bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence, Characteristics, and Outcomes of Clinically Undetected Bacteremia in Children Discharged Home From the Emergency Department
Authors: Golan Naama , Mor Meirav , Yaniv Noga , Berant Ron , Bressan Silvia , Altberg Gal , Samuel Nir
Published: July 2022

Background:

Despite a recent decline in the rates of invasive infections, bacteremia in young children remains a significant challenge. We aimed to describe patient characteristics, microbial etiology, and outcomes of bacteremic, well-appearing children 3–36 months of age who were discharged home from the pediatric emergency department (PED) on their index visit.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study in the PED of a tertiary children’s hospital from 1 June 2015 until 30 June 2021. We included all well appearing, immunocompetent infants 3–36 months old evaluated for fever and discharged home from the PED after a blood culture was drawn. We extracted demographic, clinical and laboratory data from the patient’s electronic medical records for the index visit and subsequent encounters.

Results:

During the study period, 17,114 children evaluated for fever met the inclusion criteria. Seventy-two patients (0.42%) had positive cultures for known pathogens. Thirty-six (50%) were male and 36 (50%) younger than 1 year. The most common isolates were S. pneumonia 26%. (n = 19), K. Kingae 25%. (n = 18) and Salmonella spp. 13.9% (n = 10). Sixty patients (85.7%) were recalled to the ED or had a scheduled appointment, 10 (14.3%) returned spontaneously and two were followed up by phone. The median time between visits was 28.7 hours (IQR 19.1–41.1). One patient was admitted to intensive care during the course of hospitalization. There were no deaths.

Conclusion:

The rate of undetected true bacteremia in our study was low and our data suggest that significant clinical deterioration during the first 24 hours is rare.
Two-Year Outcomes of Transcutaneous Non-Image Guided Bleomycin Sclerotherapy in Conjunctival Lymphatic Malformations: A Protocol-Based Management in 16 Eyes
Authors: Dave Tarjani Vivek , Walvekar Priyanka
Published: July 2022

Objectives:

To study the efficacy and the 2-year outcomes of treating conjunctival lymphatic malformations (LM) with protocol-based bleomycin sclerotherapy.

Methods:

A retrospective interventional study of 16 eyes with conjunctival LM treated with bleomycin sclerotherapy between December 2016 and 2019. A clinical resolution was assessed as poor (less than 25% decrease in size), fair (25%–50% decrease in size), good (50%–75% decrease in size), excellent (more than 75% decrease in size), and complete resolution.

Results:

Mean age at presentation was 18 ± 13.09 (15 years, 3 to 59 years) years. The conjunctival component was classified based on clinical appearance as conjunctival mass (12) and microcystic LM (4). Mean clock hours of involvement were 3.32 ± 5.29 clock hours (4, 2–9 clock hours). An average per session dose of 1.8 ± 0.3 IU (median 2 IU, range 1–2 IU) and a cumulative dose of 3 ± 1.5 IU (3, 1–6 IU) of bleomycin were injected over an average of 1.6 ± 0.7 (median 2, range 1–3) treatment sessions per patient. Excellent response was observed in 11 (69%) cases. A residual lesion requiring surgical debulking was noted in 1 case. Recurrence was noted in 2 (13%) cases one of which was treated with repeat sclerotherapy resulting in complete resolution. Adverse reactions included restricted extraocular motility in extreme gaze in 2 eyes (13%). Sustained tumor resolution was observed over a mean follow-up of 29.24 + 9.45 months (24, 24–38 months).

Conclusions:

Bleomycin sclerotherapy gives excellent response in conjunctival LMs and is an effective first-line therapy in these cases.
How Much Does Filler Apparatus Influence Ease of Injection (and Hence, Potential Safety)?
Authors: Ginter Anna , Lee Terry , Woodward Julie
Published: July 2022

Purpose:

To document the relative contributions of intrinsic filler fluid dynamics versus delivery systems for ease of injection—specifically, to measure extrusion force variability across different syringes and needles (with the characterization of intrinsic rheological fluid properties vs. delivery apparatus contributions to ease of injection).

Methods:

Six different fillers were tested: Belotero balance (Bel), Juvederm Voluma XC (Vol), Revanesse Versa (Rev), Restylane Lyft (Res), Radiesse (Rad), and Teosyal RHA3 (RHA). Extrusion force was measured in Newtons (N) for each by testing using the provided injection apparatus (needle + syringe), and also by standardizing all fillers to the same syringe and then varying needle sizes (30-ga, 27-ga, 25-ga/1.5-inch, 25-ga/2-inch, and 22-ga). Five trials were conducted for each scenario, with comparison via t-test (2-tailed, unpaired, assuming unequal variance).

Results:

The following results were noted: (1) in order of least to highest extrusion force in box-provided syringe + needle at 0.2 ml volume, the following were noted: Vol < RHA = Bel (27-ga) < Bel (30-ga) < Rev < Res = Rad; (2) for each filler (except for Vol which was similar), the box-provided syringe involved greater extrusion force than the standardized syringe used in this study (each 1-cc, p < 0.05); (3) for 27-ga and 30-ga needles, after standardization of delivery syringe at 0.2 ml volume, a significant difference was noted (proportional to increasing resistance): Bel = Vol = RHA3 < Res < Rev < Rad (for needles of 30-ga [p < 0.05] and 27-ga [p < 0.01]); (4) for testing cannulas after standardization of syringes no reproducible order was noted with increasing resistance when using 25-ga/1.5-inch long, 25-ga/2-inch, and 22g/2-inch cannulae; and (5) confirming expectation (validating study technique), the extrusion force was significantly higher for smaller needles and longer needles.

Conclusions:

The delivery apparatus appeared to be the most influential contributor to filler injection extrusion force, with significant changes in ease of injection correlated to the filler’s intrinsic rheological properties, such as viscosity (when standardized to the same syringe for needles tested). Knowledge of such data could influence the injector’s ability to maximize patients’ safety and clinical results.
Simvastatin is Efficacious in Treating Cirrhosis
Authors: Zhang Haifu , Zhang Qinxia , Li Shuojun , Xie Biyun
Published: July 2022

Background:

Statins can improve prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis by suppressing inflammation and lowering portal pressure. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the clinical efficacy of simvastatin in liver cirrhosis patients.

Methods:

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases for randomized controlled trials targeting simvastatin in patients with liver cirrhosis. The primary and secondary outcomes were the efficacy of simvastatin on clinical outcomes and its safety, respectively.

Results:

A total of 554 relevant articles were downloaded, of which 9 (comprising 648 participants) were eligible and were finally included in the analysis. Four studies revealed the impact of simvastatin on patient mortality, with the overall death rate found to be significantly lower in the simvastatin relative to the control group [risk ratio (RR): 0.46; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.29 to 0.73; P<0.01]. Further analysis of the cause of death showed that simvastatin significantly reduces incidence of fatal bleeding (RR: 0.35; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.95; P=0.04), as well as cholesterol [mean difference (MD): −31.48; 95% CI, −52.80 to −10.15; P<0.01] and triglyceride (MD: −25.88; 95% CI, −49.90 to −1.86; P=0.03) levels. At the same time, simvastatin did not significantly elevate levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (MD: 2.34; 95% CI, −31.00 to 35.69; P=0.89) and was not associated with incidence of other side effects.

Conclusions:

The use of simvastatin in cirrhotic patients lowers mortality rates by suppressing incidences of fatal bleeding.
Prognostic factors of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: should we be more courageous in treatment?
Authors: Karaoğullarindan Ümit , Gümürdülü Yüksel , Üsküdar Oguz , Odabaş Emre , Güler Hasan Selim , Delik Anil , Kuran Sedef
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a cancer with a poor prognosis, its incidence increases with age. The risk of developing HCC is highest in the seventh decade. In this study, we aimed to determine the clinicopathological differences, treatment choices, survival times, and effective prognostic factors of HCC in the elderly and young populations.

Methods

All patients aged ≥18 years who were diagnosed histologically between 2016 and 2020 were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: <70 years and ≥70 years. The clinicopathological differences, treatment choices, survival times, and effective prognostic factors of HCC were compared in the elderly and young populations.

Results

A total of 407 patients were evaluated. There were 164 patients (40.3%) in the geriatric age group. There was no significant difference in the female/male ratio, the laboratory values, survival time between the two groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of tumor focality and portal vein invasion (P > 0.05). The presence of NAFLD, maximal tumor diameter (MTD), and portal invasion were found to be significant for survival according to the univariate analysis in elderly group (P < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, presence of NAFLD etiologically, and MTD independent risk factors were observed in elderly group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

If the clinicomorphological features of the tumor and prognostic risk factors can be determined by examining the patients in detail, all treatments can be easily applied in the geriatric group.
Risk factors for gastric cancer in patients with Lynch syndrome
Authors: Ortigão Raquel , Brito Mariana , Pinto Cláudia , Sá Inês , Libânio Diogo , Dinis-Ribeiro Mário , Brandão Catarina
Published: July 2022

Introduction

The cumulative lifetime risk of gastric cancer (GC) in patients with Lynch syndrome (LS) is reported to be 8%. There is limited evidence on specific risk factors for GC and no agreement among guidelines on gastric endoscopic surveillance schedule in LS patients.

Aims and methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study to identify risk factors for gastric precancerous conditions (chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia) and GC in patients with LS and a case–control study to compare the prevalence of these conditions with a control group.

Results

We included 385 LS patients (40.5% male, mean age 49.0 years). During a median follow-up period of 48 months (interquartile range, 24–84 months), precancerous conditions were identified in 110 patients (34%) and the prevalence of advanced stages of atrophic gastritis was 3% for OLGA III/IV and 0.6% OLGIM III/IV. Family history of GC was significantly associated with OLGA III/IV (P = 0.020). Among LS patients, 10 patients (2.6%) were diagnosed with GC (incidence rate of 5/1000 persons-year). Older age and OLGA III/IV were identified as risk factors for GC (P < 0.001). When compared with controls, patients with LS had significantly higher rates of Hp infection (P = 0.035) and lower OLGA and OLGIM stages (P < 0.001 and P = 0.026, respectively).

Conclusion

In our cohort, the incidence of GC and advanced stages of atrophic gastritis was low. Older age and OLGA III/IV were associated with a higher risk of GC. Identification of risk factors for GC in LS patients can help tailoring endoscopic surveillance.
ICU Admission Tool for Congenital Heart Catheterization (iCATCH): A Predictive Model for High Level Post-Catheterization Care and Patient Management
Authors: Quinn Brian P. , Shirley Lauren C. , Yeh Mary J. , Gauvreau Kimberlee , Ibla Juan C. , Kotin Sarah G. , Porras Diego , Bergersen Lisa J.
Published: July 2022

Objectives:

Currently, there are no prediction tools available to identify patients at risk of needing high-complexity care following cardiac catheterization for congenital heart disease. We sought to develop a method to predict the likelihood a patient will require intensive care level resources following elective cardiac catheterization.

Design:

Prospective single-center study capturing important patient and procedural characteristics for predicting discharge to the ICU. Characteristics significant at the 0.10 level in the derivation dataset (July 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019) were considered for inclusion in the final multivariable logistic regression model. The model was validated in the testing dataset (January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020). The novel pre-procedure cardiac status (PCS) feature, collection started in January 2019, was assessed separately in the final model using the 2019 through 2020 dataset.

Setting:

Tertiary pediatric heart center.

Patients:

All elective cases coming from home or non-ICU who underwent a cardiac catheterization from July 2017 to December 2020.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

A total of 2,192 cases were recorded in the derivation dataset, of which 11% of patients (n = 245) were admitted to the ICU, while 64% (n = 1,413) were admitted to a medical unit and 24% (n = 534) were discharged home. In multivariable analysis, the following predictors were identified: 1) weight less than 5 kg and 5–9.9 kg, 2) presence of systemic illness, 3) recent cardiac intervention less than 90 days, and 4) ICU Admission Tool for Congenital Heart Catheterization case type risk categories (1–5), with C-statistics of 0.79 and 0.76 in the derivation and testing cohorts, respectively. The addition of the PCS feature fit into the final model resulted in a C-statistic of 0.79.

Conclusions:

The creation of a validated pre-procedural risk prediction model for ICU admission following congenital cardiac catheterization using a large volume, single-center, academic institution will improve resource allocation and prediction of capacity needs for this complex patient population.
The Relationship of Liver and Pancreas Density With Chest Computed Tomography Score Progression and Laboratory Findings in Patients With COVID-19
Authors: Gul Yeliz , Kilicarslan Gulhan , Cilengir Atilla Hikmet , Balaban Mehtap , Gul Evrim
Published: July 2022

Objective

Abdominal involvement of COVID-19 is a current issue. We aimed to evaluate hepatic and pancreatic density alterations on computed tomography (CT) and to analyze whether these alterations had a relationship with chest CT score and laboratory findings.

Methods

Patients with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 from March 11, 2020, to February 6, 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into nonprogressive and progressive groups according to their chest CT scores. Liver and pancreas density, and liver-to-spleen (L/S) ratio were calculated. Laboratory findings, medication, intensive care unit stay, and survival were noted.

Results

There were 51 patients in the nonprogressive group and 123 patients in the progressive group. The median (minimum to maximum) L/S value of the nonprogressive group was 1 (0.28–1.53) at admission and 1.06 (0.33–1.83) at follow-up (P < 0.001). In the progressive group, the median L/S value was 1.08 (0.35–1.51) at admission and 0.92 (0.33–1.75) at follow-up (P < 0.001). A significant difference was found between the 2 groups at admission and follow-up (P = 0.010 and P < 0.001, respectively). Pancreatic density measured at follow-up was significantly lower in the progressive group (P = 0.045). In the progressive group, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, creatinine, urea, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, and white blood cell values were higher; albumin and lymphocyte values were lower (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Patients with COVID-19 with progressive CT scores may have a decrease in L/S values, and their pancreatic density is lower than nonprogressives. Aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, creatinine, urea, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, and white blood cell values tend to be higher in patients with a high chest CT score.
Quality of Recovery and Innate Immune Homeostasis in Patients Undergoing Low-pressure Versus Standard-pressure Pneumoperitoneum During Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery (RECOVER)
Authors: Albers Kim I. , Polat Fatih , Helder Leonie , Panhuizen Ivo F. , Snoeck Marc M.J. , Polle S. (Bas) W. , de Vries Hilbert , Dias Esther M. , Slooter Gerrit D. , de Boer Hans D. , Diaz-Cambronero Oscar , Mazzinari Guido , Scheffer Gert-Jan , Keijzer Christiaan , Warlé Michiel C. ,   RECOVER Study Collaborators
Published: July 2022

Objective:

To study the effects of intra-abdominal pressure on the quality of recovery and innate cytokine production capacity after laparoscopic colorectal surgery within the enhanced recovery after surgery program.

Background:

There is increasing evidence for the safety and advantages of low-pressure pneumoperitoneum facilitated by deep neuromuscular blockade (NMB). Nonetheless, there is a weak understanding of the relationship between clinical outcomes, surgical injury, postoperative immune dysfunction, and infectious complications.

Methods:

Randomized controlled trial of 178 patients treated at standard-pressure pneumoperitoneum (12 mm Hg) with moderate NMB (train-of-four 1–2) or low pressure (8 mm Hg) facilitated by deep NMB (posttetanic count 1–2). The primary outcome was the quality of recovery (Quality of Recovery 40 questionnaire) on a postoperative day 1 (POD1). The primary outcome of the immune substudy (n=100) was ex vivo tumor necrosis factor α production capacity upon endotoxin stimulation on POD1.

Results:

Quality of Recovery 40 score on POD1 was significantly higher at 167 versus 159 [mean difference (MD): 8.3 points; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5, 14.1; P=0.005] and the decline in cytokine production capacity was significantly less for tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-6 (MD: −172 pg/mL; 95% CI: −316, −27; P=0.021 and MD: −1282 pg/mL; 95% CI: −2505, −59; P=0.040, respectively) for patients operated at low pressure. Low pressure was associated with reduced surgical site hypoxia and inflammation markers and circulating damage-associated molecular patterns, with a less impaired early postoperative ex vivo cytokine production capacity. At low pressure, patients reported lower acute pain scores and developed significantly less 30-day infectious complications.

Conclusions:

Low intra-abdominal pressure during laparoscopic colorectal surgery is safe, improves the postoperative quality of recovery and preserves innate immune homeostasis, and forms a valuable addition to future enhanced recovery after surgery programs.
Development and Validation of a Model for Predicting Surgical Site Infection After Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery
Authors: Sheyn David , Gregory W. Thomas , Osazuwa-Peters Oyomoare , Jelovsek J. Eric
Published: July 2022

Importance

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common and costly complication. Targeted interventions in high-risk patients may lead to a reduction in SSI; at present, there is no method to consistently identify patients at increased risk of SSI.

Objective

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a model for predicting risk of SSI after pelvic organ prolapse surgery.

Study Design

Women undergoing surgery between 2011 and 2017 were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 5% Limited Data Set. Surgical site infection ≤90 days of surgery was the primary outcome, with 41 candidate predictors identified, including demographics, comorbidities, and perioperative variables. Generalized linear regression was used to fit a full specified model, including all predictors and a reduced penalized model approximating the full model. Model performance was measured using the c-statistic, Brier score, and calibration curves. Accuracy measures were internally validated using bootstrapping to correct for bias and overfitting. Decision curves were used to determine the net benefit of using the model.

Results

Of 12,334 women, 4.7% experienced SSI. The approximated model included 10 predictors. Model accuracy was acceptable (bias-corrected c-statistic [95% confidence interval], 0.603 [0.578–0.624]; Brier score, 0.045). The model was moderately calibrated when predicting up to 5–6 times the average risk of SSI between 0 and 25–30%. There was a net benefit for clinical use when risk thresholds for intervention were between 3% and 12%.

Conclusions

This model provides estimates of probability of SSI within 90 days after pelvic organ prolapse surgery and demonstrates net benefit when considering prevention strategies to reduce SSI.
Nonpharmacological interventions to promote sleep and rest among hospitalized pediatric patients in general pediatric wards: a best practice implementation project
Authors: McGraw Sarah , Palokas Michelle , Harbour Lee
Published: July 2022

Objectives:

The aim of this implementation project was to improve compliance with best practice regarding nonpharmacological interventions used to promote sleep and rest in hospitalized pediatric patients in a nonintensive care setting.

Introduction:

Hospitalized children endure numerous hindrances to sleep and rest, including, but not limited to, noise, pain, anxiety, and interruptions for nursing care. Evidence suggests that a multifaceted approach to sleep promotion can reduce the length of time to sleep onset and the length of nighttime awakenings. It is widely accepted, however, rarely practiced, that proven, low-cost, and noninvasive strategies exist to promote sleep and restoration of hospitalized pediatric patients, which fosters healing and recovery.

Methods:

This project used the JBI Evidence Implementation framework. A baseline audit of 22 nurses’ and 31 patients’/parents’/caregivers’ receipt of education on strategies to promote sleep and rest was obtained via survey; baseline data were also obtained from nurses regarding whether or not a multifaceted approach to sleep promotion is utilized and/or if an evidence-based protocol regarding sleep promotion is in place. Targeted strategies, including a protocol and nurse/patient education of multifaceted approaches to sleep, were then implemented, and a follow-up audit of 25 nurses and 32 patients/caregivers was completed.

Results:

Overall, postimplementation audits revealed 93% compliance with best practice, a 78% increase from baseline audits of 15%. Baseline data revealed poor knowledge of and/or compliance with each of the four audit criteria: nurse education on strategies to promote sleep and rest, the use of an evidence-based protocol regarding sleep promotion, a multifaceted approach to sleep promotion, and patient and/or caregiver education regarding sleep promotion. Postimplementation data, however, showed improvement in each of these areas.

Conclusion:

Deficiencies in best practice recommendations for the promotion of sleep and rest in pediatric patients admitted to general wards were identified, interventions were implemented, and results were beneficial. Further investigation could be taken to assess the long-term effectiveness of interventions and/or sleep quality of patients while hospitalized. Moreover, postimplementation audits should be administered to parents near the end of their stay, after they have had time to implement optional interventions, if they choose.
Moths complement bumblebee pollination of red clover: a case for day-and-night insect surveillance
Authors: Alison Jamie , Alexander Jake M. , Diaz Zeugin Nathan , Dupont Yoko L. , Iseli Evelin , Mann Hjalte M. R. , Høye Toke T.
Published: July 2022

Recent decades have seen a surge in awareness about insect pollinator declines. Social bees receive the most attention, but most flower-visiting species are lesser known, non-bee insects. Nocturnal flower visitors, e.g. moths, are especially difficult to observe and largely ignored in pollination studies. Clearly, achieving balanced monitoring of all pollinator taxa represents a major scientific challenge. Here, we use time-lapse cameras for season-wide, day-and-night pollinator surveillance of
Trifolium pratense
(L.; red clover) in an alpine grassland. We reveal the first evidence to suggest that moths, mainly
Noctua pronuba
(L.; large yellow underwing), pollinate this important wildflower and forage crop, providing 34% of visits (bumblebees: 61%). This is a remarkable finding; moths have received no recognition throughout a century of
T. pratense
pollinator research. We conclude that despite a non-negligible frequency and duration of nocturnal flower visits, nocturnal pollinators of
T. pratense
have been systematically overlooked. We further show how the relationship between visitation and seed set may only become clear after accounting for moth visits. As such, population trends in moths, as well as bees, could profoundly affect
T. pratense
seed yield. Ultimately, camera surveillance gives fair representation to non-bee pollinators and lays a foundation for automated monitoring of species interactions in future.
Godfrey Harry Stafford. 15 April 1920—29 July 2013
Authors: McCubbin N. A.
Published: July 2022

Godfrey Harry Stafford's career as a physicist began with research in cosmic rays in the 1940s and he lived to see the discovery in 2012 of the Higgs boson at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. He made major contributions to the construction and exploitation of accelerators at the Rutherford Laboratory in the UK and was its director from 1969 to 1981. During this period he oversaw the diversification of the laboratory into the multi-disciplinary centre it is today. He was master of St Cross College, Oxford, from 1979 to 1987 and president of the Institute of Physics from 1986 to 1988. He was a major supporter of physics as an international activity: he was a founder member of the European Physical Society in 1968 and its president 1984–86, and he had significant links with CERN that spanned 25 years.
Sir John Theodore Houghton. 30 December 1931—15 April 2020
Authors: White Robert S.
Published: July 2022

John Houghton made seminal contributions to understanding the temperature and structure of the stratosphere. After gaining the highest first in physics at Oxford, his DPhil involved building a radiometer that was flown in a post-war Mosquito. It started a long interest in developing instrumentation. He completed his National Service doing research into atmospheric composition at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, then returned to 21 years in Oxford. He led a team that, with others, built a series of instruments launched on Nimbus satellites during 1970 to 1978 to measure infrared radiation from the stratosphere. At age 48 he left academia to head up the Appleton Research Laboratories, tasked to move them to the Rutherford Laboratory and realign their work from upper atmospheric radio research to space support. Four years later he was appointed director general of the Meteorological Office. In his eight-year term, he moved it from dependence on the Ministry of Defence to becoming an independent agency, developed its commercial arm and strengthened its research. He also founded the Hadley Centre to work on climate-related issues. His most significant global contribution was helping to set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), then chairing its working group on scientific assessments through their first three reports during 1990 to 2001. After retirement he devoted his time to raising awareness of climate change through many lectures and articles, and co-founded the John Ray Initiative to address the challenges of sustainable development and environmental stewardship. Appropriately, the Sixth IPCC WG1 Assessment Report in August 2021 was dedicated posthumously to him.
Integrative analysis of genomic and transcriptomic alterations of
AGR2
and
AGR3
in cancer
Authors: Fessart Delphine , Villamor Ines , Chevet Eric , Delom Frederic , Robert Jacques
Published: July 2022

The
AGR2
and
AGR3
genes have been shown by numerous groups to be functionally associated with adenocarcinoma progression and metastasis. In this paper, we explore the data available in databases concerning genomic and transcriptomic features of these two genes: the NCBI dbSNP database was used to explore the presence and roles of constitutional SNPs, and the NCI, Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and TCGA databases were used to explore somatic mutations and copy number variations (CNVs), as well as mRNA expression of these genes in human cancer cell lines and tumours. Relationships of
AGR2
/
3
expression with whole-genome mRNA expression and cancer features (i.e. mutations and CNVs of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes (TSG)) were established using the CCLE and TCGA databases. In addition, the CCLE data concerning CRISPR gene extinction screens (Achilles project) of these two genes and a panel of oncogenes and TSG were explored. We observed that no functional polymorphism or recurrent mutation could be detected in
AGR2
or
AGR3
. The expression of these genes was positively correlated with the expression of epithelial genes and inversely correlated with that of mesenchymal genes. It was also significantly associated with several cancer features, such as
TP53
or
SMAD4
mutations, depending on the gene and the cancer type. In addition, the CRISPR screens revealed the absence of cell fitness modification upon gene extinction, in contrast with oncogenes (cell fitness decrease) and TSG (cell fitness increase). Overall, these explorations revealed that AGR2 and AGR3 proteins appear as common non-genetic evolutionary factors in the process of human tumorigenesis.
Submarine channels formation driven by turbidity currents interacting with an erodible bed
Authors: Mahato Rajesh K. , Dey Subhasish , Ali Sk Zeeshan
Published: July 2022

In this article, we explore the submarine channel formation driven by the interaction of turbidity currents with an erodible bed. The theoretical analysis considers the three-dimensional continuity and momentum equations of the fluid phase, and the advection–diffusion and Exner equations of the solid phase. The governing equations are linearized by imposing periodic perturbations on the base flow. We study the response of both the base flow (profiles of velocity and suspended sediment concentration) and perturbations (growth rate and perturbation fields) to changes in key parameters related to the flow and sediment transport. The growth rate and the critical wavenumber are examined for a given quintet formed by the gravitational parameter, longitudinal bed slope, sediment concentration at the edge of the driving layer, Rouse number and erosion coefficient. The critical wavenumber reduces with an increase in gravitational parameter, longitudinal bed slope, sediment concentration at the edge of the driving layer and erosion coefficient, while it increases with the Rouse number. For the submarine channel formation, we identify the upper threshold values for the gravitational parameter, longitudinal bed slope, sediment concentration at the edge of the driving layer and erosion coefficient and the lower threshold value for the Rouse number.
Controlling the dispersion of metamaterials in three dimensions
Authors: Adili Abiti , Chen Yue , Lipton Robert , Walker Shawn
Published: July 2022

We provide a platform to examine the effect of inclusion geometry on three-dimensional metamaterial crystals to tune frequency-dependent effective properties for control of leading order dispersive behaviour. The crystal is non-magnetic and made from all dielectric components. The design provides novel dispersive properties using subwavelength resonances controlled by the geometry of the media. We numerically calculate the effective tensors of the metamaterial to identify frequency intervals where the metamaterial exhibits band gaps as well as intervals of normal dispersion and double negative dispersion. The frequency intervals can be explicitly controlled by adjusting the geometry and placement of the dielectric inclusions within the period cell of the crystal.
Telomere length correlates with physiological and behavioural responses of a long-lived seabird to an ecologically relevant challenge
Authors: Benowitz-Fredericks Z. M. , Lacey L. M. , Whelan S. , Will A. P. , Hatch S. A. , Kitaysky A. S.
Published: July 2022

Determinants of individual variation in reallocation of limited resources towards self-maintenance versus reproduction are not well known. We tested the hypothesis that individual heterogeneity in long-term ‘somatic state’ (i) explains variation in endocrine and behavioural responses to environmental challenges, and (ii) is associated with variation in strategies for allocating to self-maintenance versus reproduction. We used relative telomere length as an indicator of somatic state and experimentally generated an abrupt short-term reduction of food availability (withdrawal of food supplementation) for free-living seabirds (black-legged kittiwakes,
Rissa tridactyla
). Incubating male kittiwakes responded to withdrawal by increasing circulating corticosterone and losing more weight compared to continuously supplemented controls. Males with longer telomeres increased time in directed travel regardless of treatment, while experiencing smaller increases in corticosterone. Males with longer telomeres fledged more chicks in the control group and tended to be more likely to return regardless of treatment. This study supports the hypothesis that somatic state can explain variation in short-term physiological and behavioural responses to challenges, and longer-term consequences for fitness. Male kittiwakes with longer telomeres appear to have prioritized investment in self over investment in offspring under challenging conditions.
Mistletoes could moderate drought impacts on birds, but are themselves susceptible to drought-induced dieback
Authors: Crates Ross , Watson David M. , Albery Gregory F. , Bonnet Timothée , Murphy Liam , Rayner Laura , Stojanovic Dejan , Timewell Chris , Meney Beau , Roderick Mick , Ingwersen Dean , Heinsohn Robert
Published: July 2022

Mistletoes are hemiparasitic plants and keystone species in many ecosystems globally. Given predicted increases in drought frequency and intensity, mistletoes may be crucial for moderating drought impacts on community structure. Dependent on host vascular flows, mistletoes can succumb to stress when water availability falls, making them susceptible to mortality during drought. We counted mistletoe across greater than 350 000 km
2
of southeastern Australia and conducted standardized bird surveys between 2016 and 2021, spanning a major drought event in 2018–2019. We aimed to identify predictors of mistletoe abundance and mortality and determine whether mistletoes might moderate drought impacts on woodland birds. Live mistletoe abundance varied with tree species composition, land use and presence of mistletoebirds. Mistletoe mortality was widespread, consistent with high 2018/2019 summer temperatures, low 2019/2020 summer rainfall and the interaction between summer temperatures and rainfall in 2019/2020. The positive association between surviving mistletoes and woodland birds was greatest in the peak drought breeding seasons of 2018/2019 and 2019/2020, particularly for small residents and insectivores. Paradoxically, mistletoes could moderate drought impacts on birds, but are themselves vulnerable to drought-induced mortality. An improved understanding of the drivers and dynamics of mistletoe mortality is needed to address potential cascading trophic impacts associated with mistletoe die-off.
Phenotypic and genomic signatures of interspecies cooperation and conflict in naturally occurring isolates of a model plant symbiont
Authors: Batstone Rebecca T. , Burghardt Liana T. , Heath Katy D.
Published: July 2022

Given the need to predict the outcomes of (co)evolution in host-associated microbiomes, whether microbial and host fitnesses tend to trade-off, generating conflict, remains a pressing question. Examining the relationships between host and microbe fitness proxies at both the phenotypic and genomic levels can illuminate the mechanisms underlying interspecies cooperation and conflict. We examined naturally occurring genetic variation in 191 strains of the model microbial symbiontSinorhizobium meliloti, paired with each of two hostMedicago truncatulagenotypes in single- or multi-strain experiments to determine how multiple proxies of microbial and host fitness were related to one another and test key predictions about mutualism evolution at the genomic scale, while also addressing the challenge of measuring microbial fitness. We found little evidence for interspecies fitness conflict; loci tended to have concordant effects on both microbe and host fitnesses, even in environments with multiple co-occurring strains. Our results emphasize the importance of quantifying microbial relative fitness for understanding microbiome evolution and thus harnessing microbiomes to improve host fitness. Additionally, we find that mutualistic coevolution between hosts and microbes acts to maintain, rather than erode, genetic diversity, potentially explaining why variation in mutualism traits persists in nature.
Vocal accommodation in penguins (Spheniscus demersus) as a result of social environment
Authors: Baciadonna Luigi , Solvi Cwyn , del Vecchio Flavia , Pilenga Cristina , Baracchi David , Bandoli Francesca , Isaja Valentina , Gamba Marco , Favaro Livio
Published: July 2022

The ability to vary the characteristics of one's voice is a critical feature of human communication. Understanding whether and how animals change their calls will provide insights into the evolution of language. We asked to what extent the vocalizations of penguins, a phylogenetically distant species from those capable of explicit vocal learning, are flexible and responsive to their social environment. Using a principal components (PCs) analysis, we reduced 14 vocal parameters of penguin's contact calls to four PCs, each comprising highly correlated parameters and which can be categorized as fundamental frequency, formant frequency, frequency modulation, and amplitude modulation rate and duration. We compared how these differed between individuals with varying degrees of social interactions: same-colony versus different-colony, same colony over 3 years and partners versus non-partners. Our analyses indicate that the more penguins experience each other's calls, the more similar their calls become over time, that vocal convergence requires a long time and relative stability in colony membership, and that partners' unique social bond may affect vocal convergence differently than non-partners. Our results suggest that this implicit form of vocal plasticity is perhaps more widespread across the animal kingdom than previously thought and may be a fundamental capacity of vertebrate vocalization.
Cascading indirect genetic effects in a clonal vertebrate
Authors: Makowicz Amber M. , Bierbach David , Richardson Christian , Hughes Kimberly A.
Published: July 2022

Understanding how individual differences arise and how their effects propagate through groups are fundamental issues in biology. Individual differences can arise from indirect genetic effects (IGE): genetically based variation in the conspecifics with which an individual interacts. Using a clonal species, the Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa), we test the hypothesis that IGE can propagate to influence phenotypes of the individuals that do not experience them firsthand. We tested this by exposing genetically identical Amazon mollies to conspecific social partners of different clonal lineages, and then moving these focal individuals to new social groups in which they were the only member to have experienced the IGE. We found that genetically different social environments resulted in the focal animals experiencing different levels of aggression, and that these IGE carried over into new social groups to influence the behaviour of naive individuals. These data reveal that IGE can cascade beyond the individuals that experience them. Opportunity for cascading IGE is ubiquitous, especially in species with long-distance dispersal or fission–fusion group dynamics. Cascades could amplify (or mitigate) the effects of IGE on trait variation and on evolutionary trajectories. Expansion of the IGE framework to include cascading and other types of carry-over effects will therefore improve understanding of individual variation and social evolution and allow more accurate prediction of population response to changing environments.
Persistence of a sessile benthic organism promoted by a morphological strategy combining sheets and trees
Authors: Edmunds Peter J.
Published: July 2022

Sessile organisms exploit a life-history strategy in which adults are immobile and their growth position is determined at settlement. The morphological strategy exploited by these organisms has strong selective value, because it can allow beneficial matching of morphology to environmental and biological conditions. In benthic marine environments, a ‘sheet-tree’ morphology is a classic mechanism exploited by select sessile organisms, and milleporine hydrocorals provide one of the best examples of this strategy. Using 30-year analysis ofMilleporasp. on the reefs of St. John, US Virgin Islands, I tested for the benefits of a sheet-tree morphology in mediating the ecological success of an important functional group of benthic space holders. The abundance ofMilleporasp. chaotically changed from 1992 to 2021 in concert with hurricanes, bleaching and macroalgal crowding.Milleporasp. responded to these disturbances by exploiting their morphological strategy to increase the use of trees when their sheets were compromised by bleaching and spatial competition with macroalgae, and the use of sheets when their trees were broken by storms. Together, these results reveal the selective value of a plastic sheet-tree morphology, which can be exploited by sessile organisms to respond to decadal-scale variation in environmental conditions.
Biomechanical Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Young Female Basketball Players: A pilot Study
Authors: Aoki Akino , Koresawa Kohei , No Yumi , Sadakiyo Masashi , Kubota Satoshi , Gamada Kazuyoshi
Published: July 2022

Objectives

This study was aimed to reveal the differences in knee valgus angle at landing as a static indicator and wobbling movement of the knee during landing as a dynamic indicator between ACL injury and uninjured athletes.

Methods

This study was case-control study. There were 6 female basketball players with ACL injuries and 38 female basketball players without them, whose knee kinematics were measured using 2-dimensional video cameras during single-leg jump landings. The task was performed from 30cm-box. Knee kinematics and wobbling of the knee which was calculated by relative frontal motion to the flexion movement were compared between knees with ACL-injured and uninjured.

Results

Six athletes who had confirmed ACL injuries, did not demonstrate significantly different knee valgus angle at initial contact and maximum knee flexion during landing, compared to 38 uninjured athletes. The knee valgus angles at initial contact for injured and uninjured athletes were 12.3° and 14.8° (p = 0.15), respectively. Five of six anterior cruciate ligament injured knees presented knee wobbling during landing. Relative frontal motion at 18° knee flexion was significantly greater in athletes with ACL-injured (p = 0.02).

Conclusions

84% of ACL injury presented with the knee wobbling and the frontal knee motion was greater with low knee flexion during knee wobbling, while the knee valgus angle was not significantly different. This study suggests that knee wobbling may be a biomechanical and dynamic risk factor for ACL injury in female basketball players.

Summary Box

What is already known on this topic – summarise the state of scientific knowledge on this subject before you did your study and why this study needed to be done

Biomechanical risk factor for ACL injury was revealed as dynamic knee valgus and low knee flexion which increases ACL strain. However, previous study focused only static index which are knee angle at initial contact or maximum. This study aimed to establish new dynamic index for screening of ACL injury.

What this study adds – summarise what we now know as a result of this study that we did not know before

Although a previous study identified knee valgus angle and knee valgus moment as predictors of ACL injury, many athletes who demonstrates knee valgus motion does not suffer ACL injury. Cadaveric studies show that ACL strain did not increase when knee valgus occurred with slowed knee flexion movement. We identified an abnormal knee movement involving the dynamic knee valgus with low knee flexion, which we call “knee wobbling.”

How this study might affect research, practice or policy – summarise the implications of this study

ACL injury has been difficult to predict; however, we found that knee wobbling, which is new parameter of abnormal knee movement, including rapid knee valgus/varus, is a potential predictor of ACL injury.
System identification reveals multiple interacting states in visuomotor adaptation
Authors: Balestrucci Priscilla , Ernst Marc
Published: July 2022

Many characteristics of sensorimotor adaptation are well predicted by the Kalman filter, a relatively simple learning algorithm for the optimal estimation of dynamic variables given noisy measurements. Yet not all Kalman filter predictions are confirmed empirically, suggesting that the model might not be sufficient to describe the observed behavior. In our study, we propose that sensorimotor adaptation can be modeled with multiple interacting states, each one described as a Kalman filter, to better reflect the architecture plant of the physical system implementing the behavior (i.e., the different motor and sensory components involved in adaptation). To test our hypothesis, we measured motor error in a series of rapid reaching tasks in which we introduced different conditions of feedback uncertainty and systematic perturbations. We then applied system identification procedures to the resulting adaptation response to test which system architecture would best fit the data. We considered three possible architectures: one with a single Kalman filter, with two filters in series, or two filters in parallel. We found that this latter structure consistently provided a significantly better fit than the others. When evaluating the identified system parameters, we found that the learning rates of both states decreased under higher uncertainty, while the weight assigned to the slower state increased. Moreover, the dual-state parallel system accounted for the presence of a constant residual bias in the adaptation to a step offset, which has been repeatedly reported but is in disaccord with the predictions of the single Kalman filter. We propose that the identified system architecture reflects how the error is assigned to different components of the physical plant responsible for adaptation: namely, as uncertainty increases, the controller assigns a larger contribution in error reduction to the slower state, which is more likely to have been responsible for the measured error.