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) images of a phantom including different material inserts and with additional lateral titanium or stainless steel inserts, simulating bilateral hip prostheses. Dual-source (DS) and fast kV-switching (FKS) DECT with/without metal artefact reduction (MAR) were compared with regards to virtually monoenergetic CT number accuracy and the depiction of different materials. Streak artefacts were observed between the metal inserts that were more severe with steel compared to titanium inserts. The artefact severity and CT number accuracy depended on the photon energy (keV) for both DECT techniques. While MAR generally increased the CT number accuracy and material depiction within the streak artefacts, it sometimes decreased the accuracy outside the streak artefacts for both DS and FKS. FKS depicted the metal inserts more accurately than DS with regards to both CT numbers and external diameter.
Activating the attachment system modulates neural responses to threat in refugees with PTSD
Authors: Liddell Belinda J , Malhi Gin S , Felmingham Kim L , Den Miriam L , Das Pritha , Outhred Tim , Nickerson Angela , Askovic Mirjana , Coello Mariano , Aroche Jorge , Bryant Richard A
Published: June 2021

Social attachment systems are disrupted for refugees through trauma and forced displacement. This study tested how the attachment system mitigates neural responses to threat in refugees with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Refugees with PTSD (N = 28) and refugee trauma-exposed controls (N = 22) viewed threat-related stimuli primed by attachment cues during a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Group differences and the moderating effects of avoidant or anxious attachment style and grief related to separation from family on brain activity and connectivity patterns were examined. Separation grief was associated with increased amygdala but decreased ventromedial prefrontal cortical (VMPFC) activity to the attachment prime and decreased VMPFC and hippocampal activity to attachment primed threat in the PTSD (vs trauma-exposed control) group. Avoidant attachment style was connected with increased dorsal frontoparietal attention regional activity to attachment prime cues in the PTSD group. Anxious attachment style was associated with reduced left amygdala connectivity with left medial prefrontal regions to attachment primed threat in the PTSD group. Separation grief appears to reduce attachment buffering of threat reactivity in refugees with PTSD, while avoidant and anxious attachment style modulated attentional and prefrontal regulatory mechanisms in PTSD, respectively. Considering social attachments in refugees could be important to post-trauma recovery, based within changes in key emotion regulation brain systems.
Functional connectome fingerprint of holistic–analytic cultural style
Authors: Luo Siyang , Zhu Yiyi , Han Shihui
Published: June 2021

Although research in the field of cultural psychology and cultural neuroscience has revealed that culture is an important factor related to the human behaviors and neural activities in various tasks, it remains unclear how different brain regions organize together to construct a topological network for the representation of individual’s cultural tendency. In this study, we examined the hypothesis that resting-state brain network properties can reflect individual’s cultural background or tendency. By combining the methods of resting-state magnetic resonance imaging and graph theoretical analysis, significant cultural differences between participants from Eastern and Western cultures were found in the degree and global efficiency of regions mainly within the default mode network and subcortical network. Furthermore, the holistic–analytic thinking style, as a cultural value, provided a partial explanation for the cultural differences on various nodal metrics. Validation analyses further confirmed that these network properties effectively predicted the tendency of holistic–analytic cultural style within a group (r = 0.23) and accurately classified cultural groups (65%). The current study establishes a neural connectome representation of holistic–analytic cultural style including the topological brain network properties of regions in the default mode network, the basal ganglia and amygdala, which enable accurate cultural group membership classification.
An exploration of Kazakhstan’s private foundations
Authors: Sarkytbekuly Arlan
Published: June 2021

This article is an introduction to private foundations in the Republic of Kazakhstan (RoK), discussing the legal prerequisites of the strong asset protection legislation that have been created. The author identifies and compares how the civil and common law (AIFC) systems are combined in a single country. Both systems and all types of private foundations are analyzed with a view to which are the more flexible and suitable for asset protection, wealth management, inheritance planning, investment and the achievement of charitable objectives. The article also examines under which regime a private foundation can provide a solid tool for wealth structuring and for the reduction of litigation risks.
Renewed call for lifestyle interventions to address obesity among individuals with serious mental illness in the COVID-19 era and beyond
Authors: Aschbrenner Kelly A , Naslund John A , Reed Jeffrey D , Fetter Jeffrey C
Published: June 2021

Behavioral health has the opportunity to lead the way in using lifestyle interventions to address obesity and health disparities in people with serious mental illness (SMI) in the COVID-19 era. Evidence-based interventions for weight loss in individuals with SMI exist, and the field has developed strategies for implementing these interventions in real-world mental health care settings. In addition to promoting weight loss, lifestyle interventions have the potential to address social isolation and loneliness and other patient-centered outcomes among individuals with SMI, which will be especially valuable for mitigating the growing concerns about loneliness attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on in-person encounters. In this commentary, we discuss practice, policy, and research implications related to using evidence-based lifestyle interventions for individuals with SMI during the COVID-19 pandemic and sustaining these programs in the long-term.
Adaptation of the endemic coronaviruses HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-229E to the human host
Authors: Forni Diego , Cagliani Rachele , Arrigoni Federica , Benvenuti Martino , Mozzi Alessandra , Pozzoli Uberto , Clerici Mario , De Gioia Luca , Sironi Manuela
Published: June 2021

Four coronaviruses (HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-229E) are endemic in human populations. All these viruses are seasonal and generate short-term immunity. Like the highly pathogenic coronaviruses, the endemic coronaviruses have zoonotic origins. Thus, understanding the evolutionary dynamics of these human viruses might provide insight into the future trajectories of SARS-CoV-2 evolution. Because the zoonotic sources of HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-229E are known, we applied a population genetics–phylogenetic approach to investigate which selective events accompanied the divergence of these viruses from the animal ones. Results indicated that positive selection drove the evolution of some accessory proteins, as well as of the membrane proteins. However, the spike proteins of both viruses and the hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) of HCoV-OC43 represented the major selection targets. Specifically, for both viruses, most positively selected sites map to the receptor-binding domains (RBDs) and are polymorphic. Molecular dating for the HCoV-229E spike protein indicated that RBD Classes I, II, III, and IV emerged 3–9 years apart. However, since the appearance of Class V (with much higher binding affinity), around 25 years ago, limited genetic diversity accumulated in the RBD. These different time intervals are not fully consistent with the hypothesis that HCoV-229E spike evolution was driven by antigenic drift. An alternative, not mutually exclusive possibility is that strains with higher affinity for the cellular receptor have out-competed strains with lower affinity. The evolution of the HCoV-OC43 spike protein was also suggested to undergo antigenic drift. However, we also found abundant signals of positive selection in HE. Whereas such signals might result from antigenic drift, as well, previous data showing co-evolution of the spike protein with HE suggest that optimization for human cell infection also drove the evolution of this virus. These data provide insight into the possible trajectories of SARS-CoV-2 evolution, especially in case the virus should become endemic.